Chapter 337: Chapter 337 Trust Relationship_1
The next day, Veronica arrived at the core area and went straight to Sophie’s cell.
Upon seeing her, Sophie immediately put on a guarded expression, like a mouse spotting a cat.
"No need to be nervous, I’m not interrogating you today, just normal labor work," said Veronica, sensing the other’s thoughts and unlocking the cell herself, "Lie down on the bed first."
"What?" Sophie was stunned for a moment.
"Just do it," Veronica replied.
After a second’s hesitation, Sophie lay down on the bed.
Veronica walked closer, causing Sophie to tense up involuntarily.
Veronica ignored her reaction and deftly took out the key to unlock her shackles.
"Get up, stretch out your hands," Veronica continued to command.
Though puzzled, Sophie obediently sat up and extended her hands: "Do I need to change clothes?"
"No need, just making it a bit more convenient for you to work. If you behave today, you won’t need to wear them," said Veronica as she took the shackles, stepped aside, and gestured for Sophie to walk ahead.
The sudden leniency left Sophie more suspicious than relieved. After leaving her cell, she would glance back at Veronica every few steps, worried about the other’s next move.
After several repetitions, Veronica couldn’t help but frown, "Don’t look back, walk faster!"
"Can I request someone else to monitor me?" Sophie asked.
"Do you think you’re in a private booth at a restaurant where you can change waiters?" Veronica’s face darkened.
Sophie had no choice but to turn her head back around.
"Turn left ahead, today’s task is to remove weeds from the playground," Veronica directed.
"Outdoor work?" Sophie turned her head in surprise.
"Rest assured, it’s very overcast today, I’ve already taken good care of you," Veronica responded.
Once on the playground, Veronica had Sophie get gloves and tools and directed her to a corner to start weeding.
Besides Sophie, there were three other inmates from the core area working together on the playground. Veronica relieved the original guard on duty and directed the four inmates to take care of different areas, making sure that everyone was within her sight as she patrolled nearby.
After making a large round, when she passed by the area Sophie was in charge of again, Sophie spoke in a voice only the two of them could clearly hear, "The surveillance feels more relaxed, huh? Yesterday you were monitoring only me."
"Still in the mood for small talk, do you find the work too easy?" Veronica replied evenly.
"Don’t be so stiff, a little chat won’t slow down my hands," Sophie said slowly, "You removed the shackles and let me work with other inmates, can I take this as a sign that you’ve lowered your guard a bit? Please give me a straight answer; I don’t want to be jumpy all the time."
After some thought, Veronica said, "The warden informed me of your special abilities, but we have now taken the appropriate measures."
"Measures?" Sophie paused for a moment, then realizing something, her expression changed as she stared at Veronica, "May I try them out?"
Veronica turned her head to look at the windows of the distant prison main building, where Aiden was standing by the window, keeping watch over the yard.
"Go ahead, but I advise you not to make any unnecessary moves," Veronica said impassively as her hand rested on her sidearm.
Sophie’s mouth opened as she was about to speak, but then the command flashed through her head: "From the moment these rules are written, it is forbidden to alter one’s appearance with the intent to deceive. Violators will be subjected to corporal punishment."
"So that’s how it is. The warden has finally deigned to invest a little in me," Sophie realized.
"Get to work," Veronica urged.
The Wordless Code, a person could only write or modify it three times a day.
But if two people used it, there would be more room to maneuver.
After trying to get Veronica to use the Wordless Code, Aiden was not overly stingy with the number of times he wrote rules on the Wordless Code. Some rules could be written by Veronica, and then even if something unexpected happened that day, Aiden could rely on himself to modify the rules promptly.
Sophie squatted down to continue dealing with the weeds growing in the cracks of the corner. Veronica glanced at her, ready to check the work status of other prisoners, when Sophie spoke in a low voice again: "Do you like that warden?"
Veronica’s body suddenly tensed up, and she immediately turned her head towards the window. Sophie’s voice was soft, and given the distance from the main building to this corner, even a werewolf’s hearing might not catch it, but for a moment, Veronica still panicked.
Aiden’s figure was no longer by the window. It seemed he had confirmed everything was fine and had gone to work.
"You don’t have to hide it, actually, you’re quite—" Sophie went on, oblivious, but when she turned her head and caught sight of Veronica’s spine-chilling expression, as if pondering whether to silence her, she instinctively swallowed the word "obvious."
"I didn’t mean anything by it... just asking." Although a cold sweat had started to break out on her forehead, Sophie still managed to maintain her composure.
Veronica calmed down in time, realizing she should not be so easily shaken in front of a prisoner.
Liking someone was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Prying into personal privacy is not a good habit," she replied prudently.
"I’m just very curious about your relationship with him, why he would trust you with the only authority, which is not something easily entrusted to others."
"It was the right judgment. If I hadn’t been holding that thing at the time, you might have overreacted and bitten off your own tongue," Veronica responded.
"I’m not talking about that. I just want to know why he trusts you so much. Is it because you like him? Or is it because he saved your life... Ah, sorry, I haven’t told you before, but I’ve investigated some things and know that he has overturned a case for you."
"He trusts me just because I am trustworthy," Veronica said as she crossed her arms. "If I were the scum who would stab a benefactor in the back, even if he had saved my life, he wouldn’t entrust things to me."
Sophie glanced at Veronica and posed another question: "What if he faced a life-threatening danger, would you be willing to risk your life to save him?"
"Of course," replied Veronica without hesitation.
A moment of silence ensued, and Sophie let out a sigh: "I’m really envious of you two."
"Envious of what?" Veronica asked, confused.
"Miss Guard, could you pass a message to the warden?" Instead of answering the question, Sophie made a sincere request, "There are some things I’d like to discuss with him again."
