For a moment, the Crown Prince even found this person's train of thought utterly incomprehensible.

This was the imperial palace of the empire, and he was its supreme ruler. No one dared to show him disrespect here.

Never.

Yet this person had the audacity to say they would discipline him here.

How? Was it going to be like that airborne prison routine again? Humiliating him physically and stripping him of his dignity?

The Crown Prince’s face flushed crimson—whether from anger or shame, he couldn’t tell.

He knew what he should do: throw this person out immediately and never let their shameless face appear before him again.

But the words that escaped his lips were: "You wouldn’t dare!"

"Do you know how many people come and go here every day? Don’t even think about humiliating me here."

Shen Ying nodded. "Then you’d better be careful not to get caught."

"Otherwise, if those who take pride in working at the palace see the future emperor in such a sorry state, their hearts would probably shatter on the spot."

The Crown Prince sneered. "You think I’ll listen to you?"

Shen Ying: "Not fulfilling a prisoner’s obligations is fine too. After all, you’ve already abandoned your principles once for freedom—what’s stopping you from doing it a second time?"

The Crown Prince grew even more furious, his anger mingled with humiliation and defeat.

The first time, he had compromised his dignity for freedom, accepting what felt like charity. And now—

In the end, whether it was his unwillingness to lower his standards further or some other thought surfacing in his mind,

the Crown Prince gritted out, "What exactly do you want?"

Shen Ying: "The clothes you’re wearing now are too arrogant. They’re not fitting for a prisoner’s dignity."

"Take them off."

Shen Ying didn’t even rise from her chair, her elbow resting on the armrest, chin propped on her hand as her gaze lingered on the man who would become emperor the next day.

Her eyes were indifferent, yet the Crown Prince felt as if flames were licking at his skin.

He took a deep breath and removed his royal robe.

The fabric of the royal robe was woven from the rarest materials in the universe, blended with energy-infused metal—soft and delicate to the touch, yet capable of withstanding tremendous force.

Even a laser blast wouldn’t leave a scratch. It was not just a symbol of status but also one of the royal family’s safeguards.

And now it lay discarded on the floor, cast aside by its owner.

The Crown Prince lifted his chin, meeting Shen Ying’s gaze without flinching, as if to preserve his dignity.

"What next?"

Shen Ying: "I recall you once said that no one has ever visited the Sanctuary, but you’ve relieved its impurities yourself, haven’t you?"

"I have," the Crown Prince suddenly interjected, cutting off her next words.

Shen Ying paused, only to see accusation flicker in his gaze.

"I said someone did visit—she tricked me into opening the door."

Shen Ying: "..."

So he was still hung up on the simulation pod incident.

She scoffed. "Wasn’t it you who flung the doors wide open and dragged someone in for a tour?"

"I was already exhausted from wandering the Mermaid Palace—I had no intention of going to the Sanctuary."

"You—" The Crown Prince’s eyes reddened. So in the end, he was just an afterthought, force-fed like an unwanted side dish?

Shen Ying ignored his fury, her voice icy. "Enough about irrelevant matters. This is disciplinary time."

She continued, "Where did you relieve the Sanctuary’s impurities? Was it here?"

The Crown Prince’s face burned so red it seemed about to drip blood, though his anger had dulled somewhat.

He sneered inwardly. This woman claimed he was just an afterthought—so what was she doing now?

Buoyed by this inexplicable sense of triumph, he suppressed his shame for the moment.

His voice dropped unconsciously. "Of course not here, you fool. Even if—it would be in the bedroom."

Shen Ying sounded disappointed. "Really? What a shame."

A bad feeling crept into the Crown Prince’s heart—and sure enough, she added, "The view here is so much better."

"You can look out and see the palace’s most beautiful scenery, with people passing below, glancing up in admiration."

The Crown Prince sucked in a sharp breath, his ears burning crimson. "You want me to—here—?"

Shen Ying: "Yes. Begin."

Though privacy measures ensured no one outside could see him, this woman actually wanted him to do this in front of so many people?

His spine tingled, his eyes reddening as he stared at Shen Ying.

But her gaze was unyielding, fixed on him, urging him forward.

The Crown Prince bit his lower lip and closed his eyes.

The Crown Prince’s private meeting with Warden Shen lasted far too long—long past dinner.

An official in charge of the prince’s daily affairs knocked on the door to inquire, but the bedchamber remained firmly shut.

He didn’t even catch a glimpse of His Highness, only hearing his voice through the door’s intercom, instructing him not to disturb again.

He would be summoned when the meeting concluded.

The attendant didn’t think much of it, though the prince’s voice sounded odd—

broken, unsteady, as if he were in the middle of some physical exertion.

It wasn’t unusual for His Highness to conduct a meeting while exercising, especially with an official from a minor, politically insignificant department.

As the attendant left, he had no idea just how humiliating the Crown Prince’s posture was before this seemingly unimportant official.

When the meeting finally ended and the prince’s chambers opened, the special agency official surnamed Shen emerged alone.

Rumors spread that the Crown Prince had already retired for the night.

Zheng Yanhui arrived then to escort Shen Ying away—a prearranged order from the prince.

The entire empire knew the Crown Prince had once been imprisoned due to false accusations by traitors, and many were aware that Warden Shen had overseen his detention.

Plenty speculated about the prince’s attitude toward her now.

But from the looks of it, His Highness didn’t seem to hold any grudge against the warden who had once managed his imprisonment.

Many assumed she must have treated him with great respect in prison.

So while waiting, officials from various palace departments chatted with Zheng Yanhui about it.

Zheng Yanhui cursed inwardly, her smile strained.

Warden Shen—showing the Crown Prince respect?

If not for propriety, she would have laughed outright. But she couldn’t reveal a thing.

With the meeting dragging on this long, who knew what had happened inside?

Was Warden Shen being subjected to some inhuman torture?

Tight-lipped, she refused to leak any details before that door opened.

But with everyone pressing for answers, she had to polish the truth.

An old man with a monocle was the most annoying, probing into every little detail.

"Did His Highness have any recreational activities in prison? Even with limited conditions, Warden Shen must have provided ample relaxation, no?"

Zheng Yanhui: "..."

Recreation? Unless being punished counted.

Aloud, she said, "Of course. His Highness used the simulation pod quite frequently—one of the few prisoners allowed unrestricted access."

"Other prisoners only get privileges once a year if they behave well, but His Highness the Crown Prince can speak whenever he wants—or not at all—and even use his own codes."

And the result? He ended up walking right into a trap, getting played to the point of madness. After returning, he barely spoke a word and would glare at Warden Shen every time she appeared.

The old man, however, nodded in satisfaction and said arrogantly, "Of course. How could His Highness not have such privileges?"

Still, after Zheng Yanhui gathered intel on the Crown Prince’s prison conditions from Warden Shen, everyone was satisfied with her performance.

They believed she had taken good care of His Highness.

So when Zheng Yanhui led Shen Ying to rest, the living quarters, meals, and level of service prepared by the life officials were all top-tier.

Zheng Yanhui and Warden Shen enjoyed a lavish dinner together, with Zheng sneaking glances at her several times.

To her surprise, the warden showed no signs of exhaustion—instead, she looked radiant, in high spirits, and completely at ease.

Zheng couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: This host is seriously impressive.

She’d seen the state the Crown Prince was in when he sent her to retrieve someone.

He’d looked ready to tear the person limb from limb. Yet now, the person was fine, while the Crown Prince was holed up in his chambers, refusing to come out.

What was I thinking, trying to go up against Warden Shen with the system?

After dinner, Zheng Yanhui left Shen Ying’s resting quarters.

Shen Ying logged into the game. Today, the Crown Prince’s method of summoning her had been rather rough. Though Lien and his crew had escaped, given their aggressive nature, they’d probably cause trouble if they didn’t get a proper explanation.

Honestly, while Shen Ying enjoyed watching handsome men fight, she wasn’t a fan of public chaos.

Sure enough, the moment she went online, someone spotted her.

She recognized him—one of Lien’s pirate crew members, who had once cornered her in the game.

The moment he saw Shen Ying, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Boss! Boss! That woman’s online!"

Then Lien’s game avatar materialized right in front of Shen Ying. He grabbed her and looked her up and down.

"Are you okay? What did that idiot do to you? How are you now?"

Shen Ying: "Even if something happened, you wouldn’t be able to tell from my game avatar."

Lien choked. "Then sync your real-life appearance, quick!"

His first mate couldn’t bear to watch. "If something happened, would she be leisurely playing games?"

"Have you ever seen anyone under control still able to log in and play?"

Lien: "Of course I have. I can."

Though it had cost him eight hundred in bribes.

Then he eyed Shen Ying suspiciously. "You’re not telling me your internet access was bought the same way, are you?"

Shen Ying slapped a hand over his face and pushed his increasingly close head away.

"Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a proper imperial official—how could I be the same as a prisoner?"

Lien choked again, thinking, That’s not what you said when you tricked me into cooperating.

Still, relieved that Shen Ying hadn’t been mistreated, he said, "Don’t worry. I’ll get you out."

Shen Ying waved him off. "No need. As a proper official, I was summoned—there’s no conspiracy here."

By now, Lien knew her well enough. His expression immediately darkened at her words.

He demanded, "Did you get some kind of reward from the Crown Prince?"

"Are you so happy there you don’t even want to leave?"