Eventually, Nagu took off his boots and revealed a pair of cute socks embroidered with tiny golden lions. He saw no way to refuse Ashe's request.2

Hundreds of thousands of citizens, each with a ballot in hand, were watching the live broadcast. If Nagu wanted any chance of leaving the prison in the future or securing a seat on the city council, he couldn't risk doing anything to tarnish his public image.0

He had specifically requested the position of Warden to gain exposure, make himself known to the public, and lay the groundwork for a future political campaign. If he couldn't even fulfill this small wish from Ashe, no one would take him seriously, not as a council member, and not even as a warden. The Warden post was the easiest way for him to build a strong record. Losing it would mean being stuck as an ordinary prison guard until he achieved Two-Winged Gold.0

Nagu had weighed the situation carefully and knew the right choice. Nevertheless, when he held the brand-new boots he had looked forward to for a whole year and worn for less than a month in his hand, he couldn't help feeling a deep...0