Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 246
Chapter 246
Translator: Yonnee
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And when I vaguely opened my eyes in the early morning…
“Are you awake?”
I faced Albert, who I had longed to see so much.
At first, I thought it was a dream. Perplexed, I blinked my eyes, and Albert, who had been sitting by the bed, approached.
All my senses were working diligently. The clear sight of Albert, his scent, the sensation of his touch—everything was excessively realistic.
“Is this a dream?”
“…Do you wish it was a dream?”
“No, absolutely not.”
After a brief silence, I hastily raised my head. How much I had yearned to meet him.
It finally hit me. I quickly sat up. Albert’s gaze briefly swept over me. It was an intense stare.
Not seeing each other for a long time, it was only natural. I, just like he was doing, earnestly stared at the face of my lover.
The jawline, which had become sharper in my absence, captured my attention.
His eyes had deepened more than before, and his nose was now sturdy, like a freshly sculpted plaster cast.
A face that would never get boring no matter how many times I looked at it.
Our eyes met as I gazed at him with affection. I smiled subtly.
The slightly furrowed forehead of Albert smoothed out, and his eyes curved elegantly.
“I didn’t want to wake you.”
His languid voice, as if whispering, clung gently to my ears.
But what caught my attention more than anything was the reddened area around his eyes.
…Clearly, traces of tears.
There were still signs of tears on the corners of his eyes.
The light seeped through the curtain that hadn’t fully covered the still-dark room, illuminating his face.
His face, tinged with red, was more pitiful than frightening.
“…It was you.”
After a muffled sob, Albert, reaching through my hair, gently caressed the back of my head. Just as I used to do to the young Albert.
His words carried many meanings.
Many emotions were revealed in the gaze that looked at me. It wasn’t just a result of being apart for a year—it was a complex mix of so many feelings.
In his delicate touch, much like he was sculpting a delicate piece of pottery, there was an abundance of longing.
“I’ve finally met you again, the one I’ve waited for my whole life.”
His voice settled deeply.
As he held my hair in his hand, he lightly kissed it, now covered with silver-white strands.
Albert had realized that I was his first love from the past.
I felt ashamed that I had been afraid for even a moment that he might have changed. This is why people need to see and talk to each other directly.
There was so much to talk about.
I wanted to know how he had been, why I had to leave, and why I erased his memories. I needed to explain properly.
But just seeing his face made me choke up.
It was hard to continue talking. The density of the shadows under his eyes was too intense, making it difficult to speak easily.
How much emotional pain did you go through during the time I was gone? How difficult was it for you?
Even if all my time was for Albert, there must have been times when he was alone.
Days spent contemplating loneliness, questioning my life and death, days he had to endure alone.
I swallowed hard and finally managed to open my mouth.
“Al…”
Trying to reach out to him and say his name, I was surprised by the weight on my wrist.
What’s this?
The bracelet Albert gave me was never this heavy.
Turning my head, I realized that a thin platinum-colored cord was connected to the bracelet.
Following the cord with my gaze, I discovered that it was attached to Albert’s left wrist.
On his hand, there was a platinum bracelet, similar to the one I had been wearing all this time.
It seemed like a perfect match to mine.
No, but… Why was the cord connecting us? It looks like handcuffs, each attached to one side.
My head, still not fully accepting the situation, was spinning. Albert gently cupped my chin.
“Where are you looking?”
The tone conveyed that not even a moment of being lost in thought was forgivable. I quickly raised my head.
“You should look at me.”
Albert chuckled softly.
Um, something seems off.
The way Albert’s pupils looked like they had glinted, and the chain connecting me and him felt strange.
Well, his lover disappeared for a year, so this much wasn’t inconceivable. I decided to reassure him first.
The Albert I knew was an incredibly rational person. As long as there was a logical explanation to counter it, he’d eliminate this kind of thing.
For now, I needed to act as usual, like I always did.
“Hey, where else would I be looking if not at you, Albert?”
“Your answer is quite satisfactory.”
Albert raised the hand wearing the connected bracelets and held my hand, intertwining our fingers.
His fingers, like vines, wove through the gaps between mine.
Something was definitely off.
“But what is this?”
I pointed to the cord attached to the bracelet, pretending to be nonchalant.
“Ah, this.”
His low laughter seemed somewhat eerie.
“You’re shackled to me now.”
With a languid smirk, Albert brought his lips close to my ear and whispered softly.
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