Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 249

TM has been completely translated on Patreon

Chapter 249

Translator: Yonnee

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I paid handsomely for letting Albert take the lead.

Despite pleading desperately to let me sleep as I was in his embrace, it was in all vain.

He said he understood that I wanted to stop already, yet he simply comforted and coaxed me with gentle words.

In short, he didn’t let me go.

After crying several times in the ecstasy that enveloped my entire body, Albert, pretending to be defeated, finally lay down beside me.

Unable to protest even a single word, I just breathed heavily.

Sunlight seeped through the curtains little by little. Albert caressed my eyes and chuckled.

“Your crying face is surprisingly beautiful. I might develop a strange hobby.”

I muttered back in horror,

“I don’t think that’s a good hobby.”

“As long as it’s not because you’re sad. I actually like it.”

What could be as precious as tears of joy? Albert, softly murmuring, carefully removed the strands of hair stuck to my face.

“That’s unfair. I endured a lot.”

At first, I thought he was joking, but his expression was too serious.

I knew he was physically strong, but I didn’t expect his stamina to be on this level. Scared, I changed the subject.

“I’m really sleepy…”

It was an attempt to divert the conversation, but it wasn’t entirely untrue. I hadn’t slept all night, tormented by him.

Albert gazed at my face with his chin in hand, then he raised his hand and gently covered my eyelids.

I lowered his hand and met his gaze.

“How about you?”

“I’m fine.”

Albert, with a wry smile, raised his head.

But even the remarkable Albert couldn’t erase the shadow cast over his eyes.

“Whether in your childhood or now… I don’t understand why you always insist that you’re fine.”

I raised my hand and closed his eyelids. With closed eyes, his long eyelashes became more distinct.

“When was the last time you properly slept?”

“…It’s better not to say.”

Rarely, Albert exercised his right to remain silent. Even without saying, I understood.

Considering his usual stamina, it might be possible for him to live without sleep, but in essence, human beings still need sleep.

Maybe Albert going a bit insane was not an absurd hypothesis, considering the unfortunate incidents resulting from lack of proper sleep. It’s a reasonable theory.

“I want to see you sleeping, too.”

At my words, Albert chuckled and let out a deep sigh.

“Oh, by the way, that dragon fledgling.”

“Don’t call him dragon fledgling, it’s Blanc…”

As I sighed and pointed out, Albert shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t understand.

“…If that nickname is a bit awkward, how about calling him Wight?”

I recalled the name I came up with because I couldn’t call him by the usual nickname outside.

Wight. As Albert murmured the name, he raised his head and looked at me.

It seems like he’s trying to consider it. Well, I wasn’t expecting him to take to the name change right away.

Albert, placing his hand on mine on top of my hand, murmured.

“I’ve prepared a lot for you.”

“……”

“But unfortunately, revealing it will have to be postponed for now.”

“Why?”

“Because I received an order I cannot reject.”

Although I knew who gave that order, it remained unspoken.

“If you know, please keep your end of the deal…”

My eyelids, which were lightly closed with a gentle smile, gradually descended. Embracing the light filtering through the curtains as our friend, we fell into the embrace of sleep.

* * *

Albert’s fall into slumber was fleeting. The lingering anxiety prevented him from enjoying a long rest.

He still couldn’t believe that this was real. Was it truly her beside him?

Watching Jung-in sleeping next to him, Albert got up from his place.

Dressed neatly now, Albert quickly dressed the peacefully asleep Jung-in as well, then covered her with a blanket up to her neck.

Although he was unsure when the dragon might come, he couldn’t leave her like this.

He considered going down to the kitchen, but he hesitated to part even briefly from Jung-in.

The emotion gnawing at him, he knew, couldn’t be easily shaken off. Even hearing words of love or embracing her repeatedly didn’t change it.

He felt that he would never be able to escape from this thirst.

The veins in his clenched fist bulged. The shadow on his narrowed forehead resembled an abyss.

The loneliness or anxiety of someone who had waited for a long time had wrapped around his entire being.

“Oh.”

Albert, tousling his bangs, raised his head at the unfamiliar voice.

“It’s you, Albert.”

The man with long hair, pointing a finger towards him, had a barely visible blue aura surrounding him.

There was only one person with a face ignorant of everything and fitting the demeanor of a person capable of talking to him like this.

“I guess I can’t call you a fledgling anymore.”

As Albert chuckled, Blanc nodded and plopped down in front of the bed where he was sitting.

“Umm…”

Looking at Albert, Blanc frowned.

It was basically routine by now that they’d start bickering the moment they were in the same room. So, he didn’t know how to start a conversation with him.

Albert spoke first.

“You were right.”

There was no better way to put it.

His selfish call nearly killed Jung-in, and the contract with this dragon fledgling saved her life.

Surprised by Albert’s acquiescing demeanor, Blanc smiled brightly.

“I told you I wouldn’t let her die.”

His somewhat pouting voice sounded like a proud child who kept his promise.

Blanc looked at Albert and stirred up memories of their last encounter.

The sight of that once-crying little boy as Jung-in was leaving—that image overlapped with the adult Albert now.

Just by looking at him like this, it was evident to Blanc just how much the young Albert relied on Jung-in.

Just as she had given a reason for living in his life, Jung-in had provided a reason for the young Albert to live as well.