Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 266

Chapter 266

Translator: Yonnee

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Albert immediately agreed to the conditions she nervously laid down.

“Then start working in the palace from today onwards. I expect you to continue improving your cooking skills.”

“Yes, I’ll work hard until the day we meet again.”

If it’s a dish for the emperor, she’d need to pay extra attention.

The people here generally had a low tolerance for spicy food, so she had to be careful not to make the seasoning too spicy…

She was already engrossed in planning what dishes to present when Albert’s voice firmly cut through her thoughts.

“Ah, it’s not for me to eat.”

“…Pardon?”

To her dumbfounded reply, Albert repeated with a light smile.

“It’s for Jung-in to eat.”

His voice was as warm as a spring breeze.

Jung-in.

…It was only after she started working in the palace that she realized Jung-in was not just a term of endearment, but a person’s name.

She was the emperor’s beloved.

So, her initial interpretation wasn’t entirely wrong.

Seeing Albert’s impossible beauty, it was true she had been drawn to him as a woman.

But after learning about Jung-in, Seo Ina completely lost interest.

‘You don’t mess with someone who’s taken.’

She was a person of common sense, after all.

Working in the palace was truly a great job.

Although there were those jealous of the favor she received from the emperor, more people acknowledged the rarity of her cooking after seeing her recipe collection.

While waiting for Jung-in’s arrival, Seo Ina encountered those who enjoyed her cooking.

Mercy, the lord of the magic tower, was one such person.

Though they had met only once, Mercy gave her a peculiar look.

“…Fascinating.”

“Huh?”

What kind of out-of-the-blue comment was that?

“Do you not infuse your cooking with wishes?”

Prompted by Mercy’s question, Seo Ina reflected on her thoughts while cooking.

She hoped that people would be joyful, happy, and perhaps a little less melancholy.

“Your cooking expresses exactly who you are.”

That was all Mercy had said.

Seo Ina tried to meet her again several times, but Mercy, constantly accompanying the emperor, was too busy for a palace chef like Seo Ina to approach.

From afar, the dark circles under her eyes were so pronounced that Seo Ina felt guilty even thinking of calling out to her.

She’d get the chance to ask next time. Seo Ina diligently honed the mysterious power she possessed.

She even bought a basic magic book to study.

Eventually, Seo Ina discovered her magic could alter someone’s thoughts to be more in line with her wishes if she imbued her cooking with her desires.

For instance, if she hoped people would find joy in her food, they actually did feel happier while eating it.

The extent of happiness varied from person to person.

Though her magic wasn’t strong enough for her to cast spells or draw magic circles, it was perfectly suited to her, and she was content with it.

Had she not come to the palace and focused solely on cooking, she might have never discovered the existence of the magic within her, which felt like a gift in her life.

But realizing her limits didn’t quench Seo Ina’s curiosity about magic.

She started to take more interest in magic.

Naturally, learning about the existence of a dragon’s contractor was an inevitable step.

“…If it’s okay with you, could I sometimes, just very occasionally, see you use magic?”

And it, too, was only natural for Seo Ina to start looking up to Jung-in, who was a dragon contractor.

* * *

Faced with a blushing and shyly smiling Seo Ina, I was left speechless.

…Excuse me? What did you say?

“It’s just that being a dragon’s contractor is so cool and amazing. I really don’t have any ulterior motives…”

I knew that Seo Ina’s role would diverge from the original story, but I hadn’t anticipated her developing a slight magical ability or becoming something akin to a fan of mine.

It felt as if I had taken the place of the original Albert.

“Being able to see a dragon’s contractor in my lifetime, what a great fortune.”

Her eyes sparkled as she grasped my hand and spoke.

Though she had been hiding her fan-like enthusiasm in front of others, it was fully apparent now.

It felt similar to how Schubert talks about Albert.

…It seemed like Seo Ina had adapted to this world much better than I thought.

Since she was cooking delicious meals for me, couldn’t I grant her this much?

I readily nodded.

“Should I call you when I’m about to use magic?”

“Yes! Of course!”

Seo Ina’s eyes lit up with joy as she nodded.

“And I have a favor to ask of you.”