Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 294
Chapter 294
Translator: Yonnee
—
Liam still came to meet him, along with Duke Masen.
“Oh, it’s been a long time, Young Count!”
Looking at Liam’s flushed face, Albert extended his hand first.
“It’s been a long time for me too, Young Duke.”
Liam’s face brightened as he received Albert’s greeting. He grabbed Albert’s hand and shook it vigorously.
“I came because I wanted to spar…”
“Of course.”
Albert readily agreed and picked up a real sword. It was a different choice from the past.
Duke Masen stepped forward to observe, and Albert accepted.
Liam’s sword clashed with Albert’s.
Without even matching a single strike, Liam’s sword flew into the air. It was because Albert had given his all.
“…What in the world.”
Liam muttered, looking dazed.
Albert kindly picked up Liam’s real sword for him.
And handed it back to him.
“Young Duke.”
“…Yes?”
“Would you like to join me?”
Albert asked directly. Originally, at this time, Albert would have been suspicious of Liam.
His life had been too devastated to trust anyone other than Jung-in.
But now, the situation was different.
He had seen several times how Liam stood by his side and knew what kind of person he was.
Duke Masen’s eyes were magically obscured, so there was nothing to interfere with their conversation.
“…What do you mean by that?”
Liam asked with a trembling voice and bright eyes, wanting to confirm Albert’s intentions. Albert faced him.
“I will be king.”
Liam’s mouth slowly opened, but he did not say that Albert’s declaration was absurd.
Liam’s instinct had always known that the man before him would become a ruler.
He admired this person and wanted to help him from the side.
But remembering the spar, Liam quickly became dejected.
“But can I really be of help…”
“Yes.”
Albert answered immediately.
“Because you will surpass me as a swordsman in the future.”
Liam had always loved the sword.
However, Duke Masen did not want Liam to gain fame with the sword, and because of that, Liam had to learn swordsmanship on his own.
Nevertheless, he matched well with Albert.
If he had been properly trained from a young age, Albert himself knew best that there was a chance Liam could surpass him.
Liam pursed his lips. Had he pushed too hard? Albert opened his mouth with a kind smile.
“If you’d rather not, you are free to decline—”
“No! I definitely want to be with you, Young Count.”
Liam smiled. The meeting was quite agreeable to Albert as well.
“Young Count, may I speak with you separately?”
Aside from the pleasantries, Duke Masen tried to intimidate him.
“No.”
This time, it didn’t work at all.
“Have you checked the gift I gave you today?”
“I haven’t seen it yet. You can take it back.”
“……”
Albert cut off Duke Masen’s nonsense before it even started. Without Greten, there was no one to criticize his actions.
* * *
Albert knew that Schubert’s appearance that day was no coincidence.
It was likely the same reason Marquis Evnen was unusually watching behind the curtains.
Rosteratu must have been there.
Today was finally the day to sweep away both Rosteratu and Marquis Evnen.
Alone.
Albert first snuck into Marquis Evnen’s mansion.
It wasn’t difficult to find Schubert just before he was imprisoned and tortured. The mansion’s security was laughably weak for him.
“W-Who are you!”
Schubert screamed when he saw Albert.
He didn’t realize it because this guy always wagged his tail like a dog when he saw him, but Schubert had a surprisingly loud voice.
Albert used a sleep spell to make everyone around him fall asleep before responding.
“Albert Grey.”
“Wow…”
Schubert’s eyes sparkled as he watched Albert perform the magic.
‘Just like before, nothing has changed.’
Albert smiled at the innocent face that reminded him of Liam.
He had long forgotten that he was just a child.
“This mansion is scheduled to be utterly destroyed today. Escape before that happens.”
Despite Albert’s warning, Schubert’s eyes still sparkled with excitement.
“But you saved me…”
“I was just in the right place at the right time.”
“Can I serve by your side? I have nowhere else to go anyway.”
Schubert was rootless. No one in his life had ever cared for him.
That was why Albert Grey had become such a significant presence in his life.
Although he had changed many aspects of the past, like Liam’s existence, there were always parts that remained unchanged.
His encounter with Schubert was the same.
“…Alright.”
“Yay!”
Schubert was overjoyed, seemingly having completely forgotten that he had just been in danger of torture.
“I will serve you with all my might.”
Schubert suddenly spoke earnestly after jumping around. He bowed deeply to Albert in respect.
A moment later, Schubert, with a serious face, asked.
“Albert Grey, may I ask you one more favor?”
“Yes.”
Encouraged by Albert’s calm response, Schubert asked with a determined face.
“Since I don’t have a name… if you name me, I will cherish it for the rest of my entire life.”
He had no name? It was the first Albert had heard of this. Liam was not the type to name someone, so…
‘Was it a name Schubert had given himself back then?’
It was a name too similar to his own and had stayed in his memory, apparently, there was a backstory to it.
Albert chuckled and handed Schubert a handkerchief as he said,
“Schubert.”
“……”
“Let’s go with that.”
Thus, Albert met and accepted Liam, Mercy, and Schubert as his retainers.
And Rosteratu and Marquis Evnen met unfortunate deaths in a sudden accident that brought down the mansion, just as Albert Grey was being designated as the heir.
The nobles who found this suspicious thoroughly investigated Albert, but they found no evidence connected to him.
Thus, Albert Grey became king.
Around the same time, the funeral of Emmett, Albert’s mentor, took place. Albert did not cry at his mentor’s last rites because this time, he could send him off with a smile.
* * *
Albert proceeded to unify the neighboring countries one by one.
It wasn’t a rapid unification like before. He took care of the citizens of each country and negotiated wherever possible.
Thus, the unification took longer than expected.
His perfectionism was still at play.
Albert built a tower at the same location he had told Jung-in about.
The door of the tower was open, as he had promised to meet Blanc there again.
And Blanc came to find him as promised.
“Albeeeert…”
With the same tone and appearance, but with all his memories intact—
“I’m here too, King!”
Along with Alexander.
Because they remembered each other, Alexander came to find Blanc.
Blanc and Albert made a pact, and Alexander and Blanc safely reached their 500th birthday.
Having repeatedly trained and unified the continent during the time until he met Blanc again, Albert had become a transcendent comparable to Emmett, making the ordeal not difficult at all.
Whether they were mental or physical trials.
And Albert then flew to the dimension still remaining in his memory.
To the world where his Jung-in existed.
Before the accident, he stopped the bus that was about to hit Jung-in and faced her.
* * *
For me, it was but a moment, but I know it was a long life for Albert.
When we met again, his beauty was unchanged, but there was one difference.
He seemed less shadowed, more at ease. Blanc and Alexander waved from behind him.
It was all over.
I hugged Albert tightly. His scent lingered at the tip of my nose. I was overwhelmed.
“Did you come back happy?”
As I asked, Albert whispered back with a soft smile.
“I did my best for you.”
Then he held both of my cheeks and looked down at me.
“But no moment, however, can compare to now.”
With those words, Albert kissed me. With several light kisses, he whispered to me,
“It wasn’t always happiness. I was sad without you. I despaired, I was depressed.
But the reason I could overcome all that time was because I was certain that I could meet you again and be happy.
And my belief has become reality.
Now that we are together.
And we will continue to be happy.
* * *
There were no more hardships, no more adversities.
The valleys in Albert’s life had become plains.
A life that once vibrated with emotion was now a tale too mundane to tell.
But that’s our happy ending.
—Main Story, End—
t/n: i… i’m not crying…… not at all………
i’ll leave the sappy notes until after the side stories. i refuse to say goodbye!
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