Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 31

TM has been completely translated on Patreon

Chapter 31

Translator: Yonnee

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Now that I was looking at him squarely, I saw that Albert’s bangs grew quite a bit, poking his eyes. It was admirable that he endured until now.

I hesitated for a moment, then I suggested.

“Prince, would you like me to trim your fringe?”

“By how much?”

“Hm… Excuse me for a moment.”

I leaned down slightly to be on eyelevel with him. Then, Albert looked up at me.

It felt weird.

I’d just been looking up at him all this time, but never looked down.

So I had never seen him from this angle before…

A day like this could come, after all.

Albert’s face was immaculate of course, and I closed my eyes for a second and opened them again, pushing through with seriously measuring his hair length.

“Is it alright if it’s a little higher than your eyebrows?”

“Even if you say that, I wouldn’t know.”

“Are you only pretending not to know?”

“Why would I do that?”

And I had no rebuttal to this.

At that time, Albert grabbed my wrist gently. It didn’t even feel weird because he did it so naturally.

“It’s better if you just touch me to let me know.”

Unexpectedly, he pulled up my hand towards his hair, and Albert’s forehead—no, his face was too close.

I inhaled sharply, nervous that Albert heard the sound.

I turned my head at once because I knew I wouldn’t be able to control my facial expression.

If I get caught being flustered, Albert wouldn’t like it. I’m sure he said that without thinking.

No excessive self-consciousness.

You can’t.

Albert doesn’t like you.

There’s no way he likes you.

After chanting this like a mantra, I regained peace in my heart. Then, I summoned the demeanor of a subordinate towards her boss and went back to measuring his hair seriously.

“About this much.”

I used my index and middle finger together to indicate the length at about half of his bangs.

Albert’s gaze could sparsely be seen through his hair.

Then, the corners of his lips slowly turned up.

“Alright.”

“Then I’ll go get the scissors.”

I escaped from Albert under the pretext of getting the pair of scissors. I picked it up from the desk, but as I returned, I walked back as slowly as I possibly could. I wanted to delay it as much as possible.

However, my freedom was but a moment.

Back in front of Albert as he sat on the chair, I hooked my fingers into the handles and took in a deep breath.

“You said it’s alright if I mess up. You can’t take back those words.”

I didn’t forget to remind Albert again.

“Yes.”

At Albert’s blasé answer, my first attempt began.

“Prince, please close your eyes.”

Bowing his head slightly forward, Albert closed his eyes. When he did, his long eyelashes could be seen.

It was the first time for me to see Albert with his eyes closed. The face illuminated gently by the fire made him seem like a holy saint.

I even had the vague imagination that I’d be corrupting the saint the moment I touched him.

Of course, it was a ridiculous thought.

I carefully held a tuft of his bangs.

Then, I stepped closer to him and began to cut his hair little by little—really, <i>little by little.</i> As much as I possibly could.

Snip. Gray hair fell around Albert.

Snip.

The gray hair that fell seemed like the milky way.

“Hu… I’ll take a short break.”

While I rested for a moment, Albert opened his eyes.

He was so close that I couldn’t breathe.

All I could think was that his eyes were clear.

He stared at me for a long time. There was no end to the depth of his gaze.

And it was as if… I wouldn’t be able to get out the moment I’d fall into them.

It was a moment that made me want to laugh just because I was so disconcerted.

“Rosé, let’s kiss.”

…was what he asked.

And I thought I heard wrong.

But he said it again as though he knew that I’d make some excuse like not hearing it properly.

“Let’s kiss.”

Was there anyone who could refuse when he said that?

“I want to kiss you right now.”

Though I would berate myself and say that I shouldn’t succumb to Albert’s words every time, I couldn’t resist.

His face.

His voice.

This atmosphere.

Everything about Albert just draws me in.

I wonder what made you say these words.

A moment’s impulse?

Or… something more than that?

I wanted to know, but I didn’t ask.

Instead, I closed my eyes.

Albert held the back of my head and pulled me in slowly.

And, warm lips touched.

* * *

How did it come to this?

I recalled the first time I kissed Albert.

The very moment I transmigrated into this novel, it was the time Rosé was coercing Albert according to her self-interest.

I remember how Albert looked at me at that time.

I didn’t even close my eyes back then to let Albert know that I was confident—confident that it wouldn’t lead to anything romantic. I thought this kiss would be the same.

But no. It was different.

It wasn’t a kiss that could be brushed off as something that happened after being swept by the atmosphere.

Was it because the night was deep?

As if he noticed how I was distracted by other thoughts, Albert slightly pulled me in more with his hand still on the back of my head.