Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 63

TM has been completely translated on Patreon

Chapter 63

Translator: Yonnee

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I waited for Albert to continue explaining. That gaze I was looking into for a long time was mesmerizing.

There was a shine to the eyes looking at me. And I was instantly captivated by the perfect proportions of his features, as though he was a living statue.

Inwardly, I vowed to detach myself from Albert.

The reason I don’t want to fall for him was simple—the distance between us was far too much. The tower narrowed the gap between us right away, but if you think of it that way, then it’s also true that the gap would widen once more just as easily the moment we leave the tower.

And considering the chances, I knew that there was a higher possibility that our relationship would be severed in an instant rather than the possibility of maintaining it.

Albert was destined to be king. He was courting me now because his eyes could see nothing but me in here, but once we leave this place and return to reality, he can just abandon me without a second thought.

It was difficult to believe in the love that he could give me just as it was. It’s not so simple to continue a relationship with these things in between us.

Admittedly, I’m weak to affection and I enjoy the time I’ve been spending with him. So, it was better to nip it in the bud and not start anything in the first place.

Of course, the premise of not starting anything had already been broken. You can’t exactly keep water in your hands when it’s already been spilt—but!

These were just excuses. That’s the best defense I could give myself.

Meanwhile, I still didn’t know why Albert was taking so long with his diagnosis.

“It really is strange.”

Albert’s words made me anxious.

It felt like I was a patient waiting for the doctor to break the news to me, that I had an incurable disease or something.

I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t start talking again after a while. This silence stretched between us and it made me even more worried.

Albert I turned back to face him. To endure the migraine, I’d been biting my lower lip to the point that it was about to bleed.

When I suddenly looked up, Albert took a deep breath.

“It’s strange.”

He repeated the same words.

Albert’s eyes became dark, as though they were the color of blood. An eerie chill was sent down my spine. The icy ruthlessness in his gaze reminded me of the first kiss we had.

…It’s strange, was what he said.

This was not how Albert usually acted. This wasn’t the expression he had while he was supporting me earlier, and it wasn’t the flirty expression he’d give me that would induce fireworks inside me.

Something had triggered his vigilance. This was what changed his demeanor.

Unless I somehow become privy to his thoughts, then I wouldn’t know the exact answer.

I gulped dryly. The atmosphere changed so suddenly that I couldn’t keep up. It also meant that Albert really had been hiding this side of him that well before.

There were still so many things I didn’t know about him.

There’s one solution to the current situation—I just had to ask him. I need to ask what he noticed. I chose the straightforward path because I know there’s a problem, and we have to solve it.

“Please tell me what’s strange.”

Albert didn’t answer. I decided to be honest with him.

“Prince, I can feel that you’re doubting me right now.”

“It seems like you suddenly gained sharp senses that you claim you didn’t have.”

He was always quick to catch on things like this. I sighed and responded clearly.

“I think this matter is directly connected to my own life, so.”

Hearing my answer, the tense air around Albert loosened. Maybe my words were part of the answer to his doubts. The way I acted and treated him honestly was as I usually did.

“Rosé.”

The way he called my name was as sweet as it always was. The moment I was about to answer, Albert’s hand reached out first.

His long fingers slipped towards the nape of my neck and then wrapped around the back of my head. The moment he pulled a little, I found myself leaning against his chest.

This incredibly gentle touch made it hard to believe that the prince’s brutal gaze was directed at me until just now.

“Prince?”

“Stay still for a second.”

“You didn’t even get my permission…”

“It’s not because I have hidden intentions, so just stay still. There’s something I need to check.”

Albert’s tone was different now. I couldn’t see his face, but I’m sure that he had the same expression again as before. There seemed to be a reason why he was hiding his reaction from me.

Albert’s embrace was warm, unlike his gaze.

Despite what I’d seen, I decided to trust Albert.

“…Did you notice that I got frightened?”

“I told you to stay still. You really don’t listen.”

The sigh he silently let out tickled my ear.

Perhaps it was because of his touch, but the migraine subsided slightly. It became easier for me to breathe. As expected, getting sick like this just makes you appreciate the importance of health.

“Rosé.”

“…Yes.”

“Do you know anything about black magic?”

I don’t even know anything about normal magic, more so black magic. All that I could assume was that it’s not good because of the additional adjective. But other than that, I didn’t know anything about it.

…Then I really don’t know anything about this realm. If I hadn’t started out trapped in this tower, I might have tried to learn more about this world, but living in this tower made it alright for me to continue being clueless and to not start adapting. This place was an entirely different planet after all.

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s what I thought.”