Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Chapter 72

TM has been completely translated on Patreon

Chapter 72

Translator: Yonnee

—

This was my final defense.

Because I know that the moment I begin to bare my heart to Albert, in an instant, he’ll tear down all the walls I tried to build around me and take all of me.

That’s why I need to hear some assurance before I can fully accept him.

Hearing all these reasons, Albert was lost in thought. His breathing gradually settled as he calmed down.

“So you don’t dislike me.”

“How many people in this world can ever dislike you, Prince…?”

I answered seriously. Well, I guess it’s possible for asexual people?

But for me, it’s impossible to say that I hate Albert.

“You’ve been thinking of getting away from me…”

The light of the magic circle gradually faded and covered my entire body instead. As the light had dimmed, his faintly lit eyes shone in the white light.

“Even if I try to explain, you won’t believe me, will you, Rosé.”

Albert reached out and brought my hand close to his lips.

“Even if I don’t change, you won’t believe me.”

A strangely different touch pressed against the back of my hand. The bridge of his nose, his long eyelashes—they seemed like they’d touch my hand at any moment.

Pressing his lips gently on the back of my hand, Albert spoke.

“Try it.”

“…What?”

“All the things you want to do, try it.”

His eyes curved into arcs. A warm look in his eyes was directed at me, as though to console me.

“Of course, I won’t just stay still, but…”

It couldn’t be said that he looked like a man who’s given up. Rather, he was like a predator who was releasing his prey temporarily if only to show a little mercy.

The problem was that it’s more likely that the prey would eventually fall back into the cage.

“What I mean to say is, whatever you want to do, I’ll allow you to try it.”

Albert cradled my face with both his hands. As his center of gravity had shifted, it looked like he was about to fall on top of me.

“But you can’t stop me from what I want to do either…”

The weak light emanating from the magic circle cast a slight shadow over his face. One bead of sweat flowed down from the side of his face and to my cheek.

“I’m pretty good at waiting.”

With one hand, he caressed my cheek. One thumb swept where the bead of sweat had fallen, smearing it to the side.

“I’m pretty good at begging, too.”

Albert’s face was getting closer. The moment I let out a sharp exhale in surprise, his voice sank into my ears.

“Right now, just as I’m begging to you, I’m going to try every trick there is.”

Albert’s body tilted forward. His face got closer and closer to mine.

“D-Da—”

Dangerous, was what I was going to say, when Albert buried his face on my shoulder. To be more exact, he fell on top of me.

“Huh?”

I could feel his firm body on me. He didn’t feel heavy because he was still sitting on the bed with just his upper body falling on me, but the distance between us was practically gone. My face flushed bright red.

In a low voice, Albert crooned.

“I hope you don’t make me wait too long.”

…Seriously.

What should I do with this man?

* * *

After the treatment, Albert set aside those feelings for the moment and sent Rosé out. Showing no signs of wanting to go out, she asked if it would be better for her to stay and take care of him, but he eventually mentioned that dragon fledgling’s name.

When the name ‘Blanc’ came out, Rosé went away without any more fusses. As she left, Liam, who was waiting outside, came into the room.

Albert rose from the bed. Contrary to what he had told Rosé, it didn’t seem like he had any problems moving.

“We’re staying here for a week or so.”

“Is there anything Your Highness is planning to do?”

Liam was actually the most curious about this. When Liam asked him to stay here back then, the prince left without even looking back, but then suddenly he came back to the castle with that maid in tow. Liam couldn’t understand.

“I must meet the mages.”

“Your Highness will be at risk of revealing your current location. Please leave this matter to me and—”

“It concerns black magic. You might be put into danger, too. Losing you now would affect the military greatly.”

Liam grew quiet. It’s true that he was accustomed to wielding a sword and not magic.

“And it would be better if I can find out who had cast this spell.”

He didn’t tell Liam the truth—the fact that Rosé Artius was a dark mage.

Rosé was no longer a danger. She didn’t know how to use black magic, and even looked as though she’d never seen magic before. Even so, that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a dark mage anymore.

Albert opened a window to let the cold air seep in. Outside, all that could be seen was darkness.

“They will all think that I’m still in the tower because I’ve cast a spell of confusion around it.”

Similarly, he also didn’t tell Rosé the entire truth. Albert’s magical capabilities weren’t so weak that he’d be bedridden for an entire week just for leaving the tower and removing the hex on her.

From tomorrow onwards, he’d probably need to rest for three days, but he’d be fine after that. Rather, if he would use up his mana reserves close to the limit, then he might need to rest for around a week.

Even so, if he ever would need to push himself to the limits, the pain that would fill his whole body would be something he’d need to inevitably face.

It was like that when Rosé had nursed him back to health. The intense pain that swept over him back then felt as though he was being burned alive, but then after this, he realized that his magic had become stronger. It’s something that he’s been used to for a while now.

Every time dawn came and he went to bed under the pretext of being taken care of, he planned to go to the prison in the far north. That’s where the detained mages were. If he were to ask the mages there, he might be able to get some information on Rosé.

He’d even go to the village of the mages if he had to.

“If I tear their whole bodies apart, they’re bound to say something…”

Dark mages were easily identifiable because their minds and bodies had already collapsed. The mages know this, too.

Liam should not know the existence of a dark mage around him. So, Albert had to deal with this himself.

Because the moment it’s revealed that Rosé Artius was a dark mage, his maid would be beheaded.

That was the biggest reason why Albert came to this place.