Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Side Story 5
Side Story 5
Translator: Yonnee
—
In the end, I couldn’t ride the carriage with both Leona and Mercy.
Leona had firmly stated that as a guard, she couldn’t sit in the same carriage as the empress and took a seat next to the coachman.
The coachman wore a distressed expression with Leona, a high-ranking noble and the commander of the Eagle Knight Order, sitting beside him.
Despite Albert’s subtle hints, Leona remained resolute, and eventually, only Mercy and I rode in the carriage.
Blanc also whined about wanting to ride with us, but he couldn’t win against Albert.
Albert, pulling the collar of Blanc’s shirt, remarked that they would have fun together at the beach anyway, and boarded the carriage with Alexander and Schubert.
The back of the carriage, carrying four large men, looked quite crowded.
Even though it was a long, spacious carriage, like three normal carriages put together.
What was surprising, though, was that Albert, who seemed like he would travel alone, took Blanc, Alexander, and Schubert with him.
He could have prepared separate carriages.
This must have been to accommodate Blanc, who disliked traveling alone, Alexander, who secretly enjoyed talking with people, and Schubert, who still followed Albert diligently.
It was a moment that made me realize anew that Albert knew how to care for others besides me.
‘I thought Schubert might change with the altered past.’
But his loyalty to Albert seemed unchanged. No, he might even look up to Albert more.
It was only natural, considering Albert had saved him.
Suddenly, I wondered what Liam would be like. Leona was similar to before, and Schubert was the same, so how would he be?
I heard that with Albert ascending the throne faster than before, Duke Masen had surrendered, and their interactions with Liam had sped up significantly.
“Your Majesty, is there something you are worried about?”
Mercy’s voice brought me back to my senses.
“No, Mercy. Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”
“Pardon? No need to apologize to me….”
Mercy’s gaze turned curious as she continued. Her face, visible through her narrowing eyes, seemed unfamiliar.
She had never been lost in thought like this in front of me before.
Finally, facing me, Mercy asked in a subtle voice.
“Then, may I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Mercy quickly glanced around, ensuring no one else could hear, and whispered softly.
“How did you win His Majesty’s heart?”
“……”
“Well, ‘win’ might not be the right word… How did you make him fall in love with you?”
It was an unexpected question. My eyes widened as I looked at Mercy, and a giggle escaped my lips.
Her asking such a thing felt more endearing than rude. It brought back memories of when I first met her.
She had said she liked me back then too. There was an unmistakable admiration in the way she looked at me.
It didn’t seem to be just because I was a dragon’s contractor.
“Why are you curious about that, Mercy? Do you have someone you like?”
“What? No way!”
Mercy jumped up. It seemed my words had hit the mark. Let’s see, someone around her she might like….
There were very few people Mercy interacted with closely.
Liam didn’t seem like the kind of guy she’d fancy, so the only one left was—
“Schubert, right?”
“…Is it that obvious?”
Mercy asked, looking dejected as she admitted it.
Seeing her like this, she seemed genuinely like a girl her age, which was rather cute.
In her previous life, she wouldn’t have had time to examine her feelings, given her trauma from the banquet and busy following Albert around. This made me feel a bit sad for her past self.
“No, it’s just that I have a good sense for these things. But since when?”
“Well, actually….”
Mercy was about to spill everything just a second ago, but she suddenly clammed up.
She stared at me intently. Her eyes, slightly unfocused, seemed lost in thought.
“It’s strange. This is my first time meeting Your Majesty….”
Mercy murmured softly.
“Why does it all feel so familiar?”
“……”
“Like you’d listen to whatever I have to say.”
Her unconscious mind seemed to remember me, and it made me emotional.
It felt like the time we spent together hadn’t been in vain.
I loved it when she called me ‘Sister’.
“Then, will you tell me everything, Mercy? I still don’t know much about you.”
I had heard from Albert that Mercy had quickly risen to the position of Lord of the Magic Tower, but I knew little else about her.
Albert often refrained from discussing others’ stories, and I thought it would be impolite to pry too much into Mercy’s private life.
So now seemed like the perfect time to listen to her story.
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