Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Side Story 7

Side Story 7

Translator: Yonnee

—

“I did well last time though…”

Alexander mumbled with a forlorn look, staring at the charred remains of what had once been a marshmallow.

He had been confident, but it seemed he still wasn’t used to roasting marshmallows.

“It does seem harder than it looks.”

Standing beside him, Leona offered some support. Given his pride as the blue dragon, it seemed she was trying to save his ego.

“Let me try this time.”

Leona bravely brought the marshmallow to the fire.

Without considering the distance, the marshmallow quickly turned to ashes in the flames.

Leona stared seriously at the burnt marshmallow, and Alexander’s face brightened as he looked at her.

“See! It’s not just me, right? Right?”

He was delighted to find he wasn’t the only one who had failed. Leona nodded in agreement.

“It seems so.”

“It doesn’t look that difficult.”

Albert held a stick and kept a proper distance between the fire and the marshmallow.

The surface of the white marshmallow gradually began to brown.

Albert calmly maintained the distance and continued roasting the marshmallow.

And he successfully made a perfectly toasted marshmallow, browned on all sides.

“…Unbelievable.”

“Taste it.”

Ignoring the stunned Alexander, Albert handed me the marshmallow.

I smiled brightly and took a bite of the marshmallow he had roasted.

The chewy texture and sweetness filled my mouth, different from its unroasted softness.

Mmm, so delicious! Maybe it was because we were outside, but my appetite surged.

“I’ll roast one for you too.”

With determination, I took a stick and stood courageously before the campfire.

Remembering Alexander and Leona’s mishaps, I maintained a proper distance and managed to toast the marshmallow reasonably well, though one side was slightly burnt.

“I’ll do it too!”

With eyes shining after watching Albert, Schubert stepped forward bravely.

With the delicate touch of an assassin, he perfectly roasted the marshmallow.

“Your Majesty, please accept my offering…”

“I think I’ll be content with what Jung-in makes for me. You eat it, Schubert.”

Albert declined because he wasn’t fond of sweets.

As Schubert’s face fell, Mercy snatched the stick from his hand.

“Huh? Why are you taking it?”

“You’re not going to eat it, right? And it’s not bad for me to have a pre-roasted marshmallow.”

“You’re not wrong, but… something about your tone is annoying.”

“It’s just how I talk.”

Schubert and Mercy began bickering. Off to the side, Blanc also maintained a perfect distance from the fire while roasting his marshmallow.

However, the distance was so far that the marshmallow’s color changed at a frustratingly slow pace.

I considered offering to help, but Blanc’s expression was so serious that I couldn’t bring myself to intervene.

Though it took quite a while, Blanc eventually succeeded in roasting the marshmallow perfectly.

Alexander, who had been watching Blanc with a resentful look, re-skewered a marshmallow on his stick.

“I’ll do it again!”

We roasted marshmallows a couple more times, and Alexander finally succeeded on his third try.

His triumphant face resembled a kindergartener at a talent show.

“I did well, didn’t I?”

“Great job, Alexander!”

I cheered loudly, giving him the reaction he wanted.

The others looked at Alexander with a mix of pity and amusement, clapping along.

At the same time, the sound of growling stomachs began to echo.

“……”

Though we had eaten marshmallows, this wasn’t a complete meal.

As I was wondering what to do about dinner, Albert took my hand.

“You don’t have to do anything, so just stay still.”

“But there’s a specific dish I want to eat.”

It’s not that the food here is bad, but it’s quite different from my culinary philosophy.

Meat is good, but when we’re outdoors like this, I just crave sujebi so much.

I also thought of the seafood sujebi we had at Liam’s castle back then.

We don’t have flour, but that’s something I can easily teleport in separately…

Images of warm broth kept popping into my mind. Indeed, Koreans can’t live without soup.

Shouting ‘refreshing’ while drinking hot broth is just a bonus.

“Albert, I’d love to make some delicious sujebi like last time…”

It would taste better if someone else made it, but I thought I’d have to cook it myself since there didn’t seem to be anyone here who could make something to my taste.

“We’ll be arriving soon…”

Just as Albert finished speaking, the sound of branches rustling from the edge of the clearing reached our ears.

A familiar face emerged from the shadows.

“So, here you are.”

The black-haired figure, who I hadn’t seen in a while, was none other than Albert’s closest aide, Liam.

His face was much brighter than before, more suited to a warm southern admiral than the cold northern grand duke.

His smile at Albert was a far cry from his previous stern demeanor.

He looked vibrant, like a forest bathed in sunlight and greenery.

“…You’ve really changed.”

Albert chuckled at my unintentional comment.

“Living a new life has its rewards. While I was watching the lives of those I cherish change and seeing them transform, I’ve come to understand what you meant by ‘be happy and return’.”

Liam, Schubert, and Mercy no longer suffer from guilt toward Albert.

What binds them now are Albert’s qualities as their liege.

I’m glad he said he doesn’t regret the choices we made together.

Seeing you more at ease in this life than before is comforting.

I squeezed Albert’s hand.