Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Liam, who felt my gaze on him, turned his head for a moment. Then, he stared at me and subsequently nodded indifferently. As if he knew.

His eyes seemed to hold no malice. Though that didn't mean he held favor for me either.

Like a fog, his gaze was difficult to read. He was completely different from Schubert, who was like an open book. He felt more like a blunt person.

“This must be the loyal vassal Your Highness has told me about.”

“Yes.”

“Please take good care of His Majesty.”

It was unexpected that he brought this up with me, for Albert's sake. Though he didn't openly show any hostility towards me like Schubert did, I still thought he wouldn't talk to me.

Perplexed, I nodded and replied.

“Of course.”

And that's all I said. Time for the main event to start!

I slowly stepped back, and Liam and Albert faced each other again.

I clasped my hands tightly as I watched the two men standing there as if confronting each other. How sad it is that there's no popcorn here. If it's not popcorn, just anything to eat would have been great.

Schubert followed Liam into the room, like a puppy following its master.

Schubert's eyes twitched when he looked at me, but the moment his gaze turned to Albert, they sparkled again.

Are you Jekyll and Hyde?

What a true stan. I reflected on my own shallow fanaticism as I watched Schubert. If I compare myself to him like this, I'm a loooong way off.

Liam sighed and frowned. Because he was still pale, he looked quite sick.

“Your Highness has used up so much mana, and you're probably in a bad condition because you had to deal with the dark magic that was in me, sire. Why must you overdo it?”

Liam tried to keep Albert here.

Albert just shook his head with a calm face.

“You're better, so there's no reason to stay any longer.”

He was working hard while I was just sleeping. There must have been nothing I could do anyway, but I was feeling abashed for no reason.

Albert's eyes narrowed.

“I counteracted the spell on the tower, but it's unstable. It'll be better to return quickly because I don't know when they'll figure it out.”

He laid out the facts in a low voice.

“It will be better for us to return, Liam.”

Liam bit his lower lip and replied in a smaller voice.

“…No matter what I say, I know that Your Highness will go.”

Albert smirked.

“I understand what you're worried about, but it's really nothing. While leaving my spot, I still work hard while taking care of myself. It's not like Rosteratu can be overthrown overnight.”

“Yes, I've been careless this time. Even if Your Highness punishes me later, I'll accept it sweetly.”

…Whenever they exchanged words, it sounded like sweet nothings whispered between lovers—like a star-crossed couple who didn't want to leave each other's side.

I've just been appreciating their different charms while they were talking to each other, but really, this isn't bad either. I approve of this kind of development.

While staring hard at Albert, our eyes suddenly met.

I thought about whether I should react or not, but I just held up a finger heart. One corner of Albert's lips went up.

It's a sign that he liked it.

With a calm expression, Albert continued to talk to Liam.

“Did you bring what I told you about?”

“Yes, here it is.”

Liam nodded and handed Albert a pouch. I wonder what's inside, but I'll just ask Albert later.

“Rosé, take it.”

Albert tossed the pouch towards me, and I caught it by chance.

“Your Highness, what's this…?”

Raising one eyebrow, Albert gave a confident smile.

“I'll give you a chance to take whatever you want in here.”

…Huh?

I was about to ask him again, but Albert beat me to the punch.

“It's a dimensional pouch that expands inside. You can put whatever you want in it and take them out later.”

This ugly, ordinary-looking pouch has that kind of secret feature?

“Go ahead. We have to leave by dawn.”

Albert repeated what he said about leaving earlier.

And it hit me again—it's really time to go back to the tower.

I shouldn't have slept. I should have walked around more. If we're going back anyway, why did I only stay in this room.

I couldn't breathe.

No matter how optimistic I was, it wasn't easy to be trapped in such a small space.

And more than that, since I came out like this and experienced again how wide and free this world truly was, I regretted it even more even though it was too late.

Since it's like that…

It was a chicken instead of a pheasant.¹

With a determined expression, I asked.

“Can I really take anything I want?”

“Yes.”

“Prince, you're the one who gave me permission.”

“Yes, yes. Do as you please.”

“Alright.”

Running close to the bed, I started my mission.

I folded the blankets one by one and wondered how it could possibly fit in the pouch, but when I brought the pouch near, the blanket just went right in.

Where did the law of conservation of mass go when it comes to this mysterious item…? As expected, magic is a mystery.

With the determination to take all household items in this room, I packed almost everything.

I also swiped all the books in the bookshelves, some frames, vases, pillows and tables that I could pick up with my two hands.

Firm on my back were the gazes of Albert, Liam and Schubert, but I was determined. Pride won't feed me.

If I do all this now, it can help me live in confinement in the tower with better physical and mental health.

Thanks to me moving quickly, I got finished right away.

After finally getting one last tapestry into the pouch, I turned around and looked at Albert.

“Your Highness, I have faithfully obeyed your command.”

Albert smiled as he looked at the empty room. Then, he glanced back at me and spoke in a languid tone.

“Very good, Rosé.”

Behind Albert, Liam looked lost while Schubert was just straight up astonished.

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It was clear that their first impression of me was still clearly instilled, however I don't know if this change was a good or a bad thing.

“…But can I really carry this?”

I stared at the pouch on the ground, my stomach slightly feeling tense. There were so many things inside. I don't know if I can lift it.

“Trust in magic.”

Hearing Albert's words, I picked up the pouch.

As he said, the pouch was as light as when it was empty.

“Then let's go, Rosé.”

He offered a hand to me. With his vassals behind him, the face that stared at me was as dazzling as the sun.

Looking at him again, my earlier appreciation seemed to be useless.

No one can surpass him.

No one can replace him.

As though completely entranced, I raised a hand. When I felt the warmth of his hand, that was the moment that I came back to my senses.

As soon as I tried to pull out my hand, Albert held my wrist lightly and whispered.

“I guess my technique worked again this time.”

I was helpless against Albert. He knew his strengths and knew how to use them properly.

Somehow, the grin on his lips began to look cheeky, as though he already knew how I was going to react.

So, with a smile, I also added.

“And this time as well, it's only my body that submits to you.”

The wording was weird, but this petty revenge was all I could do against Albert.

Albert narrowed his eyes, but there was a glint behind his gaze.

“Then between body and mind, we're already halfway there.”

…In the first place, this was an argument I'd never be able to win.

I averted my gaze and instead hugged Blanc, who jumped up into my arms, tighter in my embrace.

Having left the Duke's residence with the pouch, Albert and I returned to the forest near the tower through the use of his magic.

We walked in the air again from the forest and back to the attic of the tower. When I looked around my quiet attic room, there were no signs of anyone else there, only my own traces left behind. It was a quiet room that had barely anything.

It felt like a dream.

Going outside was like a dream that was far beyond reality. And now that I'm back here, I'm just left with disappointment and frustration.

…I'll have to overcome this until the day we can go out again.

With this resolution, I carefully set down the sleeping Blanc in my arms.

“Blanc, you should go to bed now.”

“Mmhhh…”

Still half-asleep, he began to go towards his bed slowly.

It's really time for bed now. I turned my gaze towards Albert.

“Prince, you should also go and rest now…”

But at that moment, Albert, who was just standing next to me, suddenly collapsed and was now sitting on the ground. Staring in disbelief, I asked.

“…Prince?”

Something's strange.

His breaths were particularly drawn out and rough. With a low voice, Albert replied to me without even looking up.

“I'm fine. You should rest now, Rosé.”

“I don't think you're fine.”

Albert wouldn't have sat down without a reason.

So when I placed a hand on his forehead, I was surprised.

“Prince, when did this start?”

His forehead was exceedingly hot with a burning fever. I hurriedly examined Albert's face.

Come to think of it, his face was redder than usual.

“The reason why Your Highness wanted to come back quickly…”

“Do I look that bad to you?”

Albert smiled faintly.

It was amazing that he didn't seem to realize so far, but he did look like he was sick.

Much more than when I saw Liam earlier.

Now I can understand why Albert was being stubborn about going back right away. He knew he was going to be sick, but he didn't want his vassals to know.

That's why we returned in a hurry.

I reflected on myself. I've been serving Albert for a while now, but how incompetent of a maid was I that I didn't even notice his condition.

I vowed that I would be loyal to only Albert, but the moment I got swept up by the excitement of going outside for the first time in a long while, I didn't even look after the person who actually allowed this trip outside to happen.

Regrets flooded in.

I placed a hand over Albert's forehead and placed my other hand on my own forehead, comparing our temperatures. Compared to mine, his skin felt so hot that it was like he was on fire.

It wouldn't have been easy to even stay conscious in this condition. How did he manage to hide it?

His appearance and behavior were no different than how he was normally.

Albert let out a short exhale with his eyes closed.

It seemed like he'd been keeping it together with sheer willpower until we got back here. Blanc ran back towards me and stared at Albert.

“Whaaat's going ooonnn…?”

“His Highness is sick.”

Blanc's eyes grew wide the moment he heard the word 'sick'. Faltering back, Blanc covered his lips with his front paws.

“Then he's going to diiie…?”

“No, he's not going to die!”

I cut him off right away, but at this, Blanc just gave a sad expression.

“Buuut if someone's siick, don't they diiie…?”

Hearing this from Blanc, I was reminded of what Albert told me before regarding dragon fledglings, about the excruciating ordeal that he would go through to become an adult. Most fledglings couldn't survive beyond this suffering.

That was the world that Blanc has seen so far.

I embraced Blanc in my arms. This squirming creature was too tiny. To the point that I can't believe how such a small thing was destined to become a great, giant dragon who would be several times bigger than humans later on.

With conviction, I replied to him.

“No one's dying.”

Blinking, Blanc stared back at me while slowly closing his mouth. As though he couldn't believe my words.

It seemed like the thought that one would die after just getting sick was something too deeply ingrained in his mind.

With a firm tone, I spoke again.

“I'll show you that even if someone's sick, they won't die.”

¹ a korean proverb – the main idea of this proverb is that even if the best choice isn't something that's on hand (pheasant), what you have right now (chicken) is better than nothing.

Chapter end