Albert looked down at my finger. It was still bleeding after all this
time, but I immediately said something about it.
"Ah, it's fine even if it's still bleeding. It'll stop soon…"
"I'll help you."
Albert pulled my wrist up gently, and my body naturally leaned
forward and went into his arms.
Being in his wide embrace was so warm. I couldn't believe he was
giving off such a cold atmosphere just now.
I placed a hand over his chest to push him away. No, it was more to
push myself away from him.
"Ahaha, I lost my balance—sorry."
"It's bleeding, so we need to stop it."
"We can just use a piece of cloth for that or something."
But then Albert put my finger in his mouth.
It felt as though all my nerves on that finger came alive.
"Uh…"
And this time, I was rendered speechless in a different sense.
Forgetting that I had to push him away, I stared blankly at Albert,
who was sucking my finger.
With his head leaned forward, his gray hair cascaded over and
touched my shoulder.
He was way too close. I could even see his individual lashes.
The eyes under those lashes slowly looked up. Now, he was staring
right into my eyes.
"The blood has stopped now."
Albert's eyes curved as he smiled seductively. In a moment's
rapture, I could only stare.
This guy.
It was clear that his specialty was to seduce people unknowingly.
* * *
My stomach got better, but because of a different reason, I still
couldn't sleep. There's a big problem here.
What the hell is that prince thinking…?
He kissed my lips and my forehead, saying that those were rewards
for my hard work. Now, he sucked my finger because it was
bleeding. He was being so weird that I think other people would
misunderstand his actions as well.
Doesn't it all point towards liking me?
But considering the situation, that doesn't make any sense at all.
The only time I'm with him is whenever we're eating together or
whenever I'm not here in the attic.
The conversations we had were usually just me one-sidedly babbling
because he rarely answered.
Rosé in the book would have received far saucier actions than this,
but I never asked for any of it.
It's not good to get too close with each other anyway. In the long run,
unnecessary contact would only make us uncomfortable with each
other.
I realized this yesterday when Albert's ferocious gaze was on me. As
expected, people had to stay within their lanes.
The only man I should have in my life is a modest, common man.
Aristocrats weren't all that bad, but… Anyway, I'll continue to feed
him, so please just do handsome and nice things.
But still though… What's wrong with Albert? Isn't it that he doesn't
like me?
Are we following the flow of the narrative? Was this a cliché case of
no matter how much I struggle, the novel's scenes would still
happen? Was he just doing this because he was meant to do this
with Rosé?
Even so, it was hard to read Albert's intentions.
After a long time of agonizing, I finally came to a conclusion.
I'm hungry, so let's just eat.
Albert didn't say anything to me, and it wouldn't make a difference if I
just mulled over it alone, so it was better to just feed myself. I've
been using my head too long, and that wasn't like me at all.
What difference would it make if Albert likes me? I don't like him
anyway.
In this situation, it's better to just ignore such emotions.
If it's a feeling that won't continue in the future anyway, it's much
wiser to pretend to be tactless and clueless.
I stayed up all night thinking about it.
The night before this, I slept very well, so I wasn't so fatigued after
not sleeping this time. But my belly clock was ringing.
The current time is 7:50 AM.
It was almost time for the knights to come with food and other
necessities, and this was the only moment that the gate of the tower
opened. It's hard to get all the ingredients through the small window,
but I had no other choice because, of course, I couldn't go outside.
King Rosteratu had been worried that Rosé would change her mind,
so he had cast a spell on this body as well.
"Yeah, I should ask about pets, too."
Our handsome Albert is a feast for the eyes, but my quality of living
was just as important.
I descended the ladder.
Concentrated on his exercise, Albert was currently sweating. Wind
blew in from the window he had left open.
Working out without a shirt on, Albert wiped his face with the towel
around his neck. He stared at me.
"The knights will arrive soon."
"Yes."
An awkward silence stretched between us after I replied curtly.
I thought he was just going to return to exercising, but Albert kept
staring at me as though he was waiting for me to say something
more.
I'm good at smiling. And I think I know what it was he's expecting.
"Your Highness is handsome today as well!"
I winked and made some silly comments. Alright. Okay. That was
perfect.
Albert smirked. He looked so much different from yesterday now that
he's smiling.
"Then I'll be on my way."
After this conversation, I went down to the kitchen.
Obviously, I got used to Albert's godly face after living with him thus
far.
The problem was that now… everyone else looked like squids
because I was so used to looking at him.
And I was one of those squids as well. What would happen if my
eyes would only keep wanting more?
I approached the door with these worries at the back of my mind.
Two knights could be seen through the window. They looked like
they were bickering.
"It followed you!"
"No, it's you! Why did you give it a sausage earlier?!"
What's following them? My ears pricked up at their squabblingThe door opened with a bang.
"Good morning!"
At the cheerful greeting, the two men exchanged glances with
puzzled faces.
I inspected them carefully and finally saw something behind them.
"Oh my! I think I can see something moving right there. What's that?"
"Nothing you need to know. Here are the ingredients you asked for."
The knight on the left pushed the bags through the door. Inside one
bag were some poultry, pork, seafood, flour and some other daily
necessities.
I asked for these ingredients because I wanted to make fried
chicken, but I also wanted to make pancakes.
It's really convenient having everything I want delivered like this.
The satisfaction I have as a customer reminds me of C**pang rocket
delivery! It's a luxury that I never thought I'd ever experience here.
The other bag had clothes in it, and I realized again that Rose was a
maid who really knew how to throw her weight around here.
The maid's clothes were as colorful and ostentatious as a
noblewoman's dress, while Albert's were so shabby that you
wouldn't think he was a noble himself.
But I know—the most important aspect of fashion… is the face!
Some say that fashion could make a statement all on its own, but
with Albert, it doesn't matter what he wears, he'd shine either way.
And I'll just be here and continue to be a faithful fan.
"I can see something moving behind you."
"We'll take care of it. It followed us on the way."
The knight on the right sighed.
The animal behind them made a kyuu sound.
"Oh my…"
How cute!
It looked like a reptile, but it was so cute.
It wasn't any taller than my knees, but its sparkling eyes alone were
already a source of so much cuteness.
Seeing it standing on two legs and wagging its tail looked so
adorable to me.
It reminded me of something.
I closed my eyes.
The reptile in front of me kept reminding me of something.
What was it?
As I was in deep thought, the animal and I made eye contact.
It crawled past the knights and then easily went into the door of the
tower to come inside.
"…Huh?"
The animal ran straight to me as though it liked me.
It was only after I saw its wagging tail closer that I realized what it
really was.
…Isn't this a dragon?
I didn't even think of a dragon when I saw it because it was so tiny,
but it really was one.
It was similar to the dragon I saw in that cartoon before, but it was
hard to tell that it's a dragon because the animation had a fully
grown dragon.
Did dragons exist in this novel?
Since it's a fantasy world, it wouldn't be strange if a dragon
appeared, but I wonder… Was there any mention of a dragon in the
original?
Isn't it just a tale of romance between Albert and Seo Ina after
Rosteratu dies? I'm not too sure because I couldn't read until the
end…
I shifted my gaze and looked at the knights, who were
contemptuously looking at the animal at my feet.
Do they not know that this animal was a dragon?
"Mister."[1]
"Huh?"
The knight on the right responded to me, and I pointed to the dragon
that was still circling around me.
"What does this look like?"
"A black cat."
Huh? But I'm looking at a white dragon right now?
The man on the right was called Bob, but I asked John on the left
this time.
"Do you also see a black cat?"
"You don't like black cats? Looks like it can enter the tower."
"People say that cats are really smart. I guess that's right."
The two misters talked to each other and just accepted it.
What? Did it look like a dragon only to me?
Do I have what they call… a transmigrator buff?
"If you don't like it, you can send it back out. We'll take it."
John grew worried as he saw my complicated expression.
I stared at the dragon that was still scurrying around. If it's a dragon,
isn't this the best…?
Dragons were always described as the strongest animal due to its
omnipotence and sheer power.
If I raised this animal well, wouldn't it give me a gift later to thank
me? Or an ability?
I transmigrated here, but I'm just an extra without any buffs.
But it would all change if I suddenly gained a dragon companion.
And how could I possibly shoo it away and potentially get it to hate
me? That would just mean I'd be further away from my goal of
having a long and safe life.
I was planning to get a pet anyway…
Isn't it great that this dragon seems to like me?
And wouldn't it be cool to be an extra who can ride a dragon?
"I'll try raising it. Thanks for delivering these to me again this week."
Afraid that they would take the dragon away from me, I smiled and
quickly closed the door.
The kitchen grew quiet as only the dragon and I were left together.
Albert couldn't come down here, so it was a perfect place to talk to
the dragon.
The small dragon climbed over to where the cutting board was, its
movements light and agile like a cat's.
The dragon stared at me with its head tilted to the side.
Oh… oh my gosh. I grabbed my chest and felt my heart almost
stopping.
"Hello, Sir—no, Lord Dragon…?"[2]
I heard that dragons usually live really long lives, but I wonder how
old this one is? It could be my great grandfather's or even my great
great grandfather's age if they were alive.
The dragon continued to have its head tilted to the side.
"…Do you not know how to speak to humans?"
Dragons usually talk to humans, right?
That's always the case
"Lord Dragon, my name is Jung-in… No, please call me Rosé."
At that moment, I heard a voice.
"Can you see me?"
It was a refreshing, lilting voice. However, it was a voice that couldn't
be called human.
It was a voice that seemed like it shouldn't exist in the world.
The dragon and I locked gazes. Was it the one who spoke?
"You're not even a mage, but you can see meee?"
"Is it you who's talking right now, Lord Dragon? Is that voice from
you?"
"Yes, that's right."
"What did you mean by a mage?"
I am but a humble office worker—but reality really hit me just then.
I'm talking to a dragon right now.
As I shook my head, the dragon looked at me curiously.
"But don't dragons sign contracts? Can you use your strength to be
omnipotent?"
If that's the case, then I'd very much want to enter a contract! If I
become a powerful person, my life will also be so much easier!
A life of being the best without having to try too hard. Let's do that.
"Don't call me Lord Dragon. I'm not a draaagon…"
"…Pardon?"
No, but Lord Dragon. What do you mean? You're a dragon no matter
who looks at you. And what's with this cute baby-like voice and
demeanor?
As I agonized over this, I spoke.
"…Then what should I call you? Do you have a name?"
"Call me whatever you want. I don't have a name, buuut…?"
"..."
I wanted to ask more questions, but the dragon had lain back down
on the table.
"It's warm here. It feels good because there's so much manaaa."
"This tower itself is surrounded by mana… Are you going to take a
nap? Right now? While we're talking??"
"I'm tiiired…"
His words gradually grew muffled, and right then, the dragon fell
asleep.
As he fell unconscious, his tail stretched out.
The sound he made as he slept peacefully was like a cat's purr.
As I saw this, it broke the image I had in my head of dragons.
"Um, excuse me?"
I tried to call out to him, but no matter how much I called, the dragon
wouldn't wake up.
He says he's not a dragon, so now it's weird to regard him as one.
Was there something wrong with my eyes? Maybe he really is a cat,
it's just that I'm deluding myself that he's a dragon.
What am I supposed to believe?
In this case, I really needed Albert urgently.
He was a well-educated prince, so he should know everything. I had
a faithful sense of trust in him.
"But I can't bring Albert to the kitchen."
First of all, I had to organize the ingredients and prepare breakfast.
As the morning sun drew higher in the sky, beams of light shone
through the small window of the kitchen.
Firstly, I decided to call him Blanc[1] because he asked me not to call
him Lord Dragon. After covering him with a small blanket, I started
organizing the ingredients.
I put away the fresh vegetables, then the clothes that needed to be
carried upstairs were set aside in one corner for now.
All the meat was placed in a magically operated refrigerator and
freezer.
"If we're talking about breakfast, meat is the best."
Fried chicken in the morning would have been great, but I'm too
fatigued to make it, so I can't make that. There's a reason why fried
chicken is a popular meal for delivery.
I took out a thick portion of pork and sliced it up, maintaining an
appropriate ratio of fat and lean meat.
Life is all about balance.
The quality of meat had definitely improved compared to what was
being given before. This was all thanks to those two misters, Bob
and John.
Setting aside the thinly sliced meat in a bowl, I took out the red
pepper paste and red pepper powder again today. The garlic that I
chopped last time was also added in.
Breakfast this morning will be stir-fried spicy pork over rice.
This was a meal that I really liked eating whenever I felt down.
When both body and mind are beaten down, the best remedy is
delicious food.
I mixed the seasoning with the pork and took out the rice I soaked
before I went to bed. Then, I chopped up some green onions.
"I wish I had some kimchi stew…"
How delicious would it be if this was kimchi stew with pork instead?
But the problem is that I don't know how to make kimchi.
Seasoned vegetables and fermented kimchi were just different. It's
so out of reach. I'm sad that I can't have kimchi.
I placed the pork over the sizzling pan. Wait a sec. I just
remembered Seo Ina, the female protagonist in the novel.
Seo Ina's main job and hobby was cooking.
Her hands were so adept at cooking, and the dishes she made were
truly marvelous. She was such a great person who perfectly
personified 'cooking is life'.
If I were Seo Ina, I'd have been able to cook excellent Korean food in
this world.
As I tried to figure out when exactly Seo Ina would appear, I recalled
my first day after coming here.
Considering the original timeline, I guess there's about eight months
left.
For a moment, I imagined my life after leaving the tower.
After I get that building that I'll rent out, I'll go on a gourmet trip…
Once Seo Ina gets here, I have a perfect picture in my mind of
getting along well with her while reminiscing about Korea.
The life of a landlord who enjoys kimchi stew made by the best chef,
Seo Ina! That'll be my life!
Seo Ina, ma'am. I'll give you a lot of money.
"It smells gooood."
As I was lost in thought, I was startled back to reality after realizing
that Blanc came up next to me.
It seemed like he was gravitating towards the smell of the stir-fried
pork as it's almost done cooking.
"I'll give you some separately. Please wait for a little bit."
Sniff, sniff. Blanc took a whiff of the sizzling stir-fried pork.
I was afraid that Blanc would eat up the breakfast I prepared for
Albert and myself, so I quickly put out portions on our plates.
The steamed rice was cooked just in time as well, so that was also
placed in two bowls.
Spicy stir-fried pork over rice—doneThe sizzling meat looked so good that my mouth started watering.
Having some leftover meat in one bowl, I handed it over to Blanc.
"I'm hungryyy…"
At the sniffling voice, I narrowed my eyes.
Originally, I was just going to leave him here and go up by myself,
but I changed my mind.
I think it's too dangerous to leave him alone here…?
What if he eats a week's worth of food?
Even if I knew nothing about dragons, this was the most frightening
thing to me.
I live only to eat. What'll happen if my only joy in this tower
disappears?
"…I should just show you to Albert."
I wanted to get closer to him first, but I changed my mind and just
decided to let Albert know about Blanc's existence.
For Blanc to stay here, Albert needs to know, too.
And he might also know why Blanc isn't seen as a dragon by other
people. He's the most knowledgeable person I know here.
Yeah, it's better to get information straight out of Albert's lips.
I even put Blanc's meal on the tray.
"Well, I'm going to eat upstairs. If you'd like to eat, please follow me."
Let's be like little chicks, okay children? Speaking in a gentle voice
as though I was possessed by a kindergarten teacher, I carried the
tray. Blanc, who readily nodded, followed behind me.
"Why are you speaking formally? It's weird. Just speak
comfortablyyy."
"Oh, well then thank you for allowing me. Blanc, shall we go up?"
Blanc seemed to be awkward around people.
Of course, if the chance is presented to me, then I'll take it.
I accepted his offer quickly. It's true that it's kinda awkward to keep
speaking formally towards Blanc, who was as small as a cat. And the
way he was speaking was like a child.
Maybe it's because he's hungry, but Blanc followed me quickly. It
really felt like I gained a pet.
We're going to eat, eat, eat! I went up the stairs excitedly at the
thought of having breakfast.
"Your Highness, I brought our food."
The moment I spoke in a brave voice, the tray was taken from my
hands.
Albert was pretty good at taking care of other people. It might be
better to say that he knew exactly how to get chummy with others.
I had no idea yet what his intentions were, but at the very least, it
didn't seem like he wanted to kill me.
Albert looked down at me, then spoke in a graceful tone.
"Good job, Rosé. But… what's that thing clinging to your side?"
As he held the tray, Albert narrowed his eyes. Blanc and Albert had a
staring contest right then.
Blanc tilted his head to the side, looking up at Albert as if he was a
cat from Shr*k.
With a hand over my heart, I spoke.
"He's Blanc, a new family member who entered the tower."
"…Blanc?"
"It's the name I gave him. Your Highness, don't you think he's
pretty?"
"I don't think you're close enough with that animal to give it a name.
How long has it been since you met it?"
Was it just me, or was there a sharp edge to his tone?
Did he really hate the idea of having a pet?
I smiled. I know how to get out of this situation!
"Eyy, we can start getting closer now. Oh, but I have a question—
what do you think is next to me?"
And that strategy was to change the subject. I was curious about it
anyway.
What would Albert answer?
Would Blanc look like a cat in his eyes, too?
Albert stared at the pitiful-looking Blanc, who was clawing up at the
tray he couldn't reach.
"A fledgling that hasn't become a dragon yet."
"Oh, you don't see a cat?"
Albert's eyes trembled slightly as I said this. He looked surprised.
"Rosé, you don't see a cat either?"
"Yes, but when you said he's not a dragon yet…"
If he's not a dragon yet, then that means he could become one later,
right?
However, Albert's reaction was strange. If Blanc's a dragon fledgling,
shouldn't he be well liked and respected by people? But Albert's tone
right now was dismissive of Blanc.
Of course, it's okay even if Blanc wasn't a great almighty being.
Because Blanc is cute.
If it's cute, everything can be solved through the power of cuteness.
Meanwhile, Albert seemed to be more interested in what I said, then,
he nodded gracefully.
"What do you see?"
"Umm… A white animal. With cute eyes and a tail."
"That's strange. Ordinary people should just see a cat."
"Right, that's what Blanc said."
It seemed like ordinary people couldn't see Blanc's true form.
But why can I see him like this?
I'm an ordinary person, too. I'm a mere, run-of-the-mill extra who
doesn't have any character buffs.
"There are usually two types of people who can see the true
appearance of a dragon fledgling—the first is its contractor, and the
second are mages. But you're neither."
"…That's right."
"It's strange that you can see its form."
I'm not his contractor, so then it must be the other case?
"Maybe I gained some power over magic after handling the wand?
Maybe that's why I have the qualities of a mage?"
"This tower is covered with magic… Thirty mages from the magic
tower had built it from the ground up, so what you're saying might be
plausible."
Well, aren't you an overpowered munchkin to have managed to get
out of a tower like this and, at the same time, prepare for a coup. I
hereby proclaim thee Sir Great Male Lead.
As expected, this male lead right here isn't someone to scoff at.
While I was admiring Albert's skills, I saw him put down the tray and
cross his arms.
I could feel it—his mood was souring. A siren rang in my head.
Something had offended him.
…What did I do wrong?
With great focus, I stared at Albert. Then, he opened his lips to
speak.
"You must really hate being stuck here with me, Rosé."
…Pardon
My sluggish eyes looked up sharply at once. I couldn't say anything.
"I didn't think you were serious about bringing in a pet here in the
tower."
"..."
"You managed to bring one here when you couldn't even get out."
His gentle tone was paradoxically thorny.
He wasn't praising me at all.
With a smile on his lips, he asked.
"Why are you being so eager?"
"..."
"What do you hate so much about me?"
It was strange. Obviously, Albert was speaking with a warm tone, but
chills kept running down my back.
Was this the south pole? Why was my body shivering all of a
sudden?
But I didn't give in.
Why?
Because… I'm hungry.
I had to finish this conversation at once. My delicious meal was right
there.
My name is Rosé, and I'm the master inventor of the jingle jangle
technique.
With a bright smile, I held Albert's hand.
"Eyy, Your Highness. Don't be like that. If it's not the Prince, who else
would I like? I didn't call over Blanc—it's him who came inside the
tower of his own volition. He said that this place is nice because
there's a lot of mana here."
"I know that. But it's not enough to justify it."
I looked up earnestly at Albert. Whenever Albert was in a bad mood,
flattery was the best solution.
"I thought that Blanc's a great dragon, that's why I thought that we
needed to accept him."
White lies were also a great plus for a quick escape. Opening my
eyes as wide and imploringly as possible, I stacked praises upon
praises.
"Your Highness is the smartest and most beautiful person that I
know, so I'm sure you'll understand how I feel."
"No, this is the kind of situation that you really like. At this point, even
if you act slyly, I can see through it all, Rosé."
…Darn it, it didn't work. But I decided to keep pushing forward.
"Even if you know, you'll fall for it. Because even if I use my brain, I
won't be able to beat you, Your Highness."
I said this proudly.
And in turn, Albert chuckled, as though he couldn't believe what I
said.
But like a hawk, I snatched up this chance.
I threw the bait, and you bit it!
"Oh, since Your Highness laughed, then we're good? I'm hungry.
Can we eat together now? Today's breakfast is to die for."
Albert, who was shaking his head in disbelief, remained silent as he
saw the stir-fried pork on the tray.
"Why is the food you cook always red, Rosé?"
Because it's Korean food.
Korean food and the color red cannot be separated.
I sat at the table and handed him a spoon, speaking seriously.
"It's my identity—identity, I tell you. I love all things red. Thank you
for the food!"
I mixed the stir-fried pork with my bowl of rice.
Albert, who had just been staring at the food, picked up his spoon
and started mixing just as I did.
"Give me some, toooo… I'm hungryyy…"
"Ah, Blanc. Here you go."
I handed over a bowl of stir-fried pork to Blanc, who was rolling
around under the table.
Blanc smiled broadly. It felt like honey was going to drop out of my
eyes at the adorable sight.
As he stared back at me, Blanc tilted his head to the side.
"By the way, who's Blanc?"
"Ack, I gave you that name. If you don't like it, we can change it."
"No, it's okay… I didn't have a name before… Blaaanc…"
Blanc said his name carefully. As he did so, he soon began to eat his
stir-fried pork.
I looked happily at him, then turned back to my meal again.
While I was eating, Albert stared at me.
"How do I eat this?"
"It's the same as usual. Just mix it like this and eat it with rice. Ahh,
so good."
I raised my thumb. Then, with a thick slice of pork over rice on my
spoon, I took a big bite.
The combination of spices, the meat's juices and rice was so
fantastic. My eyes closed at the heavenly flavor.
Eating is the best!
For me, who was trapped in a tower, eating was my only stress
reliever.
I finished my meal satisfactorily. Three cheers for mukbang.[1]
* * *
We'll have apples as dessert today. If you think you need to
apologize, then go straight for the apples.[2]
Our food was scarce and limited, so it's a bit of a bother to cater to a
picky prince's tastes. I could make excuses, but fruits were different.
Only basic needs were supplied to us.
But anyway, Albert usually ate fruits well so it's fine.
Prince, why do you eat fruits so well? It's okay to be a picky person
who hates fruits.
But for me, the fruits that I like are peaches, refreshing watermelons,
and sweet mangoes. It's all about a balance between crunchiness
and sweetness.
I ate such a good and fulfilling breakfast just earlier, but I think I'm
hungry again.
I drew Albert's face on a red apple on the cutting board. Well, I didn't
draw it deliberately.
Boss. If I were Pinocchio, my nose would have already become taller
than this tower.
Shiik, shiik. After cutting up the apples prettily, I placed the pieces in
a bowl.
Then, while looking at the bowl that I've yet to wash, I breathed out a
sigh of relief. It's great that Blanc isn't a dragon.
Come to think of it, dragons were large, so if it's like that, I'd need to
feed him a ton of food because his appetite would be enormous.
I wondered a while ago if Blanc's appetite was big enough that he'd
eat up all the remaining ingredients, but it seemed that the amount of
meat I gave him earlier was already enough to satisfy him.
Blanc, after eating, went back to the kitchen and fell asleep. Maybe
it's in his nature to sleep a lot.
With a gentle gaze, I looked at the sleeping Blanc and closed the
curtains so that the sunlight wouldn't disturb him.
I had no idea how nice it would be to feel someone else's warmth in
the tranquil kitchen.
Here, I realized once again that humans were truly social beings
"Your Highness, have some dessert~"
I opened the door with a bowl of apples in hand.
With his gray hair tied and his monocle on, Albert was preoccupied
with his research.
He shut his eyes tightly, then opened them again as he pressed his
forehead hard.
I placed the bowl down at the end of the desk. Then, I sat on the
floor and looked up at him.
Albert tilted his head to the side and stared at me.
"It's tiring."
"Is it not going well?"
"Progress isn't bad, the work is just complicated. I think I'll be able to
unravel everything within the day."
"Wow… Our Prince is such a genius."
He was someone who could figure out the curse on the wand and
the magic spell over the tower that was made by thirty high-ranking
mages? And this quickly? Rosé Artius in the novel was absolutely
fearless.
In my admiration, I chewed an apple. I liked how crunchy it was.
"Now I can get in touch with outsiders."
"I see… There must be a lot of people who want to contact Your
Highness, so there's no more need to worry!"
King Impotent spread bad rumors about Albert to the commoners,
but he couldn't get all the nobles under his control.
The current King was already notorious amongst those who met him
in person.
Because of his selfish personality, violent temper and incompetence
in handline state affairs, the only nobles who liked him were his
lackeys.
"Prince, you have some on you."
"…'Some' what?"
"Handsome."
I went in without even inhaling, so I was a little out of breath—but I
was able to say what needed to be said.
Albert smiled anyway. He seemed to be getting used to my
compliments that just came out of nowhere.
As expected, there's no one in the universe who hates getting
compliments. Alright, now onto the next thing.
"Can I ask Your Highness a favor?"
"I guess that's the main topic here. Just tell me."
It was a small request, so I thought he'd do it. I spoke with
determination.
"Please let me hire a famous pâtissier later. Even just one."
"…Pâtissier?"
"Oh, is there no one called a pâtissier here? Someone who makes
desserts. I really like sweet things."
Sweet things were the best of all, especially when you're feeling
depressed. Food that could change your mood was just precious.
Folding his arms, Albert stared at me like he's looking at something
interesting.
"You like sweet things. But I thought you only like spicy things?"
"I told Your Highness before. Sweet and spicy are a spectacular
combination."
Albert smirked and rested his chin over his palm. As though recalling
something, he was silent for one moment, then he muttered.
"The desserts from the chef of the palace were amazing."
"Oh my, really?"
"I don't like sweets, so I didn't enjoy them… But I do think about
them sometimes. The sweet taste that spreads all over the tongue."
"Wow… But how could I possibly take the royal chef with me?"
I'm a person who knows my place.
If he's a royal chef, he'll definitely be prideful of his work, so I can't
take such a person just because I want to.
"Please recommend a chef that I can hire later."
Korean food was something I could make, but eating sweets here is
like plucking stars out of the sky.
I couldn't bring in some desserts that were pre-made, and I had no
talent in baking.
Albert stared at me.
"Rosé."
"Yes?"
"What do you want to do when you get out of here?"
It was almost like the first question Albert asked me.
I thought hard about it and decided to answer honestly. There's no
reason to hide my retirement plan from Albert.
"Blanc and I will move to a city that's just the right size, and I'm going
to enjoy my life as a building owner."
"A building owner?"
"I want to rent it out to people who need to find a small house to live
in. Then, I'll find a chef who'll cook all kinds of dishes I want. And I
want to buy everything without worrying about money. I also want to
travel—it'll be fun to ride a cruise ship."
I planned out a fancy life.
I was already happy just thinking about it. Once I leave this place, I'll
start a new life.
"It's a normal life."
At Albert's response, I paused.
Well, it might sound strange to him. It's something too easy to
achieve for a prince like him.
Buying everything without having to worry about the expenses was
something mundane for him.
Of course, his life wasn't all that smooth either. If it was, then we
wouldn't have been trapped in this tower in the beginning.
But it might be hard for him to understand why I'm pursuing a normal
life.
"Yes, I like things to be normal."
I agreed with him. It's a truth that I had realized since I was young.
"Actually, I think living a normal life is something that would bring
happiness. And that's kind of difficult to have."
Before transmigrating into this book, the people in my world
persistently strove to live a normal life by earning money and
sacrificing themselves. I was part of that society, too.
I had a little bit of happiness while living alone, day by day. Of
course, I still tried to live a better life.
I've always wanted an ordinary life "Your Highness' life and my life could hardly be considered
mundane."
Well, look at us now. We're two people locked up in a tower.
But was that all? The early genre of this novel was confinement. I
just went ahead and changed it to an office setting with me as the
employee and Albert the employer.
Albert was going to suffer for another year. He would have lived
being buried under work until Seo Ina appeared.
When would Albert be happy?
I didn't have the answer to this question. And I couldn't possibly ask
Albert.
The happiness that you feel when you can buy whatever you want…
I know how precious it was to live with some small happiness in your
life.
The same was true in this tower. In the reality that I was flung into,
it's just better for my mental health to be grateful for what's given to
me. It wouldn't do me any good to look only at the bad sides of
things.
I clenched my fist and spoke resolutely.
"My goal is to live a normal life."
"…It seems like you've become a different person since a few days
after you entered the tower."
Well, he's not wrong. I smiled wider even though my heart was being
pricked with guilt.
"Was it too idealistic? I think I went crazy when I saw Your Highness'
face. Because the Prince is so handsome."
"..."
"Of course. I've come to my senses now, so Your Highness doesn't
need to worry."
But because I thought I should change the subject, I asked Albert a
question instead.
"Prince, how about you? What are you going to do once we leave
this place?"
Albert blinked, as though he didn't expect that I'd ask him the same
question.
As he tapped his chin with one finger, he tilted his head to the side.
"I don't know if I can tell you. You're the one who trapped me here."
"Umm…"
"I think it was your plan to be with me for the rest of our lives here."
But to that, I made a serious expression.
"Your Highness still doesn't believe me?"
"No."
I was about to make a disappointed face, but because Albert's
answer came so fast, I was surprised instead.
After that, I just gaped at him because I didn't know what to say.
As he saw my stunned face, his lips curled up into a smile that was
so blinding.
His voice flowed out like a calm wave.
"It was a joke."
"…Your jokes aren't funny, Prince."
Albert nodded.
"I never knew that was the case. It's the first time I made a joke."
That sounds about right.
"But I think it's pretty fun seeing your shocked expression."
"So, what is Your Highness going to do after getting out?"
The sunlight that seeped into the curtains fell over Albert's features.
He spoke in a low voice.
"I will be King."
Why was it that… his face looked lonely to me.
"I have to be King so I can live, Rosé."
"..."
"It's a fight that would end only with one person dying. I know this
kind of struggle very well."
I realized that he was talking about his family. His two brothers, who
fought until death for the position of a count.
I wondered what kind of life it was, just to survive. But I didn't ask
him. I was a person who didn't derive to know.
In Albert's life, I'm nothing.
In order to remain like that, I had to keep this narrow line between
us.
Just as he said, Albert would eventually push out Rosteratu and take
the throne.
His relationship with me had changed, but Albert's future remained
the same.
I was curious. Would it be the same once Seo Ina appeared?
Would Albert fall in love like he did in the book? Or would he love
someone else?
I hope Albert lives well.
It was a scary future, but he'll achieve great things.
In this world where Albert lives in, killing people was as natural as
him exuding charisma yesterday. It was strange from a modern
person's point of view.
Because our worlds were different in the first place.
I listened earnestly to his words.
"And I'll be very busy after I become King."
Since he'd have to strengthen his hold on the position, he'd work
hard to rule the country and guide the nobles. I nodded.
"Your Highness, it's good to work hard, but you shouldn't overwork
yourself."
"Haha… Do you think I'll do that, Rosé?"
"Yes. Because you're a perfectionist."
Albert was good at everything. He was able to rise to his place now
because he worked himself like a dog, especially with this physical
and mental strength.
But there's no way that he wouldn't get tired. Everyone needed to
take a break once in a while. He's such an unrealistic person that I
sometimes forget that he's human.
"I want you to be happy, Prince."
To me, he's not just a character in a book, but a person who was
right in front of me.
Even if we weren't close, I still wished him happiness.
Albert stared at me silently without saying a word.
He wouldn't have expected me to say this. I wondered if there was
anyone in his life who wished him the same thing.
As the atmosphere sank heavily, I smiled to try and change the
mood.
"I hope you don't just work every day. It's nice to relax while eating
delicious food. You should know how blissful it is—the powerful
combo of sweet and salty!"
"Thank you for worrying about me."
Albert, who had been sitting by his desk, approached me.
He patted my head just like last time.
His hands were so gentle, so I didn't move away and just kept silent.
"But, Rosé."
"Yes?"
I had bowed my head, so I looked up at him again.
With a faint smile, he spoke.
"I don't exist in your life."
Albert would be out of my life the moment we left this tower.
I couldn't say anything to his unexpected question.
As though I was making excuses, I answered.
"Your Highness won't need me in your life. If we go out now, you
won't have to deal with a maid like me anymore."
No matter how clueless I was about the laws and hierarchy in this
world, I knew how ridiculous it was to have a maid and king in the
same space.
Albert knew this fact more than anyone.
"…It's like that."
However, the way Albert looked at me was strange.
"It was like that."
And his low whispering voice was strange as well