Chapter 46

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Chapter 46

“I will buy their sympathy.”

“……”

“People will be quite sympathetic once they realize that the person who is all the way up there is, in fact, not so different from themselves.”

I could guess what kind of story he’s going to spin.

Rosteratu looked down on Albert Grey. Albert lived as though he was dead and lowered himself, but that was because Rosteratu was using Albert’s unhappy family history against the prince.

He was a child who barely survived between his father and older brothers, who all betrayed their own family and lost their lives in the pursuit of higher status.

It was a story that was kept down to a hush even amongst the aristocrats, so of course this was never known among the commoners.

“I want to remain the perfect man in your eyes, even a little longer.”

As he murmured this, he looked particularly lonely.

If it was something that he didn’t want me to know but at the same time something that I would know eventually anyway, then I don’t want to rush him now.

“Then you don’t have to tell me.”

If it was that painful for him to let me know.

“I don’t want to force you.”

I know there’s a good reason why Albert was acting in this way.

He chuckled quietly.

“Thank you.”

The bowl was finally empty. I cleared the tray and carefully examined Albert’s condition. He was looking out the window with an expressionless face.

With his arms crossed while he looked out into the landscape, he matched the winter winds of the north perfectly. Albert’s countenance was as cold as the frost out the window whenever he wasn’t talking. His gray hair, which was devoid of any warmth, seemed to add to this atmosphere even more.

I went to the bathroom for a moment to fetch some water then came back to soak the towel in the basin. When Albert watched me do this, he asked with a clear voice.

“Is there anything more you want to ask me?”

“…Um, may I ask?”

“Ask away. I’ll try to answer what I can.”

Perhaps he was trying to lighten up the mood, but there was a smile hanging on his lips now. However, I couldn’t tell whether this was a genuine or a fake smile.

Nevertheless, I decided to go along with it because of how worried he looked just a moment ago.

“If I want to know Your Highness a lot more than your nanny, then I’ll have to ask you many questions, won’t I?”

I smiled broadly and responded like this in an upbeat manner.

“Yes, that would be very nice. Now and in the future, as long as there’s something you want to ask, just ask away. Don’t worry whether it’s something you’re allowed or not allowed to ask.”

“…Did you read my mind?”

“Not exactly. You just made it obvious that I could read your expression.”

Albert shrugged as he said this, and I couldn’t refute it. I felt sorry for him for a moment there, but my nerves shot up once again.

“If you really knew what I was worried about, then you wouldn’t be able to say that.”

Grumbling more, I purposefully placed the wet towel on Albert’s forehead crookedly.

“What you’re worried about is this—that you haven’t even received a confession yet, but you’re already mulling over how to turn me down.”

Wow, seriously. I got goosebumps on my back. I shivered, even.

“Prince, I’m asking you seriously. Are you just straight up reading people’s minds with a magic spell or something?”

“Not at all. Reading minds is not something that could be done by magic in the first place.”

I was being one hundred percent serious though. It’s embarrassing to watch Albert burst into laughter after hearing my very serious question, which he somehow interpreted as a joke.

While laughing out loud, Albert finally settled down when he saw the way I was glaring at him. Pfft. Still though, he let out a small noise that indicated just how much he was holding back his laughter, and at this, I just squeezed the other towel extra hard.

“Just don’t think about turning me down then. We can’t continue living together like we’re strangers anyway. And if I have anything I’m curious about, too, I’d like it if I can ask you as well.”

“……”

“I’m saying this as one person to another.”

I was suspicious of the way honey seemed to make his words sound more convincing. Otherwise, there’s no other reason out there that could win me over.

“Prince, I think you’re becoming more eloquent than you look these days.”

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not. You’ve got high standards after all.”

“It’s only because… Your Highness is exceedingly handsome.”

I admitted it honestly.

It always seemed like Albert got his way in the end, but it’s not bad this way since it’s not like I lost anything.

I picked up the towel and wiped off the sweat on his neck.

“Umm… Would you like to change your clothes?”

“I’ll change a little later. Ah, I just remembered. Did you find some books about magic and dragons?”

“Oh, yes. I found some.”

I nodded in response. Albert widened his eyes and continued casually.

“Magic is difficult to learn through theory alone, but… If you also found books on dragons, you’ll know well enough about them.”

“……”

“Especially about what that fledgling dragon you have by your side will have to go through.”

The way Albert said this indifferently made me uncomfortable. He might have been waiting for me to research dragons since he didn’t like Blanc in the first place.

Although Blanc was afraid of Albert, Blanc followed my words well and was also worried about many things.

I murmured softly.

“Until when are you going to call him a fledgling dragon… Rather than that, I think it’s better to use the term dragon cub.”

Whenever he said ‘fledgling dragon’, it almost sounded like he’s cursing¹ at Blanc.

I know I was only talking to myself, but I’m sure Albert heard me. Still, he went straight to the point.

“So, when are you going to let him go?”

I’d been trying to avoid this topic, but I didn’t expect Albert to bring this up first.

I had a hunch that I would have to say goodbye to Blanc if I failed to convince Albert properly. But I didn’t expect that the moment of truth would come to me this fast.

To be honest, if I come out and say that I’m thinking about becoming Blanc’s contractor, then I had a stronger hunch that he’d just go ahead and throw Blanc out, frosty eyes and all.

No, it’s not just a hunch at this point. I’m certain of it.

When I hesitated to answer him, Albert continued speaking calmly.

“I didn’t say anything because you seemed to be relying on it a lot, Rosé, but once we leave the tower, you’ll be able to meet more people. You won’t have to pay attention to it anymore—you won’t have to be lonely anymore.”

Throughout it all, it seemed like he completely figured out why I let Blanc in. I mean, considering how he already hated Blanc from the very beginning, it’s amazing that he didn’t say this until now.

“Don’t you already know? What usually happens to fledgling dragons and how dangerous it is to be around them at the time of their death.”

At the truth bombs he kept dropping at me, I inevitably flinched. If he really knew me, then he’d know what I was afraid of.

And because I was the person he likes, I know that he’s only saying this for my own good. And I already found out how dangerous it was to continue being with Blanc.

“Why aren’t you answering me?”

However, despite Albert’s urging, my lips were tightly shut.

“Rosé.”

What should I say? I can’t open my mouth easily.

If I don’t say anything here, Albert was going to keep driving the nail into the coffin, and it’s as good as saying goodbye to Blanc for my own good. It felt like I was going to be separated from him right away.

“Rosé?”

His urging eventually made me speak. I didn’t even know what I was saying. My mouth just started speaking on its own.

“I-Is it really dangerous if I become Blanc’s contractor?”

“…What?”

Albert stared at me blankly.

He was lying on his back this whole time, but he sat up right then. The wet towel that had been on his forehead fell to the floor. However, that wasn’t the problem here.

In an instant, there was an entirely cold look on his face that shut me up right away.

Maybe I said it for the sake of trying my luck, but my thoughts really spilled out of my lips before I could stop them.

I wouldn’t have said it in any other normal circumstance, but I couldn’t think of a way to bring it up better.

When someone’s cornered, they’d really say anything that came to mind, huh?

Sighing, I leaned down to take the wet towel from the floor. However, over my bowed head, Albert’s voice resounded ferociously.

“Rosé.”

In the end, I decided to just be honest. I placed the towel back on the tray. While avoiding his vicious glare, I answered.

“I’m seriously thinking about becoming his contractor. After spending a lot of time with Blanc… Compared to the pain that I read about in a book, saying goodbye to Blanc would hurt me so much more.”

“…….”

There was never a time when the silence around Albert was as frightening as it was now. I hurried to explain.

“I can start learning magic. If it turns out that I can become an incredible mage within a year, then I can become Blanc’s contractor successfully through this sheer incredible talent that might just be in me.”

“……”

Compared to any horror I could think of in my imagination, Albert’s silence no matter what I said was all the more terrifying.

“Prince, I’m really, really scared, so can’t you say something, please?”

Albert’s hand moved. As he reached for one of the books I brought with me earlier, he spoke so quietly that it was almost like a whisper.

“Maybe you didn’t read it properly.”

Albert opened the book, went to the page where it explained what it meant to be a dragon’s contractor and showed it to me.

He couldn’t even see the contents of the page as it was turned to me, but he recited the contents without a hitch.

“The contractor will receive the ordeal’s pain as it is. In the process, different people experience various levels of pain, but it could last for as long as a month until the dragon becomes a full adult.”

What he read out loud was much more detailed than what I read earlier. Albert must have memorized this book by heart.

Still, I countered him.

“…But if I can endure the pain, as a dragon’s contractor, I’ll have a body that’s close to a half-dragon. It says there that it’s almost like being ‘reborn’.”

But at this, Albert immediately retorted.

“But while a dragon goes through the process of becoming an adult, some say that the contractors fall to an isolated place where it’s impossible to ask help from others.”

Mmh, neither of us seemed to be convinced by the other side when it came to Blanc.

As he closed the book and rested his chin on one hand, Albert looked straight at me.

“I can’t bear to watch you walk straight into a fire.”

“I haven’t decided for sure yet.”

“Then it’s better if you can see it for yourself.”

“…See what?”

Albert narrowed his eyes dangerously. Those crescent moons suddenly made me have a bad feeling.

“You’ve heard about the fledgling dragon that’s dying. Go and see it for yourself—just how devastating its surroundings has become. What you’ll see is only a fraction of what you’ll experience personally.”

“Prince, I can’t possibly leave you alone…”

He spoke in a low voice.”

“This is an order.”

And so, it was something I couldn’t refuse.

——

¹ when Rosé pointed out that ‘fledgling dragon’ sounds like a curse word, it’s because the term ‘fledgling dragon’/드래곤 새끼 (literal tl: dragon baby) is close to 개새끼 (dog baby), which roughly translates to a very colorful phrase that starts with ‘son’ and ends with ‘itch’.

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