Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Holding back the urge to make a rebuttal, I tried to fix the problem again.

“You know that’s not my point.”

“Rosé.”

He pulled me into an embrace. As his arms held me tightly, his embrace was much warmer than his hand.

It’s not as if I’m not nervous about this either.

“You know what, Prince? I saw you in my dream as well.”

“……”

“You told me that you don’t love me anymore and left me. So I was all alone and…”

“Forget about it.”

Albert stopped me there when I tried to tell him about my dream. The anxiety clinging onto the back of my mind soon melted away.

“But rather than you leaving me, what frightened me even more was when I could never see you again.”

“……”

“I know it, too. What it feels like to be left all alone. Prince, please listen to me. Please believe that I can do it and please help me achieve it. I want all of us to be happy.”

As he continued to hold me, it felt as if Albert’s strength had left him. The incredibly heavy sigh that left his lips brushed past my ear, piercing my conscience.

I patted him on the back as I would a child. Albert’s body scent, as it surrounded me, tickled the tip of my nose.

“Please believe in me. And please help me.”

There was a knock on the door. Just in time, Blanc was here.

“I’ll open the door.”

I stepped away from his arms and opened the door. Blanc faltered as he came in.

“As expected, I just can’t allow it.”

As soon as I carried Blanc in my arms, Albert’s low voice filled the room. The matter-of-fact tone of his voice uttered these words as though it was the obvious truth.

He came up to me in a flash. There was no hesitation in his smooth movements.

I already expected it to turn out like this, but when I’m actually facing it now, there was a bitter taste in my mouth. Certainly, it’s in Albert’s personality that he wouldn’t just easily accept this.

“I thought so.”

As Albert tried to grab Blanc by the scruff of his neck, I smiled bitterly and raised my wounded finger near Blanc’s mouth. The unwiped blood had dried up, but it was still there.

Noticing my intent, Blanc licked my blood.

The simplest and most basic ingredient needed to seal a dragon’s contract was through one’s own blood. In order to start the connection between each other’s souls, a blood pact was needed to form the contract.

And the dragon must sincerely acknowledge that particular human as their contractor. Because they would start to share their lifespans.

A white magic circle started encircling me and Blanc. The magic circle glowed completely white and started to completely cover my body.

Without moving his lips, Blanc spoke into my mind.

[ Rosé, please say your name. ]

Asking the contractor’s name was a simple request. I’ve gotten used to living as Rosé Artius, but… Within me, I was still Jung-in because that’s how I lived for a long time.

…I’m not even saying this aloud and Albert wouldn’t hear, so shouldn’t my real name be okay? It might be fine if I bring it up to Blanc.

And in the end, I did say my name.

[ Yoo Jung-in. ]

Blanc’s eyes became red for a moment, but this color soon faded. Blanc and I gasped at the same time.

The back of my hand suddenly stung, and when I looked at it, there was a white pattern engraved on it that resembled Blanc.

Still clutching the scruff of Blanc’s neck, Albert stared down at me. The look in his eyes sank dimly. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Then, he opened his eyes again and glared furiously at Blanc.

“You’re going to kill Rosé.”

“No, I’m not.”

Blanc defended himself against Albert with a firmer tone than usual.

“Because I don’t want Rosé to die either.”

“……”

“Because I also wanna live— together with Rosé.”

If the time Blanc spent with me gave him a will to live, witnessing Alexander’s death gave him a reason not to die. Blanc’s heart has grown.

As if to mirror my own determination, Blanc spoke slowly but resolutely.

“I won’t let myself die, too.”

“……”

“From now on… I’m going to study.”

Perhaps because he didn’t want his words to slur when talking in front of Albert, Blanc spoke slowly instead. But I didn’t pressure him to rush.

“Books I can study, I’ll read them all.”

Blanc stared straight at Albert and showed a stiff expression to convey his resolve. One of Blanc’s front paws pushed away Albert’s hand on his neck. Then, with a flutter of his wings, he flew away.

The contract was completed. Blanc left the room.

Blanc and I share our lifespans now. If I die, Blanc will die. And if Blanc dies, I will also die.

On Blanc’s 500th birthday, I will be by his side during the ordeal.

“Ha.”

After letting out a short bark of laughter, Albert ruffled his hair. He stared at me emptily.

“You…”

I silently met his gaze. And waited for him to speak.

“You.”

He was expressionless, but it looked as if he was about to cry. Albert stared at me, then let out a despairing exhale.

“Rosé, do you know how my mentor died?”

“……”

“My teacher was a dragon’s contractor, and he died the day his dragon turned 500 years old. He couldn’t prevail over the ordeal and he couldn’t overcome the pain.”

The unexpected confession rendered me speechless.

“He’s not a stranger to magic, but he still couldn’t overcome the pain. He took his own life.”

Albert didn’t learn magic by himself, but there was never a mention of his mentor in the novel.

This meant that he died a long time ago…

Almost each person who was close to Albert had already passed away. That might be why he still kept Greten around.

A human being’s way of thinking stems from their own experiences. I knew well enough where Albert’s fears came from.

But I want to show him that there can also be exceptions.

“I’m not going to die.”

I came forward and hugged Albert. I hugged him as tightly as I could. It felt like I was the one being comforted with this warm embrace.

“I won’t.”

I spoke again in a clear voice. If this could reassure him, then I’ll tell him over and over again.

“Truly, I won’t.”

Albert exhaled heavily.

With strength enough to almost crush me, Albert hugged me back. For a moment, the sound of his rough breathing filled my ears.

I think I heard this from somewhere—that people who smile a lot had a lot more wounds and scars within them than anyone would think.

He embraced me for a long time. Then, he held my chin.

Through the languid eyes, his gaze continued to be filled with warmth.

“Rosé, let’s kiss.”

His low voice tickled my ear. I tried to recall how he looked during the first time he suggested this. I think he was smiling. And he was relaxed, as he always was.

But now, he wasn’t smiling.

I nodded. And, as though he was only waiting for the signal, he leaned in close at once.

His scent surrounded me completely.

And it was an utterly different kiss compared to what we shared before.

As if he wouldn’t allow me to take a single breath, he tilted his head to the side and matched our lips. The long kiss did not end easily.

Clutching the hem of his shirt, I shuddered as Albert took off his lips for a very brief second. I took in a shaky breath as if I was a child drowning in water.

Albert let out a low chuckle, and it seemed as if he regained his composure at last.

However, as I thought that it was already over, the kiss continued anew.

Because after I took that short breath, Albert brought his lips upon mine once more.

I could feel my face turning beet red. Albert’s grip on the nape of my neck was much more meaningful than before.

“……”

Now with our lips a hairsbreadth apart, I breathed in and out for as much as I can. Albert gently rubbed my lower lip. Unlike the intense kiss, his touch was ever so soft.

His eyes were fixed on me.

“…It’s impossible now.”

I couldn’t tell whether he was talking to me or to himself.

When a knock came on the door, he let go of my chin.

“You’re not allowed to die, Rosé. Ever.”

As though chewing out the words, Albert said this as he leaned away. With the same composure from before, he looked as if nothing had happened just now.

“Prepare for our return.”

He opened the door.

Liam was standing there, and Schubert as well, who had a gaunt face.

* * *

After Rosé Artius left, Liam could instinctively tell that Albert was in a terribly bad mood. The reason was obvious. So, he didn’t have to ask.

He finished conveying his report amidst that stony silence. It was the last report Albert was going to receive before his return to the tower.

The coup was moved up, and it was proving difficult to gather people for the cause. The beheading of Marquis Evnen recently affected a lot of people.

Of course, there were still people who wanted to stand by Albert’s side, but there were some who couldn’t commit the act of treason against Rosteratu for fear that they might face punishment in case Albert wouldn’t win this battle.

In the meantime, Rosteratu was also gathering his soldiers to storm the tower. The first attacks had already happened without Rosteratu there. The original plan was to face him head-on, but with how differently things turned out, the casualties this time were at least projected to be much less.

“My sword.”

“It’s here.”

Liam held out Albert’s sword, which Schubert had retrieved.

It was a bastard sword¹ that was made just for Albert.

Unlike a regular sword, Albert’s sword could be infused with mana, and it was made to perfectly suit his height, weight and the manner in which he wielded the sword.

Albert took the mana sword from Liam.

He drew it out from its scabbard. With its sharp blade, the sword shone with a blue sheen. Albert traced one finger along the edge.

“Good job.”

“It’s nothing, sire.”

Albert didn’t choose the sword himself, rather, he ordered Liam to have it made while he was still in the tower. Anxious that the prince wouldn’t be pleased with it, Liam breathed out a sigh of relief.

All of a sudden, Albert asked.

“So, Rosé asked for your assistance?”

The question jabbed at Liam’s weak spot.

Liam blinked in a daze. As Albert was looking down at the sword while examining it, he looked up at the duke obliquely.

“Speak.”

The look in his eyes seemed to say that he already knew everything.