Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Translator: Yonnee

—

Feeling nervous as I looked at Albert, I instead heard him mutter, ‘I’ll give her an earful about this the moment she returns.’

No matter what, he still continued to think that I would be back, and I couldn’t help but think how very sweet he was right now.

“I see. Since a dragon’s contract is a contract between souls, then the pattern should have disappeared since she wasn’t originally Rosé.”

In response, Blanc nodded.

Albert stared at Blanc for a moment, but he soon let out a sigh. Bringing a hand towards his own chin, he then asked Blanc another question.

“What’s her name? I can’t keep calling her vaguely like this.”

Was this just my imagination, or… did it seem like he’s treating this matter to be more important rather than the fact that I’m not Rosé…?

Blanc stared squarely back into Albert’s eyes, then he declared with a clear voice.

“She said it’s Jung-in.”

“Jung-in?”

“Yeah.”

Albert uttered my name for the first time.

Then, he nodded and repeated it.

“…Jung-in.”

He enunciated my name perfectly.

I myself said my name only once when I entered the contract.

All this time, I thought I had lost my name in this world. However, now that I was able to hear it from someone else again, it felt strange.

Even more so because that person was Albert.

“Jung-in.”

For the first time, I regretted not telling him the truth—that I was not really Rosé. Of course, I wouldn’t have hidden it from him if I knew that he’d accept the situation so easily.

I regretted even more that I hadn’t been able to share more of myself with him when I had the chance.

Albert’s brows furrowed as he murmured my name. He looked lost in thought.

“Strangely enough, it feels like a familiar name…”

Before I could dwell on what Albert meant about that, I was jolted out of my thoughts as I saw Rosé.

Now that she had taken off her mask, there was a determined look on her face.

The way she smiled so widely eerily reminded me of the image of a devil.

Full of madness.

“Prince, even still, you have to love me.”

She continued to hunger for Albert’s love.

The curse was no longer on the tower, and the magic wand was nowhere near this place. However, none of that mattered to her.

Albert’s lips twisted up crookedly.

“Why should I?”

“If you love me, then the person you want to see might just come back.”

Rosé acknowledged my existence for the first time. However, the way she said it was strange.

It seemed like she was only bringing up my existence to use me as a bargaining chip.

Albert remained calm.

“You should be content with the fact that you’re not dead yet.”

He answered viciously, however Rosé just kept smiling.

“…If you kill me, she won’t have a body to return to, will she?”

“……”

“The reason she’s still alive in this place is because I’m alive.”

She’s the reason I’m still here?

Perplexed, I took a step closer to her. I need her to explain this more.

“Prince, let’s strike a deal. All I want is for you to love me. If you don’t want her soul to disappear, then you just have to love me.”

“What twisted definition of love do you have in mind anyway?”

“…You’ve known about it since we stepped into this tower, right?”

Rosé took a step towards Albert. Still as ever, she was full of determination despite being subjected to Albert’s murderous intent.

Although, I’m not really sure if it’s right to mention the word ‘determination’ in a situation like this.

“It would be better if you start explaining what you mean about how Jung-in’s soul might disappear.”

“It’s only natural for a soul to disappear when the body dies, but there are some lucky souls that get a chance to live longer by instinctively finding a way. She’s like that.”

There’s a chance that Rosé was only lying to Albert, but so far, she’s telling the truth.

“The body that her soul found happened to be my body, as it was weakened by black magic.”

“It makes sense. But you seem to know a lot about souls.”

Albert narrowed his eyes at her, but Rosé merely kept the same smile on her lips. She now had a completely different atmosphere about her compared to when she was still mimicking my smile.

“As much as I practiced black magic, I was very fascinated with souls. But you know, the problem with souls that don’t have bodies is that… They’re bound to disappear gradually.”

Disappear? Does that mean I’ll disappear if I stay in a state like this?

“You know best that I’m telling the truth, Prince.”

“……”

“She managed to possess my body because my body matched the wavelength of her soul.”

Albert glared at Rosé silently. An indescribable emotion smoldered thickly behind that gaze.

And, Rosé whispered.

“Finding the right body for a soul is as difficult as finding an oasis in the middle of a desert.”

“……”

“So, Prince, the only way you’ll be able to save her is for you to meet my demands. I’m the only one you know of who has a body that matches her soul for her to possess.”

As terrifying as it was, her explanation made complete sense. And it was convincing enough.

Rosé took his hand again.

Albert’s mouth twitched.

However, unlike how he did earlier, he couldn’t shake off Rosé’s hand this time. As Rosé came to notice this, her expression blossomed with delight.

“Tell me, then. Will you let her die? Or will you follow as I say?” Rosé asked.

In the original novel that I had read, as soon as he left the tower, Albert killed Rosé with just a single stroke.

Maybe he knew it back then.

That, if Rosé were to continue living, she would somehow suffocate him once more, and she would seize the first opportunity she’d have to get whatever she wanted.