The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 107. The Star of the Founding Festival (2)

The Empire’s princes?

The envoy delegation looked at the Emperor with surprised eyes.

Some of them glanced toward where the princes were seated with faces half curious, half amazed.

“Then let’s begin.”

The Emperor gestured with a smile.

Then bright light poured down from the ceiling onto the stage in the center of the banquet hall.

The first to appear on stage was none other than the 1st Prince, Adrian.

“It is my honor to present a hymn I personally composed to everyone gathered here today. Please, enjoy it to your heart’s content.”

With a brief greeting, Adrian snapped his fingers.

Then the choir that had been waiting in advance came up onto the stage.

As the musicians positioned below began to play, the choir started to sing.

“I had no idea His Highness the 1st Prince was also accomplished in music.”

“What a truly beautiful melody. To write such a piece at such a young age…”

The hymn Adrian created helped make the atmosphere of the banquet festive.

The lyrics mixing myths and legends from various nations across the continent brought laughter from here and there.

Though it was an occasion commemorating the founding of the Bentrum Empire, by deliberately not including lyrics praising the achievements or fame of past emperors, it subtly earned favorable reviews from the envoy delegations.

Thus, by the time the 1st Prince’s prepared performance ended, thunderous applause filled the banquet hall.

“Very satisfying indeed.”

The Emperor also seemed pleased with his eldest son’s prepared performance and gave enthusiastic applause.

Even Empress Melanie, who usually didn’t smile much, had a faint smile on her lips.

“Then this time…”

As the applause died down, the Emperor spoke once more.

“I believe the 2nd Prince and 3rd Prince prepared a stage together?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At his question, Empress Helena, who had been quiet until now, quickly stepped forward.

“Isn’t it a long tradition of the Empire for the princes to perform sword dances during the Founding Festival?”

Helena continued in a clear voice.

“During the last Founding Festival, frequent monster appearances left no time to prepare such performances, but this year we can follow custom as usual, which brings me great joy.”

“Yes, then.”

The Emperor listened to the 2nd Empress’s words and soon nodded.

Thump, thump thump.

Then all the lights illuminating the banquet hall disappeared.

Only the intense light coming down from the ceiling illuminated the stage in the center of the banquet hall.

In the somehow solemn atmosphere, silence fell over the banquet hall.

It was then that everyone’s gaze, including the envoy delegation, turned toward the circular stage.

Thump, thump, thump.

With drum sounds coming from somewhere unknown, two people stepped onto the stage.

They were the 2nd Prince Lloyd and 3rd Prince Edwin.

Both held ornate ceremonial swords in one hand as they faced each other.

A tense and subtle tension that seemed ready to snap at any moment hung between the two.

* * *

Clang.

The sound of the two boys’ ceremonial swords clashing rang out sharply.

Though they were ceremonial swords made for formal use, they were still made of steel all the same, so there was risk of injury if careless.

But the two attacked each other with full force as if they were engaged in a real match.

‘Their coordination isn’t as bad as I thought.’

I leaned against the wall where I had a good view of the stage and watched the princes’ sword dance.

Edwin and Lloyd were coordinating better than expected.

‘In the end, Lloyd refused joint practice, so they couldn’t even properly coordinate their movements.’

The two had only coordinated just one hour before taking the stage, practicing together just a few times.

‘Lloyd seems to have practiced more diligently on his own than I thought.’

The two boys’ sword dance was much more watchable than expected.

Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere in the banquet hall also heated up considerably.

The eyes of various envoy delegations couldn’t leave the stage.

‘How interesting though.’

I looked at Edwin with his fearsome stage makeup.

‘That kid playing the evil dragon.’

The sword dance passed down through generations in the imperial family had its own narrative.

Though it borrowed directly from part of the common founding legend where the Empire’s first emperor defeated an evil dragon and established the nation.

‘Looking at personality or behavior, the 2nd Prince would suit the evil dragon role better.’

Unlike Edwin, whose face was barely visible due to the dark makeup, Lloyd was even wearing splendid armor.

His face, polished to perfection for today, seemed to radiate an almost divine glow.

Thump, thump.

The drum beat that had briefly quickened returned to its original rhythm.

At that moment, the two princes also instantly created distance and began spinning around.

It was a movement as if gauging each other’s skills.

Thump, thump-thump-thump, thump.

As if signaling that this was just the beginning, the drum beat began to quicken again.

Then the two boys clashed once more.

‘Hmm?’

But something was strange.

Edwin’s expression wasn’t good.

He was even breaking out in cold sweat as if panicked, suggesting there was a problem.

‘Wait a minute.’

I watched for a while and soon discovered something odd.

‘Was there such a movement in the sword dance?’

Unlike before, Lloyd delivered fast and strong sword strikes consecutively.

It was too threatening to be considered a sword dance.

I frowned.

‘…That bastard?’

I was certain.

Lloyd had no intention of performing a sword dance right now.

His only purpose was to ‘defeat’ Edwin standing before him.

‘Is he crazy? No, I should say he’s cunning.’

Rather, if he attacked using the sword dance as an excuse in such a public setting, he would have excuses even if caught later.

‘It’s obvious.’

‘If he truly intended harm, he wouldn’t have attacked in such a public place’, ‘It was just a mistake while performing the sword dance, please don’t misinterpret’ – there were plenty of excuses he could use.

‘This is troublesome.’

I couldn’t suddenly jump onto the stage to stop the sword dance, nor could I throw a dagger at Lloyd. Edwin was also on stage after all.

“Ugh.”

Meanwhile, Edwin groaned at Lloyd’s increasingly intense movements.

Then he finally deflected his half-brother’s sword and stepped back.

Waaaaaaah.

However, the audience gathered in the banquet hall cheered even more at the sight.

This was because the sword dance performed by the two young princes was filled with tension like the battle between the first emperor and the evil dragon.

Thanks to this, they completely failed to notice that the two were fighting in earnest.

* * *

“Hah.”

Edwin broke out in cold sweat as he glanced around at the surroundings.

Eyes filled with anticipation surrounded him from all directions.

For some unknown reason, he felt suffocated.

‘Why is Brother Lloyd suddenly acting like this?’

Although they hadn’t practiced together enough, they had definitely rehearsed together before going on stage. At that time, he thought it wasn’t perfect but was manageable enough to perform.

‘Could it be that he forgot the movements?’

No, Lloyd didn’t seem flustered at all—he just looked delighted.

As if he was overjoyed to be able to toy with Edwin with his own hands.

‘…Ah, I see.’

Edwin finally realized that Lloyd had no intention of completing the sword dance with him.

‘Brother just wants to torment me.’

Why had he only now realized such a simple fact?

Lloyd had always disliked him.

‘Does he want to humiliate me in this place?’

It seemed he planned to unleash unexpected attacks to bring him down.

After all, the sword dance would end with the scene of the First Emperor defeating the Evil Dragon.

Even if Edwin was actually attacked and fell, no one would care.

‘Then, should I just let him have his way?’

Edwin could easily counter Lloyd’s attacks if he wanted to.

But given the setting, he was hesitating.

He was worried about ruining the atmosphere by responding to Lloyd’s provocation.

‘What should I do?’

Edwin wiped the sweat flowing down his chin with the back of his hand.

At that moment, his eyes met with the Emperor who was watching him.

‘The Emperor?’

The Emperor seemed to have already noticed the situation on stage.

Nevertheless, he showed no intention of stopping it.

He was just watching with great interest.

Clang.

There was no time to catch his breath.

Edwin looked at Lloyd charging toward him with troubled eyes.

“Don’t strain yourself, Edwin.”

At the moment they came close enough for their faces to touch.

Lloyd whispered in a low voice.

“After all, your role is the Evil Dragon, isn’t it?”

“Brother, why are you doing this…?”

“You suit the role of being defeated by me and shamefully burying your face in the ground.”

Cracks slowly appeared on Edwin’s fair face hidden by makeup.

Lloyd bared his teeth as if he found his half-brother’s reaction amusing.

“Just like now.”

“Grgh!”

Edwin’s hand gripping the practice sword trembled.

He managed to deflect Lloyd’s sword strike, but the situation was still flowing unfavorably for him.

‘What should I do?’

The Evil Dragon’s sword dance consisted only of flashy but insubstantial feints.

It couldn’t be helped since it was meant to make the one playing the First Emperor stand out.

So it was natural for Edwin to be in a difficult position.

‘If I carelessly change the movements, it will look strange.’

The more elaborate the movements, the more noticeable it became when performed differently.

Among the audience were many royals who were well-versed in the sword dance the two princes were performing.

Especially the Emperor would immediately notice any strangeness if Edwin’s movements changed even slightly.

‘What should I do?’

Edwin bit his rolled lip.

Beads of sweat trickled down the forehead of the flustered young prince.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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