The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 127

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

Chapter 127. Those Who Dream the Same Dream (5)

“…Really?”

Catherine looked at me with a half-dazed expression.

“Can I really quit if I want to?”

“Yes, but you would have to leave the 3rd Prince’s Palace.”

I said this while thinking of the gold and treasures piled up in the Palace Storehouse.

“However, I’ll make sure your severance pay won’t disappoint you. Enough so you won’t have to worry about money for the next 20 years or so.”

Catherine stared at me blankly with her mouth agape.

‘Did I offer too little?’

I was about to say I’d make sure she wouldn’t have to worry for 30 years instead of 20, when suddenly—

Clear streams of water began flowing from Catherine’s eyes.

“Ca, Catherine?”

I was so flustered that I even stammered, which was unlike me.

Catherine opened her mouth with a sobbing voice.

“That’s too much, The Caretaker.”

“What? What did I…?”

I said I’d take care of her generously, so what was too much about that?

I looked at Seiji in confusion, but he just shrugged his shoulders and seemed to have no solution either.

“You’re telling me to just leave since you’ll give me money even if I don’t cooperate! Do you know what kind of feelings brought me this far?!”

Catherine covered her face with her hands and began crying pitifully.

“No, Catherine? Catherine, please look at me for a moment.”

“Waaaah, The Caretaker is so mean!”

The reaction was more intense than I expected.

I hurriedly approached Catherine and tried to comfort her.

“I don’t know what I did wrong, but I apologize first. I just wanted to respect Catherine…”

“In times like that, you’re supposed to say let’s risk our lives together!”

After hearing my words, Catherine suddenly shouted.

With her reddened eyes and slightly protruding snot, she looked just like Emilia.

“Not pushing me away to live well on my own!”

“But Catherine, you have family too…”

“My family isn’t the only thing in my life!”

Her pale but clear-colored eyes stared straight at me.

“There are also the colleagues I met here, Prince Edwin, Princess Emilia!”

She grabbed my hand and shouted.

“And The Caretaker too!”

This time, I stared blankly at Catherine.

“So, so…”

Catherine said while tightly holding my hand.

She sniffled, swallowing her tears and snot.

“Please tell me we can all live together until the end.”

The long, slender fingers holding my hand were trembling slightly.

“Catherine, I’ve accomplished most things I’ve set my mind to. And quite excellently at that.”

I grasped her snow-white hand and lifted it up.

“So please trust me. What you’re worried about will absolutely never happen.”

“…Absolutely?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

It was a statement that could be called arrogant.

Catherine was looking at me with more earnest eyes than ever before.

“Right, right. Our Caretaker seems to have it all figured out, so let’s trust her once. She’s quite a remarkable woman in many ways.”

Seiji cheerfully patted Catherine’s shoulder again.

“Ow!”

Catherine started to shout but stopped and looked at him with displeasure.

“But The Gardener sometimes speaks as if he knows The Caretaker very well.”

“Of course I know her well! Speaking of Brown Lordling, she and I have been… from a very long time ago…”

That damned old man.

When I glared at him with murderous intent, Seiji hastily changed his words.

“We’ve had a connection from a very long time ago, haven’t we?”

“Let’s return to our previous conversation.”

I cleared my voice and changed the subject.

“I’m curious about something. You said that to become the next emperor, one must gain the consent of the other three excluding The Emperor. If even one person opposes, is it impossible to ascend to the throne?”

“In principle it’s impossible, but it’s not like there are no methods.”

At my question, Seiji’s eyes gleamed with interest as he smiled wickedly.

“If it really doesn’t work out, you can just replace the person sitting in that position.”

To speak so openly about such things in front of an assassin.

It seems Seiji’s personality has changed quite a bit after being confined in Luksen.

‘Well, he is the one who sent Edwin to a place with monsters under the pretense of testing him.’

Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten about that method too.

Even though I know better than anyone how vile and cruel the power struggles among nobles can be.

“But that method should be saved as a last resort. If you do it without proper preparation, you might face unnecessary backlash.”

“Wa, wait a minute! What does that mean?”

Catherine, who had been listening to the conversation, interjected with a pale face.

“What do you mean by just replacing the person sitting in that position? You just promised me that the things I’m worried about will absolutely never happen. But why are you saying such frightening things!”

“Frightening words? What frightening things did we say? Right, Brown Lordling?”

I’m pretty sure we were just discussing that if it came down to it, assassination might be the only option.

“…Don’t worry, Catherine.”

I nodded with an impassive face to reassure Catherine.

“We just need to make sure it doesn’t come to that stage.”

“No, I’m telling you not to say such scary things!”

Catherine rubbed her arms frantically and shook her head vigorously.

Seeing this, Seiji stroked his beard and clicked his tongue.

“Our Housekeeper has good spirit but is quite timid.”

“You two are just too fearless! And I’ve told you countless times not to carelessly speak such insolent words!”

“My, how very cautious. This is why delicately raised Aristocratic Ladies…”

“I wasn’t raised delicately! I guarantee I had a rougher upbringing than The Gardener!”

I quietly watched the two bickering and fell deep in thought.

‘Hmm, persuading the Holy Emperor can be done later.’

Traditionally, the Holy Emperor had a strong tendency to side with the prince most likely to become emperor.

Therefore, maintaining neutrality until the end and then sending official support once the crown prince was decided was practically a custom of The Holy Kingdom.

‘What’s important right now…’

Was bringing the Elder Council Chairman and Supreme Commander to our side.

But The Marquis of Redcliff, who is the 2nd Prince’s maternal grandfather, would never support us.

If there was any possibility, it would be…

‘Duke of Crowner, perhaps.’

Of course, he too was on the side of The Empress and 1st Prince, so there was no reason for him to support us.

But there was a variable in the 1st Prince’s camp.

“Hey, Brown Lordling.”

Then Seiji, apparently tired of arguing with Catherine, spoke to me.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Then Catherine, who had been fuming with a red face, also turned her head toward me.

“I was thinking about how we could bring Duke of Crowner to Prince Edwin’s side.”

At my words, Catherine’s mouth fell wide open as if she couldn’t be more shocked, while Seiji wore a rather serious expression.

“Well, I wonder. Looking at what The Duke has done so far, it doesn’t seem like he’s completely uninterested in Edwin.”

He said with his arms crossed.

“But that doesn’t mean he’ll withdraw his support for his nephew, who is The Emperor’s legitimate heir.”

“…That possibility isn’t entirely out of the question.”

“Hm? How can you be so sure about that?”

Well, because I heard it directly.

I recalled the conversation between The Emperor and The Duke that I had overheard at The Gloria Knight Order Headquarters some time ago.

Count Crowner had certainly hinted that he wouldn’t want the 1st Prince to ascend to the throne.

“The Duke didn’t seem to welcome the idea of the 1st Prince ascending to the throne.”

“Hmm, why would that be? As the eldest son of The Empress, it would be easier for him to claim the throne compared to other princes.”

Then Catherine spoke up in a more subdued voice than before.

“Perhaps he thinks that way because Prince the First has such a frail constitution.”

“I was aware of that too. But isn’t he still just a child? His Imperial Majesty was also sickly from childhood, but he eventually ascended to the throne, didn’t he?”

“But a weak-bodied ruler is always under attack from the Nobility Faction. Even the current Emperor continues to have his qualifications questioned because of his weak constitution.”

At Catherine’s words, Seiji frowned while keeping his arms crossed.

“Well, that’s true enough.”

“Caretaker, I don’t know much about politics, but personally, I think it’s right for the eldest son to ascend to the throne as is natural. I believe that would be the most peaceful method.”

She continued with a rather serious expression.

“How about we support Prince the First first instead? I’ve heard there have been cases where people secured safety by helping another prince ascend to the throne early on…”

“That’s not a bad idea either. But aren’t we people who serve Prince Edwin?”

Seiji said, looking in my direction.

“Most importantly, The Prince’s will is what matters most. The Prince said he doesn’t just want to survive, but wants to become Emperor, didn’t he?”

At his words, Catherine looked as if she’d been struck in the back of the head, then let out a deep sigh.

“I really don’t understand. Why on earth did The Prince suddenly say he wants to become Emperor?”

“That’s…”

I brought up what I had heard from Edwin previously.

“According to The Prince, Prince the First himself didn’t seem very interested in the throne either.”

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