The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 220

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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 220. The Secret Weapon of the Prince’s Palace (3)

“That’s impossible!”

Catherine shook her head while covering her mouth with both hands.

“Countess Katarina? How could we possibly win over someone like her?”

Countess Pailin Katarina.

The closest confidant of the 2nd Imperial Consort and a powerful figure in the continent’s social circles.

She was also the one who personally exposed and expelled the former head maid of the 3rd Prince’s Palace for embezzlement.

“That’s exactly why we need to target her even more.”

Somnia flicked the box sitting on the table with her finger.

“The closer someone is, the more fatal a weakness they become when they turn against you.”

Catherine frowned as she looked at the box that had moved closer to her.

“But Countess Katarina’s loyalty to the 2nd Imperial Consort is said to be unmatched. I don’t think a mere pair of earrings could change her heart.”

“A mere pair of earrings? The earrings would be hurt if they heard that.”

If you knew how much sacrifice and wealth the so-called powerful nobles had paid to obtain just one of these earrings, you’d faint, woman.

Somnia leaned back against the sofa and continued speaking.

“Well, you’re right that Countess Katarina isn’t the type to betray her master over a single pair of earrings.”

If she had such shallow loyalty, she would have been cast out by the 2nd Imperial Consort long ago.

“But what if Countess Katarina’s loyalty is gradually crumbling bit by bit?”

“Pardon?”

“I did some research on Countess Katarina.”

After the Empress’s attempted poisoning incident.

Countess Katarina had been showing unusual behavior.

“Recently, she’s been occasionally meeting with the wives of noble families who support the 1st Prince.”

Somnia narrowed her eyes by half.

“In secret from the 2nd Imperial Consort, of course.”

Countess Katarina had been secretly meeting with the wives of 1st Prince faction nobles behind the 2nd Imperial Consort’s back?

Catherine looked at Somnia with surprised eyes.

“Does that mean the Katarina Count’s family no longer supports the 2nd Prince?”

“No, they haven’t decided yet. They’re just testing the waters.”

Until now, the prevailing opinion was that the 2nd Prince Lloyd would inherit the next imperial throne.

The 1st Prince was sickly, and the 3rd Prince was no better than a fool.

“Not just Countess Katarina, but others initially had no doubt that the 2nd Prince would become Emperor.”

Although the Emperor openly supported the 1st Prince, his eldest son, most of the nobles in the Senate supported the 2nd Prince.

Moreover, since the sickly 1st Prince would obviously die young before even becoming Crown Prince, their position was that the Emperor would ultimately have no choice but to select the 2nd Prince.

“But the 3rd Prince started functioning properly. For the Emperor, his options increased.”

Whether he used the 3rd Prince as a shield for the 1st Prince or as a complete substitute didn’t matter.

Either way, both situations were extremely disadvantageous for the 2nd Prince’s side.

“On top of that, the 2nd Imperial Consort was named as the culprit in the Empress’s attempted poisoning case, further falling out of the Emperor’s favor.”

That wasn’t all.

The 3rd Prince won the hunting competition and showed swordsmanship skills at the founding festival that rivaled the 2nd Prince, who was called a sword genius.

“Countess Katarina knows that the 2nd Prince faction’s position is gradually narrowing.”

To survive in social circles, to survive in noble society, one had to read the flow of change well.

And the woman called the flower of social circles was the most excellent at this ability.

“I heard that recently, she even had a private audience with the Empress. She expressed concern for the Empress and 1st Prince’s health and even gifted eastern medicinal herbs.”

Good heavens, ‘that’ Countess Katarina?

Catherine sat with her mouth agape, then made a stunned expression.

‘How on earth does this person know such things?’

She knew from Rachel that the woman before her was the head of the continent’s greatest trading company.

‘But the fact that Countess Katarina secretly met with the Empress means literally that no one was supposed to know about it, right? How did she find out about a meeting that took place in complete secrecy?’

Catherine subtly averted her gaze from the intense purple eyes staring directly at her.

“Th-then what exactly should I do regarding the Countess?”

“It’s simple. Just become friends.”

Somnia grinned and tilted her head.

A few strands of fine black hair slid down along the lines of her neck and collarbone.

“With Countess Katarina, that is.”

“Ah, become friends with the Countess, yes? Yeeeeees?”

Catherine covered her mouth with both hands to suppress the scream that was about to escape.

“The earrings are a kind of bribe. Originally, when making friends, you start by sharing food and such, right?”

Even so, sharing a slice of apple pie with someone you want to befriend seems different from gifting precious jewelry that the continent’s powerful figures desperately seek.

“Of course, it would be problematic to actually give those earrings to Countess Katarina. So just let her catch a whiff.”

“What do you mean by letting her catch a whiff?”

“Act like you know nothing about the value of those earrings in front of Countess Katarina.”

So how exactly was she supposed to do that?

She didn’t even have any connection with Countess Katarina to begin with.

Catherine fidgeted with her fingertips with a troubled expression.

“From now on, I’ll personally create a connection between you and Countess Katarina.”

“Create a connection?”

“Yes. I’ll make you into someone Countess Katarina can’t help but want to befriend.”

Somnia pointed at Catherine with her fingertip, wearing a mischievous expression like a playful child.

“So from today, you’ll be the hidden lover of the Golden Goose trading company’s head.”

“…Pardon?”

Catherine looked at Somnia with the most serious expression she had ever worn.

“I’m sorry, but I have a man I care about. And I’ve never once in my life considered someone of the same gender as a romantic interest. I appreciate the sentiment, but I can’t have that kind of relationship with you…”

“Ah, it’s acting, of course! Acting! I’m not into women like you either, you know?”

The gender and age of the Golden Goose trading company’s owner were unknown to the public.

The fact that Somnia was a woman of slave origin was known only to Kayla, who had been the captain of the Breath of Angels.

“You don’t need to actually spend time with me. Just pretend to be my lover. Then Countess Katarina will approach you on her own.”

“And after I somehow become close with the Countess?”

“Then you need to somehow make the Countess completely turn her back on the 2nd Imperial Consort.”

“…You’re telling me to drive a wedge between the two of them, aren’t you?”

“Haha, calling it driving a wedge makes us sound like the bad guys.”

Still, it wasn’t wrong.

Sometimes one had to play the villain to win.

“Rachel trusted you.”

Somnia stood up with a bright smile.

“I’ll set the stage for you. So put on a performance that will satisfy Rachel.”

“W-wait a moment! I understand the plan you’ve outlined, but…”

Catherine awkwardly stood up as she rose.

“T-to drive a wedge between them, I need to know about some issue that could cause conflict between the two…”

“The story about the 1st Imperial Consort?”

“I can’t just bring up such a sensitive topic right away! She’ll definitely suspect I have ulterior motives!”

Who said being fearful means being cautious?

Somnia chuckled as she watched Catherine, who was being timid yet trying to extract more information from her.

“Ah, I almost forgot. Take this too.”

Catherine blinked as she looked at the note the Golden Goose trading company’s owner handed her.

“What is this?”

“What you wanted.”

Information about Countess Katarina and the Count’s household members, as well as the achievements and current status of the princes who participated in the subjugation campaign.

“Well then, we’ll start the operation this very evening, so be prepared.”

Somnia turned around as soon as Catherine accepted the note.

“Let’s do well together, my secret lover.”

Catherine left behind a greeting that would make one gasp.

* * *

“Hmm.”

The Empire’s First Princess, Emilia, tilted her head.

The child looked down at an unknown flower blooming on the ground and narrowed her eyes.

“This isn’t a four-leaf clover.”

“Then what is it, Your Highness Princess?”

“It’s a three-leaf!”

Emilia waved the three-leaf clover toward the two maids standing behind her.

“They said four-leaf clovers bring good luck! Ria wants to have good luck!”

The doll maids of the Prince’s Palace exchanged glances with each other.

They were accompanying the Princess who insisted on finding a four-leaf clover in place of the busy Maid Captain.

“Hmm, what should we do? We should be heading back to the Palace soon.”

The sun was setting.

If they didn’t return soon, they would get scolded by the other maids in charge of preparing the Princess’s dinner.

“No! Ria can’t go until she finds a four-leaf clover!”

The maids smiled awkwardly at the Princess’s stubbornness.

“Your Highness Princess, then let’s come look again tomorrow. Or we’ll find one for you while Your Highness is sleeping.”

“No, no! It only has meaning if Ria finds it herself!”

Emilia looked up at the dolls with wide eyes.

“Ria wants to look just a little bit more here. Can’t I? Hm? Hmm?”

The doll maids had no hearts, but even they had no solution against Emilia’s cuteness.

“Understood. Then you’ll only look a little bit more?”

“Yes! Ria always keeps her promises!”

As soon as permission was granted, Emilia ran deeper into the Central Garden.

Today the garden was strangely devoid of people, but the Princess was too young to notice this fact.

So it was natural that she didn’t know that the garden would only be cleared of all people, including guards, when an imperial command was issued.

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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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