The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 296
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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 296. Confession (5)
The Bentrum Imperial Capital was surprisingly peaceful.
So much so that it was hard to believe a rebellion had occurred here just recently.
Of course, this was only possible because of the massive purge of the noble faction led by The Emperor behind the scenes.
‘Thanks to that, my story slipped right in too.’
After the groundbreaking deal between The Emperor and the King was concluded.
I was immediately freed from my status as a criminal.
‘The fact that I am ‘Kayla Angel’ was also completely covered up.’
To be precise, new rumors secretly spread that the fact ‘Rachel Brown’ and ‘Kayla Angel’ were the same person was false information.
‘But more troublesome matters arose, so am I back to square one?’
No, rather more tiresome things happened, making it even more difficult.
Now people began calling ‘Rachel Brown’ not as the reincarnation of some unknown assassin, but as ‘the King of Adamant’s fiancée.’
“I was just about to come find you.”
The source of the problem smiled as soon as he saw me.
Kaiden, who had succeeded in his deal with The Emperor, was currently staying as a guest in the Imperial Palace.
“I didn’t expect you to ask to meet first.”
Kaiden approached me as soon as he saw me.
Looking at his face that only showed obvious delight, I was momentarily speechless.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to this place too.”
The garden of the 3rd Prince’s Palace was filled with the atmosphere of autumn.
Purple globe amaranth and bright yellow chrysanthemums swayed gently in the cool breeze.
“I had a sparring match with Edwin here last time.”
“…Do you not regret it?”
“What? Revealing my identity to Their Highnesses?”
It had already been three days since Kaiden stayed in the Imperial Capital after his deal with The Emperor.
But Edwin still refused to meet with Kaiden.
‘Well, it would be difficult to immediately accept him as family.’
On the other hand, Emilia seemed simply happy that her big friend was her uncle, but she couldn’t even suggest meeting him first because she was watching her brother’s mood.
“That too, but.”
I answered while standing side by side with Kaiden.
“I didn’t expect you to reveal that fact right in front of His Imperial Majesty.”
Kaiden lightly shrugged one shoulder.
“Well, it’s something he would find out eventually, whether sooner or later.”
“What if The Emperor uses that as leverage for blackmail? If he demands more mining rights or unreasonable tribute, it would put you in a difficult position.”
At my words, he burst into light laughter.
“I don’t know what to do with myself when you worry about me this much.”
“I’m speaking seriously. Do you have some countermeasure prepared?”
“Well, to some extent.”
Kaiden took a deep breath and nodded.
“The current Emperor won’t last long anyway. There are health issues, and internal dissatisfaction has reached its peak due to this purge.”
Although only pro-Emperor nobles remained due to the purge, they too must be inwardly anxious.
‘Cabellius III has seen too much blood.’
When ascending to the throne, he eliminated his own siblings, and he purged nobles involved in rebellion down to their collateral families, making his methods excessively cruel.
‘The remaining nobles will probably be cautious, fearing their heads might fly off with the slightest mistake.’
Excessive rigidity brings anxiety, anxiety breeds baseless fear, and terror that feeds on fear inevitably gives rise to anger.
“…That doesn’t seem like something you should say easily within the Imperial Capital.”
“It’s fine, there are no listening ears nearby anyway.”
As Kaiden said, there was no sign of people around.
“And you know what?”
Kaiden raised one corner of his mouth in a crooked smile.
“Did you know that the amount of adamantite ore from Adamant Kingdom that can be exported externally is fixed for one year?”
This wasn’t a custom unique to Adamant Kingdom alone.
Other countries also had very small adamantite mines, though not well known, and they all limited export quantities regardless of production to preserve the value of the ore.
“By the way, I only said I’d hand over mining rights, not that I promised to give up complete ownership of the mined ore.”
No matter how much ore they mined, if the amount that could be brought into the country was limited, it would be useless. Even if they tried to smuggle it out somehow, they’d be caught by Adamant Kingdom’s surveillance network.
“Of course, I have no intention of changing the clause about adamantite ore export quantities either.”
His somehow mischievous smile looked almost wicked.
I stared blankly at such a Kaiden and let out a hollow laugh.
“Really, you’ve become quite the adult.”
“That’s a strange thing to say. I’ve been an adult for a long time.”
Kaiden laughed lightly along with me.
He continued in a candid voice.
“And I handed over the mining rights for Edwin, not The Emperor. He’ll be the next Emperor anyway.”
So it was a gift, not a deal.
Kaiden swept back his hair that had been slightly tousled by the wind.
“And on the condition that The Emperor properly fulfills the terms of our deal, I promised that when Edwin becomes Emperor, I could also recognize ownership rights limited to adamantite ore mined in the Empire.”
With this, it became clear.
Kaiden had not made a losing deal with The Emperor.
“…That’s impressive.”
At my words, Kaiden placed his hand on his chest and pretended to bow.
“You flatter me.”
After cheekily bowing, he continued in a troubled voice.
“Still, it seems like it’ll take time to be accepted by my nephew and niece, so that’s my biggest worry.”
“Even if it takes a little time, Their Highnesses will accept you soon. If you have enough conversations.”
And I too had something I needed to discuss separately with Kaiden.
I clasped my hands together neatly and opened my mouth again.
“…Prince Kaiden.”
He was indeed a quick-witted man.
Kaiden seemed to immediately guess what I was going to say just from hearing my voice.
“Let’s not talk about something that’s already finished.”
Kaiden answered stiffly while turning away from me.
“It even received The Emperor’s certification, so it can’t be undone now.”
“Wasn’t that something Your Highness decided arbitrarily?”
I never even signed an engagement document in the first place.
At my words, Kaiden’s voice became much more subdued than before.
“So you’re saying you don’t want to be engaged to me.”
“I think I’ve mentioned this before. I am…”
“You said you could be a mistress but not marry. I also said I’d rather become your kept man.”
So he did remember.
I stared intently at Kaiden.
“I kept thinking about it. But no matter how much I thought, I realized something like that wouldn’t satisfy me.”
“It’s not a matter of satisfaction…”
“Isn’t it unfair?”
Kaiden continued while fixing his gaze on the swaying flower buds.
“I lived because you told me to live, I came to the highest place because you told me to go, yet you’re telling me to be satisfied with just that much.”
Suddenly, I remembered the voice I heard on the night of the rebellion.
Even when my mind was hazy from losing too much blood, only his voice was heard clearly.
‘At least I have lived because of you. I lived because you told me to live.’
It was truly a strange thing.
When I recalled that day, memories of my childhood with Kaiden that I thought I had completely forgotten came back together.
‘It’s a life you saved.’
The young child who clung to me and pleaded had said something quite bold.
‘So take responsibility.’
Kaiden’s eyes as he cried and shouted showed no wavering.
Then, and now.
“…When I first met you, the reason I struggled so hard to save you was.”
I slowly turned my body.
And I opened my mouth while fixing my gaze in the same direction Kaiden was looking.
“Because I saw my past in you.”
Abandoned by parents, separated from Emma and wandering through the slums, cast out into the world with no one to help.
“So I hoped you wouldn’t follow the same path as me.”
That’s why I urged you to become as strong as possible, to gain wealth and honor.
“…I hoped you would live an ordinary, happy life, unlike me.”
That’s why I firmly abandoned the pitifully clinging Kaiden and turned away.
Because I felt I couldn’t offer a better future even if we stayed together.
“Nevertheless, contrary to my wishes, it seems you’ve walked a path far from ordinary….”
I slowly turned my body to look at Kaiden.
Kaiden had already turned toward me and was looking at me.
“Prince Kaiden, if you marry me, you’ll continue to face difficulties. In many ways.”
While I may have shed my criminal status and established myself as The Caretaker in the Empire, becoming queen of another nation was a problem of different severity.
“It won’t be me, but Your Highness who will be constantly tested.”
Taking a lordling from a foreign, insignificant minor noble house as the first queen of a new kingdom meant exactly that.
“Your Highness says you’ve persuaded them, but your subjects will think differently.”
Though things might be quiet now because Kaiden was such a militarily powerful king with strong authority, it was uncertain what would happen as time passed.
“Rumors about my past could resurface, and situations are bound to change. And people’s hearts change according to circumstances, don’t they? So….”
I lightly grasped my skirt with both hands that had been clasped in front of me.
“So if you understand my heart that thinks of Your Highness, please withdraw the engagement.”
Fortunately, I didn’t stutter or have my voice tremble.
It was a cold confession that was worth practicing several times.
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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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