The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 48
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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 48. Knight Commander, Jerome Crowner (1)
‘A succession war.’
Just hearing it made me feel like the smell of blood was wafting to my nose.
I frowned at the ominous words that came from Seiji’s mouth.
“Why are you saying such unlucky things?”
“Unlucky things? I’m just stating facts.”
“Prince Edwin simply wants to purely gain enough strength to not be manipulated by anyone…”
Then, Seiji suddenly cut off my words.
“Just purely wanting to become strong? Then he’ll be devoured by the other princes before that even happens.”
Being pure ultimately means not being broken.
Could Edwin truly pursue strength ‘purely’ without any support?
“I heard the Emperor only provides full support to his chosen successor candidates. Edwin has been excluded from that list for a long time.”
Seiji crossed his arms and lifted his chin.
“So how exactly are you planning to make that boy strong? What, make him do duck walks in his room? Or teach him killing techniques like you know?”
Seiji shot a cold sneer.
“I…”
“I don’t know why you’re suddenly playing nanny to a prince.”
He twisted his broom-like grown beard.
“If you want to do what the prince desires, start by building a foundation first.”
It wasn’t wrong.
To safely make the prince strong without anyone’s interference, we first needed the Emperor’s support.
‘That means Edwin first needs to catch the Emperor’s eye.’
Even if not grandiose, we needed an incident that could make Edwin recognized as a prince.
‘I guess there’s no other way.’
I raised one eyebrow and glared at Seiji.
“…You said to build a foundation first.”
“Uh, yeah? I did, didn’t I?”
“Even if you hadn’t said that, I was already planning to do so. So keep your useless advice to yourself.”
“Hmm, my advice is useless?”
Seiji seemed intimidated by my cold gaze at first, then started provoking me again.
“So what were you planning to do? Tell me? His Majesty the Emperor won’t meet with the nanny of a child he abandoned~”
He seemed hurt in his pride by being called useless advice.
I quietly clenched my fist at the old sage’s provocation.
“Or are you going your way? Planning to hold a knife to the Emperor’s throat at night and threaten him?”
I’ve been thinking this for a while.
Bringing this old man from the Plague Village might have been a huge mistake.
“You said Prince Edwin needs a different teacher.”
“Right, the problem is whether you can find one.”
Seiji scratched his ear with an indifferent expression.
“I wonder if there’s anyone who’d dare teach him, afraid of the other royals.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
I stared at Seiji with eyes burning with determination.
“I’ll just create a method. Just like when I saved you.”
As I gritted my teeth between words, I felt Seiji flinch.
“Ha, haha. If a young person grinds their teeth like that, they’ll all fall out~ Ahaha, now that we’re done talking, shall I return to my main job! I forgot about pruning, ahaha!”
He deliberately avoided my eyes and hurried out of the library.
After Seiji left, I stood there for a long time, steeling my resolve.
‘If only to flatten that old man’s nose.’
I will definitely make Edwin strong.
* * *
The next day, I headed to the annex during Edwin’s free time.
“Shouldn’t someone who’s become a housekeeper be able to let go of kitchen work?”
“The princes love my cooking so much that even if I wanted to, I can’t…”
Catherine, who was diligently kneading dough in the kitchen, looked surprised as soon as she saw me.
“What brings you to the annex at this time, Caretaker? Did you run away again because Princess Emilia asked you to play horse?”
“…Do I look like someone who came all the way here because I was afraid of crawling on all fours?”
“Or did you fight with the gardener again?”
“Fight? A mere gardener couldn’t be a match for a caretaker.”
I took a bite of an apple from the basket.
Catherine glanced at me and sighed.
“Oh my, don’t torment the gardener too much. Do you know how heartbreaking it is to see an elderly person working in the garden every day, bending his back?”
“He’s more energetic than he looks. You don’t need to worry.”
“Sometimes you’re too heartless, Caretaker. Do you know how frail an elderly person’s body is?”
When before she was angry about bringing some homeless person.
“At that age, bones become weak and muscles deteriorate, making even movement difficult. Just a little injury or overwork could make them pass away. They can die more easily than young people like us.”
Well, it’s not necessarily true that old people die first or die easily.
There’s also me, who died young, betrayed by a lover and burned to death with a poisoned sword in my back.
As I just ate the apple without saying anything, Catherine turned toward me.
“Caretaker, are you listening to me? You’re letting it go in one ear and out the other again!”
Catherine deliberately pushed her face into my view.
The face of a woman who looked fragile but stubborn came into sight.
‘Good grief, using dough as face powder.’
Catherine’s face was covered with flour.
I brushed off the flour on her face and continued speaking.
“I understand. I understand, so wash your face first. Even if I put your face in the oven instead of dough, bread would come out.”
“You call such horrible words a joke? It’s not funny!”
Catherine made a disgusted expression, imagining something, then brushed off her hands.
I thought it was quite a funny joke, but that’s disappointing.
“And I was just about to go wash the curtains. I should wash my face while I’m at it.”
“I came to report that I have somewhere to go for a while.”
“What?”
Catherine questioned my words.
“Are you going outside the castle again?”
“No, not this time.”
“Then where are you going?”
I threw the apple core into the trash and smiled wickedly.
“The Gloria Knight Order.”
* * *
“…Quite magnificent.”
Under the midday sun, The Gloria Knight Order Headquarters was shining brilliantly.
Red banners hanging on pillars everywhere were embroidered with golden lion embroidery representing the Gloria Knight Order. Unlike Edwin’s palace, it was flashy and glittering, which was quite displeasing.
‘Even if it’s a successful knight order, being more splendid than the Prince’s Palace.’
Shouldn’t I sue them for insulting royalty?
As I stood with arms crossed, glaring at the headquarters, a knight standing at the main gate approached me.
“It seems the beautiful lordling has business with our knight order. Are you looking for someone?”
Good heavens, I almost bit my tongue at the surprisingly sickening tone.
Knights had never once spoken to me with courtesy.
‘It was always one of two things. Either they’d charge at me like they wanted to kill me, or they’d be so scared they’d wet themselves.’
Perhaps because of that, this new treatment felt quite awkward.
I tried to maintain a calm expression as I identified the owner of the voice.
He was a young knight with an ordinary appearance.
Judging by the brooch on his shoulder, he seemed to belong to the Gloria Knight Order as well.
‘Full plate armor when it’s not even a battlefield.’
Should I say their discipline is well-maintained, or that they’re full of pretense?
Meanwhile, when I gave no response, the young knight seemed flustered and bowed at the waist.
“My lady, if I have made you uncomfortable in any way…”
“No, you’re right. I came here on business with the knight order.”
“May I ask what kind of business brings you here, my lady?”
“I came to see the commander. Duke Jerome Crowner.”
At my answer, the knight stammered with a dumbfounded expression.
“Pardon? Ex-excuse me, but what is your relationship with the commander…?”
We’re deeply entangled, to put it one way, but I can’t bring up old stories.
“I am Rachel Brown, caretaker to His Highness the 3rd Prince.”
The knight’s eyes widened at the word caretaker.
His expression showed even more confusion.
“I have come to request something of the commander, so would you let me in?”
When I forced a gentle smile, the knight’s face relaxed slightly.
“Please wait just a moment. I’ll be right back, my lady.”
He hurriedly ran inside the fence.
After a brief moment, the knight appeared again.
“The commander says to come in. I’ll escort you this way, my lady.”
I bowed my head lightly, then followed the knight through the gate.
What caught my eye immediately upon entering was a well-maintained rose garden.
‘The Crowner family’s symbol was definitely the red rose.’
Looking at the roses that dyed the garden red gave me a strange feeling.
It felt like entering another imperial palace within the Imperial Capital.
Following the knight, we arrived at a reception room.
“Please wait here for a moment. The commander will be here shortly.”
He gave a light bow and immediately disappeared.
Since there’s nothing particular to do, might as well look around the room.
Left alone, I slowly looked around the room.
‘As befitting a ducal house, they must have money rotting away.’
The furniture filling the room was all top-quality made from rosewood, and even the curtains hanging at the windows were the finest silk imported from the Asha Kingdom.
‘Even Edwin and Emilia can only manage to have clothes made from that at best.’
I never dreamed I’d feel the wealth gap even within the Imperial Capital.
I twisted my lips up in an even more displeased expression.
Then, I heard footsteps approaching from afar.
‘He’s here.’
Just as I turned around, the door swung wide open.
“So, I hear a guest has come?”
Like a beast returning from a stroll, leisurely yet possessing overwhelming presence.
His name was ‘Jerome Crowner’.
Master of the Gloria Knight Order. The Empress’s one and only brother. The head of the Crowner ducal house.
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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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