The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 71

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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 71. The Princess, Bridget Crowner (3)

“What?”

Edwin’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s at my question.

“A ducal princess? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“The person Your Highness is currently looking at is the Crowner Ducal Princess.”

“Whaaaat—?”

Edwin screamed in a shrill voice.

Then he immediately lowered his head.

“So that’s why she was at the barracks…”

“Hmm.”

It seems the two of them encountered each other while I was unaware.

While it’s not common for a daughter to frequent her father’s workplace, if Jerome is known to be a doting father, it could happen.

‘But why didn’t he tell me?’

I was about to interrogate Edwin about why he didn’t mention such an important encounter.

The ducal princess’s gaze was about to reach Edwin when someone intervened between them.

It was a boy with a mischievous expression—the 2nd Prince Lloyd.

Though they were quite far away, their conversation could be easily overheard.

“It’s been a while, Bridget?”

Quite a polite greeting for a scoundrel prince.

However, cracks appeared on the beautiful face of the girl who received the greeting.

“Excuse me, 2nd Prince, but my name is permitted only to my father.”

“Ah, sorry. I’ll correct myself. Lady Crowner.”

I was deeply bewildered.

That ill-tempered 2nd Prince apologized so easily?

His complexion was also strangely reddish, making the atmosphere peculiar.

‘Surely it’s not what I’m thinking?’

Just as I was casting suspicious glances at the two of them.

Lloyd cleared his throat awkwardly and continued speaking.

“Still, we’re going to be husband and wife anyway. Can’t you at least allow me to use your name?”

…One shock after another.

I never imagined the 2nd Prince would fancy the ducal princess.

But no matter how I looked at it, that tone and expression could only be genuine.

‘And he said “husband and wife.”‘

It didn’t seem like words that should come from a kid who hadn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet.

Fortunately, the ducal princess seemed to share my thoughts.

She snorted and replied coldly.

“Your Highness and I becoming husband and wife? That’s completely news to me.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’ll be the next emperor. So naturally you, as the future empress, will become my wife.”

The ducal princess’s eyebrows twitched at the prince’s words.

However, her wavering was brief, and the princess smiled as she delivered a sharp retort.

“Well. I’ve never doubted that I would become empress, but I’ve always had doubts about Your Highness ascending to the throne.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll end up marrying me anyway. It would be less embarrassing for you than marrying your cousin.”

Lloyd flashed what he thought was a charming, roguish smile.

“Well. I think it would be quite embarrassing enough for me, a ducal princess, to have a marquis family as in-laws.”

But it didn’t work on the ducal princess.

Lloyd’s smile completely disappeared at the remark pointing out the difference in their status.

“…You keep crossing the line just because I’m being nice to you.”

Anger flashed in his blue eyes.

“You’d better take back what you just said.”

“I merely stated a fact, so I see no reason to retract it. Well then, I have someone to greet, so I’ll be going.”

“You!”

Lloyd called out to stop her from behind, but the princess didn’t even pretend to hear.

He could only glare at the departing princess’s back with burning eyes.

Even as the 2nd Prince, he couldn’t forcibly stop the princess in front of Duke Crowner.

“…Huh?”

However, Lloyd’s face became even more distorted in less than a minute.

Surprisingly, the ducal princess had headed straight to Edwin.

“We met yesterday, didn’t we.”

“Uh, um…”

Edwin blushed as he looked at the ducal princess approaching him.

‘What, our guy is acting strange too?’

I swallowed nervously at an inexplicable sense of foreboding when the princess spoke.

“Yesterday I committed a breach of etiquette, not knowing you were the 3rd Prince. I am the daughter of House Crowner, ‘Bridget Crowner.'”

“Um, excuse me, how did you know I was the 3rd Prince?”

“I heard what the nobles gathered here were saying. Didn’t Your Highness also realize long ago that I was the ducal princess?”

“Ah, no, I…”

Edwin stammered.

The princess stared at him for a while, then changed the subject.

“Well then, do your best, Prince Edwin. I shall take my leave now.”

The princess disappeared back to where her father was.

After the princess left, I turned my head toward Edwin.

“Your Highness.”

“…Hmm?”

At my call, he turned his head in a daze.

Somehow I felt my ominous premonition was about to come true.

“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for the ducal princess…”

I couldn’t finish the words I’d spoken just to be sure.

I could tell what he was feeling without needing to hear an answer.

‘Where, how, and when exactly?’

I frowned as I looked at Edwin’s flushed face.

Then suddenly I had this thought.

‘Did I make this kind of expression in front of that bastard too?’

I unconsciously recalled the face of the man I once loved most in this world.

The face of the man who was now so hateful it made my teeth clench.

‘…It must have been quite unseemly.’

Ian Angel, falling in love with that bastard who killed me was something from long ago.

Now I couldn’t even remember why I came to love him.

‘How utterly ridiculous.’

Yes, looking back, it really was ridiculous.

The fact that I once staked my life on that bastard for an emotion that could be forgotten so easily.

Somehow my mouth tasted bitter.

‘Let’s stop. It only makes me feel worse.’

I deliberately suppressed the memories of the past that kept trying to surface and raised my head.

‘Tsk, the young fool is already blinded by jealousy.’

In the distance, I could see Lloyd glaring daggers at us.

The fact that the ducal princess had ignored him and spoken to Edwin first seemed to have wounded his pride considerably. I could feel pure hostility and anger from him.

But it wasn’t just the 2nd Prince.

Other nobles also sent glances filled with malicious curiosity, as if they hadn’t known Edwin was acquainted with the ducal princess.

Edwin also seemed to notice those gazes, shrinking his shoulders with a frightened expression.

“Don’t be discouraged.”

“But….”

“Your Highness has no reason to be discouraged. Please hold yourself with dignity.”

Edwin’s eyes widened.

“The reason they’re looking at Your Highness is because you shine brighter than anyone else here right now. So please don’t worry.”

It wasn’t empty flattery.

He was indeed shining the brightest among all the people gathered here.

His handsome appearance that resembled the 3rd Imperial Consort, who was said to be a great beauty.

The splendid riding outfit that suited him, complete with a sapphire brooch fastening his shoulder.

There wasn’t a single element that wasn’t beautiful.

‘Catherine’s efforts in dressing him up since dawn have paid off.’

The current Edwin showed no trace of the scruffy prince who used to be covered in grime.

In fact, several nobles were showing interest in the clothes and accessories the prince was wearing.

Lloyd seemed to realize this fact too, as his face grew even more furious.

“And Your Highness is the 3rd Prince of this nation. You need not fear anyone.”

At my words, Edwin slowly raised his head.

“Is that so…?”

“Yes. So please straighten your shoulders.”

Just as Edwin finally straightened his hunched back.

The scribe’s booming voice echoed across the hunting grounds.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor arrives!”

At that moment, everyone’s gaze converged on one spot.

The Emperor, Cabellius III, revealed himself.

“Her Imperial Majesty the Empress arrives!”

“Prince the First arrives!”

Following him, the Empress and the 1st Prince appeared together.

The two figures mounted on horses and draped in purple cloaks exuded majesty.

Waaaah.

The Emperor, who appeared with dozens of attendants, passed in front of Edwin amid cheers.

Watching the Emperor pass by the prince without a word, the nobles wore expressions that said ‘as expected.’

Just when everyone had let their guard down, the Emperor suddenly stopped his horse.

His head turned toward Edwin.

“What are you doing instead of coming quickly, Edwin?”

With that single statement from the Emperor, the bustling tournament grounds fell silent.

Faint gasps occasionally escaped through the heavy silence.

“Good heavens.”

“My word….”

Who was Emperor Cabellius III?

Wasn’t he the cold-blooded man who had killed all his siblings to ascend to the throne?

The nobles, who knew this fact better than anyone, whispered among themselves.

“What on earth is this about? How could His Imperial Majesty address the 3rd Prince so?”

“Even toward Prince the First, whom he secretly cherishes, he’s always been so cold in public….”

“Could it be that the tables are turning now?”

“Now really. Don’t make such assumptions over just one word.”

“You’re right. Don’t say such things even as a joke. It gives me chills.”

To openly show interest in a prince in front of the Empire’s countless assembled nobles.

And for that object of interest to be the 3rd Prince, who had been neglected until now.

While some didn’t think much of this fact, most were still unable to recover from their shock.

‘Damn it. Does being Emperor give you the right to do anything?’

I glared at the Emperor with all my might, careful not to let him notice.

If the Emperor truly cared for Edwin, he shouldn’t have acted like that.

‘It will only increase unnecessary attention.’

As the nobles said, why would the Emperor deliberately act cold toward the 1st Prince in public?

The answer was simple. Because it was better to do so in order to lower the opposing forces’ guard.

‘Thanks to that, we’re the ones who’ll go crazy now.’

The thought that the 2nd Prince’s faction’s wariness would turn toward us made me feel like dying from annoyance.

“Are you going to stay like that?”

“N-no, I’m not.”

The already piercing gazes at the conversation between the Emperor and Edwin now became sharp as blades.

From the 2nd Prince’s side came looks that were almost murderous.

“Your Highness, please go quickly.”

I lightly tapped Edwin’s arm as he had frozen like ice.

Only then did he barely manage to shake his reins.

The moment Edwin joined the Emperor’s procession, the nobles’ murmuring grew even louder.

“What could this be about?”

“Could His Majesty have gone senile early….”

“We’ll see in time. For now….”

The Imperial Hunting Competition was rife with all sorts of speculation and wild talk.

“Then let us begin the competition now.”

The curtain rose with the Emperor’s opening declaration.

The curtain on the Imperial Hunting Competition that the 3rd Prince Edwin was participating in for the first time.

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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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