The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 72

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

Chapter 72. Paran’s Hunting Competition (1)

About half an hour had passed since the Emperor declared the hunting competition open.

The royals, who had departed before the other nobles, scattered in all directions to find their prey.

The same was true for us.

“Waaaaah―!”

Another cheer of someone succeeding in their hunt could be heard.

‘I wonder how many times that’s been now.’

I watched Edwin drawing his bowstring while on horseback.

His arrow was aimed at a rabbit grazing not far away.

His posture was flawless.

However, his eyes were trembling much more than usual.

“Ugh!”

Unable to concentrate, the tip of his bow couldn’t help but shake.

Swish― Thud―.

The rabbit easily dodged the arrow flying toward it.

I frowned as I watched the rabbit flee like lightning.

“Your Highness, you could have easily hit that one just now.”

Edwin made a dejected expression at my criticism.

‘I can guess the reason though.’

He had a soft spot for animals.

So there was no way he could immediately shoot arrows at living creatures instead of targets.

“Your Highness, do you plan to catch nothing at all?”

I pointed to the cart attached to my horse.

“If you want to fill that cart within the time limit, you’ll need to get serious from now on.”

Edwin looked at the completely empty cart and let out a sigh.

He glanced at me for a long while before finally opening his mouth with difficulty.

“…You know, do we really have to hunt?”

Good grief, if this was how he felt, I wondered why he had practiced archery so earnestly.

I crossed my arms and asked back, wanting to at least hear his reasoning.

“Why are you suddenly thinking like that?”

Edwin continued while gripping his bow with both hands.

“Hunting is done for food, right? Even if we catch a lot, we won’t be able to eat it all, so why do we have to keep hunting innocent animals…?”

“Then why did you say you’d participate in the hunting competition? You can’t tell me you didn’t know this would happen.”

Edwin nodded at my question.

“I knew. But I learned archery because I wanted to become strong like you…”

His voice became so small it seemed ready to fade away.

“I didn’t learn archery to kill animals for fun.”

Edwin hung his head with a gloomy expression.

“…”

I recalled the first time I met Edwin.

Whether he was surrounded by servants being mocked, or suffering all kinds of harassment from his half-brother.

‘An existence simply consumed for someone else’s entertainment.’

Perhaps he saw himself reflected in that fleeing rabbit.

I quietly observed Edwin.

He still had a melancholy expression on his face.

‘Well, even if he says that, he must be worried.’

If he failed to catch even a single prey at the hunting competition, there would be no greater humiliation.

Moreover, hadn’t he told the Emperor with his own mouth that he would participate in the hunting competition?

“I’m not saying I don’t understand Your Highness’s thoughts.”

Edwin raised his head at my words.

A small hope floated in his blue eyes, clear as a cloudless sky.

“But sometimes there are things you must do even when you don’t want to. Today is one of those days.”

Edwin lowered his head again at my words.

With a completely dejected expression.

‘Simple fellow.’

Instead of comforting the dispirited prince, I quietly picked up my bow.

It was a bow I had personally carved from wood over the course of a week for today.

‘It’s not without its crude aspects, but so what.’

I slowly drew back the bowstring with the arrow nocked.

‘A bow just needs to be able to shoot arrows.’

Whoosh―

The arrow flew in the blink of an eye and struck a shadow beyond the thicket.

A short death cry was heard along with the sound of breathing stopping.

“Got it.”

“Huh?”

I dragged Edwin toward the thicket.

It was a red fox with magnificent fur.

The fox, struck by an arrow in its thigh, couldn’t move at all.

“Uh, uh…”

Edwin froze with his eyes wide open.

His small hands gripping the reins had turned bright red.

I picked up the fox by the scruff of its neck and said,

“I heard that what a retainer hunts also counts as what the master hunted.”

Edwin couldn’t continue speaking.

“This is Your Highness’s first opportunity to gain recognition from His Imperial Majesty.”

I threw the fox into the cart with an indifferent expression.

“If you can gain His Imperial Majesty’s recognition by catching a few beasts, isn’t that quite profitable?”

“I, I…”

“If Your Highness says you can’t do it, I’ll do it instead.”

Edwin hung his head deeply as if ashamed.

“…Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Well, you taught me so earnestly, but I can’t even shoot properly…”

He added in a sad voice,

“Because of me, you have to kill more animals…”

How ridiculous. To say such things to a former assassin.

Though I suppose only that fellow could say such words.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve done plenty of unnecessary killing before.”

Was that last comment a mistake?

Edwin looked this way with wide eyes.

His innocent eyes were being colored with inexplicable guilt.

“Your Highness, this is purely something I want to do.”

“But still…”

After hesitating for a long while, Edwin asked in an uncertain voice,

“…Don’t you think I’m pathetic?”

“What exactly is pathetic?”

“Being so cowardly and timid like this…”

Edwin muttered while holding his bow.

“Everyone thinks I lack the qualities of a prince.”

“I don’t think that way.”

“…Huh?”

“I believe Your Highness already possesses sufficient qualities as a prince.”

Instead of looking at him, I picked up another arrow.

“And I think it’s enough to stain your hands with blood only when that’s your only choice.”

Being able to truly pity the pitiful is a blessing.

Living long enough, there comes a time when you can’t even have such thoughts.

Your heart becomes crude.

“Someday, Your Highness will also have a time when you shoot arrows without hesitation.”

Yes. As long as Edwin is a prince, as long as he’s decided to become strong, the day will come when those small hands will be stained with blood.

But I hoped that day would come as late as possible.

I wanted him to cherish the things I lost at a very young age even when he becomes an adult.

I had such thoughts that didn’t suit ‘Kayla,’ the leader of The Assassin Group.

“Whether the target is a mere beast or a person.”

Edwin remained silent.

He just held onto his bow as if it were a lifeline, with frightened eyes.

I looked at him indifferently and then turned my head away.

“So what I’m saying is, you don’t need to do that now.”

“Rachel…”

Swoosh, thunk.

The arrow I shot without pause struck the deer’s thigh this time.

I threw the deer I had slung over my shoulder into the cart.

“Let’s move locations, Your Highness.”

It wouldn’t be good to be noticed for having only the attendant hunt continuously.

After all, this was an occasion The Emperor had arranged to evaluate the princes’ qualities.

“Let’s go somewhere more secluded.”

“Y-yes!”

Even after moving locations, the hunting continued.

I kept shooting arrows in Edwin’s place.

With each shot, the space in the cart gradually decreased.

‘I think this should be enough.’

Catching too many would probably be problematic too.

The worthless prince who had never excelled in any field suddenly appearing splendidly dressed would already be the subject of gossip for months.

‘It would be troublesome if rumors about various exceptional abilities start circulating already. We haven’t built up enough strength yet.’

I thought about ending the hunt here, but somehow felt reluctant.

‘Still, it would be nice if we could catch just one more big one.’

All the beasts we’d caught so far were rabbits, deer, and such.

They were useful game, but somewhat modest to show off in front of others.

Standing out too much wouldn’t be good, but failing to achieve notable results at such an occasion wouldn’t be good either.

“Your Highness, there doesn’t seem to be anything worth catching here anymore, so let’s move…”

I lowered the bow I was holding and turned my head.

Edwin was looking at the beasts loaded in the cart with a shadowed face.

It was an expression of genuine sorrow for the animals’ deaths.

“…”

What should I say to comfort him at times like this?

I approached him from behind and placed my hand on his shoulder, but had no words to say.

In my life, born and raised as an orphan who became an assassin, there was no time to grieve over the deaths of animals, let alone humans.

‘At times like this, Catherine would have said something.’

I suddenly missed Catherine’s fussing.

Comfort was the specialty of someone kind and warm like Catherine, not someone like me.

“Well…”

It was the moment I tried to say something, anything, to soothe Edwin’s heart.

My body instinctively reacted to the sharp sensation brushing against the back of my neck.

“Rachel?”

Edwin’s eyes widened as I suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him behind me.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

Instead of answering, I brought my index finger to my lips.

Edwin then covered his mouth with both hands.

His large eyes trembled finely with anxiety.

“Your Highness.”

I quietly raised my bow and nocked an arrow to the string.

And I murmured in a voice small enough for only Edwin to hear.

Indeed, gentle comfort doesn’t suit me. Let me just do it my way.

“Please don’t be too sad.”

After all, everything that lives is destined to die someday.

I spoke slowly to Edwin while drawing the bowstring.

Toward the direction where very shallow breathing could be heard.

“Hunt or be hunted. Choosing one of the two is what life is.”

Swoosh, thud.

As soon as I finished speaking, I released the arrow.

The arrow precisely pierced through a shadow hidden in the trees.

The identity of the shadow was a man covered in a mask from head to toe.

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