The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 77

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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 77. LOVE & POISON (1)

The night the hunting competition concluded.

The 3rd Prince’s Palace was filled with a warm, cheerful atmosphere for the first time in a while.

“Caretaker!”

Since work hours were over, I was quietly trying to enter my room to rest when Catherine grabbed my wrist and pulled me.

“His Highness the Prince won first place in a hunting competition for the first time, so we should at least have a celebratory drink!”

“No, I’m fine…”

“Then I’ll put Emilia to bed. Everyone have a good time.”

Whether Edwin understood my feelings or not, he smiled pretending to be mature and stepped back.

“I’m tired today, so I’ll go in first with Emilia.”

“Y-Your Highness!”

“See you tomorrow!”

Don’t show useless consideration only at times like this, you little chick!

I reached out toward Edwin who was disappearing while carrying Emilia on his back.

But it was no use.

“Come on, let’s go, let’s go!”

Because Catherine dragged me into the group of maids with bull-like strength.

Damn it, isn’t this woman actually from the back alleys too?

“Come on, everyone gather in the dining room! Let’s drink our hearts out until the food runs out!”

“Waaaah!”

In the end, I had no choice but to go to the dining room with the cheering crowd and raise a glass.

“Cheers! Cheers!”

Though I was tired, I didn’t entirely dislike the festive atmosphere we were enjoying for once.

I eventually burst into laughter and raised my glass.

The celebratory drink after so long was overwhelmingly sweet.

* * *

“…Phew.”

I walked while fanning my flushed face from the alcohol.

“Never again will I have an after-party with those women.”

From around the time Catherine, who had drunk her second bottle of wine, suddenly started doing a strange dance, I couldn’t even remember what state of mind I was in while sitting there.

Thud.

When I finally returned to my room and threw myself onto the bed, what happened at the hunting grounds floated above my eyelids.

‘Breath of the Angel, a low-level assassin with a familiar face, Ian.’

Recalling what happened during the hunting competition made curses naturally slip out.

“Damn it…”

I raised my arm to cover my face.

Ian’s face kept coming to mind, but I tried hard to shake it off.

What was important now wasn’t useless sentimentality but accurate situational assessment.

‘From the circumstances, it’s almost certain that the 2nd Empress was behind it.’

I recalled the conversation between Jerome and the Emperor, as well as the past events between the 2nd Empress and Edwin.

‘The only person who sees Edwin as a thorn in her side is the 2nd Empress.’

Moreover, didn’t the 2nd Empress have a history of ordering someone’s assassination?

‘It was definitely the 2nd Empress I saw that day.’

I recalled the memory of encountering her at The Organization.

She had definitely ordered someone’s assassination when she visited The Organization with an unnamed middle-aged man.

‘Come to think of it, did Ian participate in that mission?’

My brow furrowed automatically at the fragment of memory that suddenly surfaced.

Certainly, The Former Captain and Ian had participated in that mission.

‘Then did Ian accept the 2nd Empress’s commission this time too?’

An ominous premonition struck me.

That day over ten years ago, when Ian participated in the mission, wasn’t there something that happened with the 2nd Empress? An uncertain but vivid suspicion filled my mind completely.

‘I need to find out.’

I asked myself a question.

‘Then what exactly?’

That the 2nd Empress was the mastermind who commissioned Edwin’s assassination?

Or that Ian was involved in this matter?

Which of the two should I uncover first? Which of the two was more important?

Suddenly, my head began to ache as if being squeezed.

‘Anyway, it seems like there will be more people targeting Edwin after today’s events.’

I let out a deep sigh.

It wasn’t something that could be solved by just blocking whoever came, like before.

Now it was time to seriously start searching for the mastermind.

‘I was planning to do that from the beginning anyway.’

But why was I hesitating?

Was it because I was drunk, or was it because I had become complacent from the peaceful life I’d been living?

I couldn’t move at all, feeling heavy in both body and mind.

‘I don’t know either.’

On this confusing night, I went to sleep alone.

Just as I always had.

* * *

The Imperial hunting competition concluded successfully.

Perhaps because he won first place.

Amazingly, Edwin was no longer called the “mutt prince” but was now called “the 3rd Prince.”

It was a small, minor change, but the repercussions it caused were significant.

Already, among some nobles, opinions were circulating that the number of crown prince candidates had increased.

However, Edwin himself, the person in question, wasn’t feeling the change at all.

“Gulp!”

Today too, Edwin was having his meal under my supervision in the peaceful 3rd Prince’s Palace.

“You need to eat more.”

I quietly watched Edwin slowly emptying his plate.

The boy tremblingly took another spoonful of soup at my words.

Then the prince’s complexion suddenly turned deathly pale.

“Ugh!”

Edwin clutched his chest and let out a groan.

“How do you feel?”

“My, my stomach feels hot, and my chest feels tight. My skin seems itchy too.”

“I mixed in powder from a poisonous mushroom called small fool’s mushroom.”

Quite some time had passed since Edwin began training to build immunity against poison.

However, thanks to me feeding him new poisons every time, instead of adapting, the boy was discovering new forms of pain with each passing day.

“It’s usually used when making truth serums, but if you consume a lethal dose all at once, you can die from respiratory failure…”

I was casually pouring out knowledge from my assassin days when I closed my mouth.

A normal caretaker wouldn’t memorize and carry around such information.

“…it says so in the herbology book.”

Fortunately, Edwin wasn’t listening to my words very carefully.

He was concentrating all his nerves on overcoming the poison.

“Since Your Highness only consumed an appropriate amount, you’ll return to normal after 30 minutes.”

“Y-yes.”

Edwin nodded while scratching his skin vigorously.

Perhaps because the prince looked particularly struggling today.

Rachel asked casually.

“Are you feeling very unwell?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that…”

“Then that’s fine. There’s nothing more unfair than dying from poison, so please endure it as much as you can.”

“But dying during training would also seem pretty unfair…”

“Don’t worry. I’m an expert in this field… no, I’m as good as an expert.”

Rachel answered firmly and then wiped Edwin’s mouth with a napkin.

“It’s almost time for training. I’ve prepared everything in advance, so let’s head out right away.”

“Mm.”

Though the poison hadn’t worn off yet, continuing daily life while poisoned was also part of the training.

“Well, I’ll be back.”

Edwin dragged his heavy body and stepped outside with a blank expression.

‘Hmm?’

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Edwin leaving the palace.

Somehow, the boy’s back seemed to have gotten a little broader than when I first met him.

* * *

“Your Highness, your face is red. Are you alright?”

“Ah, I’m fine.”

Edwin, who had joined the Knight Order training, earnestly explained to the 3rd Army Knights who were worried about his well-being.

“It’s just, a bit hot.”

Edwin flapped the hem of his shirt to show them.

His face was red because of the poison, but it was actually hot too.

It was due to the combination of mild fever from the poisoning and rising body temperature from training.

Though his physical condition wasn’t particularly good, Edwin had grown accustomed to this state through constant repetition.

‘Actually, it feels like I have more energy during training than before?’

Edwin recalled what Rachel had said.

– Since your basal body temperature is slightly higher than usual, your body’s functions become more active.

He didn’t really understand what she was talking about, but anyway, Rachel’s theory was that training while poisoned was better for building stamina.

“By the way.”

During a brief rest period that came between the grueling training.

Edwin realized that, unlike usual, Jerome was nowhere to be seen in the training grounds.

Even when he wasn’t directly supervising training, he would occasionally watch from a window or corner before leaving.

But today, he hadn’t shown himself even once.

“I don’t see Count Jerome. Did he go out somewhere?”

“Ah, the commander went on an expedition with the 1st Army Knights.”

“An expedition?”

“Yes, lately the frequency of monster appearances near the Imperial Capital has increased. He went to investigate the cause.”

Monsters.

Edwin unconsciously recalled the monster he had first seen in Ruxen Village.

‘The monster I saw then was called a variant, right? Then are all the monsters appearing frequently these days variants too?’

Such curiosity suddenly arose.

Edwin pondered for a moment before asking the knights a question.

“Do the monsters appearing lately have any differences from the monsters that appeared before?”

“What kind of differences do you mean?”

“Ah, well, like their appearance…”

“Nothing particularly like that. The numbers have just increased.”

Edwin nodded silently and then blinked.

Come to think of it, he realized he had never seen an ordinary monster.

“Um, by any chance.”

The young prince moved closer to the knights who were quenching their thirst and asked.

“Have you ever seen a wolf monster?”

“You mean a Lycan?”

“Yeah!”

For someone who was usually quiet to suddenly pour out so many questions about monsters.

The knights found it strange, but they couldn’t help but speak up at the prince’s eyes filled with expectation.

“Lycans are most frightening when they attack in packs.”

“Right. If they don’t swarm together, there’s nothing really scary about them.”

Edwin’s eyes widened at the knights’ words.

The variant Lycan he had seen in Luksen was threatening enough even without forming a pack.

“Lycans are on the smaller side for monsters. They’re not very smart either, and they’re creatures that only push forward with numbers.”

“To a knight who can use sword energy, they’re just like chunks of meat.”

Edwin quietly nodded instead of answering.

It seemed that ordinary monsters and variant monsters were completely different entities.

Certainly, the variant Lycan he saw in Luksen was far from the description of Lycans the knights were giving.

‘Does Count Jerome know about variant monsters?’

Since he was always active on the front lines of monster subjugation, he couldn’t possibly not know.

‘But what if he hasn’t encountered variant monsters yet?’

Worry appeared in Edwin’s large eyes.

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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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