The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 84

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

Chapter 84. LOVE & POISON (8)

‘I don’t see Rachel anywhere.’

His confusion at the intense attention directed toward him was only momentary.

Edwin had somewhat adapted to the atmosphere of the banquet.

He had been answering all the questions being showered upon him when he suddenly realized that Rachel was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did she go without saying anything?’

As his expression grew slightly clouded, the noble children were about to shower Edwin with questions once again.

“Everyone, that’s enough. Can’t you see His Highness is troubled?”

“We made His Highness troubled? When? We just wanted to get close to him and tried talking to him first…”

The young ladies of the Crowner family simultaneously looked at Edwin and asked.

“Your Highness, did we trouble you?”

“Ah, no, it’s fine.”

“See, Bridget. He says it’s fine.”

At her cousins’ words, Bridget sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Do you think everything is fine just because someone says it’s fine? And this person is the 3rd Prince. Don’t be so informal.”

“Hiing, Bridget is so mean~ You just want to monopolize Prince Edwin, don’t you?”

“What are you saying! Be quiet, you lot!”

“That’s right! If such a beautiful Prince was here, you should have introduced him to us ages ago! Really!”

Beautiful.

Edwin scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.

‘Catherine says that, and Bridget says that too, they all say I’m pretty. I don’t really know though.’

Perhaps it was because he had heard countless times since childhood that he was a mangy prince, worse than a starved horse, or looked unsightly.

No matter how much he looked in the mirror, he never thought of himself as beautiful.

“Hmph, he’s still just a mangy one anyway.”

Just then, he heard whispering sounds from a distance.

“Right, our father told us not to acknowledge him even if we run into him.”

“He’s just a mangy prince with no backing anyway. What’s the point of getting close to him? We’d be lucky if we don’t get in trouble for nothing.”

The group looking at him with unfavorable eyes were none other than boys from noble families.

They seemed displeased that Edwin was monopolizing all the young ladies’ attention.

“…Haha.”

Edwin let out a hollow laugh.

He was used to such words since he had heard them so much his ears could have calluses.

But every time he heard them, a corner of his heart stung as if an old wound was being scratched.

‘When will I be able to not care about hearing such words?’

Edwin spent time mixed between the group that was friendly toward him and the group that was hostile.

Then, timed with lunch, the birthday banquet officially began.

“Now.”

Empress Melanie called the children who had been scattered enjoying their free time to gather at the table.

The Empress sat at the head seat, with Bridget on her right and the 1st Prince on her left.

“Tsk.”

The 2nd Prince Lloyd seemed displeased to be seated next to the 1st Prince.

He clicked his tongue while glaring at Edwin, who was sitting across from him.

‘My face feels hot.’

Edwin avoided his gaze with an awkward smile, but inwardly he was happy.

His seat was fortunately right next to Bridget.

“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely congratulate Bridget Crowner, the Ducal Princess, on her birthday. And I express my gratitude to everyone who gathered here to celebrate together.”

All the invited children applauded at the Empress’s brief congratulatory speech.

“How could we miss hearing from the guest of honor at such a wonderful occasion.”

Melanie looked at Bridget with affectionate eyes.

Then Bridget stood up from her seat with a confident smile on her face.

“First, I thank Her Majesty Empress Melanie, my aunt, for allowing me to spend my birthday at the Empress’s Palace. I also thank the Princes who attended despite their busy schedules and graced this occasion.”

She looked at the children sitting around the table and smiled even more brightly.

“And thank you to my friends who came to my birthday banquet. I hope you eat lots of delicious food and have a wonderful time. Well then.”

Bridget gracefully bowed and sat back down.

Then the attendants of the Empress’s Palace, as if they had been waiting, busily brought freshly made warm dishes to the table. Everyone continued their meal while showering praise on the banquet cuisine.

And when it was finally time for dessert, the Empress spoke once more.

“Now comes the time Bridget has been looking forward to.”

“Oh, Aunt! I wasn’t particularly excited about it!”

Bridget waved her hands as if embarrassed, but her eyes were full of anticipation.

Then the Empress raised her hand with a smile.

“Well then, shall we open the presents?”

As soon as the Empress finished speaking, attendants came pulling a cart full of gifts.

The cart was literally piled high with presents like a mountain.

“My goodness!”

Bridget looked at the mountain of gift boxes and covered her mouth with both hands.

“Are all of those my presents?”

“That’s right.”

“To think that everyone gathered here thought of me so much. I’m truly moved.”

Melanie smiled faintly as she watched her niece who was beside herself with joy.

“Go ahead and open them.”

“Yes!”

Bridget answered energetically and reached toward the gift boxes stacked in layers.

She hesitated for a moment, then began opening the box that was placed at the very front.

There was nothing different about birthday presents for the Ducal Princess of Crowner, the most powerful family in the Empire.

“Oh my, they’re all so pretty! Thank you everyone!”

Most were items commonly given to girls: handkerchiefs, hair ribbons, shoes, dresses.

Of course, they weren’t common in the sense that they were top-quality items that couldn’t be seen with ordinary money.

“Well then, now it’s our Princes’ turn.”

Unlike the nobles, the Princes personally handed their gifts to Bridget.

The first to give a gift was the 1st Prince, Adrian.

“Happy birthday, Bridget.”

What Adrian presented along with his simple congratulations was a set of magic books and custom-made magic writing instruments.

“It’s a magic fountain pen that writes down what you say and an inkwell that never runs dry.”

Magic items were truly precious objects that were hard to obtain even with vast wealth.

The eyes of the noble children gathered there widened.

“It’s truly a gift worthy of my brother. Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Bridget received the gift from the 1st Prince, who was also her cousin, and smiled soullessly.

She stuffed the fountain pen and pen case into the gift cart as considerately as possible. She didn’t seem very pleased with it.

It was behavior that could be scolded as rude for treating a Prince’s gift worse than trash, but Adrian himself didn’t seem to care much and just turned his head indifferently.

“Next is my turn.”

As soon as his turn came, the 2nd Prince Lloyd confidently lifted his chin.

He flicked his fingertips at the attendant waiting behind him.

“Bring it.”

As soon as the Prince’s command was given, the attendant ran somewhere and returned carrying a large box with other attendants.

“My goodness, is that also made of gold?”

“It must be. Look how it’s shining.”

As one aristocratic lady said, the golden box sparkled so brightly it hurt the eyes.

Lloyd looked triumphant, seemingly satisfied with everyone’s attention and interest.

“What are you doing? Open it quickly.”

At Lloyd’s words, the attendants struggled to open the lid of the golden box.

“Wooooow, isn’t that Eastern Continent silk?”

“This is my first time seeing porcelain in person.”

Inside the golden box were 100 rolls of the finest silk imported from the Eastern Continent, dozens of porcelain pieces, and several sets of jewelry made from Eastern Continent gemstones.

“I heard the Crowner Ducal Princess has great interest in Eastern Continent artifacts, so I prepared this. Do you like it?”

His voice was filled with confidence, as if asking how she could possibly not like it.

Meanwhile, even Bridget, who had disliked everything Lloyd did, seemed moved this time as her eyes widened.

“…Ah, yes.”

She stared blankly at the contents of the box before quickly bowing her head.

“Thank you, Your Highness the 2nd Prince.”

Bridget’s words of gratitude were sincere.

Regardless of her personal dislike for Lloyd as a person, she seemed to genuinely love the gift.

Meanwhile, seeing the color return to Bridget’s face, Lloyd’s shoulders rose so high they nearly touched his ears.

“Now it’s the last one.”

Instead of Bridget, who was captivated by the Eastern Continent porcelain, Empress Melanie turned her head toward Edwin.

“What is the 3rd Prince’s gift?”

“Ah, well…”

Edwin smiled awkwardly at the Empress’s question.

“May I present it later? The attendant who brought my gift seems to have stepped away for a moment.”

It was a complete lie.

Edwin’s prepared gift was sitting quietly inside his jacket.

He had simply become too embarrassed to take it out in this setting.

‘Compared to those things, my gift is…’

Edwin clasped his hands together under the table and fidgeted with his fingers.

He glanced at the 1st and 2nd Prince’s gifts and hung his head.

‘I should talk to Rachel and have her send a separate gift.’

Meanwhile, Bridget looked at Edwin, who had his head down with a flushed face, and smiled sweetly.

“I don’t know how much Prince Edwin intends to make me anticipate this. But waiting is enjoyable, so I’ll continue to look forward to it.”

At her words, Edwin’s face turned even redder.

The young prince thought of the small jewelry box and silk pouch hidden inside his jacket.

His teacher Seiji had said it was a gift incomparable to anything else, but that didn’t particularly help.

‘Anyway, it’s smaller in size and fewer in number than the other princes’ gifts.’

Edwin swallowed a sigh and raised his head again.

‘But where on earth did Rachel go?’

Before long, the prince’s mind was filled with thoughts of his caretaker’s whereabouts, who still hadn’t returned.

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