The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 91

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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 91. Founding Festival Preparations (2)

The Second Prince’s Palace was excessively ornate, as if revealing its master’s disposition.

To be honest, it even had a somewhat frivolous feel to it.

“I greet Prince Edwin. Please come this way.”

An attendant was waiting for us in front of the palace’s main gate.

He guided us to the garden located in the inner part of the Prince’s Palace.

Actually, calling it a garden was generous—it was an open, spacious clearing perfect for use as training grounds.

It seemed like a space deliberately created for a prince with talent in swordsmanship.

“Prince Edwin?”

In the garden stood Prince Lloyd and a man I’d never seen before.

Unlike Lloyd, who grimaced as if he’d bitten into a rotten apple the moment he saw Edwin, the sword dance instructor smiled brightly at us.

“It’s my first time meeting you. I’m Jake, and I’ll be teaching Your Highness sword dancing.”

So he’s the sword dance instructor.

I quickly looked him up and down.

His particularly kind-looking appearance was somewhat unsettling, but there didn’t seem to be anything particularly suspicious about him.

‘Three at 3 o’clock, five at 6 o’clock. All attendants.’

I’d been a bit tense since this was the Second Prince’s Palace, but fortunately it seemed they hadn’t laid any traps.

I bowed my head toward Edwin, who had finished exchanging greetings with the sword dance instructor.

“Then I’ll step back for a moment.”

“Ah, yes.”

With Edwin’s permission, I stepped back and positioned myself under a nearby tree.

It was a prime spot where I could eavesdrop on the conversations of the maids a little distance away and also monitor the blind spots that Edwin couldn’t see.

“Well then, let’s begin the lesson.”

The sword dance instructor, Jake, demonstrated simple movements first since this was the initial lesson.

“These may look like ordinary horizontal and vertical cuts, but you must be able to perform all these movements while jumping in place.”

Jake smiled warmly as he offered the wooden swords he’d prepared in advance to the princes.

“First, please follow the movements I demonstrated, and I’ll provide guidance. Which of you would like to go first…?”

“I’ll go first. What’s the big deal with something like this?”

Lloyd snatched the wooden sword and took his stance.

Despite his confident attitude, there were some sloppy aspects, but his movements weren’t bad—probably because he’d learned swordsmanship.

“Excellent, Prince Lloyd. However, it would be better if you kept your upper body upright when jumping.”

Jake clapped lightly, then turned his head toward Edwin.

“Then next, Prince Edwin, ah, have you ever learned swordsmanship before, Your Highness?”

“Uh…”

Edwin hesitated, then shook his head.

The fact that he was receiving sword instruction from Philip was a secret, after all.

“But I can follow along.”

Jake’s eyes widened at the prince’s response.

“Your Highness, there’s no need to speak formally to me. Please feel comfortable…”

“But you’re my teacher. I think it’s proper to use honorifics with someone who’s giving me instruction.”

Jake looked bewildered at Edwin’s words.

Lloyd sneered “Acting all good” from behind, but it didn’t mean much.

At least Jake seemed quite impressed by Edwin’s attitude of treating him as a teacher.

“Then, please do as you’re comfortable.”

“Yes.”

“Shall you try following the movements once?”

As soon as Jake finished speaking, Edwin leaped into the air.

With leg strength unbefitting his age, he jumped up and cleanly cut through the air with his wooden sword.

Indeed, there was value in having him train with the knights.

‘Not bad.’

Meanwhile, Jake applauded as soon as Edwin finished his movements.

“Prince Edwin! Have you really never learned swordsmanship? Your movements are so clean! Your form was flawless.”

“Ah, ahahaha…”

Edwin smiled awkwardly at the praise directed at him.

I could see Lloyd grinding his teeth at that sight.

‘Is this Jake fellow oblivious?’

Praising the 3rd Prince in front of the 2nd Prince.

I raised one eyebrow as I watched the sword dance instructor rejoicing without a clue.

Just then, I heard the maids chattering among themselves.

“That Jake fellow was personally selected by His Majesty the Emperor, wasn’t he?”

“That’s what they say. His Majesty must have great expectations for this Founding Festival.”

“Of course. It’s the first Founding Festival that the famous King of Adamant will attend. He must want to make a strong impression.”

So he was someone personally selected by the Emperor, not chosen by the 2nd Empress.

Then he wasn’t oblivious—he was in a position where he didn’t need to read the room.

‘That’s good for Edwin. He’ll be evaluated purely on skill.’

While I was thinking this, the lesson continued.

Jake demonstrated several applied movements, then had the princes follow along exactly.

How many times did they repeat this?

“Shall you two try coordinating together?”

Jake clasped his hands at chest level and smiled brightly.

“Originally, sword dancing is about showing two people creating harmony while sparring. So practicing coordination is absolutely necessary.”

At the sword dance instructor’s words, both princes’ expressions stiffened slightly.

Jake, who was oblivious but not lacking in insight, saw the princes’ reactions and smiled awkwardly.

“Of course, if you’re not inclined, you can refuse. Actually, it is still early to try coordinating. I only suggested it because both of your skills are exceptional, so please don’t mind…”

“No.”

Just then, Lloyd, who had been reading the room, suddenly raised his hand.

“Let’s try it once.”

He sent a provocative look toward Edwin.

“Are you against it?”

“…No.”

The boy who would have felt burdened by such provocation in the past didn’t refuse this time.

Edwin looked at the sword dance instructor with a quite serious expression.

“I want to do it too.”

“Good. Just think of it as doing the movements I taught you earlier while facing each other. It won’t be too difficult…”

The two princes coordinated for the first time under the sword dance instructor’s guidance.

However, regardless of their swordsmanship skills, they encountered difficulties.

The source of the problem was Lloyd.

Clack.

Lloyd frowned as his wooden sword kept deviating from the sword path.

He was clearly performing the same movements, but he couldn’t understand why only his sword kept getting deflected.

It had been the same no matter how many times they’d tried.

But Lloyd wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated.

“Brother Lloyd.”

Finally, Edwin reluctantly spoke up to him.

“In that movement from before, you shouldn’t use your wrist—you need to swing with your entire back while turning.”

Lloyd’s face instantly flushed red.

It was already irritating to keep making mistakes, but having the 3rd Prince he’d always ignored openly point it out seemed to hurt his pride.

Clatter.

The sound of a wooden sword rolling on the ground echoed.

It was because Lloyd had thrown down his wooden sword.

“Y-Your Highness, why are you doing this…”

“Yeah, you’re so great.”

The flustered swordsmanship instructor tried to stop him, but it was useless.

Lloyd glared at Edwin with gritted teeth.

“If you’re so great, then do it by yourself!”

“What…”

The boy raised his voice higher and higher toward the bewildered Edwin.

“I keep making mistakes because you’re so clumsy! Do you even know that?”

Now he’s even blaming others.

Lloyd kept huffing angrily as he turned to look at Jake.

“You want me to match up with someone who’s only at this level? Are you looking down on me right now? We can just practice our coordination on the day of the event! He’s the one who needs practice!”

“Your Highness, please calm down first…”

“Forget it all!”

Lloyd shoved away the swordsmanship instructor who was grabbing his arm and stormed out of the garden.

His neck was flushed red, showing he was truly furious.

“Well, this is…”

Jake let out a deep sigh as he watched the 2nd Prince’s retreating figure.

The princes’ first swordsmanship lesson came to an end with Lloyd’s tantrum.

* * *

“About earlier.”

On the way back to the 3rd Prince’s Palace.

Edwin walked in step with me and spoke up.

“I felt a bit frustrated. I don’t understand why Prince Lloyd kept making mistakes. Is it really because of me?”

“Please don’t worry about it.”

I answered indifferently while staring straight ahead.

“It’s not that Your Highness lacks skill, but rather that Prince Lloyd’s skill was lacking.”

To be precise, it was because Lloyd’s strength was insufficient.

Since he was being overpowered by Edwin, who trains his stamina daily, he had no choice but to be knocked back every time their swords clashed.

So this clearly proved that Edwin was stronger than Lloyd.

“Have confidence, Prince Edwin.”

I smiled slightly as I looked at Edwin, who couldn’t have confidence in himself.

“Your Highness is steadily growing stronger.”

* * *

A geography lesson was in full swing at the Gardener’s Hut in the Third Prince’s Palace.

Edwin stared at the world map hanging on the shabby wall with sparkling eyes.

“Currently, the continent is divided into east and west based on the Gabi Desert. The Eastern Continent has an empire called ‘Khan’ and fifteen small nations, while the Western Continent has the Bentrum Empire and five kingdoms. There are also residential areas formed by other minority groups, but it would be a stretch to call these nations.”

Seiji continued his passionate explanation, responding to his student’s enthusiasm for learning.

“The kingdom closest to the Bentrum Empire is to the northeast…”

“Master, I have a question.”

“Hm?”

Seiji lowered the pointer he had been using to indicate the world map.

“Yes, what’s your question?”

“There’s an area marked with red ink over there. What is it?”

Just as the young prince said, there was an area marked with red diagonal lines on the map.

Above the diagonal lines, ‘Adamant’ was scrawled in bold letters.

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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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