The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Protagonist of the Founding Festival (3)

Clang!

Lloyd’s sword slashed fiercely once again. Edwin barely managed to parry the blow, spinning around on one knee.

“Brother! Don’t lose!”

From afar, Emilia’s voice echoed.

‘Emilia, your brother’s role is to lose.’

He wanted to answer her, but there was no time.

For the next move, Edwin dropped to one knee, almost collapsing to the floor.

At that moment, his gaze met a pair of beautiful green eyes.

‘Brigitte.’

For some reason, Brigitte looked even more beautiful today. Her hands were clasped tightly as she watched him with worried eyes.

“…Ah.”

“What?”

Lloyd shot him a suspicious look when Edwin suddenly muttered to himself.

Then, gripping his sword again, Lloyd prepared to strike the finishing blow.

There were only a few moves left in the dance anyway, so ending it a bit earlier wouldn’t draw suspicion. People would probably assume he’d just skipped a few steps.

“Let’s wrap this up….”

“No!”

At that moment, Edwin’s eyes widened, and he lunged at Lloyd.

“Wh-what?!”

Startled, Lloyd hurriedly raised his sword to block.

The moment their blades clashed, Lloyd was pushed backward.

Edwin had used nothing but pure strength to drive him back.

“What are you doing?!”

Lloyd snapped, his face twisting with anger.

“Are you trying to ruin the performance—”

“This way’s a lot more fun, brother.”

Of course, he didn’t want to lose so easily. He might’ve been assigned the role of the one to fall, but he still wanted to give it his all before losing. He refused to go down as a victim of Lloyd’s petty scheme.

“That’d be boring.”

Edwin grinned brightly, flashing white teeth. Sweat glistened on his face.

“It wouldn’t be much of a show if the dragon went down too easily.”

The evil dragon was the final trial the First Emperor had to overcome to found the Empire. So it was only fitting that the dragon should stand its ground until the very end.

“Don’t worry, brother.”

Edwin smiled innocently, eyes gleaming.

“I’ll lose beautifully, with everything I’ve got.”

And with that, the dragon spread its wings.

Edwin abandoned his defensive stance and launched a fierce counterattack. His movements carried the form of the Third Unit knights’ basic techniques, but sharper, faster, and more precise.

“D-damn it!”

Lloyd’s mind went blank as Edwin’s attacks poured in like a storm. It took all his focus just to keep from dropping his sword.

Meanwhile, Edwin’s strikes only grew more refined.

“Haaah!”

“Ugh!”

But Lloyd, too, was gifted in swordsmanship. Though he grimaced with effort, he somehow managed to block every one of Edwin’s blows.

‘His movements are getting simpler.’

If the dragon’s sword dance had originally been flamboyant, Edwin’s version was far plainer.

He wasn’t trying to look graceful; every motion was meant for attack.

It was natural. Edwin had only recently begun proper sword training. He didn’t know many techniques, so his moves inevitably lacked variety.

“You fool!”

Lloyd sneered as Edwin charged toward him again. Then, swinging upward from hip to shoulder, he struck mercilessly.

“Ah!”

Edwin staggered, losing his balance for a moment.

Lloyd didn’t miss the opening.

“Die!”

With a cruel shout, he swung his sword at Edwin’s neck. But the Second Prince’s blade suddenly bounced away, deflected by something unseen.

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound echoed as Lloyd stumbled backward a few steps.

“Wh-what?”

He blinked in confusion, looking around.

Edwin, who had fallen from losing his balance, also looked bewildered.

“What’s happening?”

“Did something go wrong?”

“Wait, isn’t the sword dance over?”

The spectators whispered among themselves, puzzled by the sudden pause.

No one in the hall seemed to notice what had happened on stage.

No one—except for one person, standing at the very edge of the hall.

***

‘Hah.’

I thought I couldn’t be surprised by much anymore.

But my eyes widened as I stared across the hall.

King Kayden Ram of Adamant was smiling pleasantly, chatting with the envoy seated beside him.

‘Unbelievable.’

I had clearly seen it.

Kayden had thrown the small fork from his hand, striking Lloyd’s sword blade.

He’d thrown it so fast it was barely visible to the naked eye, yet with enough force to push Lloyd backward while still holding his sword.

‘Aside from me, no one else noticed….’

Or so I thought. Until I spotted one person.

I looked toward Jerome, standing beside the Emperor. He, too, was sneaking glances at Kayden, disbelief written all over his face.

‘The fork flew right off the stage.’

The fork Kayden had thrown had likely landed somewhere beneath the table where the envoys were seated.

When the maids cleaned up the grand hall later, they’d probably assume someone had just dropped it.

‘How strange.’

I frowned slightly, keeping my eyes on Kayden.

‘There’s no way I wouldn’t know a man like that.’

The King of Adamant was said to have just turned twenty. If I had met him before my death, he would’ve been, at most, in his late teens.

‘But for a monster like that to have never drawn attention before?’

Kayden Ram.

With his looks and his power, he would’ve stood out anywhere he went.

If that were the case, the Breath of the Angel would’ve surely gathered scraps of information about him over time.

‘I really don’t get it.’

Knowing nothing about someone who clearly knows me, it was almost humiliating for a former leader of an assassin guild.

‘But what’s even more puzzling is….’

My eyes narrowed.

‘Why did he help Edwin?’

If Kayden hadn’t thrown that fork earlier, Lloyd’s sword would’ve struck Edwin’s neck dead-on.

Even if it had been a practice blade, the edge was sharp enough to cut like steel.

It wouldn’t have killed him, but it would’ve left a scar he’d carry for life.

Just the thought of a deep wound across a prince’s throat was horrifying; gossip about it would spread like wildfire across the Empire.

“Both of you were magnificent.”

Just then, the Emperor spoke, as if to smooth over the awkward pause.

“The latter half of that sword dance was so intense I almost wondered if it was the same performance I knew.”

He shot a chilling look at Lloyd, who froze under his father’s sharp gaze.

Realizing his mistake might’ve been noticed, Lloyd flinched and averted his eyes.

“To think my sons worked so hard to entertain us tonight… truly delightful. Especially….”

The Emperor’s eyes landed on Edwin, still sitting on the floor.

“The Third Prince’s movements near the end, so fierce and dynamic, I almost believed I was watching a real dragon.”

At the mention of a real dragon, soft laughter rippled through the envoy tables.

It was hard to associate someone as small and delicate as Edwin with a monstrous dragon, yet everyone seemed to agree that his depiction of the creature’s ferocity had been remarkable.

“Then let’s conclude the princes’ performance here. Now, I invite everyone to enjoy the entertainment I’ve prepared.”

At his signal, attendants appeared and escorted Edwin and Lloyd off the stage.

At the same time, countless dancers ascended, their silken veils fluttering as they began to sway to the music.

“Haha, now this is what a banquet should be.”

“More wine over here!”

To the envoys, the dancers’ movements were far more captivating than the princes’ swordplay.

Cheers erupted from all corners of the room as servants rushed to refill goblets.

The night of the founding festival’s grand banquet reached its peak.

“But the Third Prince earlier… his swordsmanship was quite impressive. Has he been training in secret?”

“I’d say he looked even better than the Second Prince.”

And that evening, among the nobles of the Empire, a new rumor began to spread.

“Didn’t even His Majesty praise him himself?”

The transformation of the Third Prince, from a Shabby Prince to a fierce dragon.

Some whispered that a shift might soon come in the struggle for the Imperial throne.

***

“Well.”

Kayden leaned against the doorframe, wearing his usual lazy smile.

“I didn’t expect you to come find me again so soon.”

I looked up at him and replied flatly, “The other maids were busy. So you’ll have to make do with me tonight.”

“My, my. You really do say things that could easily be misunderstood, don’t you?”

How amusing.

If he truly hated misunderstandings, he wouldn’t be calling a maid to his chamber every night.

“I didn’t think you were the type to care about misunderstandings.”

“That’s not entirely wrong.”

Kayden stepped aside, as if amused by my indifference.

“Well, in any case, come in.”

He crossed his arms and smiled faintly.

“You’re always welcome here.”