The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Plague Village, Luxen (2)

“Yes, for now.”

“For now?”

“The old man does whatever he wants. He might slam the door in our faces.”

“Whaaat? Then what do we do? What should we do?”

What do you mean, what do we do?

We hope that Edwin somehow strikes his fancy.

“Will he… will he like me?”

“Don’t worry. I plan to take him with us whether he likes you or not.”

Leaving the clearly nervous Edwin behind, I turned to face the door.

A door so small a grown man would have to bow his head to enter had a large yellow X painted across it.

“Judging by the mark, he’s not dead yet.”

“Mark?”

“Your Highness saw lots of doors with X marks on the way here, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I saw.”

“A yellow X means someone in the house died of the plague.”

“What? Then doesn’t that mean the person here died too?!”

“No. This is the opposite.”

“Opposite?”

I silently nodded in response. “If they’re still alive, it’s a yellow X. If they’ve died, it’s a red X. It’s a kind of misdirection.”

Guards who occasionally came through the village for patrols always avoided the yellow X houses.

Said they were ominous, or something.

“A code? That’s so cool!”

Edwin’s eyes sparkled at the word ‘code.’

Unlike when we first arrived, he now looked like a proper boy his age.

‘Wasn’t he just terrified of entering the village? Are all kids this fickle?’

I shook my head and turned my gaze back.

Just as I raised my hand to knock on the door, I hesitated.

‘Beyond this door lies the past. Kyla Angel’s past.’

I had to face Ian eventually, if only for revenge. But I had no desire to reunite with any of the others.

Especially not those who could become my weakness.

‘Why?’

Because I had a bad feeling.

Like once I opened this door to the past, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

Like these severed ties would reach into this life and consume it whole.

“Rachel, is something wrong?”

“…It’s nothing.”

But what was the point of regret now?

I had promised to find the prince a tutor, and I had brought Edwin here myself.

So I couldn’t go back empty-handed.

***

Knock, knock, knock—

“Hey. Hey.”

Knock, knock, knock, knock—

“Hey, Rachel. Stop. Maybe he just stepped out? We’ve knocked so much and there’s still no answer.”

“No. He’s in there,” I replied with certainty.

Edwin scratched his head. “Is the person who lives here really that great? Great enough to go this far?”

“Yes. At least, he’s the smartest man I’ve ever known on this continent.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He’s so smart, he’s hated for it. That’s why he lives in hiding like this.”

Shouldn’t smart people be admired? Why would that make people hate him?

Edwin tilted his head in confusion.

“He’s definitely pretending not to hear us. It’s his specialty.”

Knock, knock, knock, knock—!

“Rachel, still, isn’t it rude to keep pounding on the—”

BAM!

“Never mind. Do as you like.”

Edwin backed away and watched from a distance as I pounded on the door like I meant to break it down.

‘What the heck is that old man doing in there anyway?’

I was seriously considering just kicking the door down when—

The door, which had been still until now, suddenly burst open.

“You little—!”

The homeowner had arrived.

Startled by the sudden shout, Edwin hid behind me.

“What kind of lunatic bangs on someone’s door like that?! You got a death wish or what?! Who the hell are you?!”

Out of the small house stepped a white-haired old man in a shabby robe.

Just under seven feet tall, with a sharp gaze that made it clear he wasn’t just some ordinary geezer.

He looked around with irritation, then spotted Edwin and me. “What, not punks but brats? Two snot-nosed kids—what kind of nonsense is this? Come to beg or something?”

I still had my hood up, but he immediately saw through me.

‘Still foul-mouthed as ever, you grumpy old man.’

The old man, irritated that I was staring in silence, raised his voice even more. “What now?! You pound on someone’s door, then just stand there mute? If you’ve got no business here, scram! Or I’ll dump sewage on—”

“Viscount Sage Rill.”

The moment I said his full name, the expression vanished from his face.

“I’ve come to collect the debt you owe with your life.”

***

A moment of silence followed that single word.

“What the… How do you…”

At the mention of a life debt, Sage’s eyes widened as if they might tear apart.

“How do you know that name—no, that phrase?”

“Let us in first. We’ll talk afterward.”

“What? Are you kidding me? You think I’m just going to let in some scrappy brat from who knows where?”

Suspicious old man. Then again, maybe it’s that suspicious nature that’s kept him alive this long.

“I don’t care, but my companion is quite worn out from the journey here.”

Sage snorted in disbelief—then made eye contact with Edwin.

Seeing the innocent eyes of the boy even I couldn’t resist, his face contorted.

“Damn it. This is why they say don’t open the door for bums dragging kids around.”

Clicking his tongue, Sage finally nodded. “Fine! Get in, before I change my mind!”

At his words, I stepped inside without hesitation.

Edwin, who had been standing behind me, hesitated, glancing at Sage, but eventually followed.

Sage’s house was exactly as it appeared on the outside. Low ceilings, narrow space.

Half of the already cramped interior was taken up by a massive table.

The table was covered with all sorts of herbs and dried animal innards.

The smell they gave off made it hard to even notice the stench of rot from outside.

“Sit anywhere! Or on the bed, if you like!”

I sat Edwin, who looked unsure what to do, on the bed and pulled back my hood.

Turning toward Sage, I found him staring at me intently.

“Alright, now talk. Who the hell are you two?”

“I’m—”

“Save it! That damned girl must’ve sent you, talking about life debts and all.”

Damn geezer, still answering his own questions.

“So what does she want for this life debt? That scheming witch Kyla never does anything for free.”

Sage dug in his ear with a bored expression.

“Come on, spit it out. If it’s something I can give, I’ll hand it over and be done.”

“Su—”

“Suspicious? Of course I am. Not that it matters. That woman’s way too meticulous to give away my whereabouts to a stranger.”

I’d always thought he hated me, even from the first time we met.

At this point, maybe he liked me but just refused to admit it?

“Then let’s get straight to the point.”

“Good, let’s just get this—”

The old sage nodded, clearly uninterested—

And this time, I cut him off. “Please become a teacher.”

“Right, teacher. What, teacher?”

Sage frowned, as if he hadn’t heard me right.

“What kind of fresh nonsense is that?”

“It’s not nonsense. Please become a teacher.”

“Out of the blue, teacher?”

He sighed in disbelief.

“Ha! That woman didn’t tell you I might die the moment I leave this place?”

“I know. You’ve earned the hatred of the empire’s merchant guilds.”

Of course I knew. The guild leaders had put in assassination requests to our organization.

They wanted Sage eliminated without a trace—along with all his achievements.

“Not just them. The Holy Kingdom treats me like I killed some god. And you still ask me this?”

“No need to worry. You’ll be relocated to the safest place in the Empire.”

“Safest place? As if such a thing exists! That’s ridiculous—”

“The imperial palace.”

As soon as I said it, the room fell silent.

“…The imperial palace? Did you say the imperial palace?”

Sage repeated the words over and over, then glared at me.

“You’re asking me to be a teacher, and the palace is involved? Don’t tell me the one I’m supposed to teach is a prince?”

“As expected, you’re sharp.”

“Cut the crap. You think I’d agree to go to that hellhole just for that? Safe, my ass. Why would I set foot in that chaos?”

“You will go.”

When I replied without the slightest change in expression, Sage narrowed his eyes.

Like he was examining every inch of me.

“You’re oddly similar to Kyla. Those arrogant green eyes, and that smug tone—just like her.”

Told you he was sharp.

When I simply smiled in place of an answer, Sage clicked his tongue again.

“Tch. Can’t believe I ever made a deal with that damn witch.”

Muttering under his breath, Sage stood and walked over to Edwin.

The boy flinched at the large man suddenly approaching him.

But Sage paid him no mind.

“Well, I was starting to feel suffocated in this place. Maybe being a teacher in the palace won’t be so bad. Probably no one recognizes me anymore, either.”

He muttered to himself as he studied Edwin for a long time.

“Sending a kid to a plague village… Should I call that bold or just foolish.”

He clicked his tongue at the black plaster stuck to Edwin’s arm.

“What’s with this ridiculous disguise? Kyla told you to do it? Her handiwork hasn’t improved at all. Figures—those gatekeepers had sharp eyes. This is terrible.”

After a good bit of mocking, Sage turned toward me.

“But hey, is this kid really a prince? He looks way too slow for one.”