The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: First Trial (1)

“Poison! I-it’s poison! What do we do? What do we do?!”

Edwin trembled on the verge of tears, not knowing what to do.

“Quiet.”

Leo clamped Edwin’s mouth shut with his unharmed hand.

“That’s not what matters right now. Look over there.”

At Leo’s words, Edwin turned his head to follow his gaze.

Before the boys stood a massive wolf, drooling, though they hadn’t noticed when it appeared.

No, it only resembled a wolf—it was a monster.

Instead of fur, it was covered in a smooth, black shell, and it had four eyes.

Just looking at it made Edwin’s knees weak. He swallowed hard.

“It’s a mutant monster. As you can see, it doesn’t look anything like an ordinary one.”

Leo’s voice had grown far more serious.

“Damn it. I didn’t expect that thing to show up again.”

“Again? Has it appeared before?”

“I saw it a few months ago. It’s not the same one, though.”

Naturally.

The monster that had appeared a few months ago had been burned to death when Sage and the villagers joined forces.

“But this is the quarantine zone! Not even people can just come in, so how could a monster?!”

“It must’ve crossed the fence connected to the mountain range. Damn it, it’s as tall as a three-story building. How did it get through?”

A monster that could breach a fence the height of a three-story building? That kind of thing really exists?

Edwin whispered in a frightened voice, “Then what do we do?”

Leo didn’t respond.

But the young prince instinctively knew.

That even he had no real solution.

‘What do we do? What should we do?’

Between the monster’s claws, it had snagged a piece of Leo’s sleeve.

Edwin looked again at Leo’s wound.

The arm that had shielded Edwin earlier had been slashed by the monster, some flesh torn away.

A chill ran down his spine.

‘If Leo hadn’t protected me…’

It could’ve been his head or his back caught between those claws.

‘No way, am I going to die here?’

Becoming nothing more than monster fodder?

Edwin bit his lower lip.

‘No. This isn’t the time for thoughts like that. What do I do?’

What am I supposed to do, Rachel?

Strangely, the first person who came to mind in that moment was Rachel.

The one who brought him here.

The one who always reached out a hand whenever he needed help.

But unfortunately, that person—Rachel—wasn’t here now.

“Ugh…”

Meanwhile, Leo’s breathing was growing more labored.

The hand gripping his own arm felt colder by the second.

Edwin’s mind chilled in sync.

‘It’s always like this with me.’

Every time he found himself in danger, someone else had to be sacrificed in his place.

And he could do nothing but watch helplessly.

Edwin squeezed his eyes shut and thought.

‘…I have to do something.’

Think. Think. The only one who can help me now is me.

So find a way to get away from that damn monster, Edwin.

‘Right, the book. What did it say about monsters?’

Edwin recalled reading something about monsters once.

‘A lifeform cursed for defying God.’

In the book he had stumbled upon, monsters were described that way.

‘And what else was it…’

He strained to remember something more helpful for their current situation.

The young prince, furrowing his brow in deep thought, suddenly widened his eyes.

‘Right, it said monsters like magic stones. They’re more likely to appear where those stones are found.’

Edwin fixed his gaze on the monster.

It was standing at the back of the cave, baring its fangs at them. Ready to pounce and tear them apart at any moment.

‘This is a magic stone mine. Maybe that thing thinks this place is its territory?’

If so, its reaction made sense.

To the monster, this mine was a treasure trove to protect, and Edwin and Leo were just intruders.

Edwin, as if making up his mind, clenched his fists tightly.

“…Edwin? What are you trying to do?”

Leo stared at him, confused as Edwin suddenly broke away and stood up.

“Hey.” Edwin said in a solemn voice, “I’ll draw its attention. While I do, you run. Your legs are still okay, right?”

“What? What are you saying?”

“If we stay like this, we’ll both die. So while I draw its attention, go to the village and get Rachel.”

Rachel—that suspicious woman?

Leo stared blankly at Edwin, then grabbed the hem of his pants.

“Then you go! I’ll distract it…!”

“No. You’ve been poisoned. If you collapse while running, then we’re really out of options.”

“What’s the difference between collapsing on the way to the village and now?! It makes more sense for the poisoned one to lure the monster away…”

“No.” Edwin, turning his back to him, said softly, “You’re someone this village needs. So you have to live.”

“What? What are you talking about!” Leo shouted with a frown, “Hey, idiot! I don’t know what you’re thinking, but stop it! Don’t go!”

“…Don’t worry,” Edwin muttered bitterly. “I’m good at running away.”

The young prince picked up a large magic stone and waved it in front of the monster.

“Hey! You monster! I’m taking this! Got it?!”

The moment the monster saw the magic stone in the prince’s hand, it went wild.

As it bared its killing intent, Edwin dashed off.

“Edwin—!”

At that moment, Leo’s scream filled the sky.

***

A bitter taste rose in his throat.

Sweat streamed down his forehead and stung his eyes.

Edwin gasped for breath.

His heartbeat pounded like a drum.

“Huff, huff―!”

He gritted his teeth, but the sounds of his breath kept escaping.

Edwin glanced sideways behind him.

The monster was chasing him silently, like a shadow.

There was no sign of intelligence in its glinting eyes—only rage.

It seemed greatly displeased that Edwin was barely keeping ahead.

“Eek―!”

The deeper he ran into the forest, the more the leaves and branches scratched his entire body.

The wounds stung, but the prince couldn’t stop running.

If he didn’t run, someone would surely die.

Whether it was himself, Leo, or the villagers.

Edwin tightly shut his eyes.

Old memories flashed across his eyelids.

“Please help! Emma, Emma is very sick!”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. The physician has gone to the Second Prince’s Palace.”

He had been just as breathless that day.

After Emma collapsed from drinking tea, he ran to the infirmary, but the physician wasn’t there.

At the steward’s single sentence, Edwin ran again.

He hadn’t known the road from the infirmary to the Second Prince’s Palace was so long.

Even though he ran all that way, the door to the Second Prince’s Palace didn’t open.

“Her Highness the Second Consort has also collapsed, I’m sorry.”

The young prince had to helplessly lose someone dear to him.

‘This time will be different.’

Tears clouded his vision, but he forced himself to ignore it.

Edwin brushed away the tears and pushed his legs harder.

‘This time will be different!’

At the very least, this time he wouldn’t lose someone.

Thinking that, the young prince kept running.

Whenever he felt a chill, he ducked his head, and the monster’s claws would swipe through the air.

He felt like he could collapse any second, but he couldn’t stop.

But there was one thing Edwin had forgotten.

The monster had a far more powerful body than a mere child prince.

KRAAA―!

Furious, the monster roared and leapt over the prince’s head.

It overtook him in an instant and slowly turned its body.

Edwin, trying to stop suddenly, lost his balance and fell backward.

“Huff!”

The magic stone he had been holding shattered as it hit the ground.

His palm got cut in the process, but he didn’t feel any pain.

Because death was baring its jaws right before him.

Edwin trembled as he looked at the monster’s sharp teeth.

‘Am I going to die?’

Was he really going to die?

In a place no one knew about, without anyone noticing, leaving no trace.

Just like those who had died here before.

“So prove it, little prince. Prove that you’re not just ‘anyone.’”

Maybe that old sage had already known the answer.

‘I’m not a prince or anything. I’m just…’

I can’t protect anyone. Not Mom, not Emma, not Emilia, not myself, not Leo.

Edwin clenched his trembling fists.

He didn’t want to cry so pathetically, but the tears kept coming.

“Your Highness, remember this.”

Just then, Rachel’s voice echoed in his ears.

“As long as you remain weak, unless you learn to be a coward, you will not be able to protect yourself, others, or anything at all.”

Edwin scooted backward on his rear, avoiding the slowly approaching monster.

‘Rachel was right.’

The weak must be cowardly in order to survive.

If you try to be brave without knowing your place, you die.

Just like now.

Grrrr―

The monster let out a satisfied growl as it looked at its terrified prey.

And at the moment it was about to devour the child in front of it—

“Rachel―!”

Edwin squeezed his eyes shut and cried out his nanny’s name.

He didn’t even know why.

He just felt like, if he called her name, she would appear even now.

Maybe that’s why—Edwin couldn’t believe what he saw when Rachel flew in like a bird before his eyes.