The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Fair Trade (2)

‘A horse is property. Smuggling imperial horses is no different from embezzling imperial assets.’

I looked coldly down at Gale, who was on his knees, unsure what to do.

‘Either way, this works in my favor.’

It was fortunate that Gale was excessively bold.

Thanks to that, I was able to catch a weakness like this.

“I also know there were others involved besides you.”

They say the stream must be clean at the source.

Those who colluded with Gale to smuggle horses were all attendants serving the Second Prince.

“What do you think will happen if those above find out about this?”

“No, please!”

At my words, Gale crawled forward on his knees and clung to the hem of my skirt.

“Please, no! Anything but that!”

“Please?”

“Alright, fine! I’ll do as you say! Just one horse, right?”

“Two.”

At that, Gale’s eyes shook.

His sweat-drenched hand had already slipped toward his trouser pocket.

‘Predictable.’

He probably had a knife hidden in the inner pocket.

‘Even now he’s weighing his options. Sharp enough for schemes, at least.’

I had suspected he was crafty since the time he rigged the Monte board.

Back then, and even now, he was always just one move short.

I scoffed at the transparency of his thoughts.

‘Is he wondering whether it’s better to do as I ask and keep me quiet, or just get rid of me right here?’

As I watched Gale roll his eyes in calculation, I scoffed again.

‘Ridiculous. Does he really think he could beat me just because he’s holding a knife?’

It was starting to feel insulting.

‘One punch clearly wasn’t enough to show the difference in strength.’

Seems I was more underestimated than I thought.

I decided I’d need to increase my training and opened my mouth again.

“I’ll pay, of course.”

“What?”

“I said it’s a deal, didn’t I?”

I tossed five gold coins onto the ground.

Gale’s gaze wavered as he looked at the coins that had clinked to the floor.

“Five nomas.”

The Ventrume Empire’s gold coin, ‘noma.’

The coin, bearing the face of the current emperor, Cavelius III, wasn’t even half the size of a palm but was the only currency accepted across the continent.

“I’ll pay five nomas per horse. This is an advance.”

Gale’s eyes now gleamed with greed.

Noticing it, I smiled. “I’ll pay the rest once I receive the horses.”

Ten nomas for two horses.

Considering the market price, it was nearly a steal, but it still wasn’t a small sum.

Ten nomas was about the equivalent of an imperial knight’s first year’s salary.

It was a tempting amount that left Gale little room to refuse.

“You… where’d you get that kind of money…?”

“It’s clean money. Don’t concern yourself.”

Gale, eyeing me, stuffed the coins into his chest. “Tch! Thief, that’s what you are! Trying to buy horses at that price!”

“You’re hardly one to talk.”

“Ugh, damn it. What rotten luck running into someone like you…”

He grumbled but clearly had no intention of giving up the money.

After all, he had the gall to embezzle imperial property for gold.

Now that I’d tossed the gold in front of him, of course he’d bite.

“I won’t accept anything mediocre. Bring something at least of fine breed.”

“What? That’d cost at least twenty nomas per horse!”

“Anything else to say?”

When I asked in a threatening tone, he backed down.

“N-No. Nothing. When do you need them?”

“By the day after tomorrow at the latest. You will bring them yourself.”

Gale frowned. “That’s way too soon! And what do you even need horses for, as a nanny?”

“That’s not your concern, nor do you need to know.”

“Hey…!”

“And just in case you’re wondering, I expect complete discretion about this transaction.”

I bared my teeth in a smile, laced with threat.

“If you say anything and it causes trouble, don’t expect me to sit back and take it.”

I stepped closer and grabbed his soft, rounded chin.

“The moment you took those gold coins, you and I became accomplices.”

“M-Mgh…”

“If you talk about me to anyone, I’ll reveal everything. That you embezzled imperial assets. That you accepted money and planned to smuggle out horses.”

The very reason I paid him was for this.

The record of a monetary exchange alone could serve as undeniable proof of many things.

“Truly a fair trade, don’t you think?”

“Ugh, ugh…”

I let go of Gale’s trembling chin and smiled.

“Then I’ll see you on the promised day, accomplice.”

***

As is often the case with back alleys, the backstreets of the imperial capital were likewise a den of all manner of lowlifes.

Pickpockets, gamblers, prostitutes, drug addicts, smugglers, slave traders, and even contract killers.

It was a place ruled by the ragged and starving, and those who reeked of blood.

‘It’s been a while.’

I thought I might feel out of place after getting used to living with two warm and soft children.

Wearing a worn hood pulled low, I slowly walked deeper into the alley.

Step, step.

The sound of low heels echoed against the uneven stone path.

The alley dwellers, who would pounce like hyenas on any innocent civilian who had lost their way, stared straight at me.

‘They must find it odd that a woman came here alone.’

But no one dared to pick a fight with me first.

‘Well, if they were that stupid, they’d already be dead.’

There were no idiots in the backstreets foolish enough to attack just because someone looked small or female.

Many mercenaries and assassins were women, and there were terrifying powerhouses disguised as elderly or children.

Thanks to that, an unwritten rule had long since taken root here: never mess with anyone unless you’re sure of who they are.

“You bastard!”

I pushed open the door of a shabby tavern with no signboard.

The moment the door opened, loud shouting and curses hit my eardrums.

“How dare you cheat in front of me!”

“Did you see it? Did you see me cheat?”

“Hey, bring more drinks over here!”

Inside the tavern, rough shouts and obscene jokes were flying around.

Everyone there was either holding cards or throwing dice.

They looked like people who’d drop dead if they didn’t have something in their hands.

“Huh?”

Just then, a drunken burly man approached me.

“What brings such a lovely lady to a place like this?”

The man casually slung his arm over my shoulder.

Well, sometimes idiots like this did survive by sheer luck.

“Take your hand off.”

I coldly warned without even looking at the man who had touched my shoulder.

“Unless you want to lose it.”

I deliberately spoke in a low male voice.

I hated unnecessary trouble that might come from using my normal voice.

Perhaps sensing my killing intent, the man flinched and backed off.

“Hey.”

I walked over to the bar at the back of the tavern and called out to the owner.

A kindly looking old man came over.

“Looking to order something?”

“What I’ve kept.”

Upon hearing my words, the tavern keeper gave a gentle smile.

“Name?”

“Angela.”

“Wait just a moment.”

The tavern keeper went out through the back door and soon returned.

In his left hand was a large duffel bag.

“Here you go. This what you kept with us?”

I glanced at the bag he set on the bar and grinned. “That’s right. And I’d like to place one more order.”

“What is it?”

This time, instead of answering, I handed him a piece of paper.

The owner opened it and flinched.

“You really want this?”

“Of course.”

I pulled out five nomas from my pocket and offered them.

“This is the advance. I’ll pay the same amount again when I receive the item.”

The owner seemed to hesitate briefly, then grinned and pocketed the gold.

“Got it. Should I send the item to the address on the paper?”

“Yes.”

I picked up the duffel bag from the bar and walked out of the tavern.

Clang.

A sharp jingle of the iron bell rang out loudly, as if to send me off.

That sound reminded me of something I had forgotten.

“Oh, right.”

I hurried my steps toward the bustling city center.

I needed to stop by the bookstore on the way back to buy the fairy tale book I had promised the princess.

***

“This… this is…!”

Everyone in the Third Prince’s palace, including Edwin, was dumbfounded when they saw the horses I had brought.

“What magnificent horses!”

“Wow, look at the shine on its coat! It must’ve been fed only the finest feed.”

The maids who knew about horses each threw out a compliment.

Sage stroked his beard as he curiously examined the horses.

“They’re horses!”

But the most excited reaction came from the Third Prince, Edwin.

“Do you like it?”

The horse I handed to Edwin was a mare with a brown coat and white hair only around the hooves.

It looked like she was wearing socks. How adorable.

“This is really mine? Really?”

He seemed so delighted that he couldn’t stop his lips from curving up.

“I picked a gentle, obedient one, so it should be easy to tame.”

While he was inspecting the horse with sparkling eyes, he turned to look at me.

“But why did you bring two?”

“Oh, this one’s for me to ride.”

A black stallion with only the tips of his ears and snout white, as if he had bathed in ink.

Snort—

He snorted repeatedly, unhappy with me holding his reins.

“I’ll be escorting Your Highness during the hunting competition.”