The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: The Duke’s Daughter, Brigitte Crowner (1)

“Sigh.”

Jerome let out a breath when he saw the worry and disappointment on his daughter’s face.

But at this moment, his duty as a knight commander had to come before his duty as a father.

“What species and how many?”

“Four Giant Centipedes! The vice commander has already gone ahead with the Third Unit!”

“Damn those monsters. They’re a pain. Are the mages and clerics just for show? They never do their job properly!”

Jerome rose from his seat, swearing.

Just as he was about to follow his subordinate outside, he flinched and turned his head.

His daughter, Brigitte, was staring at her toes with a gloomy expression.

“Bri, I…”

Jerome swallowed his words.

Every time something like this happened, he hated having to leave his child behind.

Since his wife’s death, he had raised her like a precious gem, but they hadn’t spent much time together.

That was the part he regretted most toward his daughter.

“Be safe on your return.”

“Bri?”

“Aren’t you the Sword of the Empire, Father?”

Brigitte’s face quickly hardened like a clam shutting its shell.

On her lovely features was a determination unbefitting her age.

“…I’m sorry. Stay right here. I’ll be back soon.”

Jerome stroked Brigitte’s head and left the office.

Brigitte was left alone.

“Hmph.”

She let out a sound that was either a scoff or a sigh.

Then, defying her father’s instructions, she walked right out of the office.

“I can practice archery by myself.”

Brigitte peeked around the hallway and, once she confirmed Jerome was gone, her face lit up.

Her green dress fluttered as the small girl ran off with twinkling eyes.

***

“Sigh, just three more shots!”

Edwin smiled in satisfaction as he looked at the target filled with arrows.

“I hit 97 out of 120 shots. That’s not bad, right?”

Just as he picked up another arrow—

“Kyah!”

A scream rang out from not far away.

Edwin looked around, startled.

“What was that sound…?”

“Kyaaah!”

“…Catherine?”

It was clearly a woman’s scream.

At this hour, the only woman who might visit the Gloria Knights would be Catherine.

Could she have had an accident while bringing snacks?

“Catherine—!”

Edwin sprinted toward the sound of the scream.

Following the side path next to the training grounds, he saw a stranger.

“Kyaaaaah! Go away! I said go away!”

“Catherine! Are you—?”

Edwin rushed toward her, only to freeze in place.

The source of the scream wasn’t Catherine.

“Uh…”

Standing there was a girl he didn’t recognize.

Flaming red hair and jewel-like teal eyes.

She looked like a single rose blooming in a place no one knew.

Edwin’s pupils trembled.

“Waaah!”

The girl, who had been screaming while crouched down, suddenly grabbed her head and began to cry.

At her feet, a snake was hissing.

“Ahhhh! Help me!”

The girl panicked as the snake slithered closer.

Seeing her about to kick at the snake, Edwin quickly reached out his hand.

“Um, if you don’t provoke it and stay calm, it’ll just go away…”

At the sound of his voice, the girl finally noticed Edwin.

Sniffling, she turned in surprise and shouted, “W-Who are you!”

“Who am I? Uh, I’m Edwin…”

“What are you staring at! Do something about that thing!”

She didn’t seem to care at all who he was.

With urgency in her voice, she yelled.

“What are you doing! If someone’s in danger, you’re supposed to help!”

“I’m saying if you just stay calm, it’ll go…”

“Ahhh! No! Just get rid of that gross thing now!”

Apparently, she had already lost her senses.

“Sigh.”

Edwin finally lifted his bow.

Grabbing one end and extending the other, he nudged the snake.

“Easy now. I’ll send you somewhere else.”

The snake flicked its tongue and recoiled slightly before slithering up the bow.

As soon as it climbed up, Edwin flung it into the bushes.

The snake landed safely and soon disappeared.

“Um, are you okay?”

Edwin tried to comfort the still-sniffling girl.

But she muttered to herself angrily.

“Sniff, Father is so mean!”

“Huh?”

“If he hadn’t left me alone, this wouldn’t have happened!”

The girl flailed her legs in frustration.

“He said he’d practice archery with me! He’s always busy! He always leaves me alone!”

“Uh, um…”

At some point, Edwin found himself squatting beside her, listening to her rant.

“If Father hadn’t left me alone, I wouldn’t have run into a snake! Right?”

“R-Right?”

Fuming, she glared at Edwin.

“You! You think I’m pathetic, don’t you!”

“What? No! I didn’t think that at all!” Edwin frantically waved his hands.

The girl pouted and asked again, “…You’re not scared of snakes?”

“Uh, I see them a lot, so…”

The palace had a lot of trees, and behind the Third Prince’s palace was all mountain.

So snakes or bugs often found their way inside.

Thanks to that, Edwin had played with them instead of the few toys he had as a child.

As she listened to Edwin, the girl suddenly shouted, “Ahhhh! So pathetic! I’m so embarrassed!”

She began shouting in frustration over a completely unreasonable reason.

“How dare a mere creature humiliate me? I will have my revenge!”

The snake had just been passing through. Could that be called humiliation?

Edwin was honestly curious, but kept his mouth shut.

Emma had once told him that if a woman was upset and there was no way to comfort her, he should just listen.

“So, how are you going to get revenge?”

Instead, Edwin chose to go along with her words.

As he awkwardly asked, the girl glared up like a cat.

“How else! I’m going to learn how not to be afraid of snakes!”

“…Is it possible to learn not to be afraid?”

“Of course!”

The girl clenched both fists and suddenly stood up.

“Starting today, I’m going to study snakes!”

Her vivid teal eyes sparkled as if a snake were hanging in the air.

“I’ll gather every kind of snake on the continent and observe them every day! I’ll learn everything about their food, habits, and habitats!”

“Uh, and that’ll make you not scared anymore?”

“You said you weren’t scared because you’d seen them a lot, right?”

“Uh? Y-Yeah.”

“I saw a real snake for the first time today! My fear came from ignorance!”

The girl crossed her arms and glared at Edwin.

“I read it in a classic from the East. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you have nothing to fear.”

Her solemn voice sounded like a general about to head into battle.

Edwin was so overwhelmed by her spirit that he stared at her blankly.

“I know that my weakness is being afraid of snakes, so all that’s left is to understand what snakes are. Then the tables will turn.”

It sounded completely ridiculous, yet somehow convincing.

Edwin found himself nodding without realizing.

“Wait, now that I think about it, who are you? Why are you here?”

It seemed the girl had completely forgotten that Edwin had introduced himself earlier.

In the end, Edwin had to introduce himself again.

“I’m Edwin. I’ve been training with the knights here.”

“What? You’re a knight? What unit are you in?”

Was that what she meant?

Hesitating, Edwin held up three fingers.

“Third Unit? Are you a commoner?”

“No, that’s…”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Edwin widened his eyes at the girl’s words.

“…Amazing?”

“Yeah. It’s not easy for someone of common birth to join the knights. You must have worked really hard.”

After being complimented, it felt awkward to explain further.

Blushing slightly, Edwin scratched his head and nodded.

Meanwhile, the girl tidied her messy clothes and hair and continued speaking.

“Thanks for today. But I’d prefer if you didn’t tell anyone about this.”

He didn’t really have anyone to tell.

As Edwin stayed silent, the girl snapped, “Why aren’t you answering? Are you planning to spread it everywhere? That I cried and screamed over a snake?”

“N-No! Why would I do that? I’m not that petty!” Edwin jumped up and shook his head furiously.

Then the girl gave him a once-over and turned her head.

“Hmph! If I hear about this from someone else, you’re dead!”

“I really won’t tell anyone…!”

“Well, I’m leaving. Today’s just not my day.”

The girl turned around with a swirl of her skirt.

“W-Wait!”

Just then, Edwin called out to her.

“What? Got more to say?”

“Y-Your name!”

Unconsciously, Edwin reached out and shouted at the girl.

“What’s your name?”

“My name?”

The girl raised one eyebrow at Edwin’s words.

Then she smiled, dimples showing.

“Hmm, I don’t feel like telling you.”

Edwin stared blankly at the girl smiling at him.

“If you really want to know my name, convince me.”

With her hands behind her back, the girl looked at Edwin.

“Why do you think I should tell you my name?”

With a dazzling smile that could steal one’s breath away.