The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: LOVE & POISON (2)

‘Should I at least give him a warning?’

Edwin scratched his head with a frown.

‘But how do I warn him?’

To talk about mutated monsters, he would have to reveal that he had gone to Luxen Village, but then it would be discovered that he had gone out without permission before his coming-of-age ceremony.

“…Ha, I don’t know.”

Lost in thoughts of monsters, he found that basic training had already ended.

Edwin sat down on a small slope near the training grounds with a sigh.

Since the hunting competition, Philip had been unusually busy, and the swordsmanship lessons they had promised to do together were indefinitely postponed.

Today too, Philip was absent from training, having to deal with the mountain of piled-up knightly affairs in place of the absent commander.

‘When will I be able to wield a sword like that?’

Edwin gazed absentmindedly at the knights honing their swordsmanship in the training grounds visible below the sloping path.

Some were striking at straw dummies, others were sparring with each other.

‘Huh, why block like that?’

As he kept watching, somehow the knights’ movements became clear to him.

Without realizing it, Edwin began to analyze their attack patterns.

‘If you thrust to the right there, you’d win immediately, wouldn’t you?’

‘No, instead of blocking, you should have deflected that.’

‘That knight could move faster if only he tried.’

Edwin didn’t even realize what he was doing.

He was simply immersed in reading their movements.

“Lady Crowner, they say you are interested in Eastern Continent culture?”

“Mind your own business.”

Just then, a familiar voice reached his ears.

Startled, Edwin pressed himself flat against the ground and turned toward the sound.

In the distance, he saw Brigitte walking alongside the Second Prince.

‘Ah.’

The red hair fluttering in the wind, the sunlight glinting off her face, the swaying of her skirts with each step.

It looked as if time itself slowed down only around her.

‘Is it the poison?’

He had heard that when poisoned, one could lose their sense of time.

Edwin clutched his chest, surprised at how violently his heart was beating.

He decided he should probably ask Rachel to reduce the dosage of poison.

“There you are.”

As Edwin was blankly staring after Brigitte’s retreating figure, a sudden voice made him jump.

“S-Sir Philip!”

“What were you watching so intently?”

“N-nothing at all!”

Edwin leapt to his feet and shook his head furiously.

His flushed cheeks and flustered eyes made his denial unconvincing.

‘Well, it’s fitting for his age, I suppose.’

Philip already knew where the Third Prince’s gaze had been.

He himself had also been watching Brigitte just moments ago.

Of course, unlike Edwin, it was to make sure the Second Prince didn’t act rudely toward his superior’s daughter.

“By the way, I hear there will be a birthday banquet at the Empress’s Palace.”

Edwin blinked, surprised by Philip’s sudden change of subject.

“A birthday banquet? But Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday is in winter.”

Even Edwin, who was clueless about most palace news, knew that much.

The Emperor and Empress’s birthdays were practically national festivals.

“Ah, not Her Majesty the Empress.”

With a blank expression, Philip added, “I mean Lady Brigitte Crowner’s birthday banquet.”

“…What?”

“Since Sir Jerome is away on an expedition, Her Majesty the Empress has decided to hold the banquet in his place.”

The Empress Melanie was Jerome’s younger sister and Brigitte’s aunt. It wasn’t unusual for an aunt to host a birthday banquet for her niece.

“L-Lady Crowner’s birthday banquet is being held in the palace?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“Then nearly everyone in the palace will attend, won’t they?”

Edwin’s face brightened noticeably at the mention of a palace banquet. He seemed to be harboring hope that he might see Brigitte there.

“Ah, but I hear the young lady intends to invite only a few of her closest friends, for a small gathering.”

“…Oh.”

Only a few close friends.

At Philip’s reply, Edwin’s expression darkened slightly.

‘Then I won’t be invited…’

He felt strangely deflated.

The young prince lowered his head.

‘We’ve only met once, no, twice at most.’

Surely the First Prince and Second Prince would attend.

The First Prince was her cousin, and the Second Prince her fiancé.

But Edwin had no connection to her at all.

‘…Anyone can exchange greetings, though.’

The young prince bowed his head with a sullen face.

Unaware of why he felt so disappointed and hollow inside.

***

“Your Highness has been acting strangely lately, hasn’t he?”

I frowned at Catherine’s words.

Just as she said, Edwin’s condition had been strange recently.

Not just a little strange, but quite a lot.

‘I heard he couldn’t even focus during lessons with Sage.’

Yesterday, he had even come back from knight training with a sprained ankle.

According to Philip, he had tripped over a rock right in front of him because he didn’t notice it.

“I’m really worried. He’s hardly been eating properly either.”

Catherine looked at me with a worried expression.

“Shouldn’t you at least ask him why?”

“…I suppose I should.”

At this rate, it could interfere with all the plans.

I sighed and headed toward the prince’s room.

When I opened the door, I saw Edwin sitting at his desk.

But he wasn’t reading a book, just holding a quill blankly.

He didn’t even notice I had come in.

“Prince Edwin.”

“Ah!”

At the sound of my voice, Edwin jumped in shock and dropped his quill.

“W-what! When did you come in?”

“Just now. I even knocked, but you didn’t hear?”

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t…”

“What is the matter with you?”

I hated beating around the bush.

When I asked directly, Edwin looked bewildered.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, why you’ve been spacing out lately. What on earth is going on with you?”

“M-me?”

“Yes. You didn’t even notice me coming in just now.”

Edwin looked startled as if he had been caught off guard.

For a long while, he just twitched his fingers awkwardly, then suddenly gave a forced laugh.

“That was just because I was lost in thought…”

“Don’t lie.”

Who are you trying to fool?

I crossed my arms and frowned. “Lost in thought, you say? What thought could possibly have you dazed like this for days?”

“Uh, that, that’s…”

“I heard you couldn’t concentrate during your lessons with Sage, and that you got injured during knight training because you were distracted.”

Edwin looked at me with panicked eyes. His lips twitched as if he didn’t know what to say.

“Tell me. What are you thinking about that has you like this…”

“I-it’s nothing! Really…”

“It can’t be nothing. You can’t lie to me…”

“I said it’s nothing!”

Edwin suddenly jumped up and raised his voice.

I stared at him in shock.

It was the first time he had ever spoken to me so loudly.

“…Ah.”

Edwin too seemed surprised at himself. Seeing my startled face, his own expression crumbled.

“I mean, it’s just…”

“Oh, I knew it! I knew this would happen, I can’t take it!”

Just then, Catherine appeared through the open door.

She set down a tray of refreshments on the table with a click of her tongue.

“Nanny, that’s always your problem. You should talk, but you always start by scolding.”

“…What did I do wrong now.”

“Ugh!”

Catherine shot me a disapproving look, then smiled warmly at Edwin.

“Your Highness, it’s time for tea. I even brought some snacks today.”

“Ah, thank you, Catherine.”

“You’re very welcome. These tea leaves are top grade, you know? Try some.”

She walked behind Edwin and gently pushed him toward the sofa.

Once she had practically forced the young prince to sit, Catherine carefully sat down beside him.

“How’s the tea?”

“Mm, it’s good.”

After a sip of the warm tea, Edwin’s expression softened.

Seeing that, Catherine cautiously began.

“Your Highness, we’re only worried about you.”

She looked at him with eyes filled with genuine concern.

“If you have any worries, why not share them with us? We might be able to help.”

“…Help me?”

“Yes!”

Catherine placed her hands over her chest and nodded firmly.

“After all, we’ve lived longer than you, Your Highness. And isn’t it said that the more heads you put together, the easier it is to solve a problem?”

“Mm…”

“Even if Nanny doesn’t say it, she worries a lot. She’s probably afraid something bad might have happened to you without her knowing.”

“Rachel?”

Edwin whipped his head around to stare at me.

It was a strange expression, neither pleased nor displeased.

How much time passed like that?

“Actually…”

Edwin, clutching his teacup with both hands, finally opened his mouth after much hesitation.

“For the past few days, I think something’s been wrong with me.”

Something wrong?

Could it be a side effect of the poison resistance training?

No, if something was wrong, he should have told me earlier. Why only now?

I immediately knelt before him.

“Specifically, what feels wrong? Do you feel unwell? Did you have trouble breathing in your sleep? You should have told me right away! What on earth…”

I frowned deeply and scanned his whole body.

But Edwin waved his hands in a panic.

“N-no! It’s not like that…”

After hesitating again, he spoke cautiously.

“I keep seeing someone in my mind.”