The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: LOVE & POISON (3)

“Someone keeps appearing in front of your eyes?”

A hallucination? Had someone attempted to poison him without my knowing?

No, there could not be a poisoning attempt without my knowledge.

As I frowned with all kinds of speculation, Catherine’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Oh my, who is it? Could it be…”

She squinted one eye and spoke in a playful voice.

“A girl?”

“Uh…”

At Catherine’s words, Edwin looked truly shocked, his face going pale.

“H-how did you know?”

“Kyaaa, I knew it!”

She was way too excited.

Catherine slapped my shoulder repeatedly and her eyes sparkled even more.

“So, Your Highness? When you think of that person who keeps coming to mind, how do you feel?”

“Uh, well…”

After thinking for a moment, Edwin fidgeted with his fingertips.

“I keep thinking about her, and whenever she appears, even for a moment, I can’t stop looking, and I want to talk to her…”

His face reddened as if embarrassed.

“I want to get closer. But just having her nearby makes my heart race so fast, and I get so nervous I can’t do anything.”

As if he had drunk poison.

At Edwin’s innocent answer, Catherine covered her mouth with both hands.

“Heavens, so it’s your first love!”

“L-love?”

Edwin blinked, making no attempt to hide his reddened cheeks.

“The beginning of a disaster.”

I sighed unconsciously and pressed my forehead, only for Catherine to slap my shoulder again. As if telling me to shut up and stay quiet.

“So then, who is the one who has stolen our young prince’s heart?”

“Uh, well…”

Looking embarrassed at the expectant gazes, Edwin scratched the back of his head. At last, the boy mumbled in a tiny voice.

“…Brigitte.”

“Brigitte? Lady Brigitte? Who is that…”

“Don’t tell me, do you mean Lady Brigitte Crowner?”

The only daughter of Duke Jerome Crowner, commander of the Gloria Knights. Brigitte Crowner.

As far as I knew, she was the only noble lady with the name Brigitte.

“Heavens, surely you don’t mean that Lady Crowner?”

Catherine clearly had not imagined that the young lady he was speaking of belonged to one of the most powerful noble families in the Empire.

Leaving her shocked, I opened my mouth. “So you’ve been dazed all this time just for that—mph!”

“Come to think of it, I heard from the palace maids that Lady Crowner’s birthday banquet will be held at the Empress’s Palace. Did you know, Your Highness?”

At that moment, Catherine clapped her hand over my mouth and rattled off words like a rapid-fire gun.

But how did she know that Lady Crowner’s birthday banquet would be held at the Empress’s Palace?

No matter how I looked at it, this woman’s true calling wasn’t as a maid, but as an informant or an assassin.

“Uh, I heard it from Sir Philip.”

“Oh, that’s perfect! If the banquet is held at the Empress’s Palace, then Your Highness might be able to attend too!”

“Ah, but…”

At Catherine’s words, Edwin suddenly slumped his shoulders.

“Well, Sir Philip said only those who are invited can go. It’s supposed to be a small gathering of Lady Crowner’s close friends only…”

Of course. It was the birthday banquet of a young lady who had not even officially debuted in society yet. And on top of that, she was the only daughter of Duke Crowner. Naturally, not just anyone could be invited. If unnecessary commotion arose, it would only cause trouble.

“Don’t worry!”

Catherine shouted proudly at that moment.

“I’ll figure something out!”

That was supposed to be my line.

I raised an eyebrow at Catherine. “What do you mean you’ll figure something out?”

“Of course!”

She raised a white fist with a solemn face.

“I mean, I’ll make sure our Prince Edwin can attend Lady Crowner’s birthday banquet!”

***

“You again.”

Philip Meyer, vice commander of the Gloria Knights, was extremely irritated.

It was because of a woman who had been loitering around under the guise of coincidence for days.

Catherine Vale, maid of the Third Prince’s Palace.

“Hello, Vice Commander! We meet again today, don’t we?”

Even when Philip scowled the moment he saw her, Catherine only smiled brightly. She held up the enormous basket of snacks she had brought.

“Today I brought apricot pie and fried sardines! You have to eat fried food before it gets soggy, so hurry…”

“Lady Vale.”

“Yes?”

Philip spoke with a stern, serious face, “No matter if you are a maid of the Prince’s Palace, it is not proper for you to keep coming and going from the knights’ quarters like this.”

“I only came because I was worried His Highness Edwin might be exhausted from his harsh training. And since the knights also look tired, I thought it might help if I brought something…”

“Enduring harsh training is part of the training itself. Do you think there will be knights pulling out snacks to eat in the middle of battle?”

Philip disliked this pale-looking woman before him for many reasons.

Not only for coming to the knights’ quarters under the excuse of snacks, but also because the Third Unit knights lost all discipline whenever they saw her, and because every time she came, she always seemed to cross his path.

“If your purpose is to give Prince Edwin snacks, then leave them with the guards at the knights’ quarters entrance from now on. I don’t know what schemes you have, but running into me like this every time is extremely unpleasant.”

It might be arrogant to say so himself, but Philip was quite popular with women.

There was no shortage of palace maids or noble ladies who came to the knights’ quarters just to catch a glimpse of him.

‘This woman must have the same aim.’

Philip furrowed his brow with a look of disapproval.

Because of his status as a noble of commoner origin, palace maids of similar background often tried to use their bodies to climb the social ladder through him.

But since he had a naturally fastidious temperament, Philip abhorred such women.

Thanks to that, among the palace maids who adored him, his nickname was “the Gloria’s Iron Wall.”

“Heavens, Sir Philip! How could you say something so hurtful?”

Meanwhile, Catherine, facing his stern demeanor, covered her mouth with both hands in exaggerated shock.

“His Highness Edwin worries if I don’t show my face. And I’ve gotten so close with the Third Unit knights too. If I just drop the snacks and leave, it feels too cold! It’s not like I’m drawing a line or anything!”

“What a ridiculous excuse…”

“And besides, I only happened to be passing by!”

Catherine drooped her eyebrows as if truly wronged.

“How can I help it if Sir Philip keeps appearing on the path I always take?”

“Then are you saying I should start sneaking around inside the knights’ quarters to avoid you?”

“Oh, of course not.”

“In the first place, for an outside maid to be wandering around inside the knights’ quarters is against regulations. If you don’t want the commander to reprimand you later, you should restrain yourself.”

“…Tch, you sound exactly like Nanny. The two of you are so alike.”

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing!”

When Philip glared, Catherine hastily shook her head.

He frowned. He wanted to point out that muttering to herself like that in front of others was rude, but he held back.

If he showed her even that small courtesy, she might mistake it for interest, and that would be troublesome.

“Then leave.”

“Ah, Sir Philip! Wait!”

As Philip turned to go, Catherine grabbed the edge of his sleeve.

When his eyes turned icy, she quickly released it.

“I… I have something to say.”

“What is it?”

“You said I must have some hidden agenda.”

Catherine looked up at him with her big eyes.

“Aren’t you curious what that agenda is?”

What kind of woman says things like this?

Philip stood there in silence, almost dumbfounded. Was she asking him to be curious about her schemes?

“Ugh, how frustrating!”

As Philip just stared at her without a word, Catherine sighed in exasperation.

She set down the basket she was carrying on the ground. Then she placed her hands on her hips and straightened her back proudly.

“Fine! The truth is, I’ve been taking this path on purpose because of you, Sir Philip! Because you always walk this way!”

Of course.

Philip’s eyes darkened with displeasure.

He was just about to say something when Catherine rattled off words like rapid fire.

“And you too, Sir Philip! Don’t you think ignoring me like that has gone too far? After bumping into me so many times, couldn’t you at least say something first?”

“…So now you’re criticizing me? For not greeting you first?”

“Yes! I’ve never met a man as frustrating as you in my life! Were you just too shy? Even though I’ve been staring at you every single day, you never said a word!”

“Shy, me…”

He was utterly dumbfounded.

Did this woman not realize he had been deliberately ignoring her? That the reason he never greeted her was precisely because he had no interest in her?

“Lady Vale, I don’t know what you are thinking, but I…”

“Do you know how hard it is to keep pretending our meetings are coincidences?”

Why should I care about that?

Philip could only move his lips without a word.

“Sir Philip, you know you’re popular, don’t you? Half the palace maids are watching to see who tries to flirt with you! Do you know how hard it is to approach you naturally in that situation?”

“Then why would you even do such a thing…”

“Of course it’s because I need to ask you for something!”

Honestly, it was the last thing he expected.

He had thought she would say something like, you don’t understand a woman’s heart, stop ignoring me, and accept my confession.

Philip hesitated for a moment, then fixed his gaze on the fried sardines and opened his mouth.

“…What is this favor? Let’s hear it.”