The Same Dream (5)
“Really?”
Catherine stared at me with a half-dazed expression.
“You’re saying I can really leave if I want to?”
“Yes. In exchange, you’ll have to leave the 3rd Prince’s Palace.”
I spoke while picturing the piles of gold and treasure stacked in the palace warehouse.
“Instead, I’ll make sure your retirement pay is more than generous. Enough that you won’t have to worry about money for the next twenty years.”
Catherine gaped at me, completely stunned.
Did I offer too little?
I was about to amend my words and say I’d provide for thirty years when suddenly, clear streams of tears began flowing from Catherine’s eyes.
“C-Catherine?”
Flustered, I even stuttered—something I rarely did.
Catherine opened her mouth in a tearful voice.
“You’re so mean, Nanny.”
“What? What did I…?”
I was trying to be considerate and take care of her. What was so mean about that?
When I looked at Sage in confusion, he simply shrugged, offering no real help.
“You’re basically saying you’ll pay me off so I’ll just get out! After everything I went through to come this far—!”
Catherine covered her face with her hands and began sobbing bitterly.
“Wait, Catherine? Catherine, please look at me for a moment.”
“Huuuuhng, Nanny, you’re so meeean!”
Her reaction was far more intense than I’d expected.
I hurried over to her side and tried to soothe her.
“I don’t know exactly what’s wrong, but I’m sorry. I only wanted to respect your wishes…”
“In times like this, you’re supposed to say we’ll risk our lives together!”
Catherine suddenly shouted after hearing my words.
With her eyes red and swollen and a bit of snot peeking out, she looked exactly like Emilia.
“Not push me away so you can live well by yourself!”
“But Catherine, you have your family…”
“My life isn’t only filled with family!”
Her pale yet vivid eyes stared straight into mine.
“There are the colleagues I met here, His Highness Edwin, Her Highness Emilia!”
She grabbed my hand and cried out.
“And you, Nanny!”
This time, I was the one who stared blankly at Catherine.
“So… so…”
Catherine held my hand tightly as she spoke.
She sniffled, swallowing her tears and snot.
“Please tell me we can all survive together until the end.”
The long, slender fingers gripping my hand were trembling faintly.
“Catherine, I’ve accomplished most things I’ve set my mind to. And I’ve done them exceptionally well.”
I lifted her snow-white hand, still clasped in mine.
“So trust me. None of the things you’re worried about will ever happen.”
“…Never?”
“Yes. Never.”
It was an arrogant statement, if one were to call it that.
Yet Catherine looked at me with eyes more earnest than ever before.
“There, there. It seems our nanny has a plan, so let’s trust her this once. She’s quite the remarkable woman, isn’t she?”
Sage cheerfully slapped Catherine’s shoulder again.
“Ow!”
Catherine yelped, then glared at him with displeasure.
“By the way, Gardener, you sometimes talk like you know the nanny very well.”
“Of course I know her well! As for Lady Brown, she and I go way back—”
That damn old man.
When I shot him a murderous glare, Sage hastily changed the subject.
“We do have a long history, don’t we?”
“Let’s go back to what we were discussing earlier.”
I cleared my throat and steered the conversation back on track.
“I have a question. You said that to become the next emperor, one must obtain the consent of the three others besides the emperor himself. If even one person opposes, does that mean they cannot ascend to the throne?”
“In principle, it’s impossible, but there are ways around it.”
At my question, Sage’s eyes sparkled with interest before he grinned.
“If it really comes down to it, you simply replace the person sitting in that seat.”
Saying something like that so openly in front of an assassin.
It seemed the old man’s personality had changed quite a bit after being locked up in Luxen.
Well, he is the one who sent Edwin to a place full of monsters just to test him.
Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten about that method.
Even though I knew better than anyone how vile and cruel the power struggles among nobles could be.
“But that method should be kept as a last resort. If we act without proper preparation, we might face unnecessary backlash.”
“W-Wait a minute! What does that mean?”
Catherine, who had been listening quietly, cut in with a face drained of all color.
“Replace the person sitting in that seat? Just a moment ago you promised that none of the things I’m worried about would ever happen! So why are you saying such terrifying things!”
“Terrifying? What exactly did we say? Right, Lady Brown?”
We had clearly just been discussing how, if necessary, assassination might be the only option.
“…Don’t worry, Catherine.”
I nodded with a calm expression to reassure her.
“We’ll simply make sure things never reach that stage.”
“No, I’m telling you not to say such scary things!”
Catherine frantically rubbed her arms and shook her head vigorously.
Watching her, Sage stroked his beard and clicked his tongue.
“Our Head Maid has quite the nerve, but she’s also a scaredy-cat.”
“It’s you two who have no sense of fear! And I’ve told you countless times not to casually spout such disrespectful words!”
“My, how very cautious. This is exactly why noble young ladies who grew up sheltered…”
“I didn’t grow up sheltered! I guarantee I had a much rougher childhood than you, Gardener!”
I quietly observed the two of them bickering and fell into deep thought.
Hmm. Convincing the Holy Emperor can wait.
Throughout history, the Holy Emperor had always tended to side with the prince most likely to become emperor.
That was why it was practically a custom in the Holy Kingdom to remain neutral until the crown prince was decided, then officially declare support for him.
What matters right now is…
Bringing the Chairman of the Senate and the Supreme Commander over to our side.
But Marquis Radcliffe, the maternal grandfather of the Second Prince, would never support us.
If there was anyone with even a slight chance, it would be…
Duke Crowner.
Of course, he was currently aligned with the Empress and the First Prince, so he had no reason to support us.
However, there was a variable within the First Prince’s faction.
“Hey, Lady Brown.”
At that moment, Sage—apparently tired of arguing with Catherine—called out to me.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
Catherine, who had been red-faced and huffing, also turned to look at me.
“I was thinking about how we might bring Duke Crowner over to His Highness Edwin’s side.”
At my words, Catherine’s jaw dropped in utter shock, while Sage’s expression grew serious.
“Hmm. From what the Duke has done so far, it doesn’t seem like he has zero interest in Edwin.”
He crossed his arms as he spoke.
“But that doesn’t mean he’d withdraw his support from his own nephew, the Emperor’s legitimate firstborn.”
“…It’s not entirely impossible.”
“Huh? How can you be so sure?”
Because I heard it myself.
I recalled the conversation between the Emperor and the Duke that I had eavesdropped on at the Gloria Knights quarters.
Duke Crowner had subtly hinted that he did not wish for the First Prince to ascend the throne.
“The Duke didn’t seem particularly pleased at the idea of the First Prince taking the throne.”
“Hmmm, why? The Empress’s eldest son should have an easier time claiming the throne than the other princes.”
Catherine added in a calmer voice than before.
“Perhaps it’s because His Highness the First Prince has such a frail constitution.”
“I knew that too. But isn’t he still a child? His Majesty the Emperor was also frail in his youth, yet he still ascended the throne.”
“But a weak-bodied ruler is always attacked by the noble factions. Even the current Emperor is constantly having his qualifications questioned because of his weak health.”
At Catherine’s words, Sage frowned while keeping his arms crossed.
“Well, that’s true, I suppose.”
“Nanny, I don’t know much about politics, but personally, I think it’s right for the eldest son to inherit the throne in the natural order. I believe that would be the most peaceful path.”
She continued with a very serious expression.
“Why don’t we support His Highness the First Prince first? I’ve heard there have been cases where another prince helped secure the throne early and was guaranteed safety in return…”
“That’s not a bad idea. But aren’t we the ones serving His Highness Edwin?”
Sage looked at me as he spoke.
“Above all, His Highness’s own wishes are what matter most. He said he doesn’t just want to survive—he wants to become Emperor, didn’t he?”
At his words, Catherine looked as if she’d been hit in the back of the head, then let out a deep sigh.
“I really don’t understand. Why on earth did His Highness suddenly decide he wants to become Emperor?”
“That’s…”
I brought up what Edwin had told me before.
“According to His Highness, even the First Prince himself doesn’t seem very interested in the throne.”