Love & Poison (1)
The night the hunting competition came to an end.
A warm, harmonious atmosphere had settled over the Third Prince's Palace for the first time in a long while.
“Nanny!”
I was about to slip quietly into my room to rest now that my duties were over, but Catherine grabbed my wrist and tugged me back.
“His Highness the Prince won the hunting competition for the very first time! We have to celebrate with a drink at least!”
“No, I’m really fine……”
“Then I’ll put Emilia to bed. You all go enjoy yourselves.”
Edwin, whether he knew what I was thinking or not, smiled like a little adult and took a step back.
“I’m tired today, so I’ll head in with Emilia first.”
“Y-Your Highness!”
“See you tomorrow!”
Only at times like this do you show unnecessary consideration, you little chick!
I reached out toward Edwin as he disappeared with Emilia on his back.
But it was no use.
“Come on, come on, let’s go!”
Catherine dragged me into the midst of the maids with the strength of an ox.
Damn it, is this woman actually from the back alleys too?
“Alright everyone, gather in the dining hall! Let’s drink until the food runs out!”
“Waaaaah!”
In the end, I had no choice but to follow the cheering crowd into the dining hall and raise a glass.
“Cheers! Cheers!”
I was tired, but the festive mood after so long wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
I eventually burst out laughing and lifted my cup.
The celebratory wine was so sweet it was almost overwhelming.
“…Hoo.”
I fanned my flushed face as I walked.
“I’m never joining those women for after-parties again.”
From the moment Catherine, already on her second bottle of wine, suddenly started dancing in some bizarre fashion, I couldn’t even remember how I’d stayed seated.
Clunk.
I barely made it back to my room and threw myself onto the bed. The events from the hunting grounds floated up behind my eyelids.
Angel’s Breath. The low-ranking assassin whose face looked familiar. Ian.
Recalling what had happened during the competition made curses rise in my throat on their own.
“Damn it……”
I raised an arm to cover my face.
Ian’s face kept resurfacing, but I tried hard to shake it off.
What mattered now wasn’t useless sentimentality, but accurately assessing the situation.
Given the circumstances, it’s almost certain the Second Prince’s Consort was behind it.
I recalled the conversation between Jerome and the Emperor, as well as the old grudge between the Second Prince’s Consort and Edwin.
The only person who sees Edwin as a thorn in her side is the Second Prince’s Consort.
She even had a history of ordering someone’s assassination.
I’m sure it was her that day.
I remembered the moment I had encountered her in the organization.
The middle-aged man whose name I didn’t know had come with her to commission an assassination. She had definitely ordered someone killed.
Now that I think about it, did Ian participate in that mission?
The fragment of memory that suddenly surfaced made me frown involuntarily.
The former guild leader and Ian had definitely taken part in that job.
Then did Ian accept the Second Prince’s Consort’s commission this time as well?
A dark premonition crept over me.
Ten years ago on that day, when Ian had joined the mission, something must have happened with the Second Prince’s Consort. The uncertain but vivid suspicion filled my head.
I’ll have to look into it.
I asked myself the question.
Then what exactly?
That the Second Prince’s Consort was the one who ordered Edwin’s assassination?
Or that Ian was connected to this incident?
Which one should I uncover first? Which one was more important?
Sudden pain gripped my head like a vise.
Anyway, after today’s events, it seems more people will be targeting Edwin.
I let out a deep sigh.
It wasn’t going to be solved by simply blocking whoever came at us like before.
It was time to seriously start tracking down the ones behind it all.
That was my plan from the beginning.
Then why was I hesitating?
Was it because of the alcohol? Or had I grown soft from the peaceful life I’d been living?
My body and mind both felt heavy. I couldn’t move an inch.
I don’t know anymore.
In that chaotic night, I sought sleep alone.
Just as I always had.
The imperial hunting competition ended in great success.
Perhaps thanks to his victory.
Edwin was no longer mockingly called the Shabby Prince. People now referred to him as the “Third Prince.”
It was a small, trivial change, but the ripple it created was enormous.
Already, among some nobles, rumors were circulating that the number of crown prince candidates had increased.
But the person in question, Edwin, hadn’t noticed the change at all.
“Ugh!”
Today as well, Edwin was eating under my supervision in the peaceful Third Prince’s Palace.
“You need to eat more.”
I quietly watched Edwin as he slowly emptied his plate.
At my words, he lifted another spoonful of soup with a trembling hand.
Then suddenly, the prince’s face turned deathly pale.
“Ugh!”
Edwin clutched his chest and let out a groan.
“How does it feel?”
“M-my insides are burning, and my chest feels tight. My skin itches too.”
“I mixed in powder from a poisonous mushroom called small clown cap.”
It had been quite some time since Edwin began training to build immunity to poison.
But because I kept feeding him new toxins, instead of adapting, he was discovering new kinds of pain every single day.
“It’s usually used to make truth serums. If you ingest a lethal dose all at once, you can die from respiratory failure……”
I casually rattled off knowledge from my assassin days before catching myself and closing my mouth.
A normal nanny wouldn’t have that kind of information memorized.
“…or so it says in the herbalism book.”
Fortunately, Edwin wasn’t paying close attention to my words.
He was concentrating entirely on fighting off the poison.
“Since Your Highness only consumed an appropriate amount, you’ll return to normal after about thirty minutes.”
“U-ugh.”
Edwin nodded while furiously scratching his skin.
Rachel asked indifferently, perhaps bothered by how particularly difficult the prince looked today.
“Is it very hard?”
“Ah, no, it’s not that……”
“Then that’s fine. There’s nothing more unfair than dying from poison, so endure it as much as you can.”
“But dying during training also feels unfair……”
“Don’t worry. I’m an expert in this field… or rather, practically an expert.”
Rachel answered firmly and wiped the corners of Edwin’s mouth with a napkin.
“It’s almost time for training. I’ve prepared everything in advance, so let’s head out right away.”
“Ugh.”
Even though the poison hadn’t fully worn off, continuing daily life while poisoned was also part of the training.
“Then I’ll be back.”
Edwin dragged his heavy body outside with a blank expression.
Hmm?
I narrowed my eyes as I watched Edwin leave the palace.
For some reason, his back seemed a little broader than when we first met.
“Your Highness, your face is really red. Are you alright?”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
Edwin, who had joined the knight order’s training, earnestly explained himself to the worried 3rd Division knights.
“It’s just a little hot.”
He flapped the hem of his shirt to show them.
His red face was due to the poison, but it really was hot too.
The slight fever from poisoning combined with the rise in body temperature from training.
His physical condition wasn’t great, but after repeating this so many times, Edwin had grown used to this kind of body.
If anything, I feel like I have more strength during training than before?
Edwin recalled what Rachel had said.
—Your basal body temperature is slightly higher than usual, which activates your body’s functions.
He didn’t really understand what she meant, but Rachel’s theory was that training while poisoned was better for building stamina.
“By the way.”
During the short break in the middle of the grueling training.
Edwin realized that, unlike usual, Jerome was nowhere to be seen in the training grounds.
Even when he wasn’t directly supervising, Jerome would sometimes watch from a window or a corner.
But today, he hadn’t shown himself even once.
“I don’t see Sir Jerome. Did he go out somewhere?”
“Ah, the captain went on an expedition with the 1st Division knights.”
“An expedition?”
“Yes. Lately, monster appearances near the imperial capital have increased significantly. He went to investigate the cause.”
Monsters, huh.
Edwin unconsciously recalled the first monster he had seen in Luxen Village.
The monster I saw back then was called a variant, right? Then are the monsters appearing frequently these days all variants too?
The question suddenly occurred to him.
After thinking for a moment, Edwin asked the knights.
“Do the monsters appearing lately have any differences from the ones that appeared before?”
“What kind of differences do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Ah, like their appearance or……”
“There’s nothing particularly different. They’ve simply increased in number.”
Edwin nodded silently, then blinked.
Only then did he realize he had never actually seen a normal monster.
“Um, by the way.”
The young prince sat down closer to the knights who were quenching their thirst and asked.
“Have you ever seen a wolf-type monster?”
“You mean a lycan?”
“Yes!”
The knights were puzzled. The prince, who was usually so quiet, was suddenly asking so many questions about monsters.
Yet they couldn’t help but answer the expectant look in his wide eyes.
“Lycans are most dangerous when they attack in packs.”
“That’s right. If they don’t swarm together, they’re not that scary.”
At the knights’ words, Edwin’s eyes widened.
The variant lycan he had seen in Luxen had been threatening enough even without forming a pack.
“Lycans are on the smaller side for monsters. Their heads aren’t very good either. They’re the type that just overwhelms you with sheer numbers.”
“To a knight who can use sword energy, they’re nothing more than chunks of meat.”
Instead of answering, Edwin quietly nodded.
It seemed normal monsters and variant monsters were completely different creatures.
Certainly, the variant lycan he had seen in Luxen was far from the lycans the knights were describing.
I wonder if Sir Jerome knows about variant monsters?
Since he always stood at the forefront of monster subjugation, he probably knew.
But what if he hasn’t encountered a variant monster yet?
Worry filled Edwin’s large eyes.