Love & Poison (12)
I suppose in a situation like this, the noble custom would be to act modest.
But ‘Rachel Brown’ was not a pure-blooded aristocrat, and the person inside her was even further removed from anything resembling humility.
“I have no learning to speak of, Your Imperial Majesty.”
I pretended to hesitate for a moment before continuing.
“Therefore, aside from the fact that a reward should be paid in money, I know very little.”
“R-Rachel, saying something like that so openly…”
Edwin looked utterly horrified, at a complete loss for what to do.
But the person in question, the Empress herself, burst into soft laughter.
She gazed at me with eyes full of interest, as if she were observing an amusing animal.
“It is indeed standard practice for a reward to be given in gold. So, how much do you desire?”
“That… I shall follow Your Majesty’s will.”
I bowed my head respectfully.
“A trivial creature like myself could never presume to set a price on Your Imperial Majesty’s life.”
I had phrased it as politely as possible, but the meaning was clear: give me whatever you think your own life is worth.
If the Empress of an entire empire undervalued her own life, she would be seen as petty or stingy. From her position, she had no choice but to name a generous sum.
Sure enough, I could feel everyone present stealing glances at me with shocked expressions.
“What an interesting woman you are.”
Fortunately, it seemed Melanie rather liked this side of me.
She raised a hand to silence the maids who were glaring at me and smiled.
“I shall send someone soon.”
“Thank you.”
Meanwhile, First Prince Adrian and Brigitte were watching me with clear displeasure.
Their eyes were filled with contempt, as if they had come face to face with a money-grubbing insect. If they had been adults with any sense, I might have secretly taught them a lesson, but they were just children who didn’t yet understand the world. I decided to let it slide.
“Ah, and regarding today’s events, I will report them to His Majesty myself at the appropriate time. Everyone, keep silent about this.”
From the beginning, everyone except the princes and Brigitte had no idea the Empress had swallowed poison.
They had simply been told that her usual headaches had worsened and she had taken to her bed.
With Melanie’s final request, we left the Empress’s palace and returned to the Third Prince’s Palace.
Several days passed after the day the Empress had nearly been poisoned.
The fact that someone had attempted to assassinate the Empress finally reached the Emperor’s ears.
Upon learning the truth, the Emperor executed most of the servants who had worked in the Empress’s palace and replaced them with new ones.
Once everything was settled, the reward the Empress had promised finally arrived at the Third Prince’s Palace.
“Wow, oh my goodness!”
Catherine couldn’t hide her astonishment at the enormous quantity of gold coins and jewels being carried into the Third Prince’s Palace.
“All of this is for Nanny?”
“So it seems.”
I watched with satisfaction as the Empress’s servants carried in boxes filled with jewelry.
Beside me, Sage was spouting nonsense about how the gardener’s salary was too low and asking if he could have a little bonus, but I cleanly ignored him.
“With this much, we won’t have to worry about the cost of repairing the prince’s palace this year!”
Catherine stared at the endless procession of carts loaded with treasure and began spouting serious nonsense.
“Maybe I should just marry Nanny.”
“Pardon?”
“Marriage is a practical matter, after all. I think I’d be happier marrying someone with good prospects.”
Apparently she had caught Sage’s disease of talking nonsense.
I reached out and pushed one of Catherine’s cheeks, which she had suddenly pressed against my arm.
“I must decline.”
“Aww, but I’m good at housework, I’m very affectionate, and I’d be a top-tier bride! Why are you rejecting me!”
“That’s exactly why I refuse. Go have a love marriage with a handsome man.”
“Wow, did you really have to look so serious about it?”
While I was bickering with Catherine, Emilia showed interest in the gold.
“Nanny, that’s the same color as Ria’s hair!”
Emilia, who had been in my arms, reached out toward the gleaming gold.
It seemed she was more drawn to the gold that matched her own hair color than to the colorful jewels.
“Sparkly! So pretty!”
“Is gold your favorite, Your Highness?”
“Mmm! It’s pretty!”
“You have excellent taste. Rather than mediocre jewels, you should collect gold. Gold never loses its value. If you wish to accumulate wealth later on…”
Catherine, upon hearing my words, slapped my shoulder in horror.
“What are you teaching Her Highness!”
“I’m teaching her practical financial sense, aren’t I?”
“She can’t even add or subtract yet! Why are you teaching her that? You materialistic woman!”
She had just been talking about marrying me because I had good practical sense.
I shook my head as I watched Catherine snatch Emilia away.
“By the way, where has Prince Edwin gone?”
Catherine handed Emilia a single gold ring and looked around.
“I haven’t seen him since earlier.”
“He went to the knight order.”
“Isn’t today a rest day?”
“He said he had an appointment.”
I gazed in the direction of the Gloria Knights.
The little brat has already opened his eyes to troublesome emotions.
They had probably met by now.
“Of all people, he had to choose someone difficult.”
It was displeasing, but there was nothing I could do.
The only thing I could do right now was cheer on the young prince’s first love.
Tap. Tap.
Edwin leaned against the wall of the archery range inside the knight order grounds, idly kicking at the dirt with the tip of his shoe.
Today was a day without knight training, but he was waiting here for someone.
“Your Highness Edwin.”
At the welcome voice, the prince quickly lifted his head.
It was Brigitte Crown, the Duke’s daughter.
“I did not expect to be summoned by letter.”
Edwin stared blankly at Brigitte in her ivory dress before shaking his head.
He had gone through great difficulty asking Philip to deliver the letter to her.
Until the very last moment, he had wondered whether she would actually come, but now that she stood before him at the appointed place, he was overjoyed. All the more reason he needed to pull himself together and accomplish his purpose.
“Um, how is Her Imperial Majesty? I heard you were nursing her…”
“Ah.”
At the question about the Empress’s condition, Brigitte’s expression clouded slightly.
Seeing her somewhat pale face, Edwin asked with concern.
“Are you… all right?”
“…Pardon?”
“You don’t look well.”
Perhaps it was the warmth in his genuinely worried voice that caused her to choke up.
Brigitte bit her lower lip, then cried out in a voice thick with sorrow.
“After something like that happened, how could I possibly be all right?”
“H-huh?”
She looked at Edwin’s bewildered face and began to sob.
“If I hadn’t held that banquet, none of this… none of this would have…”
Brigitte sank down onto the ground.
She buried her face between her knees and murmured.
“Hic… sob… I was so excited that I couldn’t refuse when she offered to hold a birthday banquet for me. Even a five-year-old child knows that holding a banquet loosens the palace’s security…”
This was the second time Edwin had seen Brigitte cry, but this time she looked even more heartbroken.
At a loss, he eventually crouched down beside her.
“But Her Imperial Majesty said it herself that day.”
It wasn’t your fault. At Edwin’s words, Brigitte wept quietly for a long time before finally lifting her head.
The corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose were flushed red like ripe apples.
Yet her expression was as spirited as if she had never cried at all.
“By the way, why did you wish to see me?”
“Ah, um, that is…”
Edwin fumbled through his clothes in a panic and pulled something out.
What the prince held was a small pentagonal jewelry box and a silk pouch.
“That day… I couldn’t give you a gift…”
Brigitte, with a surprised face, sniffled as she accepted the gifts.
“May I open them?”
“O-of course! They’re yours!”
With Edwin’s permission, Brigitte slowly opened the box.
Inside was a necklace.
In the center of a thin silver chain hung a pendant made of a bluish gem that sparkled with rainbow colors.
“I… I made it myself.”
At Edwin’s words, Brigitte’s eyes widened.
“You made this yourself?”
“Yes.”
“You are very skilled.”
At the duke’s daughter’s praise, Edwin scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
“I’ve liked making things by myself since I was young…”
Brigitte only half-listened to his answer as she carefully examined the necklace.
Upon closer inspection, the part framing the pendant was shaped like a snake.
The eyes and scales were carved with considerable delicacy, showing the effort that had gone into it.
“This is…”
Brigitte stared at the snake-shaped carving for a long time before finally bursting into laughter.
“Why a snake, of all things? Are you teasing me?”
“N-no, it’s not that I was trying to tease you…!”
The duke’s daughter secretly gave the flustered prince a mischievous smile.
She deliberately puffed out her cheeks and made a pouty face.
“Unfortunately, I am no longer afraid of snakes.”
“Yes! That’s what this is to commemorate!”
Edwin nodded frantically at her words and added an explanation.
“I heard that ancient warriors would preserve the heads of enemies they defeated or deliberately carve large images of them to hang up. It was a way to celebrate victory.”
Brigitte listened to Edwin’s explanation, thought for a moment, then laughed brightly.
“Then is this my first victory commemorative trophy?”
Brigitte looked at Edwin, who nodded shyly, then suddenly held the necklace box out to him.
Edwin stared at her in surprise.
“D-do you not like it?”
“That’s not it. If you’re giving me a necklace, you should put it on me yourself. Isn’t that proper etiquette?”
“Ah…”
Edwin, who had taken the box in a daze, was startled once again.
Brigitte had suddenly turned around and gathered her hair in her hands, lifting it up.