Chapter 112
Translator: Lunarise
Editor: Larkspur
Unlike Viola, the nanny was a guest that could always leave the kingdom. But now that they were together, VIola wanted to reward her with the privileges she couldn’t indulge in before. Viola had many gifts to give her; she selected the gifts that her nanny would like out of the ones sent to her from other kingdoms.
“I- I cannot accept this.”
“No, I’m just so thankful for how you brought me and Wendy up.”
“But still… This doesn’t suit my status.”
The nanny was like a mother to Viola. Unable to marry at a young age, she was trapped in the forest raising Edward and her. Even the most precious jewel wouldn’t have the same worth as her. At the very least, she wanted to help her live comfortably without having to worry about finances in her old age.
“I’m sorry that I… couldn’t restore your status as the nanny.”
“That’s alright. I care more about the happiness of the people I served than my own status.”
“Thank you, Nanny.”
The nanny’s love was boundless. Viola felt like she had a trustworthy person on her side.
Just then, she saw Wendy taking a branch out into the garden and slashing the air with it. The small child pretending to use a sword was so adorable she couldn’t help but giggle. Even if she looked like a princess on the outside, Wendy had inherited her genes after all.
“She’s just like how you were, Princess. When you were little, you would always pretend to use a sword like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. You were close to sweating bullets when the prince challenged you.”
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Perhaps she inherited my personality?
While she was musing, I think it would be better if she resembled Lustian rather than me… It happened. Viola’s gaze suddenly turned to the door when….
“…….!!”
There was a person leaning against the doorsill as he watched over the place. She couldn’t recognize him. Perhaps he did his best to not make his presence obvious. It was Lustian. She took in a sharp breath.
“You said that she resembles the empress. What could that mean?”
♛
From when has he been standing there? I could not hear a sound from him…
Viola looked at the nanny and Wendy alternately and then looked at Lustian staring at her as she gulped. Her heart was beating.
The nanny patted Wendy’s head. “So this is how we meet again. Your Highness, since you are sisters, of course, you’d look-alike,” she said, after looking at Viola.
Viola went in front of the nanny and greeted him.
“Yes, that’s what I also thought about their resemblance…” Lustian said.
Viola sighed a sigh of relief on the inside. Lustian didn’t seem suspicious. He just looked at Wendy with gentle eyes as she went back to slashing the air with the branch.
“——”
“Even the way she folds her pinky finger is similar. There’s also the way her feet move sooner than her hands, and the way she purses her lips while she’s slashing about.”
“Th-That’s right.”
The nanny’s eyes were trembling. She tried to read his feelings while she sensed Viola’s heart was burning up with worry.
Surely he doesn’t… doubt me, does he?
I didn’t want to give him any reason to be suspicious. All her senses were alert. She paid attention to every particular way he sounded and looked as he talked, and she tried to read his thoughts. Viola couldn’t keep her hands still and fidgeted around with her dress.
Just then, Lustian went to Wendy and held the child’s hand from behind. And as a means of teaching her the basic ways of swordsmanship, he fixed her posture.
“Do not hesitate when attacking the enemy. In your moments of hesitation, the enemy will attack you.”
He turned Wendy around to have her face the place where the nanny was standing, instead of just the air. Wendy’s branch was pointing to the nanny. A child’s tomfoolery could not possibly seem threatening, but Lustian was behind her looking at her with very sharp eyes.
The nanny looked down as she took a step backward. Could she have sensed the overwhelming intimidation? Viola stood in front of her to cover her. Viola and Lustian exchanged looks. They exchanged very strong looks.
She’s my nanny. She also happens to be that child’s nanny.
Lustian’s intimidation stopped as soon as Viola became protective of the nanny. However, he did not stop teaching Wendy how to use a sword.
Before they knew it, Kyle was positioned in front of Wendy. Stupidly enough, he became her target.
“No, a little bit higher. Since you’re shorter, you must aim from above.”
“Wow, this is such fun!” Wendy would not stop giggling.
Seeing that she enjoyed swordsmanship, it seems that she really does resemble me…. No, if she inherited the swordsmanship from generation to generation, she probably got it from Lustian.
After Lustian played with Wendy for a while, he went out of the crown prince’s palace with Kyle. As soon as he left, Viola closed the windows and doors shut.
“Rosha, take Wendy with you to the garden.”
After sending Wendy away, she was left alone with the nanny. The nanny finally looked relieved as she plopped onto the sofa.
“Hoo…. I never experienced such intimidation.”
“Every now and then, he creates such an atmosphere. Even I who learned swordsmanship myself is intimidated in front of him….”
“How have you managed to live like that? My knees shake even during brief encounters with him.”
“I don’t know.”
There were beads of sweat on the nanny’s forehead. When she gave her a handkerchief, she frantically wiped off her sweat.
“Even so, it feels as though we were let off without suspicion, correct?”
“We’ll have to be careful from now on. We’ve been let off for now, but we don’t know when we’ll be caught.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “It’s a relief that Princess Wendy doesn’t look much like him.”
“Nanny….”
They were let off without a hitch, but she could tell that the Lustian didn’t harbor positive feelings towards the nanny. The nanny went through many hardships after Edward’s death. Since she brought him up like he was her own, she likely felt like she lost her own child. It’s likely that when Viola first met Lustian that she also harbored a lot of hostility.