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Chapter 13: Nanny Catherine (2)
I felt something was wrong.
The looks of the maids that greeted me as soon as I entered the prince’s palace...the atmosphere that seemed muffled and strange.
(What's going on?)
I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at the place.
Edwin looked at me surprised.
“What's wrong with you?”
“The atmosphere here is... strange.”
“Ambience?”
Edwin blinked as if he didn't understand what I meant.
At that moment, my eyes fell on the maid who brought the prince's wash basin in the morning. Despite what had happened to her before, she seemed more lively than usual, as if she had heard good news.
“You are there.”
“N-yes, nanny?”
The maid jumped in confusion when I called her.
“Why were you confused?”
“I-I wasn’t confused at all.”
She was watching my reactions, but she quickly changed her tone:
“Why did you call me? I’m very busy.”
Her slightly condescending way made me frown.
“Did something happen while I was out?”
"What do you mean?"
“The weather here is not normal.”
"Yes."
The maid sighed briefly before giving a smirk.
“It's like this... one of the annex's maids disobeyed the butler's orders. Don't you think that's rude?”
Maid from the annex?
I felt a pang in my heart.
As my face changed, a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips, but her eyes remained cold.
"Imagine! That lowlife dared to bring food to His Highness the Prince without permission. Even the kitchen didn't know!"
Edwin's eyes widened like a frightened rabbit.
“What are you saying?”
This is exactly what I wanted to know.
“What happened to the maid?”
“What could happen? The butler punished her herself.”
The maid laughed as if she was happy with the news.
“She's probably stuck in the food pantry right now. Anyway, I have work.”
She gave a light greeting to the prince and then walked away.
As soon as she disappeared, Edwin turned to me with worried eyes:
“What do you mean? Was a maid punished just because she brought me food?”
His voice was unusually sharp, even tinged with panic.
“Why don't you answer?”
Only then did I realize that his little hand was holding on to my dress the whole time. His fingers were pale from the intensity of his grip, and his little face was tense and full of fear.
She gently removed his hand:
“There is nothing to worry about, Your Highness. Take Princess Emilia and go up to the room.”
“What? And you?”
“There's somewhere I have to go.”
"Hey! Don't you dare leave us! Hee!"
I handed Emilia into his arms and quickly left, ignoring his insistent glances behind me.
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The store. I found it after asking some maids in the kitchen. The door was tightly locked.
“Catherine, are you in there?”
"nanny?"
After a moment of silence, a faint voice came from inside. It was Catherine's voice, without a doubt.
“What happened?”
“Well… the butler found out that I prepared a special meal for His Highness.”
Her voice shook with hesitation, then she added in an artificial tone, as if trying to reassure me:
"But she was merciful. She said she would release me after one day of meditation here. It's not bad."
But the trembling of her voice was not hidden from me.
I was the one who asked her to disobey the butler's orders...it was my fault.
"nanny?"
“Wait.”
"What?"
Clink...the sound of the chain and lock falling to the ground.
She opened the door and found Catherine tied with ropes, her hair messy and her lips cracked and bleeding. She was in miserable shape.
"nanny…?"
She stared at me in amazement, then looked at the lock lying on the floor:
"K-how...? The key is with the butler..."
“You don't need a key to open a lock.”
I threw a bent hairpin on the floor, and Katherine gasped in surprise.
"W-Wait! If you do this, you'll get involved too!"
“Stay still.”
“No, I must—ah!”
I ignored her protest and started to untie her, but suddenly she let out a painful moan.
“What's wrong?”
I froze as I saw traces of blood on her thin back.
(...These are the marks of whips.)
Through the torn cloth, many scars were visible. I felt cold inside, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head.
“…Doesn’t that seem strange?”
"What?"
I mumbled more to myself:
“Who do you think is the rightful owner of this palace?”
“Of course… His Highness Prince Edwin.”
“Then why were you flogged and imprisoned just because you made him a meal?”
Catherine was silent, but it was clear that she knew how unfair what had happened was.
(Really...it doesn't make any sense.)
Unless Edwin is just a “miserable prince.”
I got up slowly.
“I asked you something.”
She raised her head to me.
“Why did you help me when you knew that punishment awaited you?”
She smiled tremblingly, as if trying to evade.
“I didn't help you, Nanny...”
“I'm serious.”
She hesitated, then lowered her head:
“…gratitude.”
"What?"
“I was grateful.”
In a weak voice, she continued:
“I was bullied a lot by the maids of the main palace, and you were the first to stand up to them. Just for that...”
I remained silent for a long moment.
“Catherine.”
"Yes?"
“I hate being disturbed.”
“I-I'm sorry. I told you I wouldn't be found out...”
She thought I was scolding her, but I continued coldly:
“But there is something I hate more.”
I raised my eyes to her:
“No matter how hard I try to think rationally, I cannot accept this situation.”
Then I turned away from her.
“Go back to your room now.”
“Nanny! Wait, ah!”
She tried to catch up with me but collapsed to the ground.
“What's wrong?”
“S-My legs are… numb.”
(How annoying...)
But this condition was partly caused by me.
I sighed as I helped her stand. She looked at me with deep gratitude.
“Don't look at me like that.”
"millimeter?"
“This is my fault, so I can help you as little as possible.”
She stared at me in astonishment, and I added coldly:
“I don't want a thank you.”
I laughed suddenly.
"Why are you laughing?"
She replied with a cheerful smile:
“Do I need a reason to laugh?”
(Laughter after flogging? How strange...)
“If you have time to laugh, start walking.”
"nanny."
She said while leaning on my shoulder:
“You're really... different.”
I remembered Edwin's words:
“You're really weird.”
“I've been hearing that a lot lately.”
She added with a smile:
“And I think you are a good person.”
She laughed sarcastically.
“A good person? It seems that all good people are extinct.”
(A good person? Calling a murderer that way? How ridiculous.)
But Catherine thought my words were only a joke:
“Oh, Nanny, you're so funny!”
She smiled cheerfully despite her condition.
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When I returned to the annex with Catherine, the maids came out quickly, their faces full of panic:
“Catherine!”
“Oh my God, what happened?”
"Are you well?"
“Did the butler fire you?”
Their concerns were sincere.
Catherine answered in a low voice:
"No, it wasn't the butler. It was the governess who took me out."
"What?!"
All eyes turned to me at once. I nodded to them lightly, while confusion appeared on their faces.
“She's the new nanny?”
Apparently the real Rachel Brown had never set foot in the annex before. I ignored their curious looks and said coldly:
“Katherine’s injuries are serious. She must be transported immediately.”
“This way!”
They led me inside. I helped them put her on a modest bed, and they immediately became busy serving and caring for her.
(This reminds me...)
The enthusiasm I showed for her reminded me of my old comrades.
“Our leader! You got hit again!”
"Shall I give you an ointment? Don't refuse it! I'm not doing this out of love, but so that the organization won't collapse if I die!"
Their voices echoed in my memory, and my vision slowly lowered.
Suddenly, I felt a bitter taste fill my mouth.
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