Chapter 32: The Clover Era
Idon sat under the wall of the annex, crossing his knees and wiping his tears with difficulty.
He looked miserable, his eyes red from crying.
I approached him quietly and extended a handkerchief to him:
“Your Highness, if your nanny doesn’t follow you… then who will?”
He turned his face: “Go.” Don't mind me. You never cared about me at all.”
“How could I not care when I am your nanny?”
Before I could continue, he stood up: “You yourself said that you would leave my job as my nanny!”
“When did you say that?”
“Emilia told me! She said you told her you were leaving us!”
“I'll leave one day... but not now,” I answered calmly.
He furrowed his eyebrows: “Then you will eventually leave.”
He lowered his head, his voice shaking: “Because you don’t want to stay with a weak prince like me.” I know that."
I put my hand on his shoulder and looked directly into his eyes:
“Remember what I told you before?”
"What?"
“The weak must be a coward, otherwise he will neither protect himself nor anyone else.”
He shook his head nervously: “I remember.”
She smiled slightly: “But… there is another way.”
He raised his eyes curiously: “What way?”
“To become strong.”
He froze. “Huh?”
“The strong need not be a coward,” I said firmly. Yes, there are powerful people who are cruel and unjust... but they are not cowards. Because they don't need to.”
I looked at him: a small, emaciated body, and worried eyes. A child who seems an easy target for everyone.
“Your highness is weak...as Emilia said.”
He shuddered: “You…!”
“But it's okay.”
His eyes widened: “…What do you mean?”
“Because I will make you strong.”
It was an advertisement, not an offer.
He blinked in confusion: “Why?” Why are you saying this suddenly? "You don't care what happens to me."
“A promise is a promise,” I answered calmly.
A promise I made in front of a dead person, and another promise I made last night.
"So I won't leave you...at least until you don't need me anymore."
He remained stunned, not understanding. He muttered: “What promise?” And with whom?
She smiled coldly: “Enough talk.” Let's go back.”
"To where?"
“Where else? "We have to calm Princess Emilia down."
In the back garden:
Idun knelt in front of his sister, his face sad: “Sorry, Leah. "It was my fault."
She turned her head: “Hmph!”
“Please forgive me, I will not do it again.”
“Hmph!”
She interjected: “If he makes a mistake again, I will reprimand him myself.”
Emilia turned quickly: “You really will?”
"naturally."
The younger girl smiled innocently: “Then I forgive him!” But on one condition!
"condition?"
“He makes me rings and a crown of clover flowers!”
Idun sighed: “Right, right… I’ll make it right now!”
He was busy picking clover like a hungry rabbit.
Catherine suddenly laughed, a loud laugh: “Ha-ha-ha!”
Edun's face turned red: “Why are you laughing?”
Emilia turned to me in surprise: “Achille... you laughed!” I heard you!”
I pretended to be cold: “It didn’t happen.”
"No no! You laughed!
After a tug of war, the princess did not forgive her brother until he made three crowns of clover: for her, for me, and... even for Catherine.
Elsewhere in the palace, Second Empress Helena sat talking with her masked servant.
“How is the Third Prince?”
“As it is, my lady. Yesterday he was playing with the princess with flowers.”
She smiled sarcastically: “Perfect for a stupid kid like him.”
I asked him: “Has the new nanny moved?”
“Her name is Rachel Brown, she is 21 years old, the adopted daughter of a young border count. “It came on the recommendation of my previous nanny.”
“An adopted daughter...an orphan, then.”
Helena closed her eyes, thinking: Such a lowly woman, will she last long?
But she remembered the words of her friend Countess Velin:
“Don't worry. Her eyes are dead. Such people do nothing that is not for their own benefit.”
Helena waved her hand boredly: “Enough. "I don't want to waste my time on a worthless orphan."
But she didn't know...that behind those dead eyes, was hiding a woman who had spent her life hiding who she really was: a professional killer.