TPNSIA-08

Chapter 8. The Prince and the Nanny (2)

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Where on earth had he gotten the idea that being a prince meant he couldn’t be dirty?

Did those words come out of his mouth or his ass? Was that why they made no sense?

I suddenly want to quit everything.

It was only my second day as a nanny, and I was already thinking about quitting.

I knew working with children wasn’t for me.

I spoke with a blank expression.

“No, Your Highness. You are dirty.”

At those few words, Edwin’s eyes filled with shock.

“W-What did you say?”

“You smell, too. Did you wash after going to the stables yesterday?”

“I-I did.”

This brat had no talent for lying.

Watching his gaze waver, I asked,

“Really? Because the top of your head smells like horse manure.”

“What? Horse manure?”

“Yes. Horse manure. It smells awful.”

Edwin grabbed his hair and gaped at me.

Apparently, being told that the top of his head smelled like manure had dealt him quite a blow.

But despite his shock, he didn’t seem inclined to wash again.

Then I’ll have to do it myself.

Reluctantly deciding that I would have to wash his face for him, I dipped my hand into the basin.

The water was ice-cold.

The weather had warmed, but the morning air was still chilly. Why had they brought him water this cold?

Did the prince ask for it?

Assassins sometimes deliberately washed with icy water in winter to sharpen their senses.

I don’t understand.

But then I noticed something strange about Edwin.

He was avoiding my eyes and cautiously watching someone else.

Hmm?

I immediately turned toward the maid who had brought the wash water.

When our eyes met, she smiled casually and lifted a towel.

“Would you like a towel?”

What the hell was this supposed to be?

Does she genuinely not know? Or is she pretending not to?

As his nanny, I supposed I ought to say something.

I calmly ordered the maid,

“His Highness’s wash water is too cold. Bring warm water.”

“What? That can’t be. I brought warm water.”

“I put my fingers in it just now. It was cold.”

“Then I suppose it cooled down in the meantime.”

The maid looked thoroughly annoyed.

“And His Highness already said he finished washing. Do I really need to fetch another basin?”

I frowned at her answer.

The prince’s nanny had given her an order, yet a mere maid had the nerve to argue with me.

The hierarchy around here is completely screwed.

Meanwhile, the maid was still smiling at me.

“Nanny?”

Only then did I understand the meaning behind her gaze.

So what? What are you going to do about it? You don’t care about the prince either, do you?

She seemed utterly convinced that I was the same sort of person she was.

How pathetic.

I smiled back at her.

Splash—!

Then, without hesitation, I dumped the prince’s wash water all over her.

“Aaaah!”

The maid screamed as the cold water drenched her.

The shrill cry woke Emilia, who rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up.

“Mmm… what is it? Are we playing with water? Lia wants to play with water toooo.”

Despite the little princess’s adorable words, no one laughed.

The maid merely hugged herself, trembling as she stared at me.

“W-What was that…?”

“What do you think?”

I smiled as I asked,

“Do you really think warm water you brought only moments ago could become this cold in such a short time?”

The maid stared at me in horror.

“Next time, don’t make me tell you twice.”

I practically threw the basin into her hands and spoke firmly.

“Bring another one. And this time, it had better actually be warm.”

“Y-Yes!”

The maid was in no position to refuse.

With tears hanging from the corners of her eyes, she fled the room.

I watched her retreating back with contempt.

Then I felt an intense gaze from below.

It belonged to Edwin.

His mouth hung open as he stared blankly up at me.

“What is it?”

At my question, Edwin silently studied my expression.

Judging by his reaction, what I had done seemed to have frightened him a little.

That was unexpected.

He was always hissing and snapping like a feral kitten, so I had assumed he was fearless.

So he was hissing because he was scared.

I bent down and brushed the water from his damp bangs.

“Your Highness, if something like this happens again, tell the head maid. Staying silent won’t solve anything.”

Edwin’s eyes widened.

He stared at me for a moment before lowering his gaze.

“…What’s the point of telling that old witch? She always takes the maids’ side.”

Edwin muttered in a weary voice that didn’t suit his age.

“I’m sick of it.”

I stared down at the crown of his head.

What could possibly have happened to such a young child to make him look so gloomy?

Even if he’s treated like dirt, he’s still the emperor’s son.

I couldn’t understand why a prince born with the noblest blood in the empire wore the same expression as children who wandered the streets.

“It wasn’t like this when Emma was here.”

I paused at the familiar name that slipped from Edwin’s lips.

Emma.

The previous nanny who had supposedly recommended me.

Of all names, why did she have to share that woman’s?

Thinking of the woman from my past, I asked casually,

“Did she quit?”

“No.”

The sudden chill in his voice made me look up.

Before I knew it, Edwin’s face was right in front of mine.

Something seemed broken within those vivid blue eyes.

“She died.”

The words sounded far too vivid coming from the mouth of a child.

Yet his expression was disturbingly calm.

As though he understood exactly what death meant.

“Because of me.”

My lips parted slightly at what followed.

“I-I brought it!”

Just then, the maid returned carrying the wash water.

A gentle cloud of steam rose from the basin.

At least she could follow instructions.

I held the newly fetched warm water out to Edwin.

“Do it properly this time.”

Edwin, who had looked so serious only moments earlier, immediately scowled at the basin.

Still, he obediently dipped his hands into the water.

For a moment, I thought he was actually going to listen without complaining.

I was wrong.

Splash, splash.

He continued washing his face like a cat.

…Apparently, the temperature had never been the problem.

He simply hated washing his face.

Finally losing patience, I placed Emilia on the bed and rolled up my sleeves.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“Please excuse me for a moment, Your Highness.”

After politely asking his permission, I grabbed him by the back of the neck.

“Let go! What are you—Pff! Pff! Pff!”

“You have to scrub! Like this! Scrub properly!”

“Mmmphhh!”

I gave him no chance to speak as I rubbed his face vigorously with my palms.

“Since you’re already wet, I might as well wash your hair too.”

“Bwaaaagh!”

By the time I was finished, Edwin was sparkling clean from head to toe.

But he looked as devastated as someone who had just been swindled out of his entire fortune.

“Nanny! Lia too! Lia wants to play with water too! Do me too!”

I picked up Emilia as she clung to me and handed Edwin a towel.

“Dry yourself.”

Edwin accepted it, his face burning with humiliation and indignation.

He clenched his teeth and glared at me.

Sure enough, from that moment onward, Edwin began disobeying me as though determined to take revenge.

“Let’s wear this today.”

“No! I don’t like it!”

“Then what would you like to wear?”

“I told you, I’m wearing what I wore yesterday!”

Edwin stubbornly insisted on wearing the same clothes he had rolled around the stables in yesterday.

“…Just wear this.”

“No! I said I don’t like it!”

“Then I’ll have them bring something else—”

“I said I’m wearing yesterday’s clothes!”

Who had he inherited that stubbornness from?

Edwin hugged the dirty clothes to his chest and vigorously shook his head.

I suppose I have no choice.

I leaned close to the still-tantruming prince’s ear.

“If you refuse to change into clean clothes, I’ll run straight to the head maid and tell her everything that happened yesterday.”

“W-What?!”

“If that’s what you prefer.”

Edwin shouted indignantly,

“You said you weren’t on that old witch’s side! Liar!”

“I never lied. As your nanny, I simply cannot allow Your Highness to walk around looking filthy.”

“Grrrr!”

Edwin was about to throw the clothes in frustration when the princess intervened.

“Big Brother, those clothes are prettier!”

At a single comment from his little sister, Edwin finally gave in and reluctantly changed into the clean outfit.

He wouldn’t listen to a word I said, but one sentence from his sister was enough to make him change clothes.

Edwin seemed to adore his little sister far more than I had expected.

“Nanny.”

Just then, Emilia, who had been sitting quietly in my arms, whispered into my ear.

“Lia did a good job, so give Lia a snack!”

Well.

Whether having a beloved little sister who was far more cunning than she looked was a blessing or a curse for Edwin, I couldn’t say.

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Once the siblings were properly dressed, I took them downstairs to the dining room.

Breakfast had already been laid out across the table.

Quite the feast.

White bread, some kind of fish dish I didn’t recognize, roasted chicken, and brightly colored fruits.

It was a luxurious spread that most commoners would be lucky even to see once in their lives.

Yet Edwin merely picked at his food before quickly putting down his fork.

“I’m done.”

Looking more closely, I noticed that his plate was piled high with untouched vegetables.

“Food is precious. Eat as much as you can while you have the chance.”

Edwin frowned at my nagging.

“Vegetables taste bad.”

Eating food based on taste?

As long as it wasn’t rotten or poisoned, wasn’t that enough?

Watching such a picky eater was strangely fascinating to me.

Well, personally, I didn’t care whether the prince starved to death or ate until his stomach burst.

But I had a duty as his nanny.

To take proper care of the prince.

“Then, Your Highness, how about making a bet with me?”

“A bet?”

Edwin frowned at the unexpected suggestion.

“Yes. How about this—the loser has to eat all the remaining vegetables?”