TOPWL 89

“I only tried it on because I found it on the floor while cleaning. I was going to put it back,” the nanny said quickly.

“…Nanny.”

“I’m telling the truth! There must be a thief in this house. Didn’t I warn you not to leave the house unattended for too long?”

“…Nanny.”

“No matter how busy you are, you’ve been gone too long. That’s why the servants are starting to get complacent.”

“Nanny—!”

Yudit raised his voice, louder than he ever had before. Only then did the nanny fall silent. He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. The corners of his eyes were tinged red.

“I’m telling you, I only put it on because it looked pretty lying on the ground. Why are you yelling? This is always your problem.”

Realizing the gravity of her situation, the nanny began to shift blame to Yudit, speaking more and more defensively. But her words no longer had any effect on him.

“Can’t you just… apologize? Even just once?” Yudit asked, his voice trembling as though he was on the verge of tears.

The nanny must’ve sensed an opening, for she responded, “Well, if that’s what Your Highness wants, I can apologize. But I’m telling you, I did nothing wrong.”

“Nanny. That ring was in a hidden compartment in the drawer. It even required a key to open. What kind of thief goes to all that trouble and then leaves everything else behind?”

At his calm but precise words, the nanny clamped her mouth shut and averted her gaze.

“I won’t drag this out. I’d like you to leave by the end of the month. I’ll make sure your severance is generous.”

The nanny paled at his words, her face draining of color.

“Your Highness, I’m your nanny. I raised you from the time you were in swaddling clothes. You can’t do this to me.”

“Nanny, I’ve held back for as long as I could. But I can’t anymore.”

At that, the nanny cried out, her voice full of frustration.

“You’ve never said a word all this time—so why now? What exactly have you been holding back, huh? Say it! Let’s hear it! What have you really endured?”

“If I start, can you handle it?”

Yudit’s voice was quiet but firm. The nanny flinched and glanced toward Shane, who stood in the distance. The way she rolled her eyes, calculating, was sickening to watch.

“I know a lot more than you think, Nanny. I’ll let it all rest here—so let’s end this now.”

Faced with Yudit’s calm farewell, the nanny sank to the floor.

“Your Highness, please, I was wrong. Just forgive me. Just this once.”

She knelt, her hands clasped in supplication, even tears glistening in her eyes.

Yudit saw the crown of her head—white strands now outnumbering the black. The fine lines that had once crinkled at her eyes had deepened into permanent creases.

Could a woman who had spent more than half her life in the imperial palace survive outside of it? Maybe. But the nanny had crossed too many lines. Each of her transgressions might have been tolerated from Yudit, but if they’d been against another noble, she would’ve been ruined long ago. Yudit forced his wavering heart to settle.

“I’m sorry, Nanny. But I think this is as far as we go. Thank you… for everything.”

When Yudit made his stance clear, the nanny’s face turned a deathly pale, and she struggled to maintain her composure.

“There are plenty of places that want me, you know. But I chose to stay by your side.”

“…”

“Because you’re all alone. Without me, you’re nothing.”

“…”

“You’ll regret this. I promise you that.”

“…Maybe I will.”

Realizing nothing she said would change his mind, the nanny stumbled to her feet. Her legs, thin compared to her stout frame, trembled under her weight. She looked more fragile than ever. Unsteadily, she made her way to the door. Yudit heard the door creak open—but the sound of it closing didn’t follow right away.

Was she still watching him? The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

Then finally—thud—the door shut. Footsteps slowly faded into the distance, growing softer with every step.

Only then did Yudit inhale. When he raised his head, tears fell in fat drops. This was someone who had been with him through every season of his life. She’d done terrible things, yes—but that wasn’t all she was. Holding his chest, Yudit took short, shallow breaths. It felt like someone had ripped a piece of his heart out.

His eyes burned.

He clenched his jaw and straightened up. After finishing packing the last of his things, he turned to Shen.

“Let’s go, Shane.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As Yudit stepped out of the room, he felt a wave of relief that no one else was around. He’d half expected the nanny to still be lurking. He had already instructed the staff to deliver her severance in full. A middle-aged maid, who had always performed her duties quietly, gave a small nod of sympathy as he passed by.

“You’ve made the right decision,” she said gently.

The words sat heavy in his heart. Carrying that weight, Yudit walked down the corridor.

“Oh? Your Highness?”

At the familiar voice, Yudit looked up. Huyan and Wadiram were walking toward him. He straightened up and composed himself as if nothing had happened.

“It’s been a while, Huyan, Wadiram.”

“It really has. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. And you two?”

Wadiram glanced around and then lowered his voice, almost in a whisper.

“I’m bored to death. No desert beasts, no swimming in the oasis—I’m actually starting to miss the heat and the sand.”

In short, he was saying he was bored. Wadiram slumped his shoulders and added,

“Besides the weekly meetings, there’s nothing to do. Your Highness, is there anything fun going on?”

“Well… what do you consider fun?”

At Yudit’s question, Wadiram’s eyes lit up immediately.

“Hunting. Not rabbits or deer—I like hunting things that are equal to me or even stronger. I like swimming too. And camping.”

“You don’t like performances?”

Yudit’s pointed question made Wadiram lick his lips before replying.

“Of course I don’t mind them. But I tend to watch the people more than the performance itself. And lately… I haven’t been going at all.”

It was true—Sonia’s performances had ended. She was said to be on a break to prepare for the New Year’s first showcase. No wonder Wadiram was restless.

“Your Highness, has something happened?”

Huyan had been quietly observing Yudit, and now he asked softly.

“No, nothing in particular.”

Yudit had washed his face and checked himself in the mirror before coming out, confident he wouldn’t look suspicious—but it must have still shown in his expression.

“You look like you’ve been crying,”

Wadiram said after taking a closer look at his face.

“Me?”

“Yeah. Your nose looks funny.”

“…”

Yudit couldn’t help but wonder if Wadiram was adjusting well to palace life. Could someone so blunt really get along in the imperial court?

“No, it’s probably just from the cold.”

“It’s freezing. Where are you headed?”

Huyan had noticed the large bag Yudit was carrying.

“To District 3 of Bern. I’m in charge of that zone for the tournament and trying to develop the area to attract more tourists.”

“Oh, I heard about that. But didn’t Your Highness get bitten by a dragon the last time you went there?”

“…It wasn’t a dragon. It was a poison goblin.”

Where had that rumor even started?

“A poison goblin? Are there lots of monsters like that there?”

Wadiram asked, intrigued. Yudit nodded.

“If they’re coming down into human villages, then yes—there must be quite a few.”

He quickly added, worried he might be painting Bern 3 in too negative a light.

“But we’re planning to thin their numbers before the tournament starts, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Sounds fun! Can I join the hunt too?”

Seizing the moment, Wadiram grabbed Yudit’s hand eagerly. Both Huyan and Shane frowned at once.

“But… it’s dangerous.”

Wadiram was an envoy from Herut. If anything were to happen to him, it could seriously damage relations between Herut and Adanauer. Yudit knew that—and looked to Huyan, hoping he’d intervene.

But Huyan’s response was unexpected.

“If it’s all right, I’d like to come along too.”

“It’s dangerous, I said.”

“But aren’t you going?”

“I have… a guard, though.”

“I’ll take Wadiram as my charge. I’ll protect him.”

“You’ll… protect me? I’ll be your charge?”

Wadiram stared at Huyan in disbelief. As a last resort, Yudit turned to Shane. Watching the scene unfold in silence, Shane finally spoke.

“Why not just hire them both as additional escorts?”