<strong>Chapter 574: What? I’m Not Wee?</strong>


    People revealed far more when you let them talk. They exposed their fears, their biases… and made themselves vulnerable. Meanwhile, the listener walked away with more than the speaker ever intended to give.


    Nnenna could sense it was not just Nanny who thought this way. The feeling was collective. Almost a dozen servants had gathered now, peeking from behind pirs, their faces half curious, half condemning.


    Under these circumstances, the simplest solution would be to fire every problematic staff member and clear the obstacles from her path. But she hesitated.


    Skilled staff were hard to rece, and despite their disdain for her, most of them genuinely seemed to care about Carl. That loyalty, at least, wasn’t fake.


    I’ll keep them… for now.


    Raising her head, she spoke clearly, her voice steady. “My intentions toward Carl are pure. I would never hurt him.”


    It was herst attempt to let them see things her way. Too bad, Nanny’s expression remained as cold as stone.


    “If none of you care to see that,” Nnenna continued, her words slicing the silence, “then I don’t need any of you.”


    She turned to leave.


    “Your Highness.”


    Nanny’s voice stopped her, though she still didn’t turn around.


    “Your meeting with the guards…” Nanny’s tone sharpened, smugnesscing every word. “Let me save you the trouble, it won’t hold.”


    Her lips curled in satisfaction. “Don’t me me for this one. I had nothing to do with it. As you’ve already sensed, your unruliness has be…” She paused, savoring the moment, “…unpopr.”


    Murmurs of agreement rippled through the servants, who no longer bothered to stay hidden.


    Nanny folded her arms, eyes locked on Nnenna’s back. She waited for the inevitable re of temper, the loss ofposure.


    After all, Nnenna was technically a princess, at least by the title bestowed upon her by the Crown Prince. No royal would tolerate open disrespect. None.


    But she had miscalcted.


    Nnenna did not re up. Slowly, she turned around, her expression unreadable. “I see,” she whispered, her voice soft yet carrying a weight that made the room still.


    “What did you say?” Nanny demanded, irritation breaking through her mask. She hadn’t caught the words, not with the distance between them.


    Nnenna’s lips curved into the faintest shrug. “If you want to hear me better, thene closer.”


    “I don’t have to obey your orders,” Nanny countered sharply, refusing to move even an inch. The audience of servants behind her stiffened, watching closely, as though waiting for her to stand firm on their behalf.


    “No worries,” Nnenna replied lightly, her calm a deliberate strike against the tension. “Since Daniel and Elin have refused to assemble the heads of each department under security, I’ll go to them myselfter.”


    She let her gaze sweep across the gathered servants before adding, each word deliberate, unhurried, and inescapable:


    “And since you all are so interested in having meetings about me… you can inform them that I’ll be joining their investigation from now on.”


    “Don’t you get it?” Nanny snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the hallway. “We don’t need your help to save our king!”


    She stepped forward in fury, eyes zing, too caught up in her anger to notice the subtle shift in the atmosphere around them. “We’re more than capable on our own. You should just go back to wherever you came from, or keep your head do—”


    “I’m d we have an understanding,” Nnenna cut her off smoothly.


    Her tone was calm, almost yful, and it threw the older woman off bnce. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips as she added, “You’re already so eager to follow my orders. Our cooperation will be splendid.”


    Then, without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away at an unhurried pace, her presence lingering in the air like a shadow that refused to lift.


    Nanny stood frozen, trying to piece together what had just happened. Three minutes ticked by before the realization struck her like a p. Her face twisted.


    “You… little demon!” her voice rang out, raw with frustration.


    The memory wed at her chest, Nnenna had made her look like a fool. By stepping forward in anger, she had unknowingly given the impression of obeying Nnenna’smand.


    And the worst part? Everyone else had seen it too.


    Nnenna kept walking, a faint smile tugging at her lips. The confrontation with Nanny still lingered in the air, but she didn’t let it slow her steps. Her destination was clear, the security building.


    Regardless of what anyone thought of her, she was still willing to work with them if it meant helping Carl. That mattered most. Besides, saving some “good points” along the way by using the castle’s resources wouldn’t hurt.


    As she neared the building, movement caught her eye. A woman, who had been lingering outside, froze at the sight of her. The next second, she bolted inside.


    Odd.


    Nnenna’s eyes narrowed, her pace quickening. If there was something they didn’t want her to know, or somece they didn’t want her to be, then that was exactly where she needed to go.


    Just before she reached the door, it swung open. A tall, broad shouldered man stepped out, blocking her path.


    “Your Highness,” Rick said stiffly. His tone carried respect, but not warmth. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to bow. “Why are you here?”


    Nnenna arched an eyebrow, unbothered. “What? I’m not wee?”


    She didn’t break stride. Her words were cool,ced with challenge, as she brushed past him and walked through the doorway.


    Rick’s jaw tightened. For a moment he stood frozen, fists flexing at his sides. But in the end, he had no choice, he followed her inside.


    The moment Nnenna stepped inside, she slowed to take in the lobby of the security building. It wasn’t grand, but it carried weight, a wide hall lined with polished stone walls, sturdy wooden beams, and rows of desks stacked with reports. The air smelled faintly of iron and ink.