Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 105

Mrs. Marley’s son, Kiaran, was worried about his mother who had become excited in many ways; consequently, while keeping a wary eye on Maeve, he came nearby and sat on an available chair.

“To summarize.”

Prince Declan, who had remained silent for a moment, opened his mouth.

“You people were originally living in Viscount Quill’s estate. You were people who did carpentry work at the Viscount’s castle, and by the Viscount’s command, you migrated here about a few years ago, is that not right?”

“That is so. It took over a year just to build the camp. During that time, the man called the Lord’s Deputy lived in the best house we built and did nothing but tell us to wait the entire time.”

As Prince Declan spoke as if summarizing, Mrs. Marley said so as if she had been waiting.

Prince Declan furrowed his brows and said, “The Lord’s Deputy?”

“It’s a fellow named O’Sherry. He’s the one who not only brought us all the way here according to the Viscount’s will, but also acted all high and mighty as the Lord’s Deputy.”

Kiaran answered instead of his mother. Maeve looked over at Kiaran and said with a soulless face, “You must have been a carpenter as well.”

“Yeah. I am a carpenter too. Why.”

Kiaran retorted more sharply than necessary. Prince Declan cleared his throat with a ‘ahem,’ as if requesting them both to restrain themselves while looking between the two.

Maeve could visualize the situation to some extent. In order to go toward the Viscount’s castle without passing through that land called Eloa, one must cross between the two canyons where the broken wooden bridge is located. They likely migrated to this land across that bridge.

“It seems you worked steadily to the point that no trees nearby remain. Where did all those trees go?”

“They went to the Viscount’s castle.”

When Maeve asked Mrs. Marley, Kiaran answered while glaring at her as if she were asking something obvious.

Maeve looked at Kiaran without any particular resentment and said.

“It seems you did not receive proper wages. Unpaid labor ever since you settled?”

“If it had been like that from the start, our boss would have told us to pack our bags and go back immediately. The fellow who was the Lord’s Deputy was someone who paid the proper price even if he had a defect in his personality. But from some point on, the number of days he went to the Viscount’s castle and did not return increased.”

The tea was growing cold before they knew it. Maeve quickly drank even the lukewarm tea while listening to Kiaran’s explanation.

“The last time he came and went was exactly a week ago. He was so lofty; as if he hated us even coming near him, he tried to come and go very quietly.”

At Kiaran’s words, Maeve thought of the broken wooden bridge.

“It seems he cut off the bridge while coming and going for the last time. Perhaps he was afraid someone would chase him and retaliate.”

As Maeve spoke as if murmuring, Prince Declan, who had been silent as if lost in thought, shook his head.

“Abandoning carpenters by the arbitrary decision of a single official? That is something absolutely unimaginable. The higher-ups turned a blind eye to it. Or they gave instructions like that from over there. Tell me, Kiaran. Exactly from when did the person called the Lord’s Deputy start mistreating you?”

Kiaran, with his eyes turned red, could not answer anything. He only trembled with his one hand that was placed on the table.

This time, the mother answered instead of her son.

“Starting from a certain point, it seems the people dispatched from the castle, like scholars or whatever, became infrequent. Probably from then on……”

“From the time when you said none of the people dispatched returned alive?”

Maeve asked again, as if summarizing. Mrs. Marley nodded.

Prince Declan shook his head as if he finally understood, and as if he were not particularly surprised.

“It is possible they abandoned you thinking you might bring back germs or some kind of curse. Have there actually been people who died after settling here?”

“There were two, but one died in an accident and the other died from a chronic illness.”

Mrs. Marley said, sounding flabbergasted.

“Are you saying they think we are contaminated?”

“It is merely a guess, Madam.”

Prince Declan spoke again as if soothing her.