Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 25

Maeve called over a passing inn worker, paid her with the coins from her pocket, and asked that a bathtub be prepared in the prince’s room.

“What about your attendant?”

“Craig has an upset stomach too. It seems the food here doesn’t agree with anyone but us.”

Prince Declan spoke with a troubled expression. Maeve silently gestured with her chin, and the prince obediently followed her up the stairs.

The room where the prince was staying was at least three times larger than Maeve’s. In addition to a bed and a wardrobe, it also had a decent table and a set of chairs.

When the inn workers came in and set down the bathtub, Declan went behind the folding screen and began to take off his clothes, hanging them one by one. Maeve handed the vomit-stained garments to the workers to have them taken away.

A splash came from behind the screen as the prince lowered himself into the tub, followed by a satisfied groan.

Maeve, who was not particularly sensitive about such things, still found it unpleasant to hear and thought she should leave at once.

“Maeve.”

The prince called to her from behind the screen.

Maeve stopped walking without replying. The prince continued speaking as if unaware.

“…Thank you. For the other day.”

“For what?”

Maeve stopped in front of the door and glanced toward the screen as she spoke.

“For pretending not to notice. Thank you for that.”

Whether she showed confusion or not, the prince interpreted it however he pleased and once again expressed his gratitude.

Maeve found this kind of conversation uncomfortable.

It wasn’t as if she had done it for his sake.

“Yes.”

Maeve decided to let him interpret things however he wanted and finally made up her mind to leave.

“Were you on your way somewhere?”

The prince asked again, as if he could see right through her. Maeve shoved both hands into the pocket sewn inside her skirt and stared askew at the wall.

“I was going to look around the village.”

“Oh, I see. That sounds fun. They say this is a travelers’ village, and there really do seem to be all kinds of people here. Where will you go? Which part of the village? The market?”

The prince, unable to hide his curiosity, pressed her with one question after another.

“I was just… going to climb somewhere high and get some fresh air.”

The more the prince pried, the more irritated Maeve became, and her usual blunt tone slipped out naturally.

The prince didn’t seem to mind. It was odd, considering he’d been the very one lecturing her on manners not long ago.

It was clear that what had happened before had been the catalyst. He was genuinely grateful to Maeve, and because of that, he had grown not only more tolerant but even a little familiar toward her.

“Ah, that’s nice. Very nice. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such leisure. I used to ride my horse out to the highest hill within the castle walls. The view from up there was truly beautiful. You could even catch a glimpse of the outside of the castle — I think one of those distant villages might have been the one you came from.”

It was a conversation devoid of substance. Maeve felt that the prince was merely dragging out his words for no reason.

“I’ll go call Sir Fionechta or Sir Rory.”

“No, don’t!”

Splash!

A violent sound of water splashing came from behind the screen, followed by the prince’s groaning.

“I feel uncomfortable around them. You understand, right? They’re… not trustworthy. Their origins are unclear. Compared to them, you’re from Lutea, aren’t you? You may have lived outside the capital, but at least you come from the same land as I do.”

“I’m not a local either. I only lived in Lutea for a few years.”

“…What? Really?”

Another splash came from inside.

The prince was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

“Still, if you’ve lived there for years, you’re a Lutean. And unlike them, you’re honest and without deceit. Besides, you didn’t know anything about the real purpose of this journey. Isn’t that right?”

“The real purpose?”

Maeve could no longer hold back and asked.

“Yes. I think my brother has abandoned me.”