Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 31

Craig had appointed himself as Prince Declan’s personal attendant from the moment the young prince had just begun to walk, devoting himself wholeheartedly to caring for him.

It was a time when people’s reverence for the blood of dragons burned hotter and more fervent than ever before. Using every connection he had, Craig managed to secure a position at the prince’s side by any means necessary.

As the second prince grew, he became ever more charming, gathering the affection and high expectations of everyone around him. To serve such a master—what an honor that was!

Up to that point, Craig had been filled with immense pride. There had even been times when he had crawled on all fours, letting the young prince ride on his back—at least until the prince had turned ten.

After serving him for so long, Craig had come to realize that the boy was not the kind of benevolent or extraordinary ruler one might find in legends.

He was more ordinary than expected. Of course, he was strikingly beautiful and bore the dragon scales that proved his bloodline beyond doubt, yet beneath that, he was just an ordinary young man.

The more he was praised, the more he acted as though it were his due. He was kind but lacked humility, never expressing gratitude for what was given to him. It was the result of being adored and spoiled by everyone—by Craig, by the nursemaid Viola, and by all those who surrounded him. The prince had grown into a splendidly pampered young man.

Even so, Craig had endured the prince’s temperament and continued to serve faithfully.

Having made himself the prince’s closest attendant, Craig eventually came to realize that not only did he lack any real talent for caring for others, but that he was, by nature, a cold man.

Though he had served the prince with utmost devotion, he had never truly felt any emotional attachment to him.

That was not because of the prince’s disposition—it was because of Craig’s own nature. He simply endured each day, carrying out his duties, tolerating every whim and complaint, and responding kindly whenever spoken to.

That was his role. He endured it solely for the sake of the reward that awaited him.

The day the prince ascended to the throne would be the day Craig’s long patience would finally bear fruit. After all, the prince held him in the highest regard. Perhaps then, he might even rise to a position equal to that of a chancellor. It would be, without question, the day his life turned around.

“My father has decided to pass the throne to my brother.”

When he heard those words, it felt as though the world itself had collapsed.

And yet the expression of the second prince who said it was calm—too calm. Craig had almost grabbed him by the collar, demanding to know how he could say such a thing so indifferently when Craig had staked his entire life on him.

“It’s only natural. My brother is the eldest, so it’s right that he should inherit the throne. I just need to prepare for what comes after.”

“What comes after, Your Highness? What do you mean by that?”

“Craig, as you know, my brother is frail. So it means I must be ready to take his place when the time comes.”

Declan spoke lightly, as though it were the simplest thing in the world, like handing down a piece of clothing. Craig could hardly believe his ears.

But his shock lasted only a moment before his mind began to turn swiftly again.

“Indeed, Your Highness. How perceptive you are! But such words must not be spoken to anyone else but me.”

“I’ve already told my nursemaid. She said I was very admirable.”

“Ah, Viola! She’s fine. But it must be no one else besides her and me, do you understand, Your Highness? There are too many ears within the castle.”

“Of course, Craig. I’ve come to realize there are those who do not listen to my words with pure intentions. They’re the ones trying to sow discord between my brother and me. Isn’t that so?”

Of course, Craig did not bother to correct the mistaken belief the prince held—that just as he loved his elder brother dearly, his brother, too, loved and cherished him just as deeply.

When the second prince was in low spirits, he was terribly troublesome to deal with, so Craig always preferred him to remain cheerful and bright, loved by everyone. Thus, he helped shape the image of the second prince as one who seemed utterly uninterested in the throne.

As the second prince had said, the first prince had been frail from the start, constantly suffering from colds regardless of the season. Though he ascended the throne and married a noblewoman, there had been no news of an heir even after two years. Before long, the woman who had been queen returned to her family home.

Up until then, the greatest concern for Declan and Craig had been that Chancellor Malachy O’Doherty would somehow succeed in marrying his daughter to the king. They had no idea that a far greater calamity was on its way.

Ah, why had Prince Declan’s illness come upon him so suddenly, without any warning? What they had thought was a brief fever, like a passing cold, began to return in fits and seizures. And when everyone began saying that it was “a sickness born of the bloodline,” Craig found himself with no way to step away.

He was no longer the attendant to a future king, but rather the chief attendant to a second prince whose funeral could be held at any moment. There was nothing honorable about such a position.

No future was guaranteed for him anymore.