Chapter 48
Thud, the Prince Declan shouted in a fit of temper. The heavily contorted face immediately began to loosen and crumble, as if it had never been so.
Prince Declan soon got up, picked up the sword he had thrown on the floor, and began wiping it meticulously again.
“I’m sorry for shouting. I’m the one who’s pathetic, but I took it out on the sword for no reason. And I even shouted at you, who came to see me out of concern. I feel like I’m not in my right mind since that incident earlier.”
Maeve offered no reply to the Prince Declan’s apology. She simply recalled the brief conversation they had shared at that unpleasant swamp.
That depression bordering on self-pity that burrowed endlessly. This too was a familiar sight to Maeve. Years ago, when she was confined to Sorten Castle, she was no different, looking just like this. The Maeve of that time also endlessly tormented herself like this.
If she tried to blame her surroundings, the servants or soldiers who restricted her freedom were, in fact, innocent people. Because the person she truly wanted to punish was a grand wizard who was too noble to even touch a hair on his head, she would blame the parents who sent her here, which ultimately led to the question of why she was born with such a body.
It was a little different, but the Prince Declan before her seemed similar. The king, the person he wanted to blame and pour out his sorrow to right now, was in an unreachable place, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to take out his anger on the ignorant servants because his conscience bothered him.
“Carry your sword with you at all times from now on.”
Instead of conveying sympathy and comfort by saying she had once been like that, Maeve said this. The Prince Declan’s blue eyes, which had been buried between his palms, were lifted and stared straight at her. Maeve continued to speak, regardless of his gaze.
“It’s basic. People who are skilled enough to swing a sword outside all travel like that. They never tie it to their horse and just dismount without it.”
“Are you nagging me?”
“I’m advising you.”
“…You, a maidservant, advising me.”
“Yes.”
When Maeve replied calmly, Prince Declan let out a hollow laugh, as if taken aback.
“Your Highness is in no position to be selective about things like this.”
“I know. Damn it. I’m just dumbfounded. I wish I had had someone in the castle who would talk to me like you do.”
“Truly no one?”
“…No, maybe there was. But I only listened to Craig and the Nursemaid. I thought there was no one who cared for me as much as they did. Craig especially told me to be wary of other people and not to trust them. What about the Nursemaid? The Nursemaid was particularly happy whenever I smiled. She said she wished I would smile well and be kind to others.”
“…”
“Neither of them ever offered me harsh words. Maybe they gave up on me back when I can’t even remember.”
The Prince Declan mumbled in a chillingly low voice, then looked back at Maeve. His blue eyes, reflected in the hazy lamplight, were glistening. However, there was no murderous intent. There was only the sharpness of someone who couldn’t control his own temper.
“I’m pathetic. Aren’t I, Maeve?”
Maeve did not get drawn into the Prince Declan, who was about to descend into a swamp of self-pity again.
“Your Highness is simply inexperienced.”
“So, you mean I’ll get better someday?”
Maeve did not reply to the Prince Declan’s words. The Prince Declan nodded, as if he had found the answer himself regardless of her reply.
He began meticulously wiping the Estoc again. Maeve stared intently at him.
“Maeve. I like you. I’m really good to people I like. But sometimes, the things you abruptly say to me make it hard for me to respond calmly and kindly. Regardless, I’m a good person. That is, I am endlessly good to the people I’ve decided are my people.”
She didn’t know what he was trying to say. Maeve stared silently at the Prince Declan rambling incoherently.
Yes. Maeve had thought the Prince Declan was pathetic once. But not anymore. Thinking of it as a manifestation created by his environment, it didn’t look so unpleasant. On the contrary, she felt a sense of kinship.
Maeve hoped that the Prince Declan would overcome this well. So she wished he would act resolutely enough that he wouldn’t need her help anymore.
No sooner had Maeve thought that than the Prince Declan sneezed.
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
The Prince Declan denied it, but his back subtly trembled.
“Sleep on the first floor. I’ll keep the fireplace burning.”
“It’s fine. This is just…”
The Prince Declan was about to say something but closed his mouth.
“Maeve. I’m sorry, but we’ll have to postpone our departure a bit.”
“Why?”
“My physical condition isn’t good.”
“That illness?”
The Prince Declan didn’t have the presence of mind to feel regret at Maeve’s shortened reply. He didn’t even notice that Maeve was scanning him with eyes that were cooler than before.
“…I need to sleep for a bit.”
“Do so.”
“I’ll rest here all day tomorrow. You don’t need to look for me.”
“What about medicine?”
“General medicine doesn’t work for my illness. Not everything Craig said was a lie. It’s not a sight I particularly want to show you. When the seizure starts… I scream, and things like that. It’s different from the time you saw me faint before. That was considered a rather tame kind.”
Maeve cut off the Prince Declan’s lengthy explanation and said.
“You want to be left alone?”
“Yes.”
Maeve neither stopped him nor offered words of comfort, but nodded and stood up from her seat.
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
Thump. The sound of the door closing was heard as Maeve left.
Prince Declan felt dizzy and curled up on the bed.
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