Chapter 60
An eagerly interested answer followed his sarcastic remark. Prince Declan widened his eyes in disbelief.
“…What I meant was never…”
The tiny sense of authority still dominating his mind screamed that that was absolutely forbidden. His pride also strongly seconded the notion that he should never allow it, so Prince Declan racked his brain to change the subject, trying not to look petty.
However, while Prince Declan was fumbling for words, Maeve was already looking at something she had spotted further ahead.
“…That’s too sudden, and too familiar.”
Maeve was no longer listening to the refusal Prince Declan was trying to force out. She quickly walked past Prince Declan.
Prince Declan, who had been standing as gracefully as possible with his hand on a tree trunk, stared blankly at the maidservant’s back as she passed him. He soon scrambled to follow her.
“What is it, Maeve?”
“Something is strange.”
They were soon at the entrance to the village. Prince Declan and Maeve quickly walked toward a young man from the village who was speaking to them, as if he had been waiting for them.
To get straight to the point:
“When I went up to move the horses, they were gone. The four horses you brought are missing. Ah, and the baggage wagon too.”
The coachman Colm had taken everything and left.
“So, I was wondering if you had left without saying goodbye, and I was debating what to do with the one remaining horse and the donkey. But when I went to the elder’s house, I was told that your two sets of luggage were still there, so…”
As the rain poured non-stop and messed up the stable, the group had moved the horses, donkey, and two carriages to higher ground with the help of the village young man. Following the young man up the hill, all that remained were one horse, the donkey, and the carriage Prince Declan had been riding in all along.
Prince Declan let out a hollow laugh and walked towards the remaining horse. It was the wildest horse, the one Fionechta primarily rode. It was also the horse in which Prince Declan had been humiliatingly transported just two days prior.
Next to it, only the small donkey slowly approached and acknowledged Maeve. Maeve scratched the donkey’s nose, then walked toward the carriage.
Without needing to open the door, the carriage was a mess. A wheel was broken and the carriage had slumped down, and it had been cleverly smashed in several places so that they wouldn’t even think of reusing it, even if they fixed the wheel.
“…How could someone do such a malicious thing?”
Prince Declan followed Maeve and muttered, utterly bewildered, looking at the half-destroyed carriage.
Maeve looked off into the distance instead of answering his question. The truth was, she found it awkward to admit honestly that she had intimidated the coachman just the day before.
Even so, she hadn’t expected Colm to harbor resentment over that and commit such a bold act. As Rory had said, she shouldn’t have associated with a fellow like that in the first place.
“It seems he couldn’t take the horse Fionechta used because it’s too wild, and he left the donkey behind, thinking it was useless.”
Maeve spoke nonchalantly, as if summing up the situation. Still, like a coachman who cherished animals, Colm hadn’t harmed the horse or the donkey.
Maeve pulled the reins of the horse, which was snorting over Prince Declan’s head, clearly displaying its discomfort. Without hesitation, she mounted the horse and turned its head.
“Where are you going?”
Prince Declan, still looking disheartened, turned to her and asked. Maeve replied in a flat tone.
“I have to go catch him. They couldn’t have gone far. The road is bad.”
With a somewhat murderous glint in her eyes, she left the village immediately without waiting for Prince Declan’s next words.
Prince Declan stared blankly at her receding figure. Only her back, having left without even hearing his answer, was captured forlornly in his eyes.
“They couldn’t have gone far, just as the girl said.”
The village young man offered a word to him, intending it as comfort. Prince Declan was too exhausted to express gratitude for the comfort and buried his face in his palms.
Prince Declan remained alone on the hill and slowly slumped to the ground. When even the village young man went down, seemingly helpless, he was truly left by himself.
No, the donkey was with him.
The donkey seemed to only follow Maeve. It looked at Prince Declan with indifference and grazed on the wet grass nearby.
It felt as though an hour had passed, though barely ten minutes had elapsed since the maidservant left. What if she doesn’t come back?
However, his worries were unwarranted; Prince Declan soon spotted the red-haired maidservant on horseback returning towards him. The maidservant rode up the hill, dismounted, and calmly told him,
“I won’t be able to pursue him. There was a landslide last night, and the road is blocked.”
“…”
“I think he left before morning. Dawn, or maybe even before midnight. He stole everything and left while I was looking after Prince Declan.”
The maidservant spoke, as if explaining. With a faintly murderous look, she half-clenched her right fist, making a cracking sound.
Prince Declan, regardless of her actions, remained seated, looking up at Maeve, and said,
“…I thought you weren’t coming back.”
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