Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 86

What on earth is this? Since Maeve didn’t know how long she would be in this state, she blinked once for now.

The man’s thick arms wrapped around her waist and carefully laid her back. Prince Declan even brought his own clean clothes so she could lie down with her head resting on them like a pillow.

The Prince continued to pepper her with questions after that. Since blinking was all she could manage, she couldn’t even drink water; all she could do was lie on her side and look up at the Prince.

The Prince, failing to get Maeve to drink water, stood up and headed outside. Soon, he returned with his arms full of things that could be used as firewood.

You shouldn’t put wet ones in.

And definitely not ones that large.

Maeve wanted to say that, but she couldn’t. Like a man who firmly believed only a warm fire could heal the maidservant’s rigid body, the Prince threw the large logs into the dying fire.

Instead of burning brightly, the embers grew even smaller. A tiny flame, as if on the verge of going out, trembled and flickered before eventually dying out completely.

The cave was plunged into darkness, and Maeve heard the sound of the donkey, which had been serving as her pillow, suddenly standing up and heading toward the cave entrance.

“Ah, it was wet. Because it rained briefly this morning. That’s why.”

Mumble, mumble; the sound of the Prince talking to himself could be heard.

“Maeve, you’re there, right? Just wait a moment. I’ll start the fire again.”

Maeve wanted to tell him not to. She was worried he might get burned by the embers that had just gone out.

Fortunately, Prince Declan stopped fumbling around. The inside of the cave became strangely quiet.

Soon, a rustling sound was heard. Something moved near her, groping in the dark.

“……Maeve.”

The Prince’s hand found the blanket wrapped around her body. Soon, something even thicker was placed over her. A familiar scent she had faintly caught when he held her earlier wafted over. It was the Prince’s scent.

“Let’s warm your body first until morning comes. Maintaining body temperature is the priority, no matter what.”

“…….”

“I will stay by your side. If I lie close, at least a little warmth will reach you. In a cave, the cold rises from both the walls and the floor, so it’s freezing. That donkey fellow recognized it perfectly.”

Prince Declan spoke to Maeve about this and that more verbosely than usual, then soon became quiet. Maeve knew that his chatter was intended to reassure her as much as himself.

The paralysis that had suddenly struck her entire body began to gradually loosen as time passed. Sensation returned in the order it had stiffened. First the fingertips and toes, followed by the wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, and shoulders.

By the time Maeve woke up after a brief sleep, the sensation in her entire body had already returned. And at some point, a fire had been lit again. The yellow light illuminated the face of the Prince, who was lying down facing her. The Prince’s hand rested on one of Maeve’s shoulders as if patting her.

Finally, after several hours, Maeve raised her body and sat up. The Prince’s hand that had been on her shoulder slid down with a soft rustle.

For a long while, Maeve gazed at the Prince’s sleeping face with an expressionless countenance.

the absurdity from earlier remained. However, her gratitude remained as well, and now a certain indefinable pity was added to it.

Maeve carefully leaned her body down to check the Prince’s breathing. Although he hadn’t overexerted himself greatly, he must have used some energy in his own way, so she was worried that those scales might be acting up again.

Maeve carefully placed her hand on the Prince’s cheek and rubbed it as if tracing over it.

No matter the case, being forcibly drained is different from giving voluntarily.

Maeve even had such a thought now.

“…….”

Before she knew it, the Prince had opened his eyes with a blink and was looking at her.

The Prince’s blue eyes confirmed once more the figure of Maeve sitting upright, then closed as if relieved before slowly opening.

“That’s a relief, Maeve.”

If it had been before, she would have thought those words were merely spoken to himself. But now, Maeve knew that this man was a quite affectionate person, just as he had once boasted.

Maeve lay back down without answering. The Prince’s blue eyes were within arm’s reach. The two lay facing each other, quietly gazing at one another.

“We should leave here as soon as it gets light.”

Those were the first words Maeve, freed from her paralysis, spoke to the Prince.