Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 87

When the next morning arrived, Prince Declan asked Maeve, as if he had been waiting, why she had ended up in that state yesterday.

Maeve wanted to tell Prince Declan everything honestly by now if possible, but she could not. This was because when she asked about yesterday’s events, Prince Declan answered without hesitation that it was a “pretty-looking doe.” He even said he was grateful because the docile doe had been staying by her side, making it easier for him to find her.

Since she realized around that point that their memories as well as their perceptions were different, Maeve gave a vague excuse. She glossed it over by saying it was not an illness—Maeve was certain that Prince Declan was most worried about this point, and she was right—but that she had unknowingly touched a poisonous plant and suffered from paralyzing poison.

Prince Declan did not pry further; he believed her words and quickly accepted them.

“You have no idea how startled I was, Maeve.”

He simply said that.

As soon as morning came, their group moved away from the river and began heading straight west again. Fortunately, that terrible thing did not block their path or appear along the way. Most fortunately.

Maeve still did not know what it was. There were more than just one or two kinds of monsters living in the forest. From earth spirits who enjoyed teasing people at every turn to large, ugly trolls that would pounce as soon as they saw a person. There were countless monsters now remaining only in stories.

“Come to think of it, it feels like it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen another person. Harold said that there are people coming and going, so you’re bound to encounter them once or twice.”

“It is because of the season. Everyone might be busy preparing for winter. Harold said so too.”

Maeve simply said that. She decided not to mention that she had seen three corpses that looked like Imperial citizens to anyone before she saw the doe.

She indifferently gathered edible mushrooms and tossed them into the basket.

“And the animals here don’t seem very frightened even when they see people. Like that deer that was guarding you while you were down. They don’t run away when they see me; they just stare as if they’re spectating.”

Maeve could not help but turn her head to look at him at those words.

Under the pouring yellow sunlight, Prince Declan’s blonde hair sparkled even more. He spoke casually with an innocent face, even humming a tune.

“What kind of animals?”

Before she knew it, her speech became informal.

The Prince raised his eyebrows for a moment but answered without minding.

“Squirrels, or rabbits. Especially the squirrels. You know how fast they are. But they never run away even when I get close. Something is…… different from other places. Is that why you said we should get away quickly?”

Maeve did not bother to deny those words.

“It is because human footsteps have almost completely ceased. Perhaps it is because it’s a place where the power of the wild is stronger.”

Maeve fixed the basket full of collected mushrooms to the horse’s saddle by tying it with a rope. This time, Prince Declan mounted the horse first. Bebe still acted awkwardly toward the Prince, but he could no longer refuse to let him ride as he had before.

Prince Declan, who had mounted first, reached out his hand to Maeve. Maeve did not decline and placed her hand upon the Prince’s.

Prince Declan naturally handed her the horse’s reins. She felt the man’s broad chest behind her back. A gentle breeze blew, subtly carrying that man’s characteristic scent.

“Do you still think that maple forest is beautiful?”

Prince Declan nodded his head.

“Yes. I think it is beautiful. But at the same time, I also find it lonely. Isn’t that how autumn is? It sheds every single pretty leaf to prepare for a long winter sleep. This maple forest especially feels like time has stopped, so I think it has a peculiar beauty.”

“Like that maple forest where the witch is said to live.”

“Indeed. Maeve, do you dislike autumn?”

“I don’t have much of a thought on it. I just think it’s better than winter.”

Because of the donkey’s presence, they still had to ride while appropriately adjusting the horse’s speed. Nevertheless, after riding without rest, they soon arrived at the edge of the vast land known as Eloa.

As if to prove it, green conifers began to appear sparsely in the distance.

Maeve stopped driving the horse and looked back for a moment.

She gazed for a long while at the endless plains, the maple forest at the edge, and that expansive land where one felt they could never escape if they once lost their way; then, she soon drove the horse forward again.

In the country of mages, which grew more powerful by the day, one could not feel the seasons.

This was because, through the power of magic, an optimal temperature—always appropriately warm yet cool—was maintained. Therefore, one had to go outside to experience the seasons, but most citizens of Sorten did not particularly enjoy leaving the country.