Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 94

“Hey.”

Maeve slowly turned her head and looked at the face of a man who looked like he had ‘thug’ written all over him to anyone.

“What are you doing so diligently…… Aaack!”

The man, who was about to put his hand on Maeve’s shoulder, screamed as his arm was lightly twisted. Maeve, after appropriately controlling her strength, kicked him and knocked him down. Then, lest people see, she dragged him further into a deeper place.

Fortunately, the fellow was alone. Maeve, who had pulled out her mallet for the stakes with the intention of quietly sweeping him away, threw the fellow onto the ground for now and sat on top of him.

“I know you’re all in league. Where is the man who came with me?”

“Wha—what are you talking about!”

“I know the rumors of this village. I heard stripping outsiders is your specialty. You know how fast rumors spread among merchants, right? Even the village across Eloa knows the rumors here.”

The fellow’s eyes grew wide, and with his nose turning red, he began to shed thick tears. Maeve belatedly let go of the man’s arm, which she had been twisting and holding tightly.

“My—my arm is broken!”

“It’s not broken. I controlled my strength and twisted it just a little.”

“I have no sensation!”

“That’s because the blood isn’t flowing. It’ll come back soon. Just answer my question.”

“I—I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything from the boss! You guys showed up suddenly! We need time to prepare too!”

Even after hearing those words, Maeve did not get off from on top of him.

“Is that so? That means it’s true that this is that kind of village. Who is your boss? Whether you prepared in advance or not, it seems someone from your side took my person first, so lead me to where your boss is.”

“……Aack! Mom!”

When Maeve grabbed him by the collar and shook him, the man suddenly looked for his mother as if he truly felt his life was threatened.

At that, all the mothers in the village heard that sound and began to buzz. Maeve clicked her tongue and let the man go.

It was then. Someone came running hurriedly into the alley.

“What is going on!”

It was the Prince.

Maeve was so flabbergasted that she stared at him blankly, just as she had before.

Making his disguise pointless, the Prince had even thrown back his hood; his golden hair fluttered as he ran toward them, and in his hand, he held a mallet of unknown origin.

“…….”

In the silence, only the sound of the man who had suffered at Maeve’s hands sobbing could be heard.

This was truly, undeniably absurd.

“So, while I was busy with that man, the villagers…… Decky, they approached you?”

“To be precise, it was the children. The kids I saw earlier. While playing, one of them got their leg caught between some planks.”

“And why out of all these people did you have to be the one to go rescue them?”

“Because I was the closest! It was an urgent situation. And for some reason, those children were playing right near me!”

Maeve let out a sigh of sheer disbelief and looked off into the distance for a moment.

Prince Declan looked at her as if he were the one who felt wronged.

“Those children intentionally drew your attention, Decky.”

“No. Listen to me. After I rescued the children, they suddenly started crying. So I had to soothe them. It was just a small injury; they won’t be crippled! I’m the one who’s flabbergasted. How could you vanish in that brief moment? How did you manage to make this man’s arm…… like this in such a short time?”

No, this was truly something else.

“Decky, it was because I thought you had been dragged away by people. You should have at least shouted.”

“But the child was twisting their body, and if things went wrong, a truly big……”

“I told you several times to be careful and suspicious, Decky.”

The man, who had dragged her toward his house with every intention of properly confronting Maeve, looked back at his mother as if he were the one who found this all ridiculous.

“Fine, just tell me why on earth you were holding that mallet.”

“You disappeared, so I went around looking for you! In the process, an old woman on some broken stairs……”

“Good grief. Just don’t say another word.”

Prince Declan glared at Maeve as if he were the one who had taken offense.

“These people are innocent! That old woman felt terribly sorry toward me!”

“Decky. Please, don’t say things like that so loudly!”

The man’s mother was already busy looking back and forth between Maeve and Prince Declan, having completely forgotten about her son’s injury.

“And you’re wrong, you idiot! That man told me himself. This is exactly that kind of village. He said there’s someone called a boss! And they apparently make some kind of preparations among themselves before stripping people of their belongings!”

A strange silence fell.

Prince Declan was already dazed by being called an ‘idiot.’ He huffed, and then, as if refusing to lose, said, “You’re the one who should say things like that quietly.”

Maeve scoffed. Since things had already turned out like this, what was the point of hiding anything?

“And I’m not apologizing to that guy. He intended to drag me away. It’s a typical tactic. Splitting up the group before the deed is done.”

The man, who had been listening quietly, shouted as if he were being treated unfairly.

“What are you talking about! I was just trying to lightly shake you down for some pocket change! I wanted to secure my share in advance!”