Please Die, Your Highness - Chapter 96

Prince Declan was quickly swayed by his speech. He whispered to Maeve:

“I told you. We look like beggars to anyone.”

“Right. And that thug was planning to extort money from beggars.”

The house was silent, and everyone was listening to their whispering.

The thug cut in again.

“That’s right. I was planning to hit on her while I was at it. She’s cute despite being covered in dirt. You happy now?”

No, I am not.

Maeve stared at the thug expressionlessly, conveying that sentiment.

Meanwhile, Prince Declan was unable to move past the thug’s remark. Hitting on her. Cute despite being covered in dirt.

Prince Declan stared at him with his mouth agape and a somewhat stupid look on his face, then looked at Maeve and said:

“That is true.”

Maeve, who had indifferently brushed off the thug’s comment, now stared at Prince Declan with a face that had turned overtly cold.

“Ahem.”

Billy spoke up at the perfect timing to intervene.

“Anyway, with this……”

“…….”

“The misunderstanding is cleared up, right? We had no intention of laying a hand on you two, and Kiaran was punished for trying to act independently. So, he paid the price for his own actions.”

Billy spoke as if drawing a clear conclusion on his own. Prince Declan still believed the children and the old woman were people who genuinely wanted his help, and he was glad that the misunderstanding seemed resolved.

Only Maeve was gazing steadily at Billy with a dry expression.

“……ly! ……Boss!”

And just then, someone called out for Boss Billy frantically.

Having likely been told by someone else, they ran straight toward this house, calling Billy’s name again. Not stopping there, they flung the door open and said:

“It’s a windfall! They were with a horse and a donkey! They must have more money than they look!”

Before they knew it, the middle of the afternoon had long since passed, and it was time for the sunset to fade. It had somehow become that late. Incredibly so.

Billy returned Bebe and Ambrox, which the village youths had stolen, with a silent and embarrassed face. Bebe, who had been threatening the village youths, walked over with peerless haughtiness and demanded that Maeve stroke the bridge of his nose. The donkey, Ambrox, was already playing with the young children.

“As a gesture of apology, I shall give you an empty house. You may stay as long as you wish.”

Maeve still found the situation disagreeable, but she had no choice but to accept. After camping out for several days, not only Prince Declan but also the two animals were very exhausted.

“If you are truly sorry, why not provide compensation? A compass, for example.”

Maeve made the demand calmly, and Boss Billy, who had been wearing an embarrassed face, returned to a sly expression as if he had never been flustered and rejected her flatly, saying it was impossible. He claimed it was the most expensive item among their possessions.

Maeve returned to the empty house and looked around once. The villagers said it had not even been three years since they migrated here. And they said this house had been built for migrants, but since no one had moved in, it had been an empty house from the beginning until now.

As with the exterior, the interior of the building was also excellent. It was a well-constructed wooden house.

A village that had only migrated here three years ago, yet already gained notoriety for extorting money from outsiders. It sounded deeply strange, but Maeve did not bother to pry into them.

She was not curious about their story. She intended to leave again after staying appropriately and recovering from the fatigue of her journey.

Maeve came back out of the house and sat on the steps with her knees gathered.

Over there, she saw the young donkey playing excitedly with children and dogs. Though it could not run as nimbly as a dog, the donkey struggled to join in and play somehow.

Not far away, Prince Declan held Bebe’s reins and was letting him graze in a nearby field of grass. Villagers shamelessly struck up conversations with him as they passed by. With a smiling face, Prince Declan conversed with them with peerless radiance and generosity.

It was something she had felt not long ago as well, but that man had a very good social ability. Part of it was that his temperament itself was kind and good, but perhaps that unhesitating attitude, which showed no trace of fear of rejection, played a part.

I suppose so. He was a Prince of a nation and grew up receiving even more love than his older brother, the first Prince. So…….

Maeve noticed Prince Declan soon spotting something and smiling broadly. It was a child. The child carrying a newborn baby on their back walked toward Prince Declan while limping with one foot swollen thick.

Prince Declan picked up the children without hesitation.

“He is a truly ideal Prince.”

Maeve spoke as if murmuring. At some point, without her knowing when he had arrived, the horse Bebe was loitering beside her.

Bebe snorted loudly, as if reluctantly agreeing with her words or perhaps refusing to acknowledge them.