I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 116
“Lord Rufus, I have been working in Princess Sordid’s palace since I was twelve.”
After taking a breath, Sarubia continued.
“I can predict someone’s death by looking into their eyes. And the king and the princes, including Princess Sordid, often visited the palace.”
“Sarubia, you mean…”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Sarubia nodded heavily.
“The king, Prince Tarek, Princess Sordid… I have already foreseen all of their deaths.”
Rufus’s heart sank.
She had seen it all.
Then…
“Sarubia, you…”
“Yes, I know everything.”
Sarubia slowly raised her head.
“I know when and how the royal family will die.”
“…”
Rufus found it hard to breathe.
The unpleasant sensation creeping up his throat wouldn’t go away. He felt an overwhelming urge to vomit out the discomfort immediately.
No.
It can’t be. She shouldn’t know.
She must not know.
Desperately suppressing his wildly racing heart, Rufus followed Sarubia’s gaze.
She knew everything.
Did that mean she knew?
Did she know that he had killed Prince Tarek?
Struggling to suppress his pounding heart, Rufus slowly spoke.
“Then you must know how Prince Tarek died.”
“Yes.”
Sarubia’s calm voice returned.
“But you know about it better than I do, don’t you?”
***
The first time Sarubia saw Prince Tarek was shortly after she entered the palace as a maid.
At that time, twelve-year-old Sarubia was sweeping in front of Princess Sordid’s palace.
While she was sweeping, a bustling noise came from somewhere.
Curious, she peered around.
The head maid approached Sarubia and told her to put away the broom and instead tidy up the drawing room.
Prince Tarek, the third prince, had come to visit his half-sister, Princess Sordid.
‘What would the prince look like?’
Young Sarubia had never seen a real prince before.
Of course, she had seen many princes in fairy tales. All were handsome, kind, and romantic.
Would a real prince be like that?
Driven by curiosity, Sarubia quickly finished cleaning the drawing room and then secretly hid behind a stair pillar.
After a little while, laughter rang out, and Princess Sordid appeared. The princess, with her beautiful hair flowing, maintained an elegant posture as she walked. Accompanying her was a handsome young man.
It was Prince Tarek.
‘So, that’s what a prince looks like.’
Hidden behind the pillar, Sarubia stared blankly at Prince Tarek.
Prince Tarek, Princess Sordid’s half-brother. He was indeed as handsome as the rumors suggested.
‘But he looks a bit like a jerk.’
Sarubia chuckled quietly to herself, thinking no one would hear her laughter. However, Prince Tarek unexpectedly looked up, catching her eye from behind the pillar.
She wasn’t sure why it happened.
As her eyes met Prince Tarek’s, Sarubia instinctively used her unique magic without realizing it.
And then, she saw Prince Tarek’s death.
Prince Tarek was destined to die in a future demon subjugation campaign. She didn’t know the exact reasons, but he was fated to die from severe injuries, having lost too much blood, barely able to see.
The instrument of his death would be a silver sword adorned with a strange flame pattern.
In his final moments, imminent with death, Prince Tarek would be decapitated by that sword.
“What is this vulgar maid doing here? Do you even know where you are? Get out!”
Having noticed Sarubia, Prince Tarek lashed out in anger.
Sarubia fled the scene.
Her heart pounded wildly as she ran all the way back to her quarters.
‘…So, a silver-coated sword means he will be killed by a human, not a demon?’
That was the first royal death Sarubia had foreseen.
After that, Sarubia tried not to think about Prince Tarek’s death for a while.
Knowing about someone’s death tormented Sarubia. Even though she could foresee death, she had no power to change it.
Years passed.
Then, news reached Sarubia that Prince Tarek was going to participate in a demon subjugation battle.
‘Prince Tarek is going to die.’
Sarubia smiled bitterly.
Who would kill him? Whose was that uniquely shaped sword?
With these vague questions in mind, Sarubia eventually saw Rufus’s sword.
And she realized that it was Rufus who had killed Prince Tarek.
***
Why hadn’t he thought of this before?
Sarubia had said she had been working in the palace as a maid since she was twelve.
Even as a low-ranked maid, it was somewhat inevitable that she would have contact with royalty.
Why hadn’t he considered that she could have witnessed the deaths of the royals?
Serving the royalty was an absolute duty that the citizens of the Kingdom of Hevnia must perform with their lives on the line. Just look at Doctor Fertina; despite being insulted by him, she tried to protect Prince Tarek.
What about a maid serving Princess Sordid?
Protecting her mistress, the princess, and all other members of the royal family is surely Sarubia’s duty.
If Sarubia were to realize that Rufus had killed Prince Tarek, how would she react?
