I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 145
From the back, Iruel snickered. The witch Odr chuckled as she began to organize her tools.
The gloves the witch Odr wore were specially crafted for this very day. They were inscribed with a magic circle that forcibly reduced the purity of silver. When worn, even the most lethal silver to demons would temporarily lose its effect.
“Farewell, Your Majesty.”
The witch Odr scattered magical ingredients over the magic circle drawn on the table.
As soon as the magic circle activated, black hands emerged. Thin and short like those of a baby, the hands all grabbed hold of Queen Echinacea’s soul.
The queen’s specter twisted desperately to escape the black hands. However, the empty soul without a body had no strength.
“How dare a cursed witch… do this to me…”
The last piece of Queen Echinacea’s soul began to dissolve. Like wax consumed by a bright red flame, her soul lost its form.
“……”
Rufus silently watched the witch Odr’s work.
Queen Echinacea was completely annihilated in such a pitiful state.
It was laughable.
Queen Echinacea, in her lifetime, had lost her ‘existence’ at the hands of the demons she had so despised.
So easily, so very easily.
—Humans.
How could humans be such weak beings?
Why was I born as one of these ‘humans’?
Why.
Why?
***
Just as Rufus and Iruel had left Prince Tarek’s palace—
“Who goes there?”
A stranger arrived late at night. The gatekeeper soldiers of Prince Tarek’s palace looked at the man before them with wary eyes.
A unique man with long, braided black hair. He was a stranger, never seen within the palace before.
“Greetings. I appreciate your hard work this late at night.”
The well-dressed man spoke politely to the soldiers.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Roned.”
Roned, Roned.
Upon hearing the name, the soldiers exchanged glances. A name without a surname. He was clearly a commoner.
“That name is unfamiliar. Go back.”
The soldiers responded with prickly voices.
“Of course, you wouldn’t have heard of my name. But you will be hearing it often from now on, so it wouldn’t hurt to remember it.”
Roned replied cheerfully and took a step forward. The soldiers instinctively raised their spears, ready to defend.
“Oh dear, isn’t this a bit excessive?”
Roned laughed, raising his hands above his head to show he meant no harm. Despite his gesture, the soldiers did not lower their spears.
“Speak. Where do you come from?”
“I am someone who stays at the palace of Prince Camus.”
Prince Camus? Hearing that name made the soldiers grip their weapons tighter.
It was a well-known fact that Prince Camus was antagonistic towards Prince Tarek. The appearance of someone from Prince Camus’s entourage at Prince Tarek’s palace was a cause for alarm.
“What is your reason for visiting Prince Tarek’s palace at this late hour?”
The soldier questioned Roned sharply.
“I’ve come to see the Saintess.”
“What, the Saintess?”
The soldiers scoffed.
In recent days, many people had come seeking Saintess Sarubia. Although they were mostly people of no rank, the soldiers knew their intentions were obvious.
In the current situation, where Prince Tarek had returned alive thanks to Saintess Sarubia’s power to see death, those seeking her were undoubtedly trying to bring her to their side.
Prince Camus had likely sent this man to win over Saintess Sarubia as well.
With this thought, the soldiers waved Roned away dismissively.
“The Saintess is already asleep.”
“Then can I see her if I come back tomorrow?”
“Hmph, the Saintess doesn’t meet even the heirs of ducal families. Why would she meet someone like you?”
One of the soldiers openly mocked Roned.
Yet, Roned didn’t lose the smile on his lips.
“Is that so? I don’t think the Saintess would turn away her own family.”
The soldiers froze at Roned’s words.
“Family?”
“Aha, you didn’t know? I am the Saintess’s older brother.”
Roned announced with a sly smile.
What was this? The soldiers were suddenly thrown into confusion. This was news to them. The Saintess had a brother? Did she have any family at all?
“It seems the Saintess hasn’t mentioned this to you. She had promised to meet me once she returned to the capital…”
Roned trailed off deliberately, observing the soldiers’ puzzled expressions.
The soldiers had heard nothing from Sarubia. She had maintained that she wouldn’t meet anyone who came looking for her. And now, a brother?
“The Saintess hasn’t said a word about this.”
“She must have forgotten, being so busy with other matters. Understandable, given her many responsibilities.”
Roned interjected quickly before the soldiers could think too deeply.
“I will come back tomorrow, but please pass this on to the Saintess.”
Roned handed the soldiers a small bouquet, roughly the size of a hand. Oddly enough, it was made of paper rather than fresh flowers. It looked somewhat clumsy, as if folded by an amateur.
“What is this…”
“Have a good night!”
Before the soldiers could inspect the bouquet properly, Roned cheerfully bid them farewell and turned away.
“Hey, wait a minute…!”
Humming a tune, the man walked away leisurely, and no one stopped him.
The soldiers could only look down at the paper bouquet with bewildered expressions.
