I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 151
While Prince Camus was searching for Sarubia, Rufus was deep in thought.
‘Get the ring by tomorrow. Otherwise, you won’t be safe.’
Baroness Inferna’s warning echoed in his mind.
A ring.
Yes, a ring.
With the help of the witch Odr, he had obtained a ring for Sarubia.
And now, he had to give her this ring.
“Rufus, focus on fishing!”
How was he supposed to bring out the ring in this situation?
“If you just sit still like that, do you think the fish will come? Shake the fishing line a bit more.”
“I am shaking it.”
Rufus replied brusquely, holding the fishing rod, as Sarubia chided him. She puffed her cheeks in frustration.
“Hey, what’s that? Shake it more seductively!”
“I don’t know what you mean by shaking it seductively.”
“You don’t know? Rufus, we’re trying to entice the fish.”
“Why on earth?”
“Just imagine you want to make the beautiful fish in this river your lover and shake the line.”
“…I don’t wish to engage in an illicit relationship with a fish.”
Rufus replied drily.
Currently, Rufus and Sarubia were enjoying fishing together.
To be precise, Sarubia was enjoying herself, and Rufus was just going along with it.
The surroundings were quiet. Occasionally, an unknown bird would sing a delicate tune and vanish like a gentle breeze. Except for the rushing sound of the flowing river, there was no other noise.
“…”
Rufus stared blankly at the fishing rod Sarubia had handed him.
What am I even doing right now?
Sarubia had finally gotten her wish. She had managed to drag Rufus out for some outdoor fishing.
Of course, there had been several complications beforehand.
‘What? You want to go fishing?’
‘Leaving the palace is dangerous. We will accompany you.’
Initially, Prince Tarek’s knights had insisted on escorting her. It made sense, as Sarubia was the beloved Saintess of the entire nation. Anything could happen if she left the palace without protection.
But Sarubia dismissed them all.
‘Do you know how much stress the fish experience when people swarm around?’
With that one remark, Sarubia had left the palace with Rufus alone.
As a result, even Baroness Inferna, Rufus’s grandmother, and his younger brother Edel did not know where they had gone.
The place where Rufus and Sarubia were fishing was a forest about an hour away from the palace.
It was a spectacular sight. The greenery, as if the goddess of life had breathed her spirit into it. The river flowed as if it were alive. A pristine, untouched wilderness.
“There really is no one here.”
Rufus muttered after glancing around the forest.
“Yes. It’s a forest you can only reach after passing through the palace, so only those who know about it come here.”
Sarubia examined the freshly retrieved fishing hook. The bait that had been on the sharp hook was now completely gone.
“Hmm, it took the bait and ran.”
Sarubia shrugged lightly.
She reached into a box full of soil, rummaging through the dirt. Soon, she pulled out a wriggling worm, which she had carefully selected.
“Did you always fish here when you worked at the princess’s palace?”
“Yes, I came here often whenever I had a day off.”
Without any hesitation, Sarubia skewered the wriggling worm onto the hook.
So, this was how Sarubia spent her leisure time.
Rufus felt happy.
He was glad to learn something new about her.
Rufus fiddled with the fishing rod Sarubia had given him.
Rufus did not like fishing.
Just thinking about it made him bored. Sitting in the same spot, in the same position, endlessly waiting for a catch that might never come, was incredibly tedious. He would rather be out hunting, even if it meant coming back empty-handed.
The reason Rufus had willingly agreed to go fishing today was…
“Ah! I missed it again!”
“Sarubia!”
…Sarubia. Because of her.
Rufus’s heart pounded as Sarubia suddenly jumped to her feet. Whether she realized it or not, she tilted her head with a fresh smile.
“Hmm? Why did you call me?”
“Don’t stand up so abruptly. What if you fall into the river?”
His heartbeat sped up as he watched her.
Of course, he knew. Sarubia was lively and dynamic, more than anyone else.
Sometimes, watching her was like observing a mischievous newborn kitten. He liked her energetic demeanor.
But fishing was fishing. It required sitting quietly and waiting for the fish to bite the bait. He had thought that fishing might calm her down a bit. But that was a big mistake.
“Falling in is fine, isn’t it? Sometimes, when fishing gets boring, you jump into the water to swim, right?”
“The fishing I know seems very different from yours.”
Rufus muttered at Sarubia’s spirited declaration.
“Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
Whoosh—
Sarubia cast her line again and chuckled. With a small splash, the fishing weight sank below the surface. The clear flow of water echoed like a melody.
Nothing happened afterward. Occasionally, there was the sound of fish splashing somewhere, but that was it. The fish didn’t seem interested in taking Rufus and Sarubia’s bait.
It didn’t matter.
Just watching her was enough.
Even without saying anything, without doing anything, without anything happening.
Simply watching her, letting time pass, and staying by her side was enough.
Just that was enough.
Just that.
