I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 194
As promised, Rufus had brought the queen’s sword to him.
A flurry of thoughts rushed through Viren’s mind.
Had his sources been wrong all this time?
Despite sweeping, searching, and overturning the entire capital, the sword had remained elusive. Yet this man, Rufus, had managed to locate it within less than a week of his return to the capital.
How, exactly?
Who was this man, really?
Viren was struggling to process the questions welling up in his mind, his judgment momentarily frozen.
“There is, in fact, something urgent I need to tell you, Your Highness,” Rufus said.
“What is it?”
Viren, who had been staring blankly at the sword, quickly lifted his head.
He couldn’t help but listen. Rufus was the one who had returned his mother’s relic. How could he ignore his words?
As Viren hastily tried to gather his thoughts, wondering what Rufus might say, Rufus continued.
“It’s regarding Princess Sordid.”
“Sordid?”
Hearing the princess’s name, Viren instinctively furrowed his brows slightly.
Could he still have feelings for the princess?
Viren worried that Rufus might speak of wanting to marry Princess Sordid. As if sensing his concern, Rufus added an explanation.
“To be precise, it concerns her fiancé.”
Princess Sordid’s fiancé—that would be Prince Erius of the Empire.
Imperial Prince Erius was the suitor whom the king, after much deliberation, had finally approved as a worthy match for the princess.
Though he didn’t know Erius personally, Viren held a positive opinion of him.
Imperial Prince Erius was known to be diligent and hardworking. Although he hadn’t ascended to the position of crown prince due to his older sister, he was a man of great ambition, expected to achieve significant accomplishments in the future. So what could Rufus possibly have to say about him?
Viren decided to at least hear him out.
“Imperial Prince Erius is planning a coup to seize the imperial throne.”
“What nonsense is this?!”
Viren, taken aback, shouted unintentionally.
A rebellion? A rebellion?! How could anyone dare to make such an outrageous claim?
Yet, unlike the agitated Viren, Rufus’s expression remained completely unchanged.
“I understand that this may sound audacious. But everything I am telling you now is the truth.”
Rufus’s voice remained calm and steady.
“Your Highness, during the recent subjugation campaign, I encountered citizens of the Empire in the border forests. They all agreed that Imperial Prince Erius’s movements were suspicious.”
Hah.
Viren couldn’t help but inwardly scoff. What a flimsy, weak claim.
“Rufus, your words lack credibility. Why would citizens of the Empire come all the way to the kingdom’s borders? And why should I trust that those you encountered in the forest were actually from the Empire?”
Annoyed, Viren asked sharply. Rufus, however, didn’t so much as blink at the harsh question.
“Perhaps they had strayed too far while gathering herbs. Or it could have happened while they were moving to feed their livestock.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“If you had read the annual reports submitted from the Inferna Barony’s estate, you’d know that it’s not unusual for citizens of the Empire to travel down to the border areas.”
Viren clicked his tongue again upon hearing Rufus’s words.
Reports of the Inferna Barony, huh.
Unfortunately, he had never read them. The king, harboring a personal grudge against Baroness Inferna, burned the reports as soon as they arrived.
Viren glanced at Rufus.
“Fine. Let’s assume you really did meet citizens of the Empire in the border’s forest. But are you fluent in the Empire’s language?”
“The residents of the Inferna territory include many who are originally from the Empire. As the heir to the barony, it’s only natural that I speak their language.”
Quite impressive for the son of a mere barony.
But that was as far as Viren was willing to concede. He immediately pointed out the doubts he’d harbored since the beginning of the conversation.
“If, as you say, even commoners in the Empire know about Imperial Prince Erius’s plans for rebellion, then the entire Empire must be aware. So why has the Imperial Crown Princess not detained him?”
“While Imperial Prince Erius may be shunned by the nobles, he is highly regarded by the commoners. To detain him without a clear reason would be an act that risks losing public favor.”
Rufus’s response flowed smoothly, leaving Viren without any grounds for further argument. What he had dismissed as flimsy now seemed to be well-supported by reasonable explanations.
That didn’t mean Viren had accepted Rufus’s claims. More precisely, Viren had no intention of accepting them from the start.
Imperial Prince Erius, along with Princess Sordid, enjoyed the support of the people of the Hevania Kingdom. He was one of the few figures who helped restore the waning reputation of the royal family. There was no way they could easily discard him, especially during a time of crisis following the deaths of two princes.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me right now.”
Rufus spoke calmly, perhaps unaware of—or indifferent to—Viren’s reluctance.
“Even now, you should prepare for the worst-case scenario in case the alliance with the Empire breaks down. Otherwise, the people may suffer greatly. That is all I have to say.”
After saying no more, Rufus gave Viren a respectful bow and quietly departed.
