I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 207
Just as the rumors said, Rufus returned to the Inferna Barony with Sarubia.
“Welcome back, Lord Rufus.”
The waiting servants of the barony all bowed their heads to Rufus.
It felt like only yesterday they were offering prayers for Rufus as he departed for the battlefield. The days they spent sleepless, worried he might not return alive, were still fresh in their minds.
And now here he was, back in one piece, hailed as a hero of the kingdom.
“Butler.”
“Yes, Master.”
The butler hurried over at the call of the Baroness of Inferna, who had returned with Rufus.
“How many horses do we have left in our stables?”
“Besides the four you received from the royal palace, we have two.”
“Two? Weren’t there originally three?”
“The horse that Young Master Rufus used had a broken back and died. Did you forget, Master?”
“Hmph, yes. My grandson’s riding skills are truly abysmal… If only he wouldn’t be that way in bed as well…”
Baroness Inferna cast a sympathetic glance at Rufus. Oblivious, Rufus was busy explaining various details about the baron’s estate to Sarubia.
She shifted her gaze away from Rufus.
“Butler, would losing one horse hinder official duties?”
“Why? Are we selling a horse?”
Edel, who had been listening to his grandmother, suddenly asked.
The answer to Edel’s question was revealed in that evening’s dinner menu.
“Joseph! Grandma killed Joseph!”
Edel, clutching his fork, burst into tears. Baroness Inferna clicked her tongue.
“Edel, are you seasoning your meal with tears because we’re short on salt?”
“I hate you, Grandma! How could you kill Joseph? I’m never speaking to you again!”
“Good. It was noisy with all your chattering anyway.”
Edel’s crying only grew louder at the baron’s indifferent response. The servant watching this grew anxious.
“Young Master, please stop crying! The harvest was so poor this year that we didn’t even have enough feed for the horses anyway.”
“I’d rather starve to death! Bring Joseph back to life!”
Edel’s tears continued to flow unabated.
“Who is Joseph?”
Sarubia, dipping her bread into her soup, asked Rufus quietly.
“Josephine’s husband.”
“And who’s Josephine?”
“Our only remaining horse in the stable.”
“Ah.”
Understanding the situation, Sarubia looked down at the piece of meat in her soup, shrugged, and picked up her fork. It seemed they would need to go fishing tomorrow.
* * *
After finishing their modest dinner, Rufus took Sarubia up to his room.
Rufus’s room was situated at the very top of the mansion. There were too many stairs for his grandmother, whose joints were weakening, and the space was too large for his young brother to use.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“We’ve finally arrived in the Inferna territory.”
“Yes, we have.”
“So, your thoughts?”
“It’s a vivid display of ‘poverty’ as an example of wealth disparity.”
“Right on point.”
Rufus gave a bitter smile.
They had arrived at the Inferna Barony in the late afternoon. Although he hadn’t had the chance to show Sarubia around the territory, he now felt there might be no need to do so tomorrow. She had likely seen enough during the ride in—the broken, frayed, torn, and shattered lives of the fief’s residents.
Introducing Sarubia to the barony’s mansion took less than ten minutes. Not because there was a lack of history to recount, but because that’s simply how far it was from the main gate to the attic at the farthest end.
“It’s all right.”
Sarubia chuckled and patted Rufus’s head.
“As long as I’m with you, I like it wherever we are.”
“Same here.”
Rufus replied briefly, gazing steadily at Sarubia. Her eyes were a deep blue, like the sky. Looking into them, he felt himself being drawn in. For a while, he simply watched her in silence.
He began to wonder if his gaze might bore a hole into her face.
“Rufus, why are you looking at me like…”
But Sarubia couldn’t finish her sentence.
At that moment, Rufus pulled her close, covering her lips with his. She didn’t even have a chance to let out a gasp of surprise. As her back touched the bed, his hot tongue delved deep inside her mouth.
“Ah…”
In an instant, their legs tangled, and her hair became disheveled. Even in that small chaos, Rufus didn’t let her go. His meticulous exploration, as if he was determined not to leave any space untouched, made her body tremble. His warm breaths filled her mouth without pause.
It was intense, as though he had lost all self-control. She felt completely engulfed by his raw desire.
“Rufus, why so suddenly, ah…”
“Sarubia.”
With his eyes filled with heat, Rufus whispered in her ear.
“I want you.”
As he kissed her deeply once more, a pleasant shiver ran through her entire body.
Only then did Sarubia realize—this man still lacked patience when it came to her, and he never knew how to take his time.
“Wait a moment, Rufus.”
Lying on the bed, Sarubia folded her arms as if to push him back.
“Isn’t it a bit much to pounce on me right after dinner?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s just… a bit much.”
“It’s not.”
Looking down at her with a blunt expression, Rufus made Sarubia sigh with a soft laugh.
“You really don’t understand a woman’s heart.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, that thing. Romance. You’re supposed to build up the mood, test each other’s feelings a bit, and then slowly heat things up until you can’t help it…”
She let out a yelp as Rufus suddenly took hold of her chin, turning her face toward him.
“I’m already heated up.”
Mm-hmm, yes, I see. Sarubia, caught off guard, muttered such silly words with a dazed expression.
“Now, is it my job to make you as heated as I am?”
