I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 208
“You’re really quite the shameless one.”
Sarubia let out a nervous laugh and poked his cheek playfully.
“Tell me. Since when did you want to be with me?”
“Since when? What a pointless question.”
“Huh?”
“It’s always been like this.”
Displeased with her seemingly teasing gesture, Rufus grabbed her wrist and guided her hands to cup his cheeks instead.
“Since I met you again, there hasn’t been a single moment when I didn’t want you.”
Sarubia.
He remembered the time he’d pondered why, of all people, it had to be her. Half the world was filled with women, yet none of them stirred anything in him.
The answer to that question soon became clear.
—Because it wasn’t you.
Among all those people, you were the one who wasn’t there.
Every time he intertwined his breath with hers, sharing warmth, he was overwhelmed by passion. And he wondered:
How could he leave a deeper mark on her?
How could he appeal to her with his whole being?
How could he engrave himself upon her?
Thoughts like these filled his mind.
There was room for nothing else.
He couldn’t think of anything but her.
Whether such intensity was the natural result of falling in love or if it was simply because Sarubia was so uniquely captivating, Rufus couldn’t say. He had never harbored feelings for another woman. Sarubia was the only woman he knew, and she was the only one he responded to.
The one thing he was certain of was that, when he stood before her, something within him was utterly uncontainable.
He wanted to love her more and more. That was all he could hold within him. Every time he found himself desperately pursuing her, he realized that he was helplessly drawn to her, yearning again and again.
It was a kind of curse.
Eventually, everything about Rufus ceased to hold meaning without her. He breathed for her, ate and drank for her, and lived for her. He could only surrender to that utter destruction with a strange sense of gratitude.
Because—
If that was what love was, he was ready to split open his chest and offer his heart willingly.
And so—
Sarubia.
“I want to give you everything I am.”
The piece of his heart he had quietly held onto finally echoed.
“……”
Without a word, Sarubia looked up at Rufus with a smile. Then—
“If I said I didn’t want it… would you be hurt?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then I suppose I have to accept it.”
What returned was a radiant smile, as full as a bright full moon.
“Come on, give it all to me while I’m asking nicely. I’ll take it all.”
Sarubia gently wrapped her arms around Rufus’s neck.
The playful smile hid a deep tension, but he didn’t say anything, sparing her any embarrassment.
Instead, he stole a kiss from her.
Excitement slid into Sarubia’s mouth, merging with hers. The movement between their heated breaths was so vivid. The constant waves of heat took her breath away, and she tried to turn her head to catch her breath. But it only served to further encourage him.
“Mm… ah…”
Her neck tilted back from the persistent sensations. He didn’t allow even the smallest gap.
Hot sensations repeatedly invaded her, relentless in their pursuit. The kiss continued with fierce intensity.
“Such remarkable progress…”
“What?”
Catching her breath, Sarubia smiled brightly.
“To be honest, I thought you were a naive man who’d only seen the walls of the barony’s mansion all his life, but it seems you were just hiding it.”
“Are you teasing me?”
Rufus’s gaze was fixed on Sarubia’s eyes. Meanwhile, his cool hand slid beneath the hem of her clothes.
“Of course not. It’s a compliment… ah!”
Rufus kissed her collarbone. Her body, stimulated once more, quickly grew heated.
He gently stroked Sarubia’s trembling waist. The warmth he felt through the thin fabric was beyond what he had imagined. At first, his hands caressed her gently, savoring her warmth, but gradually they began to venture deeper.
“Ahaha, ah… it tickles.”
Just as she tried to brush his hand away, Rufus caught her wrist as if he’d been waiting for that moment.
“Don’t pull away.”
Rufus’s eyes held a peculiar glimmer as he looked down at her.
He drew her closer, pulling her into himself. They were so close that their hair mingled, and they could feel each other’s breath.
“Kiss me.”
“Hm, I don’t feel like doing it just because you asked.”
Sarubia smiled playfully.
“Maybe I’ll reconsider if you ask more politely?”
But Rufus had no intention of playing along with her teasing. Ignoring her provocation, he simply captured her lips.
Oh well, Sarubia thought, closing her eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around Rufus’s shoulders.
As the kiss deepened, Rufus gently caressed her back. The subtle touch only made her more desperate, and a soft sound escaped her lips, one she couldn’t stifle.
“…All right, that’s enough.”
Sarubia pulled away, breathless, speaking as if she were barely holding herself together. Her whole body felt as though it were melting.
“Maybe we should slow down a bit. At this pace, I might not last very long…”
But Rufus didn’t hear her words.
He couldn’t stop.
He had no intention of letting her go, even for a moment. Instead, he held her even tighter.
He wanted to know more. He wanted to vividly remember how she responded to him, the sweet sounds she made, how deeply she felt him, every detail engraved in his memory.
