I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 215
“Oh, be careful with your back!”
“Th-thank you.”
Supported by Iruel, Fertina blushed once more, sneaking another glance over his bare chest.
Iruel let out a shallow sigh.
“Miss Fertina, could you stop sneaking glances?”
“Oh, s-sorry… Did that bother you? It’s just that your body is… quite impressive, so I couldn’t help it…”
“You’re welcome to look openly.”
“What?”
“I meant exactly what I said.”
Thud. At some point, Iruel’s pants had slipped to the floor of the bathroom.
“S-Sir Iruel!”
A deep red flush instantly spread across Fertina’s face.
“What are you doing? Put your pants on, now!”
Turning her head so sharply it looked painful, she covered her eyes with both hands. Fertina was completely flustered, while Iruel remained unfazed.
“Don’t you want to look? Go ahead—it’s free.”
“Sir Iruel!”
With a shriek, Fertina pushed Iruel away and fled to her room without looking back even once.
“Didn’t even want to look.”
Left alone, Iruel clicked his tongue. He’d thought she was interested in seeing him, but she’d shut him down so coldly. It stung a little.
“What does that woman really want?”
Locking the bathroom door, Iruel sighed. Even as he warmed his body with hot water, he couldn’t shake the chill within.
After his bath, he dressed in fresh clothes and stood before Fertina’s room again.
“Miss Fertina.”
Knock, knock.
As he tapped on the door, he heard a loud clatter from inside. Curious about what could be causing such a commotion, he barely waited before the door opened with a heavy creak.
“Are you done with your bath?”
Fertina appeared, her expression prim as ever, but her cheeks were still flushed.
She guided him into the room and sat herself on the edge of the bed. Iruel regarded her for a moment before he calmly turned and took a seat on a chair.
Seeing Iruel sit on the chair instead of joining her on the bed, Fertina sprang to her feet.
“W-Why are you sitting there?”
“Chairs are made for sitting, Miss Fertina.”
His smooth response left her at a loss for words, and after a moment, she crossed her arms.
“Um. I offered you a place to sleep, didn’t I? Come lie on the bed.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Yawning, Iruel leaned back against the chair.
“Horses sleep standing up, humans sleep lying down, and trash sleeps sitting up.”
“What?”
“Goodnight, Miss Fertina.”
With that short goodnight, Iruel closed his eyes.
For about three seconds.
“Sir Iruel!”
“Whoa! You scared me!”
As she suddenly yanked him forward, Iruel’s eyes flew open, only to see Fertina’s face right in front of his.
“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you want to sleep with me?”
Fertina, gripping his collar, shook him vigorously. Despite her thin arms, her strength was incredible, and Iruel’s head was spinning.
“W-Wait, Miss Fertina! I never said I wanted to sleep with you!”
Struggling to focus as he was tossed about, Iruel protested loudly.
“Don’t lie! Ever since you saw me in the forest, you’ve been looking at me with that strange gaze!”
“A strange gaze? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“A lewd look! Like you’re itching to do something right now!”
Hearing that, Iruel felt wronged.
“What? I was born with this kind of face! And I honestly didn’t expect you to actually let me stay over!”
“W-Well, I did let you stay! So come to bed already!”
A fiery determination burned in Fertina’s eyes as she clung to him. Her unexpectedly aggressive approach left Iruel utterly flustered.
“Why are you doing this, Miss Fertina? If you want the herbs that badly, I’ll just give them to you for free!”
“It’s not about the herbs!”
Fertina cried out urgently.
“I like you, Sir Iruel!”
In that moment, Iruel’s mind froze.
At first, he thought he must have misheard.
Yes, he definitely heard it wrong. Someone confessing their feelings for him? Such a heartwarming and beautiful thing couldn’t possibly be happening to him.
But her next words shattered that thought entirely.
“I’m sorry for being so abrupt, but I really do like you, Sir Iruel!”
His next thought was that she must have made a mistake in saying it.
It made no sense. They’d only met a few times. And those brief encounters hadn’t been particularly deep or meaningful. How could someone develop such strong feelings in a relationship like that?
So Iruel asked,
“Why, exactly?”
—That was his honest response.
Why, seriously, why?
There were so many decent men out there in the world. So why, of all people, would she choose someone as worn-down and shabby as him?
Fertina’s eyes squeezed shut.
“I’m not sure either! But I think I’ve liked you since I first met you!”
Oh dear. Iruel scratched his cheek, a look of pity creasing his brow.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt a serious confession, but… Miss Fertina, how old are you?”
“T-Twenty-eight.”
“So… not just eight?”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
Twenty-eight. Twenty-eight years old.
Iruel looked at her with a slightly weary expression. At that age, hadn’t she experienced enough of life’s ups and downs? And yet, she was acting like an innocent girl with this whole ‘love at first sight’ bit. Even a cheap melodrama wouldn’t milk that line.
“Miss Fertina.”
Iruel looked up at Fertina, who was still clutching his collar.
“I don’t reciprocate, Miss Fertina.”
“Oh.”
“Liking me would only lead to disaster. So before you ruin your life, go find another man.”
“I know. I know you don’t like me, Sir Iruel.”
Fertina took a deep breath.
“But me liking you is my business, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”
