I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 31
Rufus hesitated.
Why was she smiling?
In an instant, the final spark soared through the dark sky.
Boom!
With the sound of an explosion, a thick beam of light stretched out. The cheers of the people gathered in the courtyard erupted.
…It didn’t take long for those cheers to turn into screams.
The flames, with their extended tails, soon split into dozens of branches.
“It’s incredibly beautiful.”
Edel, marveling at the fireworks with ecstatic eyes, exclaimed.
The fiery streaks moved dynamically, taking various paths in different directions. Strangely, instead of ascending to the sky like before, the fiery streaks began to fall towards the ground.
Initially, Rufus thought it was part of the fireworks display. However, when the scattered fiery streaks covered the crowd of spectators and those hit directly by the painful flames screamed and collapsed, he realized something was seriously wrong.
“Get down!”
Rufus quickly reached out his hand.
BOOM!
Following that, a fiery streak struck the roof of the annex. The walls shattered like cookie crumbs.
The flames that fell onto the golden floor were burning vigorously. If someone had been hit directly, not even their bones might have been left.
“What is this…?”
Rufus bit his lip tightly and retracted the protective barrier he had conjured with magic.
He couldn’t comprehend what was happening. All he knew was that the sparks that had just flown could have taken the lives of his precious people. This fact drove Rufus into a frenzy.
“Rufus!”
“Brother!”
Voices calling out to him from behind reached Rufus. He quickly turned around.
“Where’s Grandmother?”
“Over here.”
A strained voice was heard. Baroness Inferna, who had fallen due to the sudden shock of the falling flames, rose with the support of Sarubia.
Rufus and his group hurriedly retreated inside the annex.
The vibrant palace turned into a battlefield. Those hit by the flames died on the spot. Not even magical power would be able to save them.
Near the area where outsiders had gathered, there were piles of hay for an unknown purpose. The flames soon engulfed the hay piles, causing a large fire. People struggled desperately to survive against the random attacks of the disastrous fire.
Pillars of fire were shooting up into the sky, illuminating the royal palace as if it were broad daylight.
Thud!
The outer wall of the annex where Rufus stayed vibrated heavily again as it was hit by the flames. At the same time, the screams of the servants resounded in his ears.
“Fire!”
“Everyone, run outside!”
The annex where Rufus’s family stayed was engulfed in flames. Inside and out.
***
From the highest tower, there was someone watching it all.
‘Just as planned.’
It was the king.
Fully armored, he watched the spreading flames with a satisfied expression.
He had summoned the royal mages early on and ordered them to intentionally drop the last firework towards the annex, as though it was a ‘mistake’. He had also intentionally ordered people to scatter dry hemp to ensure that the fire would burn thoroughly.
As a result, the area surrounding the annex had turned into a sea of flames.
The king had a plan to personally kill Rufus in the chaotic scene that had become a battlefield.
Of course, if he killed Rufus, the hero of the country, the people would turn their backs on the king. So, the king plotted a conspiracy.
In the midst of the confusion caused by the fire spreading in the royal palace, he would set fire to the palace, blaming it on infiltrators from the opposing faction.
He planned to use the chaos to frame Rufus for killing innocent civilians and eliminate both the troublesome Rufus and political opposition in one stroke.
It was a golden opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
“Your Majesty, it’s time for you to step forward.”
The secretary, with folded hands, extended a hilted sword to the king.
“Please judge the traitor who dares to challenge the throne.”
The king grasped the sword firmly.
“Yes. Today, I shall definitely take that scoundrel’s life.”
Thinking of Rufus’s face, the king declared to everyone present.
“Let’s go, let’s incite the people and pass judgment on that rebel who insulted the Royal Princess!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Knights disguised as assassins from the opposing faction knelt before the king.
