I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 83
He killed Prince Tarek.
He deceived everyone.
And he survived.
In that moment, an unbearable bliss enveloped Rufus.
Prince Tarek was dead.
He had killed that abominable youngest son of the king, Prince Tarek.
With his own hands.
“……”
Rufus silently observed the captains who had appeared before him.
They were the captains who once looked down on him as if he was a mere bug. The humans who frequently insulted him during officer meetings. Rufus had once been beneath them.
But not anymore.
The tables had turned.
Rufus, who had beheaded the Demon King, now stood in a position higher than the captains.
“Lord Rufus, although I am aware that you have not yet recovered… may I ask you a few questions?”
The captains carefully started speaking, gauging Rufus’s reactions.
“What is it?”
“The whereabouts of His Highness Prince Tarek are currently unknown.”
“No, how could that be…!”
Rufus feigned surprise, interjecting.
The captains continued with grim expressions.
“According to the doctor’s testimony, you were the last person seen entering His Highness Prince Tarek’s tent…”
The captains turned their gaze to Doctor Fertina, passing the turn to speak to her. Doctor Fertina nodded.
“After Lord Rufus entered His Highness Prince Tarek’s tent, there was no movement. I waited for a while but heard nothing, so I entered myself.”
“…You entered.”
Anxiety overwhelmed Rufus.
Could she have seen something?
He had repeatedly told this doctor not to barge into the tent interior…
Without realizing, Rufus grasped the sword Iruel had returned to him.
Should he kill them?
Inside the tent were one doctor, three captains, and a dozen or so soldiers.
Should he eliminate them all and flee?
It was at this moment that Rufus was about to infuse his sword with magic.
“When I entered the tent, it was a complete mess.”
Doctor Fertina, unaware of Rufus’s intentions, continued.
“There were a few demons that exploded and died, and a headless corpse, which seemed to be the Demon King, was rolling on the ground… I’ve been a doctor for ten years now, and that was the first time I’ve seen such a horrific scene.”
“……”
It’s not about being a decade into a medical career; a normal person wouldn’t see such a scene in their entire life under normal circumstances.
“Doctor, please tell us about the whereabouts of His Highness the Prince.”
The captain prompted Doctor Fertina.
“Ah, right. Next to Lord Rufus, there was Prince Tarek’s cloak and the Demon King’s head.”
Doctor Fertina continued her recollection.
“I immediately rushed to Lord Rufus. He had sustained a serious injury to his chest, but miraculously, he was still breathing. So, I administered first aid and brought him outside.”
“…You moved me by yourself?”
Rufus, who had been silently listening to Doctor Fertina’s story, couldn’t help but abruptly ask.
“Of course. Everyone was busy fighting the demons, who was there to call for help?”
“……”
Truly an incredible doctor. Rufus found himself admiring her without realizing.
It seems he needed to reassess his opinion of Doctor Fertina.
He had thought she was just a naive commoner doctor who knew nothing, but she turned out to be more competent than expected. Fearlessly diving into enemy territory swarming with demons and even dragging out a wounded man all by herself.
“……”
Quietly, Rufus withdrew the magic he had been infusing into his sword.
Fortunately.
No one noticed.
It seems Doctor Fertina saw the scene already cleaned up by the witch Odr.
“Lord Rufus, do you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Prince Tarek?”
The captains asked anxiously.
“I don’t know much either.”
“But… Prince Tarek’s cloak was found next to you.”
“Are you trying to say that I harmed His Highness?”
Rufus retorted sharply. The captains hurriedly bowed their heads, turning pale.
“That couldn’t possibly be the case. We were just…”
“When I entered the tent, Prince Tarek was already not there. And all the royal knights guarding him were dead. The only thing found at the scene was a piece of His Highness’s outer garment.”
Rufus smoothly lied.
A perfect crime.
The demons’ cleanup was cleaner than expected. They had neatly eliminated all witnesses at the scene. No one would know of Prince Tarek’s whereabouts.
Even if someone tried to pin Prince Tarek’s disappearance on Rufus, it didn’t matter. The twenty members of Rufus’s platoon would testify to his loyalty.
How meticulously had he watched his words and actions?
To anyone watching, he had behaved like a dog loyal to the royal family. He had humbled himself to the point of disgrace. He obeyed every unjust command from Prince Tarek, and undertook every harsh mission without complaint.
Sure enough, the captains asked no more questions. Instead, they began to wring their heads, groaning among themselves.
“How shall we report this to His Majesty the King…”
‘Fools.’
Rufus sneered inwardly.
This is the problem with those holding high positions. At the very moment their ruler has disappeared, they’re only worried about how to report to His Majesty the King.
“So, you’re saying the whereabouts of His Highness are currently unknown?”
“Yes, for the time being…”
“Have you sent out a search party?”
“We have, but with no results.”
The captains started to sweat profusely.
Rufus smirked inwardly.
