I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 92
“Even His Majesty the King doesn’t take care of us like this, how could Lieutenant…”
“If only there was someone like Rufus who thought of us…”
“Do not blame His Majesty too much. He is still our sovereign, after all.”
Rufus chuckled and gently patted the shoulders of his platoon members.
“…Aren’t you angry, Rufus?”
Just as he was about to send his platoon members away, someone suddenly asked a question.
It was the soldier Nad.
“Lieutenant, you risked your life to kill the Demon King and saved all of us, your platoon members. Yet, His Majesty the King treats you with such disregard. Aren’t you truly upset?”
“Nad.”
Rufus responded with a calm voice.
“Let’s not speak of such things. His Majesty the King is always right.”
“But… Isn’t this too much! Instead of rewarding you, he’s exiling you back to the border as soon as you return from the battlefield!”
“Enough.”
Rufus stopped Nad.
“Listen well. I am a servant of the Hevania royal family.”
No, in reality, that’s not the case. I despise the Hevania royal family.
“I will absolutely obey His Majesty the King’s orders.”
Of course, this too is a lie. Pretending to follow the king’s orders, I’ll be aiming for his downfall.
“Because that is my duty.”
Because that is how I can protect my Sarubia.
“…….”
Rufus’s declaration made the platoon members solemnly bow their heads.
“Platoon members, if there’s a chance, let’s meet again in the future. Doctor, take care of yourself.”
“Yes, Lord Rufus.”
“Take care.”
After bidding farewell to his platoon members and Doctor Fertina, Rufus parted ways with them.
As he was about to return to the villa, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Rufus deliberately did not turn his head in that direction.
‘They’ve already sent someone.’
It was clear without looking. It must be a spy sent by the king.
He had anticipated this. That’s why he deliberately chose words that would please the king. Serving the Hevania royal family, absolute obedience to the king’s orders, considering it his duty. He freely spouted such nonsensical phrases.
To reassure the king. To prevent him from thinking that Rufus was aiming for his throne.
Rufus knew. He was no longer a poor noble of a baron family. He was the hero who had decapitated the Demon King in the war.
Ending centuries of conflict with the demon race, he emerged as a young hero like a comet—Rufus.
Considering all these achievements, the jealous and suspicious king would not leave Rufus alone.
In Rufus’s previous life, he hadn’t fully realized this fact. That led to rash actions. But this time, he would not make the same mistakes.
And most importantly, I can’t visit Sarubia while rumors of my marriage to Princess Sordid are swirling. The moment Sarubia falls out of favor with the royal family, she becomes endangered.
“Iruel.”
Back in the guest palace, Rufus called out to Iruel.
Iruel, who had been counting the silver coins Rufus gave, looked up eagerly.
“What? Want the money back? Haha, no way! I’ll buy a ring for my mother with this!”
“Shut up and just take this.”
Rufus handed Iruel a small note. On it was written a short line.
“What’s this?”
Iruel, who had taken the note somewhat bewilderedly, glanced at Rufus with a puzzled expression.
A black butterfly? What’s this about?
“A letter for a secret rendezvous.”
Rufus stated flatly.
“Excuse me?”
“Go and deliver it.”
Rufus, seated majestically on the sofa, waved his hand towards Iruel.
“Sarubia is waiting. Hurry up.”
***
Night had fallen. A cool breeze gently eased the mood, and the twinkling stars painted a beautiful tableau.
At the hour when everyone lay down in bed, seeking sweet slumber.
“Ugh, annoying. I was looking forward to binge drinking all night for the first time in a while…”
Iruel, transformed into a sparrow, grumbled as he fluttered his wings.
The surroundings were pitch black. Except for the torches kept by the sentinels, there was almost no light inside the palace.
“Fly faster.”
A low voice came from above the sparrow’s head. It was from a black butterfly, clinging to the fluffy feathers of the sparrow. It was Rufus, who had changed his form through Iruel’s magic.
To explain why Rufus was in the form of a pitch-black butterfly, we need to go back a few hours.
***
“…A letter for a secret rendezvous?”
Iruel, who had received the note from Rufus, wore a blank expression.
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
“Should I go directly to Princess Sordid’s palace and deliver it?”
“Of course. Why should I get involved in your love affairs, Sir? It’s not like the three of us are dating.”
“Stop talking such nonsense.”
Rufus frowned at Iruel’s response.
“Think about it, Iruel. The king is barking orders at me to find his son, how would it look if I leisurely went to the princess’s palace to call out Sarubia?”
“Ah, right.”
Iruel finally grasped Rufus’s intent.
Even though the war was over, Rufus was not yet free. He couldn’t leisurely spend time with his beloved.
“Alright. But you know, I’m quite expensive. Delivering a letter costs one gold coin.”
“I’ve always been curious if hitting someone’s head with a bottle could be fatal. Shall we test it?”
“Ha, ha! I’ll ensure a safe and swift delivery!”
And so, Iruel transformed into a sparrow and took Rufus’s note in his beak.
The chubby sparrow diligently flapped its wings, heading towards the princess’s palace.
‘Ah, geez… I’m not some cupid or anything…’
Grumbling, Iruel went off to find Rufus’s lover.
Her name’s Sarubia, was it?
Having seen her face once before, he had a rough idea of what she looked like. In Iruel’s memory, Sarubia was a small and cute woman. Short in stature, with a small face and hands.
‘She looked like a doll.’
Circling around the princess’s palace, Iruel found Sarubia.
