I Want to Die One Day Before You - Chapter 2.7

“It’s done.” The maid has combed his hair.

It was the result of being embraced in her arms. Rufus’ hair was thrown into a mess like an under-built bird’s nest. He could not go out like this, so he caught a comb, and she arranged it for him, saying, ‘I will help you.’

“Thank you,” Rufus replied shortly. Since then, no other words have been spoken.

He looked ugly. He couldn’t believe a grown man like him had sheds tears in emotion. She must have thought he was unsightly, but the maid said the exact opposite.

“I think you’re really great.”

“What?”

“Everything about you,” she whispered.

“You’ve been through a lot over the last three years,” The maid was looking at Rufus’s back.

“Wasn’t it terrifying to see the demons rushing to kill you? And you must have been saddened to see your comrades dying, haven’t you?”

“…”

“And yet you overcame it and finally came back alive. And as soon as you got back, you worried about your family first. You’re such a brave and sweet person.”

The maid, standing behind Rufus, whispered: “I admire everything about you.”

“…thanks to your prophecy.” Rufus murmured while looking ahead. She wasn’t standing before him, but he could see her.

“Because of your prophecy, I was able to survive to the end.”

“Even without my prophecy, you were destined to survive the war anyway.”

“Still,” Rufus slowly turned around. “The last three years have not been lonely because of you.”

The maid’s face was now right in front of him. They were so close that their hair was mixed up.

A distance that could be reached by moving forward a little further. The memories of three years ago have been brought back to life.

Slowly, and cautiously, the maid moved her head towards Rufus.

Then she stole his lips again.

It was a short moment, and Rufus’ heart sank into the warmth that passed by. It was like a dream.

There was something indescribable beyond the playful touch of the skin that bloomed and couldn’t be expressed with words alone.

At that time, the roots of an emotion, which couldn’t be swept away, were in place before he knew it.

“You.” Rufus, who captured the maid with his eyes, barely managed to draw out words. “Why on earth do you keep doing this to me?”

Why on earth was she so sweet? Why would she keep taking care of his pain? Why in the world would she give him her warmth?

To these pressing question, the maid tenderly swept his hair and answered: “Because you remembered my name.”

Name. Sarubia. Her name.

That’s right; he had never forgotten for a day. Rufus had always remembered her name.

He may not have forgotten because she was a saint. Or perhaps thanks to her affirmation that he would surely be alive until the end of the subjugation war.

Whatever the reason, the fact that he had thought of the girl’s name countless times over the past three years has not changed.

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“Shall I tell you a funny story?” the maid nudged at Rufus.

“In fact, when you showed up in front of the princess’s palace earlier, I recognized at once that you were the man from three years ago.”

“…really?”

“Yes. I was just pretending not to know. I’m sorry.”

“Why did you do that?”

“I was curious about your reaction.”

“My reaction?”

“I was wondering what you would look like when I said I didn’t remember you.” Then the maid stuck out her tongue.

“You…”

She was such a cruel woman.

“So, what expression did I make?”

“You don’t even know what kind of facial expression you had? You looked like you would cry on the spot.”

“I did…?”

“Yes,” the maid nodded.

“Is it so sad that I don’t remember you? I didn’t know you’d care so much for a maid.”

“I do.”

The maid tried to relieve the mood in a mischievous way, but Rufus could not just dismiss it. He couldn’t miss it this time.

“I think you’re right.”

It made sense to him now.

“What? What’s right?”

“As you said, I seem to care for you.”

“What’s that…”

“Sarubia,” Rufus called the maid, “come here.”

At the call, the maid approached Rufus. It was the trigger for everything.

He held her wrists tightly and pulled her in front of him. As she fell into him, he carried her over to the sofa where she tried to raise herself reflexively.

He locked her in his arms and bowed his head to kiss her impatiently.

He bit Sarubia’s lower lip, and when she let out a breath with a weak groan, he pushed harder at the gap.

There was no consideration. Rufus was just in a hurry to connect with her.

Even Rufus didn’t understand exactly why he was doing that. He didn’t want to understand. There was no time for that.

He knew it was rude. He knew it was disrespectful to the other party.

But he couldn’t, it was unstoppable. He just wanted to touch this woman’s warmth right now. He wanted to dig into this little body and be consoled. He tried to fill his empty heart with her.

It was such a selfish and primitive desire. To leave traces on her eyes, cheeks, chin, neck, and every part that could be touched.

For a long time, he stole her warmth like that.

“You’re really…” Sarubia shoved Rufus away.

Her eyes were glimmering with tears. When Rufus saw it, he hesitated. Did he go too far?

“What’s the problem?”

“You’re really bad at it.”

He would be lying if he said that didn’t hurt him.

“What’s the rush? Take your time.”

“Do I look so relaxed?”

“What?”

“Sarubia.” Rufus pressed Sarubia’s chin. “Open your mouth. “

The man who once blushed at her teasing for not being able to kiss was nowhere to be found.

Dozens of months with tension and anxiety and the deprivation of loved ones on the battlefield had split him into pieces.

So now he had no choice but to covet her blindly. Otherwise, he thought he would die right away.

Rufus turned Sarubia’s head toward him. His lips pressed down on Sarubia’s.

A hot sensation broke into her mouth indiscriminately, while his tongue was exploring every corner of her mouth.

“Hnn…” Sarubia’s voice rang out.

His body got hotter. He wanted to see more. He wanted to touch more.

Continuing the kiss, Rufus pulled a strap attached to the collar on Sarubia’s back.

Sarubia flinched at the touch on her back.

“Wait, hold on!”

The cloth slid down gently and exposed Sarubia’s bare shoulders.

And Rufus hardened.

“You…”

“Don’t look,” Sarubia pulled her clothes up, but it was not enough to cover it all.