I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 118

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Gabrieng, the chief advisor of the Zirthel Kingdom, had found the Zirthel base camp.
As fortune would have it, one of the soldiers guarding the main gate today was Captain Lucain.
“You’ve come to meet the Princess?”
“Indeed.”
Gabrieng was a man who had weathered every storm within the palace walls and ultimately ascended to the position of chief advisor.
Because of this, he could discern the truth with mere perception.
‘The soldiers are watching me with unprecedented vigilance.’
He had visited this place several times on official business before, yet the atmosphere and the gleam in their eyes were markedly different from those occasions.
‘Which means the Princess is a sufficiently important political asset.’
Being such a crucial figure, the soldiers had no choice but to become more alert.
It felt like confirming something he already knew.
He stepped inside the barracks where the Princess was staying.
Inside the barracks was a single maid who appeared to be around the Princess’s age.
“The Princess is currently meeting with General Armitel.”
This fact was also an extremely important clue to Gabrieng.
‘The maid knows General Armitel’s name?’
Armitel.
That name was classified information, if not top secret.
That a mere maid would know this and speak of it so naturally.
This could very well be intentional, so it was certainly a point worth monitoring closely.
It was a clue proving just how politically important the Princess was to the Empire.
Moreover, the Princess was currently meeting with General Armitel.
Under normal circumstances, there was no reason for the two of them to meet.
Precisely because it was abnormal, there was a clear reason to investigate.
‘The Princess abandoned the comfort of the palace and deliberately stays in this inconvenient base camp for a reason. The royal family is plotting something.’
He waited silently for the Princess inside the barracks.
He no longer thought of the Princess as merely a child.
One must define one’s opponent accurately to determine how to deal with them precisely.
The Princess was not a child, but a seasoned politician.
Not long after, Isabel returned to the barracks.
“I am Gabrieng, Your Highness. Please feel free to call me simply Gabrieng.”
“Advisor Gabrieng, it’s been quite some time. What brings you here?”
Isabel found herself smiling despite herself.
Gabrieng had long whiskers extending from both sides of his face that resembled a catfish.
Remarkably, every time he finished speaking, his whiskers would twitch—as if punctuating his sentences.
‘No, I mustn’t laugh.’
Laughing at someone’s appearance was a grave discourtesy.
But just then, a small white butterfly fluttered over and landed directly on those long whiskers.
With each flutter of its wings, the whiskers swayed gently like branches in the breeze.
To Isabel’s ears, it felt as though she were hearing things.
Ding, ding.
Eight years old.
At an age where even falling leaves tumbling by could draw out giggles.
Eventually, I burst into bright laughter.
It was pure, untainted, crystalline laughter.
Gabrieng, faced with that laughter, steadied himself.
‘Not cute at all!’
I absolutely cannot be fooled by that appearance and atmosphere.
Yet outwardly, he smiled benevolently, stroked his trademark beard, and attempted to speak with dignity.
But something was caught in his beard.
Rolling his eyes toward his beard, he spotted white wings.
“Ugh, oh no, d—! A b-butterfly!”
Gabrieng had a tendency to fear insects, and upon seeing a butterfly attached to his own beard, he inadvertently cursed.
Moreover, having been born with a slightly short tongue, he was too startled to pay attention to his pronunciation.
And so Gabrieng’s face flushed crimson.
“I-I’m terribly sorry.”
“Not at all. These things happen.”
Despite having committed what could be considered a significant diplomatic breach, Isabel did not lose her smile.
Gabrieng thought that expression itself was truly frightening.
It seemed to suggest an unwillingness to dwell on minor mistakes or oversights.
Of course, Isabel was thinking of nothing at all, but Gabrieng alone began to grow tense.
In fact, his mission was to ascertain how she felt about the King’s gift and whether a serious diplomatic offense had been committed.
Just then, a doll sat upon the table over there, and its condition was quite pitiful.
‘It looks as though it were struck by lightning.’
It wore something that appeared to be fine clothing, yet somehow gave off the impression of rags.
It had the appearance of something that had been vented upon in anger.
‘This is serious.’
The other party is displeased? They’re not even hiding it? And that party is a VVIP?
‘I must determine my course of action immediately.’
He promptly broached the main subject.
“There was no intention to insult Your Highness. His Majesty the King has asked me to convey that he feels deeply remorseful.”
Ding!
Isabel found herself distracted by that beard again.
“Pardon? Remorseful?”
Isabel did not understand what he meant.
Separate from Gabrieng’s complex thoughts, Isabel truly had nothing on her mind.
She was simply fascinated by that long, grown beard.
At her feigned ignorance (?), Gabrieng’s heart began to race rapidly.
‘Displaying that pathetic doll and deliberately pretending not to understand means she intends to test me.’
“I imagine the doll must have caused you considerable distress.”
Twang!
Isabel’s eyes widened in surprise.
It seemed Gabrieng was quite a perceptive person.
“You picked up on that?”
I was truly frustrated.
The harder I tried to care for the doll, the more it deteriorated, and it broke my heart.
It was even worse because the person beside me happened to be Yuri.
Whenever Yuri touched it, the doll became beautiful again.
‘We both have two arms and ten fingers. Why am I like this? Why do only my hands have the cursed touch?’
My true feelings showed plainly on my face.
The perceptive Gabrieng read that expression in an instant and grasped the situation.
“Yes, I sincerely apologize.”
“Captain Gabrieng, this isn’t something you need to apologize for.”
At those words, Gabrieng swallowed hard.
‘Is the King saying he should come apologize directly?’
Gabrieng’s mind became complicated.
What exactly did this strategic asset want? What hidden intention did she harbor?
Why was she saying it was his fault?
‘I don’t understand. I really don’t understand.’
An opponent whose thoughts cannot be fathomed is the most fearsome enemy.
He continued conversing with Isabel for a while longer, but gained no particular insight.
He returned to the palace and immediately filed his report.
“I couldn’t determine it precisely, but one thing is certain. The Princess is undoubtedly a strategic asset of the imperial family.”
“You felt it more strongly seeing her in person?”
“Yes. I sensed it from the subtle attitude the soldiers displayed toward me. Moreover, she was conversing with General Armitel there. There must be some purpose behind it. It’s certain the Princess plays a very important role, and yet she clearly felt insulted, so we must treat this as a grave matter.”
“….”
“Your Majesty should have seen that doll yourself. It was a signal expressing subtle anger and disappointment. I’m certain of it. So why did you give such a childish gift meant for kids?”
“Save the lectures for later. We need to find a solution first.”
Balkio and the palace leadership began an emergency meeting.
A serious discussion on how to win the heart of the Empire’s strategic asset, Princess Isabel.
* * *
Isabel clutched Kim Beolggwol to her chest and headed toward the barracks where Armitel was staying.
Since Armitel had seemed like a genuinely good person to me, I thought it necessary to strengthen the time spent with someone so kind.
Armitel asked.
“Did you meet with the Kingdom’s chief advisor?”
“Yes.”
“What did you discuss?”
“Nothing much. He just seemed like a kind and thoughtful person. He understood my feelings well. I told him about the things that upset me, and Captain Gabrieng listened carefully. He was like a kindhearted neighbor, which I appreciated. Though he kept making that twang sound, which was hilarious.”
“Twang, you say?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. It’s just something that happens. Hehe.”
Armitel’s thoughts were not as complicated as Gabrieng’s.
She soon focused her attention on the Princess.
In fact, the Princess was a fascinating child to Armitel as well.
The Princess never lost her smile. She was adorable, like a baby sparrow chirping away incessantly.
Apart from her younger sister Aselia, this was the first time she had encountered someone whose very existence seemed lovable.
Armitel found herself genuinely curious about how a person could be so endearing.
“How are you able to be so bright, Princess?”
“Am I that bright?”
“Yes. I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Princess.”
She was genuinely curious how someone bearing the stigma of Narbidal could be this way.
“Isn’t General Armitel’s younger sister also a bright and warm child?”
….
Of course she would be.
No matter what anyone said, the protagonist of this novel was Aselia.
More lovable than anyone, more beautiful than anyone, brighter than anyone.
Aselia was someone who shone brilliantly by her very existence.
“My younger sister is… a little, or rather quite unwell.”
Isabel doubted her own ears.
‘Unwell?’
That couldn’t be right.
Isabel knew the truth.
That Aselia’s true identity was a dragon.
‘No, wait.’
Even a dragon could fall ill if she took human form. After all, she would be living as a human.
Her gaze drifted to Bumblebee, who was dozing in the chair beside her.
‘It’s unlikely, but if a dragon transformed into Bumblebee, then that Bumblebee would live perfectly as a Ratel.’
Eating what other Ratels eat. Living as long as other Ratels live.
Possessing the exact characteristics of other Ratels.
Just then, Bumblebee let out a large yawn, looking drowsy. While she might think it was valiant, it was actually rather adorable and unimpressive.
‘Anyway… if I think about it that way, couldn’t Aselia be sickly too? Hmm? Now that I think about it, I think I heard she was often ill as a child.’
There was a brief mention of it in a conversation with the male lead Arun.
It wasn’t an important setting and didn’t particularly affect the story, so she couldn’t remember it clearly.
“What kind of illness does she have?”
“That is….”
As Isabel conversed with Armitel about this and that, she noticed a small photograph contained in Armitel’s necklace.
The photograph showed Armitel and a child who appeared to be Aselia.
‘Huh?’
But something was strange.
Strange didn’t even begin to cover it. It was far too strange.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————