I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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In the novel, the Fourth Prince Michael had despised Isabel.
No—it went beyond mere dislike; he had held her in contempt.
‘Yet despite this, he never directly harmed Isabel.’
Michael despised tormenting those weaker than himself.
That was his creed.
‘If anything, he loathed the thought of abandoning that principle far more than he disliked Isabel.’
So no matter how terribly Isabel behaved, he never inflicted harm upon her.
I had admired Michael even back when I was merely a reader.
Yet I discovered something peculiar.
‘Come to think of it, Michael’s appearance isn’t all that different from mine?’
The bodies of the Vilotian Royal Family mature rapidly.
At nine years old, one should possess a physique resembling the mid-teens at minimum.
‘Could it be that his childlike spirit is so strong that his body cannot keep pace?’
The novel contained little information about Michael’s childhood, so I could not say for certain.
In any case, I found Michael quite agreeable.
Fortunately, it seemed Michael did not find me entirely disagreeable either.
“Next time, I’ll introduce you to my friend.”
“A friend?”
“Yeah. Lacks manners, but adorable.”
I had no idea whom he meant, but I agreed nonetheless.
Several days passed.
* * *
Karin spoke.
“We shall conclude today’s lesson here.”
“Yes. Thank you so much!”
….
Karin nodded once with an expressionless face before departing.
‘Phew, that was terrifying.’
The final mastermind, Karin, seemed to grow increasingly cold-blooded as time progressed.
‘I must be cautious.’
Though I occasionally sensed warmth from her, caution remained the wisest course.
Given her character setting, there was no telling when she might reveal her true nature.
I did my utmost to avoid giving Karin any leverage over me.
‘I made no mistakes today, did I?’
I answered every question decisively and completed all my assignments.
I gave her nothing to exploit.
‘Another day passed without incident.’
Though my residence had changed, my daily life remained largely unaltered.
I trained diligently in magic, and various tutors would visit to instruct me in etiquette and such matters.
Among them, I had one particularly special instructor.
It was Viscount Lancer, the husband of Servant Dailsa and Michael’s swordsmanship instructor.
He didn’t seem particularly inclined to teach me the sword.
“You won’t be able to master Villorian swordsmanship anyway. And the Princess of Villorian can hardly learn any other style of swordplay.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Well, here’s what I propose.”
Viscount Lancer’s face was covered in thick beard.
His massive frame made him look rather like a bandit dinosaur.
“Shall we play house together?”
“Play house?”
My body reacted first to those words.
I barely managed to suppress my body’s desires with reason.
“But… I’m a Princess.”
“Through various activities, one can read diverse thoughts and perspectives, and by mimicking the behaviors of different individuals, one can develop a broader worldview. It’s a form of role-playing, you might say.”
“Ah, I see.”
Spending time with Viscount Lancer was quite enjoyable.
I lifted an empty teacup to my lips.
“Now then, Your Highness. We are currently at a social gathering.”
“Understood!”
I spoke with what I considered elegant grace.
“Viscount Lancer, what level of skill does my brother possess?”
I simply wanted to gather information about my brother… but honestly, it was far too entertaining to say so.
A five-year-old body was terribly susceptible to playing house.
“It would be difficult to call his skills exceptional, my lady.”
“But Viscount Lancer, I’ve heard my brother is quite strong.”
“So strong that he’s suffering for it, haha!”
In summary, it was simple.
Michael was extraordinarily strong.
He relied too heavily on that strength, preventing him from executing refined swordplay.
‘In fact, among the four princes, he probably has the greatest raw strength.’
I pretended to sip my tea elegantly once more.
It was supposedly a black tea that adults enjoyed drinking. …or so the scenario went.
There was still no actual tea in the cup.
I sipped from the empty cup and continued speaking with cultivated refinement.
“I’ve heard rumors that my brother has a lively temperament and is diligent, but takes interest in far too many things, causing his focus to suffer. Is that true?”
Though I phrased it elaborately, it essentially meant he was scatterbrained.
Michael, who had many interests besides swordplay, had been late to his lessons several times.
But the answer came from someone else.
“Yes, that is true.”
It was Servant Dailsa.
Viscount Lancer’s face turned ashen at the sight of his wife.
“D-dear? No, wait, honey? No, that’s not… Steward Dailsa?”
Wow, I’d never seen someone’s face turn that dark in real time before.
“Viscount Lancer. What are you doing right now?”
We were playing house with the setting of a lady and knight attending a social party.
I tried to speak but held my tongue.
I had a feeling I’d get caught in the crossfire if I said anything.
Pretending not to notice was the best strategy here.
“Wasn’t this supposed to be sword training time?”
“Dailsa, that is… well…”
“Please use the proper form of address. We’re currently on duty.”
“Steward. This is…”
Steward Dailsa’s expression was completely blank.
Yet his eyes seemed to burn with an intense fire.
‘This is terrifying.’
Because I was scared, I decided I should look down more actively.
Even though I was already looking down, I resolved to do it even more enthusiastically.
Aside from Karin, the final mastermind, Steward Dailsa was the one I feared most.
“S-Steward. This is clearly an overstepping of authority. I’m currently with the Princess, playing house, no, practicing sword techniques…!”
“What time is it now?”
At those words, Viscount Lancer shot up from his seat.
“My, my goodness!”
“Isn’t this Prince Michael’s sword training time?”
“I was just about to head over.”
“Was?”
“I was going to.”
“Going?”
“I was going to go.”
It seemed Viscount Lancer had been so absorbed in playing house that he’d forgotten about his next lesson.
Even though I was looking at the ground, I could feel Steward Dailsa’s gaze on me.
A sharp voice rang out.
“What exactly have you put on the Princess’s lips?”
“That is…”
“Are you unaware that adult cosmetics are irritating to a child’s skin?”
I might as well confess now—I was also wearing makeup.
My face looked somewhat like flour.
My lips looked like they’d been colored with a marker.
Anyone would say it looked strange, but oddly enough, it looked beautiful to me.
Perhaps because I’d never done it once while in the hospital. Or perhaps because of this five-year-old body.
I’m not sure of the exact reason, but I was thrilled and delighted the entire time I was doing my makeup.
“And when did you take my shoes?”
I was wearing high heels.
Of course, they didn’t fit.
It was less like wearing them and more like simply resting my feet on top of the heels.
‘This is so annoying—why is this actually fun?’
To be honest, it was genuinely entertaining.
It felt like becoming an adult, in a way.
That peculiar sensation of stepping into a forbidden realm—makeup and high heels, things that children shouldn’t dare touch—felt thrilling.
It was incredibly exhilarating and fun.
But theft was a different matter entirely.
‘No. If I steal my wife’s things, what will the teacher say!’
I decided to play dumb.
After making a cold judgment, I simply pretended not to know.
Still, Viscount Lancer didn’t snitch that the Princess had ordered me to do it.
He was quite loyal, actually.
Just as a commotion was unfolding, a loud, resonant voice echoed through the air.
“Viscount Lancer!”
That booming voice was unmistakably Michael’s.
It seemed he was shouting from the first floor.
What followed was an absurd cacophony of chaos.
“I haven’t forgotten a single sword lesson with Viscount Lancer, but there were circumstances! I didn’t mean to be late!”
I burst into laughter without thinking.
To summarize the situation:
Viscount Lancer had been playing around with me and was late for his lesson with my brother.
But my brother was exactly the same.
It seemed he’d been playing outside and was late to his lesson.
‘So basically, they both completely forgot about their lessons.’
Yet Viscount Lancer was rather shameless about it.
He spoke gravely despite having forgotten his own instruction.
His voice carried mana, reaching all the way to the first floor.
“Your Highness. Being late is improper. Allow me to go downstairs and hear your explanation.”
Having said that, Viscount Lancer glanced at Servant Deilsa.
It seemed he was timidly asking whether it really mattered since the Prince was also late anyway.
When Viscount Lancer saw wrinkles form on Servant Deilsa’s forehead, he fled downstairs as if escaping.
‘Servant Deilsa is following him?’
I carefully removed the high heels and set them down.
I felt a bit disappointed.
I wanted to wear them longer.
‘Anyway, I should follow too.’
Something about the intriguing situation that was about to unfold stirred the curiosity of my five-year-old body intensely.
‘Oh! Finally a three-way confrontation?’
Viscount Lancer, my brother, and Servant Deilsa met on the first floor.
However, perched upon my brother’s shoulder was a creature I had never seen before in my life.
“Look at this. This little pest kept pestering me relentlessly, which is why I was late to my lessons. I absolutely didn’t forget, I swear.”
It was considerably larger than a squirrel and bore a resemblance to a weasel.
It also seemed to resemble a badger I had once seen in a documentary.
‘Hm?’
I certainly recognized that creature.
And yet I did not know.
That this animal would completely overturn my entire life in this possessed body.

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