I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 199

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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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“What… what is this?”
The moment Ron vanished, a fierce gust swept over the crowd’s heads.
It was like a sudden whirlwind that had erupted without warning.
It was a shockwave born from Ron’s explosive departure, yet ordinary eyes could not perceive his movement.
Ron grasped the hand of the red-haired girl.
“Father’s here.”
“….”
Ron felt an impulse to strike down Arun, who held his daughter in his arms, but there were far too many watching eyes here.
“We’re relocating.”
“Understood.”
Arun, Ron, and Isabel’s bodies were engulfed in light once more.
From the outside, it appeared as though they had simply vanished through a transfer gate.
The three arrived at the Emperor’s office.
Away from prying eyes, Ron cried out loudly and pulled Isabel into a fierce embrace.
“Isabel!”
“Father!”
Isabel embraced Ron in return.
She could finally say the words she had longed to speak.
“You don’t have to be sad anymore. You don’t have to pretend to be happy when you’re hurting. I’m sorry. For asking such an impossible thing of you before I left.”
“It’s alright. Everything is alright.”
Ron continuously stroked Isabel’s hair.
He needed to feel Isabel directly with his own hands.
To confirm whether this was a dream or reality.
Whether Isabel was a phantom or truly present.
He needed to verify her warmth and the sensation of her touch.
‘It’s real.’
The reasons behind it all mattered little.
The simple fact that Isabel had returned was everything to Ron.
“And that thing you said was so moving. You said that even if you added all the happiness you’ve lived through, it couldn’t compare to the short time we spent together.”
And she whispered into Ron’s ear.
“But Mother would feel hurt if she heard that, so I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Isabel…!”
Ron knelt down and held his daughter tightly, feeling her breathing.
Inhaling and exhaling.
He could feel the rhythm of her breath.
‘This child is truly alive.’
A miracle had occurred.
“My, is all you can do just call my name?”
“….”
Ron seemed like a broken man.
He was broken, unable to do anything, tears streaming down his face.
Isabel wiped away her tears and smiled brightly.
“Do you recognize me?”
The Dragon had used magic to change her face.
Her hair color, face, and body shape—everything had been transformed.
“No matter where you are, when you are, or what form you take, I will recognize you.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“If you recognize me no matter where I am, when I am, or what form I take, will you hold me like this today, always?”
Isabel smiled radiantly.
At that sunlit expression, Ron gently bit his lip.
‘This hurts more than when an enemy pierced my heart.’
Ron spoke with determination.
“I will hold you tight.”
He pulled Isabel into his arms once more, firmly.
He made another vow to himself.
‘From now on, I will never lose you.’
“No matter where you are, when you are, or what form you take, I will go and reach you.”

* * *
The Royal Summit—a gathering where seven kings normally convene.
An eighth king had now joined this Royal Summit.
It was Karin, the ruler of the Magical Kingdom, who had recently earned the epithet “Demon King.”
Serna was naturally the host, and she led the conference as its central figure.
Then Biatone entered the conference hall and whispered something to Serna.
Serna shot up from her seat.
“I will conclude today’s Royal Summit here.”
King Valkio of Zirdel tilted his head in confusion.
“The Empress is unilaterally ending the conference? Well, I’ve lived long enough to see such things.”
With that, he pressed his right forearm against the king seated beside him.
“Lived long enough to see such things?”
The kings were accustomed to Valkio and offered no particular response.
They knew that responding would only invite something far more outrageous.
Saint Rahela shook her head slowly.
“Why? You do this kind of thing, this kind of person, this kind of three, and so on?”
“Huh? Did I use that repertoire?”
“Yes, you’ve used it about twenty-four, thirty-five times or so. Perhaps you should stop.”
“I’ll stop around three times then.”
Rahela let out a deep sigh.
In any case, the kings began discussing what could possibly warrant such an abrupt end to the Royal Summit.
“If it weren’t a matter grave enough to jeopardize the fate of nations, the Empress wouldn’t be reacting this way.”
“Indeed. If the Benevolent Sovereign is moving with such urgency, one can scarcely fathom the scale of this crisis.”
Rahela stroked her chin, lost in thought.
‘I would have naturally thought the same.’
But recently, my perspective had shifted.
Isabel, whom I’d believed to be the imperial household’s greatest political weapon, was perhaps nothing of the sort.
‘The Benevolent Sovereign might simply be an ordinary mother, after all.’
Ending the royal conference arbitrarily was certainly a breach of propriety.
It was also an affront to the kings who had traveled such great distances.
I considered what could move Empress Serna, who valued etiquette so deeply.
‘It’s unlikely, but… Isabel’s return, perhaps?’
She whispered to her closest confidant, Balkio.
“The odds are slim, but let’s assume Isabel has returned.”
“How could that be?”
Balkio lowered his voice as well.
“But there’s no other event that would move the Benevolent Sovereign like this. Even if Duke Rosilde were resurrected, the Empress wouldn’t act this way. So let’s work under the assumption that Isabel has returned, and prepare a gift worthy of her.”
Balkio’s brow furrowed.
He respected and trusted Rahela, but this was another matter entirely.
“But really, does that even make sense?”
“Well, never mind. I’ll prepare it myself.”
Balkio scrambled to his feet.
“Wait, look, listen! Let’s go together!”
Once again, Rahela had read the international situation perfectly, and Balkio found himself swept along.

* * *
I shared a tearful reunion with my family.
It seemed my tear ducts had malfunctioned.
Tears kept streaming down, and my eyes were swollen.
Michael teased me relentlessly.
“You’re a bullfrog!”
Yet Michael’s own eyes were swollen far more severely than mine as he said this.
It looked like they would burst if touched with a needle.
I had tried to stop crying, but the moment I nestled into Mother’s embrace, the tears came pouring out again.
“I’m never leaving Mother’s arms again.”
Mother’s embrace, as I held her once more, was warm.
In Mother’s arms—a place where I could be a child whenever I wished, where it was acceptable to act childishly—I indulged in my neediness for quite some time.
I couldn’t even tell how time had passed.
Roughly seven days had elapsed, and my brother Kaman, who had departed on the demon expedition, returned.
“Brother… where are your shoes?”
He was nearly naked and barefoot.
It seemed he had thrown off his armor and everything else before returning.
“A true man doesn’t wear shoes.”
“You should definitely wear shoes.”
His feet were covered in blood, which upset me.
In any case, I exchanged greetings with brother Kaman as well.
A letter had also arrived from my eldest brother, with whom I had little prior connection.
[In any case, I’m glad you’re alive. No, you had to survive. Just thinking of what that mad dragon did to me still makes my blood run cold.]
A mad dragon?
Could it be that the Black Flame Dragon Kadelina had appeared again?
[It was fortunate that I had prior knowledge of that violent dragon who had trampled upon the authority and rights of the Holy Dragons, or things could have gone very wrong.
In any case, congratulations. Now that you’ve returned, the imperial palace will surely come alive.
Now I’m curious. What kind of child are you that the imperial palace is so obsessed with you? How is it that even the Dragon Lord pours such special affection upon you?
I’ll return to the imperial palace soon. Let’s have many conversations then.]
I had a feeling I would grow quite close to my eldest brother going forward.
After finishing the reunion to some extent, I changed into a black dress.
As always, Yuri attended to me.
“I’ve prepared black cotton gloves as well.”
“Thank you, Yuri.”
“And here, a black hat too.”
I put on a black hat with a rounded brim.
And together with Yuri, I headed toward the ‘Sword’s Tomb’.
I asked her.
“Do you remember how the Sword Academy strongly opposed when Maria was buried here?”
“Yes. But His Majesty the Emperor…”
Yuri covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“You suppressed them all completely.”
“Did you hate the Sword Academy too?”
“Of course. Finding fault with everything is their favorite pastime.”
Yuri and I arrived at the Sword Tomb while exchanging various conversations.
The Sword Tomb where only past Emperors and members of the imperial family who left renowned achievements could be buried.
Instead of tombstones or burial mounds, the ‘Sword Tomb’ had swords planted one by one, with the names of those being honored engraved in relief on the side of each blade.
[Saint Maria rests here.]
Maria’s tomb.
I stood before it and bowed twice.
“This is my third visit. I thought there might never be a third time.”
I stood in silent prayer before the sword symbolizing Maria and reflected.
‘This life Maria gave me.’
I pledged once more that I would not waste this life carelessly.
“I will cherish this gifted world more carefully. I promise. I will live for the second and third Marias to come.”
I placed chrysanthemums before the sword.
Honoring Maria, I contemplated once more how I should live this life granted to me again.
‘I cannot squander it recklessly.’
It was a life I could never waste.
For Maria, who sacrificed her life for me.
And for Arun as well.
I had to cherish every moment and live with my utmost effort.
“Um… Your Highness, about that… matter, what happened with it?”
“That matter….”
“Yes… that….”
We both fell silent.
Living while cherishing every moment seemed far more difficult than it sounded.
“Marriage?”
“Marriage, yes.”
There was one very significant event remaining for me.
Yuri spoke seriously.
“Can Your Highness truly… marry?”
“…Why wouldn’t I be able to?”
Yuri’s expression darkened.
“…Is that really possible?”
This story must go back one day.

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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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