I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 24

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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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Biatone found the Emperor.
The Emperor rarely stayed at the Imperial Palace, but today he remained to receive Biatone’s report.
Ron noticed that Biatone’s face was in poor condition.
“Your face is rather damaged.”
“Does it appear so to Your Majesty as well?”
It was not a scar from magic. This meant it was not an injury from Wilhelm.
“That wound….”
“I must have been struck with a fist, turning my eyes into a complete mess, wouldn’t you say?”
“Was Wilhelm’s escort a martial artist?”
“Your Majesty, please look here as well.”
Biatone strode forward and stood before the Emperor.
He pointed at his cheek with his index finger as though pouting, bringing his face close.
Before their faces could draw near, Ron spoke calmly.
“Come any closer and I’ll cut you down.”
“No, look. Here—the palm print is still visible, isn’t it?”
It appeared as though his cheek had been struck.
The flesh was nearly sunken in the shape of a palm.
Ron finally nodded his head.
“Did you encounter Servant Deilsa?”
“Servant Deilsa is always so consistent, which I appreciate. When I talk about him, childhood memories even come bubbling up.”
….
“After taking several blows, my mind became crystal clear. I nearly suffered an orbital fracture—is this grounds for a lawsuit?”
“So… the mission?”
Ron appeared to have little interest in Biatone’s injuries.
Biatone ceased his jesting, straightened his posture, and began his grave report with a serious expression.
“That bastard. He’s fled.”
“Fled?”
“No matter how much evidence I search for, I find none.”
“And?”
A murderous gleam kindled in Biatone’s eyes.
“So I decided to apprehend and beat him first.”
Had the Empress Serna heard this, she would have clutched the back of her neck in distress.
“What if he’s innocent?”
“Then it serves as a warning to the true culprit and works out well. Besides, I’ve disliked Wilhelm from the start. Did you see the look in that bastard’s eyes when he gazed upon the Princess at the gift presentation ceremony?”
“I saw it.”
It was not only the Emperor who saw it, nor only Biatone.
They both witnessed the same thing and felt the same thing.
That covetous gleam in Wilhelm’s eyes as he looked upon the Princess.
If two people felt it simultaneously, then they could not have misread it.
“I should have gouged his eyes right out. In any case, he escaped. My apologies. I came to report that I’ve lost him.”
“…You’ve worked hard.”
“Aren’t you going to scold me?”
Ron glanced briefly at Viscount Biatonn’s face.
Looking more carefully, I could see his lips were somewhat split.
“It seems you’ve already taken quite a beating.”
“Ah, right. I should mention this too. The Underground Storage has frozen solid.”
For him, a master swordsman, this was quite a remarkable occurrence.
“From what I can tell, it wasn’t done intentionally. It seems mana simply leaked out and caused this to happen.”
Mana naturally flows toward familiar spaces. Cold-natured mana flows toward cold places.
So it appears the mana the Princess unleashed accumulated in the Underground Storage.
He didn’t launch into such lengthy explanations.
“The mistake of an incompetent mage.”
“My mother did the same thing when she was young, I’m told.”
“A manifestation of truly exceptional talent.”
Viscount Biatonn nodded.
“But what’s surprising is that it seems to be the Princess’s magic.”
“….”
An awkward silence fell between them.
It was Viscount Biatonn who seemed flustered.
“You’re not surprised?”
“What point should I be surprised at?”
“Well, she didn’t deliberately use ice magic. The Underground Storage froze solid as a side effect of some spell. And it’s the middle of summer.”
“And?”
“If that much leaked out, it’s truly extraordinary. Don’t you remember the scale of the Arena Palace Basement? Even an exceptional mage using ice magic openly couldn’t freeze it that easily.”
“So?”
“That means the Princess possesses innate mana of a caliber and quantity beyond imagination. In simple terms, she’s a genius! A genius beyond all imagination!”
Ron gazed silently at Viscount Biatonn.
Viscount Biatonn, who had been with Ron since childhood, could soon read the light in his eyes.
“Surely you don’t think that because she’s the Princess, this level of talent is only natural, do you?”
Ron didn’t answer.
With that, it became certain.
“My daughter is naturally a genius. She was born gifted. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”
“….”
Ron was taken aback.
Viscount Biatonn had read his true thoughts precisely.
However, it was somewhat embarrassing to reveal it completely.
But Viscount Biatonn’s reaction was slightly unexpected.
“Sigh. I still have a long way to go.”
He reflected deeply.
The Emperor already believed in the Princess.
‘Father isn’t surprised by such trivial things. It’s because he has already deeply acknowledged and accepted that his daughter is capable of great things. I still have so far to go!’
“Now I understand why the Princess likes His Majesty more than me.”
Viscount Biatonn had achieved a profound realization.
* * *
Winter had arrived.
It was my fifth winter in this place.
This world calculated a year the same way as Earth—twelve months—and today was the first day of December.
‘I’m almost at the end of being five years old.’
It was the final month of my fifth year.
Time had passed incredibly quickly.
I had been extraordinarily busy lately.
Because Viscount Karin’s return was delayed, I had taught myself various subjects.
Especially magical formulas and magical theory were the most fascinating—I studied them without losing track of time.
Suddenly, I thought of Viscount Biatonn.
‘They said Viscount Biatonn visited the Imperial Palace a few months ago and left….’
I should have at least seen his face before he went.
For some reason, Viscount Biatonn had departed on another business trip somewhere.
They said he received a secret mission or something.
‘Come to think of it, Wilhelm has gone missing, but that’s not related, is it? Is Karin’s delayed return because of my adoptive father’s disappearance? Could Karin be plotting something….’
I shook my head vigorously.
What ominous thoughts were these when I had such delightful magical formula problems before me? And I don’t have that many days left to live anyway.
For now, I decided to focus only on the present.
“Isabel!”
Bang! Bang!
I heard knocking.
It was crude knocking, but even this had improved considerably.
At first, there was no knocking at all.
When he first started knocking, he broke the door several times.
Now that he could control his strength, he was finally capable of this civilized act of knocking.
Knock knock knock.
“Want to go sledding with me?”
“Sledding?”
“Yeah. I know an incredibly fun place.”
The moment I heard the word sledding, my heart leaped with excitement.
Playing house was nice, and picture storybooks were nice, but sledding too?
“I’ve never been sledding before.”
“It’s not that difficult. Just trust your brother.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
“Will we build a snowman too?”
“Do me this special favor.”
For the first time in ages, my hips nearly swayed with delight.
Thinking back, I had almost no experience making eye contact.
I had no memory of ever touching snow with my own hands.
“Can I be excited too?”
“Of course!”
“Then I’ll trust only you, Brother.”
While my mind found Michael endearing, my body felt him to be utterly trustworthy.
The Michael my mind perceived was a child, but the Michael my body accepted was a strong brother.
I’m not sure how to express this, but that’s how it was.
Yet to Servant Deilsa, my brother seemed entirely unreliable.
“I cannot grant permission for an outing without a guardian.”
Viscount Lancer pointed to himself.
“The guardian is me! I’m here, you know.”
“Huh?”
“You know.”
“You?”
“Am I not?”
Viscount Lancer received the same correction every day, and watching him do it each time made it seem intentional.
“Viscount Lancer is unreliable.”
“Despite appearances, I am the Imperial Palace’s swordsmanship instructor.”
“That won’t do.”
I was about to be terribly disappointed at the refusal.
But then a savior appeared.
“What about me, my friend Servant Deilsa?”
“You bas—… I mean, Viscount Biatonn?”
Upon spotting Viscount Biatonn, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
Perhaps because I hadn’t seen him last time, my delight was all the greater.
“Teacher!”
I dashed toward Viscount Biatonn in a flurry.
“Your Highness, you’ve become incredibly adorable! Well, you were always adorable, but you’ve become even more so.”
Viscount Biatonn embraced me.
My body lifted into the air.
Viscount Biatonn truly understood my preferences so well.
He spun around while holding me.
It felt like we went around about six times.
‘Ah, exhilarating.’
This spinning sensation was absolutely exquisite. More fun than any amusement ride.
Of course, I’d never ridden an amusement ride before.
“I thought I would die missing you, Your Highness.”
Viscount Biatonn held me in a tight embrace.
His hug was brimming with such warm affection that my heart soared.
It felt as though the sunlight itself was cradling me.
Ah, truly, possessing this body was the right choice.
“I missed you so terribly, Teacher Biatonn.”
“Really?”
“Last time you left without even saying goodbye, and I was so disappointed.”
“Ugh!”
Viscount Biatonn clutched at his chest.
A distinct thump echoed from his heart.
It was a magically conjured “heartbeat sound.”
How could anyone not adore this Viscount Biatonn?
“But Your Highness, what is this creature?”
Viscount Biatonn pointed to his head with his index finger.
An enormous mouth was clamping down on his entire head.
The mouth had stretched open as wide as a serpent’s jaw.
“No! Kim Beolggwol! You can’t do that!”
Michael seemed utterly indifferent, thinking “Wow, that actually works? Should I try it too?” as he opened his own mouth wide.
He appeared curious whether he could stretch his mouth open like that as well.
“Is this impertinent creature a friend of Your Highness?”
“Yes. A friend.”
“I nearly…”
Nearly killed him.
Hearing those words, I swallowed hard.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Servant Deilsa, will you permit me to go out if I’m with Viscount Biatonn?”
In the end, I received permission to go outside.
For the first time across both my past and present lives, I would finally get to ride a sledge.
My heart raced with anticipation.
A sledge, of all things.
My very first sledge ride.
My first snowman.
‘But…’
I never expected we’d be riding a sledge here.
I had vastly underestimated the Fourth Prince.

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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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