I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 25

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

A teleportation gate.
It was a type of magical engineering device that realized instantaneous transportation through the use of magic.
Not only was it expensive to construct, but maintaining it required such enormous costs that even within the Imperial Palace, they weren’t installed in great numbers.
In other words, teleportation gates were a special technology enjoyed only by the top 0.01 percent of humanity.
Isabel was so delighted that she didn’t think it strange why we would use a teleportation gate just to go sledding.
‘B-brr, it’s cold.’
Suddenly, the temperature plummeted.
Whoosh— whoosh—
A biting wind swept across us.
Isabel let out an involuntary scream.
“Ahhh, aaahhh!”
There was no helping it.
Isabel stood atop an unnamed mountain’s peak.
Before her stretched an endless cliff and a majestic snowy landscape.
By instinct, she clung to Biatone.
Biatone didn’t miss the opportunity and embraced Isabel.
‘Why, why, why is there a teleportation gate in such a dangerous place!’
It was because this location had cheap installation costs and was easy to maintain in terms of mana flow.
Teleportation gates were magical engineering devices that utilized mana flow, so they couldn’t be installed just anywhere.
But this place was dangerous enough that a single misstep could result in a fatal fall.
The wind blew so fiercely that it was difficult to maintain balance.
“I-I’m scared.”
“So you want me to keep holding you!”
“Y-you absolutely cannot let go.”
She realized for the first time that she suffered from acrophobia.
Before regression, she had spent most of her life in bed, so she hadn’t even known if she had a fear of heights.
She was gripped by extreme terror.
Biatone patted her back reassuringly.
“At six years old, this is the perfect age to be held. Hehe.”
Isabel buried her face in Biatone’s embrace and asked.
“B-brother, you s-sled in a place like this?”
“This is the only way to get a real thrill.”
Isabel had forgotten.
The fact that Michael was a monster who remained unscathed even after falling from the eighth floor.
“You’ll die if you sled here!”
“Why would you die?”
“I will die!”
Michael stroked his chin thoughtfully with a hum.
He looked at Lancer, his swordsmanship instructor, and asked seriously.
“Viscount Lancer. Will she really die?”
“Now that I think about it, that might be possible.”
“What! You’re lying. Where in this world would you find such a weakling?”
Isabel, feeling somewhat wronged, wanted to cry out.
Usually people die doing this!
But she was far too terrified to speak.
Peeking cautiously, I turned my head to look around and saw a terrifying ravine.
My body trembled uncontrollably.
Viscount Lancer spoke with a tone of regret.
“I never imagined the Princess would be so frightened.”
“Indeed. What a shame. Haha!”
Viscount Lancer felt something odd.
‘Somehow… it seems like Viscount Biatonn knew all along?’
Viscount Biatonn is an aide who serves the Emperor.
He was rumored to be exceptionally perceptive, so it made me wonder if he truly didn’t know.
“My, what a predicament. I can’t very well put you down either. The teleportation gate I just used will need some time to reactivate… Oh dear. It seems I have no choice but to continue holding you. A truly unavoidable and difficult situation. Wouldn’t you agree, Princess?”
“Don’t you dare let go!”
“Of course not. I shall never let go. Hahaha!”
Viscount Lancer tilted his head.
‘He almost seems to be enjoying this.’
Ah, I must be misreading him.
What kind of lunatic would enjoy the Princess being terrified?
Meanwhile, Michael threw himself down into the ravine.
“Hey. Kim Beolggwol, let’s compete.”
They raced to see who could descend the ravine first.
Their competition was incredibly fierce.
“Screech! Screech!”
The bumblebee was deadly serious…
“I absolutely won’t lose!”
Michael was even more serious.
In the end, Isabel never got to ride the sled even once, remaining cradled only in Viscount Biatonn’s arms.
Michael, who arrived at the cliff’s base first, burst into laughter.
“For a loser, you certainly have a provocative expression.”
Michael began climbing the cliff again.
A blizzard accompanied by fierce winds swept up, but such things posed no problem for Michael.
When Michael reached the top again, he suddenly noticed his sister cradled in Viscount Biatonn’s arms.
‘Hmm…’
Thinking about it, I felt a bit sorry.
I pondered for a moment how I could make Isabel enjoy herself too.
“Want me to carry you instead? I can at least try not to let you die. Want to ride the sled?”
“No!”
Michael’s expression grew slightly dejected.
* * *
To summarize, I never did get to ride that sledge.
By my standards, attempting to ride it would have been suicide.
Upon returning to the Arena Palace, I exhaled a deep sigh.
“I owe my life to you, Teacher. Your arms must be terribly sore?”
“Not at all. It was my pleasure.”
“Did I… happen to be heavy?”
“Heavy, you say?”
“I’ve been eating quite a lot of royal candy lately.”
A twinge of guilt stirred within me.
‘He held me for such an incredibly long time.’
Whether it was his arms, neck, or waist, everything must have ached terribly.
Viscount Biatonn smiled radiantly, as he always did.
“I still possess greater strength than Prince Michael.”
Ah, that’s right. This was a world of superhumans.
I felt embarrassed for asking such a foolish question.
“Royal candy, even a hundred or a thousand pieces, would never be heavy. Now, allow me to escort you to your room.”
Viscount Biatonn naturally extended his hand.
I lifted my arm and grasped his hand.
‘Viscount Biatonn’s hand is always so warm.’
It radiated a temperature higher than normal body heat.
That was because Viscount Biatonn deliberately channeled mana to warm his hand.
Viscount Biatonn matched my pace and walked very slowly beside me.
“By the way, Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Teleportation gates require incredibly, incredibly difficult maintenance and cost a fortune, don’t they?”
“You know of such things? How impressive!”
Every word I spoke was met with a shower of praise.
‘This is becoming troublesome.’
These transparent compliments delighted me.
‘I’ve known this for a while now, but this body’s default setting is definitely attention-seeking.’
I barely managed to compose myself and continued with my next question.
“But why would a teleportation gate exist in such a barren mountain region?”
“You’ve identified that inconsistency?”
What? Am I being praised again?
I nearly burst into laughter without thinking.
All the fear from before had completely vanished.
My steps grew noticeably lighter.
“Yes. It seemed so strange. There’s hardly any practical value to it.”
“You see, Your Highness, it’s because that place is the Erbe Mountains.”
“Oh! I know about that!”
The Erbe Mountains are an immense mountain range located at the northern edge of the continent.
Beyond the north lies land that humanity has never conquered.
Beyond the northern reaches of the Erbe Mountains lay Mutantyon, the empire of the foreign races.
“You’re familiar with the Erbe Mountains?”
“The border region that faces Mutantyon! Am I right?”
“How did you know?”
“Seventeen times….”
I nearly blurted out that I’d read the book so carefully seventeen times in my excitement.
I hastily changed the subject.
“I read it in a book!”
“Our Princess reads so many books that you’ll surely grow into a truly wonderful adult. Promise me you’ll become a wonderful adult.”
Viscount Biatonn bowed and extended his pinky finger to Isabel.
Isabel simply stared at his finger, hesitating.
“Hmm.”
“Why won’t you make the promise?”
Isabel pondered for a moment.
‘Ah, it’s embarrassing to say this out loud.’
I tapped the ground with my toes for no particular reason.
Still, since it was Viscount Biatonn, I decided to be honest.
“Because I really like you, Teacher.”
“…Yes?”
“So I only want to make promises with you that I can actually keep.”
When I become an adult, I will die.
So I couldn’t promise to become a wonderful adult.
I will die when I become an adult.
Since it was already determined, I spoke matter-of-factly.
Isabel laughed apologetically.
“So I don’t think I can link pinky fingers with you.”
Upon hearing those words, Viscount Biatonn felt as though his heart had stopped.
Though he was the type to move his mouth annoyingly before the Emperor and Dailsa, he couldn’t say anything now.
Isabel’s matter-of-factness transformed into a spike, piercing his heart with a bang, bang!
“Oh right! That’s not what I meant to talk about.”
“…Is there something else?”
“Yes. There’s an important matter I need to address.”
Viscount Biatonn quickly composed himself.
He couldn’t show a gloomy expression before the Princess.
So he deliberately channeled mana.
Creating a magical effect, he conjured a sparkle before her eyes and spoke with forced brightness.
“Please, tell me quickly. I’m concentrating very hard.”
The yellow light flickered on and off.
Isabel found herself distracted by the glow and nearly forgot what she wanted to say, but she carefully continued.
“I’ve been upset with you, Viscount Biatonn. I think when something bothers us, we should speak honestly about it.”
In that instant, the flickering yellow light transformed into black.
Then it vanished with sharp cracking sounds before scattering into dust.
“W-what could possibly upset you?”
“It may have meant nothing to you, but I was truly terrified. Yet Viscount Biatonn seemed to enjoy it so much.”
“That, that is…!”
Isabel’s words were true.
He had laughed often and found her endearing.
He had delighted in her clinging to him.
“I felt hurt because it seemed my thoughts and feelings weren’t being considered at all.”
Viscount Biatonn fell silent for a moment.
After a brief pause, he opened his mouth to speak.
“Your Highness. I…”
What came next was something Isabel could never have imagined.

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