I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 6

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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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Empress Serna gazed upon the father and daughter with infinitely warm eyes.
She could perceive it clearly.
‘He truly held her with such tenderness.’
She could see how carefully Ron cradled Isabel in his arms.
Watching the two of them together, it felt as though the world itself overflowed with abundance.
Then, Serna noticed something.
“Your Majesty?”
Ron’s eyes were bloodshot.
Even Serna was taken aback.
Though she had been with Ron for twenty years, she had witnessed him shed tears only twice before.
‘He doesn’t even realize tears are welling in his own eyes, does he?’
Ron simply gazed endlessly at his daughter.
As though enchanted by something.
Serna carefully stepped beside Ron.
She gently grasped his arm.
Since there were no watchful eyes in this place, she called the Emperor by his name.
“Ron, I remember your tears.”
When they were alone together. Those were the moments when they could be husband and wife, not Emperor and Empress.
“Once was when Viscount Biatonn, whom we thought had perished, returned alive. The other was when I accepted your proposal.”
Those were the two tears the Emperor of the Sword Art Empire had ever shed.
“Now it has become three.”
Serna wiped away Ron’s tears with her fingertips.
Only then did Ron come to his senses.
In truth, he had not even realized he was shedding tears.
He had simply been completely captivated by the small life smiling brightly in his arms.
The words echoed in his ears.
‘Daddy and Mommy are so happy.’
In that moment, this child was like sunlight itself.
He did not understand why, but tears welled up.
He suddenly felt embarrassed.
‘How foolish.’
Of all times, his wife had caught him in this state.
In truth, he had always wanted to appear strong before Serna.
“Something merely got in my eye.”
Serna smiled softly.
Where Ron was weak, Serna was strong.
“I think you’re magnificent today.”
Ron’s body stiffened slightly.
The only thing that could truly gladden Ron was Serna’s praise.
“I believe the heart that cherishes what is precious is the strongest heart of all.”
“….”
Ron could not bring himself to meet Serna’s eyes, subtly averting his gaze from her.
Isabel observed this with perfect serenity.
‘Hmm, I’m a baby who knows when to step in and when to step back.’
When it’s time to join, you join. When it’s time to withdraw, you withdraw.
This was a time for withdrawal.
‘I’ll just suck on my pacifier and watch the show.’
Thump! Thump! Thump!
I could feel Ron’s heart racing through his entire body.
‘Is it going to burst at this rate?’
It was somewhat concerning.
But I had no desire to interfere with their romantic endeavors.
‘Well then, you two enjoy your sweet time together. I’ll just take a little nap.’
Isabel fell asleep peacefully in Ron’s arms.
Ron continued holding Isabel for quite some time after that.
* * *
That dawn.
Ron made his way to his study.
The image of the child sleeping soundly kept returning to his mind.
‘My feelings are strange.’
Was it because she was a girl not born in Villorian? Was it because she resembled Serna so much?
It was confusing.
‘That child will never master Villorian swordcraft.’
For the first time in five hundred years of history, a ‘weak Villorian’ had been born.
The weak are culled from the Villorian line.
She would be devoured in the succession struggle between siblings, and naturally fall behind in wars against external forces.
Then what of Isabel?
‘Can one call a Villorian who cannot master swordcraft a true Villorian? Can one call her my child? My heir? Royalty?’
And.
‘She will die at twenty-one.’
A sharp sting.
It felt as though my chest ached slightly.
‘What irrational and useless thoughts are these?’
Fate was already determined.
Ron believed that expending great effort on what was ‘already decided’ was wasteful.
‘My mind is cluttered.’
At times like this, wielding a sword was best.
Few could receive the Emperor’s blade.
“Your Majesty, is this any way to wake a sleeping person?”
“A sparring match.”
“At this ungodly hour? I worked late tonight too!”
“Twenty years ago, that’s what you did every single day.”
Twenty years ago, I had.
I was an assassin renowned as a sword demon, and I constantly conducted sparring matches like this to maintain my sharp combat instincts.
“Assassination was my former profession, not Your Majesty’s! Your Majesty is righteous and impartial, the pride of Villorian… Argh!”
Ron swung his blade at me as I lay in bed.
It was a real sword with a gleaming edge.
The bed split in two.
“Your tongue is quite long.”
“What kind of assassin attacks so loudly!”
Ron swung his sword again.
“Aaaahhh! You demon!”
I scrambled up and opened the window in panic.
I leaped from a room on the sixth floor.
* * *
Time passed remarkably quickly.
Another year had turned.
‘Already three years old.’
Which meant that two years of my remaining twenty-one years had slipped away relentlessly.
Short as it may seem, nearly ten percent of my time had elapsed in percentage terms.
Still, it felt quite fulfilling.
‘I must use my remaining time wisely as well.’
True to my Villorian bloodline, my growth was remarkably rapid.
‘By South Korean standards, I’d say I’m about five years old now.’
I had no experience raising children, so I couldn’t be certain, but that seemed about right.
My pronunciation was still imperfect, but I could converse with adults almost without difficulty.
Now I could walk and run as well.
I occasionally stumbled, but my body was so sturdy that I rarely got hurt.
After finishing breakfast, Mother spoke.
“Starting today, Viscount Biatonn will be coming to visit. He’s your first teacher, so mind your manners.”
So now I was to begin my education as a Princess, or so they said.
“Viscount Biatone? The adjutant uncle?”
“He’s no longer an adjutant.”
I couldn’t quite understand what had happened.
Originally, the teacher of the Villorian Royal Family’s princes was Viscount Molliyap.
He was a scholar from the Serjo Family, counted among the finest literary houses.
And he had signed an exclusive twenty-year contract with the Villorian Royal Family.
By rights, Viscount Molliyap should have been my teacher as well.
“But, Mother dear.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you Viscount Biatonn?”
“Well, shouldn’t our daughter ask Viscount Biatonn that directly?”
“Understood.”
I was very fond of Viscount Biatonn.
He was a proper adult who knew how to handle children.
Time spent with him was always enjoyable.
Moreover, as a swordmaster from a mage’s lineage, he could also use several forms of magic, and among them, I loved ‘flight magic’ the most.
Knock, knock—
A knocking sound echoed.
It was Viscount Biatonn.
“From today onward, I am Biatone, who shall oversee the Princess’s education.”
“Viscount Biatone!”
I grasped the hem of my skirt and bowed.
Biatone, as always, displayed a radiant smile, and I burst into laughter.
At three years old, one laughs at the sight of such charming handsomeness rolling before you.
Mother also smiled brightly as she looked at Biatone.
“Viscount Biatone, please take good care of the Princess.”
After Mother left the room, I asked.
“Why is Viscount Biatone my teacher instead?”
“Does the Princess dislike that?”
“But originally, Viscount Molliyap was my teacher.”
“Ah, I see! So the Princess only likes Viscount Molliyap!”
Viscount Biatone made an expression as if he had lost the world, then covered his face with his hand.
He pretended to cry with sniffles, and his appearance was so earnest that my heart ached.
“Don’t cry.”
“If the Princess pats me, I won’t cry.”
“Pat!”
I patted Viscount Biatone’s shoulder. Then he responded.
“Pat. Now I won’t cry. Because the Princess patted me, my tears have stopped.”
“Good. You’re doing well. Don’t cry.”
“Why? Does it make you sad when I cry?”
“It really does make me sad when you cry.”
In other words, since he was crying fake tears now, I wasn’t particularly sad.
“Hehehehe. The Princess is truly perceptive. It’s not easy to see through my skilled acting.”
I placed both hands on my waist.
With a body that now held its balance well, I stood firm.
“That’s a bad habit!”
“Pardon?”
“You used such difficult words, Viscount Biatone is bad.”
“That is….”
“Or else they’ll say I’m the only dung beetle around.”
“P-puh, a dung beetle? That’s, that’s far too harsh an insult.”
It was somewhat ambiguous to call it a test, but in any case, Viscount Biatone had deliberately employed words like “keen insight,” “mastery,” and “penetrating vision.”
He was subtly probing whether I could understand such vocabulary.
I smiled brightly.
“Viscount Biatone. I won’t live long and will die soon. So stop testing me like that. I don’t need such things.”
“….”
“I’ll take the test through writing. I’ll score a perfect hundred. Let’s get along well.”
Viscount Biatone’s expression looked as though he’d been struck on the head.
“Your Highness. Do you truly comprehend death?”
His voice had grown somewhat quieter.
Viscount Biatone turned toward the Midwife.
“What reckless fool dared….”
Viscount Biatone’s aura was extraordinary.
I suddenly recalled Viscount Biatone’s former epithet.
The ghost obsessed with the sword. The Sword Specter.
“Did you dare reveal to Her Highness the mark of Narbidal?”
For some reason, a chilling coldness swept over me.
The Midwife’s face had turned deathly pale.
It seemed I had inadvertently branded the Midwife as the culprit.

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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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