I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 95

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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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The night before Isabel came to find me.
Karin suffered from nightmares throughout the dawn.
A horned demon seeped out from a small jar, whispering, “You’re a murderer. You can never return to the Princess.”
The world was shrouded in darkness, yet she could see her own body.
Looking at her fingers, red liquid streamed down relentlessly.
When she lifted her head, crimson rain poured down.
‘I want to wash it away.’
But no matter how much she scrubbed, the blood covering her entire body would not disappear.
At some point, a small figure appeared.
Isabel was looking at her with an expression of contempt.
Dream-Karin was pleading, “Please, don’t hate me,” while Isabel turned away and vanished into the distance.
Then, a voice reached her ears.
“Teacher. Teacher Karin. Please wake up. It’s morning.”
Was it still a dream? Had the nightmare not yet ended….
Karin slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes would not open properly.
She had cried so much through the night that her eyes were swollen and crusted with sleep.
‘It’s so bright.’
Strangely, this morning was unusually bright.
Soon, Karin bolted upright.
“Your Highness?”
Karin, who always maintained an expressionless face, could not do so now.
Her appearance was quite different from usual.
To Isabel, this seemed suspicious.
‘Why is she so startled? She’s not the type to be surprised by something like this.’
Isabel did not yet know that Karin’s magical power had vanished.
‘She should have already sensed my approach….’
It was definitely suspicious. Perhaps she was plotting something extraordinary.
Isabel stepped closer and smiled brightly.
“Teacher, you’re quite the sleepyhead.”
She wore an expression that proclaimed, ‘I’m harmless.’
‘Still, it seems I care for her a little.’
I vaguely sensed that Karin held affection for me.
Though I believed the motivation behind that affection was due to ‘Narbidal’s Mark.’
I thought she cherished me as a precious research subject for studying Narbidal’s Mark.
‘If a harmless child approaches, she’ll lower her guard a bit.’
Karin rose from her seat.
She wanted so desperately, so brightly, so earnestly to embrace Isabel, but she could not.
‘I am unclean and filthy. I cannot embrace the Princess.’
“Teacher. You said you returned a month ago.”
“That is correct.”
“Then why haven’t you returned to the Imperial Palace?”
“I needed to focus on my research.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“…Why were you waiting for me? I’m merely a frightening magic teacher.”
“Even so, you should be by my side!”
Isabel pouted her lips slightly.
‘I absolutely must keep Karin attached to the Imperial Palace. Especially since she’s already awakened.’
Last time, she had definitely awakened as the final hidden mastermind. She had felt the novel’s contents with her own body.
「When she awakened, those around her naturally noticed her awakening. The air around her changed. Her presence transformed, and she became a different person than before.」
‘But now her atmosphere feels different again?’
The truth was that Karin’s magical power had disappeared, and her inner self had crumbled considerably, but Isabel didn’t know that much.
‘I won’t be fooled. If Karin is truly the final hidden mastermind, she can freely change her atmosphere and aura as she pleases.’
Karin fell silent for a moment, then asked again.
“Why must I be by your side, Your Highness?”
I am not worthy of such a position. I will simply help you from a distance, as I have done this time.
Isabel let out a heavy sigh.
She deliberately put on a stern expression.
She spoke in a childlike manner, each word precise and clear.
“Why do you keep making me repeat the same thing?”
“…Pardon?”
“You said you didn’t like it when I left.”
“….”
“Do you really not remember?”
“….”
“I gathered my courage to say it despite my embarrassment, and this is how you treat me. It’s incredibly mean.”
In truth, Karin remembered that day perfectly.
Every word Isabel had spoken had taken deep root in Karin’s heart.
“You dislike it when I leave?”
“Yes. I wish you would stay by my side.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel safe when you’re beside me.”
Isabel let out a heavy sigh.
She placed her hands on her hips and spoke with a stern expression—though she insisted it was harmless.
“And it’s dereliction of duty. I’ve investigated everything. Teacher, you didn’t even submit a resignation letter. You’re still my teacher, so why aren’t you coming to work? You deserve to be scolded. I’m going to scold you. It’ll be terrifying, won’t it? I’m not some easygoing child.”
“…I did submit a resignation letter.”
Isabel turned her head to look at Viscount Biatonn behind her.
“Viscount Biatonn, did you receive the resignation letter?”
“I did not.”
“But I clearly….”
Karin started to speak but held back.
She had submitted her resignation letter through Kiruen, the commander of the Outer Palace Guard, but it seemed Kiruen had forgotten to pass it along.
Then someone’s voice rang out.
“Oh my, what’s wrong with me? I completely forgot.”
It was Kiruen.
* * *
Biatone asked.
“Commander of the Outer Palace Guard—what brings you here?”
“Just stopped by on the way.”
“That doesn’t look like a casual stop.”
“It’s a patrol.”
“So carrying a shopping basket is the new patrol trend?”
“Exactly. You know your stuff.”
A large shopping basket hung from Kiruen’s hand.
It was packed with all manner of ingredients.
Kiruen pulled out a large leek from the basket.
She swung it back and forth, flaunting her prowess as a warrior.
“This alone is enough.”
“Abandoning your post during duty hours—write up an incident report. I’m ordering you as the Empire’s Chief Advisor.”
“Ah, seriously, Senior…!”
“No acting friendly. You’re on duty right now.”
Though Kiruen feared nothing in this world, she despised writing reports that required filling pages with dense text.
Kiruen spoke boldly.
“Cut me some slack. I’m asking nicely.”
Biatone answered even more boldly.
“I won’t cut you slack even if you ask nicely. And I certainly won’t if you ask rudely either.”
“You’re really going to be like this? Seriously?”
“Yes, I really am.”
“Just do me this favor. Here, take this.”
She handed over the leek she was holding.
“Is that a bribe? Do you want to write a report on bribery solicitation as well?”
“Senior, when did you become so rigid? Seriously? Back when we were… I mean, you weren’t like this before.”
Biatone smiled and accepted the leek.
“You don’t want to write the incident report?”
“Of course not.”
“If you don’t want to write it?”
“Then I’ll tell you the way.”
Biatone glanced toward Karin.
“I introduced you to Viscount Karin, but you didn’t teach me anything in return—I was disappointed. Tell me everything you’ve seen and heard about Viscount Karin. All of it.”
“….”
Kiruen alternated her gaze between Karin and Biatone.
Karin spoke.
“Please process my resignation.”
“Later. First, let me hear what the Guard Commander has to say.”
Karin tried to change the subject by speaking in rapid succession, but the seasoned Biatone would not be swayed.
He flicked his finger and cast a spell on Karin.
It was Silence—a spell of muting.
That alone was enough to infer most things.
‘This basic-level magic worked. She really has lost her magical power.’
Since things had come to this, he added one more binding spell for good measure.
Now Karin could neither move nor speak.
“Well then, Guard Commander? I’m giving you three minutes to speak. Convince me within those three minutes.”
“What’s the part I need to convince you of most?”
“Why Karin made our Princess feel lonely.”
Kiruen was momentarily at a loss for words.
Biatone waited without pressing further.
Isabel also listened silently to what Kiruen would say.
‘I need to find out. Karin’s true intentions.’
Yet the more Isabel heard Kiruen’s account, the more unexpected it became.
When she heard that Karin’s magical circuits had been completely destroyed while defending Isabel, it was shocking.
‘What kind of story is this?’
No matter how much the final mastermind might have ulterior motives… was such a thing even possible?
Isabel was bewildered.
“…And thus she was branded a traitor to the Mirotell Magic Federation and exiled.”
This too was an unbelievable tale.
The final mastermind, who should have exploited the Mirotell Magic Federation more than anyone, had cast aside the Federation’s protection of her own accord and become a traitor.
“…And so, masked assailants attacked us.”
“…”
“…And we succeeded in subduing them all. After that…”
Kiruen glanced at Karin’s expression once more.
Karin was speaking with her eyes.
Pleading not to say anything more. At least not in front of the Princess.
Isabel also read that gaze.
‘Can that even be… an act?’
The final mastermind is a master of deception.
The novel mentions it that way.
Certainly, the final mastermind is described like a monster who can freely wear a thousand masks.
‘But…’
Karin’s expression was more desperate and pitiful than ever before.
That pitifulness too must be an act… she thought.
‘Why…’
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Karin.
It had to be an act.
She had to be the mastermind behind everything.
‘But…’
A single tear rolled down my cheek.
‘Why does this hurt?’
Kiruen continued speaking.

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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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