I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 98

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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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It was absurd.
My brother stood there with disheveled hair, letting out a massive yawn—khaaaaah—without a care in the world.
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because this is my room.”
“This is your room?”
Michael glanced around, then tilted his head with genuine confusion.
“Why am I here?”
“…That’s what I’m wondering. Why are you here, Brother?”
Michael burst out laughing—kehehe!
“I have no idea!”
I was certain he wasn’t lying. Michael was simply that type of person.
Thoughtless about everything, and precisely because he was thoughtless about everything.
“But who is that woman?”
“….”
I was startled.
How could he not recognize the face of Rahela, one of the Seven Holy Kings?
And honestly, how could anyone call that face a woman in that sense!
No matter how I looked at her, she was a sister—no, an older sister!
“Brother! How could you be so disrespectful to a Holy King?”
“…Huh?”
“Apologize at once.”
Michael’s expression soured slightly. His protruding lip made it clear he felt wronged.
“I called a woman a woman—what’s disrespectful about that?”
“….”
“I don’t mind being called Michael at all!”
‘Calling Michael by Michael = calling a woman a woman.’
…That was undoubtedly his logic.
I had no idea where to even begin explaining this.
‘Viscount Lancer. When exactly are you coming back? My head is killing me.’
Viscount Lancer showed no signs of returning since his business trip began.
Fortunately, Rahela didn’t seem particularly upset.
“You’re exactly the same as always.”
“You know me?”
“I saw you about five years ago. You called me a woman then too.”
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Does it bother you when I call you a woman?”
Rahela shrugged and shook her head.
“It’s friendly and nice. What’s wrong with that?”
Michael gazed at me with a triumphant expression.
It seemed to say, ‘See? There’s no problem at all!’
I found myself at a loss for words before that confident gleam in his eyes.
In any case, my conversation with Rahela continued without incident.
“…and I’d like you to come with me to the Zirdel Kingdom. The Empress has already given her permission, and we can depart whenever you wish.”
At those words, Michael’s hand shot up.
“Correct!”
I had no idea why he suddenly shouted the answer.
No one had posed a question, yet Michael declared the answer.
“I’m coming too!”
“Why would you?”
“Because Brother Kaman is in the Zirdel Kingdom.”
Oh, that’s right!
The Zirdel Kingdom’s military strength was quite weak.
Yet it could still function as the hub of a trading kingdom because a base camp housing the Bilatone Empire’s Knight Order was stationed within the Zirdel Kingdom.
A subordinate unit of the “Black Whale,” which Steward Dailsa once commanded, was garrisoned there, and the Third Prince Kaman had been dispatched to that location.
‘If things go well, I might actually meet him?’
My other blood relative, whom I had never met even once except during the selection ceremony, was there.
Rahela smiled warmly.
“You seem to like and admire your brother very much.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Isn’t that why you want to go with him?”
“That’s not it.”
Michael’s true intention was simple.
“I think I can beat him now.”
Apparently, their last duel was six months ago.
I had no idea when they’d fought before that, but he seemed brimming with confidence that he could finally defeat his brother.
Michael was always full of energy, but today he was especially vibrant. It was the most animated I’d seen him recently.
“…You’re quite confident, Brother.”
“Of course. I’ve never lacked confidence.”
“Have you ever actually beaten Brother Kaman?”
“This time I will. Hehe!”
Saying he would win this time meant he’d never won even once until now.
In other words, he’d always fought with supreme confidence, yet always suffered defeat.
“…How many times have you lost?”
“Who knows? About thirty-something times?”
Given that Michael said thirty-something, it was surely over a hundred times.
Since Michael always remembered things as he pleased, he must be downplaying his defeat count in his memory.
‘It’s remarkable how he remains such a bundle of confidence despite losing a hundred times….’
Still, I offered him my support.
“I’ll cheer you on, Brother, with all my confidence.”
“Just trust me.”
I didn’t understand what I was supposed to trust, so I simply said I would. Michael laughed heartily, his voice booming with delight.
* * *
“Your Highness, I have a few urgent matters to attend to. I’ll join you shortly.”
Narmore said he had some pressing business to handle and would catch up with us later.
Yuri spoke up.
“I’ve already prepared the luggage.”
Yuri now cut the figure of a proper lady’s maid.
She had voluntarily undergone rigorous training under the Steward, and her mannerisms bore a striking resemblance to his.
In truth, the maid position had merely been a pretext to bring Yuri along, yet she performed the role flawlessly.
“Aren’t you terribly busy with Yurimor Bakery?”
“No matter what anyone says, my first duty is to serve Your Highness. I’ve temporarily closed the bakery.”
She then glanced subtly toward Narmore.
“My sense of duty differs greatly from that of someone for whom money is everything.”
“Hey…! I also work for Your Highness…!”
Narmore’s body trembled slightly.
He seemed to have something to say, but perhaps because I was present, he refrained from openly quarreling with Yuri.
‘They must be on good terms, right?’
I decided to think of it that way and took neither side.
In any case, Yuri and I stepped out of the room.
A luxurious carriage awaited us in front of the Arena Palace.
I asked the Coachman.
“We won’t be taking any excessively narrow roads, will we?”
The Coachman had a rather fierce expression and was quite large in build.
“Why do you ask, my lady?”
“Because traveling in such a lavish carriage through narrow streets might cause inconvenience to the common people.”
“Have no worry. The Kingdom of Zirdel is relatively close, and the roads are wide and well-maintained.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
“I don’t know which noble house you belong to, but your character is truly admirable.”
There was no way he didn’t know who I was.
This was the Arena Palace, and I was the only young female royal to emerge from it.
‘So he means, what kind of daughter has such noble character!’
The Coachman seemed oddly moved.
‘But something feels off about this.’
There was something subtly unnatural about the whole situation.
I knew the reason.
‘Father really can’t do roleplay well.’
That Coachman was my Biological Father.
He had disguised himself again after a long time, and I decided to blend naturally into this world where ‘everyone knows but everyone pretends not to know.’
I decided to simply call this the “Dad-verse” (Dad + Universe).
‘Even at eight years old, playing house is still fun?’
I honestly don’t know how much longer this kind of roleplay will remain entertaining.
But since there will surely come a day when this stops being fun, I thought I should savor the present moment thoroughly.
Michael and Rahela rode inside the carriage.
I sat beside my father—or rather, the Coachman.
After passing through a transfer gate and traveling for half a day, we arrived near the border of the Zirdel Kingdom.
Biatone was waiting there.
“Now then, you coachman fellow, hand over the reins to me, Coachman.”
Biatone, who typically didn’t speak down to the Coachman, kept urging him to hand over the reins.
Today, he wore a smile that seemed like that of a victor.
Biatone appeared to be fully committed to the Dad-verse as well.
“Come now, why don’t you hand them over? That seat is my seat, it’s my turn now, Coachman. Go on back and do the Coachman’s work, Coachman! Mwahahaha!”
“….”
I felt the Coachman’s body tremble slightly.
For some reason, it felt a bit eerie, but the feeling soon faded.
“Now go, Coachman! This is my time now, Coachman!”
“….”
Eventually, the Coachman handed over the reins, and Biatone sat beside me.
‘Why do they have to make things so complicated?’
Why come separately? It would be more efficient to move together.
I managed to find one logical reason.
‘They probably want to keep this roleplay secret in the Zirdel Kingdom.’
After all, there’s such a thing as the Emperor’s dignity.
So it seemed they wanted to keep secret the fact that he was playing this roleplay with his daughter.
“Princess, please go inside the carriage and rest for a moment. We’ll arrive in about two hours.”
“I’m not sleepy at all.”
I sat on the driver’s seat and enjoyed the scenery outside.
Silver grass meadows stretched all the way to the distant horizon. Where the silver grass met the wind, a pleasant rustling sound—swish, swish—filled the air around us.
The air was quite cold, but warm sunlight shone down pleasantly.
I lifted my head.
When I reached my hand toward the soft sunlight, my eyes were dazzled.
‘I’m happy.’
This was an experience I could never have imagined in my past life.
Being able to travel(?) like this, feeling the wind at the beginning of winter, was truly a great blessing.
How much time had passed?
“We’ve arrived.”
‘…Huh?’
Somehow, I had fallen asleep.
I was lying with my head resting on Biatone’s lap.
‘When did I fall asleep?’
I wasn’t entirely sure, but whether Biatone had woven his warm mana into a blanket to cover me, I felt no chill whatsoever.
“The entry procedures for the Zirdel Kingdom are quite straightforward. We’ll be entering the royal palace shortly. I’ve arranged accommodations in advance, so we’ll rest there for a day before heading to the palace.”
Under Biatone’s command, we stepped into a luxurious hotel.
Yet in the lobby, I encountered a face I was not particularly pleased to see.
“Hehehehe, who might this be? Isn’t this Princess Isabel?”
It was Reina, the only daughter of Viscount Rosild.
However, something about Reina’s demeanor and appearance felt strangely awkward and unnatural.

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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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