Limited Extra Time - Chapter 155

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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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—— Page 1 ——

My, why would you think such a thing?

You’re not angry with me, but you’re curious about this? I thought you’d scold me for being irreverent.

Carina Leopold’s eyes widened in question, and Kalan tilted his head with that same pleasant smile still gracing his features.

It was a warm smile, yet his gaze remained resolute—as if to say such a thing would never come to pass.

To compel someone to believe in the divine or to demand they pray is not the duty of a priest. Is that not no different from heresy?

…I suppose you have a point there.

The moment we entered the Main Temple Building, Seren tumbled into slumber with soft, contented sounds.

Though the child had struggled to nap properly during the day, whenever we came to the Temple, Seren would fall into deep sleep as if stepping into a place of perfect comfort.

Even amid considerable noise, it seemed to trouble the child not at all.

—— Page 2 ——

Kalan entered the Reception Room and laid the child upon a bed set to one side, then prepared tea.

The teacups, befitting those used in the Temple, were elegant and pristine—not ornate, yet they appeared to be of considerable value.

“So, might I hear your answer to my question?”

Carina Leopold took a sip of tea and nodded. A brief respite. The conversation during this time while the child napped was hardly an unwelcome topic.

didn’t.

“I’ve tried praying until I was sick of it. But it didn’t work. This is just something that comes from my own experience.”

“You did offer a proper prayer at the Temple, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but it won’t make a difference even if we do it at the Temple. They took away what I wanted most and filled me with his greed…”

They made him struggle endlessly for what he desired, grinding away his very life in the process.

Carina Leopold thought of it as divine will. The gods never grant what one desires most—all for the sake of their own beauty, which they pursue relentlessly.

“You resent the gods, then.”

“No, not entirely. I’ve gained things because of it, so I can’t say I resent them alone.”

Carina Leopold shook her head quietly.

Kalan, who had been observing her expression with subtle intensity, slowly nodded in acknowledgment. He grasped his teacup with both hands, tilted it slightly, then set it down with deliberate care.

He held it with both hands, tilted it, and then set it back down neatly.

“Is there something you wish for?”

“There is. But I won’t speak of it, so please don’t press further.”

Carina Leopold cut off the conversation with finality.

Kalan acquiesced gracefully, withdrawing without protest.

He showed no inclination to probe deeper. Carina Leopold exhaled softly.

—— Page 3 ——

“It’s about Seren, actually.”

“Yes? Is something the matter?”

“Well, not exactly… To be precise, it concerns my husband.”

Kalan tilted his head curiously.

“He seems far too reluctant to leave the house.”

At Carina Leopold’s earnest expression, Kalan’s face contorted oddly. He laughed awkwardly, as if caught off guard.

“Too reluctant to… I beg your pardon?”

Uncharacteristically, he stammered slightly. Noticing his subtle hesitation, Carina Leopold finally laughed awkwardly herself.

But for her, it was far too serious a matter.

“Well, that’s good then. Everyone carries different worries, after all. If you don’t mind, I’d be happy to listen until Seren wakes up.”

“Well, I’ve always been rather particular about caring for the child

to be honest. Since she’s my firstborn, I suppose I am cautious by nature.”

“Of course.”

Kalan nodded lightly, acknowledging her words.

There were quite a few worshippers who came with concerns about their children. Indeed, there were many who sought blessings for their young ones.

“But lately, it’s become rather… excessive, I suppose.”

“Excessive in what way?”

“Well, Seren has quite sensitive hearing. For that reason, I needed a rather special rattle…”

As Carina Leopold trailed off, Kalan’s head tilted slightly.

Fortunately, as a high-ranking priest, he possessed remarkable patience and understood the art of waiting.

After a brief pause, Carina Leopold exhaled deeply

—— Page 4 ——

and opened her mouth to speak.

“I established a Toy Factory in the Capital.”

“…Ah, you don’t mean the one that caused such a stir recently?”

“Yes, it became rather famous. An individual of unknown identity suddenly established a Toy Factory, and there were protests and complaints flooding in, remember?”

Kalan smiled and evaded the question.

Indeed, there had been much talk about it circulating through the Temple at that time.

Some people lamented their frustration with the mysterious figure who had suddenly burrowed into their affairs, while others even wished misfortune upon him as they passed by on the street.

“Well… it’s simply that there were already people engaged in that industry from the start. Resistance was inevitable, I suppose.”

“Yes, but I couldn’t help wondering if it was really necessary to build an entire factory and make such a grand undertaking when a simple custom order would have sufficed.”

Throughout our time living together, Carina Leopold had witnessed many facets of Millaiyen’s

generous spending habits.

He didn’t spend money easily, but when he did, he spent it without reservation. Not like a tree that gives without limit, but close.

“Did you ask him his reasons?”

“Yes, and borrowing his exact words… ‘How could I possibly place toys made by other people into my child’s hands?'”

“….”

Kalan, who had never failed to respond to anything until now, finally found himself at a loss for words.

Carina Leopold turned her head slightly and exhaled another sigh. That alone said everything without needing to speak.

“I see… so that was it.”

Kalan finally managed to nod after a long pause, offering his response.

His words were utterly devoid of spirit. His reply was merely obligatory, a mechanical response.

“That’s not even the half of it. Actually, Seren’s favorite fruit is apples—

—— Page 5 ——

he eats them particularly well.”

Carina Leopold began pouring out to Kalan the things she had nowhere else to confide.

After all, one couldn’t very well gossip about the master of the house to the household servants.

And as for Periel Kalos….

‘Periel Kalos must be cut from the same cloth as Millaiyen.’

If anything, he’d be worse, not better. I was beginning to dislike the wealthy.

These high-ranking nobles with power and abundant wealth seemed oblivious to how far their actions strayed from anything resembling ordinary behavior.

I couldn’t very well confront Peng about it—he merely tolerated Millaiyen’s conduct. And as for Winston, he simply had no time.

Ever since Peng had developed a taste for chatting with Winston, whenever Winston visited, he monopolized nearly all of Peng’s remaining hours outside of routine examinations.

Thanks to that, on those days Peng could leave work at a reasonable hour.

‘Winston is simply the sort who listens well.’

He had a way of putting people at ease. He listened attentively to any conversation and never offered advice carelessly.

When he spoke, there was always a compelling reason behind it.

Truthfully, if only he were closer to my age, Carina Leopold would have wanted to be his closer friend as well.

Winston was simply impossible to dislike.

“Yes, in fact I’ve prepared apples for Seren.”

Kalan smiled and gestured to one side. A basket brimmed with apples of remarkably fine quality.

Carina Leopold laughed awkwardly.

Seren’s fondness for apples was such that I’d even started weaning him on crushed apples.

—— Page 6 ——

Since I couldn’t feed him only that, I alternated between regular baby food and crushed apples.

Seren had apparently concluded that if he ate something tasteless once, he’d receive something delicious next, so despite his disgruntled expression, he dutifully opened his mouth each time.

“…Thank you for thinking of him.”

“Not at all. Seren is a remarkably bright child. Moreover, his spirit is virtuous and pure—it is clear that he is beloved by the divine.”

“That’s a relief. I hope you’ll be happy.”

“You will be.”

Kalan spoke with such certainty that Carina Leopold let out a low laugh.

Kalan watched her silently, his gaze peculiar as he glanced once at Seren before opening his mouth again with a faint smile.

“So… you stopped talking about apples earlier. Is there more to the story?”

“Yes, I bought an apple orchard in the Southern Territory.”

“…Pardon?”

“In the Southern Territory, I bought an apple orchard.”

Carina Leopold enunciated each word with deliberate emphasis, then lowered her head deeply.

An apple orchard—wasn’t that excessive?

And it wasn’t just one field; I’d monopolized every orchard in that entire village.

The finest box from all of them would be sent to the Northern Territory first, naturally.

No wonder Peng’s stress and workload multiplied by the day, and his visits to Winston grew increasingly frequent.

“Hmm… an apple orchard, you say.”

“Yes, I bought every orchard in the village most famous for apples.”

“…I see.”

Even the legendary Kalan found himself at a loss for words.

—— Page 7 ——

He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again repeatedly, before finally offering an awkward smile as his only response.

“…Well, it’s clear you intend to venture into the apple business.”

“That’s certainly possible. Though my primary objective is to receive the finest box of apples first.”

I consider myself fortunate if business reasoning accounts for even one hundredth of my motivations.

I’ve even been contemplating hiring a researcher to study methods of preserving apples longer.

Kalan, who had remained silent for some time, finally burst into laughter.

He covered his mouth with his hand and turned his head away, bowing deeply, though his trembling shoulders betrayed his amusement.

“….”

“…I-I’m, ahem. I’m terribly sorry.”

Kalan bit down hard on his lip and lifted his head.

“No, I was equally astounded.”

How astounded must he have been to hear such things? Carina Leopold exhaled a deep sigh.

I dreaded what lay ahead.

The complete renovation of Leopold Manor’s interior out of concern for the child’s safety, or the dismantling and reassembly of the entire residence to install soundproofing—all of it now seemed trivial by comparison.

Carina Leopold shook her head with a somewhat dazed expression, her gaze distant.

“I find myself curious about what you might undertake next.”

“Well, one thing I’m certain of is that I’ll likely hire a designer exclusively for Seren, since I’m dissatisfied with clothes that completely diminish his appearance.”

“My goodness….”

“And you’ll be even more shocked when you learn that all of this has transpired within the past week.”

—— Page 8 ——

“…”

Kalan no longer attempted to conceal his bewilderment. He simply smiled in silence.

Carina Leopold shrugged her shoulders. Honestly, she felt a little apprehensive about what sort of chaos might unfold the next time she visited.

“Would you be angry if I admitted that I’m looking forward to next week?”

“No, I don’t think I’d be upset as long as you’re willing to listen.”

“I’m more than happy to listen.

A priest’s ears are always open to his congregation.”

“For someone saying that, you certainly look pleased.”

Carina Leopold exhaled another sigh—she’d lost count of how many she’d released by now.

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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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