Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 113

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

Chapter 113
“Ah, I see.”
The Pyeong Sorcerer replied matter-of-factly and continued.
“However, demons skilled at concealing their true nature cannot be detected by such simple talismans. This time, I shall apply sorcery directly to the Crown Prince’s body to verify whether he is indeed human.”
Whether he is indeed human.
At those words, the Crown Prince flinched ever so slightly, then suddenly looked toward me. It seemed an unconscious gesture born of anxiety and fear.
‘He’s become such a different being from an ordinary human that he must sense countless differences. Judging by the twilight-touched characteristics he mentioned before… there are probably many differences he hasn’t told me about.’
Each time the boy discovered a new difference, he must have been reminded anew that he was no longer human. Yet that didn’t make him a monster.
‘The Crown Prince is human. He’s simply human and twilight-touched.’
That’s what twilight-touched beings are. Whether whale or tree or rabbit, becoming twilight-touched doesn’t make them cease to be whale, tree, or rabbit.
Besides, the Crown Prince himself wishes to be human and lives as one.
‘I need to reassure him.’
I raised my arm slightly and clenched my fist in encouragement. The Crown Prince seemed to understand, offering a faint smile in return.
In the meantime, the two sorcerers had apparently reached an agreement, and the Pyeong Sorcerer extended his hand toward the Crown Prince.
“Forgive the intrusion, Your Highness.”
He placed his hand on the Crown Prince’s forehead and drew up his demonic energy. The Un Sorcerer stood behind him, monitoring the vital points.
‘He’s detecting in real-time how the other’s demonic energy moves.’
While monitoring the very movement of internal energy like this, it would be impossible to secretly employ other sorcery. So the Pyeong Sorcerer must be using only the prescribed sorcery to examine whether the Crown Prince is a demon or possessed by malevolent spirits.
‘The deception wasn’t his idea anyway.’
I closed my mouth and sent out a telepathic message.
[An-si, contact Gwang-chul.]
Gwang-chul was currently at the Guest House, beyond the reach of my telepathy. An-si had to use separate celestial magic to communicate. I could see An-si, who had been waiting with other palace staff at the entrance of the Unjeung Pavilion, quietly stepping into the shadows.
Moments later, An-si’s telepathic message reached me.
[Your Highness! Gwang-chul says there are many human sorcerers gathered in the place you mentioned! The surrounding energy is ominous—he’s certain they’re preparing to do something wicked!]
Just as we’d decided in the late-night meeting, the sorcerers who came with the Pyeong envoy delegation appeared to be gathering in a corner of the Guest House, preparing to hurl curses.
[Your Highness, should I have Gwang-chul snap their necks now?]
[No, have him keep watching for now. Maintain communication.]
This was the additional precaution I’d arranged beyond the twilight-touched flower tea. Should the Crown Prince falter or appear injured, Gwang-chul was prepared to cause chaos at the Guest House.
‘It would be a meaningless precaution if the Crown Prince endures well.’
I observed the Crown Prince carefully. With his eyes gently closed, he appeared calm for now. But with sorcerers gathered at the Guest House, curses would soon come flying.
Sure enough, the fingertips of the boy seated in the chair began to tremble. The Crown Prince gripped the armrest so hard his knuckles turned white. Cold sweat suddenly drenched his youthful face. The dark, shadowy aura that had been spreading low around the chair writhed.
“Your Highness?”
The Un Sorcerer called out anxiously, the watching Ministers murmured among themselves, the envoys craned their necks, and the King rose abruptly from his seat.
‘Should I give Gwang-chul the order?’
As I hesitated, the Crown Prince clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, his Adam’s apple visibly moving.
‘He successfully bit the jade pill he’d been holding!’
He must have bitten the jade pill before losing his reason, consuming the twilight-touched flower tea. I exhaled a silent sigh of relief and released my tension.
The Pyeong Sorcerer, whose hand rested on the Crown Prince’s forehead, opened his mouth with an expression of deep suspicion.
“Your Highness, why are you perspiring so heavily? This sorcery should not be difficult for someone as ordinary human as yourself…”
The man shrugged and turned to the Un Sorcerer, asking a question.
“Isn’t that so?”
“…That’s correct.”
The Un Sorcerer appeared confused but couldn’t deny the Pyeong Sorcerer’s words. The Pyeong Sorcerer exaggerated and raised his voice.
“This is sorcery that shouldn’t affect humans at all, yet such a reaction! Could it be that Your Highness is——”
“I’m simply unaccustomed to essence flowing through my body, so I find it somewhat repulsive.”
The Crown Prince interjected, his voice calm and serene. The Pyeong Sorcerer’s eyes widened in surprise.
The boy looked up at him with clear eyes and continued speaking.
“Sorcerer, it seems you’ve already examined my entire body. Is there still something left to verify?”
“…How?”
The flustered sorcerer muttered unconsciously. The Crown Prince smiled coldly at him.
“‘How’? It seems you were expecting something from me, judging by that reaction.”
“…!”
The startled sorcerer withdrew his hand from the Crown Prince and stepped backward.
The boy leaned his chin against the armrest with ease, and with a smile still on his face, posed a question.
“Is the verification complete now?”
“That is….”
“It’s complete! This fellow scanned Your Highness’s entire body five times with essence and found nothing, so of course it’s finished!”
The Un Sorcerer interjected urgently. At those words, the King, who had risen from his seat, stumbled back down and pressed his hand to his chest.
The Crown Prince opened his mouth with a gentle tone.
“If it’s complete, then it seems my turn to receive an apology for suspecting a crown prince of a nation of being a monster.”
The boy turned toward the Ping Empire Envoys and narrowed his eyes.
“Since Yun has shown sincerity, it’s now Pyeong’s turn to reciprocate. That would be the natural courtesy and duty toward an allied nation, wouldn’t it? Don’t you envoys think so?”
“…!”
The envoys’ mouths fell open. At the same moment, the Pyeong Sorcerer, who had retreated, gestured to the Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin guards standing behind the envoys. Several of them rushed forward, ostensibly blocking the envoys while subtly stepping their feet into the darkness surrounding the Crown Prince.
“Crown Prince, are you now threatening the Pyeong Empire’s envoys…Kraaaagh!”
They stopped mid-sentence and, as if on cue, all began writhing their bodies frantically. As people gasped in shock, I frowned.
‘So they’re resorting to this after all. How pathetic.’
This was the final trap they had prepared. If the Crown Prince didn’t rampage to the end, the designated ones would pose as fake victims of the black plague and cause an incident.
“Uuuaaaagh!”
“Grrrrgh…!”
The Pyeong guards foamed at the mouth and shrieked, lunging at those around them. Their veins bulged and their eyes rolled back, showing the whites—it was quite convincing.
‘It’s just acting with tools, but for those who don’t know…especially those who’ve experienced the black plague…’
“Ughhhh!”
“The black plague! It’s the black plague!”
“Your Majesty! Flee!”
The Ministers, terrified several times over by memories of the black plague, cried out in alarm and tried to escape. The Royal Guard Officers standing nearby were startled and stepped forward in front of the King.
“Run!”
“Kyaaaagh!”
Amid the chaos, I remained composed. I noticed one of the burly Pyeong Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin guards charging directly at me.
I didn’t dodge. I simply sat still.
[Your Highness!]
[It’s fine, wait!]
I stopped An-si, who was already prepared to dive in with a startled cry despite having heard the entire plan, and gazed at the Crown Prince visible through the gap beside the charging Pyeong Kingdom man.
The Crown Prince kicked back his chair and stretched his hand toward me. The darkness pooled near him swelled up all at once, rising like a stone monument. It spread in all directions, crashing like a wave over the backs of the Pyeong Kingdom guards.
“Ugh!”
“Kgh!”
The darkness pressed them to the ground like a giant’s palm. The men who tumbled and fell thrashed about frantically, but they couldn’t escape the heavy, suffocating darkness. The Crown Prince had subdued the rampaging Pyeong Kingdom escorts in a single stroke.
‘His mastery over shadow magic is truly improving by leaps and bounds. Well, he’s already crafted swords from darkness, created palanquins, and even subdued and consumed Geu-seun-dae….’
I had anticipated beforehand that the Crown Prince would suppress the fake black wine victims this way, but seeing it unfold right before my eyes drew nothing but admiration. I held back the urge to applaud as I watched him, only to find his face had gone pale as a blank sheet of paper—and he was glaring at me.
Wait, glaring? At me? The Crown Prince, at me?
‘Why?’
Looking bewildered, the boy seemed to be angry about something. I hadn’t done anything wrong, had I? Everything had gone according to plan.
As I blinked and stared, the Crown Prince turned his head sharply and shouted in a clear voice toward the fleeing people.
“Everyone, look carefully! This is not black wine!”
“…?”

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