Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 170

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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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Chapter 170
“Chirp! Princess!”
An-si had flown over at some point and transformed into human form, pulling me into a tight embrace. Thanks to her, the demonic energy that burst forth from Thousand-Year Fox didn’t touch me at all.
“What are you doing, you damned fox! What would have happened if the Princess got hurt!”
“Oof, s-s-sorry. My energy was suddenly being drained, and I got so startled that I reacted instinctively…”
“You’ve lived over a thousand years and you panic just because your energy gets drained a bit? I’m half tempted to rip your tail off and make it into a scarf for the Princess!”
“No, it wasn’t just a bit! I was really shocked! If I didn’t stop midway, a younger fox demon would have had all their energy drained and died with only their skin left. That’s how scary this little human is…”
Seok-ran’s voice was much deeper than usual. Since I was nestled in An-si’s arms, I couldn’t see what was happening.
I struggled free from An-si’s embrace and confirmed the situation with my own eyes.
“…Good heavens.”
The Abandoned Mansion had collapsed into ruins from the explosion of demonic energy. The Courtyard was carved into a spiral pattern, deep and wide, and the nearby wall had crumbled into a pile of rubble. Fortunately, An-si’s barrier had torn while buffering the impact, so the effects didn’t reach beyond the Abandoned Mansion.
In the center of that chaos sat a fox demon larger than a house—no, larger than most houses. Its ears drooped limply, and it had a terrifying appearance with spiky fur, fangs protruding past its jaw, a thick muscular body, razor-sharp claws, and an ominous glint in its eyes. I could feel the overwhelming pressure befitting a Thousand-Year Fox that had lived over a millennium.
So that was Seok-ran’s true form.
‘It’s not very scary since it’s cowering like a large dog that got into trouble.’
That explained why her voice sounded so deep. As I stared blankly upward, Seok-ran startled and perked up her ears, quickly shrinking her size. She became a fox roughly human-sized—not exactly small, but smaller than before—and her front paws fidgeted awkwardly as if embarrassed.
“Oof, k-keying… Did I startle you, Princess? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do this. I wasn’t cursed or anything, but my energy suddenly got drained, so I got scared and tried to stop it instinctively…”
“Ah, so that’s why you transformed… Wait, where’s Je-gal Pyo? Is the class representative okay?”
“He’s here, oof. I think I might have hit him just now…”
Seok-ran timidly moved aside and looked down. It seemed she had reflexively pinned him—Je-gal Pyo was revealed, trapped beneath Seok-ran’s hind legs.
The boy lay limp, blood dripping from his mouth. His entire body was covered in scratches, whether from being scraped by the burst of demonic energy.
“He’s hurt!”
I gasped and rushed to Je-gal Pyo. I removed his cracked glasses that were hanging precariously from the bridge of his nose and quickly poured my divine healing power into him.
Seok-ran asked hesitantly, her ears drooping.
“I d-didn’t hit him hard, so he should be fine… right?”
“…Fortunately, it’s not serious. Be more careful next time. Apologize to him when he wakes up.”
“Understood, oof.”
Seok-ran replied with an apologetic expression, then glanced at Je-gal Pyo’s shattered glasses and added.
“Oof oof, I’ll get him new glasses—pretty ones that will complete his beautiful boy image, not seal his beauty! I’ll buy him new clothes too… slurp.”
“Keep your ulterior motives in check. Anyway, do you think the training is working? With all this chaos…”
“This time I was careless! Of course, this little one’s absorption capacity is monstrous, but I can cut off the flow if I want to, so… But I’m worried about what happens when he grows up. I’m starting to feel sorry for the other demons…”
If Seok-ran was cautious to this degree, it was truly serious. For me, it was wonderful news. If Je-gal Pyo became a great sorcerer, he would be a tremendous help when fighting Doo-eok-sini.
I should give him divine artifacts later. I’m not sure which ones would suit him best. There must be divine artifacts that match him.
“Does he look like the type to indiscriminately absorb any demon? Besides, since you’re the one raising him, you can just teach him directly that there are good demons too. Don’t worry and raise him into an excellent sorcerer.”
“True, it depends on how you raise him… Understood, oof. I’ll raise him well! Kehing, just imagining it sounds delicious… A beautiful boy with a soft and harmless impression, but actually a powerful sorcerer that demons can’t even touch! And with an air of a scholar or military strategist! School days! A feather fan! Glasses! Glasses are important too! Kehehehehe!”
“…Wipe your drool.”
“Hah, slurp.”
“You’re not going to eat him once he’s fully grown?”
“I won’t eat him!”
I looked at Seok-ran with suspicious eyes, then nodded.
“Then, take Je-gal Pyo with you, wait for him to wake up, buy him new clothes and glasses, and escort him to the Wrestling Tournament Grounds.”
“Got it!”
Seok-ran did a somersault through the air and transformed back into the appearance of a woman wearing a veil. She cradled the healed Je-gal Pyo in her arms and walked out with a graceful sway.
I turned to survey the demolished Abandoned Mansion and let out a weary sigh.
“What am I going to do about this place? Does it have an owner? It doesn’t seem like anyone lives here, but…”
[Princess.]
“Why are you suddenly sending me a telepathic message? An-si, remember this location. I need to find the Merchant Host and either compensate them or arrange repairs…”
I muttered while pressing my temples, and An-si gently tugged at my sleeve.
[Someone is watching us, my lady.]
[What?]
[It seems that cursed Thousand-Year Fox tore the barrier, and someone sensed the demonic energy and approached. They’re hiding over there watching. Should I snap their legs and drag them over?]
[If they came because the barrier was torn… they must have seen Seok-ran.]
If they saw Seok-ran’s true form, I might need to silence them. Controlling a Thousand-Year Fox without being a sorcerer would require far too much explanation. Even if I were a sorcerer, claiming to have tamed a demon beast of that caliber would be troublesome.
[Who is it? Do you know them?]
I frowned and asked, and An-si answered.
[It’s that instructor Utouri, my lady.]
[Heo Gye-gyo?]
What was Heo Gye-gyo doing here?
The memory of the ambush flashed through my mind, and I reflexively looked up at the sky in the direction An-si had indicated.
“Instructor?”
“…You notice things quickly, Se-ru-hwa.”
The answer came not from the sky but from beyond the rubble that had once been a wall, from the corner of the Alley. A slender boy with pale blonde hair, wearing a black iron robe, slowly emerged from around the corner.
“I came to check on your patrol, but Choi Hwang-hae mentioned that you had disappeared, so I’ve been searching this area.”
“Ah.”
I had forgotten I was being punished for abandoning my post because of Je-gal Pyo. Thinking of how Choi Hwang-hae must have panicked when he found my spot empty, I felt genuinely sorry.
“I apologize for leaving my post during patrol, Instructor. I’ll go back and make up for it.”
I quickly bowed in apology, and Heo Gye-gyo’s expression took on a subtle smile.
“Rather than that… I’m curious whether what I saw was accurate.”
“Yes?”
“I could have sworn I just saw Se-ru-hwa commanding an extraordinarily massive fox demon with a mere gesture. It felt dangerous—at least a thousand years old—could it be the Thousand-Year Fox?”
“…”
He saw everything after all.
As I closed my mouth, Heo Gye-gyo tilted his head with an amused expression.
“Did I see something that wasn’t there? Or perhaps I was dreaming while standing. What do you think, Se-ru-hwa?”
As I hesitated to answer, An-si chattered through the telepathic link.
[Princess, An-si will turn what that bastard saw into a dream. Please give your permission.]
[How would you do that?]
[If anyone gets their head smacked hard enough, they lose consciousness and can’t tell the difference between dream and reality! Let An-si give him a proper whack!]
An-si held up a cute little fist. She really had dropped all pretense now.
[Let’s keep that as a last resort, An-si.]
“Haha!”
Heo Gye-gyo suddenly burst into laughter and raised both hands in surrender.
“I’m not trying to threaten or interrogate you. So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop worrying about how to deal with me.”
There’s no way a human could have overheard our silent exchange, yet his attitude suggested he had. When I looked at him suspiciously, Heo Gye-gyo shrugged.
“You two were exchanging glances while your companion was waving her fists around. Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t figure out what you were discussing?”
“…I suppose that’s fair.”
This fool of a boy. I shot a glance at An-si, and she flinched before quietly lowering her fist and hiding it in the folds of her skirt.
I exhaled softly and fixed my gaze on Heo Gye-gyo.
“If you’re not here to interrogate me, what do you want?”
“Looks like you want to make a deal to buy my silence. No interest in persuading me?”
“You don’t seem interested in being persuaded, Instructor. But it’s clear you want something from me.”
“Hmm? How did you know I want something from you, Cadet Se-ru-hwa?”
The way he drew out his words and smiled with his eyes reminded me of Seok-ran when she’d been acting coquettish in her human form moments earlier.
‘The flashy appearance is similar too. Why does this war deity’s bloodline feel like a fox demon?’
I sighed again and answered.
“You’ve been unusually kind to me, Instructor. From the very beginning.”
“I’ve grabbed you by the collar before. Would you call that kindness?”
“That was an exceptional circumstance, so I’ll overlook it. But normally speaking—even when you scolded me at Songrim Library last time, you barely said anything to me.”
“Well, I’m the Plum Blossom Class instructor, and you’re the first cadet to join Plum Blossom Class, so…?”
“You know that doesn’t make sense, don’t you?”
“Hmm… Is it because you’re the Crown Princess? Trying to look good?”
“Yet you act so freely around the Crown Prince?”
“Ha ha.”
Heo Gye-gyo laughed briefly, then spread his wings. The boy who had flown over the rubble and into the ruins hovered in mid-air, smiling beautifully.
“The truth is, I like you, Cadet Se-ru-hwa.”
I looked up at his jade-green eyes that sparkled like polished gems. Heo Gye-gyo whispered in a gentle tone.
“Don’t misunderstand—I haven’t forgotten that you’re the Crown Princess. It’s just that I genuinely like you. Like… a cute younger sister?”
“You’re lying.”
“Hmm? What am I lying about? That I genuinely like you?”
Heo Gye-gyo tilted his head charmingly as he asked, clearly very aware of how he appeared.
If he weren’t actually twenty-six instead of sixteen, or if I weren’t a genuine princess of two hundred and twelve years accustomed to receiving true affection, I might have fallen for it.
“…You dislike me, Instructor. That’s why it’s strange that you’re being kind to me.”
A crack appeared in Heo Gye-gyo’s radiant expression.

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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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