Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 29

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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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Episode 29
In truth, these wandering spirits still possessed life threads since they remained among the living—yet paradoxically, because they were “living humans,” they could not perceive their own life threads.
‘Humans can only see their life threads after becoming the deceased. Just as the dead Se-ru-hwa had seen hers.’
It was only natural that if the living could see life threads, the world would descend into chaos.
These wandering spirits were not the deceased, so they could not see their life threads, and unable to see them, despite being perfectly alive, they could not return to the Living World and became lost souls in the Afterlife.
‘I, however, am a special case where my life thread is severed entirely.’
In the past, when I lost consciousness, my life thread would not sever. So if my body was treated, I could return from the Afterlife on my own. But lately, whenever I fall into the River of Three Paths, my life thread snaps completely.
‘At that point, I suppose I should consider myself truly dead.’
If I were an ordinary human or even a deity without the Yama King as my father, I would have become one of the deceased the moment my life thread first severed.
But because I am the Yama King’s only daughter, I have been revived even in such circumstances. My father searches through the Demon Realm beyond Yama Kingdom, finds the severed end of my life thread, and reattaches it with his own hands. Then he comes to retrieve me from the banks of the River of Three Paths.
‘The reason it takes longer each time is that as my life thread is repeatedly severed and reattached, it grows thinner and weaker, making it harder to find and more difficult to rejoin.’
The moment when even my father’s power can no longer reattach my life thread will be my final end. Likely the very next time.
‘…In any case, there should still be considerable time. Since I’m not moving my original body, I’ll endure much longer.’
I sat beside the Queen and gestured to Seol Deung-hwa.
“Come here and try it. Use the method I taught you.”
“Yes.”
Seol Deung-hwa sat down carefully beside me, withdrew a bottle of vermillion mirror powder used in talismans, and drew lines across both palms. Then, cupping her hands around one eye like a telescope, she peered at the Queen.
“…I can see it!”
“Can you see the life thread clearly? Point to it.”
“Yes, I can see the thread. It’s connected this way.”
“Good. You’ve practiced diligently.”
“The characters written on the thread are still too faint for me to read, though….”
“To see even that, you’d need to receive a divine descent. What you have now is sufficient for your purposes.”
I had taught Seol Deung-hwa two methods: a form of self-harm that delivers a shock severe enough to send the soul to the Afterlife but leaves no aftereffects on the body, and a method to perceive life threads. This way, after taking revenge on the Emperor, she could feign death and resurrect herself.
“When you awaken in the Afterlife later, instead of the vermillion powder, draw the lines using water from the River of Three Paths.”
“Yes.”
“Now then, let us prepare to retrieve the Queen.”
I handed Seol Deung-hwa a golden cord I had retrieved from the Treasure Vault beforehand. It would serve as a barrier to prevent intrusion by others.
‘If only I could cast barriers myself.’
I understood it all in theory, but I could not freely expend my divine power, so I had no choice but to rely on such tools.
While Seol Deung-hwa hung the golden cord around the corners of the folding screen to encircle the space, I withdrew the Eight Pillar Order. Unlike Seol Deung-hwa’s complicated method, I could simply see life threads, and as Princess Cheonmyeong, I possessed the authority to enter the Afterlife, find the Queen, and bring her out.
The problem was how to enter.
‘Since I must enter with my physical body to exercise my authority as Princess Cheonmyeong, I cannot use the self-harm method.’
The self-harm method I had taught Seol Deung-hwa was originally something I had devised in my ignorance, hating the pain of my body and preferring to remain in the less painful Afterlife.
Back then, I thought it was acceptable. But after realizing I was driving nails through my parents’ hearts, no matter how difficult things became, I never used it again.
‘I have no choice but to open a gate to the Afterlife.’
Opening the gate near the Queen would make it easier to follow her life thread to where her wandering spirit resided. It would be convenient to bring the Queen near an already-open gate, but the King would never permit that.
‘Well, I’ve made all the preparations anyway.’
This was why I had sent all the attendants out of the Palace Hall, set up the folding screen, and created a barrier with the golden cord. I had also chosen the new moon, when the yin energy was thick enough that opening an Afterlife gate would draw less attention.
‘It would be convenient if I could receive An-si’s help. She can open passages as easily as the Underworld Messengers.’
That passageway is designed for a single person, after all.
The Phoenix is a divine beast capable of freely traversing the Heavenly Realm, Mortal Realm, and Underworld. However, since it can only travel alone, I sent it to the Afterlife beforehand. To search for the Queen within the Underworld, it would be faster to rely on An-si’s ability to fly.
I arranged the materials I’d brought with Seol Deung-hwa on the ground and drew a formation using cinnabar.
‘This is really tedious. If I could just use my divine power, a single incantation would suffice.’
In truth, there were far simpler means of reaching the Afterlife. Formations and all that—I could simply grab one of the Eight Pillar Order bells and shake it, and I’d be done.
‘There are four bells connected to the Afterlife alone!’
The problem was that I was in a state of flight from home. I could slip items from Pantao Garden or the Treasure Vault of Sang Ra Palace without issue since no one was constantly guarding them, but the other bells were different.
‘The bell that goes directly to Yama Palace where Father resides is obviously out of the question, and the one connected to my separate palace in the Afterlife would get me caught by the celestial maidens.’
The remaining two bells were each problematic for different reasons to use right now.
‘There’s no helping it, I suppose.’
I drew a formation to gather yin energy, arranged items dense with yin or related to death according to the formation’s design, then carefully poured water into the center. Rather than spreading wide, the water gathered in a perfect circle at the formation’s heart. The pooled water turned black, and the formation began to glow faintly.
“Done.”
“So if I enter that pooled water now, it really becomes the River of Three Paths?”
“Yes.”
Seol Deung-hwa gazed at the gateway to the Underworld with an expression mingling wonder and fear.
I removed my socks and set them aside, then donned the Vermillion Bird robe I’d taken from the Eight Pillar Order. I’d worn it during the wedding ceremony, and it was perfect for entering the river—it didn’t absorb water and retained warmth.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Please return safely.”
“Don’t worry about me; you be careful instead. Nothing should happen, but if something does, proceed as we planned.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please don’t worry either.”
Leaving Seol Deung-hwa’s farewell behind, I stepped into the pooled water at the formation’s center. There was no ground where there should have been. As my leg sank through, I felt the river’s current.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and dove into the water. The cold, suffocating river enveloped my entire body with familiar embrace. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by pitch-black water.
‘At least the Vermillion Bird robe keeps me from freezing.’
Though the garment’s hem was cumbersome, the robe repelled the water, making swimming surprisingly easy.
‘And swimming in this body is definitely less exhausting.’
Before, when I was in spirit form, my senses were dull and it was still difficult; now, with a healthy body, swimming felt effortless.
‘The lifeline is… over there.’
The gateway to the Underworld I’d emerged from was submerged within the River of Three Paths and too faint to see clearly, but the Queen’s lifeline shone white and bright, visible with perfect clarity. I swam along the pale lifeline toward the surface.
“Phew…”
I surfaced just enough to breathe shallowly. Normally I’d be confident heading home, but now I had to be careful not to be caught by the Underworld Messengers.
‘Ferryboats.’
Several ferries crossed the river in the distance. The distance seemed far enough that I wouldn’t be spotted.
‘Carefully now…’
Unexpectedly, the Queen’s lifeline led not toward the Demon Realm but in the direction of Yama Kingdom. Since she was a living being, she shouldn’t have been able to enter Yama Kingdom—was she wandering nearby instead?
I sat on a sandbar along the riverbank to rest briefly.
‘An-si promised to come, so I should wait.’
Since An-si is a divine beast belonging to me, she can sense my location from anywhere. That’s why she finds me so reliably, even if I suddenly died and fell into the River of Three Paths.
As I sat catching my breath, ferries suddenly appeared in great numbers from across the river.
‘Ugh, the messengers are swarming again. When will the traffic congestion in the Underworld ever ease?’
With so many coming, I’d definitely be noticed here.
‘With silver hair that already stands out, and now draped in the brilliant crimson robes of the Vermillion Bird… this won’t do.’
I rose quietly and followed the thread of fate that connected me to my destination.
‘But something’s odd about this thread’s direction.’
It should be curving by now, yet the thread runs perfectly straight. If I follow it this way, it leads directly to the Yama Palace where Father resides, doesn’t it?
‘Could it be behind Yama Kingdom? They’ve gone quite far.’
It seemed I would have to circle around along the walls of Yama Kingdom.
‘Walking there is absolutely impossible. I’ll have to fly with An-si.’
I exhaled deeply and concealed myself among the tall crimson reeds that grew thickly near the sandbar.
‘I’ll circle along the wall, hide in a suitable spot, and wait for An-si.’
As I pushed through the reeds, moving cautiously, I spotted bizarrely jutting rocks—a perfect place to hide.
‘That gap between them will work perfectly.’
The moment I squeezed between the rocks, I found an unexpected visitor.
“Ahhh! What the—!”
“Eek!”
Startled!
Once I collected myself and looked again, it was an Underworld Messenger. Judging by the scattered bottles around him, he appeared to be shirking his duties while secretly drinking.
‘How unlucky. I’ll have to pretend to be a living shaman who wandered into the Afterlife.’
His flushed face suggested he was quite drunk, which meant I might be able to deceive him. But why did his face seem so familiar?
“What? Why is a living human here… wait.”
The Underworld Messenger, who had been studying me with narrowed eyes, suddenly pointed at me accusingly.
“You! You! *hiccup*—you’re that brat with the fate thread! Do you know how much trouble you caused me?! *burp*!”
Watching him shout in anger while hiccupping from intoxication, the memory finally surfaced.
‘Isn’t this the one who tried to hit Se-ru-hwa and got caught by me instead?!’
Of all people, I had to encounter him again while in Se-ru-hwa’s body!

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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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