Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 34

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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 34
In the Heavenly Realm, it was common knowledge that even a single drop of flower essence would fill a cup to the brim, so pouring it all out meant overflow was inevitable.
‘Which means they won’t even notice my mistake right now.’
I decided to drop the act entirely.
With perfect composure, as though I’d always intended this, I set down the teapot and picked up a spoon. I scooped the overflowing flower essence from the cup and poured it into the vessel holding the petals. The transparent liquid mingled with the petals, beginning to shimmer with a soft golden radiance.
‘Perfect.’
Since it had already overflowed, I divided it to create two cups. I presented the completed golden tea.
“This is Seol-hwa tea, a secret medicinal brew of the Xue Tribe. Please have the Queen drink it.”
Of course, Seol-hwa tea was a name I’d just invented. I couldn’t exactly call it soul-flower tea, could I?
A fragrant aroma—familiar to me but strange to humans—rose and filled the chamber. I could see those gathered sniffing curiously or murmuring in admiration. Some even found their expressions growing peaceful, smiling without realizing it.
Only the King, far from normal, frowned with displeasure and asked.
“Both cups?”
“One is for Your Majesty.”
“For me? Why?”
“That day, you were both present together. It will help you as well if you drink it.”
The King regarded the teacup suspiciously, then gestured to the Royal Physician. The Royal Physician withdrew a silver spoon, dipped it into the tea, and finding nothing amiss, placed his hand above the cup and closed his eyes.
‘Is it sorcery? Well, even for a human to become a Royal Physician, they’d need to master all medical arts and techniques.’
After a long moment, the Royal Physician’s expression shifted to one of bewilderment as he opened his eyes.
“Your Majesty, I sense no malevolent intent in this tea. Rather, I feel remarkably pure energy and abundant vitality. Yet the energy is not fierce or overwhelming, but gentle and…”
“So what’s your conclusion? Just tell me the bottom line!”
As the Royal Physician’s explanation grew lengthy, the King grew irritated and snapped. He seemed to have difficulty understanding long speeches.
‘That must be a lingering aftereffect as well.’
The Royal Physician, accustomed to this, showed no alarm and rephrased.
“This tea is not poison. It is closer to a restorative tonic.”
“Hmm.”
The King looked back and forth between the Royal Physician, me, and the teacup with distrust, then suddenly extended his hand.
“Then before giving it to the Queen, I shall taste it first.”
“Your Majesty, perhaps you should let someone else sample it first…”
“The Royal Physician has already confirmed it is safe.”
The King waved away Sang-seon’s startled interjection as though annoyed, and took a sip of the tea.
“….”
All eyes fixed on the King as he savored the tea. Moments after he swallowed, everyone witnessed the transformation that followed.
The burst blood vessels that had reddened his eyes faded. The veins that had always protruded as though in constant rage visibly subsided. The tension in his jaw released, and the anger and eerie aura that had shrouded his face vanished in an instant.
“Your Majesty? Are you well?”
The Royal Physician, startled by the rapid change, asked the King.
“….”
The King did not answer, staring down at the teacup with a dazed expression as though awakening from a dream. Then, as if to drink again, he lifted the cup but suddenly froze, and urgently cried out.
“Bring this tea to the Queen at once! Quickly!”
“Your Majesty?”
“I said bring it to the Queen immediately!”
The King grew angry and thrust his teacup forward. It seemed he had already forgotten there was another cup of tea available.
“Hurry!”
At the King’s shout, the Inner Chamber Court Lady rushed over, took the cup, and approached the Queen. Carefully, she spooned the tea and poured it into the sleeping Queen’s mouth.
The King watched intently, his gaze unwavering. The others, including Seol Deung-hwa, held their breath as they witnessed the scene. I was the only one who wasn’t particularly tense.
[Your Highness! Are you unharmed?]
[Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry and just wait.]
As I responded to An-si’s telepathic message—she had drawn near the Central Palace Hall by now—the Inner Chamber Court Lady finished administering the tea to the Queen and stepped back.
The effect appeared immediately. The Queen’s eyelids, sealed shut for three years, trembled faintly before slowly opening.
“Your Majesty!”
The King called out to the Queen as though crying out in anguish, crawling toward her and grasping her hand desperately. The Queen, blinking slowly, turned to look at the King and smiled weakly. She whispered softly.
“My lord.”
“…!”
At that small voice, the King suddenly burst into tears. The great man clutched the Queen’s hand and wept like a child.
“Good heavens….”
“The Queen has truly awakened….”
“Your Majesty the Queen, Your Majesty the King….”
While those around them gasped or shed tears, Seol Deung-hwa whispered to me with relief.
“It’s truly over, isn’t it?”
“Yes, you did well.”
I answered and thought to myself: it wasn’t so much that it was over—it was only just beginning.
Part 2
The new moon night. Late afternoon, just before the night when Seol Deung-hwa and Se-ru-hwa had promised to awaken the Queen.
“Your control during the day has become perfect, Your Highness.”
The silver-haired girl spoke, her jade-like eyes sparkling.
Crown Prince Cheon Gyeol-u shook his head.
“I still have much to learn.”
“Would you like to try?”
“Pardon?”
“The weather is nice today, after all.”
Se-ru-hwa directed her gaze toward the window. Cheon Gyeol-u unconsciously followed her line of sight outside.
Through the open window, the autumn sky stretched high and brilliantly blue. A cool, clear breeze drifted gently through the window. It was pleasant weather.
Suddenly, the boy found it strange that he could feel such contentment. He had never had the leisure to notice such things. He had never even lived with his windows open.
In merely a month, his disposition had changed. Now he could see that the sky was blue, and he could feel the wind.
As he gazed distantly out the window, Se-ru-hwa seized his hand and pulled.
“Let’s go for a walk.”
“No, that’s not possible!”
The startled Crown Prince stepped back and resisted. Se-ru-hwa’s round eyes narrowed.
“Why not?”
“Others might be harmed….”
“But you control it well now. Even if nights are still difficult, you manage perfectly during the day.”
The girl approached with quick steps, rising onto her tiptoes before suddenly cupping his face in both hands.
The sweet fragrance of peaches. Her face drawing so close to his. For some reason, I felt too embarrassed to meet her eyes. The boy worried his face must be turning crimson.
Unlike the flustered boy, the girl remained composed.
“Even when we’re this close now, nothing happens, does it?”
“…It’s because you’re my wife that it’s safe.”
“No, Your Highness is simply doing well. Let’s go verify it.”
“It will surely fail.”
“How can you know if you haven’t even tried?”
“….”
As he pressed his lips firmly shut, she tilted her head curiously.
“Are you afraid? Worried you might hurt someone again?”
“…Yes.”
At his reluctant admission, Se-ru-hwa rose higher onto her toes. She pressed her forehead against his, and as the startled boy tried to pull away, she held his face steady with her soft hands and whispered.
“See? Even when we touch like this so suddenly, nothing goes wrong.”
“….”
“Your Highness already knows the method. You’ve been practicing diligently every single day.”
“….”
“If it still seems dangerous, I’ll stop you, so don’t be afraid.”
Se-ru-hwa smiled brightly right before his eyes.
Was his racing heart because he feared his darkness might harm his wife? Probably so. The Crown Prince stammered out his response, his face flushed.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good.”
Se-ru-hwa withdrew her hands from his cheeks and stepped back.
Cheon Gyeol-u felt a pang of disappointment for a moment, but he had no time to dwell on it. Because of what Se-ru-hwa said next.
“We should verify it soon. Once we wake the Queen tonight, we’ll need to pay our respects together.”
“…!”
My young wife speaks of such dreamlike things so matter-of-factly. That Mother, who has been bedridden because of me all this time, will awaken, that both of them will forgive me, and that they will even receive my formal greetings.
The Crown Prince lowered his gaze.
“Now that I think about it, it’s already the new moon.”
“That won’t do, Your Highness.”
Seeing his darkened expression, Se-ru-hwa spoke with deliberate sternness.
“You must think positively. If Your Highness is joyful and happy, the darkness won’t grow.”
“…I apologize.”
“No, don’t blame yourself like that again, all right? Look here.”
When Cheon Gyeol-u lifted his head, Se-ru-hwa covered her face with her small hands, then revealed it with a radiant smile.
“Peekaboo!”
“…Heh.”
My wife, two years younger than me, sometimes coaxes me like this as if I were a child. The Crown Prince found it absurd yet endearing, and he couldn’t suppress his laughter.
“See? When you smile, the shadow shrinks right away.”
Se-ru-hwa spoke with satisfaction.
The girl barely reaching his chin, her shrugging shoulders so endearing that Cheon Gyeol-u could not suppress his smile.
“Let’s go now, us.”
The Lady pulled him along. The Crown Prince was ultimately led out of Jamnyong Hall by her.
Broad daylight. A place where many people passed through. He naturally shrank back. Sensing his tension through their intertwined hands, Se-ru-hwa did not venture far. They entered the Garden between Jamnyong Hall and Unyeon Hall.
‘Something has changed.’
The Crown Prince looked around in bewilderment. The Garden, which had fallen into a deplorable state from two years of neglect, had somehow become somewhat tidied. Though they had merely cleared away the dead grass, even that made a considerable difference.
As he turned to survey his surroundings in surprise, Se-ru-hwa laughed.
“It’s improved a bit, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, how did this happen?”

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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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