Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 40

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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 40
The Main Gate of the Audience Hall belonged to the Outer Palace, so my wandering there would raise suspicion. But the rear gate connected to the Inner Palace, the royal living quarters, so my presence there would draw no attention.
I slipped toward the wall where the rear gate guards couldn’t see me and gave the Eight Pillar Order a subtle shake. From the Treasure Vault, I retrieved one of the shield kites that the Moon Palace’s Chang’e had gifted me and entrusted it to An-si.
“Toss this over the wall, leave it somewhere inconspicuous, and cut the string.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
An-si obeyed my command immediately, though her expression betrayed her bewilderment at the purpose of it all.
‘That’s simply the nature of a phoenix.’
I found myself thinking anew how fortunate it had been that I hatched An-si from her egg. It was fortune for her too—she would have perished had she remained unhatched—but it was undoubtedly a greater blessing for me.
After An-si unfurled her wings, took the shield kite, and vaulted over the wall before returning, I picked up the spool with its severed string and approached the rear gate. The guards who spotted me looked flustered at first, but upon seeing my silver hair, their faces shifted to recognition.
“Y-Your Highness the Crown Princess?”
“My kite fell…”
I clutched the oversized spool to my small frame and immediately pouted—the same “oh my, how could that happen” expression that had worked so well on the King. The guards’ faces broke into broad smiles.
Curious. This seemed to work even better on humans than on celestial beings.
“My goodness, you were flying a kite?”
“Mm-hmm, but it fell. Inside there…”
I pointed toward the interior of the Audience Hall and looked up at the guards with innocent eyes.
“Can I go look for it?”
The two guards exchanged glances, and one nodded.
“What sort of kite, Your Highness?”
“The bottom part is all colorful…”
“A rainbow-striped kite, then. Which direction did it fall?”
“Over there.”
“I shall retrieve it for you.”
One guard turned as if to search alone. I quickly shook my head.
“No, I’ll find it myself.”
“Your Highness?”
“You’re working right now, aren’t you? You told me ‘disturbing adults while they work is wrong.’ So I won’t bother you—I’ll find it myself!”
When I mimicked the tone of an admonishing adult, the guards laughed as if charmed.
“I see. Then do search for it yourself, and if you cannot find it, please let us know.”
“Okay, thank you!”
My bright smile made their faces melt with affection. I waved to them and stepped through the rear gate with An-si. I had anticipated that the Audience Hall, being a place where many officials and palace staff came and went, would not have strict security, and that my status and this excuse would suffice—and I was right.
Clutching the spool, I made a circuit around the Audience Hall.
‘The Left Prime Minister isn’t here.’
I had glimpsed the Left Prime Minister’s face when I peered into the eunuch’s life through the Heavenly Eye, so I could recognize him immediately.
‘Do I need to venture inside the Audience Hall itself?’
As I stood deliberating, several officials suddenly streamed out of the Audience Hall. Seizing the opportunity, I lingered conspicuously, and they spotted me at once.
“A small child? No, could it be… the Crown Princess herself?”
“What? The Crown Princess?”
“Truly?”
“Where, where?”
The Audience Hall erupted into chaos in an instant. I had anticipated this. I was no ordinary Crown Princess—appearing suddenly in the Audience Hall was bound to cause a stir. And as expected, the commotion at the entrance drew sharp rebukes from within.
“What is this disturbance?”
“Your Excellency, the Crown Princess has entered the Audience Hall….”
“The Crown Princess?”
A bewildered question echoed, and two gray-haired men emerged. One was gaunt and exhausted-looking, while the other was short and appeared irritable. The shorter man’s face was familiar. He was the Left Prime Minister.
‘Wan-eon’s maternal grandfather and the Crown Prince’s political rival. The man who tried to kill Se-ru-hwa.’
I could quickly discern who the other man was.
“Left Prime Minister, Right Prime Minister.”
The officials bowed hastily and addressed them.
‘So that’s the Right Prime Minister. He looks absolutely exhausted.’
That was unmistakably the worn expression of someone drowning in overtime. I had seen many such officials in Jami Palace and Yama Palace.
‘Even human bureaucrats have it rough, it seems.’
Suppressing an inward smirk, I whispered softly to An-si, who perched on my shoulder.
“Go into that short old man over there.”
The translucent butterfly took flight immediately. An-si, being a three-corpse worm invisible to ordinary humans, encountered no resistance as she flew toward the Left Prime Minister’s head and burrowed inside. Mission accomplished.
‘Now I should return and rest. I’m exhausted.’
The Left Prime Minister’s eyes narrowed as he observed me standing vacant.
“Crown Princess, what brings you to this place?”
“My kite string snapped, so I came looking for it!”
I held up the reel from my sleeve with an innocent expression. The other officials immediately softened, their faces taking on the look of grandfathers or doting fathers toward a young daughter, but the two Prime Ministers’ expressions remained unchanged.
The Left Prime Minister closed his mouth and scrutinized me with sharp eyes. The Right Prime Minister sighed and spoke in a weary tone.
“Crown Princess, the Audience Hall is not a place to enter for such trivial personal matters.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.”
I lowered my eyebrows in apology, then turned toward the place where An-si had hidden the kite. I felt the prickling sensation of eyes boring into my back.
[Your Highness, that short old man’s gaze is most disrespectful. Shall I pluck out his eyes?]
[An-si, we’re living as humans now. Can’t you just let it go?]
[I could sneak in at night and remove them without being detected. As long as no one finds out, it should be fine, should it not?]
[That’s not the point. Just be patient.]
[An-si does not understand the problem. Your Highness is far too lenient with humans, always telling me to be patient.]
An-si pouted again. It seemed she still didn’t fully grasp what living as a human meant.
I retrieved the shield-shaped kite and continued the conversation.
[It’s not about being lenient. If the Left Prime Minister suffered such a fate, rumors would spread that the Crown Prince cursed him or some nonsense. That’s why we can’t do it.]
[Why does Your Highness care so much about the Crown Prince’s reputation?]
[Because I’m the Crown Princess. The Crown Prince’s reputation affects my own.]
[Must you truly remain as the Crown Princess? Wouldn’t life be more comfortable elsewhere?]
[I’ve already explained this. Why are you asking again?]
[The Jade Emperor said….]
An-si trailed off.
What? Did Mother say something to An-si?
Before I could ask, we had already reached the rear gate. I held up the shield-shaped kite to show the guards.
“I found the kite! Thank you!”
“Oh my, congratulations! Please take care on your way!”
The guards applauded as they saw me off.
Why were they clapping?
Once we had distanced ourselves from the Audience Hall, An-si asked pointedly.
“Will you be resting now, Your Highness? I believe some sleep would do you good.”
“Yes, but just now you were talking about your mother…”
“Crown Princess, Your Highness.”
A voice suddenly called out from behind me. I turned to see the Right Prime Minister I had glimpsed earlier, breathing heavily as though he had run after me.
Why had this man followed me?
I tilted my head quizzically, looking up at him from behind the kite.
“Right Prime Minister?”
“…How did you know?”
“I heard others calling you that earlier.”
“I see.”
The Right Prime Minister regarded me with an inscrutable gaze.
This man looked far too gaunt and lacking in stamina to have run after me—what could he possibly want?
“What is it?”
The Right Prime Minister, who had been observing me silently, suddenly spoke.
“I once had a daughter much like Your Highness.”
Past tense. She no longer existed.
“A fire broke out in my home one night.”
“I see.”
“It was more than twenty years ago. Yet seeing Your Highness has brought those memories flooding back.”
“…Did I remind you of painful memories, Right Prime Minister?”
At my question, the Right Prime Minister fell silent for a moment, then spoke abruptly.
“I have heard that the Crown Princess is remarkably perceptive.”
“Oh, yes? Thank you.”
“Yet I also heard that you dine every evening at Jamnyong Hall with the Crown Prince. Is that true?”
“It is.”
There was nothing to hide about it, and I had actually hoped the rumor would spread to change people’s perception of the Crown Prince, so it was unsurprising that the Right Prime Minister knew.
At my answer, the Right Prime Minister offered a faint smile, then spoke in a hushed tone while gazing toward the Audience Hall.
“Do not dine at Jamnyong Hall today.”
“What?”
“I pray for your safety and well-being.”
The Right Prime Minister bowed briefly and returned toward the Audience Hall. An-si asked in bewilderment.
“What was that man suddenly saying?”
“…He seems like a good man. I should try to recruit him.”
“My lady?”
The Right Prime Minister had just informed me that a fire would break out at Jamnyong Hall today, and that it was the plot of someone in the Audience Hall. It was likely the Left Prime Minister’s doing.
‘The Queen has truly awakened—hearing such news would have made anyone’s heart race with urgency.’
The Right Prime Minister appears to hold different intentions. Perhaps he genuinely recalled his deceased daughter and took pity on me, or perhaps he merely sought to thwart the conspiracy to remove the Left Prime Minister from power.
‘You mentioned there are three factions within the Palace.’
First, the Wan-eon Faction—inheriting the legacy of those who once supported Crown Prince Kangon, the late King’s elder brother, now led by Wan-eon himself.
‘So they’re pushing Wan-eon as the Crown Prince, hostile to the current King. Mostly composed of entrenched power brokers, provincial nobles, and aging royal relatives.’
Next, the Loyalist Faction, spearheaded by the Minister of War, the Uigeum Bureau, and the Hongmungwan, protecting the current King and supported by provincial academies and military officials.
‘Primarily composed of rising talents whom the King personally appointed through the civil service examinations. Those who support him unwaveringly. Because these men control Yun’s military forces and have remained loyal to the King, the nation hasn’t collapsed despite two years of turmoil.’
Finally, the Centrist Faction, loosely gathered around the Chief State Councillor and various officials.
‘When the Wan-eon Faction and Loyalist Faction clashed, the Chief State Councillor naturally became the leader of the Centrist Faction by mediating between them.’
According to Seok-ran’s investigation, the Right Prime Minister leans toward the Centrist Faction—or rather, because he hasn’t sided with either camp, he’s simply been treated as part of the middle ground.
‘Given that he’s trying to prevent the conspiracy against the Crown Prince and me, he doesn’t seem hostile to the Crown Prince. Later, I could use gratitude as a pretext to bring him into our fold… wait.’

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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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