Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 61

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

Chapter 61
Princess Onseol fell momentarily silent, then gazed at my shimmering silver hair with wonder and asked.
“Does the Xue Tribe not produce shamans?”
I had no idea. I’d never asked Seol Deung-hwa about such things. Besides, everyone was ignorant about the Xue Tribe anyway, weren’t they? A plausible explanation should suffice.
“My mother said the Xue Tribe possesses such potent divine blood that they cannot be swayed by lesser spirits or malevolent entities.”
“Ah…!”
Princess Onseol seemed to grasp my meaning immediately.
Divine blood—a lineage that inherited the blood of gods and wielded extraordinary power across generations. When such blood ran thick, it was as though one’s body overflowed with traces of other deities. Not an empty vessel, but rather one bearing a name inscribed upon it.
Even a thief would hesitate to claim a vessel bearing the name of a legendary warrior or a noble house, fearing the consequences. It was a plausible explanation for why divine illness wouldn’t take hold.
‘If I possess the blood of the Fate Deity, then “potent divine blood” isn’t entirely false.’
The Xue Tribe descended not from Gamun-jang, the current Fate Deity, but from Eun-jang, her sister who never became a deity, so they wouldn’t be extraordinarily powerful… but regardless.
Princess Onseol spoke with a radiant expression.
“I see! If the Xue Tribe possesses such potent divine blood, it makes perfect sense that you would rarely suffer from divine illness! Your Highness need not undergo a divine descent! How fortunate!”
The Crown Prince blinked in confusion.
“Aunt, are you saying the Crown Princess does not have a susceptibility to divine illness?”
“Precisely. Being of Xue Tribe descent has proven to be a blessing.”
Princess Onseol nodded and briefly explained divine blood to the Crown Prince. Only then did he relax, his eyes gleaming with peculiar brightness as he turned to regard me.
“Indeed, you are truly a person of distinction, my lady!”
“Pardon?”
Wait, you little fool, you do realize the Xue Tribe is generally treated as lowborn barbarians, don’t you? In the Pyeong Empire, even an imperial princess was abandoned as defiled for having their blood mixed in, wasn’t she? Setting aside his lack of prejudice, a crown prince of a nation shouldn’t be ignorant of common perception…
‘Well, he’s intelligent enough. He surely understands.’
I left the excited Crown Prince to his thoughts and turned to Princess Onseol with a question.
“Your Highness, if one does not undergo a divine descent, is it impossible to master shamanism?”
“One could learn the theory, but without a tutelary deity, there would be no practical techniques to actually employ.”
“Theory alone is sufficient! Since you mentioned I have a vessel constitution, I thought I should learn about shamanism in advance, just in case. One never knows what might happen.”
“A wise decision. Though your Xue Tribe heritage protects you from divine illness, the future remains unknowable even to the gods. It is prudent to prepare for all possibilities.”
Princess Onseol marveled at my words in agreement.
“The Crown Princess will turn ten this year, and your birthday has not yet passed. Yet you demonstrate such remarkable wisdom—now I understand why His Majesty speaks so proudly of you and why the Queen regards you so fondly.”
She seemed prepared to shower me with praise indefinitely.
Praise was always pleasant and gratifying, but at this moment, something else felt more urgent.
“Your Highness, might you introduce me to a master who could teach me shamanism?”
“A master for the Crown Princess… I would wish to instruct you myself, but it would appear unseemly for a princess in religious seclusion to frequent the Palace so often. I shall carefully consider candidates and consult with His Majesty about the matter.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
I bowed gracefully while silently cheering within.
‘Perfect!’
For me, learning only theory was the best outcome. I would need to adapt everything to my circumstances anyway, and actually practicing techniques risked exposing my true nature.
If I could learn well and eventually use my divine power without side effects, that would be wonderful! I could become a proper deity wielding divine power for miracles and blessings!
‘Just like Mother and Father! Like An-si and the other celestial maidens!’
My heart raced with anticipation for something I’d never dared dream of.
‘My hopes have grown.’
Truly, I made the right choice coming down to the human realm.
* * *
The 14th year of Seo-gwang, the 1st day of the 3rd month.
A man with tousled hair entered Unryong Palace, holding a boy’s hand.
“Master, it’s this way!”
The boy pulled eagerly at the man’s hand, his excitement barely contained. The man smiled softly.
“It seems you still remember the layout of the Palace, even after all this time.”
“I practically lived here until I was seven years old, sir.”
“It may seem sudden, but Young-jun, couldn’t we do something about that manner of speech?”
“I’m afraid not, sir. To become an excellent member of the Palace Guard Corps, one must grow accustomed to a soldier’s discipline from childhood, sir.”
“Not all soldiers speak that way, you know. And if you want to be like a soldier, you should focus on your actions before your speech….”
The boy let the man he called his master’s complaints go in one ear and out the other, releasing his hand and dashing toward the East Palace.
‘I’m finally back! I can see my brother again!’
The boy, now ten years old, was Sa Young-jun—the son of Lady Jeong, who had been the Crown Prince’s wet nurse, the Crown Prince’s milk brother, and the prized student of Ki Ho-cheol, the sword master of the East Palace.
As he ran, Sa Young-jun’s childhood memories flooded back.
His admirable older brother who excelled at everything. His kind brother who, despite his noble status as Crown Prince, had always cared for him like a true younger brother and played with him. His brother with his picture-perfect smile.
“Young-jun, it seems you have martial talent.”
“What’s martial talent?”
“The qualities that will allow you to become a great warrior when you grow up.”
“Wow, then when I grow up, I want to be a warrior who protects my brother!”
A dream he’d harbored since earliest childhood—to stand at the side of his brother, destined to become a sage king remembered throughout history, dressed in armor and bearing a sword, serving as his loyal right hand, protecting him with his very life!
That magnificent and meaningful life was the dream and ideal of young Sa Young-jun. When the curse drove him and his mother from the Palace, he thought it was a dream he could never achieve again.
‘He overcame the curse and even received a bow from the dragon that descended from Heaven during the Yongryong Ceremony! My brother is truly extraordinary!’
When Sa Young-jun heard the story of the Yongryong Ceremony, he felt as proud and fulfilled as if it were his own achievement. That’s why he had been counting the days until he could return to the Palace and see the Crown Prince again.
“Brother! Your younger brother has arrived!”
The boy rushed into Jamnyong Hall without hesitation. His master sighed and followed slowly behind.
* * *
“…It’s quiet again today.”
I removed the butterfly that had been covering my eyes and murmured to myself.
“It’s so peaceful it’s almost suspicious….”
After the Left Prime Minister received the poisoned wine, I secretly planted An-si with the Chief State Councillor. Since then, I’ve been steadily monitoring his movements through the Three-Time Messengers, but surprisingly, nothing unusual has occurred—no signs of him commanding many supernatural beings.
‘The attempt on Xiao-hua’s life, the Fire Ghost sent to the East Palace—no matter how I look at it, it all seems like the Chief State Councillor’s doing.’
After months of seeing only ordinary work, I’m beginning to wonder if it was all just my mistake and excessive suspicion.
‘Ah, I wish I could use the Heavenly Eye….’
With the Heavenly Eye, I could see everything clearly.
‘I really need to master shamanism quickly.’
I placed the Three-Time Messengers into their box and rested my chin on my desk.
‘The Left Prime Minister’s death wasn’t really revenge for Xiao-hua—it was my revenge and the Crown Prince’s revenge. Catching the one who killed her is proving to be quite difficult.’
Now that I think about it, how is Seol Deung-hwa doing? There’s been no word since she reported arriving safely in Pyeong.
‘Since I’m not hearing any prayers, it seems there are no major problems. I told her to prepare blessed water and pray to me if anything goes wrong.’
Perhaps he’s simply waiting for an opportunity to be alone with the Emperor, or maybe his heart has grown heavy at the thought of actually taking a life, and he’s caught in deliberation.
‘…In any case, I was sent to Yun to die, yet here I am, alive and well, even having healed the King and Queen of Yun. I expected Pyeong Empire to make a move, but it’s been surprisingly quiet.’
Somehow… it all feels like the calm before a storm. The quiet Chief State Councillor, the still Pyeong Empire.
‘Setting aside the matter of the Chief State Councillor, if Pyeong Empire wants to attempt anything, Seol Deung-hwa’s escape from the harem and securing her safety must come first.’
In any case, I had no choice but to trust Seol Deung-hwa a little longer and wait.
‘The plague incident I saw in the Afterlife records—there are about two years left before it happens? Now that things have stabilized around us, I should begin preparations. If I prepare in advance, we can prevent deaths, right?’
To do that, I need to find out where the plague manifests, what type of plague it is, and how far it spreads. I also need to determine whether it’s the work of a plague spirit or a plague ghost.
‘If it’s just a plague ghost, I can prepare as I would for a typical plague incident, but if it’s a plague spirit’s doing… it won’t be easy.’
How can I find this out? Since it will happen two years from now, there’s no straightforward way to investigate.
‘Hmm… I could start by searching through the Afterlife records and finding people who will die from plague around that time period, then organizing the information. That way I could determine the scale of the plague and its exact starting point….’
While I was lost in such thoughts about the future, An-si suddenly poked her head through the window.
“Your Highness, didn’t you say today was your first sword training lesson? It seems the time has come….”
“What? Oh no!”
I jumped up from my seat.
Ah, why do I always lose track of time when I’m absorbed in something?
‘Why don’t humans use alarm clocks? I really should bring a timepiece from Heaven.’
Did I have a clock in my Treasure Vault, or not? I couldn’t remember.
Muttering complaints under my breath, I quickly changed into fresh clothes—a new martial robe the Unyeondang Staff had made for my sword training.

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