Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 63

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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 63
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“Brother!”
As I stepped into the Gyebang Training Grounds, I spotted the Crown Prince dressed impeccably in black martial robes. The moment Sa Young-jun saw him, he burst into tears and rushed forward. The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled warmly and gently stroked Sa Young-jun’s head.
“It’s been a while, Young-jun.”
“I missed you so much, brother!”
“I missed you too. You must have had a hard time with your nanny because of me.”
“Mother is fine. I was fine too. You’ve suffered far more than us, brother.”
Sa Young-jun clung to him with whimpering complaints, and the Crown Prince accepted it all with affection.
‘…Why do I feel a pang of jealousy?’
It was natural—they were half-brothers whose bond sometimes surpassed that of full siblings, and after two years of distance due to unfortunate circumstances, they were reuniting. Yet inexplicably, I felt a twinge of displeasure. Not much, just a tiny bit.
‘Ah, I suppose I wanted to show off how well I tied my robes, but there was no opportunity.’
I rationalized the strange feeling away and was trying to suppress it when Sa Young-jun pointed at me.
“But brother, why is the Crown Princess a man?”
“…Sa Young-jun.”
The Crown Prince suddenly called his name in a low voice. It was impossible to believe this was the same gentle tone from moments before.
Even I flinched at the shift, so Sa Young-jun, standing right before him, instantly went pale with fear.
“Y-yes?”
“This is the Crown Princess’s Palace. Address her as the Crown Princess.”
His tone was measured and his expression calm, yet there was an unmistakable chill to it. The Crown Prince twisted the hand Sa Young-jun had pointed at me and pressed it down, adding:
“The Crown Princess is not someone you may treat with disrespect. Remember that.”
“I… I…”
“Do you understand?”
“Y-yes, I understand!”
Sa Young-jun answered urgently, his face drained of color. Then the Crown Prince released his grip and smiled faintly.
“And don’t harbor any strange misunderstandings about the Crown Princess being a man.”
“…Yes.”
“Good boy.”
I watched the scene unfold in bewilderment.
‘The Crown Prince can be that stern?’
He always seemed so gentle and docile that I’d wondered how he’d survive in this harsh world.
‘He’s surprisingly resolute. That firm resolve must be why he mastered shadow manipulation so quickly.’
The Crown Prince soothed the frightened Sa Young-jun, exchanging words with him. Soon, Sa Young-jun wiped his eyes with his fists and approached me.
“C-Crown Princess, I… I humbly beg your f-forgiveness for my rudeness, Your H-Highness.”
His stammering clearly showed he was repeating what the Crown Prince had taught him word for word. I nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes, I forgive you.”
I had felt a momentary sting at being called frail-looking, but no matter what, I couldn’t genuinely harbor anger or lingering resentment toward a ten-year-old human child.
‘He’s two hundred years younger than me and a fragile mortal, after all.’
As I graciously granted forgiveness, Sa Young-jun’s expression visibly relaxed. His face was remarkably expressive and easy to read.
“Well then, shall we begin the lesson?”
As the situation gradually settled, the man who had been standing back approached us. Despite his shabby appearance, he bowed with disciplined grace.
“I am Ki Ho-cheol of the Ki-ryeong Sword Family, newly appointed as an instructor at the Crown Prince’s Educational Institute.”
The Ki-ryeong Sword Family? Was it a martial arts sect? A clan that specialized in swordsmanship?
The Crown Prince, already familiar with the name, bowed in return and spoke.
“A descendant of the illustrious sword family, I see. I look forward to your guidance, Master.”
So the Ki-ryeong Sword Family was indeed a renowned martial arts house. I quickly joined the Crown Prince’s side, clasped my hands together, and bowed.
“I look forward to your guidance, Master.”
Ki Ho-cheol, observing us bowing in unison, smiled as if charmed and continued.
“Before we begin, allow me to introduce myself briefly. I passed the martial examination twenty years ago and became an officer of the Royal Guard, and five years ago I served as the King’s personal swordmaster.”
“You passed the examination twenty years ago? Then your current age would be…?”
The Crown Prince asked in surprise. Ki Ho-cheol answered with an embarrassed tone.
“I am forty-six this year. Thanks to modest achievements in martial arts, I appear younger than my age.”
“Modest, you say? That is a remarkable level of mastery. I have seen many officers trained in martial arts, but never have I encountered one who appears as youthful as you, Master.”
“You are too kind.”
Genuinely flustered, he scratched his shaggy hair and quickly changed the subject.
“About five years ago, due to personal circumstances, I withdrew from my position as the King’s swordmaster and became a wandering warrior, traveling the lands. Recently, I received a summons from the Palace and have been honored to become an instructor at the Educational Institute. I promise to do my utmost in teaching you both.”
After finishing his introduction, Ki Ho-cheol called over Sa Young-jun and positioned him beside us.
“This boy is my disciple, whom I have been training as an heir to Ki-ryeong swordsmanship for the past two years. I brought him along as I thought training together would be beneficial.”
“Two years ago…?”
“We met by chance during my wandering days as a warrior.”
Based on Ki Ho-cheol’s brief explanation, it seemed that shortly after the Crown Prince’s nurse and Sa Young-jun were expelled from the Palace following the black wine incident, Ki Ho-cheol—who was heading to the capital upon hearing of a great disturbance at the Palace—had encountered them by chance. Remarkably, that foolish little brat possessed exceptional natural talent for martial arts, and Ki Ho-cheol had taken him as a disciple on sight, continuing to care for the Crown Prince’s nurse all this time.
‘How strange that coincidence weaves itself into fate like this.’
Now that I thought about it, coincidence was also within the domain of Gamun-jang, the goddess of fate. Since there was no dedicated deity for it, Gamun-jang—the fate goddess with the closest connection—had ended up overseeing coincidence as well. Coincidence was a more complex and expansive concept than one might think, and I had heard rumors that Gamun-jang was overwhelmingly busy.
‘Now that I think about it, what Mother mentioned in passing before… about there being too few deities in the Heavenly Realm must be true.’
If I had grown up healthy, would I have become a deity overseeing something rather than just Princess Cheonmyeong?
While I was lost in such idle thoughts, Ki Ho-cheol finished his explanation and began the actual lesson.
“Since this is our first day, I will teach you a simple explanation of martial arts along with basic training methods.”
He headed toward the pavilion in the corner of the Training Ground. It was the same pavilion where I had once shared heavenly peaches with the Crown Prince.
“Please sit comfortably.”
After seating us side by side, Ki Ho-cheol opened his mouth.
“Martial arts are divided into two main categories. First is external technique—moving the body directly and wielding weapons, such as hand-to-hand combat or swordsmanship. Second is internal technique—refining the spirit, cultivating qi, and accumulating inner force within the body.”
He alternated his gaze between me and the Crown Prince, confirming we were listening attentively, then continued.
“To become a true warrior, one must harmoniously master both external and internal techniques. Therefore, today you will learn the fundamentals of external technique and internal technique in order. Young-jun, come here.”
He called Sa Young-jun forward before us.
“First, the fundamentals of internal technique. Sit in proper posture, sense the qi flowing through nature, accept that qi through breathing, and gather it within your body—that becomes inner force. Show them how it’s done, Young-jun.”
“Yes? How should I do it?”
“Release your inner force outward so it is clearly visible, and circulate it along the meridians in one complete cycle.”
“Understood, Master!”
Sa Young-jun’s lips twitched with delight at being chosen to demonstrate, and he closed his eyes. Not long after, his proud expression vanished entirely, replaced by a serene countenance.
The atmosphere shifted so dramatically that he seemed like a different person.
‘That fool is surprisingly sincere when it comes to martial arts.’
As I observed with curiosity, a faint aura began to gather in Sa Young-jun’s lower abdomen. Like a dim firefly’s glow, the energy traveled slowly downward along his belly, then moved toward the back of his waist before ascending steadily along his spine. It lingered at the crown of his head for a moment, then shifted forward, crossing the space between his brows and descending gradually, passing over his heart before arriving once more beneath his navel.
‘Hmm? That’s… slightly larger than before we started. As he circulates, does the energy he draws in with each breath merge with that mass?’
I was beginning to understand how human martial artists accumulated their inner strength.
As the light returned to its starting point and dispersed, absorbed into his body, Sa Young-jun exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
“Well done, Young-jun.”
Ki Ho-cheol praised his student before continuing his explanation.
“This circulation of inner strength throughout the body is called the Heavenly Circuit. It is the foundation of all inner power cultivation. Of course, sensing the natural energy first comes before that.”
It seemed he hadn’t become a guest instructor for nothing—he continued the lesson as naturally as water flowing downstream.
“First, both of you should begin by awakening your sensitivity to energy—what we call energy perception. Sit in proper posture, keep your spine straight, and close your eyes.”
Ki Ho-cheol explained in detail the proper breathing technique and meditation method for calming the mind and spirit, then moved behind the Crown Prince and sat down.
“We’ll begin with Your Highness. From now on, I will channel my inner strength into you, so please raise your hand slightly if you feel anything.”
Curious about what would happen, I opened my eyes just a crack and looked toward the Crown Prince.

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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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