Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 71

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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 71
Seok-ran didn’t answer, merely flicking her white-furred ears a few times before making a retching sound. A bluish orb tumbled out.
‘A fox orb?’
That was the source of a fox demon’s mystical power—something akin to a dragon’s pearl. Fox demons typically kept these treasures swallowed deep within their bellies and rarely expelled them.
The fox orb shimmered faintly, vibrating with energy. Seok-ran’s expression grew grave as she gazed at it, her ears folding back.
“This is terrible!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Look at this, I’m telling you!”
The white fox pressed her fluffy front paw against the orb. White smoke billowed from it, and within that haze, the landscape of a distant place materialized like a projection.
“Seok-juk connected himself through the fox orb.”
Almost simultaneously with Seok-ran’s words, the face of an unfamiliar man appeared in the smoke. Handsome in a refined way, yet with an oddly seductive air about him.
‘So that’s Seok-juk in human form. He does look somewhat similar to how Seok-ran transformed.’
He was running frantically, one hand gripping the edge of his hat while his robe fluttered behind him. His expression was urgent and desperate—completely at odds with the leisurely impression he might have given while fanning himself and idling away as a carefree gentleman.
[Sister! Help me! I’m really going to die at this rate!]
Seok-juk in the projection pleaded, his face ashen with fear. Seok-ran let out a sharp cry before answering helplessly.
“I’m in Yun Kingdom, and you’re in Pyeong Kingdom. How am I supposed to help you?”
[I know! That’s why you should ask the princess to help! I really think I’m going to die!]
“She happens to be right beside me.”
Seok-ran pointed at me with her front paw.
An-si beside me looked like she wanted to flick that presumptuous paw away, but I pretended not to notice and spoke toward the projection.
“Tell me what’s happening first. That way I can figure out whether I can help or not.”
[Your Highness! Please save me!]
Seok-juk cried out desperately, moving the projection. It seemed he was showing his back with the fox orb.
“…What is that?”
At first glance, I thought it was a sky thick with storm clouds. Looking more carefully, it wasn’t the sky at all—it was the ground, and what I’d mistaken for clouds was a massive swarm of demons closing in. Seok-juk was being chased by an enormous number of them. There had to be at least several hundred?
Seok-ran, watching the projection with me, made a bewildered sound.
“What the—? Seok-juk, what in the world did you do to get chased by such a horde? Did you steal some treasure from a demon’s lair or something?”
[Steal? Your Highness, all of those demons were in the Pyeong Imperial Palace!]
“What?”
Why would there be demons at the Imperial Palace in such military numbers? As my eyes widened, Seok-juk explained urgently.
[There seems to be an incredibly powerful demon lurking in the Imperial Palace! All of those are demons under its command! So what happened is, huff, well…]
As he tried to explain while running, Seok-juk gasped for breath. I waved my hand and spoke.
“I understand. We can hear the details later. If you get caught now, you die, right? Is there no way to escape?”
[No, I’m completely out of options, huff…]
“Wait, what about Seol Deung-hwa? Where is she?”
[My lady is safe in her hiding place and hasn’t been discovered! Huff, Your Highness, I really think I’m going to die!]
Seok-juk’s handsome face contorted into a childlike expression of despair. At least Seol Deung-hwa seemed safe for now, but if I didn’t help him, he really did look like he was about to become demon food.
‘But that fox is calling Seol Deung-hwa “my lady”? Has he come to serve her that way after escorting her for months?’
No, I could think about that later. First, I needed to save him.
“Hold on just a moment.”
I quickly racked my brain. I was in the capital of Yun Kingdom. Seok-juk was being pursued near the Pyeong Imperial Palace. It was far too distant.
‘Even if An-si or Gwang-chul flew through the heavens, it would take more than a full day.’
How on earth could I help with this… wait? There might be a way?
“An-si, go fetch purified water at once!”
“Yes!”
An-si dashed out immediately, and I reached for the rice paper and brush before hesitating.
‘If I draw it, no one will be able to recognize it.’
I turned to look at the white fox sitting blankly, holding the rice paper.
“Seok-ran, can you draw by any chance?”
“Meow? Why suddenly ask about drawing?”
“A tiger painting. Just something recognizable as a tiger—draw it here quickly.”
“I-I’m not confident about drawing, meow.”
“Your brother’s life depends on it.”
“Meooow, meow….”
The fox whimpered and tumbled in place. Seok-ran transformed into an elegant beauty with tear marks and beauty spots beneath her eyes, her expression sorrowful as she gripped the brush.
“Human hands would work better than fox paws….”
[Please, just do it quickly, Sister! I can’t hold on much longer!]
“Understood, understood.”
Seok-ran maintained the connection while gripping the fox bead in one hand, wielding the brush in the other as she wrestled with the rice paper.
Meanwhile, I hurried to the Kitchen. It wasn’t mealtime and the late hour meant no one was about, but I was able to summon the Stove Goddess and learn the location of what I needed.
When I returned to my chamber with a bowl of rice cakes, Seok-ran held up the rice paper, covered head to toe in ink.
“Th-this is the best I could manage.”
“Good, you drew it well.”
The painting was crooked and simple, but it was recognizable as a tiger nonetheless. I cleared away the writing desk and arranged the bowl of rice cakes and tiger painting upon it. An-si arrived at precisely the right moment.
“I have brought the purified water!”
“Well done. Place it here.”
Tiger painting, rice cakes, purified water. The altar was adequately arranged.
‘If an ordinary human offered a prayer with such a meager altar, the Incense Acceptance Officials would merely record a single line.’
But I was different.
“Light it for me.”
As I held out the tiger painting, both An-si and Seok-ran reached forward simultaneously.
“….”
“….”
Seok-ran noticed An-si’s gaze and quietly withdrew her hand, returning to her fox form and sitting obediently. An-si, now subtly triumphant, used her magic to ignite the edge of the rice paper.
‘What is this… An-si is still just a child, after all.’
I suppressed a hollow laugh and invoked the privilege of humanity while holding the burning tiger painting.
“I humbly beseech, I humbly beseech the Sun and Moon Deities. I offer this sacrifice for your blessing—grant a rope to the one being pursued.”
The moment my brief prayer ended, a response came. The flame on the tiger painting flared brilliantly, moving across the paper and forming characters from the charred marks.
Granted.
The Sun and Moon Deities—the divine siblings—had accepted my offering.
I quickly set down the tiger painting. The growing flames consumed the picture in an instant, then swept across the rice cake bowl in undulating waves before vanishing. Only ash from the burnt paper remained in the empty bowl, forming two short sentences in childlike, rounded handwriting.
I will eat well, Princess.
Princess, it is an honor.
‘So Sun and Moon each left their own messages.’
I should send more rice cake gifts through Sang Ra Palace later.
[W-what?]
Seok-juk’s flustered voice came through the screen almost immediately. He moved the fox orb to show the landscape before him. A golden rope was descending from the empty sky.
[D-did you do this, Princess?]
“I asked the Sun and Moon deities for help. It’s a rope to save you—grab it quickly.”
[Thank you!]
Seok-juk seized the rope at once. It shot upward at tremendous speed, and the ground became a distant blur below.
Within the smoke-formed screen, the dark cloud-like demons shrank to the size of insects. Some tried to chase after him by flying, but once the rope reached a certain altitude, clouds gathered and obscured the path, leaving those creatures spinning helplessly within the mist.
Seok-juk, hanging from the rope, released a breath of relief.
[I… I’m alive…]
“That rope will take you wherever you wish to go. Once you reach somewhere safe, contact me again.”
[Thank you, Princess! I’ll contact you later!]
Seok-juk offered his thanks with glistening eyes, and the screen cut off. Seok-ran withdrew her front paws from the fox orb and bowed her head to me.
“The princess really did save Seok-juk, yep. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I entrusted him with a task, so of course I had to help him.”
I waved my hand dismissively before speaking to Seok-ran.
“Since we need to answer immediately when Seok-juk calls, stay here tonight.”
“Meow? R-really?”
The white fox glanced nervously at An-si. An-si’s eyes widened sharply.
“Princess! It is absolutely improper to sleep with something unclean beside you! Surely a guest room would be sufficient!”
“If I do that, Nain will find out.”
That was merely an excuse, truthfully.
To be honest… from the moment I first saw Seok-ran, I’d secretly wanted to embrace those alluring, plush fox tails and sleep. Compared to ordinary foxes, they were incomparably luxuriant, large, and soft, and since she was a thousand-year-old fox, they gleamed with a subtle radiance. Ever since eating the heavenly peach, they even carried its fragrance.
I lay down on the golden bed and gestured subtly to the fox demon.
“Come here. Let’s sleep together.”

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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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