Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 80

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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 80
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The 14th year of Seo Gwang, the 4th day of the 5th month.
All the victims of the black poison had attended the Queen’s birthday celebration, so most of their tombs were located near Wun City, the capital. Thus, the pilgrimage route would take us north from the capital and loop around its outer perimeter in a grand circle.
Though we wouldn’t venture far from the capital itself, since most of the tombs lay deep within the mountains, the journey would consume considerable time. The burial sites were scattered throughout the mountains surrounding Wun City, but they weren’t clustered together—each family’s ancestral tomb was dispersed across their own Family Ancestral Tombs.
In other words, this pilgrimage was essentially a mountain-climbing expedition where we’d scale a different peak each day. Utterly exhausting, to put it plainly.
Just two days into the pilgrimage, I was already regretting my decision to accompany this journey.
‘My stamina has improved, yet it’s still this grueling!’
We’d barely set out, and it felt premature to ask for rest. My legs trembled uncontrollably and my breathing grew labored as I pressed forward, when suddenly my eyes met those of the Crown Prince ahead of me.
The Crown Prince immediately halted his steps.
“Let’s rest here and have lunch.”
The eunuchs and court ladies who had accompanied the Crown Prince moved with perfect synchronization to prepare the area. The Palace Guard Corps members circled the perimeter, maintaining vigilance.
The moment the word “rest” left his lips, I collapsed onto a nearby tree stump without ceremony. My skirts would surely be soiled, but I lacked the luxury of caring about such things.
‘My throat burns from gasping for breath!’
This was a Family Ancestral Tomb that only members of specific clans visited during holidays. There was no properly maintained path here—merely a narrow footpath at best. Since I couldn’t ascend these remote mountain trails in a palanquin, I had to climb on foot, and it was genuinely, utterly exhausting.
‘The first day was manageable, at least. We weren’t even reaching the summit.’
But that was only one day; climbing a different mountain every single day was absolutely killing me.
‘Accumulated fatigue must be making me tire more quickly.’
As I gasped and wheezed, a cup filled with cool water was extended before me. After drinking it, my senses gradually returned.
“Are you well, Lady?”
It wasn’t An-si who had brought the water—it was the Crown Prince gazing at me with concern.
‘Right, An-si isn’t here.’
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I nodded in response, and the Crown Prince settled beside me. I gazed blankly up at the distant mountain path ahead.
‘I do miss An-si’s fussy attentiveness.’
An-si had left just before we departed on this pilgrimage to retrieve Gwang-chul, who hadn’t returned for over a week after going to borrow something from a goblin.
“Your Highness, you’re asking me to leave the Princess alone? Why not simply report that cursed water spirit to the Heavenly Realm and have them drag him away?”
“We don’t yet know if he’s caused trouble or if trouble has befallen him.”
“Nine times out of ten, he’s caused trouble!”
“I think so too, but regardless—go fetch him. We’ll figure things out once he’s back. You know where Goblin Village is, don’t you?”
“He did give me detailed directions before he left…”
“Right, he gave you the location, so surely nothing’s gone wrong—something must have gotten complicated. Hurry back.”
“That won’t do! It could take days, and I cannot leave the Princess alone relying only on a charm for protection!”
“Then Seok-ran will look after her.”
“Impossible! How could I entrust the Princess’s safety to some wicked creature!”
“You two even sleep together now, so why the fuss? You slept so soundly the other night that you didn’t even wake when I carried you.”
“…That’s…”
“Seok-ran will accompany us as an escort, so don’t worry. Just find Gwang-chul and drag him back.”
“…I shall twist that wretch’s neck and tie it in knots before bringing him back…”
Two days ago, grinding her teeth with that vow, An-si had departed on the very day of the pilgrimage.
[Princess, are you alright?]
[Yes, I’m fine. You’ve gone through so much trouble sneaking through the forest to follow me.]
[Keheheng, I’m a goblin who naturally lives in places like this! I even get to eat heavenly peaches—what hardship could there be? Besides… my eyes are having a wonderful time right now. Slurp. Strong-bodied warriors are truly the best.]
[But before, you said refined scholars who smelled of ink were the absolute best?]
[Kaeng, what one wants to eat naturally changes depending on the time, you know. Doesn’t the princess find that some days mackerel is the most delicious, and other days dried pollack is? It’s like that. Slurrrp.]
As a maidservant, it would have been difficult for Seok-ran to travel openly with us, so she was hiding secretly in the forest as a fox, following along. It was quite a demanding task to tail us without being detected by warriors who were mostly Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin, yet Seok-ran seemed delighted simply watching the well-built Crown Prince’s Guard warriors.
‘Well, enjoying something is better than resisting it anyway…’
As I was about to wipe away my sweat, I felt a gentle breeze from beside me. Startled, I turned to find the Crown Prince fanning me with a fan.
“Your Highness?”
“…You appeared to be warm, my lady.”
The boy answered with some embarrassment.
No, but for the Crown Prince of an entire nation to personally fan someone—everyone, the guards and palace attendants alike, could see.
I gently grasped the edge of the fan and shook my head.
“It’s alright, Your Highness. I’m not warm anymore.”
“I see.”
Following my hand, the Crown Prince folded the fan and his expression grew dejected, fidgeting with the fan’s edge. His appearance seemed somehow melancholy, so I asked with curiosity.
“Is something troubling you?”
“Tomorrow is the Dano Festival, and… because of me, you cannot even enjoy it properly and must endure this hardship. I feel terrible about it.”
Ah, tomorrow is Dano. That’s right.
Dano is also my birthday. Not Se-ru-hwa’s birthday, but my true birthday as Sang Ra-hee-yo. In the Heavenly Realm, where most live for thousands of years, birthdays aren’t typically celebrated every year—only on special years like when one turns two hundred—so it holds little significance.
Of course, my parents always did something for me on my birthday as long as I was awake. Surely they wouldn’t do anything while I’m in the Mortal Realm?
‘Still, it’s somewhat disappointing to miss the humans’ Dano Festival.’
Dano, said to be the day when yang energy is most abundant in the year, is also called Surit Day, meaning “the day to serve the high gods,” or so I’ve heard. Perhaps because of this, all manner of sacrifices and offerings flow up from the Mortal Realm, bringing considerable vitality to the Heavenly Realm as well. People use the overflowing yang energy to accomplish various things.
Of course, compared to the grand festivals held in the Mortal Realm, it remained a quiet and ordinary day.
‘The Dano Festival in the Mortal Realm… I was curious about it, but well, there’s always next year.’
I spoke to the dejected Crown Prince with a smile.
“Dano comes every year. Right now, going to pay respects with Your Highness is what truly matters.”
The incident with the black water had occurred in early summer, June. So the Crown Prince’s goal was to visit all the tombs before the pink dianthus flowers bloomed as they had then.
“It is only natural for me, but I can only apologize to you, my lady…”
As the Crown Prince began to speak, the Crown Prince’s Guards standing watch in the clearing stirred. Some humans were climbing up the mountain path. The guards reflexively moved to block them but seemed flustered upon recognizing who they were. Soon, a military official came running.
“Crown Prince, Your Highness, the Right Prime Minister has arrived with his family.”
“What?”
The Crown Prince jumped up in surprise. I was also startled and followed the boy to look. Indeed, the Right Prime Minister stood on the mountain path.
‘This ancestral tomb… it’s the Right Prime Minister’s family land, so it’s not unusual.’
We had been heading to the tomb of Lady Shim, the Right Prime Minister’s wife. It seemed the Right Prime Minister was also on his way to pay respects to his wife before Dano. Though his complexion still appeared fatigued, he had gained some weight compared to before and seemed in better health.
“Crown Prince, Your Highness, what brings you to this place…?”
“I have come to pay proper respects to Lady Shim.”
While the Crown Prince conversed with the Right Prime Minister, I observed the family members around them. Standing directly behind the Right Prime Minister were a man who appeared to be his son and his wife, and they were accompanied by male and female twins who appeared to be around the Crown Prince’s age.
The moment I saw them, I recalled their names.
‘The Right Prime Minister Yi Do-hyung’s eldest son, Yi Jong-ho. Yi Jong-ho’s wife, Kim Min-seon. The twins are Yi Jong-ho and Kim Min-seon’s children and Yi Do-hyung’s grandchildren: Yi Yeon-ju and Yi Yeon-jo.’
All of them were written in the Underworld’s Registry of Fates to die of plague on the same day and hour, two years from now.
‘Something feels strange.’
The death that had been mere characters in the registry now manifested as tangible reality.
Twin children clung to their parents’ sides, observing me with curious eyes. The boy seemed content merely watching, but the girl looked ready to bolt at any moment. Their parents, well aware of this, left their son alone while firmly restraining their daughter’s shoulders.
Those bright, youthful faces looking at me… looking at me?
“Mother, that child’s hair is really silver!”
“It’s nothing like grandmother’s hair. It sparkles!”
“And her eyes are blue! So beautiful!”
“Sister, that’s not just blue—it’s called jade green.”
“Can’t I go touch it? I want to ask for just a few strands of her hair!”
“The Xue Tribe… how fascinating. I want to see more closely too.”
The twins chattered away to their parents about me, their eyes never leaving my form. Had the girl not been restrained, she would have already rushed over to pester me relentlessly.
‘I’d grown so accustomed to it that I’d forgotten—my appearance really is quite distinctive. The Xue Tribe’s silver hair combined with these eyes of mine.’
The parents, flustered by the children’s fascination, hurried to discipline them.
“Hush! Be quiet! Show respect to the Crown Princess!”
“Yi Yeon-ju, stop that! Where are you trying to go! Please, just stay still! Please!”
They were struggling, their voices hushed as they scolded.
‘I can hear everything anyway.’
Still, this family that now appeared so healthy and close-knit had a deadline of merely two years—far shorter than my own ten years remaining.
‘I owe the Right Prime Minister a debt, and besides, I cannot allow a plague spirit to run rampant in a place where a great deity like myself resides. Princess Cheonmyeong’s honor is at stake.’
I must stop this, no matter what.
As I steeled my resolve, a scream erupted from the Right Prime Minister’s son and his wife.
“Yi Yeon-ju!”
“No!”

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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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