I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Sadly, the premonition turned out to be accurate.

A loud lead vocal.

“Military song title, ‘Cool Princess’!”

An even louder chorus.

“Cool Princess!”

Sergeant Lucain shouted with a face full of pride.

“Military song, start! One, two, ready, go!”

“Cool! Princess!”

I had to experience a great deal of embarrassment at the ensuing military song performance.

The content hadn’t changed.

It was something along the lines of “cool man”, “man for the Princess”, “invincible in battle”, “passionately devoted”, and “praise the Princess”.

It was the worst song I knew.

‘Sigh……’

I could feel the numerous employees, soldiers, and even some knights passing through the base camp staring at us.

My face burned.

On the other hand, Sergeant Lucain, who presented the military song, looked very pleased with himself.

“Princess, do you have any commands?”

Listening to the story, it seemed Sergeant Lucain had been reassigned here or something. His salary had increased significantly, and his treatment had improved, or so he said.

“That military song is banned from now on.”

“……What?”

“Banned! Did you understand me?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Sergeant Lucain clenched his teeth.

He looked very upset.

“Well, I should have commissioned a more competent composer.”

“……”

It was even commissioned?

That alone was absurd, but the soldiers behind him chimed in.

“See? Didn’t I say it was too refined?”

……Excuse me?

“It’s too sophisticated for a military song.”

……Is there another world I don’t know about? Have the concepts of refinement and sophistication been redefined?

“I apologize. Next time, I will compensate with a more powerful and rough military song, Princess.”

……I think it would be a big problem if it were any rougher.

I decided to just change the subject.

“……Sergeant Lucain. I have a favor to ask.”

Snap!

He stood at attention.

“A favor? Just give me your orders!”

“Take me to Brother Kaman’s barracks.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

I safely—I don’t know if it’s really safe after hearing such a refined military song—arrived at Brother Kaman’s barracks.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Sergeant Lucain, who had escorted Isabel to Kaman’s barracks, became proud in front of his squad members.

“Did you see that, guys? The Princess remembered my name.”

“I saw it. It was true that you’re close with the Princess.”

The squad members looked at Sergeant Lucain with envy.

They had clearly seen it too. The Princess remembering Lucain’s name and calling him by it.

Lucain boasted for a while before sighing and revealing the truth.

“Actually, it’s because she’s the Princess. She doesn’t remember me because I’m great.”

It was an extreme honor to have a member of the royal family remember one’s name.

There were some who occasionally used the phrase “I’ll remember your name” as praise, but not many high-ranking nobles actually kept that promise.

However, Princess Isabel really did remember his name. That alone was a great source of emotion for the soldiers.

“She gives her sincere attention to everything and everyone. That’s her character. She’s considerate enough to allow us lowly soldiers to use the transfer gates, and her achievements in the Kingdom of Rahella are beyond words. Besides, look, she remembers my name and even uses honorifics with me from time to time.”

“Sergeant, isn’t that praise at this point?”

“She is a person worthy of praise!”

A conversation that would make Isabel grab the back of her neck if she heard it took place.

“But let’s think about why she didn’t like our ‘Cool Princess’.”

“It’s too refined, I tell you.”

“A military song should have a rougher feel.”

“Was that really the problem? Could it be that we’re missing something important beyond that?”

They continued their deep contemplation in their own way.

After thinking for a long time, Sergeant Lucain slapped his palm with his fist.

“I got it!”

“Oh! What is it?”

“I think it’s because Isabel’s name isn’t in it. There’s no ‘Isabel’ in the lyrics at all.”

It was a simple problem when you thought about it.

“Even a nobody like me is happy and honored to be called by name and remembered, so how much more so for the noble Princess……!”

“Ah……!”

“Of course, her name should be included.”

Only then could they find the answer.

“The next military song must include the noble name ‘Isabel’!”

“We missed that.”

“Sergeant Lucain, you were sharp. I can’t help but acknowledge that.”

“It would be great to include the words ‘noble’ and ‘praise’ as well.”

Their idea bank, Lucain, came up with another brilliant idea.

“How about <'Isabel Anthem'> for the title of the next military song?”

Thanks to his brilliant idea, Lucain received a round of applause from his squad members.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Kaman’s rare moment of rest was interrupted.

“Brother. It’s Isabel.”

“……”

Kaman found Isabel bothersome.

He didn’t particularly enjoy meeting Isabel because it made him recall things he had given up on long ago.

“Why?”

“I heard that this is a very important base camp, even within the Empire. That’s why the elite Black Whale Subordinate Unit is stationed here, and I understand that all the princes have experienced this base camp.”

Michael was also scheduled to be dispatched here in a few months.

“As such an important place, I thought it was natural for me to visit as a princess.”

Kaman turned over in his bed.

“Do as you please.”

“But this place is so vast and the roads are complicated. It was incredibly difficult to even find my way here.”

“……”

Kaman simply closed his eyes.

He felt like talking to Isabel was a waste of time.

Isabel chattered incessantly beside him.

“I’ve never heard a military song like that before. I was so embarrassed I wanted to hide.”

“……”

“So I hid here.”

“……”

Outwardly, Kaman was completely ignoring Isabel.

However, Isabel didn’t interpret it that way.

She saw a young child who must have been deeply hurt to become like this.

‘Let’s comfort him.’

She had turned eight and now had 13 years left to live.

She wanted to make the remaining 13 years a little more meaningful.

‘It’s okay to comfort at least one person, right?’

It’s truly appreciated when someone reaches out a hand when you’re lonely.

Isabel knew that all too well.

Isabel perched on the edge of Kaman’s bed.

“Brother. Shall we skip out?”

“……”

“How about breaking free from the strict rules and set routines?”

“……”

Kaman found Isabel’s incessant chatter irritating.

‘How annoying.’

Still, he didn’t react.

“I want to become closer to you, brother. We’re family.”

Upon hearing those words, Kaman sat up abruptly in irritation.

“Don’t talk about fam……”

“Aah!”

Thud!

Isabel, who had been perched on the edge of the bed, fell backward.

Kaman bit his lip slightly and looked at Isabel.

‘You can’t even control your center of gravity to that extent!’

“Ouch……”

Isabel got up, rubbing the back of her head. Despite falling backward, she was in a rather good mood.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Because I’m fine even though I hit the back of my head.”

“Why is that something to smile about?”

“It’s something to be thankful for, having such a strong body. If it were an ordinary body, I might have been seriously injured.”

That’s a strong body?

From Kaman’s perspective, it was a truly absurd statement.

What was so great about that idiotic body that couldn’t even control its center of gravity properly?

“Were you worried about me?”

“I was contemptuous.”

“You were even contemptuous?”

Isabel’s eyes widened.

Her bright, amber eyes were visible. They blinked as they looked at Kaman.

“……”

“I’m hurt.”

“Not my problem.”

“But you’re answering me now, aren’t you? We’ve gotten a little closer, haven’t we?”

“……”

Kaman felt like he was being swayed by Isabel, and he didn’t like it at all.

“This won’t do. I need to use my trump card.”

“……”

Kaman, as if annoyed once again, rested his head on the pillow and turned away.

Isabel perched on the edge of the bed again.

“I’m telling you, I’m going to use my trump card.”

Even after bothering him several times, Kaman didn’t get up abruptly or anything. He was being careful in his own way.

Even with that, Isabel had figured Kaman out.

‘He has a cute side.’

Isabel pursed her lips.

“I’m really going to pull out my trump card. Don’t try to stop me.”

“……”

“I’m serious. It’s no use trying to stop me.”

“……”

“It’s no use even if you try. Really, really, really.”

“I don’t think I’ve tried to stop you.”

“I could hold back if you insist, brother.”

“……”

Kaman was so dumbfounded that he turned his head slightly to look at Isabel.

Isabel was smiling brightly, and Kaman somehow felt that her smile was pure.

“You’re annoying, so get out.”

“I’m not a candle, though?”

“……”

“I’m sorry. I think I was too excited to meet someone I like. But it’s too harsh to say that to your only sister. I’m hurt, so I’ve decided to use my trump card after all.”

“……”

By that point, even Kaman was curious about what this ‘trump card’ was.

Isabel had a strange talent for making even things you weren’t curious about seem intriguing.

“I know who you like, brother.”

Everyone has at least one, a childhood first love or puppy love.

Kaman had someone like that too.

“And I’m very close to that person. They’re coming here at my request.”

She knocked rhythmically on Kaman’s back as he lay turned away.

Knock, knock, knock, knock!

“Do you wanna, I mean, would you like to eat together?”