I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Looking at Isabel’s bright, sparkling eyes, Kiruen’s eyes reddened.

‘I had forgotten. What kind of child this is.’

The strongest swordsmanship family with a 500-year tradition, the Bilotian Imperial Family.

A child was born there who couldn’t practice the Bilotian swordsmanship.

In a dog-eat-dog world where you have to at least pull your own weight to survive, what kind of heart has this child lived with for the past eight years?

How did she endure life?

‘Behind that innocent, pure smile… lies a desperate desire and effort to survive.’

I saw it clearly today.

Isabel’s situational judgment and actions were not those of a child.

It was clearly the appearance of a seasoned strategist.

It showed how Isabel had survived in the Imperial Palace for the past eight years.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

Kiruen knelt on one knee, meeting Isabel’s eye level.

Sitting like this, she felt it again.

‘She’s so small.’

Even considering that Kiruen herself was much taller than others, Isabel was small.

Kiruen hugged Isabel tightly.

“Huh?”

Isabel, who had been expecting praise, tilted her head.

For praise, the emotional line seems intense.

“Is this praise?”

“Yes. It’s a huge compliment.”

Tears welled up in Kiruen’s eyes.

‘How high a wave has she endured with this small body?’

How strong a wave has she endured?

A child has the right to live a child’s life.

They have the privilege of not having to think about complicated things like how they should live, how they should bear a role as a member of a social community.

They can enjoy the delicious food in front of them, laugh as they watch fallen leaves roll by, be praised for small things, laugh freely when there is something happy, and cry out loud when there is something sad.

That was the life of a child that Kiruen envisioned.

But the Isabel that Kiruen saw did not live a child’s life.

“It’s a huge, huge, huge compliment.”

“Hehe.”

Isabel, embraced by the character she had been a fan of since reading the novel, smiled sincerely.

The child’s body unconsciously expressed her true feelings.

“I’m happy.”

“…… ……”

Those words of happiness stabbed Kiruen’s heart.

‘No one in the Imperial Palace must have hugged this child like this.’

That’s why she must have been happy just from being hugged by someone.

From her perspective, this wasn’t something to be happy about, but something ‘natural.’

Isabel also reached out and hugged Kiruen tightly.

This was real-life fangirling.

“I really like it.”

Kiruen wanted to ask.

How can you like it this much?

Is being hugged such a special thing?

A long time passed.

Finally, Isabel realized that Kiruen was sobbing.

“Unni? Why, why are you crying?”

Isabel was a little flustered.

Why is she crying when there’s no reason to?

Still, she patted Kiruen’s back with her fern-like hand.

She couldn’t offer proper comfort because she didn’t know why she was crying.

“It’s okay to cry if you want to.”

Kiruen had to swallow her tears once more.

It’s okay to cry if you want to.

Those words seemed like Isabel was saying them to herself.

Tears have a strange contagiousness, so Isabel’s eyes also reddened.

Kiruen asked cautiously.

“Your Highness, are you truly happy?”

If she’s not happy, if she wants to escape the life of the Imperial Family, I must help this child no matter what.

Kiruen thought so.

“Of course. I’m very, very happy.”

She was living a life more brilliant than she could have ever imagined in her previous life.

From the sunlight that greeted her every morning to the bed where she fell asleep without pain.

Everything was a blessing and gratitude to Isabel.

“How can you be so happy?”

“Well…”

Because her previous life was so painful?

She couldn’t say that.

“How can you not be so pessimistic?”

Isabel’s world was full of pessimism, so how could she grow up like sunlight?

“Hmm…”

She couldn’t talk about her previous life. If she did, the Holy Knights might come barging in.

She remembered a famous saying that used to circulate on social media in her past life.

Something a French philosopher said, or whatever.

“Pessimism is a mood, but optimism is a will.”

“…… ……”

Tears streamed down Kiruen’s face.

Those words made Kiruen even more upset.

So, this child is sublimating the mood of pessimism into the will of optimism?

How fiercely is she living her life with her will?

Kiruen couldn’t say anything more.

She just hugged this pitiful child tightly.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The Third Prince, Kaman, took a step.

He didn’t have a particular destination. In other words, this was a morning walk.

As he walked, he arrived somewhere.

‘This is…’

When he came to his senses, it was the barracks where Isabel was staying.

Something big happened here last night.

‘Why did I come here?’

When he thought about it, there was no particular reason.

He just happened to arrive here.

‘I should go back.’

Just as he was about to turn back, Kaman drew out his mana and listened to the inside of the barracks.

There was no particular reason. This was a kind of responsibility.

As a prince stationed at the base camp, a sense of responsibility to check if the guest was doing well.

He heard a voice from inside.

“I wasn’t in my right mind, and even a three-year-old could calculate that he would attack me if I went out.”

Honestly, he was a little surprised.

To think that she calculated everything and acted in that situation.

Kaman silently listened to those words.

Amidst the continuing surprise, he heard an unexpected statement.

“Pessimism is a mood, but optimism is a will.”

That short sentence hit Kaman hard.

In fact, he had completely cut off his interest in his blood relatives.

As much as he had longed for family, he thoroughly rejected them.

He thought there was no value as insignificant as family in this world.

So, he wasn’t interested in Isabel either.

Only now did he begin to see the environment and circumstances Isabel was in.

“…… ……”

Was I more struggling, or was that child more struggling?

Am I more pessimistic, or is that child more pessimistic?

Kaman found it difficult to answer those questions readily.

He heard the voice of the soldier standing guard.

“Your Hi… No, Sir Kaman. What are you doing?”

“It’s nothing.”

Kaman turned around and started walking.

His mind was complicated in many ways.

The pure and innocent appearance like a baby kitten wasn’t everything.

Perhaps it was a desperate struggle to survive as a member of the Bilotian Imperial Family.

Isabel must have been enduring a very heavy burden.

‘Isabel achieved the youngest Olympiad top rank and raised the prestige of the Bilotian Imperial Family.’

Because he thought only swordsmanship was the highest value, he hadn’t really seen those things.

But now he sees.

‘She was dispatched as a volunteer to the Kingdom of Rahella and achieved many accomplishments.’

That’s why the people of the Kingdom of Rahella showed absolute support for Isabel, and that became the cornerstone for the commercialization of the TeyIsabel Transfer Gate.

Thanks to the efficiency of the TeyIsabel Transfer Gate, the Kingdom of Rahella accumulated a lot of wealth and power.

Come to think of it, wasn’t Isabel’s visit to the Kingdom of Jirdel also related to that?

‘Thinking about it, she deserved to receive the ‘Mugunghwa Medal.”

It wasn’t in the realm of swordsmanship, but in another realm.

Isabel received the Mugunghwa Medal in her own way and was fulfilling her role as a ‘member of the Imperial Family’ admirably.

“Huh? Older brother?”

“…… ……”

Kaman was startled.

‘I definitely turned around and walked away?’

He was sure he did, but for some reason, he had entered Isabel’s barracks.

It seemed that his body had lost its sense of direction on its own, as he was lost in deep thought.

He was a little flustered, but he didn’t show it.

“You.”

“…… ……Yes?”

Kaman unconsciously opened his heart a little to Isabel.

The sight of the child trying her best, the sight of her turning pessimism into optimism with her will, pricked at the heart Kaman had hidden.

“Pick up your sword.”

“…… ……Yes?”

Kaman drew his sword.

Since there wasn’t any particular killing intent, Kiruen also silently watched Kaman.

Isabel tilted her head and asked back.

“Pick up my sword? You mean my Zhanmadao?”

“Yes.”

Kaman thought it would be okay to show Isabel a little favor.

To be more honest, he wanted to get a little closer to Isabel.

As family.

He wanted to find the value he had forgotten.

So, he decided to try his best too.

Just like Isabel was doing her best in her current life.

“Pick up your sword. I’ll spar with you to your heart’s content. You’d better brace yourself.”

The only younger sibling he had truly experienced was Michael.

His younger brother, Michael, used to get very excited and fired up when he said things like this.

‘Isabel will be very happy if I say this too.’

…He was sure of it.