I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 131

Chapter 131

I first calmed Michael down.

“Oppa. If you run like that, the horses will be startled.”

For some reason, Michael looked a little wronged.

He seemed to have a lot to say to me, but he still apologized to the horses.

“I’m sorry, my friends.”

I don’t know how he did it, but as if they understood Michael’s words, the horses snorted and nodded their heads.

‘It works again……’

Come to think of it, Michael was the first person to interact（?） with Honey Badger.

Michael grumbled at me.

“Why did you go out without me?”

“I didn’t go out to play.”

“Then?”

“I met someone important.”

“How important is this person?”

She looked exactly like me, and she was the female lead , so she must be a very, very important person, right?

“She was a very important person.”

“Really?”

Michael smiled brightly at my excuse, which wasn’t really an excuse.

“I understand.”

Michael regained his energy so quickly that he became embarrassed about the fact that he had been feeling hurt.

Or rather, was he already full of energy? Hmm.

Anyway, Michael, who had felt a little upset for a very short time, seemed to have no thoughts today as well.

“Have you arrived?”

“I didn’t expect Kaman-orabeoni to come out to greet me.”

“……”

Kaman didn’t say anything else.

Perhaps because he’s set to not speak unless it’s absolutely necessary, he seemed to have become even more taciturn in the past few days.

Michael covered his mouth with his hand, going “Pfft!” Then, pointing at himself with his index finger, he said,

“I’m Oppa.”

Then he pointed at Kaman.

“He’s Orabeoni.”

He pointed at himself again.

“I’m Oppa.”

He pointed at Kaman again.

“He’s Orabeoni.”

“……”

Judging by his actions, he was just like a child.

I don’t know when he’ll grow up.

“Can I say hello now?”

I was startled.

I looked around, but there was no one where the voice had come from.

‘Ugh!’

Thinking back, I remembered seeing two men through the swirling sandstorm earlier.

One was Kaman, and there was another one…… was there?

‘What is it?’

Just then, something black popped out of Michael’s shadow with a whoosh!

It was like a ghost.

“Eek!”

I was so surprised that I almost fell over, but Viaton-senseonim caught me.

“Second Prince-nim. Appearing like that will startle the Princess. Please be careful how you appear next time.”

The person who emerged from Michael’s shadow was none other than the Second Prince, Sermon.

It was the first time since the Selection Ceremony.

I remembered the conversation Michael and Sermon had during the Selection Ceremony.

‘Hyeongnima, am I not cuter?”

‘Don’t be envious of cuteness.’

‘But I’m cuter.’

‘No. Isabel is cuter. I’m sure.’

Thinking about that, it seemed like Sermon saw me as quite cute?

Barely regaining my composure, I thanked Sir Viaton and stood up straight.

But suddenly, the wind blew.

Whoosh!

My hair fluttered.

‘What just passed by?’

It felt like something very sharp and keen had just passed by.

Clang!

There was a sound of blades clashing.

I couldn’t quite understand what was happening.

Sir Viaton spoke.

“You’ve become sharper in the meantime.”

There was a thin cut on Sir Viaton’s cheek.

“Senseonim! Your cheek is bleeding.”

“It means that the Second Prince-nim’s skills have improved a lot.”

Sir Viaton treated his cheek with a healing spell as if it were nothing.

The wound healed in an instant.

I don’t know when he appeared, but Sermon was standing next to Michael.

Sermon spoke in a very gentle voice.

“It’s a pity. I almost slit your throat.”

“You’re still far off, Prince-nim.”

“Next time, I’ll slit your throat.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

The dissonance was incredible, having such a chilling conversation with such a warm expression.

“I look forward to it.”

I blinked my eyes, unable to understand the situation.

I seemed to be the only one who didn’t understand what was going on.

‘What in the world…… is happening?’

✦✦✦✦✦✦

After the commotion, Isabel lay sprawled on her bed in the barracks of the Jirdel Base Camp.

Viaton patted Isabel’s shoulder.

“You seem very tired.”

“Yes, I am. What kind of person is Sermon-orabeoni? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about Sermon-orabeoni in the Imperial Palace. It seems like everyone is being secretive about him.”

I’ve asked people about Sermon a few times, but I couldn’t get a clear answer.

Their reactions were similar to when a child asks, ‘How are babies born?’

‘Even in the novel, there was hardly any description of Sermon.’

His first appearance was his death scene, for crying out loud.

It was the scene where Sermon ambushes the male lead, Arun, on the day the Bilotian Imperial Family is destroyed.

「Arun clutched his startled heart.

“So you’re the rumored Second Prince. You truly possess exceptional assassination skills.”」

Even the male lead, Arun, suffered a considerable injury from Sermon’s surprise attack.

「”He’s too dangerous to leave alive.”

“Was it House Bladock that raised the Second Prince?”」

Sermon met his end at the same time as his first appearance.

Viaton spoke with a worried expression.

“Perhaps it’s better not to know, Princess.”

“Sometimes there’s medicine you have to swallow even if it’s bitter.”

It’s true that Isabel was relatively indifferent to the siblings she hadn’t encountered within the Imperial Palace.

Because she poured all her heart and soul into the people she saw, the people right in front of her.

I’ll meet them someday when the time comes.

When that time comes, I’ll do my best.

She lived each day with that vague thought.

Because the ‘today’ given to her was significantly less than others.

And today, she met the Second Prince.

Now was the time to pour her heart and soul into the Second Prince.

“I’m ready to swallow the medicine.”

Viaton hesitated for a long time, his lips moving silently.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he opened his mouth.

“Second Prince Sermon grew up in House Bladock.”

“Not through the Arena Palace?”

“Yes. He was raised in House Bladock from the moment he was born.”

The name of House Bladock, one of the two great ducal houses of the Empire, emerged.

House Bladock was a family shrouded in mystery.

All that was known was that they were located somewhere on the western edge of the empire.

“Why?”

“Second Prince Sermon’s fate was decided from the moment he was born.”

“What fate was decided?”

“The fate of being raised as a Shadow.”

House Bladock.

They have been in charge of the dark side of the Empire for generations.

When a great threat loomed over the Imperial Family, or when there was an enemy that had to be eliminated, or when the Imperial Family’s shame had to be concealed, the ones who moved in secret were the Shadows.

And the one who commanded these Shadows was the ‘First Shadow.’

Sermon was being trained, chosen as that ‘First Shadow.’

Instead of inheriting the throne, he was being raised as the protector of the Imperial Family.

“The Imperial Family has traditionally raised at least one of their bloodline in House Bladock for each generation.”

“Mother would never have allowed such a thing.”

“It’s not a matter of whether the Empress allows it or not. It’s like a law that has upheld the Imperial Family. The Second Prince was raised as the last bastion to move when something goes wrong with the Imperial Family.”

Isabel recalled when she shook hands with Sermon earlier.

At that time, Isabel was so startled that she almost pulled her hand away.

What she felt from Sermon was a pure killing intent（殺意） towards Viaton.

The more frightening fact was that there was no malice in that killing intent.

It was similar to how young children would tear off the body of an insect without any malice.

‘Is he lacking something? Is he twisted somewhere? I don’t know how to express it. How can someone be raised to be like that?’

He was like a doll that hadn’t learned emotions.

“That’s…… not right.”

“It’s also true that they’ve saved the Bilotian Imperial Family twelve times.”

In the 500-year history of Bilotian, the ‘First Shadows’ have been active about 12 times, saving the Imperial Family from danger.

Isabel, whose Ki sense was so keen that she could instantly see through Ron’s disguise, didn’t notice Sermon’s approach and concealment at all.

That was the ability of the ‘Shadow.’

“Oh, and I don’t mean to say that I agree with it.”

“……”

“Also, the Shadows are given privileges. They are not punished for killing anyone. Even if the other person is the Chief Aide to the Emperor.”

“What if Sir Viaton gets seriously hurt?”

“That would be due to my lack of ability. And assisting the First Shadow in actual combat is also one of the Chief Aide’s duties.”

“……I was so scared earlier.”

Viaton stroked Isabel’s hair.

He soothed and empathized with Isabel’s feelings with his warm and gentle touch.

“What were you so scared of?”

“It was such a pure killing intent.”

Viaton looked at Isabel with a worried face.

‘It seems the Princess has been quite shocked.’

The existence of the Second Prince was a tacit secret, and no one mentioned him first.

From the Imperial Family’s perspective, the ‘First Shadow’ was always a sore spot.

“Princess. Let’s rest for a bit since we’ve come a long way. I’ll pat you to sleep.”

Isabel couldn’t sleep that night, and Viaton stayed by her side.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

When did I fall asleep?

I tossed and turned all night and opened my eyes.

Next to me, I saw Sir Viaton dozing off in a chair.

And next to him,

“Eek!”

I saw a handsome man with a kind face.

It was Sermon-orabeoni.

He was looking at me with a kind and gentle expression.

“……What’s that on your head? It looks like a flower crown……”

“It is a flower crown.”

It might seem strange for such a large man to be wearing a flower crown, but it didn’t look strange at all.

Rather, his features were so beautiful that it was almost bizarre.

“Why are you wearing a flower crown?”

“I heard you like making these with the honey badger. So I made one. How is it?”

“It suits you. A lot.”

“Really? That’s good.”

The flower crown, roughly woven with yellow flowers, was a bit clunky in shape.

But combined with Sermon’s beauty, there couldn’t be a more beautiful flower crown in the world.

“But it was a bit difficult to make. Want to go make one together? There’s a flower field nearby.”

“I’m a little tired right now. Can we make it a little later?”

“Then I’ll kill your friend.”

Sermon smiled warmly.

“Honey Badger!”

Honey Badger was in Sermon’s left hand.

I grabbed Sermon’s left hand without realizing it.

Sermon’s emotions were conveyed through mana.

I couldn’t find any malice or hostility in Sermon.

Rather, it was full of affection for me.