I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Asellia?

I wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Asellia approached Isabel and whispered.

“Why did you pour out so much mana at once? Did you really think the Bilotian body could withstand it?”

Asellia placed her hand on Isabel’s forehead.

It seemed like she was trying to figure something out.

Asellia let out a deep sigh.

“Whew. The Devil’s Talent is eating away at your body.”

In Asellia’s eyes, Isabel’s magical talent was beyond human.

The mana Isabel had unleashed was too powerful for a human body to endure.

“You created a miracle. But that miracle comes with a price.”

Miracle?

Isabel was puzzled.

She didn’t know what miracle she had performed.

“The price of that miracle is……”

Asellia lifted Isabel’s wrist and examined the Mark of Narvidal.

“Usually, it’s life.”

Isabel wanted to say something, but she still couldn’t speak.

“You gave Karin a new life, but in exchange, you lost one year of your own life.”

“……”

“You’ll be able to restore Karin’s mana circuit through the mana you infused. Well, I don’t know if I should call it restoration or creation.”

“……”

“Anyway, remember this. Your last birthday won’t be your 21st, but your 20th.”

The world began to darken gradually.

Asellia’s body disappeared along with the darkness, and Isabel’s eyes opened wide.

‘Huh?’

She saw people smiling.

‘What was that?’

She wondered if she had just had a dream and looked towards Asellia.

Asellia was also smiling brightly.

Teyselon blinked his eyes and muttered.

“I knew she was amazing, but I didn’t know it would be to this extent……”

A wave of mana had erupted, causing the Imperial Knights to be dispatched urgently.

‘What happened?’

She wasn’t sure, but it seemed like she had succeeded in infusing mana.

Teyselon lifted the small pill in Isabel’s hand.

“Here, it’s done. Karin. Eat it quickly.”

“……”

“Hurry up!”

Teyselon half-forced the pill into Karin’s mouth. And he handed her a glass of water with his clumsy hands.

‘He’s a tsundere after all.’

Gulp,

Karin swallowed the pill, and at the same time, a blue light began to emanate from her body.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

I didn’t have to try hard to figure it out.

I could feel powerful mana emanating from Karin.

‘Has her mana circuit been restored?’

It’s a common belief that a broken mana circuit can never be restored.

But a miracle happened.

I couldn’t help but smile brightly.

“Really? Really, really, really?”

At that moment, a strange memory surfaced.

‘You’ll be able to restore Karin’s mana circuit through the mana you infused. Well, I don’t know if I should call it restoration or creation.’

Once the memory surfaced, the scene came back vividly.

It was like I had been sucked into a strange universe, and I remembered everything Asellia had said earlier.

‘I’m not sure, but…… I guess I created a miracle by consuming one year of my life. And it’s only because I have a Bilotian body that I only lost one year.’

I stood there blankly, staring at Karin.

Karin approached me, and I took a step back.

“Your Highness?”

“……”

One year disappeared.

One year of such happy times vanished.

I was a bit confused by that fact.

“Thanks to the miracle Your Highness performed, it seems my mana circuit has been restored.”

“That’s really great.”

I forced a smile.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t happy.

But the shock of losing one year as the price of the miracle was too great compared to that joy.

Grandfather Teyselon tilted his head.

“I thought it would be the best birthday present? Isabel, aren’t you happy? The mana circuit of someone you really like has been restored?”

“I’m happy. I’m very happy.”

“Hmm. I’m glad you’re happy, but……”

I wanted to smile happily.

It already happened.

There was no way to get back the lost year.

Then it would be a good choice to just be happy now.

But it didn’t go as I wished.

‘Why am I like this?’

When I thought about giving up five years for Honey, I wasn’t this heartbroken.

Today is clearly a joyful and happy day, so why is my heart so complicated?

I soon realized the reason.

‘I guess it’s because one year now is more precious than five years back then.’

Of course, my life was precious back then too.

A life without pain, where I could run around freely and be with my beloved family was a gift to me.

But it seemed like life had become even more precious than before.

Experiencing today made it even more so.

With so many people by my side, I was afraid that this time would slip away from me again.

‘I should be happy.’

I should be joyful.

So many people gathered for me.

‘I should smile.’

But it didn’t go as I wished.

I felt like running away somewhere.

At that moment, I heard a voice.

“I’ll call off the party.”

It was Father’s voice.

“……Father?”

Father approached and stood in front of me.

As if to protect me from all that is unknown.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

An awkward silence filled the room.

Only Mother, Father, and I were left in this room.

“Come here.”

Mother, sitting on the bed, beckoned me with her hand.

As if I was possessed, I walked lightly and sat next to Mother.

I leaned my head on Mother’s shoulder without realizing it.

Mother gently stroked my hair with her warm palm.

“What happened?”

“……”

I hesitated for a moment.

One year disappeared.

But I didn’t want to say that.

I thought Mother would be very upset if she heard that my one year was gone.

I was very shocked earlier, but I felt better after some time passed.

“Tell me.”

“Nothing happened.”

Mother didn’t push me any further and continued to stroke my hair.

After a while, I opened my mouth.

“I’m o……”

“From now on, the word ‘okay’ is forbidden in front of Mother. Got it?”

“……”

“Nothing happened.”

“The phrase ‘nothing happened’ is also forbidden.”

“Really.”

Someday they would find out the truth, but I didn’t want to tell them now.

“Really…… nothing happened.”

Suddenly, I felt Mother’s touch as she stroked my hair was incredibly affectionate.

“Really…… it is.”

Father’s expression as he just stood there and looked at me was the same.

It was so affectionate and tender that I felt like I was going to cry.

I quickly made an excuse.

“I’m just so grateful. I’m crying because I wonder if I deserve to be loved this much.”

At that moment, Father spoke.

“There’s something I haven’t said to you yet.”

“Yes?”

“You remember what happened when you were born, right?”

“……Yes.”

“I regret how I was back then.”

Father said, looking down at me.

That something useless was born.

Somehow, the angle was similar to back then.

But Father’s expression as he spoke was very different.

“I haven’t said I’m sorry yet. I was sorry. Back then, I wasn’t a father.”

“……”

After a short pause, I asked.

“Then am I not useless?”

Mother’s hand, stroking me, stopped for a moment.

Mother told me.

“Isabel is Mother and Father’s most beloved daughter in the world.”

I looked at Father.

Somehow, it seemed like Father’s eyes were a bit red.

I asked again.

“Am I not useless?”

“……”

I asked once more.

“Am I a useless child?”

“You’re not useless.”

“Please say it kindly.”

“You are……”

Father seemed to have difficulty speaking and thought for a long time.

“You are a lovely child.”

“But I can’t even learn Bilotian swordsmanship.”

“But you are Isabel. Even if you can’t learn swordsmanship, even if you can’t become strong, you are still Isabel.”

“……”

It was a clumsy way of putting it, but it was a great comfort to me.

I thought it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t hear an apology, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.

Mother said.

“We know that Mother and Father were very lacking. I’m sorry. It might feel a bit disingenuous to say this now, but……”

“No!”

I shook my head vigorously.

It wasn’t disingenuous.

It was what I had longed for, so how could it be disingenuous?

“Then be honest with Mother and Father.”

I almost blurted it out.

That the time we could spend together had been reduced by a year.

“Mother. Please hug me.”

As if she had been waiting for those words, Mother hugged me tightly.

I felt it when I was a baby too, but I really liked Mother’s embrace.

Father came over silently and opened his big arms to hug Mother and me at once.

It felt like being protected within the strongest fence in the world.

“You know……”

It must be a very safe place.

But an unknown anxiety was welling up from deep within my heart.

My body started trembling uncontrollably.

“You know, Mother, you know, Father.”

Mother and Father just waited patiently for me to speak.

While holding me tightly.

The words I had hidden deep within my heart were struggling to come out.

‘No. Don’t say it.’

I didn’t want to say anything.

I just wanted to enjoy this precious time.

I just wanted to feel the warmth within this safe fence.

‘No. Don’t say it.’

Eventually, I opened my mouth.

“I’m so scared.”

The feelings I had locked away deep in my heart, with multiple layers of locks, escaped.

My mouth kept moving against my will.

“I think I don’t want to die.”

“……”

Once the lock was opened, it was unstoppable.

I said I was okay every day.

I’ve said that to everyone.

I’ve said that to myself as well.

But I realized today.

That as time goes by, today becomes more and more precious.

The happiness given to me shines so brightly that I want to hold onto it tightly.

“I don’t think I’m okay.”

Even though I knew there was no answer.

Even though I knew Mother and Father’s hearts would break if I said this.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but ask.

“What should I do? What should I do?”