I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 146

Chapter 146

When I was thrown into the lake by Sermon.

When I was gasping for breath and feeling dizzy, when I felt the end, thinking, ‘Ah, my twenty-first year has already come.’

It’s really the end now.

There’s nothing I can do.

Ironically, I realized it desperately at that moment.

I really wanted to live.

I definitely wanted to live.

Even if it was just a piece of false hope.

Even if it was a fake dream that would shatter if I reached out and grabbed it.

I wanted to dream of that falsehood and fake.

‘But……’

I couldn’t bring myself to say it as I looked into Viaton-gyeong’s sorrowful eyes.

It wasn’t just a child’s prank when I told Viaton-gyeong that I loved him.

Viaton-gyeong was really, truly precious to me, someone I wanted to give a lot of love to.

And he was someone who gave me an excessive amount of love.

‘That’s why I can’t say it.’

Just to make my heart feel a little better now.

Just to whine a little more now.

I didn’t want to make things harder for Viaton-gyeong.

Because even if I put down this heavy burden I carry, it wouldn’t become lighter.

I don’t know how much I regretted it after telling Mother and Father.

The shame of feeling like a liar was actually an excuse, and I was so sorry that I had driven a nail into their hearts.

‘I can’t repeat the same mistake.’

Because Mother is Mother.

Because Father is Father.

Because they are the ones who gave birth to me.

So, even if I act like this, being burdensome and whiny, there was some room for understanding.

But Viaton-gyeong was different.

‘I have to draw a line.’

Viaton-gyeong called me again.

“Your Highness?”

His voice was parched.

It was a voice longing for a single drop of spring rain.

“Thank you so much for your feelings.”

I smiled.

As if saying not to worry at all.

“But I’m really happy right now.”

“……”

“Because today is the first day of the rest of my life.”

Whether it was water or tears, water droplets were dripping down Viaton-gyeong’s chin.

“Thank you for being with me on this first day.”

Viaton-gyeong didn’t answer.

He was always kind and warm, but it felt a little scary when he didn’t speak.

“Are you angry?”

“Yes, I’m angry.”

I thought he’d say he wasn’t angry.

Viaton-gyeong was always the type to smile, so I was a little surprised.

“But I seem to have contracted the ‘I can’t be angry with Your Highness’ disease.”

“I-Is there such a disease?”

“Yes. And I’ve also caught the ‘I blame myself for everything that goes wrong related to Your Highness’ disease.”

“Th-The disease names are quite long.”

“So, I decided not to be angry.”

Viaton-gyeong smiled again.

“So please promise me. If someday, the distance between you and me becomes a little closer, I would like you to be more honest. I’ll try my best.”

Viaton-gyeong gently took my hand and placed it on his cheek.

He seemed to be checking the warmth of my hand.

Thank goodness. You’re really alive.

I felt like I could hear those words.

I felt awkward for some reason and turned my head slightly.

Only now did my mind become clear, and I started to grasp the surrounding situation.

“But you know.”

Something was strange.

‘Sermon is lying down……’

I saw Sermon jump into the lake.

I didn’t remember anything after that.

‘Why is Honey?’

Honey was lying down at my feet.

I was startled and got up.

“Honey Badger!”

Honey wasn’t breathing.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Viaton-gyeong couldn’t explain exactly what had happened.

He didn’t seem to be trying to hide anything from me.

“……However, every miracle comes with a price. I think Honey Badger performed a miracle.”

I tried shouting and shaking Honey.

“Honey Badger!”

No matter how much I called, my voice didn’t reach him.

A fear far greater than when I faced the One-eyed Giant pressed down on me.

“No. This isn’t right, is it?”

Honey didn’t open his eyes.

I checked his heartbeat, but his heart had stopped too.

“This isn’t right!”

I ended up bursting into tears.

If Viaton-gyeong hadn’t hugged me, I might have thrown myself back into Glass Lake.

My nine-year-old body was very impulsive, and my current mind wasn’t mature enough to fully control the impulses of my body.

The sun was setting before I knew it.

Like a doll that had lost its soul, I leaned against a tree and blankly watched Honey.

‘He’ll wake up. No, he has to wake up.’

It felt like he would wake up at any moment and say, ‘Honey Badger, has arrived!’ with a smug look.

Viaton-gyeong just stayed by my side.

He pitched a tent for camping and built a campfire.

He covered me with a warm blanket, which I don’t know where he got it from.

He didn’t ask anything of me and just waited.

Around that time, Sermon woke up.

For a moment, anger surged within me.

‘Whether he wakes up or not.’

Of course, Viaton-gyeong explained it to me.

It seemed that Duke Bladock’s blood magic had affected Sermon.

He said it was highly likely that the Sermon from before was being controlled.

Even so, I couldn’t forgive him.

Even if I were to forgive him someday, it wasn’t now.

“……”

Sermon cautiously approached me, looking at me like a frightened puppy.

I didn’t give him a glance.

“I’m…… hungry.”

His voice was very small.

Sermon crouched next to me and lightly grabbed my elbow.

Smack!

I brushed his hand away irritably.

“Please go away, just leave me alone.”

Sermon was startled and lowered his head to his knees, trembling.

He was a little strange somehow.

He kept muttering to himself.

“Isabel is angry at me. Isabel is angry at me. Isabel is angry.”

“That’s right. I’m angry.”

“I’m scared when Isabel is angry. I’m scared of Isabel. I don’t like scary things.”

He kept muttering the same thing in a cowering voice, like a crazy person.

His pronunciation was a little strange too.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

Not in the mood for jokes, I controlled my rising anger and closed my eyes.

But Sermon’s reaction was a little strange.

He knelt next to me and said,

“Don’t hate me.”

It was a pitiful voice.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Sermon again.

‘Huh?’

Sermon was crying like a child.

“I’ll reflect. I was bad. I was wrong. Please don’t hate me.”

Sermon was sobbing and kneeling, begging me.

“……Please. I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

“I’m sorry, forgive me, I’m sorry, forgive me, don’t hate me, please.”

It was so strange.

No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t Sermon.

“I’ll apologize.”

“Don’t joke around. And I’m not in the mood to receive an apology right now.”

A murderous intent flashed in Sermon’s pleading eyes for a moment.

“Someone like you doesn’t deserve to live.”

Before I knew it, he was holding a sharp dagger in his hand.

He said ‘you,’ but he wasn’t referring to me.

Sermon called himself ‘you.’

He swung the dagger towards his own neck.

Suddenly, Viaton-gyeong, who had approached at some point, appeared and smacked Sermon’s wrist.

Whoosh—!

Something spun and flew, embedding itself in a nearby tree.

“What are you doing, Your Highness?”

“Why are you interfering?”

“Is there a Chief Aide who would stand by and watch a Prince commit suicide?”

Sermon had become a completely different person from when he was looking at me. His voice had changed too.

“Who are you?”

“I am the Imperial Chief Aide, Viaton.”

“What is that?”

“I am the first aide to the Emperor.”

“What is an Emperor?”

“……He is your father.”

Sermon’s expression was cold.

“What’s a father?”

“……”

“Don’t dangle in front of me. I want to kill you. Get lost.”

He looked at me and spoke like a good child again.

“I didn’t kill him.”

His voice changed again.

He was like a child seeking praise.

“I’ll only kill when Isabel tells me to.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Strange things happened that were beyond common sense.

Honey Badger performed a miracle and lost his life as a result.

Sermon lost all his memories and became strange.

Isabel was everything in Sermon’s world now.

He was a simpleton who was obedient to Isabel, but he was like a ferocious dog that showed unconditional hostility towards others.

He had become like a person with a split personality.

The reason was unknown.

Isabel, Viaton, and Sermon didn’t leave the sandy beach of the forest bordering Glass Lake.

It was because Isabel was immersed in grief.

After two full days, Isabel finally got up and put the soup that Viaton had made to her lips.

Viaton was overjoyed at the sight.

And it was no wonder, because Isabel hadn’t eaten anything for two days.

But he didn’t show it outwardly.

He didn’t want to provoke Isabel, who was currently in a very sensitive and difficult mental state.

“Thank you, Teacher.”

She knew that it was thanks to Viaton that she could be so completely immersed in grief.

“How can I ever repay this kindness?”

“I told you I’d try my best.”

“……”

“Your Highness just needs to breathe. I, your teacher, will close the distance. Someday, in the far future, please repay the kindness by being honest.”

And three days passed.