I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 161

Chapter 161

“Where’s my dad?”

I was at a loss for words.

To Maria, Arcmon was her dad.

“I have to be with Dad.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s the night, once a month, when Dad stays with me. When is Dad coming?”

Maria seemed terrified.

“Do you like your dad?”

“Dad said that the devil inside me wouldn’t come out if he stayed with me at night.”

“……”

“He said he was protecting me.”

Maria trembled.

She was extremely afraid of when the devil inside her would stretch again.

‘This wasn’t in the novel.’

In the novel, it was said that the male lead, Arun, persistently persuaded Maria.

There was only a brief description that they gained trust after living together for about a year and eventually became colleagues.

‘I think I know why it took a year.’

I sat next to the frightened Maria and held her hand.

Her hands were damp, probably from nervousness.

I could also feel how terrified she was from the mana transmitted through her hand.

“There’s no such thing as a devil inside Maria.”

“No, there is a devil.”

“What happens when the devil comes out?”

“He said it would eat everyone.”

“Have you ever seen it?”

“……”

Maria flinched.

Emotions were still being conveyed through her hand.

There was a tremendous shock, enough to make my heart pound.

“You saw it.”

“……N-No.”

Maria covered her face with both hands and sobbed.

“I’ve never seen it. Really. There’s no devil.”

I could easily deduce the situation.

Arcmon must have artificially created and shown her a situation where the devil had awakened.

“Wait a minute.”

It was hard to say, but I had to.

“I’ll go to Maria’s… dad.”

“Okay. Please call Dad.”

I had to figure out what was going on.

Since I couldn’t bring myself to act, I decided to get Narmore’s help.

For reference, Narmore is currently on a business trip here to gain Arcmon’s trust.

“Maria is convinced that there’s a devil inside her, is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Oh, I see. Why did you do such a troublesome task?”

“To make that power completely mine. I had to make her an idiot that only I knew.”

Narmore’s eyes widened as he looked at Arcmon, as if impressed.

“Indeed. But such brainwashing wouldn’t have been easy, would it?”

Seeing Narmore’s reaction, Arcmon became even more excited and spoke.

“First, I sedated Maria with drugs. After that, I staged a situation where a devil appeared and ate people. I spent a lot of money hiring first-class actors and doing special makeup, but it was a kind of investment. Haha!”

“That’s truly amazing.”

“Thank you for the compliment, haha!”

Unaware that he was digging his own grave, Arcmon proudly boasted about his crimes in front of Narmore.

“As expected, I thought Representative Narmore would understand my heart. Oh, of course, Your Highness too. It’s a great fortune to be able to meet partners who communicate so well in business.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

“Yuri. Prepare some cookies. Maria likes the cookies you make.”

“Okay. I’ll make them delicious.”

I took the cookies Yuri had made herself and went to find Maria.

Maria was terrified.

“Th-The devil will appear.”

“Look me in the eye.”

“……”

“There’s no such thing as a devil. At least not in Maria’s body.”

Midnight approached.

As it did, Maria grabbed her hair and screamed.

She screamed for her dad.

She screamed that her dad had to be there, and eventually fainted.

“Yuri. Please help Maria settle down for now.”

“Where are you going?”

“To get the Chief Attendant.”

“Ch-Chief Attendant?”

“Yes. I sent a message asking her to come. She should be here by now.”

Two days ago, I called Chief Attendant Dailtha.

She’s the head in charge of all education at the Arena Palace, so she’ll be much more experienced than me in every way.

Upon receiving my letter, the Chief Attendant departed immediately and had just arrived.

I explained the whole story to Chief Attendant Dailtha.

“Chief Attendant. Please.”

“The letter only said it was urgent and to come quickly. So I got up in the middle of dinner and rushed here.”

I purposely didn’t write the details.

Because Chief Attendant Dailtha is a bit old-fashioned.

“I only serve His Highness the Prince and Her Highness the Princess.”

I grabbed Chief Attendant Dailtha’s skirt and put on the most pitiful expression I could.

“You won’t do it even if I ask you like this?”

“……”

“Since you’re here anyway, I’d like you to do me a favor. I don’t ask you for favors like this often.”

“……”

“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll threaten you?”

I slightly lifted the end of my sleeve.

The Mark of Narvidal was barely visible.

Chief Attendant Dailtha covered the end of my sleeve again.

“It seems like you’re already threatening me enough.”

“Hehe.”

“I’ll do my best to help, but I think I’ll need Ruruka’s help as well.”

Chief Attendant Dailtha sighed softly.

“I hope you’ll remember that we’re professionals who train the Imperial Family.”

“You’re grateful, right?”

“Pardon?”

“We’re all grown up now! You saved us from becoming unemployed.”

“……You seem to have become a bit shameless.”

At first, I was a little scared of Chief Attendant Dailtha, but now I know her a little better.

Chief Attendant Dailtha is very blunt on the outside, but she actually finds me very cute.

I don’t think the Chief Attendant remembers this at all, but she once told me I was like her daughter when she was drunk on wine.

Her eyes were very distant then, so I think Chief Attendant Dailtha probably wanted to have a daughter.

Anyway, I hugged Chief Attendant Dailtha’s waist tightly.

“Isn’t it good to be shameless?”

“……”

“Cute, right?”

“……”

“I must be cute.”

“……”

“I must be lovely.”

“……”

In the end, she couldn’t say no.

Chief Attendant Dailtha slowly pushed my arms away and put some distance between us.

“I’ll do my best for now.”

And a month passed.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Ron was extremely dissatisfied.

And the only person in the Imperial Palace who could soothe his discontent was Serna.

“What can you do, you’re the Emperor. Even now, Great Demons are being generated somewhere. How can we deal with those Great Demons without Your Majesty, the Sword of Bilotian?”

“……”

“You can’t stay on Sky Island forever. His Majesty the Emperor has his own duties.”

“It’s been a whole month.”

One month.

It’s a short time, but it’s a very long time for Isabel.

“I hate that such precious time is being wasted on that woman.”

“You should be making precious memories with your dad during that time, right? Right?”

“……”

“But this time is also very precious to that child.”

A few days ago, Serna also visited Sky Island and had a conversation with Isabel.

“Do you know what Isabel said?”

“Did she talk about me?”

Serna burst out laughing.

“You’re not that important to Isabel.”

“……”

“Isabel wants to be remembered as a good person.”

Isabel was not a greedy child.

She had amassed great wealth, surpassing even the Rossild Dukedom, but she didn’t particularly indulge in luxury and pleasure.

Rather, she was in the process of creating orphanages and treatment facilities for children in need across the continent.

“But she asked me, ‘Is it okay for me to be this selfish?'”

“……What does that mean?”

“She wants people to remember her. She wants to be remembered as a good person.”

“……”

“She asked if it was okay to have such a selfish wish. Because the better a person she is, the more painful it will be for those left behind.”

“……What did you answer?”

“I answered that I’m proud of our daughter.”

Tears welled up in Serna’s eyes.

In truth, there were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t say anything else.

If she spoke too much, she felt like she would burst into tears in front of her daughter.

“I just gave her words of support and encouragement. So please, you do the same.”

“……”

Serna slowly walked over and embraced Ron.

Ron sensed that there was a reason why Serna was bringing this up.

“I think you’ve heard something from Isabel.”

“……”

“Tell me, my wife.”

Serna cried in Ron’s arms for a long time. And then she finally opened her mouth.

“Make me one promise. Swear on me.”

“……Let me hear it first.”

“Swear on me.”

Ron had a condition where he could never lie if he swore on Serna.

Knowing this well, Serna rarely said, ‘Swear on me.’

In the end, Ron nodded.

“Alright. I swear on you.”

Only then did Serna open her mouth.

“Actually, Isabel……”