I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Kiruen had a constitution that was sensitive to various kinds of “energy” from birth.

That’s why she was able to perceive Isabel’s favor even more keenly earlier.

Kiruen, who possessed a special talent, felt a strange energy.

‘Why do I sense a desperate resolve coming from inside?’

Kiruen had fought countless sword fights.

The fact that she, a commoner, became the Vice-Captain of the Black Dragon Sword Unit at a young age was a testament to her numerous real-battle experiences.

Usually, this level of desperate resolve was an energy she often felt from those who were determined to kill their opponents.

‘I have to stop it.’

Her body reacted before her mind could process.

Kiruen kicked off the ground and ran.

Closing the distance to the carriage in an instant, she drew her beloved sword, “Spiker.”

The entire sequence, consisting of a series of breaths, was like a flash of light.

“You, what is your identity?”

Kiruen’s Spiker touched the throat of a woman.

Kiruen frowned.

‘What is this?’

The woman was crawling on the ground very slowly, heading towards the carriage door.

‘A trick?’

She had encountered a few assassins of this type before.

The kind who would lull their opponents into a false sense of security with acting that could rival the best actors, then attempt to assassinate them with a sudden attack.

Even highly skilled martial artists often fell prey to such assassins.

The woman very slowly lifted her head.

The woman’s eyes met Kiruen’s, and Kiruen could tell.

‘She doesn’t seem like a martial artist……’

No matter how well-trained an assassin might be, they couldn’t completely fool Kiruen’s Ki sense.

‘But I feel a desperate resolve that’s at the level of an extremely trained martial artist. It’s not an energy an ordinary person can emit.’

She experienced a slight cognitive dissonance.

An ordinary person couldn’t emit this level of energy. Especially not someone with such an emaciated and damaged body.

Trained by countless real-battle experiences, she didn’t let her guard down.

“I asked you what your identity is. Answer me.”

“I…… am……”

At that moment, Viaton lightly flicked Kiruen’s sword to the side with his fingertip.

“Just watch. It’s alright.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

I walked quickly and arrived in front of the carriage.

I spotted a middle-aged woman slowly crawling out from inside.

Yuri-eonni told me.

“My mother…… said she wanted to greet you personally.”

Yuri-eonni was biting her lip.

I knew the reason.

“Your mother can’t move, can she?”

Yuri-eonni was a young girl acting as the head of her household for a reason. Yuri-eonni’s mother was paralyzed due to a rare disease.

Or, she was supposed to be.

But now, she was moving, albeit very slowly.

By crawling on the ground.

“So, she’s doing this to thank me?”

I unconsciously climbed the carriage steps and helped Yuri-eonni’s mother up.

“I understand your feelings. It’s okay. I hired Yuri-eonni because she’s exceptionally talented. We have a mutually beneficial relationship, so you don’t need to do this.”

“Pri…… ncess……-nim.”

Even speaking seemed difficult for Yuri-eonni’s mother.

She moved with great effort and grabbed my hand. Her hand was bony and wrinkled.

I looked at her face.

Dark circles were heavy under her eyes, and her skin was completely devoid of vitality. Her hair was also thinning and very coarse.

‘I…… know this face.’

It was an appearance I had seen countless times in my past life.

I used to be like this. Perhaps this person was even sicker than I was.

For some reason, I couldn’t move.

“Tha…… nk…… you…… so…… much.”

Her wrinkled hand covered mine.

Her hand was colder than I expected.

I just sat there blankly, staring at this hand.

“Rea…… lly…… tha…… nk…… you…… so…… much.”

Yuri-eonni’s mother moved again.

I could feel her body creaking.

‘It must hurt.’

It was clear that just moving her body would cause tremendous pain.

I knew it well.

Because I was like that.

Because I was in so much pain that I wanted to die.

‘But how can she be so calm? How can she even move?’

I had received help from others too.

Without that help, I wouldn’t have been able to survive until I was twenty.

There were definitely many people who helped me, and I was very grateful for them.

But sometimes, I was a bad child.

‘I’m in too much pain to move. I’ll thank you later.’

There were many times when I hated the reporters who came to visit me.

I felt angry because it felt like they were forcing me to be grateful.

One day, when I was in so much pain that I wanted to die, I thought like this.

‘I don’t need your fake pity.’

‘You’re just looking at my pitiful state and feeling relieved that you’re not like me, that you’re so lucky. You’re all bad people.’

But at first glance, this person seemed to be sicker than I was, if not equally so.

Her complexion was much worse than mine in the hospital.

But still, she moved her body, knelt before me, and bowed her head.

I could vaguely understand how she could do this.

‘I don’t know for sure. But I think I understand a little about a mother’s great heart.’

With great difficulty, she kissed my shoes.

Thud. Thud.

Her tears were falling on my shoes.

“……”

Tears welled up in my eyes without me realizing it. I bit my lip hard to try to hold back the tears, but I couldn’t.

If someone asked me why I was crying, I wouldn’t be able to give a clear answer.

Tears just streamed down my face.

My heart ached so much that my body stiffened.

“Tha…… nk…… you…… for…… letti…… ng…… Yuri…… know…… that…… she’s…… not…… alo…… ne.”

I heard sniffling sounds and looked to the side to see Yuri-eonni crying with her head bowed.

Judging by the way she was clenching her fists, it seemed like she was trying her best to hold back her tears.

I felt something snap inside my head.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

I let out a sorrowful cry, beyond my control.

I cried the most I had ever cried since I was born as Isabel.

I hugged her thin body.

Even though I was much shorter, I could hug her tightly.

There was no particular reason.

I just wanted to hug her and help her.

‘Right. This is it.’

I finally realized it today.

‘This is what it feels like to want to help someone.’

The countless people who helped me must have felt this way too. Maybe they weren’t just looking at pitiful me and comforting themselves.

‘It was just…… just that.’

It was just helping.

Of course, not everyone might have had the same heart. But someone must have helped me in my past life with the same heart I have now.

‘Thank you.’

Thank you so much.

I swallowed those words.

‘I will never forget what I received. I will always remember this day.’

I vowed to never forget what I learned today.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Yuri became Isabel’s official maid and entered Arena Palace.

A few days later, Yuri said.

“Please give me some work to do, Princess-nim.”

“I told you, you just need to study math hard.”

“But…… that can’t be considered a maid’s duty.”

The relationship between Isabel and Yuri couldn’t be considered a complete friendship. It was inevitable, given their positions as princess and maid.

Therefore, Isabel, the princess, spoke informally, while Yuri, the maid, spoke formally.

“I want to be someone who can be helpful to you, Princess-nim.”

“Hmm……”

Seeing her sincerity, Isabel pondered for a moment.

“Then I have a favor to ask.”

“Just tell me!”

At Isabel’s words, Yuri’s face brightened. She was happy to be given a task.

“Someone named Narmore will visit Arena Palace soon.”

“Yes! Yes!”

“I heard he likes sweet desserts. So I’d like to request some sweet desserts.”

“Understood. Thank you! I won’t disappoint you!”

And a few more days passed.

Ruruka discovered Yuri doing something strange（?）.

“Yuri. What on earth are you doing?”

“I’m melting sugar.”

“Why?”

“When sugar is heated to about 200 degrees Celsius, it melts and turns into a sticky brown liquid.”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

“I’m going to mix sodium bicarbonate into it.”

“What, what?”

“Um, baking soda.”

“Wh, why are you doing that?”

“Well, when you add sodium bicarbonate to heated sugar, the sugar breaks down into low-molecular glucose and…… like this…… the carbon dioxide generated here…… does something…… you see. So I was thinking, how about this kind of snack?”

Two days later.

Yuri presented her homemade snacks.

Isabel slapped her thighs with both fists and stood up from her seat.

“Is, is this, is this all, all, all, dalgona?!”

Isabel’s eyes were shining brighter than the brightest star in the world.

It was the happiest day she had had in a while.

“Mmm, mmm, mmmm, delicious! Sweet! It’s sweet!”

She wasn’t joking; she was truly happy.

To think she could eat something here that she had never eaten in her past life.

She cupped her cheeks with both hands, closed her eyes, and savored the dalgona by gently rolling her tongue.

She had definitely made the right choice by possessing this body.

It was undoubtedly a happy life.

‘So this is what it tastes like!’

Overwhelmed with happiness, Isabel tapped her forehead with her index finger.

“The truth glabella has made an appearance! Yuri-eonni, you’re the best! I really love it!”

Yuri’s face flushed at Isabel’s enthusiastic reaction.

Her heart fluttered for no reason, and she felt good.

“I’ll, I’ll make more for you.”

“Let’s eat together. Nanny, come here too. Let’s eat together!”

Isabel exclaimed in delight at the power of the dalgona, which she was tasting for the first time.

“So sweet, so special, very very so delicious!”

With this, she could even capture the heart of the soaring rocket!

That’s what she thought.

However, not everything in the world goes according to one’s wishes.

Six months passed without finding Narmore.

Isabel had turned seven years old.