I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Kim Beolkkul was blatantly a honey badger.

『Requesting touch.』

『Rub my belly.』

Isabel burst into giggles and gently stroked Kim Beolkkul’s belly.

Whether it was from pleasure or ticklishness, Kim Beolkkul thrashed his four legs aggressively, expressing his joy.

『Joy』

Bwong bwong━━━

『Extreme joy ♩♪』

“Ah, you’re ridiculously cute.”

Isabel covered her mouth with one hand while continuing to rub Honey’s belly with the other.

After a moment of reunion（?）, Isabel opened her mouth.

“Ahem.”

She cleared her throat and composed herself.

“Kim Beolkkul. Sit up straight.”

Bwong bwong?

『?』

She almost covered her mouth again at that expression, but Isabel held back.

Cuteness was cuteness, but she had to discipline him.

Because one must be firm when necessary.

“No more stealing from now on. It’s wrong. Understand?”

『Giving joy to the miser.』

He meant that he wanted to give Isabel joy.

“But you can’t give joy in the wrong way. It’s not right. If you try to give me joy like that, I won’t be happy at all. Understand?”

Kim Beolkkul’s shoulders slumped.

He looked like he was about to melt into a puddle.

“You did wrong, didn’t you?”

『……』

Even Kim Beolkkul, who was brave enough to fight five lions, had tears welling up in his eyes at Isabel’s scolding.

“You won’t admit it? Kim Beolkkul. You’re smart. You know it’s wrong. Are you going to keep upsetting me like this? Are you going to embarrass me, your guardian, like this?”

Drip, drip.

Tears dripped from Kim Beolkkul’s eyes. The teardrops were large, as if he was quite upset.

Isabel hardened her weakening heart at the sight.

Since she was the one who gave Kim Beolkkul the name “Kim Beolkkul,” she had to take responsibility for him.

“Beolkkul, you’re not showing any remorse right now. You know you did wrong, but you won’t admit it. Are you going to keep doing this? Go stand facing the wall and raise your hands. Think about what you did while doing that.”

Kim Beolkkul, with an expression as if he had lost the whole world, walked weakly towards the wall and sat facing it, his posture as if he were melting.

He wiggled his behind as he sat down and raised his arms.

Isabel’s heart ached as she watched him.

‘Was I too harsh?’

But Isabel didn’t know.

Unlike his back, which looked the saddest in the world, Kim Beolkkul was grinning.

A very powerful proposition remained in Kim Beolkkul’s mind.

‘The cutest things are the scariest.’

He didn’t know who told him that.

But it had somehow become Kim Beolkkul’s code of conduct.

Kim Beolkkul already knew how his back would look to Isabel right now.

He floated an invisible dragon language above his head.

『Kim Beolkkul = Strategist』

After a little while, Kim Beolkkul turned around.

『I did wrong.』

『Stealing is bad.』

Kim Beolkkul held out his hand.

Although his fingers weren’t as long as a human’s, he somehow managed to stick out his pinky.

『I won’t do it again.』

『Promise.』

“Okay. Promise.”

Isabel and Kim Beolkkul linked their pinkies.

“Thank you for being honest. You’re a brave honey badger.”

As Isabel stroked Kim Beolkkul’s head, he made a “bwong bwong” sound and shrugged his shoulders.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

At the same time, Marco Yurmiel, the best appraiser in the Bilotian Empire, was once again researching the “Proposal Stone.”

“Huh? Light is leaking out?”

He hadn’t inserted any luminescent material, nor had he injected mana from the outside.

The Proposal Stone was emitting light on its own.

“What’s that?”

Flowers were blooming on the wall of his workshop.

“Is the legend true?”

There was a legend that if you swore on the Proposal Stone and your love blossomed, flowers would bloom profusely.

Although Marco was a direct descendant of Sebastian, who created the “Proposal Stone,” he didn’t entirely believe the legend.

But he couldn’t dismiss it as nonsense either.

Because the evidence was unfolding before his eyes.

“It’s not a full bloom, but……”

A few flowers were in bloom.

It was slightly different from the legend.

“But what if diamonds really start blooming?”

It was said that in a critical moment of sacrifice for each other, diamonds would gush out like a spring.

“Oh, come on. That can’t be true, can it? What kind of absurd imagination am I having?”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

It had already been a month since my father had touched my heart, and since I had severely scolded Honey.

‘Time flies.’

Every day felt precious.

Anyway, I smiled brightly as I looked at the Transfer Gate model in my hand.

“It’s finally done!”

“I see. It really is done.”

“Even Grandpa Teyselon can smile?”

“What?”

“You always make such a grumpy face that I thought you had a disease that prevented you from smiling.”

Grandpa Teyselon frowned again.

“What kind of disease is that?”

“Exactly. It’s nice to see you smile. Right? Oh, oh, that grumpy face is coming back.”

Sir Teyselon frowned, but he couldn’t hide the slight tremor at the corner of his mouth.

“But it’s the day we finally created a practical model using the AC transmission method you’ve been researching your whole life. It’s okay to be honestly happy. Hehe.”

“……”

Sir Teyselon had developed what he only had in theory into a materialized model.

It would take more time to reach the commercialization stage, but if we could utilize this, we could significantly improve the efficiency of the existing Transfer Gate.

“I think I need to brief Mom and Dad. No, before that, I should practice my presentation with Teacher Viaton.”

I grabbed Sir Viaton’s sleeve and dragged him along.

“Come on. Please take a look.”

“Your Highness, when did you get so strong?”

Sir Viaton, who was much taller and stronger than me, was dragged along by me.

He was smiling brightly at me, and that alone gave me great strength.

I explained the Transfer Gate model I had made with Sir Teyselon.

“……So, I’ve created an advanced form of the Transfer Gate like this.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Teacher Viaton clapped, seemingly happy no matter what.

“Bravo! Simply bravo!”

“Come on, Teacher. Please evaluate it a little more strictly.”

“I evaluated it strictly. To appease that grumpy old man and create this…… As expected, Your Highness is amazing.”

Grandpa Teyselon, who was sitting with his legs crossed, frowned again.

“What?”

“Oh? Did you hear that? I’m sorry, I wasn’t talking to you.”

Grandpa Teyselon glared at Teacher Viaton for a moment but then averted his gaze.

It seemed he had learned from experience that dealing with Teacher Viaton only tired him out.

“It’s a good day today. Please don’t fight, you two. If you fight, I won’t give you any more Dalgona.”

“……”

“I won’t fight, Your Highness. Let’s reconcile, my dear Sir Teyselon!”

Anyway, I headed to Mother’s office with Grandpa Teyselon and the model.

Thanks to Chief Attendant Dailtha’s prior notice, Father was also in Mother’s office.

“I’m happy to be able to show this to Mother and Father.”

I explained it in the same way I had explained it to Sir Viaton.

“Let’s assume this small bead is a person, and we’re going to move it from this Transfer Gate to that Transfer Gate. The mana used for this will be replaced by this small mana stone. Ta-da! This is how the bead moved there. How did I do this? ……So……That’s how it happened.”

Father, a pure swordsman, didn’t seem to understand the principle, but Mother seemed to understand it to some extent.

Mother asked,

“Although it’s difficult to understand exactly due to my lack of magic engineering knowledge, I understand what you’re trying to do. So, you’re saying you changed the mana transmission method from DC to AC and used the inverter system you mentioned to maximize efficiency?”

“That’s right!”

Mother looked at Father.

“It seems like a great technology if it can be commercialized. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

“The Empress should do the Empress’s work. I will do the Emperor’s work.”

“Alright. I’ll trust you, Your Majesty.”

“I will also trust only the Empress.”

At that time, I didn’t quite understand what Father was saying.

‘Emperor’s work?’

I didn’t know exactly how the Empress’s work and the Emperor’s work were divided.

As far as I knew, Mother was in charge of finance, administration, and foreign affairs.

‘But then, isn’t Mother doing everything?’

But then again, Father was always busy, and Sir Viaton, Father’s aide, also had quite dark circles under his eyes.

Mother said,

“I’ll support the budget, so try implementing an actual Transfer Gate.”

“Okay! I’ll use the existing Transfer Gate and set it up so we can move to the Elbe Mountains!”

“How long will it take?”

“I think it’ll take about a month.”

“Alright, Mother believes in you, my daughter. I’m sure you’ll do well.”

I felt a lump in my throat at her trust in me.

As the Empress, she provided budget and procedural support, and as a mother, she provided unwavering support and firm trust.

“But don’t feel too pressured. It’s okay if you don’t get the best results. Every step of your process is precious to Mother.”

Mother assured me that she wouldn’t be disappointed in me even if I failed.

Whether I did well or not, Mother’s warm and firm gaze conveyed her certainty to me.

The certainty that she would love me, Isabel, just as I am, as a person.

A feeling of fullness I had never experienced in my previous life filled me.

I hugged Mother tightly.

“Oh my?”

Mother hugged me back and patted me.

I, who didn’t have a mother, now had one.

No. It had been 7 years since I got one, but I was grateful anew today.

“I love you so much, Mother.”

Today, I had a mother again.

“I’m a truly happy child.”

I wish I could be seven years old forever.

That’s what I thought.

And a month passed.

The day I presented the implemented Transfer Gate to Mother and Father.

I realized I had made a foolish mistake.