I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 99

Chapter 99

Michael had disappeared somewhere, and Rahella-unni excused herself, saying the children should play amongst themselves – she seemed tired to me.

I thought Yuri might be uncomfortable, so I sent her to the room first.

So, I unintentionally ended up in a one-on-one situation with Reina.

‘Hmm, this feels very awkward. Why is she acting like this?’

That question was soon answered.

Reina had no less than three diamond rings on her left hand.

‘She’s been holding her hand up for a long time to show them off, hasn’t she?’

Doesn’t it usually take about a second or two to stroke your hair?

I counted, and it took her exactly 9 seconds to brush her bangs to the side.

‘She’s so transparent, now as she was then.’

Reina, noticing that my gaze was fixed on her hand, chuckled.

“As expected, you can’t fool the Princess’s eye, can you?”

“……Yes?”

“These are diamonds tempered using the Yurmiel family’s secret technique. Hohoho!”

“Tempering is when you heat metal in a fire……”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing. They’re beautiful.”

I guessed she probably didn’t know what tempering meant. She must have just used the word because it sounded impressive.

“Right? They say it usually takes three years to get a diamond ring made by the Yurmiel family. But I got mine in just three months.”

I could feel her emphasizing the words “Yurmiel family.”

Well, the Yurmiel family was such a famous artisan family, so I supposed it was possible.

To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed.

I prefer tteokbokki to jewels.

“You got them quickly. Congratulations.”

“My father’s resourcefulness is amazing.”

“……”

It was as if she was saying, ‘My dad is the best!’

And I almost blurted out, ‘My dad is even better!’

This was strangely bruising my ego…… Maybe it’s because I’m in an eight-year-old’s body?

“If you ever need diamonds, just let me know. Our Rossild family has a very close relationship with the Yurmiels, so we can easily acquire high-grade diamonds.”

“That’s wonderful.”

I was bored.

It was truly a chore to listen to a conversation about a topic I wasn’t interested in.

I would have enjoyed it much more if she had talked about the mineralogical properties of diamonds, or how carbon atoms bond in a tetrahedral structure to make them very hard, or that their Mohs hardness is 10.

“Moreover, these diamonds have a subtle blue hue. They say it’s because they were blessed by the blue wind goddess Nella when they were formed.”

“……It’s just because they contain boron……”

Reina tilted her head.

“Is boron another name for Goddess Nella’s grace? It’s not a very romantic name.”

“……”

Fine, interpret it however you want. Let’s just go with that.

I was tired of talking to Reina.

I already knew, but now I knew for sure. Reina and I were like oil and water.

But just then, someone came running up in a fluster.

“Your Highness!”

It was Narmore, who had arrived much faster than I expected.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The day before, Narmore felt a little wronged.

‘My heart for the Princess is the same.’

But this time, he couldn’t shake the feeling of defeat. Because Yuri had been with the Princess from the beginning of her journey.

He felt somehow left behind, and it was frustrating.

‘I need to finish things up quickly and go.’

After quickly dealing with the affairs of Narmore Corporation, he visited the Yurmiel family.

When Narmore arrived, Marco, the head of the Yurmiel family and the continent’s best appraiser, rushed out to greet him.

“Yes, yes, of course. I’ve set aside the highest-grade diamonds.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? We should be the ones thanking you.”

Narmore Corporation was a federation that had been given full authority by Princess Isabel. Therefore, they also had the rights to the diamonds that were popping out of the Princess’s ‘Proposal Stone.’

Narmore and Marco had made a contract.

『1. The ownership of Special Grade（特上品） diamonds belongs to Isabel – or the person to whom full authority has been delegated.

2. High Grade（上品） diamonds and below belong to the Yurmiel family.

3. However, in all matters related to diamonds, the Yurmiel family will actively cooperate with Isabel and Narmore Corporation. Active cooperation means that it will be given the first priority.』

Completing and maintaining the Isabel Chain technology required flawless Special Grade diamonds and the skills to process them.

From Narmore’s point of view, he could obtain these, and from the Yurmiel family’s point of view, they could receive a large supply of diamonds of considerable quality.

It was a win-win for both sides.

“You seem very busy. Is there something urgent?”

“Yes. I have to get to the Jirdel Kingdom quickly. I don’t know what kind of flattery that cunning fellow is whispering to the Princess.”

“Cunning fellow?”

“There’s this girl called Yuri. No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Narmore hurried to the Jirdel Kingdom.

Thanks to his breathless journey, he wasn’t too late.

‘There’s the Princess!’

Narmore felt very happy.

It was an even more satisfying reunion because that cunning fellow wasn’t in sight.

‘Huh?’

Oops!

Narmore tripped and fell.

‘Ouch!’

The leather pouch he was holding fell to the ground, and something tumbled out of it.

They were Special Grade diamonds provided by the Yurmiel family.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Isabel quickly ran over and helped Narmore up.

“Are you okay?”

“I, I’ve made a fool of myself.”

Narmore, embarrassed, got up and picked up the diamonds.

Reina couldn’t believe her eyes.

‘Diamonds?’

She had always been very interested in jewels.

Therefore, she could tell at a glance that what he had dropped were diamonds of an incredible grade.

‘It can’t be!’

How could barbarians like the Bilotians possess such jewels?

They must be fakes（假品）.

Thinking that way made her feel better.

‘Of course. They can carry them around so carelessly because they’re fakes.’

Real diamonds would never be carried around like that. That was Reina’s common sense.

‘Even if the Imperial support is lacking, is it okay to carry around such fakes? What would become of the Imperial dignity?’

Her steps were filled with confidence.

She spoke in a slightly raised voice.

“They emit quite a brilliant light for artificial diamonds.”

Narmore tilted his head.

“Artificial diamonds? What are you talking about?”

For a moment, Narmore almost got angry.

Did the Yurmiels trick me? Did they give me fake diamonds?

But Narmore soon grasped the situation.

‘Come to think of it, that girl is the only daughter of Duke Rossild, isn’t she? Oh, I almost got angry.’

Narmore had been having many meetings with nobles lately.

Thanks to that, he had become familiar with the world of the nobles.

He could tell at a glance.

‘9 seconds to brush her bangs back.’

She definitely wanted to show off her rings.

‘It’s as if she’s claiming that our class is this different.’

‘That little thing must have been showing off in front of the Princess!’

The experienced businessman Narmore spoke to Isabel as if he knew nothing.

“I’ll show you first.”

……Suddenly?

Isabel was a little flustered, but she just kept quiet.

“I had a meeting with the head of the Yurmiel family just before I came here. As I mentioned before, we received Special Grade diamonds with elaborate craftsmanship.”

……You mentioned it before?

We were supposed to receive Special Grade diamonds with elaborate craftsmanship?

……When?

“Oh, and as you commanded, Your Highness, I gave permission for the Yurmiel family to use the lower-grade diamonds other than the Special Grade ones.”

……Did I give such a command?

“Thanks to that, they said they were fortunate to be able to supply diamonds of decent quality to many families. Originally, it would have taken about three years, but it’s been reduced to about three months. It’s all thanks to your grace, Your Highness, haha!”

Narmore’s gaze turned towards Reina.

“I heard rumors that some fools brag about their family’s power being great. It’s quite funny, isn’t it?”

Reina’s face turned bright red.

“Humph!”

She turned away irritably and moved away from Isabel.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Returning to her room, Rahella tilted her head.

‘That coachman……He’s suspicious.’

She wasn’t sure, but the coachman seemed to have an enormous amount of mana.

His aura was like a sharp sword, not the kind of aura that an ordinary coachman could exude.

Isabel had recognized him at a glance, but Rahella didn’t realize the coachman’s identity.

‘He must be a high-ranking Imperial Palace official.’

As expected, Isabel was a political and strategic asset of the Imperial Palace. That’s why they would have assigned such an extraordinary coachman to her.

‘Isabel seemed to know something……’

✦✦✦✦✦✦

A few hours later.

Having dinner with Isabel, Rahella couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer and asked.

“Hey, Isabel. About that coachman.”

“Yes?”

“Who is that coachman?”

Isabel smiled brightly.

‘I guess the role-playing isn’t over yet.’

Isabel had decided to be faithful to this Daddy Bus.

Actually, Rahella really hadn’t figured out the coachman’s identity, but Isabel didn’t think that far.

She thought that since she had figured it out so easily, Rahella would have figured it out easily too.

She still understood it as ‘a worldview（Daddy Bus） where we all know Dad’s identity but have agreed to pretend we don’t.’

‘Let’s pretend!’

“The coachman’s identity? Well? I don’t really know.”

“That smile is suspicious.”

“Su, suspicious? It’s not suspicious at all, uh-huh, strange.”

No! Was my acting awkward?……

I don’t want this role-playing to end! I have to prevent the worldview from collapsing!

Isabel’s desperation was reflected in her expression, and Rahella read that desperation.

‘I guess it can’t be helped that she’s still a child. I’ll have to pretend I don’t know for now.’

Rahella was certain.

That unidentified coachman was definitely a secret agent dispatched from the Imperial Palace with a special purpose.

This once again confirmed that Isabel was a political and strategic asset of the Imperial family.