《Limited Extra Time》 Chapter 1 - Prologue ¡°Your Grace, your fiance, Lady Leopold has arrived.¡± ¡°¡­What? There isn¡¯t any special occasion right? There¡¯s still a year left before the wedding.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Lady Carina Leopold.¡± The man, who was busy with paperwork raised his head sharply and glared. He clicked his tongue. Why were there no rumors about her arrival to the north? As a result of his work being interrupted, his red eyes flashed threateningly. ¡°What was she thinking? Even if we are engaged, how can one come whenever they please without sending a letter first?¡± Due to the malicious activities rapidly increasing in the north recently, the man¡¯s patience has reached its limit. The butler Fang, whose face was visibly stained with dismay, followed behind immediately. ¡°Tsk what kind of nonsense was my father thinking of when he died because of these political games? I want to take him out of his grave and listen to his justification.¡± It was an impolite remark, but Fang couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything. Frankly, Million is so buried in work and problems on the daily that he doesn¡¯t have time to deal with women. In addition, the territory is at its busiest, preparing for the upcoming winter. But suddenly, there was the news of the fianc¨¦e¡¯s visit. He has seen her only once, during the engagement ceremony and that was it. She didn¡¯t seem to care for Million, and Million wasn¡¯t interested in her either. ¡°Now, now, breaking up the engagement shouldn¡¯t be hard?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fang, who always had clear replies, didn¡¯t say anything this time. ¡®I didn¡¯t realize you can annoy people in so many ways.¡¯ The sharp Million, whose eyes are more serious than those who had been starved for five days, turned his head to where Fang¡¯s attention was fixed, on the front door. ¡®She must¡¯ve heard all of it.¡¯ He clicked his tongue. At the end of Fang¡¯s gaze was his fiancee. She looks even paler than before. Million, whose first thought was of explaining the situation, opened his mouth. ¡°What I just said¡­¡± ¡°An engagement break-up, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Your Grace and my wedding is scheduled in about a year right?¡± With his arms crossed Million listened to Carina, about whatever she was talking about in such a nonchalant manner. Milion felt a little unpleasant listening to her speak. He has been dealing with paperwork for three days straight, and it has kept him so busy that it¡¯s the reason why he¡¯s so easily irritated. In fact, the space below his eyes is a shade darker. ¡°Frankly speaking, I want to stay here for about six to ten months.¡± ¡°¡­Lady, are you crazy?¡± Million asked sincerely. An ordinary nobleman wouldn¡¯t use such vulgar words, but in this case he had to use them. Carina¡¯s tugged brown hair swayed at her waist. A pair of deep blue eyes faced Million. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll break off the engagement by the time I leave here.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you ran away from home at such an age?¡± ¡°Of course I would leave home at such an age. Only for less than a year though. Half a year is too short and 10 months is too long. I thought that there might be a separate palace in this remote place, but it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not at this mansion. As you can see I didn¡¯t bring anything with me. Oh, but I brought the divorce papers.¡± She pulled a piece of paper from a shabby cloth bag with her pale hands, which resembled gloves even without them. Million¡¯s face contorted. Where on earth did she pick up a cloth bag that looks like it should be in a trash can? ¡°¡­Is the lady in a difficult situation?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Carina asked back. His eyes were directed at the cloth bag. Noticing this, she shook her head. Who would want to buy a cheap bag that looks like it should be thrown away? ¡°If you carry a useless expensive bag I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be in trouble during the rough and long journey.¡± ¡°How on earth have you come this far?¡± ¡°I paid money, rode a carriage, got off at an adequate place and walked, then, once again I relied on the carriage from North and came.¡± Count Leopold is at the Southern end. Since the count rarely went out to the capital, it is likely that she came from where the count¡¯s residence is, towards the Northern end. Even when using a private carriage it takes a month to arrive without resting. Million¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°When the hell did you depart?¡± ¡°I departed two months ago.¡± ¡°And in the meantime have you been in contact¡­ no you haven¡¯t. Above everything, a young lady who knows nothing of the world shouldn¡¯t go through such a rough road alone.¡± ¡°¡­This may be my first and last trip.¡± Carina spoke out meaningfully. Chilly wind came in from the wide-open front door of the mansion. She opened her mouth, looking silently at the colorful fallen leaves. ¡°I wanted to do something with my own strength, with my own steps.¡± The trip was the beginning. The first thing she decided to do on her own. Soon after, she was going to spend her time doing what she wanted to do. ¡®Last trip?¡¯ Million¡¯s expression became weird. Well, no young noble lady can make this reckless trip twice. He shook his head. It¡¯s fortunate that nothing happened, otherwise she might¡¯ve had a real rough time. ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± ¡°There are also options I have thought of as the next best thing. Should I just go to the top end of the ladder and do chores?¡± She thought about it but in reality, her body wasn¡¯t in good condition. Perhaps because of the cold wind, there were no times where I could let my mind be at ease after I entered the North. She was going to stay here quietly, and paint pictures, and take a short trip to a place not far away, preparing for the end. ¡°Huh!¡± Million was dumbfounded. The atmosphere was so different that it was doubtful that she was the same person he had seen once before, including the bold words. Seeing his reaction, Carina shrugged. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d say no, so the next best thing was really just up to imagination.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like me. You didn¡¯t look pleased when we first met at the engagement ceremony.¡± When Million looked at her absurd eyes, she added, as if she was proud. ¡°You know that. So I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d miss out on this opportunity.¡± Carina shook the paper again in front of him. Glaring at the reddened fingertips, Million glanced at Carina. In any case he can¡¯t keep a guest standing at the front door. ¡°Come in for now.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. It¡¯ll be as if I¡¯m not here. And then one day, when I¡¯m gone, please think of me as some tiresome baggage that was dropped off somewhere.¡± Million sighed at Carina¡¯s words. When he saw the sight of her pale skin, he felt guilty. Even if there is no reason to feel guilty. He felt quite bothered by that and so he glared at Carina once again. Even though she didn¡¯t look like it, she was shivering from the cold. Million pushed the words he was about to spit out back into his throat. ¡°Fang, give her a spare room to use right now. And tell the maid to take care of her and prepare a bath.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°First, tell her to bathe the lady.¡± Carina who left the leering Million behind, hurriedly followed Fang whose tailcoat was trailing behind him. Million glanced at her back and headed straight to the office. There was a mountain of work he hadn¡¯t dealt with. Chapter 2 ¡°Lia, you look bright today. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s thanks to Mother and Father who bring good medicine everyday.¡± ¡°Ugh, I find it too bitter.¡± ¡°Fer, Lia¡¯s body is frail. She needs to consume it, even if it¡¯s bitter.¡± The conversation that had been openly transpiring ended with the mother¡¯s reprimands as the father, Count Leopold, passed by the twins, the youngest of the family. Right next to the Count, Infrick, the Count¡¯s successor and eldest son, sat down and smiled slightly at the series of events. First, Infrick Leopold was a talented man who had outstanding literary skills and excelled in martial arts. There was a reputation among the public that he could immediately become the head of the count¡¯s residence. The two youngest siblings, born as twins, were so lovely that they made everyone smile. Carina also loved them. Even though Carina wasn¡¯t a very affectionate older sister, they were children who smiled purely. But at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but be jealous. It was ironic. Count Leopold had a family of good men and women. Carina thought so, when she saw the dining table where bright blondes, beautiful faces, and blue eyes coexisted. ¡®¡­¡­I used to wonder why I was the only one with dark brown hair.¡¯ Only later did she realize that she had inherited the hair color of one of her grandparents, but there were times when she felt sad about it. . Carina put down her fork after eating a few pieces of salad. She felt bloated and it didn¡¯t seem like she could go on any further. She rinsed her mouth with water from the glass and got up from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ve finished eating, so I¡¯ll go in first.¡± ¡°You may do so.¡± At that, she heard her mother¡¯s reply. Everyone was so busy talking that they didn¡¯t pay attention to Carina properly. Her mother soon turned her eyes to Abelia and Ferdon. With her low presence, Carina bowed her head familiarly and withdrew naturally. As she was walking through the hallway, rubbing her palm against her bloated chest, she felt something popping inside her. With her breath in, she looked to her left and right and walked with her shoulders wide open as much as she could. She walked straight to the second floor in a familiar corridor where no one was guiding her. But it also took a while. A pot came up before she could even climb up the stairs. Carina, covering her mouth, eventually rushed into the bathroom in front of her. She bumped her face and retched repeatedly, vomiting all of the food she ate. At the remains that had not been chewed at all and had passed through over and over again, she hurriedly flushed the water and trudgingly sat on the bed. She felt completely exhausted. She wasn¡¯t told that it would quickly get worse like this. Carina was dissatisfied. A few days ago, she sneaked out of the mansion and went to a clinic. ¡°I feel a little bad saying this, but it¡¯s a question on how your organs are barely showing half of their function.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ is it serious?¡± ¡°Yes. Frankly, it¡¯s amazing that you are walking around. You were originally healthy, but if it¡¯s all of a sudden, I¡¯ll assume it might be an art disease.¡± ¡°An art disease¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone who¡¯s born with the talent of a great artist who creates ¡®miracles¡¯. Among them, there are cases where the condition for exerting the talent of that art is vitality.¡± It may be a supporting character who lives an inconspicuous life, but where would it be who suddenly throws the word death in this way? She thought the world was unreasonable. But there was nothing she could do. ¡°Can you also cause a miracle?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve been in bad shape every time you used your abilities. Did you not get a medical checkup? People with this kind of blessings that usually cause miracles are supposed to have regular checkups.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been much if I had known in advance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Carina just nodded blankly at the on-point remark. She¡¯d never thought the miracle she caused would eat away her life. She touched her forehead quietly. It was a simple mistake. A mistake of not being informed about her ability. The pride and arrogance of those who didn¡¯t listen properly when she first tried to speak. And after that, she was just worried. If this ability is revealed, the family will surely look at her. But it seemed like she was uncertain if their eyes would be looking at her ability or herself. So she hid it. She never expected it to come back this way. ¡°They said that you have anemia and hemoptysis? You couldn¡¯t properly digest the food that you ate and even threw up a lot?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s serious. I don¡¯t know what to say, but¡­ your body¡¯s going to be in this condition for a year. You won¡¯t be able to digest food and drinks properly. Your body will slowly get weaker and weaker, so you will probably last a year longer.¡± The old physician in a white gown was treating the common people for a small price in a shabby clinic. But his diagnosis was not questionable. The physician¡¯s eyes were bright and clear. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, won¡¯t you ask me if there¡¯s a way to live? I thought you would ask for sure.¡± ¡°Is there a way to live?¡± ¡°No, as far as I know there is none.¡± Carina simply nodded at the physician¡¯s words and put down two gold coins and turned around. The physician sighed as he stared at the gold coins she had given him. Looking at Carina¡¯s back as she was about to leave, he said something significant. ¡°Even so, you might be able to increase your lifespan, so come back, if your heart desires to.¡± Carina left the shabby clinic, absent-mindedly listening to him. Those words were like a bolt out of the blue. It felt like her body¡¯s rapidly deteriorating, so she went to see a physician, who was not the Count¡¯s family physician, just in case. ¡®No, she couldn¡¯t go to the family doctor¡­¡± Rather than worrying about the family, she didn¡¯t trust the person. He was a very young, skillful, and reputable physician, who was in charge of the Count¡¯s health. But up until now, he¡¯d been watching and often didn¡¯t hesitate to tell lies when necessary. Furthermore, he cared about Abelia like his own sister. ¡®It might be an useless idea, but if I tell Abelia about my sickness, she might be shocked¡­.¡¯ If it was deemed harmful to her, it was likely that he was going to lie. Her rumbling stomach calmed down a little. Carina stroked her chest and sat by the window. Standing under the sunlight, her skin became more transparent. She saw a bird flying in the sky. It flew and sat on that tree. ¡°If only I had wings.¡± When I die, I want to try to fly to the sky as much as I desire and die. Doing what she wanted to do and die after. She trembled at the growing desire. Frankly speaking, it wasn¡¯t that Carina wasn¡¯t loved. Her parents tried to be fair. But someone was sick, and someone was young and needed assistance. Then there was a part that couldn¡¯t be fair. In that sense, the second child was quite insignificant. One of Leopold¡¯s twins was often treated for minor illnesses. The other one was extremely reckless that she used to get hurt here and there. On top of that, she wasn¡¯t a successor like her first brother. As a result, the amount of attention given to the second child who acted well on her own was as small as a grain of sand. After experiencing all those things in person, Carina decided to describe it as ¡®an interest as if it was nonexistent.¡¯ The world seemed to revolve around the Count. At least there was money dropped in their way. But there are only plenty of jagged stones in Carina¡¯s path. Of course, she loved the twins, but it was also true that she was jealous. They were raised in the house and stomach the same as hers, so how were they not similar, even for just a little bit? As she kept feeling jealous and hating them, she looked ugly in her own eyes. The fact that they were her younger siblings were also hard for Carina. ¡°¡­¡­ Does that mean that I¡¯m going to die?¡± Actually, from the time she threw up blood, she expected it a little. ¡°Should I just leave?¡± In the mansion, Carina was always forced to smile. She had to be a strong person who could do everything by herself, and also needed a generous heart that could yield anything. But she didn¡¯t want to do that while her own death was approaching her. She couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of face her family would make. If she would have to deal with that difficult situation, it seemed like she would never get up again. Carina didn¡¯t have the slightest intention to let her family know about her situation. She didn¡¯t have the strength to cry. For a long time, she also didn¡¯t leave her room. But no one cared about Carina. Because she said she could handle it by herself. ¡®If I leave, where should I go¡­¡­?¡¯ Carina worried about it, sitting on the windows frame and leaning her forehead against the glass. At the most, 1 year. Compared to the 20 years she had lived, it was a very short time. Compared to her older brother who was good at everything and the charming twins who were full of cuteness, she never showed her presence. She needed someone who could look after her. Even if that someone hated her. Just someone who will look after her. ¡°Lady, what¡¯s with that squid face? You shouldn¡¯t have come out if you didn¡¯t want to. If you had refused, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. What suddenly came to mind was the first meeting with her fiance. That man¡¯s face was so graceful and perfect that it was almost as if God had abused his power for him. The face of the man who didn¡¯t seem human, fierceless, looked at her with a wrinkle in his forehead. ¡®Even though you also didn¡¯t refuse it.¡¯ That time I couldn¡¯t say even a word to him, but thinking about it, that was not the case. The thin blue eyes reflected on the window. Her skin and even her eyes were paler than before. The anemia got worse. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have too much work to do, so she was able to live an undemanding life. ¡°Should I go to the North?.¡± Without anything. With her own feet. Moving by herself. The firmly closed lips slowly opened. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Because she had little worries and a short time to decide, she decided to go to the North alone. Chapter 3 The next morning, Carina missed her first family meal. Since she thought she only had one year left, the things she didn¡¯t want to do came to mind. She didn¡¯t like the uncomfortable breakfast that she had to venture through anyway. ¡®But no one is coming.¡¯ No one came to visit until noon, and the door was still tightly closed. She felt sad again. She hadn¡¯t meant to say she was sick. All she meant was that she felt bloated and didn¡¯t want to eat today. She didn¡¯t expect it to be this quiet. Things that she¡¯d been ignoring so far were now flooding in one by one. Skipping breakfast, Carina sat at her desk with an apple in her mouth that she had asked her maid for. Once she made up her mind to leave, a plan was drawn up. She had never prepared for a trip, but she had an airy thought that she would be able to go anywhere with an adequate amount of money. The most important thing was to prepare without being noticed and to go on the journey secretly. Carina set her preparation period for no more than a week. In the meantime, she was thinking of finding out the necessary supplies, preparation, and carriage for the trip. Carina grabbed a pen and wrote down on the paper. ¡®Let¡¯s exchange the gold coins for change¡­¡¯ Simple change of clothes, meat and water, and¡­ ¡°Oh! I need to get the divorce papers.¡± She expected that the man wouldn¡¯t reject the annulment papers she offered. [Documents of broken marriage] She looked down at the words written on the paper. Since childhood engagement or marriage was a decision of the family and parents, it can¡¯t be helped. However, now that they were adults, they had the right to make decisions about marriage and breakup. [Medicine.] ¡°I¡¯ll have to visit the physician again.¡± She murmured in a small voice. The most urgent thing for her was a medicine to use throughout her long journey. Carina slowly wrote down what she needed in her notebook. After writing down ten things, she couldn¡¯t think of anything more. Putting down the pen, she stopped writing for a long time. After blowing softly to dry the paper, she ripped the paper from the notebook and put it in her sleeves. ¡®Because there is only one week to prepare, the medicine should be prepared in advance.¡¯ Having decided where to go first, she got up from her seat. With a brightly colored, bear-faced purse full of pocket money given to her, she changed into an outside dress. She wondered for a while whether to call the maid, but in the end she didn¡¯t. It may be because she had more work to do alone, but she was a little uncomfortable with the maid now. She stood in front of the mirror for a moment and hummed at her form. Her pale skin looked lifeless, and her lips were dry without a hint of color. No matter how many times she brushed her hair, it always looked hectic, perhaps because of the common dark brown hair that made an ugly impression. Only her blue eyes proved she had the right to connect herself to Leopold¡¯s bloodline. She thought her eyes were the prettiest part of herself. It was the only pretty thing in her body, but compared to other families, it was not enough to make her a striking beauty. Beautiful parents. Older Brother Infrick, who had received numerous letters of confession since childhood. Even Abelia, who drove people around. Despite being sickly, she was active in the social world with lots of friends shared with her younger brother, Ferdon. They had always been at the center of everything. In contrast, Carina was less talkative about her inconspicuous appearance. She was in a mere mundane eternity. In fact, if she was born in a regular house, she would have lived a decent life, made friends and been happy. But the people around Carina had such a bright halo. Her presence became dimmer as people who knew how to shine on their own surrounded her. Carina quietly walked out of the room. Her room, which existed at the back of the second floor, was a quiet place for maids to visit. As soon as she stood in front of the central staircase, she saw a man coming up to the second floor. It was Nocturne, a green-haired man in a white gown. She didn¡¯t go down the stairs and was waiting from above, so he raised his head as if he felt her gaze. ¡°You are Lady Carina.¡± ¡°It is you, Lady Carina.¡± can be possible too. ~matindi ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a while, Nocturne. Are you here for a job?¡± ¡°Oh, Lia¡¯s no¡­¡± He glanced at Carina and touched his lips. When Carina didn¡¯t respond, Nocturne opened his mouth again. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s the day I check-up on Lady Abelia¡¯s health.¡± His eyes, which were bent, were sad. He was a man with good personality and good speech skills. He was friendly and knew how to return the favor onto others. She nodded her head, trying to shake off the feeling of losing her back. ¡°Yes, go in.¡± She didn¡¯t want to talk to him for long. Funnily enough, he was the one Carina had in her heart when she let herself have a very, very brief sweet dream. Knowing that his gaze was always directed to Abelia, she criticized herself for the budding feelings in her heart. She heard that he had a younger sister who died early as a child. He was very sympathetic to Abelia, as if his sister and Abelia had quite a resemblance. After a short thought, Carina brushed past him and tried to go down the stairs. ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Are you okay?¡± Carina nodded as she faced his dark green eyes. ¡®Since when has he been interested?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t get any sleep.¡± ¡°You can take a check-up with Lady Abelia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Since Carina was Abelia¡¯s older sister, Nocturne would often show a decent favor to her, but that was all. It was only a thin favor that ended on his recommendation and her refusal. ¡°You seem to be going out.¡± ¡°I have something to do for a while. Noct¡­¡± ¡°Oh! Sister!¡± Suddenly she came out, briskly running and hanging onto Carina who was dangerously at the end of the stairs with her head hanging over. Carina hurriedly grabbed the railing to steady herself, while Nocturne quickly grabbed her waist. Carina¡¯s eyes opened wide as Nocturne¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist. Nocturne quickly released his hand as she looked at him with a confused expression. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to hang onto her like that.¡± ¡°Sorry, Nocturne. It¡¯s nice to see you.¡± Abelia, smiling playfully at Nocturne¡¯s anxious voice, nodded. ¡°Sister, why didn¡¯t you come this morning?¡± Abelia laughed and asked Carina. Carina looked down at Abelia, who buried her face into her neck, struggling not to smile at her stiff face. Then, as usual, Carina affectionately stroked her sister¡¯s back. Abelia was obviously adorable. But funnily enough, she hated her at the same time. And the thing she was angry at and hated the most was Carina, herself, who thought that way. ¡°Sister, where are you going?¡± ¡°Yes, I have a place to go for a moment. By the way, Abelia, you have to be careful on the stairs.¡± ¡°Hehe, I was counting on you to catch me.¡± Although she didn¡¯t mean to put that responsibility on Carina, there would have been dire consequences if something had happened. Still, even Abelia, who grew up a lot now and wore plenty of clothes, did not want to be scolded. Even so, it was only ever Carina who made the mistakes and suffered the damages. Sometimes she remembered that time, so Carina had to straighten her face by touching it several times. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t believe that.¡± Karina muttered in a low voice. ¡°Huh?¡± Her body trembled at that moment. As she looked up in a hurry, she saw Abelia, who was still smiling with an angelic face, and Nocturne, who had a strange expression behind her wondering if he had heard properly. ¡°No, I heard that Doctor Nocturne came for your health check-up. You need to go. That way you¡¯ll get better soon.¡± ¡°Nocturne is a nag. And I feel much better! So I want to go play with my sister.¡± The rippling blondes of Abelia fluttered at her fingertips. Carina did not inherit the beautifully wavy hair and lovely personality. ¡°No. Nocturne has not come here futility.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡®You can live.¡¯ Carina turned her head, suppressing the words she wanted to say.