I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 5

“I told you already! What are we supposed to do now?”

“If you can’t get out of here, I’m in big trouble too! Do something! You said the emperor wasn’t interested in you! Does that look like disinterest to you?”

“I didn’t expect this either! He really didn’t care before!”

“Then why is he acting like this?”

We started bickering again, both of us panting from frustration. If the magical barrier on the door didn’t block sound, the noise of our shouting would have echoed throughout the palace. After a while, both of us collapsed in exhaustion.

Lying flat on the floor beside me, Laroche clutched her head in disbelief. “Of all the humans I could have chosen, why did I end up with this one? Why is it always like this for me?”

“You’re hurting my feelings.”

“She looks polished on the outside, but inside, she’s a thug and a pervert! Absolutely useless. It’s people like her who make the world so chaotic.”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

Round two of our argument almost started again, but fortunately, we stopped ourselves. We knew that fighting would only drain more energy. Lying side by side on the bed, we stared up at the ceiling, hands folded as if in prayer.

“I can’t use magic, and even if I tried to escape by force, my body isn’t what it used to be. That’s not possible either.”

“Isn’t there anyone who can help you?”

“Even if there is, no one would help me now.”

“Why not?”

“Because of you. I keep coughing up blood, and now everyone thinks I’m planning to die quietly. They’re all telling me not to go off and die alone. It’s ridiculous! Do I look like someone who’d commit suicide quietly?”

“You’re right. I bet you’ll live until you’re old and gray.”

“Thanks, you dragon.”

“That jerk emperor.”

“And you’re the scam artist of the dragon world.”

We turned our heads to glare at each other, our eyes clearly expressing just how much we couldn’t stand each other.

There was nothing about this dragon that I liked.

“Aren’t you good at fighting without magic?”

“No way. Most of my power was taken when I was sealed. I could maybe handle regular knights, but not a captain-level fighter. Plus, I saw a sword master here.”

“Oh, Captain… Why do you have to be so competent?”

I buried my face in my hands, cursing the captain I had always admired.

Schrein Empester.

He was my superior when I was vice-captain of the imperial guard and had taken care of me since I was young.

I respected the sword master, but now his skillfulness was the bane of my existence. Even if I somehow evaded the other knights, Schrein would surely find me in an instant.

Just as I was sinking into despair, an idea hit me.

“The contract!”

“Huh?”

I suddenly sat up, and Laroche, still lying beside me, looked at me with a confused expression.

I shouted at her excitedly, “The contract! Contracts can’t interfere with each other, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s right.”

“If we exploit the terms of the contract, I might be able to get out of here! You can appear in front of me despite the barrier because it’s not magic—it’s the power of the contract!”

All contracts had loopholes, and contracts couldn’t interfere with each other. Since contracts were written agreements sealed with signatures, the wording could create gaps that could be exploited. There was a chance we could use this to escape.

“Wow! You’re actually pretty sharp!” Laroche’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she understood my point.

Feeling confident, I extended my hand toward her. “Bring out the contract. Let’s review it and look for any loopholes.”

“Huh?”

But Laroche started to look uneasy. She hesitated, her gaze darting around as she mumbled, “W-We have to read the whole contract to find the loophole, huh?”

“Of course. Hurry up.”

“It’s, um… a bit long. Maybe we should try something else?”

“What are you talking about? We’re doing this because there’s no other way. And 13 pages isn’t that long. I’m used to paperwork, so I’ll get through it quickly. Hand it over.”

I waved my hand impatiently, but Laroche, sweating nervously, only fidgeted without summoning the contract.

“What are you hiding? Spit it out.”

“Well, uh, the contract is actually… a bit longer.”

“What?”

“I mean! The important parts I showed you that day, those were all the main points! There are just a few… extra clauses. I didn’t want to bother you with the details!”

A cold chill ran down my spine as a bad feeling crept over me.

That damn dragon had tricked me. My gaze sharpened, and my voice turned cold. “Hand it over. Now.”

Laroche averted her eyes as she reluctantly summoned the contract. And then, the unimaginable happened.

“What is this?”

The contract began to multiply, filling the air and stirring a small whirlwind in the room as pages appeared one after another. As the documents gathered, they formed a massive stack in front of me, thick as an encyclopedia.

I looked at the pile in disbelief, then turned to Laroche, who was awkwardly wiping sweat from her forehead.

“It’s, uh, about 1,700 pages. Haha!”

Laroche had shown me only 13 pages of a 1,700-page contract. The remaining 1,687 pages were completely new to me.

“Hey! You piece of trash!”

“Eek! Lindel, calm down! Eeeek—!”

And so, round two of our argument began.

***

I had many wishes in my life.

When I was an illegitimate child of a noble family, my wish was to be acknowledged by my father. That was why I picked up the sword.

Once I held the sword, my wish was to become strong.

As I grew stronger, I wanted to be recognized, not just by my father but by all those who had mocked me.

I worked hard. I grew stronger, and eventually, I made friends—people I could call companions.

Having friends made me want to be a cool person. I wanted to be like Schrein, the one who taught me how to wield a sword—strong, admirable, respected.

With each step I took, new wishes formed.

Then, I met young Sionel. The small, doll-like boy was enough to capture my heart.

Back then, Sionel was fifteen, the same age as me, but smaller and weaker.

I wanted to protect him.

Sionel was also an illegitimate child, just like me.

But as the emperor’s illegitimate child, his situation was vastly different from mine as the bastard of a mere count.

Unlike me, who was only despised within the confines of my family, Sionel was hated by everyone, both inside and outside the palace.

The small, beautiful boy lived with a blank face, always trying to remain invisible.

“I’ll make you emperor, Sionel.”

“You’re crazy.”

That was what I swore to him.

Sionel dismissed me as crazy, but I was serious. His happiness became my new wish.

I had many wishes throughout my life.

I made Sionel emperor, but I never fulfilled my wish to be recognized by my father.

Some wishes were easily achieved, while others I had to give up.

But I believed that merely dreaming of a wish was valuable in itself. Each wish I pursued made me shine.

Wishes are hope and the steps we take toward tomorrow.

No one could judge me based on what I did or didn’t achieve. I was perfect just as I was. I loved myself.

On the day I achieved many wishes—and failed to achieve many more—I met a dragon who offered to grant me a wish.

At the time, I had a new wish.

“I am Laroche the Black. Make a contract with me, and I’ll grant your wish, whatever it may be.”

I would have liked to achieve my wish on my own, but borrowing someone else’s power didn’t diminish its worth.

I gladly seized the opportunity before me.

“Our contract is sealed. I will grant your wish, and in return, you must fulfill my condition. Break the curse on me and set me free.”

Some say wishes are greed. They say that dreams beyond one’s station are excessive.

But I don’t believe in limits to dreams.

I was noble by my very existence, capable of being loved and of loving in return. That was enough.

That’s who I was.

And so, for the first time in my life, I regretted having made a wish.

All because of that damn dragon.

“Raise your arms properly!”

“I’m sorry, Lindel! Please forgive me, my arms hurt!”

Laroche, who was kneeling with her arms raised, whined pitifully. But I had no intention of forgiving her.

When I glared at her, she sighed and obediently straightened her arms again.

I sighed and turned my attention back to the stack of papers in my hands.

White pages, black ink.

I had been reading for so long, yet the pile of papers in front of me remained mountainous. I couldn’t help but let out another sigh.

“Will I die of overwork first, or will the stress of dealing with you kill me?”

“You’re not going to die.”

“No, I’m starting to think I wasn’t meant to live long.”

I tossed the papers onto the desk and collapsed face-first.

But not before shooting Laroche one more glare.

“Of course, before I die, I’ll make sure to kill you.”

“N-No violence!”

Just as I was about to let out another sigh, I suddenly felt something hot rising inside me.

I quickly covered my mouth, but I couldn’t hold it back and ended up vomiting.

“Cough!”

My palm and the front of my clothes were stained with dark red blood.

It was happening so frequently that no one believed me anymore when I said I was fine.

I glared down at the blood in disgust, and Laroche, who had crept closer, quickly stashed the contract back in her pocket dimension.

“The contract can’t get wet. Haha!”

“Can’t you put me in the pocket dimension? If I get in there, you can pull me out later, and I’ll be able to leave.”

“Living things can’t go in. The space inside twists, and they die immediately.”

“Completely useless.”

After coughing up all that blood, my vision grew blurry again.

I didn’t feel sick or in pain, but there were times when I felt weak from the blood loss.

“How long do I have to keep coughing up blood?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“I’m going to go crazy.”

“But if you want your wish to come true, this is necessary. Your body has to be in optimal condition before we can begin.”

“If I’d known coughing up blood was a side effect, I never would’ve made this wish.”

According to Laroche, the blood I was coughing up was the bad energy leaving my body, making way for my wish to come true.

“This is the biggest problem. Everyone thinks I’m dying because of it…”

“…I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t stop sighing.