Chapter 2.
Return (2)
“Your Highness, did you cough? The weather is pleasant today.”
As soon as I stirred and showed signs of waking up, a group of maids rushed over to attend to me.
I had a habit of drinking a bowl of cold water to wake myself up every morning, so I naturally accepted the water bowl and took a sip, only to spit it out with a gagging sound.
“Are you insane? Trying to poison me!”
Who was it? Which insolent fool dared to think of poisoning me?
I was so furious that I shouted, even with my tongue feeling strange, and immediately heard the sound of people falling to their knees all around me.
Strange. I used to give them knee pads so their joints wouldn’t get damaged when they knelt so often.
Why do I hear the raw sound of bones hitting the floor now?
“I humbly apologize, but you must take the antidote to recover from the paralysis quickly!”
“Your Highness, though you are angry with that venomous woman, you must take the medicine!”
“We have prepared candy, Your Highness. Your favorite strawberry-flavored candy! Please have it to cleanse your palate.”
Huh? Poison? Not drawn and quartered?
Come to think of it, long ago, one of the passing mistresses of that idiot had given me a paralytic drug, relying on the emperor’s favor.
That woman was later beheaded, but for about two years, I had to live with a paralyzed tongue, speaking like an idiot.
“Emilia.”
“Yes, from today my name is Emilia, Your Highness.”
“What day is it today?”
“It is November 3rd, Your Highness.”
“And the year?”
“It is the year 8173 of the Narak calendar, Your Highness.”
Exactly 16 years before the day I was drawn and quartered. It was just as Kisomalos had said.
I didn’t think it was a dream… but I wish it had been a dream instead.
If all of that is true, it means I need to elevate Kisomalos’ divine status to that of a higher deity by the time I turn twenty-one.
And although it’s just a hypothesis, the enforced execution upon failure might be the act of being drawn and quartered itself. In other words, if I’m unlucky, I could endlessly repeat the cycle of dying and reviving on the day of my execution.
I looked down once more at my stubby hands and feet.
My hands are small, my feet are small. What can I possibly do with this tiny body?
Moreover, 16 years ago, wasn’t I five years old?
“Sigh… Five years old.”
“That’s correct, Your Highness. You are five years old this year!”
“You are indeed very wise!”
Alright, I know I’m wise, so let’s leave it at that.
I raised my short arm to silence the maids and hurriedly gave an urgent order.
“I will take the medicine!”
“You are wise, Your Highness!”
“I will fetch the new medicine immediately!”
“You are a destined sage, Your Highness! The future of the empire shines brightly with your glory!”
Alright. The empire may have fallen once, but it’s true that I’m wise.
In a world where divine power and divine status are everything, the fact that both the idiot and I died easily meant that our family’s time was up.
It’s absurd that our family’s once-high divine status hit rock bottom in just one generation.
Now that I think about it, didn’t Kisomalos mention something about being trapped?
Restoring the divine status is one task, but preventing the disappearance of our family deity is another responsibility I need to handle. If Kisomalos disappears, I won’t be able to pay the remaining balance and be rescued from this endless cycle of death and revival.
And yet, I don’t feel any divine power right now…
‘Could it be that Kisomalos is already captured?’
Or did he use all his divine power to turn back time, leaving no presence?
Anyway, knowing the situation prevents me from panicking, but thinking about that idiot being clueless and devastated over losing his divine power is slightly amusing.
“Alright.”
I’ve made up my mind.
To restore Kisomalos’ divine status, I need to increase the number of people who follow me. Just as Naxon’s divine status rises as they accumulate wealth through their continent-leading casino chain, and the god of the neighboring country, Media, grows greater through curses and being cursed, Kisomalos’ power increases in proportion to the number of talents they possess.
But I am a powerless five-year-old. My options are limited.
And didn’t Kisomalos say that his divine status shines brighter the more recklessly I live and the more of a human trash I become?
“Alright, let’s live recklessly.”
Living recklessly means that the more I behave like trash, the more people will likely stick around to take care of me.
Great talents eventually translate into divine power.
Given the circumstances, I might as well enjoy myself before I die again.
With that thought, I eagerly drank the antidote and went back under the covers. Waking up in the morning only to go back to sleep was unimaginable in my previous life.
They should have told me earlier that living recklessly was beneficial.
If I had known, I would have lived like trash from the start, just like that emperor.
Sure, here is the translation of the provided Korean text into English:
—
I woke up only when the sun was high in the sky, and unable to find anything to do, I just stared at the ceiling patterns.
My name is Vishunahel Lorowee Kisomalos.
At the age of five, an age so precious that it wouldn’t hurt to put me in one’s eye, I was subjected to quartering yesterday, and from today, I decided to live recklessly.
However, having no experience living recklessly, I had no idea what to do.
Just a week ago, I was running around returning items that my idiot lover had bought while taking energy drinks. There’s no way I have such authority now that I am five years old.
What was I doing long, long ago…?
When I was about five, I think I was… studying.
“Right.”
Having decided to live recklessly, I will not study. So, first, I have to dismiss the teachers.
In such cases, should I go see the imperial regent?
“Hey!”
At my call, Emily and the other maids entered. I declared that I would go to the regent’s office. The maids immediately offered to prepare washing water, but I solemnly refused.
“Wash up!”
As someone who has decided to live recklessly, I don’t wash up in the morning.
How rebellious of me.
To go outside without grooming, it was something I had never done before.
✦ ✦ ✦
I let down my proud platinum blonde hair and brushed aside the pretty specks of dandruff in my eyes, like polishing pink diamonds, then I strode forward with Emily in tow.
I didn’t know exactly where the imperial regent was, but as we walked, Emily would surely guide me here and there.
After walking for a while, I grew tired near the palace courtyard. So, I was about to take a short break when I saw the majestic figure of ‘that thing’ in front of me.
No, it couldn’t be! Wasn’t that the thing I used to dream about long ago?
“Dyaepak! Elephant seesaw!”
I’ve always wanted to try riding that thing, but I’ve never had the chance because I had to maintain decorum!
I let out a squeal of excitement and ran to the seesaw. There were eyes watching the palace day and night, so I’d never dared to ride it, conscious of those eyes. The imperial scolded against such reckless behavior.
But now that I’ve decided to live recklessly, I can ride it. It was all part of the path to restore Lord Kisomalos’s status.
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous!”
“Your Highness! There are many watching eyes!”
It’s fine. I’ve heard rumors that recklessness ignores the eyes of others.
This seesaw wasn’t just any seesaw; it was a long one, 5 meters high. I’ve also heard rumors that it offers an incredible thrill.
“Whooo!”
Oh, it’s sliding.
I raised my hands as I slid down, screaming with excitement. The wind feels so refreshing.
I picked up speed and didn’t stop until the end, rolling on the ground, but I wasn’t hurt badly.
“That was so much fun!”
I’m thrilled, I want to ride it again.
I didn’t study or do anything productive today, but just riding this all day would be fun.
I climbed back up and went down again. After doing it several times, a small ball rolled towards me from somewhere.
“Hey!”
Who’s this little brat? How dare they use informal speech with me?
“Come down! Dad said that’s mine!”
“Dad?”
“You’re dead! My dad is the emperor!”
Oh, I see. No wonder. You’re the idiot’s kid.
