chapter_0615

615 – Time Stop

615 – Time Stop

Ensia grasped the hilt of the sword.

I wouldn’t truly take my own life in front of everyone, but I leaped to show how much I cared for Ensia.

“Ensia, please don’t do that. I can’t live without you.”

“W-what…!”

Cough.

Ensia squeezed her eyes shut.

I thought it would take time to persuade her, but Ensia easily let go of the sword.

“Ensia, you can’t leave me behind. Do you understand?”

“…Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

Ensia bowed her head to me.

She looked quite impressive, like a warrior.

“Ensia, I had fun playing with the young Ensia.”

“…Wasn’t that a bit rude?”

“Not at all. In fact, I was happy to play with the young Ensia.”

The children nodded in agreement with my words.

“I’m just grateful to hear you say that.”

Hoo.

With a small sigh, Ensia’s face began to redden slightly.

After hesitating for a moment, Ensia spoke in a whisper.

“Actually… I enjoyed it too.”

“You did, Ensia?”

“Yes. During the time I wandered alone, I was secretly glad to have made a friend.”

“Is that so?”

So even the past Ensia liked us.

I had sensed it through her swaying tail, but hearing it directly from her was even better.

“Lady Gyeoul, thank you for always looking kindly upon me. But I must be going now.”

“Already?”

“Yes. I’m going to meet Argo for a bit.”

“Aha.”

Argo had forcibly made Ensia younger.

I didn’t think Ensia would take revenge, but I still worried about Argo.

“Don’t scold her too much, okay?”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

With a light farewell, Ensia left the room.

After a small incident, I began to play with the children when I heard a loud scream from afar.

“Gaaah!”

“…!”

“Huh?”

The scream belonged to Argo.

The children’s eyes widened in surprise at the loud noise.

‘…Is it Ensia?’

I had asked not to scold her too much.

Was that the extent of a proper scolding?

“Hmm…”

I felt worried, but Ensia wasn’t someone who didn’t know her limits.

I decided to just play with the children.

**

When I returned home, Sophia welcomed me.

Her face was filled with curiosity.

“Gyeoul, is Ensia safe?”

“Yes. It was a bit dangerous at first, but in the end, she was fine.”

“A bit dangerous?”

“Well, she took out a sword saying she would atone with her death. Of course, she probably didn’t really intend to die.”

Was it to show how much she had wronged?

As I pondered this, Sophia said something shocking.

“Ensia probably really intended to die. After all, she was a child living in noble society.”

“…What?”

So it wasn’t just for show, it was real?

Since Sophia had no reason to lie to me, my ears perked up.

“Gyeoul, you know that even if she doesn’t say it directly, Ensia follows you, right?”

“Yes. I’m really grateful for that.”

“Right, but in noble society, to insult someone you serve is a serious crime. It’s not just a sin; it’s a matter of one’s own honor. You shouldn’t think of it from a modern perspective.”

“Ah…”

I must have been thinking too much from a modern perspective.

A sense of guilt began to creep in.

“I’ve done something terrible to Ensia.”

“Hmm… I don’t think it’s that serious.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, if Ensia didn’t want it, she wouldn’t have been able to bring back the past. The item Argo used has no coercive power.”

“I see…?”

Did Ensia show me the past even at the risk of her life?

Just by hinting that she wanted me to see it?

It might sound absurd, but the word loyalty explained all of this.

“That could have been a big deal.”

“It wasn’t a big deal; everyone knew you would stop it, Gyeoul.”

“That’s… true.”

Of course, someone else would have stopped it if it weren’t for me.

It wasn’t something to brag about, so I just scratched my cheek.

“I’m glad the outcome was good…”

“Juin!”

While I was talking with Sophia, Gaeul came between us.

Unlike our serious demeanor, Gaeul looked cheerful.

“Juin, look!”

“What’s this…?”

It was the button I had seen at the guild earlier.

I distinctly remembered it being called the time stop button.

Of course, it wasn’t a real time stop button.

“Gaeul, why this?”

“Look… medicine!”

Gaeul aimed the time stop button at Bomi.

When she pressed the button, Bomi froze in place.

She was pretending to be frozen for Gaeul’s sake.

“Wow, Bomi has stopped.”

“Cool.”

Gaeul placed an ant doll on top of Bomi’s head.

Seeing Bomi not moving even with the doll on her head, Gaeul giggled and then pressed the button again.

“Ah.”

When Bomi started moving again, the Divine Beast doll on her head fell.

Since it was a doll containing a ghost Divine Beast, it didn’t fall to the ground but floated mid-air.

“Wow, Gaeul can control a person’s time at will.”

“Cool. Juin too.”

“Me…?”

Could it be that she intended to stop me too?

I was surprised, but Gaeul just handed me the button.

“Gaeul’s medicine! Medicine!”

“Try to stop Gaeul with this?”

“Gah…!”

“Hmm…”

Did Gaeul really think this was a time stop button?

After some thought, I aimed the button at Gaeul.

“Yap.”

When I pressed the button while pointing at Gaeul, something amazing happened.

Contrary to my expectation that she would be confused because time didn’t stop, Gaeul froze right there.

‘What’s this?’

It wasn’t that Gaeul’s time had truly stopped.

She was still breathing and blinking periodically.

It was clear to anyone that she was pretending to be frozen.

“Gaeul?”

If she was pretending, then Gaeul must know that this button is fake…

Did she just stop for fun?

As I tilted my head in confusion, I spotted Bomi giggling behind me.

‘If it were Bomi, she would have tricked Gaeul by saying it was a real time stop button…’

Of course, Gaeul would have fallen for it…

Could it be that this time Gaeul was trying to trick me?

Pretending it was a real time stop button?

Trying to deceive me.

Our Gaeul has grown a lot.

But she was still quite clumsy.

“Wow, Gaeul really stopped.”

I pretended to be fooled and examined Gaeul from side to side.

I even made a slightly suspicious expression.

“It seems like she’s just pretending to be frozen…”

Jolt.

Gaeul’s body trembled.

But if she was really trying to fool me, she didn’t move much.

“Is it really frozen?”

Poke poke—

I poked Gaeul in the side.

It was just the right amount of ticklishness, enough to be bearable.

“Ugh.”

A sound like she was trying to hold back laughter escaped from Gaeul’s mouth.

It was amusing to see her think she hadn’t been caught yet.

“…It really seems like she’s frozen.”

Hmm.

After circling around Gaeul, I turned back to face her and hugged her.

Then Gaeul’s tail began to wag at an incredible speed.

It was a shake that anyone could see, but Gaeul didn’t stop pretending to be frozen.

‘Is it okay if the tail doesn’t stop?’

Gaeul’s time stop is quite lenient.

What should I do in this situation?

While I was pondering with my arms crossed, I noticed Saebyeok sipping milk.

There was white milk smeared on Saebyeok’s lips.

If it’s milk, could it make Gaeul move?

I quickly brought a cup of milk from the kitchen.

“Gaeul, drink some milk.”

Even though I brought the cup right in front of her lips, Gaeul didn’t move.

She was displaying an astonishing level of mental strength.

“Gyeoul, Gaeul is stopped right now, so she can’t drink milk.”

Bomi said with a voice full of laughter.

It seemed Bomi also knew who the winner of the trick game was.

“It’s a shame Gaeul loves milk but can’t drink it.”

“Right, let’s at least put a little on her lips.”

Moist—

Bomi dipped the back of a spoon in milk and applied it to Gaeul’s lips.

It looked like she was putting on lipstick.

“…!”

Jolt—

Gaeul’s eyes fluttered, and her lips began to move.

I could see the conflict between her desire to trick me and her desire to drink the milk.

What choice would our Gaeul make?

Just as I was filled with anticipation, Gaeul made a shocking move.

Lick lick—

Gaeul, still frozen, moved only her tongue to lick up the milk.

She had chosen both options: stopping time and drinking milk.

Lick lick—

After finishing all the milk, Gaeul went back to pretending to be frozen as if nothing had happened.

Knowing Gaeul better than anyone, I could tell.

This wasn’t an act of shamelessness; it was a pure action stemming from Gaeul’s innocent heart, thinking, ‘Isn’t it okay to move a little?’

“This is unbelievable.”

I had intended to see through Gaeul’s prank, but a time stop where she could move?

That put me at a significant disadvantage.

Thud—

I knelt in front of Gaeul.

I was declaring my defeat.

Author’s Note (Author’s Afterword)

Thank you so much for reading today, PIA1747014585384!

I also really appreciate the comments and recommendations! They always give me strength!

Time Stop (Ability to Move)

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