I Transmigrated into the Nameverse, and My Name Came with a Time Limit - Chapter 6

Leonhardt calmly opened his mouth toward the Emperor, who was swaggering as if he were bestowing a favor.

“Thank you. But I haven’t decided on anything yet, so may I tell you later?”

“Then of course. Naturally, of course! First, I’ll hold a celebration banquet for you. Starting three days from now, there will be a festival for five days to commemorate the victory! The Empire’s vassals are to attend the ball without a single exception!”

As the Emperor’s command fell, cheers burst out. Whatever the reason, there was no one who would dislike a party where you ate and drank to excess.

Buried in the crowd, Mina stared blankly at Leonhardt as he was being congratulated. While she wrung her brain trying to figure out the best way to approach him, Leonhardt’s threat from earlier suddenly surfaced in her mind.

“Good. The moment you let what you heard earlier slip out of your mouth, your pathetic little life disappears in an instant. Now that I know who you are, keep in mind that I can take your trivial life whenever I want.”

Without realizing it, Mina’s face crumpled.

It was hard enough just trying not to get found out that the abused legitimate daughter was a possessor. It was unfair enough that an unfathomable Name had manifested and left her in a terminal state! And now she had to cling to a villainous mastermind who might even decide she should die, and beg him to confirm whether he was her Name pair?

‘I’m screwed!’

* * *

Through the blackout curtains Hannah had flung wide open without mercy, the brutal morning sunlight poured into the room. Thanks to that, Mina furrowed her brow the moment she opened her eyes.

“Oww… my head…”

Mina groaned and clutched her head.

The price of guzzling alcohol indiscriminately was harsh. It felt like three or four blacksmiths were bringing down huge hammers on her head at the same time.

“That’s what I’m saying. Why did you push yourself so hard last night? You can’t even handle alcohol to begin with.”

Hannah snapped cynically at her as Mina groaned with her head in her hands.

Even if she had ten mouths, she’d have nothing to say. She could only say it had been in the heat of the moment. Her attempt to confirm the Name with Leopold had failed spectacularly, and her sudden reunion with her old childhood friend had left yet another problem she absolutely had to untangle.

“Uh, um…”

After realizing Leonhardt might be the owner of her Name, Mina had tried in her own way to approach him, but it was hopeless.

“Your Highness the Grand Duke, you must have suffered greatly in this war as well. It’s nothing else, but this time, in our territory…”

“Your Highness! Our contract matter is more urgent. Hey, Count, step aside.”

It was because there were so many people swarming around him that it was chaos.

And on top of that, Leopold kept trying to get close to Mina! Mina had no choice but to circle Leonhardt constantly while avoiding Leopold, and then her stress finally exploded and, in a fit, she ended up downing champagne glass after glass.

Mina let out a sigh, feeling hopeless.

“You’re going to make the ground cave in from the very morning. Alright, alright, enough breathing exercises, and now you need to eat breakfast.”

After Mina slowly washed her face, Hannah brought in breakfast with brisk movements. As always, it was just a piece of bread, tea, and a tiny sliver of fruit. It was far too shabby and meager a meal for the daughter of the Empire’s greatest high noble house.

‘Wow. Isn’t this seriously too harsh?’

All she could do was sigh at the pitiful portion size. She wasn’t an actress or an idol, so how was she supposed to live eating only bird feed like this!

Mina grumbled to herself and picked up her knife.

‘Ah!’

Mina paused in the middle of cutting the bread, then frowned as she adjusted the knife in her stiffening fingers. It had been over three weeks since she’d transmigrated and her Name had manifested.

In this world, it’s established that you’d die if you couldn’t find your Name pair in time, and her condition was getting worse and worse by the day.

The clearest proof of that was her hands. Her condition was noticeably worse, to the point it couldn’t be compared to when she’d first woken up right after possessing the body. At this rate, it looked certain that paralysis would soon spread through her entire body.

She finished her meal with a troubled mind and was wiping her mouth when, all of a sudden, there was a knock, and the door flew open. Greta, Rose’s maid, stuck her head in abruptly.

“Miss Mina, Miss Rose is calling for you. They say His Highness the Crown Prince has come to visit.”

Mina’s eyes went wide.

Leopold? He was usually such a heavy sleeper that he shoved all his morning work onto his secretary, so why was he coming this early in the morning?

If Leopold was visiting, that was something Rose and the stepmother would handle on their own. So why were they calling her there? They weren’t anything anymore.