I’m Sick of the Kind Protagonist, so I Might as Well Just Die - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#32
“Crown Prince, stop! You mustn’t weep so carelessly—you’re meant to be Emperor.”
-We cannot indulge every whim of tainted blood, after all.
Estella’s displeasure at treating a bastard—no legitimate heir—as Crown Prince seethed beneath the surface, and I sensed Perenustus casting a cautionary glance her way.
‘Perenustus and Estella have grown quite close. I cannot see their forms, but my senses are so vivid I feel everything.’
Both Estella and Perenustus flared with anger simultaneously. I gestured to the children while subtly scratching at the two of them, and made a silent resolve.
‘I must exploit Estella’s hatred to the fullest. If Silpi’s curse holds true, the moment I resolve to protect the children, they’ll face greater danger. So I need to amplify Estella’s animosity further—keep my true intentions buried.’
Even I had to admit it was a rather sound strategy. As I grew more seasoned through cycles of death and rebirth, I felt a secret satisfaction, and gestured to the children again.
“Come closer, will you? I need to tell you something important, but I cannot raise my voice.”
Only then did the children hesitantly approach the bedside.
“My sister and I have worried for you greatly.”
Leonas said this and reached tentatively for my sleeve. But the moment he drew near, Estella unleashed a sharp aura that struck his hand away. The child flinched in surprise and withdrew.
-The price for breaking a contract with the Creator will not be light.
-My? Did I move my body? I merely released my aura.
While Estella and Perenustus engaged in their silent contest, I seized both children’s hands and broached the crucial matter—perhaps what would become my final words.
“It may sound harsh, but this is no time for tears. Dry your eyes. There may never come a moment when it’s acceptable for you to cry, so grow accustomed to it now.”
“….”
“Of course, I’m deeply moved that you weep for my sake, but right now you have far too much to do.”
“Understood. What must we do?”
“If I tell you, do you think you could manage it?”
“Whether we can or cannot is irrelevant. We simply must succeed.”
Bilateia’s answer was remarkably admirable. I wanted to praise her for it, but only a dry cough escaped my lips.
-This won’t do, Aurelia. We should reset. Next time, I’ll intervene from the start more actively.
‘No, no. I don’t want that!’
-You don’t?
‘The situation is turning too favorably for me, so the Worlds adjusted the difficulty, didn’t they? What if Perenustus intervenes more and they face far greater hardship than now? What if they become infants? I couldn’t manage that.’
-…Surely the Worlds wouldn’t go that far.
Even as he said this, Perenustus did not press me further. I drew ragged breaths, fixed my gaze on Bilateia with intensity, and spoke again.
“Then what if you took the throne, Bilateia? We’ll say Leonas died.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Well, when one is dying, can one truly be sane?”
I paused, then coughed so violently my head rang. It was so fierce that Bilateia, who had been retorting, was startled enough to pat my back. I waved my hand to say it was fine, but even that motion tangled my breathing. My condition was clearly far from normal.
“This won’t work. Rest now, and we’ll continue later!”
“What if I fall asleep and never wake?”
“….”
“So listen carefully now. We’ll stage the Crown Prince’s death from wounds sustained during his flight, then have you assume a new identity—a distant branch of Keldrian, some far-removed relative. Understand?”
“Why must we go to such lengths?”
“Such effort will make you safer than you are now.”
Bilateia bit her lip as she looked at Leonas.
“Think about it, Princess. The Emperor is raging to capture and kill the Crown Prince, isn’t he? So if rumors spread that the Crown Prince is dead, the pursuit will slacken considerably.”
“I wish that were the case….”
“While the Emperor verifies the truth, we reorganize our forces and march straight to the Imperial Palace. The story of the Imperial Princess who protected the Crown Prince to the end reclaiming the throne in her brother’s stead—quite moving, don’t you think? And the first female Emperor in the history of the Empire has a certain charm to it.”
At those words, Estella’s resistance began to crumble. I studied her carefully—the girl who had been trembling incessantly over the fact that her entire Noble Family was annihilated because of a single illegitimate child.
‘What do you think, Estella? It’s not a bad idea, is it? The Imperial Princess is the true legitimate heir born between the Previous Emperor and the Empress, after all.’
-Yes. I must admit, for a body-thief of unknown origin, that’s quite a clever proposal.
While Estella answered readily, Bilateia struggled to give her response. Unlike Bilateia, who couldn’t make a decision, Leonas’s eyes sparkled as though my proposal had captured his interest.
“Let’s do it as the Princess suggests, Sister.”
“Leo. Just because we want something doesn’t mean it will come to pass. Do you really think those people out there will follow willingly?”
“A moment ago you answered so confidently that you’d make it happen. Now you’re trying to back out?”
At my reproach, Bilateia bit her lip firmly.
“Isn’t it the Imperial Princess’s duty to do whatever it takes to protect her brother? When someone who knows her role better than anyone speaks so weakly, what good is that?”
“….”
“And I guarantee you, the Rebel Forces will agree immediately if the Imperial Princess lets slip words like this.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Throughout persuading those men, pretend to be clever but actually naive and innocent—show them an opening. Tell them you came up with this deception merely to slow pursuit. That once the situation stabilizes, you’ll hand the throne to your brother whenever you wish.”
“Do we really have to deceive the people who gathered for us…?”
Watching the hesitant child, a buried memory surfaced. My homeland—those peaceful, warm villagers pointing daggers at me in that moment.
“Don’t give your precious heart to invisible things like loyalty or honor. They’re like sandcastles, changing with circumstances.”
“…Sandcastles.”
Bilateia repeated my words. I met her gaze—she looked far more innocent and naive than the version of herself I knew—and nodded.
“Those adults out there are moving because they think you’re easier to handle than the current Emperor. They’ve calculated that gathering armies and building justification makes fighting the present Emperor worthwhile.”
“That… I know.”
“Do you really? That they plan to restore you and set you up as puppets so they can wield power themselves? That they quickly raised the Rebel Forces because a flawed, young Crown Prince is easy to control, but seizing power under the current Emperor’s reign is impossible?”
“I know!”
“If you know, why are you spouting such foolish concerns about deception? From those men’s perspective, the Imperial Princess—who had no claim to succession in the first place—is far easier to handle than a flawless legitimate Crown Prince. They’ll accept your proposal without hesitation.”
Bilateia’s eyes flashed with wounded pride, then she clenched her teeth and glared into empty space. I seized on her hesitation and pressed further.
“So, your bloodline is most suited to the Emperor’s throne. You wearing the crown is the best path forward, Bilateia.”
Bilateia had no chance to deny it before she pulled Leonas tightly into her embrace and shook her head. Leonas, nestled in his sister’s arms, glanced at me and offered an awkward smile.
“It’s alright. I understand too, Sister.”
“You understand? What do you understand?”
“Mother told me directly when she was on her deathbed—mph!”
Bilateia, who had been looking down at her brother with an expression on the verge of tears, quickly came to her senses and covered Leonas’s mouth.
-Exactly. This is why we hire experienced newcomers. Even with lost memories, the seasoned competence gained through experience embeds itself so deeply in the body.
Perenustus, offering genuine praise, let out a pleased laugh.
-Tell Bilateia this: Aurelia is a precious being watched over and protected by the god of this world, so filthy little rats won’t dare show their faces.
“…No one’s eavesdropping. Rest assured.”
Perenustus seemed thoroughly displeased that his unnecessarily grandiose words had been compressed so. I let out a quiet laugh at his childish venting toward innocent Estella, then called to Bilateia again.
“In other words, your brother has a ‘secret of birth’ that those adults can use as leverage to blackmail you. Do you want to hand them a weapon to destroy you both whenever they wish?”
No answer came. Yet the eyes of the children clinging to each other, regarding one another with anxiety, had hardened with a terrifying resolve. That was enough.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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