Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 111

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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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Pretending to Be Human: Episode 111

“So you’re asking me to stop His Majesty the Emperor and save your colleagues? …Yes, I understand.”

Jeina readily agreed to my request. She didn’t even ask who that colleague was or why the Emperor was targeting them.

When I questioned whether such an easy decision was wise, Jeina frowned, asking what difference it made.

“The details don’t matter. What’s important is that you become Emperor.”

“…Even if that colleague doesn’t align with Jeina’s sense of justice?”

“You can embrace even such villains. Unlike me.”

The speed of her decision made my past self—who had been pondering various excuses to convince her—seem foolish.

The moment our conversation ended, Jeina immediately tried to head toward where the Emperor was.

“Wait, Jeina. What’s your plan once you get there?”

“I need to make His Majesty step down. Don’t worry needlessly. Regardless of what power His Majesty uses, I’m confident I won’t be defeated.”

From her tone, Jeina seemed to know something about the Emperor’s authority. There was no time to question her now. I prioritized her safety first.

“Going alone is dangerous. If you’re planning to persuade the Emperor through words, I have an idea.”

“What idea?”

No matter how I tried to stop him, the Emperor would certainly blame Jeina for letting the Demon escape. Having lost such a prize, he would surely vent his anger.

Sacrificing Jeina to save Asmo-rina and Gregory was not what I desired.

So in a situation like this….

“We should mobilize the family.”

“What?”

I excelled at expanding the circle of conspirators.

I quickly explained why we needed to gather more people.

“The Emperor doesn’t forgive those who defy him. Even if you help them escape, he will absolutely punish you.”

“There’s no need to worry, I’m saying. I can handle something like that….”

“Can you guarantee your safety even if the Emperor resorts to violence rather than political pressure? If he tries to kill you right there?”

Only then did Jeina seem to grasp the gravity of the situation, hesitating.

“…Are you saying His Majesty would act so irrationally as to kill Imperial Family members in retaliation?”

“I don’t know how the Emperor will react. But if the power he possesses is real… then things that can’t be explained by common sense could happen.”

Since a human was wielding divine authority, no one could predict what might occur.

But if all the family members were entangled, the situation would be different. Even if he were the Emperor, he couldn’t kill every member of the Imperial Family.

Expand the conspirators and distribute the punishment. That was the plan I had devised.

Fortunately, Jeina seemed to judge that there was no harm in trusting me, and she nodded in agreement.

“Fine, I understand. So how will you call the family? I don’t think they’ll listen to your request.”

“I’m not asking for help—I’m proposing cooperation. The justification is the Emperor’s weakness.”

“…I see.”

Jeina smiled subtly and understood my meaning at once.

She immediately called for Franz and Gilbert, and both men gathered without hesitation, as expected.

“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor is desperately pursuing something. Is it true?”

Franz arrived with a contemptible smile.

“I heard something interesting. So, where is His Majesty?”

Gilbert participated with his characteristic cunning expression.

The reason the two men responded to our proposal was simple.

They were seduced by the words “the Emperor’s weakness.”

‘For those men, the Emperor is someone who needs to die quickly.’

Given the Empire’s cultural characteristic of acknowledging succession disputes, it was advantageous for them if the Emperor died soon. That way, they could seize power all the faster.

The fact that gathering family became a weakness rather than an asset seemed to reveal the reality of the Imperial Family.

“Both of you come along. We’re going to meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

The plan was simple. Jeina would step forward first to stop the Emperor, and we would join from behind.

There was one reason we didn’t move together. Jeina had something personal she needed to say to the Emperor.

‘Probably a warning about his power.’

It was to reveal the Emperor’s secret—one that only Jeina possessed and didn’t want the other princes to discover.

And that plan worked perfectly.

The moment the Emperor faced Jeina, he abandoned the use of his power, and when we arrived shortly after, he was visibly flustered.

“You bastards….”

As I predicted, he had concluded he couldn’t kill all his children.

‘The disappointment in his expression—was he really planning to kill Jeina?’

It was good we prepared for that contingency. We nearly lost my brother while trying to save my sister.

“Ha, haha. How foolish….”

The Emperor let out a hollow laugh for a moment, then wiped his face. After staring at us for a long while, he turned his gaze toward me.

“….”

The Emperor and I locked eyes in silence. He seemed to suspect me most of all as the orchestrator of this affair.

It was an accurate judgment, but I had no intention of giving away clues by reacting to that gaze.

I deliberately approached Jeina with a worried expression.

“You disappeared so suddenly—I was startled. I came because I heard something happened to His Majesty, but… it seems there’s nothing wrong?”

Jeina responded in kind to my words.

“That’s right, Deina. I think I was mistaken. I saw a strange light and followed it, but there’s nothing unusual at all.”

Our conversation carried the implication that we had simply followed out of genuine concern for the Emperor.

The two Imperial princes caught onto the clue in our exchange.

“A strange light, you say…”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor, meeting the gleaming gazes of the two princes, narrowed his eyes.

And after a long moment, he murmured in a leisurely tone.

“Very well. At least this time, I shall not fail.”

His tone was as if he would graciously overlook his children’s defiance.

Of course, none of his children truly believed his words. Rather, they sensed something ominous in his composed demeanor.

The Emperor glanced briefly around the surroundings, then walked toward us. He passed by without incident and headed toward the Imperial Palace as if nothing had happened.

“Your Majesty?”

“Return, Jeina. You have won. Considering your efforts, I shall overlook it this once.”

None of his children could stop his steps. Franz and Gilbert were preoccupied with understanding the situation, while Jeina and I detected a subtle threat in his tone.

‘He will ask nothing and reveal nothing.’

After all, the Emperor held the reins of power in this situation.

Jeina and I could only watch his retreating figure in silence.

Once matters had settled, I returned to the Separate Palace.

The two Imperial Princes dispersed wordlessly, eager to urgently investigate the “strange light” and the person the Emperor had been pursuing, while Jeina left, saying she was exhausted and not to call for her for some time.

Just before parting, I asked about the power the Emperor possessed, but she firmly refused to answer.

“It’s not information clear enough for me to tell you. Knowing would only put you in danger, so wait.”

“I understand divine authority better than you ever could.”

Pressing further seemed pointless, so I simply nodded obediently.

The next day, Grid arrived with Gregory in tow. Having suffered so much at the Emperor’s hands, Gregory’s appearance was utterly disheveled.

The moment he saw me, he dropped to one knee and apologized.

“My sincerest apologies, Your Highness the Princess. I acted without reporting or receiving orders….”

“That’s enough. You did it for my sake, so I forgive you. Rise.”

It was unusual for him to move without orders, but I never doubted that Gregory would betray me.

What mattered more was the whereabouts of Asmo-rina and the question of the Emperor’s divine authority.

“So, Asmo-rina escaped?”

It was Grid who answered my question.

“Yes, Gregory and I had her ride on Coco, but at some point she vanished.”

‘That woman really….’

Had we met, she would have attacked me on sight—of that I was certain. Avoiding her had been the right choice, yet my heart felt conflicted knowing she’d disappeared without a word.

Gregory seemed to notice my concern and spoke carefully.

“The Captain of the 2nd Legion did sustain injuries, but nothing life-threatening. Perhaps her disappearance was….”

“For the sake of vengeance.”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

The code of conduct for our legion—a principle Asmo-rina upheld even more faithfully than she heeded my lectures.

‘A debt of enmity must always be repaid.’

She was somewhere, sharpening her blade for vengeance against the Emperor.

‘If the Emperor truly is the Sun God, Asmo-rina could never defeat him….’

At least I could set aside my worries about her for now.

I exhaled softly and moved to the next matter.

“Gregory, in your assessment—was the Emperor truly the Sun God?”

“His power is genuine, but his soul was unmistakably human. I’m certain it was neither reincarnation nor possession.”

As expected.

I nodded at his answer, which aligned with my own suspicions.

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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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