Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 115

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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 115

I proceeded to briefly explain the curse that manifested whenever Loreil spoke of Jorgue.

And I also explained how I had used my demonic power to dispel that curse.

“Then when we first met, the punch you threw at me was also….”

“To dispel the curse. It was so grotesque that my fist moved reflexively before I could think.”

“Thank you. I had no idea….”

I settled back onto the sofa and shook my head.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t anything worthy of gratitude, and I understand Loreil’s reaction now.”

He had been the first demon I encountered while struggling with an identity crisis—of course his heart would have been desperate.

Still, filling a carriage with so many sacred objects that even a lesser demon would perish seemed excessive.

“This is a sudden question, but how did you prepare all those sacred objects for the carriage? I’ve heard the Prime Minister’s Family are devout believers, but I didn’t expect it to be to that extent.”

“Ah, those were all gifts from my father.”

“…Why?”

The mention of his father gifting sacred objects to a son suspected of being a demon conjured sinister imaginings.

And my premonition proved accurate.

“It’s my father’s habit. Whenever something displeases him, he either splashes holy water on my face or gifts me sacred objects.”

“…It sounds like he desperately wishes you were a demon.”

“Precisely.”

‘Did he need a reason to hate his own son?’

A father who suspects his son of being a Demon and torments him.

A mother who curses her dead child to perform as if alive.

The Prime Minister’s Family’s domestic affairs were far more horrific than what the world knew.

Seeing me at a loss for words, Loreil chuckled softly and spoke.

“But after experiencing the Princess and Asmo-rina, I’ve come to think that becoming a Demon might not be so terrible. It’s brought me some peace of mind.”

“What nonsense is that? Those are entirely different matters.”

I rejected his words with an incredulous expression.

“The tormentors feel no guilt whatsoever, so for the victim to find peace alone is the height of foolishness. Don’t mistake that for maturity.”

“….”

Loreil’s eyes widened. He fell silent for a long moment.

‘Oh no, I got too worked up.’

My inability to ignore such absurdity was a flaw of mine. Had this been my previous life, I might have confronted those parents directly.

I cleared my throat and steered the conversation back.

“In any case, there’s no need for Loreil to blame himself. More importantly, did Asmo-rina ultimately fail to reach any conclusion about her identity?”

“…Yes, she seemed to give up at some point. She concluded she couldn’t discover it through her own strength.”

“Well, that makes sense. Asmo-rina is somewhat… simple-minded.”

The word “ignorant” rose to the tip of my tongue, but I held it back deliberately.

Loreil laughed briefly and continued.

“But her obsession with her identity has faded considerably. At some point, something more important emerged… and naturally, her priorities shifted backward.”

“What could be more important than that?”

He gazed at me intently.

“…?”

I blinked, uncertain of his meaning, before understanding dawned.

“…Me?”

As I stared at him in disbelief, Loreil let out a hollow laugh.

“I thought you wouldn’t notice at all… but seeing that expression is quite shocking.”

“Ah, I apologize. It was just so sudden. It’s not that I dislike it….”

“Then you’re saying you like it?”

“That’s a bit ambiguous too….”

My words trailed off. Watching my reaction, Loreil’s lips curved upward.

“That’s enough. If you don’t dislike it, then there’s always a chance to make up for it.”

His demeanor suggested he had already anticipated my response.

‘Was he always this smooth?’

The heavy atmosphere that had settled from our terrible family circumstances shifted in an instant. From his expression, it seemed intentional.

I cleared my throat, gathered my scattered thoughts, and asked calmly.

“When you say priorities… do you mean you’ll prioritize my affairs over your own concerns? It sounds as though we’re colleagues.”

Of course, I didn’t harbor ill feelings toward Loreil. But we weren’t bound by the same purpose as my other companions were.

I had invited him to this meeting to share a common enemy, not to propose that he become a colleague.

Loreil nodded, acknowledging my point.

“I have no intention of interfering with Your Majesty’s plans. I’ll move according to my own agenda, so don’t concern yourself.”

“Does that mean you’ll help me from the shadows?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to.”

His answer was so resolute that I found myself taken aback instead.

“You don’t know what kind of stimulus the experiences I’ve had with you have become to me.”

Loreil smiled as if recalling the past.

“I’ve only recently realized it. The sensation of being alive is clearest when I’m by your side. The darkness of the Prime Minister’s Family, the rumors in political circles—they all lose their meaning to that degree.”

It was a difficult thing for me to understand. My memories with Loreil were nothing but troublesome incidents born from unexpected accidents. Yet he found those enjoyable?

‘Is he the type who enjoys hardship?’

Seeing my expression, he spoke firmly.

“I mean the incidents with the Princess were entertaining, not that I enjoy suffering in my daily life.”

“…Was it that obvious on my face?”

“Yes. Quite clearly.”

I covered my face with both hands.

Loreil let out a short sigh, then rose from his seat with a lighter expression.

“That’s all I wanted to tell you. Now that I’ve confessed my feelings, my heart feels much lighter.”

“Mine has only grown heavier.”

I had no idea how to interpret this subtle confession.

Then Loreil spoke with a bright expression.

“The fact that you’re thinking deeply about it means you’re considering it seriously. For me, that’s actually welcome news. When His Majesty is ready someday, I’ll confess properly then.”

Leaving those words—that he would help until then—Loreil rose from his seat.

I stood there dazed, unsure how to respond, as Loreil turned toward the door.

“Oh, that’s right. I became curious about something during the meeting earlier.”

“What is it now? Are you curious about my first love?”

“That is intriguing, but no, that’s not it.”

He spoke with his hand resting on the door handle.

“His Majesty didn’t explain an important part of Asmodina’s life in her previous existence.”

“….”

“So, how did Asmodina die? Or rather, did she die at all?”

I remained silent. I understood what he was asking.

“Asmo-rina didn’t seem like someone searching for the dead. Rather, she seemed more like someone searching for a missing person. Yet His Majesty described himself as reincarnated.”

Contradictory statements.

That inconsistency, which no one except Gregory had noticed, Loreil did not overlook.

“His Majesty acknowledged his own death, while his daughter Asmo-rina is certain he’s alive. What is the truth?”

“….”

“Did Asmodina truly die?”

I couldn’t answer.

I didn’t want to recall those memories from the Demon Realm that I had tried so hard to forget.

As the silence stretched on, Loreil asked nothing more. He exhaled shortly and opened the door, stepping outside.

“I can wait for your answer for as long as it takes. So if something weighs on your heart, please don’t bear it alone.”

Just before the door closed, he spoke quietly.

“Unlike the Demon Realm, remember that His Majesty has many allies in this world.”

Click.

The door shut, but I remained rooted to the spot, unable to utter a single word.

Several days after Asmo-rina’s rampage ended.

I slipped out of the Imperial Palace with minimal guards, for there was someone I needed to meet first, despite the mountain of duties awaiting me.

‘Is this the place?’

I pulled my robe low and surveyed the surroundings. I had arrived at the Backstreet Tavern of the Capital, a place where Imperial Palace servants frequently gathered.

‘Why would she insist on meeting in such a place?’

It was none other than the Countess of Adonia who had designated this location.

I recalled what she had said just before we parted.

‘Then let us meet five days hence at the tavern favored by Imperial Palace servants.’

‘I never imagined that tavern would be such a shabby establishment.’

The crudely painted beer sign, the peculiar stench wafting from the street, the drunken patrons stumbling about—it was hardly a fitting venue for a Princess and a Countess to meet.

Sensing my unease, Ivan gestured toward the tavern and spoke.

“Your Highness, shall I go in first and scout it out?”

I shook my head.

“No, the Countess wouldn’t have set a trap.”

She had seemed far more virtuous than the Empress herself—it was hard to imagine her devising such a scheme. I steadied myself and pushed open the tavern door.

“…!”

The moment the door swung open, a chill ran down my spine.

Every patron crowding the tavern had turned to stare at me in perfect unison, as though they’d rehearsed it.

‘What is this?’

But their gazes scattered just as quickly. The patrons returned to their drinks and laughter as if nothing had happened.

For a moment, I wondered if I’d merely imagined it.

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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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