Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Struggling to Pretend to Be Human Today Episode 013

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The Empress quickly regained her bright expression, but I was already certain of her true intentions.

‘The Empress must have had her eye on Loreil as Jeina’s fiancé.’

From what I heard, Loreil suddenly became heir after his older brother died young, so he hasn’t found a suitable fiancée yet.

Meanwhile, my younger sister Jeina had more than enough fiancé candidates.

Unlike me, who couldn’t even find a partner at my debutante ball, let alone candidates, she could choose a partner immediately if she wanted.

‘But Jeina is such an outstanding child, the Empress wouldn’t be satisfied with just any ordinary candidate.’

I knew the Empress favored Jeina. While she wouldn’t even speak a word to me as a child, she treasured Jeina like a jewel.

Anyway, in front of such an Empress appeared Loreil, the heir of the Prime Minister’s family.

I covered my smiling mouth with my hand so as not to appear rude and spoke to the Empress.

“I also think Jeina and Loreil would make a good match.”

“So what do you mean by that…”

“You don’t need to be wary of me, ‘Mother’. I’m a sister who can at least wish for my younger sister’s happiness.”

“…”

The smile disappeared from the Empress’s face. Her expressionless face, which I was seeing for the first time, seemed to bring a chill to the cozy greenhouse.

“I’ve been perplexed since earlier. I really want to hear what Princess Deina is thinking, what her true intentions are.”

“You’re worried I might get involved with Loreil, aren’t you? When you’ve already set your sights on Loreil as Jeina’s fiancé.”

“So, I don’t understand why Jeina comes up in this conversation.”

I expected her to ask why I thought she was targeting Loreil, but surprisingly, she asked an obvious question instead.

I organized my thoughts while caressing the cooling teacup.

“Well, it would be troublesome if this wasn’t for Jeina’s sake.”

“…?”

“This situation was intended by His Majesty the Emperor. He commanded Loreil to help me. His intention is probably…”

I continued while taking a sip of tea.

“After I successfully return to high society, he intends to pair Loreil and me together.”

The Empress didn’t deny it.

The nobles who love gossip would obviously inflate the cooperation between two unmarried men and women into all sorts of rumors.

The Emperor, seasoned in political strife, couldn’t have failed to predict this.

‘From the Emperor’s perspective, it’s killing two birds with one stone. He can plant a member of the Imperial Family in a rival family, and his daughter, whom he treated as a discarded card, gains utility value.’

The reason I was surprised when Loreil first came to see me was because I never thought he would be without a spouse.

Now that I knew he was single, it became clear what the Emperor was aiming for.

‘Of course, he probably didn’t sincerely think Loreil and I would work out well. If it works, good; if not, he’d just discard me.’

“But Your Majesty the Empress tried to separate Loreil and me. Even though it could appear to go against His Majesty the Emperor’s wishes.”

“…”

“You couldn’t have not considered the risk of being caught… You must have prepared an excuse.”

A valid reason that made it necessary to dare interfere with the Emperor’s plan.

The answer was predetermined.

“One princess’s failure can be offset by another princess’s success.”

It’s an excuse that would work on the Emperor, who sees people as expendable goods rather than human beings.

Without a rational alternative, he was someone who would cast aside even the Empress without hesitation if she interfered with his plans.

‘We siblings are three sons and two daughters. If not me, then naturally Jeina would take that position.’

With this level of excuse, the Emperor would accept it too.

No, he might even prefer Jeina’s certain success over my uncertain chances of success.

“So I concluded that Your Majesty the Empress approached me for Jeina’s sake. If that weren’t the case, there would be no excuse that His Majesty the Emperor would find acceptable.”

“…Is there more?”

“Hmm, it was also suspicious how you called Loreil by his title while acting friendly. You were deliberately showing closeness. And calling me at this time was also strange.”

“Why was the timing strange?”

“When someone suddenly meets to negotiate, their motive is one of two things.”

I raised my index and middle fingers as I spoke.

“Either I’m in a hurry, or I want to make the other party hurry.”

“…Which was my case?”

“Probably the latter? Your Majesty the Empress, who lacks nothing, would have no reason to be in a hurry.”

And having such an intention also meant there was something fishy about this negotiation.

‘I’d be a fool not to be suspicious.’

I finished the rest of my tea and looked at the Empress.

Her face was cold without a trace of a smile, but I actually felt more comfortable than before.

I didn’t have the skill to smile and converse with someone who could become my enemy. I preferred facing each other seriously like this.

“So Your Majesty the Empress, you don’t need to hide anything from me. What you and I want is the same.”

“What is the same?”

“I want to return to high society, but I don’t wish to be engaged to Loreil.”

The Empress’s pupils trembled slightly. She seemed unable to believe it.

‘Looking at his background alone, Loreil is the best groom material. But I got off on the wrong foot with that man from the start.’

He suspects I’m from the Demon Clan. So there was no possibility of our relationship developing into an engagement.

Besides, what I wanted was freedom under the pretext of engagement, not an actual marriage partner.

“If Your Majesty the Empress desires it, I’ll gladly yield Loreil to you.”

“You’ll refuse Loreil and accept my help?”

“Yes. I can tell Loreil I have circumstances. I think Your Majesty the Empress would be of greater help to me anyway.”

Ah, I added as a reminder.

“Real help that I actually need, not the meaningless help I mentioned earlier.”

Since she’s the greatest sun in high society, that much should be entirely possible.

At my words, the Empress fell silent for a moment, then raised the corners of her mouth.

“…Ha.”

Whether it was mockery or disbelief, after laughing briefly, she placed her arms on the table and rested her chin on them.

“I never imagined Princess Deina would be this clever. I thought I acted quite well, but were there that many gaps?”

“I just happened to guess correctly. I’m quite suspicious by nature.”

“A coincidence, well…”

She narrowed her eyes.

“If I had known Princess Deina was this kind of person earlier, I would have made a move before you entered the Separate Palace.”

‘Whether “making a move” means she should have eliminated me beforehand, or made me her ally.’

I didn’t bother to ask.

“Fine, I’ll accept it. That direction seems like it would avoid His Majesty the Emperor’s anger too.”

I, who was a discarded card, would return as a princess, and Jeina would get a good groom like Loreil.

It would be the best ending for the Emperor, so the Empress had no reason to refuse.

“Then what kind of help does Princess Deina need?”

“First…”

I briefly explained what I needed. The Empress seemed displeased with a few things, but ultimately accepted everything.

“Since I was the one who tried to deceive Princess Deina first, this time I’ll bear the loss.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

While it took dozens of minutes to deduce each other’s cards, finishing the negotiation was instantaneous. We concluded our deal and stood up with satisfied faces.

Then, the Empress asked as if she had just remembered something.

“Oh, may I ask one more thing?”

“Yes?”

“From what I can see, you seemed ready to readily accept my proposal if I showed sincerity… Why? Don’t you dislike me, us?”

I answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“I hate you. There’s no way I could like you.”

“…”

“It’s just that this was necessary to live as ‘Princess Deina.'”

If I had abandoned my princess status and given up being Deina, I might have been able to live a more comfortable life.

But I chose to remain in the Imperial Palace.

To do that, I needed to bow my head before the two suns of the Empire.

The Empress was left speechless, and I grabbed the door handle to leave the greenhouse.

“…Ah, since I was asked a question, may I ask Your Majesty the Empress one as well?”

“Please speak.”

“The person in the tree in the corner of the greenhouse is a guard knight, right?”

The Empress flinched in surprise. To me, it was such a poor level of concealment that I wondered if they were even trying to hide, but anyway, that person wasn’t the important one.

“That’s right. How did you….”

“Then the spider-like person clinging to the greenhouse ceiling wouldn’t be a guard, would they?”

“…What?”

At that moment, I saw the guard who had been in the tree fly toward the ceiling. But the one who had been hiding like a spider on the ceiling wasn’t a fool either, as they fled through the window the moment I finished speaking.

‘I guess the ceiling spy is more skilled.’

Quite nimble movements- I praised inwardly, then left the greenhouse, leaving behind the Empress who stood there with her mouth agape.

“Well then, see you next time, Your Majesty the Empress.”

She did not return my greeting.

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