Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 14

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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 014

Once I stepped outside, I reunited with Liribel and Ruslara, who had been waiting for me.

“Princess! Just now, two suspicious individuals appeared over there….”

“Leave it be. It has nothing to do with us.”

I could hazard a guess about who was behind the suspected spy, but there seemed no need to elaborate.

I urged both of them to return to the Separate Palace quickly, as the night wind was biting cold.

“Did everything go well?”

On the way back, Ruslara asked cautiously. She knew little about the Imperial Palace and was curious about everything.

“Yes, there were no major issues. I’ve agreed to cooperate with the Empress.”

“Really?”

Meanwhile, Liribel, who was aware of my reputation within the Imperial Palace, tilted her head with an anxious expression. Everyone knew that the Imperial Family and I were not on good terms.

I patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“Our interests aligned.”

Then I summarized the conversation and explained it to her.

After hearing everything, Liribel’s jaw dropped in astonishment, while Ruslara nodded repeatedly, murmuring, “As expected…”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Well, it’s just… I realized you truly are a remarkable member of the Imperial Family….”

Liribel muttered something incomprehensible.

“Oh! Then you’re parting ways with Loreil? Were the two of you not on good terms?”

“Me? And Loreil?”

I widened my eyes in confusion at what she meant, and Liribel nodded with a flustered expression.

“You were exchanging meaningful glances with each other, weren’t you?”

“That’s not…”

Had she mistaken my cautious observation—trying to gauge her true nature—for a sign of affection?

I parted my lips, searching for the right words, then exhaled a weary sigh.

“It’s not that kind of relationship. We can’t afford any misunderstandings, so please don’t say things like that in front of others, alright?”

“Oh, yes!”

I couldn’t afford to create unnecessary scandal if I was to bring Jeina and Loreil together.

I soothed the repeatedly apologetic Liribel and made my way toward the Separate Palace.

* * *

“The intruder?”

The Greenhouse blazed with the brilliant light of magical illumination, a stark contrast to the darkness beyond its walls.

Empress Chersil addressed the Guard standing in her shadow.

“Don’t tell me you failed to capture them?”

“…My apologies.”

The Black-masked Guard bowed deeply, his posture a picture of contrition.

His body bore small scratches. The Empress glanced at them and sighed.

“How incompetent. Perhaps I should have brought your brother instead.”

“…”

“Never mind the failure to capture them—how did you not even detect the intruder’s presence?”

“I didn’t anticipate that the Spy would already be lurking inside the Greenhouse. That was my oversight.”

“All that comes out of your mouth is apologies.”

The Empress gazed down at the empty teacup—the one Princess Deina had drained completely.

“The likelihood that this Spy belongs to Deina’s Subordinates is… quite low, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, there would be no reason for her to reveal their identity.”

Had Princess Deina not spoken up, they would never have sensed the Spy’s presence.

“Is this performance meant to place us in her debt?”

“I shall have the Separate Palace monitored. If the Intruder returns there—”

“No, never mind. That child doesn’t seem to be involved in this.”

It was intuition.

The Empress didn’t perceive Princess Deina as someone who would resort to such shallow tactics.

Unlike Princess Deina, the Empress hadn’t taken a single sip from her own teacup. She dipped a finger into it, swirling the lukewarm liquid absently as she recalled Princess Deina’s face.

‘What a bold child she was.’

The moment she cast off her mask of smiles, she collided with sincerity—an unusual child indeed.

In all her decades within the Imperial Palace, she had never encountered anyone like her.

Princess Deina carried an entirely different aura from the perpetually sensitive Jeina or the incompetent imperial princes.

‘It felt as though I were facing an equal of the Imperial Family, not a child….’

Her manner of speech might have sounded disrespectful, yet it carried no arrogance. Rather, that confident bearing felt almost elegant.

It was unimaginable compared to the Princess Deina of old—always bowing her head, always dragging misfortune in her wake.

“Was it all an act until now, or has she truly become a different person since recovering her health…?”

If it were the former, responding would be simple. Lies reveal hidden desires, after all. The Empress was well-versed in handling such people.

But if it were the latter, the situation became far more complicated.

‘I’ll need to revise every plan I prepared for her.’

The very first step of my scheme to spectacularly sabotage Princess Deina’s return to High Society had already begun to unravel.

It seemed I would have to permit her to stand upon the same stage as myself.

‘How unnecessary.’

I had never desired a small sun that refused to heed my words and threatened to outshine me.

The Empress shoved her teacup aside, spilling its contents across the pristine white tablecloth. Watching the liquid seep into the fabric, she turned to the Guard. “Do you have any idea why Princess Deina detected the intruder?”

“No, I apologize.”

“Is it because the Princess possesses remarkable skill? Or perhaps she has allies beyond imagination? Or did she simply get lucky?” The Empress paused. “Which do you think?”

The Guard considered for a moment before answering.

“The second, I believe. If someone of considerable skill had informed the Princess of the intruder’s presence in the Greenhouse before we entered… it would be possible.”

“Surely not that Armored Knight?”

“No, it couldn’t be him. I’ve seen him a few times at the Arena, but his skill doesn’t come close to mine.”

The subtle pride in his answer seemed to amuse the Empress, for she laughed silently.

“Then it’s best we assume she has an ally we cannot see at her side.”

“In the worst case, yes.”

“My, that’s not what ‘worst case’ means, dear.”

The Empress rose from her seat. The Guard draped the coat he had hung over his chair across her shoulders.

The Empress rose from her seat. The Guard draped the coat that had been hanging over the chair across the Empress’s shoulders.

“Our worst-case scenario is actually that Princess Deina possesses tremendous power.”

“That can’t be… I sense no strength from her whatsoever.”

The Guard dismissed it as an impossible premise. But the Empress shook her head.

“Precisely why it’s the worst case.”

She glanced toward the exit where Deina had departed, then continued.

“She could be a being with power hidden beneath the surface—something as strange as the rumors suggest. That would be absolutely…”

Abhorrent.

The Empress murmured as though she wanted to erase from memory Deina’s grotesque golden eyes.

“I should have let the cursed child die. Before the filth could taint my Imperial Palace.”

With that, she departed the Greenhouse.

* * *

After that, I could focus entirely on Ruslara’s training.

I had delegated most of the tedious work at the Arena to the Empress’s faction.

Of course, the entire event was being held under my name. Even if this succeeded, the Empress would gain nothing from it.

‘There’s no avoiding a direct confrontation.’

I preferred an honest duel where true intentions clashed over the flowery, metaphorical conversations of nobility.

‘Let’s see—about another week of training, a final inspection at the Arena, then once the match begins, I’ll report to the Main Palace…’

“Ahhh!”

A scream pierced my ear, snapping me back to reality mid-thought.

“Oops!”

Then I spotted Ruslara sprawled on the ground and loosened my grip.

“I’m sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment there… Are you alright?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine.”

I had intended to deflect the attack, but it seemed I’d counterattacked without thinking. Ruslara pressed her shoulder where my wooden sword had struck and laughed stiffly.

She claimed to be fine, but her hand trembled visibly—the pain was clearly intense.

“Let’s take a break. We’ve been at this for two hours already.”

“Yes.”

The fact that she didn’t refuse told me she was indeed exhausted. A twinge of guilt stirred in me as I supported her toward the Large Tree and helped her settle against it.

She leaned her back against the trunk and took a deep breath, then glanced at me sideways.

“Princess.”

“What is it?”

“Am I… actually improving?”

When I turned to look at her questioningly, Ruslara continued in an uncertain voice.

“I haven’t landed a single successful attack yet. I’m worried I’m only becoming a burden to you…”

Continuous defeat had clearly worn down her pride.

It was my responsibility as an instructor to preserve a trainee’s dignity—I had failed in that duty.

‘That’s right, she’s never won once. In situations like this, sparring with an opponent of similar skill would be ideal…’

To truly feel her progress, she needed to face someone at her own level.

No matter how rigorous the training, continuous defeat would only stunt growth that had begun to flourish.

As I pondered what to do.

‘Ah, that person will do.’

A suitable opponent had come to mind at just the right moment.

“Excellent. Let’s try a new training exercise.”

“…?”

I told Ruslara to wait for a moment, then approached the Forest behind the Separate Palace.

‘It should be around here….’

“Found you.”

And I discovered a man lurking in the shadows, concealed by the trees.

“Hup!”

“…!”

The assault came so suddenly that the man in the darkness allowed me to seize him by the collar with embarrassing ease.

I dragged the bewildered man back to the Open Clearing, then hurled him before Ruslara, whose mouth hung agape.

“Here’s your opponent.”

“An opponent, you say….”

“An Assassin who came to kill me. This is your next sparring partner.”

Both Ruslara and the man were left speechless.

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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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