Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 147

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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 147
“So I have a question for you all….”
Jeina glanced at me sideways—a silent prompt to keep fabricating. I nodded in acknowledgment.
“What brought you to Monos? A pilgrimage to a holy site? Or just sightseeing?”
Asmo-rina seemed reluctant to answer, so Lua spoke in her stead.
“We’re just traveling around. Our family is always wandering, you see.”
“So where are you planning to go after Monos?”
“Well, we haven’t decided yet. We ran into bandits on the way here and lost most of our supplies. We’ll need to stay in this city for a while to replenish them.”
“Bandits?”
I couldn’t let that pass without comment and found myself interjecting.
The security around Monos was a critical concern.
“Yes, we encountered them in the Eastern Mountain Range. There were about twenty of them?”
‘East… Is that where Alberto operates?’
Since all of Monos’s residents were registered in the ledger, these bandits might have been criminals fleeing from that Trading City with its sprawling Entertainment District.
I was already thinking I’d have Ivan investigate the surrounding area when I noticed Asmo-rina staring at me intently.
“…What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, just realized that she’s the one steering this conversation.”
She drained the last of her coffee in one gulp, then pointed her finger back and forth between Jeina and me.
“Her tone is sharp, but she seeks permission before every statement. Is your rank actually higher than hers?”
‘Her instincts are still as keen as ever.’
She’d sensed that Jeina was deferring to me.
The 3rd Division Commander had once said something like this.
Asmo-rina instinctively senses the strongest presence in a group—the instinct of an untamed beast, one might say.
In that regard, she hadn’t changed.
When I offered no response, Asmo-rina’s lips curved upward with newfound certainty.
“Must be nice for you, not having to say a word. Are you her lady’s maid or something?”
“She’s not a maid, she’s my….”
I couldn’t let Jeina be insulted like that. As I moved to interject, Jeina stepped forward first.
“That’s right. She deserves respect from me as well. So show some courtesy.”
“Why should I? She’s not even nobility in this country.”
“Don’t you know the courtesy one human should show another? And stop pointing.”
Asmo-rina scoffed at Jeina’s sharp warning, utterly unintimidated. Jeina’s brow furrowed at such blatant disregard.
This was probably her first time—a Princess being so thoroughly ignored.
Sensing this could escalate into a serious confrontation, I calmly changed the subject.
“So, Lua’s family travels without a fixed destination… What about you? You said your name was Rina, right?”
“Don’t call my name so casually.”
“…Ah, okay.”
The past came flooding back, and my chest ached. Seeing my shoulders droop, Asmo-rina looked momentarily taken aback, as if wondering why I’d be so wounded by that.
“Anyway, I’m just here to guard this one.”
“Guard? You?”
“Yeah, what’s the problem?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Asmo-rina was providing protection for a human.
It was something I would never do, even if offered a fortune.
Especially when the person in question was just a child who could barely afford to order two sandwiches.
‘I wonder if there’s something special about this child Lua? Or perhaps living in the Human World has changed her heart.’
Either way, it was something I found deeply gratifying. It meant that Asmo-rina, who had grown up as a soldier and warrior, had truly matured.
“Then, you have no other purpose? Protecting Lua’s family is all there is to it?”
Asmo-rina hesitated before answering.
Just then, Lua, who had finished her sandwich, wiped her mouth and spoke.
“Now that I think about it, Rina, you talked with the Information Brokers back in that village, didn’t you? What was it again—you said you were looking for someone.”
“…I have no intention of telling people who have nothing to do with this.”
“Why not? At least if you say it out loud, we might find a clue.”
Asmo-rina tilted her head, as if considering the point.
Meanwhile, I had already guessed who she was searching for and quickly covered my face with my hat.
‘She must be looking for me, after all.’
Sure enough, Asmo-rina’s next words matched my expectations perfectly.
“I’m searching for a woman named Asmodina.”
According to Grid’s report, she still hadn’t stopped looking for me.
Jeina, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.
“The same surname. Are you family?”
“Yes. If I had to be specific, she’s the person who raised me.”
Jeina tilted her head in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected Asmo-rina to be a filial person.
“What kind of person would make you come all the way to Monos? Immigration is rare in the Southern Empire, so there are hardly any outsiders.”
“I just walked wherever my feet took me until I ended up here.”
Asmo-rina scratched her head irritably, as if she hadn’t expected to have to explain in such detail.
“Besides, that person is unpredictable, so the more dangerous an area is, the more likely she’ll show her face there.”
“Well, the Southern Empire does have worse security than other regions, but… what kind of person is she, really?”
Jeina unexpectedly showed curiosity. She seemed eager to know what kind of parent Asmo-rina was searching for.
Asmo-rina thought for a moment before continuing.
“She’s an irritating person.”
At that blunt answer, everyone’s eyes widened.
“How should I put it—she’s the type who can’t help but meddle when she sees something. She has a low opinion of herself, yet doesn’t hesitate to do good deeds, and in the process, she throws her own life around recklessly.”
“…Like a hero from a fairy tale?”
“Something like that. If only she had the pride of a hero, it would be bearable, but she’s so infuriatingly humble that it’s frustrating.”
The more she spoke, the lower I bowed my head.
‘I feel so embarrassed.’
Though her tone was rough, I could sense the affection contained within her words.
I wanted to change the subject, but Jeina seemed to relate to this conversation even more.
“What a coincidence. I know someone like that too. Someone who doesn’t realize how precious their own honor is, yet steps forward without hesitation to save others. Well, unlike your story, she hasn’t risked her life for it.”
“…I accept losses to myself as inevitable, but I can’t stand by and watch a friend get hurt?”
“Or someone who couldn’t turn away from family that betrayed them, and when betrayed again, simply laughs it off bitterly.”
The two women nodded simultaneously, as if they’d reached a perfect understanding.
“That person is incredibly irritating too.”
“I feel the same way.”
My chest stung. Could Jeina be talking about me?
I couldn’t say anything, but Lua, who had been listening intently to the conversation, suddenly interjected.
“But I have to ask—why are you both wearing hats indoors? Those look so large and heavy.”
It was a question that didn’t fit the conversation. Her tone suggested she wanted to verify our identities.
Jeina answered with a frown.
“I simply don’t wish to show my face in a place like this.”
“But you could at least lift the veil, couldn’t you? You looked uncomfortable eating earlier.”
“That’s not your concern….”
Then Asmo-rina suddenly turned her gaze toward me, as if she’d realized something.
And she furrowed her brow with a suspicious look.
“You, take off your hat.”
“….”
When I remained silent, Jeina stepped in instead.
“I just explained the reason.”
“I only need to check from this side. Just lift the hat a little.”
“I said no…wait!”
Despite Jeina’s refusal, Asmo-rina rose from her seat and reached for my hat. Jeina tried to stop her, but her arm remained stuck to the table.
Asmo-rina’s magic held her arm in place like shackles.
“What is this…!”
Leaving the flustered Jeina behind, Asmo-rina seized my hat and lifted it forcefully.
“….”
“….”
With my hat and veil removed, I met Asmo-rina’s eyes.
It was my daughter’s face, which I hadn’t seen in so long. She had grown thinner, but noticeably more mature than before.
I suppressed the joy that welled up inside me. Meanwhile, her expression gradually twisted.
“Who are you?”
Perhaps she couldn’t find any trace of Asmodina in my face. I felt relieved as I spoke.
“…I don’t know what you expected, but if you’ve confirmed it, let go.”
“Not even a remarkable face, so why do you keep hiding it and confusing people….”
At that moment, one of the customers in the tea shop spotted me.
“Gasp, it’s the Saint!”
“The Saint? The Saint is here?”
In an instant, all the customers’ attention focused on me. I hurriedly snatched my hat back from Asmo-rina, but the tea shop was already becoming chaotic.
“…A saint?”
All remaining doubt vanished from Asmo-rina’s face. Perhaps she could never have imagined that her own mother had become a saint.

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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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