Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 15

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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 015

After a long pause, Ruslara hesitantly opened her mouth.

“An… an Assassin? What does that even…?”

Meanwhile, the Intruder who had been captured continued muttering incessantly to himself.

“This is impossible. How did you see through me? It was a perfect concealment… just like last time…”

His tone was one of utter disbelief.

Since the man I’d brought as a training partner was of no consequence, I offered Ruslara only a brief explanation of the situation.

“He suddenly snuck in this morning. He’s not one of ours, so there’s no need to hold back.”

I had always kept watch over the perimeter of this Open Clearing, and this Intruder was an unexpected disruption that appeared today.

“But didn’t you say I should conceal my strength?”

I whispered softly, ensuring the Intruder couldn’t hear.

“It’s fine. I’ve never revealed anything about my origins.”

“What about your swordsmanship?”

“I’d prefer to keep that hidden too… but it’s not as critical as my origins.”

As long as Assassins kept coming, I doubted I could continue hiding my swordsmanship forever. Eventually, it would be exposed.

‘But not today.’

I swept my cold gaze across the Intruder.

“Besides, he won’t be leaving here alive.”

That’s why I continued training brazenly before his eyes.

If he attempted to escape, I would seize him by the neck and dispose of him before he could report back.

I deliberately refrained from disposing of him immediately, hoping he might bring along a colleague. If one arrived, I planned to interrogate them together.

“In any case, don’t worry. Once Ruslara finishes training, I’ll handle the cleanup.”

At the word “cleanup,” Ruslara’s expression hardened with sudden resolve.

“No, Your Highness. I shall do it myself. There’s no need to soil your hands.”

“…Very well, then.”

‘How touching.’

It had been some time since I’d heard such loyal words, and the sentiment felt oddly refreshing. I smiled faintly and patted Ruslara’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, the Assassin, sensing Ruslara’s killing intent, furrowed his brow and stared at me.

“You weren’t discussing my execution, were you?”

“Yes.”

“This is absurd. How dare you?”

“Who exactly do you think you are?”

Captured in mere seconds, yet he spoke as though he were some legendary assassin. At my words, the Intruder’s exposed face above his mask flushed crimson.

“I am…”

He began to speak, then fell silent.

I wondered if the Assassin was about to boast, but he didn’t seem quite so thoughtless.

Of course, I considered his capture so effortless proof enough that he was unworthy of the title Assassin.

‘He should have bitten his tongue the moment he was seized. Human Realm assassins are pathetically weak. In the Demon Realm, one couldn’t even imagine… No, I must stop this.’

Constantly reminiscing about the Demon Realm was a terrible habit.

I shook my head briefly.

“Your fate will be decided by Ruslara. Try to endure it.”

“Ha, that pretty-faced woman thinks she can kill me? How amusing.”

He showed no intimidation at Ruslara’s striking beauty. Confident in his own victory, he watched as Ruslara bit her lip in frustration.

“It’s fine, Ruslara. He’s a bit stronger than you, but we can win.”

“A bit? You’re joking.”

Unable to contain himself any longer, the Intruder hurled a dagger from his breast. It seemed he was attempting to exploit the moment when I was distracted by Ruslara.

“…!”

It was useless against me.

I caught all four daggers with a single hand. Each blade bore a different colored poison—this was clearly a meticulous Assassin.

“Don’t presume to interfere. I could kill you right now.”

“Ugh…!”

Realizing daggers wouldn’t suffice, the Intruder threw his entire body at me. Ruslara tried to block his path in alarm, but I pushed her aside.

It seemed I needed to break him in before any proper training could begin.

“A punching bag doesn’t need a tongue.”

“Gack!”

Before he could draw another weapon, I drove into his guard and drove my fist into his torso. I infused only the faintest trace of demonic power—enough to inflict agony that no ordinary human could endure.

He retched and collapsed to the ground.

His mask fell away in the process, revealing a face of considerable beauty beneath.

Blood-red hair and amber eyes—a long scar traced across his cheek left a striking impression.

“Listen well, Assassin. You have only two choices.”

I crouched before him and held up my fingers.

“One: you die quickly by my hand. Two: you become Ruslara’s training partner and meet your end by this evening.”

“Gasp, hack—both are death, you’re saying.”

“Of course. Did you truly expect me to release an Assassin who came radiating murderous intent?”

Had he been a Spy seeking information, I might have hesitated before ending him. The Separate Palace was, in fact, crawling with such spies.

But one who had sworn to kill was a different matter entirely.

I met the Intruder’s gaze directly and spoke.

“If you came to kill someone, then from that moment onward, you should have considered yourself on a battlefield.”

“…!”

His body trembled violently, whether from leaking demonic power or sheer terror.

‘He won’t dare act recklessly now.’

I turned from him and moved back toward Ruslara, intending to order her to resume training once the Intruder had recovered.

“Wait. Let’s make a deal.”

The Intruder called out to stop me.

“I don’t think you understand. There’s no bargaining with a man already dead.”

“I’m a hired blade. If I win, I’ll become your Guard.”

‘What nonsense is this?’

As I stared at him incredulously, he spoke with earnest conviction.

“I’ll prove I’m more skilled than that woman. Then you’ll hire me.”

“And what would I base such trust upon?”

“I am Black Hand of the Empire. I never lie about contracts. I’d swear to it.”

Black Hand—I’d heard of them before. A legendary assassination organization from the distant past, passed down through the Empire like a fairy tale, notorious for their brutality.

“I don’t need money. I’ll serve you with my life as payment. Of course, I cannot divulge information about my previous employer, but in exchange, you’ll gain an exceptional Subordinate….”

As he continued spouting nonsense, I cut him off.

“How am I supposed to trust the words of someone whose profession is killing people?”

“That, well….”

“You seem quite proud of this Black Hand organization, but killing people for money is utterly vulgar. Get your head on straight.”

“V, vulgar….”

Clearly not expecting such words, the Intruder’s mouth fell open in shock.

“As I said, you have no choice. Save your strength instead of wasting time talking.”

“Listen, think about it! You’re getting the Empire’s greatest Assassin as a Subordinate!”

Apparently convinced that words wouldn’t work, the Intruder suddenly raised his voice.

“You’ll regret this! I’m the best Assassin Black Hand has to offer! There are so many Noblemen who tremble just hearing my track record!”

“What’s your track record?”

“That, I can’t say!”

Perhaps desperation had stripped away his facade.

All pretense of composure vanished as the Intruder began whining like a child.

‘Actually, now that I look closer, he seems rather young.’

Hidden beneath his scowl, I noticed the Intruder’s face was surprisingly youthful—bearing the lingering softness of someone barely past adulthood.

“Do you know how well-versed I am in the geography of the Imperial Palace? I could even….”

“Ah, so it was you clinging to the Greenhouse ceiling and hiding, wasn’t it?”

“Ah, you knew?”

The Intruder’s mouth fell open in shock once more.

His physical form and movements were identical to that intruder from before, so naturally I recognized him.

The Intruder, unaware that even this had been discovered, gnawed at his fingernails and muttered.

“It’s already absurd that you found me back then, but to think you’d see through that I’m the same person….”

Hearing this, Ruslara asked me cautiously.

“Your Highness, is this man the one who was evenly matched with the Empress’s Guard last time?”

“That’s right. Though I’d say he’s probably a bit stronger.”

“Then that means I could defeat him….”

“I’m serious about that. Like I said, there’s a slight difference in skill between you and him, but it’s not insurmountable.”

Ruslara fell silent in thought for a moment, then spoke as if having resolved something.

“Your Highness, I have one request.”

“Hmm?”

“Would you consider taking this man on as a Subordinate?”

“What, why?”

Ruslara leaned close to my ear and whispered.

“Your Highness needs Subordinates. Just Ruslara and Liribel aren’t enough.”

“Well, that’s true, but….”

“An Assassin skilled enough to deceive the Empress’s eyes would serve well as an informant too. I felt it before, but Your Highness lacks information.”

Ruslara seemed to have gleaned much from her conversation with the Empress.

True, I had somehow ended up cooperating with the Empress, but one misstep could land me back in confinement—a perilously precarious situation indeed.

Had I possessed information beforehand, such circumstances would never have arisen.

‘And yet….’

Ruslara’s words held merit, but I still found the man before me utterly untrustworthy.

“Have I grown weak? That can’t be right. I’m a most promising finger….”

How could I trust a man lost in shock, muttering such nonsensical words to himself?

Then Ruslara added reassuringly that I need not worry.

“Princess, have you forgotten my race?”

“Ruslara’s… Ah!”

Then it came to me.

Ruslara’s race—the Baobhan sith.

Their signature abilities were bloodsucking, disguise, and….

‘Mind control.’

In the military, the Baobhan sith were exceptional interrogators.

‘Wait—doesn’t this seem far too demonic?’

Brainwashing an enemy spy, no less.

A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me, as though I had returned home.

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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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