Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 16

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

Struggling to Pretend to Be Human Today Episode 016

“Of course, perfect loyalty is impossible with my abilities. I could probably just make them unable to lie in front of Your Highness and give them suggestions not to leak information…”

“That would be enough though.”

Still, I felt reluctant about keeping someone other than Ruslara, my subordinate’s descendant, or kind Liribel by my side.

Especially when that subordinate was an assassin who had tried to kill me.

‘If this were back when I was Asmodina, I would have killed him without even talking.’

But now I was human.

It was right to act with human thinking, not demon thinking.

‘Even if he betrays me, if I only use him as an informant, there won’t be much damage. He doesn’t know my true identity, and humans can’t break Baobhan sith suggestions. Rather, after making him a subordinate, I could slowly persuade him to spill information about his backers…’

My thoughts grew increasingly complicated.

I crossed my arms and let out a sigh.

“…I’m sorry, Your Highness. If I overstepped my bounds, please forget what I said…”

“No, Ruslara. Don’t apologize. I know you said it for my sake.”

She deserved praise instead. If it were me, I would have handled it with my demon instincts.

‘I can think of him as a subordinate bought with money, like a mercenary.’

Though I felt reluctant about not giving affection to people and using them like tools, it was a necessary mindset for living as royalty.

‘If he can deceive even the Empress, he’ll be useful.’

Having made up my mind, I asked Ruslara.

“But Ruslara, you know there are conditions to your ability, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

The Baobhan sith’s ability was powerful, but there was a reason they were despised as weak fairies in the Demon Realm.

To activate the ability, one had to face the opponent fairly and break their fighting spirit.

The duel conditions didn’t matter much, but it was important that the opponent truly felt defeated.

Since combat was daily life in the Demon Realm, it was a difficult condition for the Baobhan sith, who had poor combat abilities.

‘If I had to say, it’s closer to seduction than brainwashing.’

“If you lose, this request becomes void. And when it gets really dangerous, I’ll intervene.”

“Of course. If that happens, I won’t trouble Your Highness any further.”

‘That’s not what I meant by saying that.’

So what if she loses to an assassin? She can just train again and get stronger.

But the sense of determination I felt from Ruslara was so intense that saying such things seemed wrong. Feeling I shouldn’t interfere, I stepped back.

“You there, assassin.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll accept your deal. But there are conditions.”

Hope that he might survive brought life back to the man’s eyes.

“Just say it!”

“First, you must fight the duel seriously. Second, if you lose, you must silently accept your fate.”

“What, that much is obvious.”

“Third, if you lose, you must spill all the information you know.”

“…”

The man clamped his mouth shut. Seeing the resolve in his eyes that he wouldn’t speak even if he died, I added reassuringly.

“I’m not asking you to reveal your client’s information. I mean information about you – your name, age, things like that.”

“…Why do you need that?”

“I don’t want to work with someone whose name I don’t even know.”

Of course, that was a lie.

This was a method to help Ruslara use her ability better, to make him open his heart.

The man pondered for a while, then nodded, saying he understood.

‘He values his client’s information more than his life, but easily reveals things about himself.’

I found that admirable.

I guess even assassins have their professional ethics.

“Then get ready. We’ll start right away.”

“Got it.”

I positioned myself a little distance away to judge the match. And just before the duel began, I said to Ruslara.

“Ruslara, let me give you one last piece of advice. Don’t forget the difference between a swordsman and an assassin.”

“Understood.”

She seemed not to understand, but nodded, saying she would keep it in mind.

The two faced each other and gripped their respective weapons.

Naturally, both were real swords. The man held his own weapon, while Ruslara gripped a soldier’s sword I had obtained earlier.

“Now then-“

I raised my hand and shouted.

“Begin.”

Both swords clashed simultaneously.

* * *

Struggling to parry the man’s sword that struck dozens of times, Ruslara thought.

‘This assassin is no pushover.’

Deina had said the skill difference between the man and Ruslara wasn’t much. But from what Ruslara could feel, that was a white lie meant to comfort her.

The gap between her and the man was beyond description.

“Ugh…!”

“Ha, so weak! Can you even call yourself a swordsman like that?”

The man shouted triumphantly at Ruslara, who was being pushed back helplessly.

The man was so strong that it would take two Ruslaras to match him. The only fortunate thing was that Ruslara, who used magic, had greater strength.

Even if she was outpaced in speed, she could avoid getting hurt once their swords met.

But at this rate, it was obvious Ruslara would collapse first.

As she desperately tried to think of a way to win, Ruslara caught sight of Deina.

Her eyes showed not the slightest doubt in Ruslara’s victory.

‘Her Highness believes in me.’

How long had it been since someone had expectations of her?

Even among the Baobhan sith, Ruslara was on the weak side. It was partly because she was born in the human realm rather than the Demon Realm, and because her ancestors were strong ones who had experienced war.

So when humans occupied the abandoned mine, her family said this:

‘Leave, child. You’re the most human-like among us. If it’s just you, you’ll be able to live under the sun.’

It was a kind exile order telling her to abandon the Baobhan sith race and live her own life, but it only hurt Ruslara.

As if they knew she would fail, her family placed no expectations on her at all.

‘I know. It was because I was weak.’

But she wanted to hear that they believed in her.

That they trusted only her. That she could do it.

She wanted them to push her forward.

Even when leaving the abandoned mine, her family recommended she run away. They said it would be better to abandon her name and race and live as an imperial citizen in the capital.

Though they were people who had devoted their lives to their race’s freedom, they only recommended flight to their weak child.

Ruslara resented that.

She regretted being the kind of person who forced her family to say such things.

‘So this time… I have to meet expectations.’

To abandon this self-deprecating sense of defeat and be recognized as a Baobhan sith, she had to break the assassin before her.

‘The Baobhan sith I know don’t give up. They don’t bow their heads to enemies trying to drive them out. Because they’re magnificent warriors.’

To not disappoint Deina, who had pulled her out of the pit of despair.

To change herself, step by step, from someone marked by defeat.

“Haaah!”

“Ugh…!”

Ruslara’s strength gradually increased. She was beginning to get used to using magic-enhanced power.

Flustered by the suddenly changed momentum, the man stepped back.

“Wh-what!”

But the man wasn’t just taking it either. Just as Ruslara had a reason she absolutely had to win, the man had a reason he needed to become Deina’s subordinate.

‘If I stay by that Imperial Family member’s side, I’ll surely be able to elevate Black Hand’s status.’

Of course, life was precious, but the organization’s revival was an equally important mission.

Black Hand was an organization that had once perished in the distant past and barely managed to revive.

So unlike other assassin and intelligence organizations, it only had reputation while being small in scale and insignificant in power.

Unlike the boasting he had done to Deina, without the Intruder, even their future would be uncertain.

The requests they received were only the kind with high risk but low rewards. At this rate, Black Hand would surely disappear into the back alleys of history once again.

That’s why he needed a wise lord.

A monarch who was charismatic, possessed strong power, and could efficiently govern Black Hand.

‘If you tried to kill someone, you should have considered yourself on a battlefield from that moment.’

The moment he saw her look into his eyes and sentence him to death like a battlefield commander, the Intruder was certain.

‘The other Imperial Family members are hopeless, but that princess is different.’

The fact that Deina would become someone who stirs up storms in the future.

And he was also certain that only by staying by her side could he board this storm.

‘My intuition is never wrong!’

So he had to win this duel. To gain recognition for his usefulness from Deina, to shed the stigma of having a lowly profession, and to rebuild Black Hand.

“This is the end!”

Dozens, hundreds of exchanges. In the end, it was the Intruder who found composure.

Toward Ruslara, who had created an opening by mistakenly striking down too forcefully with her sword, the Intruder pulled back his arm to swing the sword he was holding.

The Intruder’s sword was shorter than Ruslara’s. Normally it wouldn’t reach that distance, but…

‘My specialty isn’t swordsmanship!’

The Intruder didn’t swing his sword, but threw it toward Ruslara.

His true skill was throwing techniques. The sharp throwing technique that had targeted Deina was now unleashed toward Ruslara.

Ruslara instinctively knew she couldn’t block this attack with her sword.

At that moment.

‘Let me give you one last piece of advice. Don’t forget the difference between a swordsman and an assassin.’

A swordsman who refuses to let go of their sword.

An assassin who is accustomed to throwing weapons.

‘As expected, she’s my god.’

The advice Deina had given flashed through her mind.

For a diligent person who takes advice to heart, opportunities will come someday.

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