Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 26

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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 026

 

* * *

 

After returning victorious, a letter arrived for Ruslara from the nobleman who had made a contract with her. It was a letter stating that since they had confirmed her victory, they would nullify the contract and return the abandoned mine to her family.

 

At this pure declaration of defeat without any ulterior motives, both Ruslara and I were quite flustered.

 

‘I thought they would naturally counterattack.’

 

Moreover, the nobleman’s seal stamped on the letter was one I’d never seen before. According to Ivan, it was an insignificant rural family located in the Empire’s frontier. The location was even far removed from the abandoned mine.

 

Ivan added that if it was such a humble family, it was probably just a front.

 

“I could investigate if you want, but it’s too far for me to travel back and forth alone. Don’t you have any subordinates in that region?”

 

As if I would have any. Ivan was the only informant Black Hand had.

 

So I decided to send Ruslara back to her hometown first. She seemed to want to stay by my side, but it was better for her to return quickly for her family’s sake.

 

“Even if decades are a short time for fairies, they’re surely worried. Go and reassure Mihilda.”

 

When I brought up her grandmother’s name, Ruslara agreed and stepped back.

 

After sending her back to her hometown, I returned to my daily routine at the Separate Palace.

 

‘Now I need to wait for the Emperor’s summons.’

 

The news that the arena event had ended well would have reached his ears, so next it was time to discuss my return to high society.

 

The Emperor was a hundred times more troublesome than the Empress, so just thinking about meeting him drained my energy.

 

“But Your Highness.”

 

“What?”

 

“I have something to ask.”

 

While organizing my thoughts and sitting in the Separate Palace’s study reading a book about the Empire’s history, Ivan appeared from the shadows.

 

Liribel, who had been attending to me, was startled.

 

“Liribel, bring some tea.”

 

“Yes, yes!”

 

After sending her out first, I gestured for Ivan to sit across from me.

 

“What are you curious about?”

 

“Your Highness, aren’t you going to deal with the spies in the Separate Palace? Even I find them annoying.”

 

“Ah, that matter.”

 

I put down my book and sighed.

 

As he said, there were still many spies working in the Separate Palace. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everyone except Emma, Liribel, and a very few servants were spies.

 

‘Even the page who came from outside was a spy, so it’s like a treasure vault with open doors.’

 

Planting spies in each palace was something nobles and imperial family members naturally did. Even in my Separate Palace, which had nothing to dig up, it was natural for spies to infiltrate.

 

“Do you think I want to leave it like this? I have no choice.”

 

“Just fire them and hire new ones. This is the Imperial Palace, wouldn’t there be people willing to come?”

 

“Well, if I gathered them there would be some, but…”

 

Other imperial family members would use their connections to find servants. They either receive support from nobles who follow them, or recruit from families that serve the imperial family.

 

‘The former is impossible, and for the latter, I could receive them through the Empress, but I’d need to be able to trust them.’

 

If the new people coming in were also spies, it would just be pointlessly reducing manpower.

 

When I explained these circumstances appropriately, Ivan tilted his head.

 

“Just hire people who aren’t spies. Surely even enemies think, so they wouldn’t send only spies.”

 

“That’s difficult, I tell you. How can I distinguish without information?”

 

“It’s not like master spies will come, so wouldn’t distinguishing be easy?”

 

“…You, is that possible?”

 

Ivan shrugged with an expression that said ‘why wouldn’t that work?’

 

‘Come to think of it, he’s supposed to be a quite skilled assassin.’

 

It was a fact I sometimes forgot due to his immature speech and attitude. From my perspective, his skills seemed mediocre, but apparently he was considered top-level in the Empire.

 

“Those who received spy training have characteristic habits. If you just distinguish those, you can easily find them out.”

 

“What habits?”

 

“Like their heartbeat sounds different when they lie, or they hold their breath to listen when their master’s name comes up, things like that.”

 

I made an incredulous expression. They were all things ordinary people couldn’t know.

 

“You can’t even do that? Then, shall I do it for you?”

 

“…”

 

Seeing that confident expression made me want to give him a good knock on the head, but I held back.

 

‘Filling the Separate Palace with my people would be convenient, but… I’m not sure if I can trust Ivan.’

 

Even if the Baobhan sith’s charm had worked, drawing out loyalty was impossible.

 

Ivan spoke of an assassin’s creed, saying he would definitely keep it since it was a life-or-death contract, but I saw him as someone who could betray me at any time.

 

Entrusting the Separate Palace’s personnel matters to such a person carried great risk.

 

“If you’re really suspicious, why don’t we conduct interviews together? You can hire people you think are acceptable.”

 

“…Why are you being so cooperative? I thought you’d only do what you were ordered to.”

 

“There are several reasons…”

 

Ivan crossed his arms and chose his words for a moment.

 

“First, it’s unpleasant walking around the Separate Palace. There are so many spies that gazes are entangled everywhere. And second, it hurts my pride to have my master’s information stolen by such pathetic spies.”

 

“My master… just how do you think of me?”

 

Ivan answered nonchalantly.

 

“Exactly as I said. You’re the master who will revive me and our organization.”

 

“I have no intention of taking an assassin organization as subordinates.”

 

“You will. You’ll need tools to do dirty work.”

 

“That’s…”

 

I couldn’t bring myself to say no. Even if I didn’t necessarily spill blood, I needed shadows to live as a princess.

 

I pressed my furrowed brow with my fingers to smooth it out and sighed.

 

‘Now I roughly understand what Ivan wants.’

 

It seemed he wanted to grow the declining Black Hand under me.

 

“…Fine, let’s discuss this later. Anyway, you’re saying you’ll help hire servants?”

 

“Yeah, I don’t have anything to do right now anyway. You told me to rest from investigating the Imperial Palace, right?”

 

“Because it’s dangerous with many Imperial Palace events coming up.”

 

As year-end approached, the Empire’s nobles were visiting the Imperial Palace. Several skilled individuals would gather too, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

 

“Good, let’s start since we’re talking about it. Call Emma.”

 

“Got it.”

 

Ivan waved his hand frivolously and left the study. While watching him with complicated feelings, something suddenly occurred to me.

 

‘Speaking of which, why is he speaking informally to me?’

 

I should correct his manners in the training ground sometime.

 

* * *

 

The Empress, upon receiving the message, immediately gathered servant candidates. She seemed to have expected me to make this request.

 

The letter received through Emma contained words with a generous nuance saying ‘this is a bonus.’

 

Since there wouldn’t be much else to do before the Emperor’s summons anyway, I requested that Emma also participate in the interviews.

 

“There will be pages and maids as well. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for me to be there…”

 

“It’s fine. I’ll handle them. Right now, the only people I can trust here are Liribel and Emma.”

 

“…I understand.”

 

I could understand Emma feeling burdened since pages and maids were generally nobles. But with so few trustworthy subordinates, I could only ask for her help.

 

Emma pondered for a moment, then nodded.

 

Ivan, who had changed from his black coat to servant’s clothing, pointed at himself and said.

 

“What? You can’t trust me? Me?”

 

There was no need to answer the noisy brat.

 

Soon, servant candidates began gathering at the Separate Palace one by one. I told them to wait in the dining hall, then gathered the original servants of the Separate Palace in the lobby.

 

It was to dismiss the spies before hiring new servants.

 

“Your Highness, what is this about?”

 

“Why are the Main Palace’s servants here…”

 

After scanning the servants who didn’t know why they’d been called, I gestured to Liribel, who was standing at the very end.

 

“Liribel, why are you standing there? You should come here.”

 

“Yes, yes!”

 

Liribel’s face brightened as she had been watching the nearby maid’s reaction. She immediately ran to my side.

 

“Now then… the reason I’ve gathered everyone is to inform you of those who no longer need to work at the Separate Palace. Those who are selected should pack their belongings and leave the Separate Palace.”

 

“…”

 

“You know the reason, don’t you?”

 

Silence fell over the lobby as they seemed bewildered by the sudden dismissal order. Some people showed no change in expression, while others broke out in cold sweat as if they had something to feel guilty about.

 

At least they had some sense, as no one protested asking why they had to leave.

 

I looked them over once more, then turned to Emma. She nodded as if ready.

 

“I’ll begin. The people who need to leave are…”

 

Then I raised my finger and pointed to the far right where Liribel was standing.

 

After that, I drew it all the way to the left end.

 

So that everyone standing there would be selected.

 

A few servants who finally caught on to the situation gaped in shock.

 

“From here to there. Everyone get out of my house. There’s no severance pay, so keep that in mind.”

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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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