Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 3

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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 003

Then Liribel waved her hands frantically as she approached.

“It, it’s real black magic! I heard that using shadows is basic among black magic, but I never thought it would be real!”

“Um, excuse me…”

“As expected, you can use it easily because it’s night, right? I heard that shadow magic can be used infinitely at night…!”

“Liribel?”

“Ah! And you saved me with that magic!”

Liribel was busy chattering alone with her face flushed red, as if she couldn’t even hear me calling her.

“My goodness, to think you saved me. I’m so moved!”

‘This girl is a bit strange, isn’t she?’

Don’t people usually get scared when they see black magic?

Liribel’s common sense was definitely wrong somehow.

I, who was trying to calm her excitement, grabbed her arm strongly and pulled her into my embrace.

“P-Princess?”

“Stay still.”

The flustered girl tried to escape from my embrace, but I was already extending my hand forward.

“This demon-like…!”

Just then, I could see Hans rushing toward Liribel and me with a dagger in his other hand.

On his gritted face, malice and impatience to kill me again were clearly revealed.

Only then realizing that Hans was targeting her, Liribel’s body trembled with a start.

After patting her back with my other hand to comfort her that it was okay, I drew up my magical power.

‘Don’t resent me.’

This time I aimed precisely at the shadow.

Until just now I had thought about having a conversation, but seeing that he wouldn’t calm his killing intent even after being treated like this, it seemed unnecessary.

‘I have no intention of dying again.’

“This…!”

Though it was the first time using shadow magic as a human, it was as easy as if I had been using it for a long time. The shadow spread like a cloth and swallowed Hans.

“…!”

Hans fell into the shadow without even being able to scream.

Crack crack, ominous sounds echoed from within the shadow. There was no need to confirm his end.

He disappeared, and only the dagger was left on the bedroom floor.

“Huh, huh? Where is Hans the attendant?”

Liribel, who had escaped from my embrace, looked around.

I picked up the dagger left on the floor and said, trying to change the subject.

“Liribel, could you explain what happened? I still don’t really understand what occurred.”

“Ah, yes! Actually, I came to the bedroom today to change the candles…”

Liribel haltingly explained the situation before I woke up.

‘As expected, I really did die.’

Without realizing it, I placed my hand on my chest.

My heart was beating vigorously, unlike before. Even inside, the magical power from when I was a demon was stirring.

Though not at peak level, it certainly wasn’t magical power that a human could wield.

‘But my soul is that of a demon. If the priests ever find out…’

The terrible future of a witch hunt came to mind.

“Princess?”

“…It’s nothing. So what happened next?”

“Ah, yes. Hans the attendant who suddenly appeared was looking for a stake. Then he confessed that he killed you, Princess…”

I wasn’t surprised by the fact that Hans was an assassin. After all, he wasn’t the only one in the Separate Palace who wished for my death. I had long known that the servants were joining forces to try to kill me.

The problem was the word ‘stake.’

It was an unfamiliar word to Deina, but familiar to Asmodina the demon.

‘It’s usually a tool used by curse practitioners.’

I recalled the method of placing stakes or totems condensed with malice near the target of a curse and sending curses.

‘Thanks to my magical power, all the poison that had accumulated in my body has been detoxified. The curse would be the same.’

Weak poison or curses are nothing but sandcastles before waves in the face of powerful magical power.

My stamina, weakened from long illness, hadn’t recovered yet, but the influence of the stake Hans mentioned wouldn’t remain in my body.

So there was no need to worry, but… Hans’s words about looking for it bothered me.

‘Does it mean someone stole the tool? Or is it still somewhere in this room?’

I should have kept him alive a bit longer if I had known this would happen.

Just as I was about to put aside my curiosity about the stake and ask about the outside situation.

“Cough!”

I coughed violently at the tickling sensation in my throat.

Liribel screamed with a pale complexion.

“Blood, you’re bleeding! Princess!”

What came from my mouth wasn’t saliva but blackened blood.

I was also flustered by the sudden hemoptysis.

‘What is this… could it be because of magical power?’

I hastily checked my body’s condition. Fortunately, my soul was fine.

Instead, I could feel magical power clumped around my stomach and lungs.

‘It seems like there’s a backlash from excessive magical power.’

Like muscles hurting the day after excessive exercise, it seemed my body couldn’t adapt because I used magical power for the first time.

‘Strong magical power requires a suitable body. If I fail to control magical power even once…’

I imagined an ending where my body would burst like a balloon.

‘If I gradually increase the amount of use, my body should adapt, but… I mustn’t overuse it.’

I shook my head at the chilling thought.

“…Could it be because you used black magic?”

“That’s part of it, but it’s nothing serious. I’m just feeling a bit unwell.”

Liribel seemed somehow unconvinced.

She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and carefully wiped around my mouth.

I refused, saying I would wipe it myself, but she kept moving her hands, saying there was too much for me to wipe alone.

After thanking Liribel, who had wiped around my mouth and clothes for a long time, I pointed outside the bedroom.

“By the way, Liribel, is today a day when the Head Maid is on duty?”

“She’ll probably come to work in the morning. Dawn is breaking soon… she’ll be here soon.”

“Then could you tell her to come to me as soon as she starts work? I have something urgent to discuss.”

Liribel seemed curious about what business the Princess had with the Head Maid so early in the morning. But thinking it wasn’t her place to interfere, she answered that she understood and left the bedroom.

I also straightened my disheveled nightgown and sat in a chair in the corner of the bedroom.

Since I wasn’t sleepy, I thought about what to do next.

‘I have no idea where to start. First, to find the mastermind behind the assassination, I need to regain the freedom to go outside the Separate Palace, while simultaneously hiding that I’m a demon…’

Most of the problems couldn’t be solved immediately, but there were a few things where I could find clues.

‘First, I’ll need the Emperor’s permission.’

My father who abandoned me in the Separate Palace. I needed the imperial rights he had taken away. Only with those could I live a human-like life.

While making specific plans, morning broke and the Head Maid arrived at the bedroom.

“…!”

The moment she saw me sitting in the chair, her eyes widened greatly.

It was understandable that she’d be surprised, since I, who had looked deathly pale just last night, had returned with a healthy complexion.

I gestured toward the chair opposite me and said.

“Sit down, Emma, the Head Maid. I have something to say.”

Emma, the Head Maid, she was a servant who had taken care of me for over ten years.

Her surprise was brief, and she politely greeted me before sitting in the chair.

“Has your health recovered?”

“Something like that. This is the first time the Head Maid has seen me looking so healthy, right?”

“I’m glad you’ve recovered.”

Looking at her rigid expression as if she were wearing a mask actually made me feel reassured.

A workaholic who didn’t get involved in politics or factions, focusing solely on her duties.

That was the characteristic of Emma, the Head Maid dispatched from the Main Palace.

‘She probably noticed there was an assassin in the Separate Palace too. But she just didn’t get involved since it wasn’t her job.’

A machine-like person with neither sympathy nor contempt toward me.

To put it harshly, she was someone without humanity, but thanks to that personality, I could trust her more.

‘Considering when she was dispatched, she’s the second safest person after Liribel.’

So she was the right person for the task I was about to entrust her with. I steeled my resolve and opened my mouth.

“Head Maid, actually I almost got assassinated today.”

“…I see.”

“You’re not particularly interested, are you?”

Only her eyebrows twitched slightly as she spoke calmly without any disturbance.

“Protection isn’t part of my duties. Shall I call the Royal Guard? Or it would be better to summon the Chamberlain.”

‘That gentleman is also a suspect.’

The Chamberlain, who was the general manager of the Separate Palace, was one of the prime suspects. Entrusting it to him would only result in evidence destruction.

“Never mind, pretend you didn’t hear what I said. I’ll find the evidence myself. Instead, I’d like you to visit the Main Palace.”

“What kind of task is it?”

“Simple letter delivery. As you know, I’m currently banned from entering the Main Palace. So you’ll go in my place.”

“What kind of content would require…”

I said with a bright smile.

A drastic measure that could overturn the Emperor’s judgment that I had lost my usefulness.

That was…

“I’m thinking of putting out an advertisement looking for a fiancé.”

“…What?”

“I don’t want to get married, but I’ve come to need a husband.”

Wielding the status of being part of the Imperial Family.

This time even Emma couldn’t hide her shock and gaped with her mouth wide open.

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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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