Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 57

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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 057

 

* * *

 

As soon as we arrived at the castle, I took a warm bath and returned to the bedroom, where I showed the stone to Ivan and Liribel.

 

And I summarized the identity of this stone in one line.

 

“This is a stone from space.”

 

Both of them blinked their eyes as if they didn’t understand.

 

“Space… you mean?”

 

“That black world where the moon exists. It’s a stone that fell from there, so it’s a meteorite.”

 

Liribel tilted her head.

 

“Do meteorites contain such magical power?”

 

“It depends on the type. But it has more than this world, which has extremely little magical power.”

 

Meteorites and stars contain magical power.

 

Magically speaking, this was a natural theory. Stars were miraculous substances rich in magical power, so much so that there’s even a saying about wishing upon stars.

 

There’s a reason why even important ceremonies are held under the full moon. It’s because they believe that’s when the moon’s magical power is at its peak.

 

“Of course, it’s extremely rare for such abundant magical power to be maintained for so long. Usually it gets diluted and disappears after coming down to earth. But this stone was exceptionally lucky.”

 

I brushed off the rough sand particles stuck to the stone’s surface. When they fell onto the table, Liribel screamed.

 

“Gasp, don’t tell me this is!”

 

“That’s right, it’s gold.”

 

What surrounded this stone was gold dust mixed with dirt.

 

“There’s probably a gold mine hidden beneath that lake. The meteorite coincidentally fell over the lake and shook up that gold vein, and as a result, gold stuck to its surface.”

 

Gold has the property of preserving and amplifying magical power. There’s a reason why wizards use fancy staffs.

 

The accidentally attached gold and meteorite interacted with each other, filling the lake with magical power.

 

“Of course, this effect isn’t infinite. To keep emitting magical power, you need that much gold and magical power. Even if magical power is supplied, gold is usually insufficient…”

 

“So the gold mine beneath the lake must be enormously large.”

 

“Right. Even by rough estimation, it’s probably the largest among the gold mines discovered in the Empire.”

 

The discovery of a gold mine is certainly good news. Nevertheless, the fact that it led to such trouble couldn’t be easily accepted as mere coincidence.

 

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

 

Liribel and Ivan also wore suspicious expressions.

 

“So what Your Highness is saying is that a meteorite with incredibly strong magical power coincidentally fell over that lake, and there happened to be an enormous gold mine beneath that lake, and thanks to that, the meteorite met the gold and caused this situation… is that it?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Ivan twisted the corner of his mouth and said.

 

“What are the odds of that making sense? I’d rather believe the residents’ story that a god brought down punishment.”

 

“I don’t believe it either. But what can I do when there’s no other way to explain it?”

 

That said, I couldn’t think that someone had planned this situation.

 

Humans couldn’t easily move a meteorite imbued with such powerful magical force. Moreover, how could they have known about a mine that even Viscount Gorden, who had lived in this city for decades, didn’t know about?

 

Both the intention and the process were difficult to understand.

 

‘But it’s too contrived to be coincidence. It’s as if some unknown will encouraged misfortune… wait.’

 

This kind of assessment and experience felt familiar somehow.

 

“Ivan, go out for a moment and find out some information I’ll tell you about.”

 

“What is it, all of a sudden?”

 

“Ask Viscount Gorden when the meteorite fell on this city, and when the decision was made for me to pass through here.”

 

Ivan must have read the seriousness in my expression, as he left the bedroom immediately without asking any questions.

 

Shortly after, he brought back exactly the answer I had expected.

 

“I don’t know if it was a meteorite, but a shooting star did shine. And the date that shooting star appeared and the date it was decided that Your Highness would stop by here… are the same.”

 

Only then did Liribel seem to notice the seriousness of the situation, as her face turned pale.

 

“W-wait a moment, Your Highness. Come to think of it, the date when the epidemic started spreading was also…”

 

“About 5 days ago. In other words, the date I left the Imperial Palace.”

 

On the day it was decided that I would pass through the City of Viscount Gorden, the meteorite fell.

 

And on the day I departed from the Imperial Palace, the magical illness began to manifest.

 

‘Are these all unrelated, ordinary coincidences?’

 

How could that be possible?

 

To brush it off as if nothing happened, the situation had already far exceeded that line.

 

An amazing coincidence as if trying to make me unhappy.

 

Unfortunately, I was very familiar with this kind of experience.

 

‘Did you hear? During Her Highness’s debutante, a chandelier suddenly fell…’

 

‘The playmate was found in the lake in the garden! It was in a deep place where a child couldn’t go!’

 

‘For such misfortune to continue like this, she must definitely be the reincarnation of a demon!’

 

Because this process was similar to the misfortunes of my childhood.

 

‘Whenever I tried to do something, inexplicable misfortune would follow me.’

 

The cursed princess who brings misfortune.

 

It seemed that the inexplicable coincidences, which I thought had been quiet for a while, had started again.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, we left the City of Viscount Gorden. He wanted to see us off grandly somehow, but had to give up because such a busy schedule awaited him.

 

He was already overwhelmed just taking care of the residents, and to make matters worse, it was because I had informed him of the fact that there was a huge gold mine beneath the lake.

 

He saw us off briefly with a strange expression that was both happy and sad.

 

“Your Highness, I will definitely, definitely repay this kindness.”

 

Leaving behind his greeting that showed desperate resolve, we set off on the road again.

 

The moment we left the city, the sight of residents flocking to the exit and bowing to me was honestly something I wanted to erase from my memory.

 

Especially when I heard the word “saint,” I even got goosebumps.

 

‘I suppose it’s fortunate that I wasn’t treated as a princess who spreads curses.’

 

But my heart grew heavy at the thought that the title might actually be true.

 

‘I’m certain there’s no curse on me. Then why does this misfortune keep continuing?’

 

Even while taking in the peaceful nature inside the carriage, I couldn’t shake off thoughts about the curse. Although I had dismissed the misfortunes that had followed me as coincidences, I suddenly felt as if the entire world had been turned upside down.

 

‘If the 3rd Corps Commander were by my side at times like this… he would have analyzed it more precisely.’

 

I leaned my forehead against the window and let out a deep sigh.

 

This situation was too complex for me, who knew nothing except combat magic.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

Just then, someone knocked on the window from the opposite side.

 

“Emma?”

 

It was the head maid, Emma. After asking for my permission, she entered the carriage.

 

“It’s rest time. If you need anything, please let me know. I’ll bring it to you.”

 

“Oh, is it that time already?”

 

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice the carriage had stopped. The next hour or so was rest time given to the horses and coachman.

 

“No, I’m fine like this. When it’s time, don’t ask and just depart on your own.”

 

“Then at least some refreshments…”

 

“I’m not hungry. I’m not thirsty either.”

 

“…I see.”

 

Somehow Emma’s reaction was strange. Usually, she would back off on her own after one refusal.

 

‘Besides, why did Emma come instead of Liribel? Usually this kind of thing is Liribel’s responsibility.’

 

As if my question had been conveyed, Emma briefly moved her lips with troubled eyes.

 

“Well, Liribel and Count Ivan called me. They asked me to… comfort Your Highness.”

 

“Comfort? Me?”

 

“They said you’ve been dispirited since departing from the City of Viscount Gorden.”

 

‘Ah, was I too quiet?’

 

Come to think of it, I don’t think I said a single word during the entire journey after leaving the city. It might have been a painful time for the talkative Liribel and Ivan.

 

Unable to endure such silence, did Ivan and Liribel ask Emma, the most adult among them, to do something about it?

 

Emma carefully examined my face.

 

“I heard that misfortunes have piled up.”

 

“That’s right. And it’s definitely not a coincidence.”

 

I smiled bitterly. Even though it was something I had experienced, it was difficult to explain clearly.

 

Then Emma pondered for a moment before opening her mouth.

 

“Even if the misfortune that followed Your Highness has attached itself again, I don’t think all of this is Your Highness’s fault. As long as there’s no malicious intent.”

 

Her tone was stiff, but it seemed like she said it to comfort me in her own way.

 

“Of course. I have no intention of shouldering guilt over something like this. If there’s any fault, it lies with whatever made this misfortune cling to my life.”

 

Just, I added quietly.

 

“It’s just annoying that I’m so incompetent at finding it.”

 

Then Emma suddenly leaned her head forward and said.

 

“Your Highness is not incompetent.”

 

“Uh, huh?”

 

“Just as Liribel said. Your Highness is being too hard on yourself.”

 

Then, like a teacher scolding a child, she spoke with half-closed eyes.

 

“Excessively passive self-blame—that’s a soldier’s habit. Please remember that Your Highness is a member of the Imperial Family.”

 

‘Emma, are you perhaps a mind reader?’

 

I was momentarily speechless at her perceptiveness.

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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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