Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 7

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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 007

Yet that murderous intent vanished in an instant. He then resumed his serene smile and spoke.

“Haha, it must be because the weather has grown cold.”

The fact that I had bled from my nose before him should have been quite humiliating, yet he showed no sign of it.

Truly, the acting prowess befitting one of the Prime Minister’s Family.

I wanted to shatter that wretched smile, but I restrained myself.

I was acutely aware that the holy power within the carriage was only stoking my fury further.

‘The holy power is inciting my emotions. I must endure.’

Demons and holy power were naturally antithetical. Thus, mere exposure to holy power made me nauseated, and my emotions grew volatile.

It was like being engulfed in refuse teeming with filth.

Then the carriage began to move. I opened the window under the pretense of motion sickness, savoring the fresh air outside.

Loreil, who had been watching me intently, then asked.

“By the way, Your Highness the Princess, has your health not fully recovered yet? I grew concerned seeing you collapse so suddenly.”

“…It is fine. It is merely a chronic condition.”

“I hope for your swift recovery. Then His Majesty the Emperor will be able to see Your Highness the Princess again.”

I answered with laughter instead.

Even as I did, I anticipated his true intentions.

‘So he has no intention of mentioning the magical power.’

Had he directly questioned me about yesterday’s events, I would have deflected with vague evasions. After all, there was insufficient evidence and justification to expose the Princess.

But he had chosen direct confrontation over tentative probing.

‘I won’t merely observe carefully—I’ll verify it myself. That’s the approach.’

The extravagant Carriage prepared in a single night was proof of this resolve.

Reckless, yet rational. Rather than argue without evidence, he had chosen to fabricate it himself.

‘Of course, I’m no lowborn Demon to fall for such tactics.’

I leaned back deliberately against the chair dyed with holy water. This degree of sacred power was hardly irritating.

If this could dispel the suspicion directed at me, that would be ideal.

“Now that I think of it, the Imperial Family members attend the Temple each New Year’s to hear His Majesty the Emperor’s address, don’t they? Does the Princess attend as well?”

The way he subtly brought up the Temple only deepened my suspicion instead.

I answered with a bitter smile.

“Well, I’d love to attend, but since arriving at the Separate Palace, I haven’t been invited to any family events.”

Loreil’s pupils trembled slightly, as though he hadn’t expected such a response.

He quickly composed himself and offered a formal apology.

“My apologies. That was thoughtless of me.”

“No, it’s fine.”

He apologized sincerely for such a trivial matter—a peculiar man indeed.

An awkward silence followed. Fortunately, the Carriage arrived at the Event Venue not long after.

‘It’s been years since I left the Imperial Palace.’

I had desperately wanted to escape the Imperial Palace, yet now that I had, I felt nothing. The gates of the Imperial Palace were so easily crossed, yet why had they felt so distant and insurmountable before?

“Your Highness the Princess?”

“Ah, yes.”

I took Loreil’s hand again and descended from the carriage. The moment my feet touched the ground, he handed me a hat adorned with a veil.

“The sunlight is quite intense. Please wear this.”

“Thank you.”

‘He does have consideration.’

The pretext was sunlight, but his true concern was concealing my eyes. My navy hair was one thing, but if my platinum irises were exposed, it would undoubtedly cause unnecessary commotion.

I silently donned the hat and proceeded according to his guidance.

“The Arena lies just ahead.”

Loreil offered to guide me inside and led the way.

The Arena’s appearance matched exactly what I had learned from books. An enormous circular arena surrounded by countless tiers of spectator seating.

It was a colossal facility, befitting the Empire’s most popular event.

A staff member at the entrance attempted to stop us, but upon belatedly noticing the seal carved into the carriage, he hastily stepped aside.

‘Status truly is convenient.’

Moreover, his manner of consideration was considerate and unburdensome.

It would have been perfect if only he hadn’t prepared such a treacherous trap.

Concealing my inner regret, I ascended the spectator stands alongside him. I could see the competitors warming up in the arena below.

“Are those the participants?”

“Indeed. They are the eight competitors who will participate in the tournament throughout the event.”

Each competitor wore ornate armor. Unlike the brutality of the matches, their appearance resembled Knights.

‘None of them appear particularly skilled.’

As I was roughly assessing the competitors’ capabilities, my attention was drawn to a figure in the corner, alone and maintaining weapons.

The Armored Knight was a striking figure—his armor corroded with rust and filth, his helmet in particular bearing a distinctly faded hue.

“Is he a competitor as well?”

“Ah, the Armored Knight, I see.”

“The Armored Knight?”

The nickname was peculiar. As I expressed my confusion, Loreil tilted his head thoughtfully before explaining.

“To prevent fatal injuries, all competitors must wear helmets that completely obscure the face. Because of this, they prefer ornate armor to express their individuality.”

True to his words, the other competitors’ helmets were adorned elaborately—some with flowers affixed to the crown, others with gold leaf applied to the cheeks.

“Yet that competitor has never once altered his helmet’s design. He wears only the standard helmet provided by the Arena.”

“Is that why he’s called the Armored Knight?”

“Not only that—he has apparently never revealed his face to the spectators.”

Sensing my interest, Loreil offered a brief account of the Armored Knight’s career.

In summary, he possessed the longest tenure among competitors, yet he had always lost in crucial matches and had never earned a medal.

Paradoxically, this ignominy had garnered him popularity, and among the crowds, a derisive nickname had emerged.

Having heard the full explanation, I thought him quite the distinctive character and began to shift my gaze away.

In that instant.

‘Wait… that ornament at his waist…’

A decoration hanging from the Armored Knight’s armor caught my eye.

It was a brooch—a black lion with a flowing mane, a small dagger clenched between its teeth.

One I knew all too well…

‘No… surely not. Surely not.’

My heart thundered violently the moment I glimpsed that emblem.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but the emblem’s form remained unchanged.

The Black Lion signifying the Demon King. The dagger of a warrior fighting for the Demon Clan. A general’s emblem—the fusion of both.

The true identity of that symbol was….

My coat of arms.

The symbol of my past life—Asmodina.

I continued to examine it, wondering if it was merely coincidence, but the form of the mane and even the eyes matched my emblem perfectly.

Any Demon bearing that emblem could only be my subordinate or vassal….

Yet such a being could not possibly exist in the human world.

As I stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening, a staff member appeared in the Arena and summoned the competitors.

Well then, we shall commence the practice match. Everyone, please prepare yourselves.

Practice?

Perhaps noticing my gaze, Loreil, who had been about to move, glanced at the Arena and offered an explanation.

Before entering the main tournament, they conduct a practice match to assess their condition. Would you care to watch if you’re interested?

Yes.

Loreil seemed surprised that I wished to watch the match. I paid no mind and took my seat, fixing my gaze upon the Arena. Loreil’s suspicions mattered little—what was crucial was identifying the true nature of that emblem.

Very well, then we shall divide into east and west teams and commence the match….

And so the practice match proceeded.

I found myself speechless at the absurd result.

Truly… they lacked all creativity.

To put it simply, the Armored Fighter was quite a talented trainee. Unlike other recruits who lacked basic physical conditioning, he showed promise of becoming a decent Soldier if properly trained.

Yet despite possessing such a capable body, his sparring record was abysmal.

He won perhaps three times out of ten matches, and when he lost, he was utterly humiliated.

Watching his sword clatter across the ground and his shield slip from his grasp only to flip over pathetically gave me a headache.

‘Why does someone with his level of ability fight so poorly?’

Frustration boiled within me.

If I were Asmodina, I would have shouted at him to get his act together and drilled him relentlessly.

“Your Highness the Princess? Is something troubling you?”

“No… it’s nothing at all.”

Unable to reveal my true thoughts to Loreil, I forced a smile and shook my head.

I could only clench my fists as I watched the Armored Fighter suffer yet another crushing defeat.

He didn’t even seem frustrated by his loss.

‘And he carries my emblem with such pathetic skill.’

I am human. Not a Demon. Even as I repeated this truth to myself, I could not forgive such terrible ability.

Because of this weak trainee, the Armored Fighter, memories of the Instructor surfaced unbidden.

‘The Commander was disappointed in all of you.’

The military spirit within my heart—Asmodina—was screaming fiercely at me to train this wretch.

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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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