Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 71

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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 071

I answered awkwardly.

“I think I should ask Ruslara or my guard about that. But may I ask why you’re curious?”

When I pressed him on whether he truly needed the necklace, his lips trembled as if his words had caught in his throat.

“That is…”

He fell silent, as though bewildered by his own question.

“…Count Loreil?”

When he offered no explanation even after a long pause, I finally called out to him first.

He came to his senses belatedly and let out a short, hollow cough.

“No, I merely wished to see the face of the mercenary who insulted the Imperial Family. Please forget what I said.”

“Even if you tell me to forget…”

He had been making verbal missteps since earlier. His complexion was ashen—had something exhausting happened to him recently?

“You should treat that wound on your neck quickly. It may leave a scar.”

“You’re right, I should prepare some salve.”

“I have some.”

Loreil rummaged through his garments and produced a small box that appeared to contain salve, which he handed to me.

I accepted it and asked with mild skepticism.

“You’re quite prepared. Do you always carry it with you?”

“It’s mere coincidence. A friend gave it to me recently…”

I examined the salve box carefully. The elegant surface bore the emblem of a rabbit.

‘His girlfriend must have given it to him.’

As if reading my thoughts, Loreil spoke with conviction.

“That man is male. The lord of the Yoner Mine.”

“Ah, I see.”

And so our conversation ended. Since the hour had grown late, we decided to discuss the matter concerning Princess Chloe with the lord of the Yoner Mine tomorrow.

I was rising from my seat to make arrangements for our morning meeting when Loreil suddenly recalled something and asked.

“Now that I think of it, there was a Guard Knight I hadn’t seen before. Is he one of Princess Chloe’s knights?”

‘He’s asking about Ivan.’

Whenever I met him, he always disguised himself as a servant, so it made sense that Loreil would regard him as a stranger.

I replied with feigned composure.

“He’s a knight who normally accompanies us. He’s a colleague of Ruslara’s.”

“I see.”

He nodded casually. I bid him a good night and slipped out of the cottage.

‘I wonder if he’s sleeping in there?’

The Prime Minister’s heir seemed cramped in such a small space, yet he showed no intention of leaving the cottage.

As I turned to head back to the lodging where I had awakened earlier, a familiar voice called out from the darkness.

“Your Highness.”

It was Ivan. He greeted me with his usual playful smile.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Why are you suddenly appearing like that?”

“Right now, between you and the young master—who’s stronger?”

“….”

That was all he had to say?

I exhaled softly and gave him the answer he wanted to hear.

“You’re stronger now. By far.”

With magical power elevated to such heights, there was no comparing him to an ordinary human.

‘Of course, his raw strength has increased, but I still think Loreil’s technical skill is superior.’

I held my tongue—telling him the truth would only make him sulk.

“That’s what I thought.”

Ivan, wearing a smug expression, vanished back into the darkness.

I found myself thinking he was truly an enigma.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe and I set out for Lord Alberto’s Mansion, the owner of Yoner Mine.

Incidentally, when I met Chloe that morning, she asked to be called by her name rather than her title as princess. She wanted to be seen as an exile now, not as Princess Chloe.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Loreil and an unfamiliar man greeted us in the first-floor lobby.

“I am honored to meet the Sun of the Empire and her descendant. I am Alberto Yoner.”

The man, who offered his greeting with refined elegance, bore an impression so hearty and open that I couldn’t imagine him as the owner of a rabbit-themed box.

If Loreil possessed a beauty like that of a sculpture, then this man seemed as though he could serve as the representative youth of a rural village.

I accepted his greeting with proper courtesy.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Yoner. Please forgive our sudden intrusion.”

“Haha! Not at all—rather, I’m honored to have the opportunity to invite the renowned Princess Deina herself!”

“Renowned” didn’t sound like pure praise to my ears.

Loreil, standing beside me, seemed to share that sentiment, his expression darkening slightly.

“Alberto. Enough.”

“Ah, yes. Did I misspeak again?”

This wasn’t the first time, clearly—Alberto scratched his head sheepishly.

“In any case, please feel free to call me Alberto. I’ve only recently assumed my position and haven’t grown accustomed to formality yet.”

“But surely the proper address—”

“I insist. You call him Loreil without titles, do you not?”

Though the heir and the Count’s patriarch were technically of different stations, he seemed to prefer being treated casually.

I considered for a moment, then nodded in acquiescence.

“Very well, Alberto.”

It would normally be a grave breach of protocol, but if he wished it so.

Alberto laughed heartily in gratitude.

Soon after, Princess Chloe introduced herself.

“I-I’m Chloe of the Jins Kingdom. Please, call me by my name rather than my title.”

Despite her resolve to live boldly, her timid nature hadn’t vanished—she clung to my back, avoiding the gaze of the two men.

Upon seeing her, Alberto let out an admiring sound.

“What a magnificent shade of pink! Like spring blossoms adorning the world! Who knew such a color could exist in a person?”

“Y-yes?”

Madness gleamed in his eyes. He abandoned all pretense of decorum and strode toward Chloe with bold, sweeping steps.

“Surely that’s not dyed hair? Ah, had I known such a person existed, I would have taken the battlefield instead of Loreil…!”

Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly turned to me and spoke.

“Your Highness the Princess’s eyes are equally beautiful. They evoke the feeling of encountering a lion upon the plains.”

“Ah, yes.”

I had nothing else to say.

Loreil, observing my unenthusiastic expression, stepped forward to block Alberto.

“That was discourteous, Alberto.”

“Ah, quite right. We shouldn’t keep our guests standing. Do come in!”

Alberto invited us into the mansion with exaggerated gestures. Evidently charmed by Chloe’s appearance, he personally escorted her inside.

Loreil and I naturally followed in their wake.

“My apologies, Your Highness the Princess. Alberto is rather peculiar.”

“Please, there’s no need for Loreil to apologize…”

“He’s obsessed with aesthetics, you see. He cannot resist anything cute, beautiful, or rare.”

While many nobles are passionate about beauty, Loreil added, Alberto was somewhat exceptional among them.

Therefore, he paused briefly.

“…His comment about Your Highness the Princess’s beautiful eyes was likely not a falsehood.”

“…?”

Just as I was about to ask what he meant, we arrived at the Reception Room.

Alberto himself opened the door to usher us inside, then ostentatiously poured tea into the prepared cups with his own hands.

“Today’s tea is a floral blend of dried azaleas from the Western Region and roses from this area. Shall we have a cup before we talk?”

Overwhelmed by his commanding presence, I drank the tea awkwardly. Fortunately, it tasted exquisite.

After a considerable time had passed, we finally began our conversation.

“First, I must apologize for the disturbance caused in Alberto’s Domain. The battle occurred because….”

I briefly explained what Chloe had endured, adding that there was a conspiracy behind those who had targeted her. However, I kept silent about Chloe’s plan, which had been the starting point of all these incidents.

“I see.”

Alberto, who had seemed indifferent when hearing about the rebellion in Jins Kingdom, now lit up at the mention of the battle with the Mercenary Groups.

“There are more than a few oddities here. A mere dozen or so guards of the Princess defeated hundreds of mercenaries. That’s quite remarkable.”

It was a question I had anticipated. The disparity in forces was enormous, yet we hadn’t suffered a single casualty. I produced my prepared answer.

“It was thanks to their exceptional skill. In particular, Ruslara is a knight who won the Arena championship.”

“Hmm, even if the legendary Sun Knight herself appeared, she couldn’t defeat a hundred enemies.”

His tone was admiring, yet suspicion still gleamed in Alberto’s eyes—as though he were silently pressuring me to provide a credible truth.

‘I’m sorry for defiling his courtyard, but I still can’t reveal my secrets.’

In moments like this, leveraging my position as Imperial Family was the wisest course.

“Indeed. Such a miraculous victory… It must surely be the Sun God’s protection.”

I clasped my hands together in a prayer-like gesture and murmured.

“Ah, blessed be the Sun God’s grace. We are grateful.”

“….”

An uncomfortable silence settled over the Reception Room.

Even Chloe, sitting beside me, wore a bewildered expression, while Loreil’s eyes narrowed with barely concealed disdain.

‘What can you possibly do about the Imperial Family calling it a miracle of the Sun God?’

What are you staring at? Do you dislike being an Imperial citizen?

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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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