Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 73

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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 073

Realizing I was indulging in baseless speculation, I spoke hastily.

“Purification? It must be a coincidence. Perhaps sunlight streamed in and caused it to glimmer….”

“There are no windows in this room, however.”

“Ah, or perhaps some magical enchantment was applied to it.”

“As the master of this house, I have never heard of such a thing.”

My excuses crumbled entirely beneath Alberto’s firm objections.

‘Why did it suddenly emit light like that! Now I’m just inviting suspicion!’

In Loreil’s eyes—already harboring doubts—certainty now flickered instead of mere suspicion. I coughed awkwardly, averted my gaze, and hastily returned the diamond to its box.

At this point, feigning ignorance was my only option.

“Curious things do happen. Perhaps the curse itself was merely a fabrication….”

“The last victim of that diamond was my father.”

“…Well, perhaps not. It truly is a terrifying gemstone.”

Why does this man always reveal the most crucial information at the very end?

I discreetly avoided Alberto’s gaze.

Now I could almost see the word “as expected” forming in Loreil’s eyes.

“Hmm.”

Meanwhile, Alberto’s expression grew more solemn as he fell into contemplation. Then, abruptly, he opened the box and placed the diamond upon his palm.

“It has definitely changed. The luster, the aura—everything is different now.”

His skill in gemstone appraisal appeared to be genuine. Indeed, the Node Diamond, now freed of its curse and malice, radiated a color entirely distinct from before.

Where once it had emanated an aura that unsettled all who beheld it, the diamond now reflected a gentle luminescence—as though it harbored a fragment of the sun itself.

Having discerned the diamond’s true nature, I could dimly perceive the reason for its transformation. Yet I could not voice it aloud, for doing so would reveal my identity as a Demon.

At that moment, Alberto extended the jewel toward me and spoke.

“I wish to present this gem to the Princess.”

“Ah, no. I was hoping for a different stone…”

“This is a gift from me, separate from any transaction.”

He continued, his expression as resolute as a warrior standing upon the battlefield.

“The transformed color, luster, and form of this jewel are all perfect—as though born for the Princess alone. I cannot bear the thought of anyone but her wearing it.”

“But you said it was cursed! How could she possibly wear such a thing!”

“No, the curse has been completely dispelled just now. I swear it upon my name, my soul, and my family honor. This gem now contains only beauty.”

‘How does this human have such impeccable taste!’

The Node Diamond, as it now stood, deserved to be called a blessed gem rather than a cursed one. Whether he had instinctively sensed this, he continued speaking while casually caressing the surface of the jewel.

“Should the Princess refuse, I shall bury this gem in the Underground Dungeon where I need never lay eyes upon it again. For every time I see it, I would be reminded of her.”

His words sounded like a proposal. Chloe, who had been stealing glances at us from beside, was blushing furiously and murmuring in astonishment.

‘But burying it underground… that’s far too dangerous.’

Knowing the true nature of that gem as I did, I could not recommend such an action. There was a real risk that an actual curse might descend upon the burial site.

“Please, I implore you to accept it, Princess. My aesthetic sense, my very soul cries out—the purified Node Diamond must be given to you!”

Upon hearing his passionate declaration, Loreil spoke to me in a voice tinged with resignation.

“If the curse has truly been lifted, please accept it. Once Alberto enters such a state, no one can stop him. Furthermore…”

He glanced at the gem.

“You’re well aware of that jewel’s nature, aren’t you, Your Highness?”

His tone carried absolute certainty that I possessed some extraordinary power.

I was still deliberating how to handle this when Chloe approached from behind and whispered to me.

“Your Highness, I think you should accept that jewel.”

“Why?”

“I just consulted with the Lake Deity, and they said that leaving it here would bring great calamity upon this place.”

‘Can she really invoke divine counsel so freely?’

Regardless, the Lake Deity had a tendency to grant wishes through twisted interpretations, but they were no liar. Alberto must have foreseen that burying this jewel in the ground would unleash a curse upon this entire region.

‘I have no choice.’

Against my better judgment, I reluctantly accepted the Node Diamond. I couldn’t possibly allow an entire city to become a cursed wasteland.

“As expected, a jewel truly worthy of Your Highness!”

Alberto beamed like a child who had finally fitted the last puzzle piece into place.

Did this man truly comprehend just how extraordinary this treasure was?

I gazed upon what was likely the rarest jewel in the entire Human Realm—worth more than this city itself, perhaps even more than the Imperial Palace—and exhaled a heavy sigh.

* * *

After a brief conversation with Alberto regarding our contract, I returned to my lodging. Loreil apologized for being unable to see me off, mentioning he had matters to discuss with Alberto.

Instead, as I departed, he offered me these parting words.

‘That jewel is beautiful, I think. It shares the same color as Your Highness’s eyes.’

Did that remark imply my eyes were beautiful as well?

His true intentions remained inscrutable.

Upon returning to the Lodging, Chloe immediately bombarded me with questions.

“Your Highness! That jewel was indeed purified, wasn’t it? It was originally a cursed gem, right?”

The curiosity she’d suppressed in front of the two men came pouring out.

I moved to calm her down first.

“Slowly now—I’ll explain everything step by step. First, the source of the curse isn’t this jewel itself. Though it did contain the curse, that’s true.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“This jewel is, in a manner of speaking, a specialized container for malevolence. It possesses a unique power to absorb curses and malice, then seal them away within itself.”

The Node Diamond appeared to have no capacity limit whatsoever. In theory, it could contain every curse in the entire world.

Chloe examined the jewel in my hand with wide eyes, turning it this way and that.

“Such power in something so small? Is it enchanted with magic?”

“Not magic, but the craftsmanship resembles magical arrays. It was designed with exquisite precision to allow curses to be endlessly poured inside.”

That flawless structure was precisely why I’d been so captivated by the jewel at first sight.

It was akin to the psychological compulsion to gaze into a chasm that descends into the abyss.

Whoever created it—I had no idea—but their craftsmanship alone could be said to rival that of the divine.

“If it’s such a remarkable jewel, why did the Lake Deity warn against it? And people have died from its curse, or so I’ve heard….”

“While it can contain curses, it cannot seal them completely. The malice emanating from concentrated curses can still harm those who possess it.”

Simply carrying this jewel would deepen one’s melancholy and invite unexpected accidents and misfortune.

“And I didn’t purify the curse. I merely released what was contained within it to the outside.”

“Released it? But why?”

“That’s….”

I couldn’t bring myself to say it was because I was a more powerful Demon than those curses. It was the same principle as ants scattering to avoid a human’s footsteps.

The light that burst forth was merely an effect produced when the curses took flight through the air.

“I’m simply strong, that’s all.”

With no better excuse at hand, I glossed over it vaguely. At that, Chloe’s eyes gleamed with admiration.

“As expected of the Princess! You’re truly remarkable!”

‘She’s so easily deceived. I’m genuinely worried about her future.’

In any case, I was relieved she understood.

“A gem that indiscriminately collects curses like that couldn’t be left alone. If Alberto truly buried it in the ground, it would eternally gather curses from its surroundings and….”

“The land would become corrupted, radiating malevolent energy?”

“Exactly.”

Chloe pondered for a moment, then tilted her head curiously.

“So this gem is both dangerous and incredibly useful?”

“Yes. Even if you sold every gem in that warehouse, it wouldn’t equal the cost of using this gem once.”

“Gasp.”

Chloe’s eyes widened, clearly unaware it was worth that much.

It had the minor drawback that the user would go mad if curses weren’t periodically extracted, but judging solely by its function of absorbing malevolent power regardless of type, it was hardly an exaggeration to call it a divine treasure.

“Oh! Then couldn’t the Princess use this gem?”

At that moment, Chloe clapped her hands as if struck by inspiration.

“They say misfortunes and curses follow the Princess wherever she goes lately! If you scattered this gem along your travels in advance, wouldn’t the misfortune disappear?”

“It’s not some kind of pesticide. There’s no way something like that would work….”

Just as I was about to dismiss the idea as absurd, a thought struck me—perhaps it might actually work.

‘After all, it’s definitely a malevolent force, so absorption might be possible.’

Besides, attempting it wouldn’t harm me in any way. I nodded and spoke.

“It’s worth a try.”

“Exactly.”

Let’s do it immediately.

I ordered Ivan to conceal this gem around our intended destination.

And then, some time later, a remarkable report arrived.

“The crime organization that had been lurking in the Border Region Village has been captured!”

“The floodwaters have receded, and the great bridge is now passable.”

“A sudden downpour has extinguished the forest fire that was raging in the mountain region.”

In a single day, every misfortune had vanished without a trace.

Upon hearing this report, I found myself utterly bewildered, muttering softly.

“Did I… make the right choice in accepting this?”

It felt as though unexpected fortune had rolled into my lap.

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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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