Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 86

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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 086

“In any case, if the teapot had a device installed, that would mean the perpetrator is the Chamberlain.”

“Precisely. He only needed to tamper with it when serving tea to Her Highness the Princess.”

Though somewhat startled, I was glad I’d taken Gregory’s advice and spoken with Atlas. I never would have guessed such a device could be hidden in an ordinary-looking teapot.

“Your Highness the Princess.”

“Hmm?”

The music was drawing to a close. As I took the final step, Atlas leaned in and whispered near my ear.

“If there is a threat of assassination, shouldn’t you leave immediately? Someone brazen enough to use poison in such a public place won’t simply accept that the poison failed to work.”

“It’s fine.”

I shook my head.

“They can’t kill me with something like this. Rather, finding the culprit before the evidence disappears is far more certain.”

“….”

Atlas stared at me blankly, as if my answer was strange.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just… quite admirable.”

‘What now?’

I gave her an exasperated look for her endless admiration.

But Atlas simply smiled with satisfaction and released my hand as the music ended.

“Then, please call upon me whenever you have need.”

“Understood. Now wait here and don’t cause any trouble.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

After parting ways with Atlas, I made my way back to the VIP Seating Area. Gregory approached me cautiously, as though he had been waiting for my return.

“I’ve confirmed the poison.”

“Impressive infiltration. How did you manage it?”

“I used the shrubbery to crawl close, then jostled the table to spill the black tea.”

“…You’ve done well.”

Imagining this perfectly presentable man crawling across the ground filled me with a peculiar sense of pity. He whispered gratefully in response to my praise.

“As suspected, it was a paralytic poison. For an ordinary human, the dose would have induced unconsciousness approximately one hour after ingestion. There are no other effects.”

One hour.

I had consumed the black tea roughly an hour ago. By now, the poison should have taken effect.

“So it wasn’t a lethal poison after all?”

“Correct. Moreover, it’s highly volatile—by the time the tea cools in the cup, the poison dissipates entirely.”

In other words, no evidence remains. Even if I insisted someone had poisoned my tea, proving it would be nearly impossible without drinking it myself.

‘A cunning method that leaves no trace, a teapot with special mechanisms, a non-lethal toxin, and someone capable of tampering with the VIP Seating Area…’

I had a fairly clear suspicion of who the culprit was.

“Gregory, how many pieces remain?”

“I heard there would be three more pieces played consecutively before the intermission.”

“That’s sufficient. I’ll return to the VIP Seating Area—prepare for my departure.”

“Are you leaving so soon?”

“Yes. I suspect circumstances will force my hand.”

“Pardon?”

Ignoring Gregory’s bewilderment, I made my way toward the VIP Seating Area.

There, I positioned myself before Gilbert, who had been conversing with Franz.

“What is it, Deina?”

I smiled warmly as I spoke.

“Gilbert, would you dance the next piece with me? It’s been so long since we’ve danced together.”

He appeared momentarily taken aback, but soon responded with a radiant smile.

“I’d be delighted. I apologize—I should have asked you first.”

‘As if.’

His words rang hollow, and I suppressed an inward smirk as I took his hand.

Gilbert escorted me toward the Central Field, and the crowd instinctively parted—perhaps because two members of the Imperial Family were together. He asked as we moved.

“Are you certain you’re well enough? From what I observed earlier, you’ve already danced two consecutive pieces.”

“Thank you for your concern. But my stamina has improved considerably as my health has recovered.”

Fortunately, the next piece was a slow-tempo waltz. I leaned into his embrace and spoke softly.

“In fact, I’ve grown robust enough that poison hardly troubles me anymore.”

“….”

His expression remained unmoved, yet I caught the subtle tremor in his eyes—a detail I did not miss.

“I’m not sure what you mean. Has there been some incident with poison recently?”

“There was, actually. The tea I just drank was poisoned.”

“Good heavens! How dreadful! But we drank from the same pot….”

“There was a device in the teapot. The handle had a strange hole attached to it.”

“…How curious. But why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re the culprit.”

As the music transitioned to the next measure, I turned my body around. He gazed at me with sorrowful eyes and asked.

“Why would I harm Deina?”

“Don’t play innocent now. Only you or the Empress would resort to such underhanded tactics.”

Those excluded from suspicion were Franz and Jeina.

Jeina, as I mentioned earlier, was the type who would never do anything to tarnish the Imperial Family’s honor, and Franz would have employed a bolder method than this.

The Empress was out of the question from the start. Since she was the one who invited me, if I collapsed here, she would be the first person suspected.

“This is disappointing. Being suspected without proper evidence.”

“Stop feigning innocence and tell me your purpose. Then I’ll forgive you this once.”

“Ha, why should I apologize when I’ve done nothing wrong?”

As expected, he knew how to evade. Well, without physical evidence, there was no reason for him to confess willingly.

I let out a small laugh and glanced toward the VIP Seating Area.

“Then I have no choice. I’ll have to punish you.”

“A joke, certainly. But what method could you possibly—”

“If your mother and siblings all collapse, you’ll understand the gravity of the situation, won’t you?”

“…!”

He tightened his grip on my hand. Perhaps he intended to threaten me, but unfortunately, I possessed the greater strength.

“Ugh…”

With a sharp crack, I tightened my grip on his fingers, and Gilbert let out a pained gasp. My nails dug deeply into the back of his hand.

“What….”

Unable to accept that he had been overpowered, the eyes that had maintained their composure all this time trembled violently.

“I already knew you were going to poison the black tea. That’s why I bribed the Chamberlain and swapped the two containers of liquid inside the teapot.”

“You switched the poison and the black tea?”

“Yes, I told you I drank the poison earlier? That was a lie. The truth is, what I drank was real black tea, and what you all drank was the poison. Why would I still be fine otherwise?”

“…!”

Faced with this shocking revelation, I felt his heartbeat quicken. I deliberately rested my head against his chest and, feigning intimacy, led the dance while speaking.

“It’s been about an hour since you drank the tea? The poison should be taking effect now. I drank first, then you and Franz, and then the Empress….”

By my account, it was nearly time for the two princes and the Empress to fall into paralysis.

Gilbert’s complexion turned deathly pale.

I helpfully explained what would happen next.

“This will be quite the spectacle. Both princes collapsing simultaneously, and the Empress losing consciousness on top of that. Regardless of anything else, the Emperor and Empress are not the type to let something like this slide.”

The Emperor tolerated a certain degree of political scheming and intrigue among his sons vying for succession. It was as if he wouldn’t interfere unless there was clear evidence.

But he would never tolerate a child who challenged his own authority.

And the Emperor regarded the Empress as his possession.

He would surely go to any lengths to uncover the culprit. For Gilbert, concealing evidence before the Emperor was an impossible task.

“Of course, Franz won’t sit idle either. He’ll definitely come at you, convinced you’re the perpetrator.”

I wasn’t the only one who understood Gilbert’s nature. Franz was no fool either, and he would certainly use this incident as a pretext to attack.

“Deina, you….”

Gilbert hadn’t anticipated such a sharp counterattack, and his face flushed crimson—a shade that suited the spring blossoms perfectly. I smiled, finding the color rather becoming on him.

“Just because you haven’t seen me in years, you underestimated me that badly? Did you really think I’d fall for such a crude trick?”

“How did you even…?”

“When we were children, you were far more meticulous. You didn’t go around grinning like an idiot back then, but you were sharp enough to match wits with me. Now? Not so much.”

It was a transparent provocation, yet it struck Gilbert with surprising force. He’d always been plagued by inferiority, even as a child, when his academic performance lagged behind mine.

‘Of course, it’s all lies.’

I drank the poisoned tea myself. I never bribed the Chamberlain.

Yet the mere fact that I didn’t collapse, that I knew the teapot’s secret—that alone ensnared him in my words.

‘He chose the wrong person to provoke.’

Ten years had passed, but did he truly believe I would forget who I am?

“Playing politics has made you duller, it seems.”

I added the final words he craved, spoken softly.

“Brother.”

Now anger blazed unmistakably across his face.

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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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