Chapter 13
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Pretending to Be Human Today Too
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"......I have no idea what you're talking about."
The Empress quickly regained her bright smile, but by then, I was already certain of her true feelings.
'The Empress had her sights set on Loreil as Jeina's fiancé.'
From what I'd heard, Loreil had suddenly become the heir after his older brother died young, and he still hadn't found a suitable fiancée.
In contrast, my little sister Jeina had no shortage of potential suitors.
Unlike me—who couldn't even find a partner at my debutante ball—she could pick one on the spot if she wanted.
'But Jeina's so exceptional that the Empress wouldn't settle for just any candidate.'
I knew the Empress doted on Jeina. The woman who never spared me a word when I was young treasured Jeina like a jewel.
And then, into this picture stepped Loreil, heir to the Prime Minister's family.
I covered my smiling mouth with my hand to avoid seeming rude and spoke to the Empress.
"I think Jeina and Sir Loreil would make a great match too."
"That's exactly why I don't..."
"There's no need to be wary of me, 'Mother.' I'm still an older sister who can wish for her sibling's happiness."
"......"
The smile vanished from the Empress's face. Her expressionless look felt like a chill wind sweeping through the cozy greenhouse.
"You've been throwing me off since earlier. I'm dying to hear what Princess Deyna is really thinking."
"You're worried I'll get involved with Sir Loreil? When he's the one you've picked out for Jeina as her fiancé?"
"That's why I don't understand why Jeina keeps coming up."
I'd expected a question like "Why do you think I'm after Loreil?" but she hit me with the most obvious dodge instead.
I stroked my cooling teacup as I gathered my thoughts.
"Because if this isn't for Jeina's sake, you'd be in trouble."
"......?"
"His Imperial Majesty orchestrated this whole situation. He commanded Sir Loreil to assist me. And that 'me' probably means..."
I took a sip of tea before continuing.
"Once I've successfully reentered high society, he'll pair me off with Sir Loreil."
The Empress didn't deny it.
The gossip-loving nobles would blow rumors about the unmarried pair's collaboration out of proportion.
The Emperor, seasoned in political intrigue, couldn't have failed to predict that.
'From his perspective, it's killing two birds with one stone. He plants imperial blood in a rival house and gives his discarded daughter some use after all.'
The reason I'd been shocked when Loreil first approached me was that I'd never imagined him being unmarried.
Now that I knew he was single, the Emperor's intentions were crystal clear.
'Of course, he probably doesn't genuinely think Loreil and I would work out. If it happens, great; if not, he'll just toss me aside.'
"But Your Majesty tried to keep Sir Loreil and me apart. Even though it risks defying His Imperial Majesty's will."
"......"
"You wouldn't ignore the fallout if you got caught... so you must have prepared an excuse."
A justifiable reason compelling her to sabotage the Emperor's plan.
The answer was obvious.
"One princess's failure can be offset by another's success."
It was the kind of excuse that would fly with an Emperor who saw people as expendable tools.
Without a rational alternative, he'd discard even the Empress if she interfered with his schemes.
'We have three princes and two princesses. If not me, then Jeina naturally takes that spot.'
An excuse like that would satisfy the Emperor.
No—he might even prefer Jeina's guaranteed success over my uncertain one.
"That's why I figured Your Majesty approached me for Jeina's sake. Anything else, and you wouldn't have a defense His Imperial Majesty would accept."
"......Anything else?"
"Hmm, calling Sir Loreil by his army title felt overly familiar too—like you were deliberately showing closeness. And summoning me at this hour was suspicious."
"Why the hour?"
"When someone calls a sudden meeting to negotiate, their motives boil down to two things."
I raised my index and middle fingers.
"They're in a hurry themselves, or they want to rush the other side."
"......And in my case?"
"The latter, probably? Your Majesty lacks for nothing, so there's no reason you'd be desperate."
And that implication meant there was something shady about this negotiation.
'Anyone who doesn't suspect that would be a fool.'
I finished the last of my tea and looked at the Empress.
Her face was coldly impassive, without a trace of a smile, but I actually felt more at ease than before.
I didn't have the skill to chat smilingly with someone who could become my enemy. Better to face her head-on like this.
"So, Your Majesty, no need to hide it from me. What we both want is the same."
"And what is that?"
"I want back into high society, but I have zero interest in getting engaged to Sir Loreil."
The Empress's eyes trembled faintly. She looked utterly incredulous.
'Loreil's the perfect match on paper. But I've botched things with him from the start.'
He suspects I'm a demon. Our relationship had zero chance of progressing to engagement.
Besides, what I wanted was freedom under the pretext of an engagement, not a real husband.
"If it's what Your Majesty wants, I'll gladly yield Sir Loreil to you."
"You're turning down Sir Loreil and accepting my help instead?"
"Yes. We can just say he has circumstances preventing it. And honestly, I think Your Majesty would be more helpful anyway."
Ah, I added, as if remembering.
"Not that meaningless help you mentioned earlier—real help that I actually need."
As the biggest sun in high society, she could pull that off easily.
The Empress fell silent at my words, then slowly lifted the corner of her mouth.
"......Ha."
A scoff or disbelief? She chuckled briefly, propped her elbow on the table, and rested her chin on her hand.
"I never imagined Princess Deyna was this clever. I thought I'd acted perfectly, but I guess I left that many openings?"
"Pure coincidence. I'm just paranoid."
"Coincidence, huh... Well..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"If I'd known you were like this sooner, I would've made a move before you entered the annex."
'Made a move'—did she mean eliminate me preemptively, or pull me to her side?'
I didn't ask.
"Fine, I accept. It should dodge His Imperial Majesty's wrath too."
The discarded card—that was me—returns as a princess, and Jeina secures a prime catch like Loreil.
The perfect outcome for the Emperor, so no reason for the Empress to refuse.
"So, what help does Princess Deyna need?"
"First of all..."
I briefly explained what I required. She seemed displeased with a few items but accepted them all in the end.
"I tried to deceive you first, so I'll eat the loss this time."
"Thank you for your consideration."
It had taken dozens of minutes to read each other's hands, but sealing the deal was instant. We concluded our transaction and rose from our seats with satisfied expressions.
Then, as if it had just occurred to her, the Empress asked,
"Oh, one more thing—may I ask?"
"Sure?"
"It seemed like you were ready to accept my proposal if I showed my true intentions... Why? Don't you hate me? Hate us?"
I answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I do. Why wouldn't I?"
"......"
"I just needed this to survive as 'Princess Deyna.'"
If I'd abandoned my princess title and Deyna's identity, I might have lived more comfortably.
But I'd chosen to stay in the palace.
To do that, I had to bow my head before the empire's two suns.
The Empress was speechless, and I grasped the door handle to leave the greenhouse.
"......Oh, while we're trading questions, can I ask Your Majesty something too?"
"Go ahead."
"The person up in that tree in the corner of the greenhouse—is that your guard knight?"
The Empress flinched. To me, it was stealth so poor it might as well not be hidden, but the important thing wasn't him anyway.
"Yes. How did you..."
"Then the spider clinging to the greenhouse ceiling isn't a guard, right?"
"......Pardon?"
In that instant, I saw the guard in the tree leap toward the ceiling. But the ceiling lurker wasn't stupid either—he fled through the window the moment I finished speaking.
'Looks like the ceiling spy's the stronger one.'
I mentally praised his swift movements and left the gaping Empress behind as I exited the greenhouse.
"Until next time, Your Majesty."
She didn't return the farewell.