《There Is No Place For Fakes》


 Chapter 1.1 - There is No Place For Fakes - Chapter 1 (1)

    There is No Place For Fakes ¨C Chapter 1 (1)


    ¡ª-


    Everyone has a place they deserve. For Philomel, the place of execution today was her last place.


    A large crowd gathered at the execution site to see the end of the evil woman. Philomel said she didn¡¯t want to die. It soon quieted down by the ruthless kicking of guards who hold both of her arms.


    Emperor Eustas looked at the existence of her former daughter from the highest position, and next to it was Princess Ellencia, who attached to her father.


    ¡°Listen to the great criminal!¡¯


    The man who presided over the execution came before her and began to recite the sins of Philomel one by one.


    The crime of conspiring with her mother to impersonate the princess for ten years.


    The crime of envying and framing the princess even though she saved her life at the mercy of the queen.


    A crime that attempts to bring about a national crisis by separating the relationship between the tower and the empire.


    In addition, several minor crimes were listed.


    ¡°So deserve the death penalty!¡±


    Rough shouts and curses came from all sides as soon as the host¡¯s words ended.


    ¡°Hurry and kill!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a low bloodline, pretend you¡¯re a princess!¡¯


    ¡°We really had to execute her with her mother!¡±


    Eggs and stone were thrown by the angry crowd struck Philomel without any regret.


    After a while, the presiding officer raised his hand to restrain the angry people.


    ¡°It is a right that is not allowed to sinners like you to say anything, but the compassionate Princess Ellencia gave her a chance to leave her will with grace. Do you have any last words to leave?¡± Then Philomel¡¯s yellow eyes, which she had been looking down, turned to Emperor.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, father.¡± The emperor¡¯s eyebrows were raised a little by the fainting voice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pretend to be a princess. Meanwhile, I¡¯m really just thinking that I¡¯m your daughter¡­. I don¡¯t want to beg you to live because I deserve to die from other mistakes alone. But if you know one thing¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± She was trapped in a solitary room where there was no sunlight, and she had been thinking about it all the time.


    The neck of countless people fell just because they were any closer to her, or because they showed sympathy for her impoverished frame.


    Then, she felt all the regrets that she had carried herself so far.


    What did you try to be loved so much that you were frustrated because you didn¡¯t want to be taken away? Anyway, neither affection nor seat, nothing was hers.


    But, only one thing.


    It was unfair that the first and greatest sin in a row was not true.


    She doesn¡¯t have to know anyone else. Oh, she wanted only one person to know her innocence.


    Father Eustas, the Emperor of the Belerov Empire.


    A man who showed no interest in her even after more than a decade of knowing Philomel as his own daughter. Still, she thought he was her only family and wanted to be loved.


    Now that she has come too far, she can¡¯t get rid of her hatred, but at least she wanted him to know the truth.


    She didn¡¯t mean to fool him from the beginning. It wasn¡¯t until Ellen showed up that she knew she wasn¡¯t his real daughter.


    Come to think of it, it was a natural cause. It was around the time when the two were just born that Philomel¡¯s biological mother changed her daughter.


    After that, Philomel continued to live in the imperial palace as a princess, and since Ellencia lived as a commoner with her biological mother, she had not even a chance to meet.


    But when will they meet their biological mother and invite her to participate in the contest, and how will they all fall for it¡¯


    Anyone could guess this simple fact, but everyone treated Philomel as a criminal. It was due to the notoriety that Philomel had built up.


    Nevertheless, she was hopeful. Even if others don¡¯t believe it, the Emperor, who is rational and wise, may find out the truth.

 Chapter 1.2

    Of course it was a vain hope.


    ¡°Hey, get the thread right now and sew up the mouth of that thing.¡±


    As if to have poured cold water on the emperor¡¯s order, the disturbance stopped and soon revived.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Do as your Majesty¡¯s command!¡±


    ¡°Cut up! Sew up!¡±


    The servants hurried to find a thread to sew up the sinner¡¯s mouth and Ellencia grabbed her father¡¯s sleeve and talked to him.


    Unlike Philomel¡¯s common brown hair, Ellencia has a beautiful blonde. The emperor¡¯s beloved daughter looks exactly like the deceased empress.


    Philomel¡¯s eyes were in despair.


    ¡®What did you expect?¡¯


    You knew it was going to be like this.


    I guess there¡¯s something wrong with my head because I¡¯ve been tortured for a long time.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just accept death quietly.¡¯


    That¡¯s the only way to save the little pride left.


    That¡¯s right. No matter what anyone says, she was once the princess of the Belerov Empire.


    ¡®That¡¯s it, that¡¯s the only thing¡­ It¡¯s my only pride.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    She knew she was going to do that.


    Philomel woke up and called the emperor without knowing it.


    A strangely loud voice broke out even though she had been living with only bread crumbs for days and days.


    When Eustas¡¯s harsh gaze touched, unexpected words flowed out of her mouth. Tears also wetted her cheeks completely.


    ¡°Have I¡­ Have I ever been a daughter to you? Have you ever considered me even a little bit like a daughter to you?¡±  Yes. I¡¯ve been wanting to ask him.


    Not since Ellencia appeared, but when he thought she was his real daughter.


    Why do you always look at me with such cold eyes? Am I even your child? Even if you can¡¯t love me, can¡¯t you treat me as your child?


    She was scared of the answer to return, so she couldn¡¯t ask. However, as she faced death, strange courage was coming.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ Let¡¯s stop this..¡±


    The Emperor, who about to open his mouth to see if it was enough to give an answer, turned his attention as his daughter cried.


    The kind-hearted Ellencia was hard to see Philomel¡¯s execution no matter how much she tried to harm her.


    The Emperor warmly embraced the shoulders of his lovely daughter, begging to leave this place quickly, and left the execution site after instructing the execution to proceed on his own.


    While Philomel is clearly ignored.


    ¡°¡­You can give me an answer and go.¡±


    Philomel spits out her last will.


    Thus, Philomel, the villainous villain of the times, was killed without one sympathetic.


    She¡¯s glad the Emperor¡¯s going to take care of it quickly, so her mouth was never stitched. It was the last luck given to the evil woman.


    Although death was long and painful on the blunt blade of the executioner because he could not give a comfortable death.


    Her only innocence was covered by countless evil deeds and eventually buried without seeing the light. Really suitable for a villain..


    ¡°Kyaaa!!!¡±


    She shouted and threw the book Philomel was reading.


    ¡°What the hell is this! It wasn¡¯t enough to die because I, or Philomel in the book, made mistakes!¡±


    Even if a girl beats her feet and beats her chest with a small body, the book¡¯s contents will never change.


    The 9-year-old princess regretted that she wasn¡¯t looking at a suspicious book she picked up in the garden.


    The book, which began interestingly, left nothing but anger, as to which the crazy brat wrote a novel based on the existing royal family.


    From the beginning, it was ridiculous to say that she was the real daughter of the emperor and that this Philomel was a fake.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell my father right now and I¡¯m not going to let the guy who wrote this go.¡±


    The novel was full of contempt for the imperial family.


    How dare you fake the only heir to the Belerov Empire!


    Even that was not enough and he should face a cruel end. If he hadn¡¯t killed himself, he¡¯d have been sentenced to life in prison, but this doesn¡¯t work out unless he¡¯s sentenced to death.


    ¡°Sigh..¡±


    Philomel, who was acting as if she was about to run out of the way, sat down on the carpet without force.


    If the nanny sees it, she will be nagging her for her behavior, but it didn¡¯t matter because she was alone.


    In the first place, she read this absurd and insulting novel


    almost to the end because she was so bored.


    She had to be locked up in the room except when she was walking in the garden twice a day. She doesn¡¯t know if she will be able to meet her father.


    Eustas was a careless father who had no interest in her daughter. She could even count the number of times when she talked to him face-to-face.


    When people asked for a meal or tea time, they were often ignored, and even though Philomel suddenly visited him, she was kicked out because she was treated like a nuisance and annoying.


    The reason for her punishment yesterday was that Philomel, who was upset because he didn¡¯t meet her at all, stormed into the Emperor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Get that thing away right now.¡±


    Seeing his daughter crying, he was asked why he wasn¡¯t coming to see her, but the emperor just ordered his servants with a cold face.


    Eventually, she was dragged back to her room.


    As the emperor¡¯s cold attitude lasted for nearly a decade, others began to look down on the princess.


    Rumors that the emperor would pass down the throne to other after enrolling a high-quality child in the field, and not to Philomel, because of the cheeky attitude.


    The emperor, who loved the deceased empress very much, resents his daughter who was born after ¡®bite¡¯ her mother.


    Moreover, the princess does not look like her mother at all, and she only causes trouble without any excellence.


    Philomel walked in front of the mirror on the wall.


    ¡°We don¡¯t look alike at all?¡±


    Philomel reflected in the mirror was an impeccably cute girl with brown hair and yellow eyes.


    However, she did not look like her father, as well as her mother, whom she only saw in portraits.


    The Emperor has black hair, while the empress has blonde hair and green eyes. It did not match simply by comparing the color of the hair and eyes.


    When she was young, Philomel¡¯s hair color was lighter, making her look more like a blonde.


    She prayed every night that it would be a little lighter and turn golden, but now it is a normal brown color because it has become thicker as it grows.


    Well, even if she had seen her late grandmother, who died a long time ago, where did the bright yellow eyes come from?!


    The girl was depressed because she was not really her parent¡¯s biological child.

 Chapter 2.1

    ¡®In the novel, I¡­. No, I¡¯m not!¡¯


    She doesn¡¯t want to admit that she¡¯s the villain who faces such a miserable end.


    It¡¯s just the same name. The name ¡°Philomel¡± is not common but it was not a rare one.


    However, she felt a little uncomfortable because she felt that the ¡°Philomel¡± in the novel was similar to her several times.


    For example, there was a childhood incident that was described to reveal the evil nature of ¡°Philomel.¡±


    ¡°Philomel¡± loses the necklace she received from her father as a birthday present and tries to kill a maid for stealing it for fear of being hated by him.


    There was actually a similar incident.


    However, she did not intentionally blame the maid for the crime.


    Philomel really thought the maid took it. The necklace disappeared but she misunderstood because the last person who cleaned the room was the maid.


    Later, when the maid¡¯s innocence was revealed, she was scolded by the nanny and apologized properly.


    She didn¡¯t mean to kill her. When she remembered, she said, ¡®I¡¯m going to kill you!¡¯ she may have said it, but it was pure anger.


    It was not a lie at all, but the novel did not contain the inner thoughts or stories of ¡°Philomel,¡± making it look like a thorough villain.


    ¡°No, I guess he just wrote whatever he heard from an outsider when he didn¡¯t even know.¡±


    Philomel, who shook her head, muttered as if reassuring herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in, Princess.¡±


    Suddenly a nanny¡¯s voice came from outside the door.


    ¡°W-wait a minute!¡±


    She rushed to the front of the desk and put the novel in the drawer.


    It was clear that if she was caught reading romance novels, she would be nagged by the nanny.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t doing anything else without studying again, were you?¡±


    The nanny, who had opened the door without permission to come in, frowned and looked around.


    ¡°What are you saying! I was studying properly.¡±


    Pointing to the thick history book on the desk, the suspicious nanny looked around the room a few more times before she stood in front of Philomel.


    ¡°Please grow up a little now. If the princess in trouble, the only thing that¡¯s hard it¡¯s us who serve princess.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Soon the nanny¡¯s nagging began.


    The nanny was the only one who could treat her carelessly except the emperor.


    Even though she was a nanny and never fed Philomel, everyone referred to her as a nanny.


    The empress is said to have trusted and relied on the nanny almost like her own mother, and to have been taken to the palace when she got married.


    In respect to his wife¡¯s wishes, Eustis took the nanny as a nanny for his daughter and gave her full authority over parenting and education.


    As he was indifferent to his daughter, in fact, the nanny was in charge of the matter related to Philomel.


    ¡°Your Majesty has told me to make sure to break your habit this time.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Liar.¡±


    Eustis was not a father who was interested in his daughter enough to say that.


    However, the nanny knew that it was good for Philomel, and she had tried to manipulate the princess by selling the name of Eustis.


    For example, if you take the etiquette class hard, you can share a meal with Eustis, or if you get a perfect score on the exam, you can go to the office.


    After that, if Philomel fulfilled the conditions, she will make some excuse and delayed the fulfillment of her promise.


    Philomel realized that she had been deceived after roughly dozens of promises were broken. It is the nanny¡¯s blame for her loss of interest in her successor class.


    ¡°What did you just say? What a lie! It¡¯s a bad habit to doubt people¡¯s words first. Should I really take the beating of love?¡±


    The nanny trembled exaggeratedly when she was caught.


    ¡°I know, I get it. I will be more careful from now on.¡±


    Philomel first lowered its tail.


    Although the nanny was close to her old age, she has a good appearance and strong strength. The rod did not punish the princess severely, but it was scary enough for a child.


    ¡°Please make sure to ask.. I don¡¯t really know who you really look alike.  Isabella was very mature when she was that age.¡±


    Even though the nanny came in to get a nail stuck in her ear, the words that she did not resemble her mother at all were really heartbreaking today.


    ¡°Nanny¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do I not resembles my mother at all?¡±


    Philomel asked carefully.

 Chapter 2.2

    ? Nanny¡­ ?


    ? Yes? ?


    ? Don¡¯t I look at all like my mother? ? Philomel asked carefully.


    ? Yes, it¡¯s incredible. Her Majesty Isabella was from a very young age very intelligent, mature and sometimes innocent¡­ ?


    The nanny took real pleasure in destroying Philomel¡¯s self-esteem by comparing her to the late Empress, who had died a long time ago. Even the Nanny¡¯s daily harassment gave the impression that she was not a real princess. Just like the story she has in the book. With this thought in mind, Philomel¡¯s mood darkens.


    ? It is thus necessary to behave well on the day of the National Foundation ?, declared the nanny while Philomel had the spirit elsewhere.


    The princess, who had been listening with a distracted ear, opened her eyes wide when she understood the content of the Nanny¡¯s words.


    ? The National Foundation Day? ?


    ? You didn¡¯t listen to me, did you? ?


    ? Can I participate in yhe Foundation Day?


    ? Of course you can. It¡¯s a national event, so it says that you will go on that day. ?


    National Foundation Day. And she was nine years old. It reminded her of something¡­


    She remembered reading it in the book¡­


    After the nanny withdrew from the little girl¡¯s room and she was alone again, Philomel took out the novel < The Empress Ellencia > and opened the first part of the story.


    ? Ah! I¡¯ve found it. ?


    What she was looking for was a part about Ellensia¡¯s visit to the National Foundation on her ninth birthday. Ellencia and Philomel were the same age, so the fact that the Nanny mentioned the event reminded her of Ellensia¡¯s visit that occurred in the novel. Ellencia had tried to go to the festival, but heavy rains had prevented her from doing so, and the National Foundation Day was postponed.


    Philomel remembered laughing when she read that a national event had been postponed because of heavy rains. It didn¡¯t make sense. Indeed, the day of the foundation was one of the most important festivals of the Belerov Empire, and the date was fixed in advance, as usual, and the Imperial Sorcerers and Scholars had studied the moon and came to discover that it would not rain on the day of the festival. Moreover, in the novel, the day of the National Foundation, which was scheduled for three or four days, had been postponed until a week after the collapse of the High Priest.


    ? That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only fiction ?


    Will the High Priest who protected the empire be defeated by rain? I felt much better. Now, let¡¯s enjoy the sunny weather for the National Foundation Day and relax.


    She will take this book to her father and punish the impudent writer who dared to write about the imperial family. Phimonel covered the book with a smile.

 Chapter 2.3

    It couldn¡¯t be ¡­ Philomel, well dressed, was staring at the thick raindrops falling tirelessly from the sky.


    ? ¡­ Your Majesty, I am afraid we must postpone the event to a later date ? said the secretary to Emperor Eustis, he did not know what to do in the face of this unprecedented situation.


    They had not been able to get to the outdoor reception hall in the front courtyard of the Imperial Palace and protected themselves from the torrential rain by taking shelter under the roof of the nearby Memorial Hall.


    ? This is an unprecedented rainfall, ? said the man in charge of the event in a cold sweat.


    ? Okay. I will postpone the event, reschedule it for a later date ?.


    Many families from the nobility had gathered to hear the emperor¡¯s commemorative message and all had heard the emperor¡¯s words. They whispered among themselves in the face of this unique situation.


    Philomel, who had heard everything, thought with dread: ? Is it delayed? Just like in the novel? ? In an instant, her eyes darkened. Impossible. It was not possible. A novel had to be a fictional story. Under no circumstances should it become reality. Otherwise, it meant that she¡­ was not her father¡¯s biological daughter. And she didn¡¯t want that reality.


    ? No! Don¡¯t stop the event! ? Philomel shouted and rushed off the roof.


    ? Your Royal Highness! No ! ?


    The people tried to get the princess back under the roof to protect her from the rain, but Philomel ran frantically and stood in front of Eustis. Then she raised her eyes and opened her mouth in earnest.


    ? Father ?


    At the word, Eustis¡¯s beautiful, impassive face cracked slightly.


    ? Please, please, please don¡¯t postpone the day of the National Foundation. ?


    ? What? ?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ? We can hold the event inside the Memorial Hall. So please, let¡¯s proceed as planned. ?


    Everyone was busy watching this strange imperial couple formed by the emperor and his daughter, embarrassed by the sudden actions of the princess.


    ? I ask you as a favour. Please¡­ ? Philomel¡¯s eyes were wet with water, although we don¡¯t know whether it was rain or tears.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do this, Princess ?


    ? Please keep your dignity, ? whispered one of Philomel¡¯s maids who had approached her.


    I know.


    Philomel knew well that it was ridiculous to say a commemorative speech indoors. Belerov was an empire founded under the protection of the sun god. The National Foundation Day was meaningful only when it was held under the sunny sky. It wasn¡¯t just acting out of the inconvenience of outdoor activities.


    I know it well.


    ¡°But, but¡­¡±


    ¡°However, let¡¯s stop¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s gaze toward Philomel soon caught up ¡°But, your Majesty, the Princess¡­¡± As the secretary count Paulan hesited, Eustis said, looking around


    ¡°Why should I listen to the child¡¯s whine every day ? For the princess to stand in my way just because she wants to see the festival ?¡±


    Everyone held his breath in the face of the anger burning in the blue eyes of the sovereign. Many of them knew that the Emperor could be cruel and evil despite his magnificent appearance. There were suspicions in the high society that he had assigned his brothers and the former emperor with the aim of ascending to the throne.


    ? Let¡¯s go ? Eustis turned his heels with a dry step.


    He was followed by his secretary and his attendees, one after the other. They glanced at the princess who had remained standing in the rain without saying a word. No one sought to approach her, there was no benefit in being close to a princess who was hated by the emperor.

 Chapter 3.1

    What should I do ? Philomel turned her head blankly. Then a few steps away, she met a red eye looking in her way.


    ¡°¡­.Your Highness¡±


    It was Nassar Abriden, her fiance who was born a year earlier than her.


    ¡°Nassar, it¡¯s not a good time now. Let¡¯s go back first¡± At that moment, his father, Duke Abriden, led Nassar.


    ¡° Father, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    The boy hesitated at the stern voice of the Duke and reluctantly shifted his steps. Unlike his fianc¨¦, the boy wasn¡¯t hit by a drop of rain, went far away.


    Philomel also soon returned to her palace dragged by the maids. Even after entering the bathtub filled with warm water. She couldn¡¯t warm up. She was still so cold. Just by remembering the back of Eustis.


    ¡°What ? what were you doing while the princess was doing that !¡± burst the nanny after hearing what happened between the Princess and the Emperor.


    Philomel couldn¡¯t see the nanny who didn¡¯t accompany her to the event due to a back pain. When she stepped out of the bathroom, the nanny was standing with a whip.


    ¡° I can¡¯t let this go. I didn¡¯t want to do this, but I think you¡¯ll become mature when you¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    Tchak ! Tchak ! Tchak !


    The thin whit hit the white calf continuously. It hurts. It hurts so much.


    Philomel shed tears as an excuse for the calf-burning pain. Even though her real pain comes from elsewhere, she couldn¡¯t complain to anyone. After the corporal punishment, the nanny muttered loudly


    ¡°How persistent, stubborn of you ! You didn¡¯t even show a sign of recognition of tour fault.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Since it seems that probation is not enough, you will be under special supervision management from now on. You better to be prepared¡±


    ¡°¡­..Yes¡±


    ¡°Did you understand ? I¡¯ll always be watching you !¡±


    The nanny repeated the same words several times before leaving.


    ¡°You ! Why on earth did you do that ?¡± blurst one of the maid


    ¡°Go beg your nanny that you did something wrong, that way the princess and I will be less scolded¡±


    Feeling the hands of the maid who applied medicine to her calves, Philomel stared blankly at the floor.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Perhaps embarrassed when Philomel did not respond, the maids looked at each other and brought up words of consolation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad. The nanny¡¯s anger will be relieved soon because she¡¯s in good mood¡±


    ¡°And I heard from the head maid that they decided to postpone today¡¯s event a week later¡± said one of the maids.


    ¡°By that time, wouldn¡¯t your nanny allow you to go to his Majesty¡¯s festival ?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ A week ?¡± muttered Philomel.


    ¡°Yes, in a week. The High Priest fainted in his carriage on the way home. ?


    ? Isn¡¯t too late? We could hold the festival in three or four days¡­  ? Philomel asked with a thin and trembling voice.


    ¡° Well, this has never happened before, but the sacred event stopped because of rain, which he took over as substitute, so it must be shocking for him.¡± said the other maid.


    ¡°People are also mumbling that God¡¯s protection for the Empire is over¡±


    Belerov¡¯s legitimacy comes from the power of God. Raising the question of God¡¯s protection could have sounded like denying the legitimacy of the imperial family.


    ¡°Hey, be careful with your words¡±


    When the first maid noticed her colleague¡¯s warning look, she excused herself with a tone of apology


    ¡°¡­. No, it doesn¡¯t mean much ! I¡¯m just talking about those who don¡¯t know nothing¡±


    Philomel shook her hand without strength.


    ¡°Okay, go back¡±


    After everyone stepped away, Philomel limped to the desk. Inside the drawer, a book titled


    with a brown cover.


    What was the likelihood that everything written in the novel would come true? Everything that had happened today had turned out exactly the same way as written in the novel. The fainting of the High Priest and the festival had been postponed until a week later. She was struck by a cruel realization, which spread like ink on a blank page. The appearance of the book did not differ much from other Romantic novels. But it was not a story like the others.


    ¡®A prophecy.¡¯


    The hand holding the book began to shake. The emperor was not Philomel¡¯s father. She was a fake.

 Chapter 3.2

    The next morning.


    Perhaps because of the rain the day before, but Philomel had caught a bad cold.


    ? Princess, it¡¯s time to wake up, ? said the Nanny, shaking Philomel.


    ? ¡­.Nanny, I can¡¯t get up. It hurts. I think I¡¯ve caught a cold.  ? said the little girl in a small voice, refraining from coughing. Her head was spinning, her throat was so sore that it was hard for her to swallow.  However, despite Philomel¡¯s desperate call, the Nanny did not move.


    ? You¡¯re still pretending to be sick, aren¡¯t you? Do you think I¡¯d let you through if you were ill? His Majesty the Emperor calls the Princess in relation to her behaviour yesterday. If you are so afraid to face the consequences of your actions, why did you behave this way? ?


    In the past, she was tired of the different classes she attended every day that she pretended to be sick in order to skip classes and rest.


    ? ¡­. I¡¯m not well. It really hurts. ? Philomel replied in a hoarse voice.


    It was definitely her fault because she had abused this excuse in the past but she felt sad that the nanny suspected her of being a fake sick person.


    ? Please wake up. ?


    She widened her eyes when she felt the temperature of the princess¡¯ body as she touched her arm.


    ? You really do have a fever! ?


    After some time, the court doctor, whom the nanny had called to examine Philomel, diagnosed a simple fever.  He advised Philomel to rest and take her medication and that she would get better afterwards. The young princess unfortunately had little appetite because of the pain in her throat. She was content to drink a little of the soup. The nanny told Philomel, who had difficulty swallowing her medicine before lying down in bed.


    ? I told His Majesty that you have a cold. You know he wouldn¡¯t come to see you because you¡¯re sick, don¡¯t you? ?


    ? ¡­¡­. ?


    ? Yesterday, how many people must have thought the princess was an immature person? I can¡¯t face it.  What was that all about? ?


    People seemed to regard Philomel¡¯s sudden behaviour as a child¡¯s whim.


    ¡®It would have been so nice if it had been.¡¯ Philomel thought in an absent-minded way.


    ? Get some rest. If you need anything, call the maids who are waiting next door. ?


    The nanny left the room. Shortly afterwards Philomel fell asleep quickly because of the medication. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been, but her eyes opened on their own. Her whole body was covered in cold sweat. She had just had an awful dream. She was being executed and Eustis was looking at her, his fake daughter, dying with an indifferent expression with his real daughter at his side. Her little body trembled with terror.


    She wanted to live.


    She was afraid to die. She had never wanted to die.


    ? Will my father really kill me? ?


    She wanted to deny this fact like crazy but she was already beginning to answer this question.  What if she lived quietly, without doing anything stupid from now on? What if she became the perfect daughter that her father wanted?


    Maybe the future could change. Even if she wasn¡¯t his real daughter. Eustis had considered her his daughter for nine years. Maybe their relationship could become a little warmer. She wanted to go and check it out right away.


    ? I have to go¡­ ?


    She still felt very heavy, she had a headache but that wasn¡¯t enough to stop her from moving.


    It was almost noon, the nanny had told her that in order for her to grow up well she was going to prepare her lunch two hours later. So even if she were to leave now, no one would notice. Philomel crossed the corridor discreetly so as not to get caught, the sound of a conversation in the next room reached her ear. This was the room where the maids were standing by.


    ? What¡¯s wrong with you? ? asked an irritated voice.


    Philomel stopped without thinking about it and listened at the door.  Four or five people were talking.


    ? Who¡¯s going to listen anyway?  The princess is bedridden with fever and sleeping because of the medicine. ?


    ? I¡¯m not wrong. If she hadn¡¯t caused yesterday¡¯s incident, we wouldn¡¯t have had part of our salary cut. ?


    The person who had just spoken was Martin, the escort knight who was in charge of Philomel. He was neglecting his job to hang out with the maids.


    ? That¡¯s right! ? replied one of the maids.


    ? The nanny treats us like nothing, we¡¯re always the ones who are scolded because of her, ? Martin continued in a peculiar voice.


    ? It¡¯s the madness of things down here. But if you¡¯re so unhappy, be born as His Majesty¡¯s daughter in your next life, ? shouted one of the maidservants in a loud voice.


    ? Hey, that¡¯ll be great! I really want to! I would be so loved by her Majesty for doing something wonderful! ?


    ? Hey, you dream too big! ? exclaimed one person, then laughter came into the room.


    ? Oh, I hate Philomel, ? said one person.


    The remark broke the little girl¡¯s heart.


    ? Hey, are you crazy? What are you doing saying that name so lightly! ?


    ? Why? Because she¡¯s a princess?  A princess who is not even loved by the emperor? ?


    ? But¡­ ?


    ? And Philomel has no divine power, which is the symbol of the imperial family¡­ ?


    ? She is the first princess of the imperial lineage born without divine power. ?


    ? She has no royalty but the name. ?


    Philomel felt her shoulders fall under the weight of these words.


    ? I¡¯m still jealous. Someone was slapped by the nanny because she was unable to prevent the incident. But the principal concerned is sleeping comfortably in her room. ?


    ? She made quite a scene in front of many nobles because she wanted to see the festival. ?


    ? If it goes on like this the Duke of Abriden will want to break off the engagement? ?


    ? It is true that she does not deserve the prince known for being exceptionally intelligent. ?


    ? Oh, you saw the look on his face when the princess served him a cake? ?


    ? He hated it. ?


    ? And the poor princess didn¡¯t even notice. ?


    ? If she had noticed, would she have been hated?


    ? It¡¯s true.  Well, the last time, he¡­ ?


    That¡¯s enough!


    Philomel walked away from the door because she didn¡¯t want to hear any more. Tears ran down her cheeks, she remembered their affectionate faces, which had worried about her until now. No one was on her side.

 Chapter 4.1

    ? ¡­. This is not the time. I must go to my father ? Philomel wiped the tears from her eyes and pressed on.


    It was Eustis who was going to kill her, not them.


    ¡®No matter what they say, you won¡¯t be hurt¡¯.


    She walked slowly, looking around. Luckily she did not yet have her own palace and was still living in the emperor¡¯s palace because she was still young. Moreover, for whatever reason, there were very few people in the palace for her. She arrived in front of the emperor¡¯s office, having avoided a few servants. There was no escort in front of the door of the office, because Eustis had no escorts in the palace. As there was nobody in front of the door, Philomel opened it carefully.


    ? How persistent, Pollan ?


    She was able to see the inside of the office through the doorway. In spite of the splendid decoration the atmosphere between the emperor and Count Pollan was icy. Count Pollan was trying to convince the emperor who was sitting at his desk.


    ? But, Your Majesty! The princess is ill, why don¡¯t you go and visit her? ?


    And the subject of their discussion was her, Philomel! It suited her. She could know what Eustis thinks of her without facing him. Philomel listened silently. The emperor frowned and said


    ? Why do you care so much?  I don¡¯t think she¡¯s sick. I feel sorry for her. But she¡¯s pretending to be sick anyway, as usual. ?


    ? Her nanny says she¡¯s really sick this time ?


    ? So? ?


    ? If you visit the princess, it will have great power over her cold. ?


    ? Why make so much fuss just for a cold? ?


    Count Pollan closed his mouth for a moment. He was a loyal servant of Eustis when he was still a young prince. They knew each other well enough to be able to ask him intimate questions without hesitation.


    ? Your Grace, go and see your daughter. Is she not of your own blood? ?


    Philomel¡¯s heart sank.


    The emperor himself was very curious about this himself. Why was he unable to give Philomel affection? His answer was shocking


    ? I never felt she was my child. ?


    Philomel felt as if something was falling on his head.


    ? Do you think the reason why Lady Isabella died is because of the Princess? Therefore¡­ ?


    ? Shut up. ?


    ? ¡­. I¡¯m sorry ?


    Eustis¡¯ icy gaze nailed Count Pollan to the spot. The story of his wife who died before his eyes was taboo. The emperor said dismally.


    ? That¡¯s what I once thought.  I was deeply resentful. So much so that I wanted to kill her with my own hands. ?


    ? ¡­¡­ ?


    ? But that¡¯s ancient history. Now I don¡¯t feel anything at all. ?


    ? Why not? ?


    ? Because I expect absolutely nothing. I don¡¯t want her to fill Isabella¡¯s vacancy. I would have been satisfied if she had played her role as successor a minimum, ? said Eustis, pressing his forehead with a tired gesture.


    ? But what has she done so far? She doesn¡¯t go to classes, she doesn¡¯t have good marks.  And her behaviour yesterday in front of people was lamentable ?.


    ? ¡­ Philomel is making efforts too. But you¡¯re often angry with her ?


    ? If making trouble means making an effort, then you¡¯re right ?.


    Eustis laughs as he raises a corner of his mouth.


    ? You are too strict with her. She¡¯s only nine years old, it¡¯s normal that she¡¯s still immature. ?


    ? At her age I fought to the death with my blood-bound brothers for the throne. ?


    ? It is because your situation demanded it, and your majesty, you have always excelled in everything from a very young age¡­ ?


    ? Isabella was like that too ?


    ? She¡¯s still your daughter, even if she doesn¡¯t look like you. ?


    ? That¡¯s enough, go away ?


    He got up from his seat and approached a perfectly decorated cupboard on the other side of the room, on which there were perfectly aligned bottles of alcohol. He grabbed a bottle and poured an amber liquid into a verse, indicating that he no longer wanted to continue this conversation.  Count Pollan realised that if he continued any further, he would irritate the emperor. Eustis was a little more generous with him than with the others, but only a little more. Count Pollan looked at the emperor¡¯s back one last time before trying to withdraw.


    ? ¡­. But you really don¡¯t feel anything for the princess? ?


    Before Count Pollan came to the door, Philomel had to leave quickly to avoid being caught. But when she heard this question, her feet refused to move. She wanted to listen to Eustis¡¯ answer. Her luck depended on this answer.


    Eustis opened his mouth slowly.


    ? Yes. There¡¯s only one thing I want from her. ?


    Philomel took a deep breath.


    ? To live as quietly as a mouse. Not to seek my attention, so that I don¡¯t know she¡¯s there. ?


    It was such a cold answer as if it would never change.

 Chapter 4.2

    When she came to her senses, she was back in her room. Shortly after the end of Eustis¡¯ sentence, Philomel had managed to leave the door discreetly without being caught because the Count had stayed in the office to answer Eustis. She lay down in her bed and felt as if she had fallen into a well.


    ? What should I do now? ?


    Her father¡­No, the emperor did not consider her as his daughter at all.  He didn¡¯t have a single drop of affection for her.If Ellencia appeared in the future and the emperor discovered that she was not his real daughter, that she was a fake, he would never forgive her.  Why not start living a good life instead of having the same mean behaviour as the ? Philomel ? in the story?


    ? Maybe this will save my life ?


    It is not as if history is frozen and there is no possibility at all.


    In the novel, the revelation that she was a fake did not lead to her death immediately. It was thanks to Ellencia, who had begged the emperor to spare her. But the wicked Philomel was jealous of Ellencia and returned the favour by seeking revenge and was executed in the end.


    ? If I understand my place and act in accordance with the situation, I will be able to avoid death, contrary to the book¡­¡­ ?


    But¡­


    ? Only that won¡¯t be enough ?


    She didn¡¯t want to risk her life on such a small hope. She lived a very precarious life in which she could be killed by the emperor if she disturbed him. She remembered the conversation between the servants she had overheard earlier. They had a real hostility towards her.


    What if they found out that she was not a real princess?


    They wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. The most terrifying thing was that they weren¡¯t the only ones who hated her. If they started to answer bad rumours to her own and put her out of business.


    ? Can I guarantee my survival? ?


    It wasn¡¯t good. Philomel wanted a better chance of survival.


    I don¡¯t want to die.


    At that moment, suddenly an idea popped into his mind.


    ? Let¡¯s run away. ?


    It may be much too early now, but it was a long time before the real princess appeared.


    And so it was that the life plan of the fake princess was decided.


    ~ O*O*O*O*O*O ~


    Before going to bed; Philomel was in the process of fine-tuning the plan to flee from the palace which had come to her during the day. She had gone to bed early but could not fall asleep until late because she had many complicated thoughts in her head.


    As it was very late, she didn¡¯t notice that he had someone coming into her room.


    ? My lady, His Majesty¡­ ?


    Eustis beckoned to the nanny not to wake the sleeping child.


    ? What am I doing? ? asked the emperor, looking at Philomel¡¯s round white face. Eustis smiled with self-derision. Count Pollan had not stopped bothering him about the princess so much that he could not continue to ignore it. He had no choice but to come and check on his daughter¡¯s condition at least once.


    Was it because of her big yellow eyes that had looked at him straight in the rain yesterday seemed dark and desperate? Maybe it was just an illusion of course.  What was so great about growing up as the emperor¡¯s only daughter? However, it appeared to him that what Count Paulan had told him was true. The child was very ill.


    ? ¡­ther¡­ ?


    Suddenly, a sound came out of the child¡¯s mouth.


    ? ¡­Father¡­ ?


    He wondered for a moment if Philomel had woken up, but she was turning in her bed with her eyes closed. She was just talking in her sleep.


    ? ¡­I¡­I¡­will be a good girl. So¡­don¡¯t¡­kill¡­me¡­kill me¡­don¡¯t¡­ ?


    It was soft and died away in a breath.


    The child mumbled other words, but Eustis did not understand them all because they were more like whispers. Then the child began to cry in his sleep. What could be so sad to make her cry in her sleep? Eustis could not take his eyes off Philomel¡¯s face for some reason. He had a vague memory that was trying to come back. Eustis, who wondered what it was, soon remembered it. It was a distant memory.


    The memory of a child who was unable to sleep, trembling with fear of dying every night. It was him as a child.  He felt as if he saw the same fear in his daughter.  It was the first time since the birth of that child that he felt he saw a resemblance between her and himself.  In order to survive, he had stained his hands with blood and sins and he had finally reached the summit. He had forgotten that there had been a time when he also trembled with fear in his room. The emperor reached out his hand impulsively and picked up a tear from the child¡¯s cheek with his fingertips. Very lightly, the emotions and sighing he had at that time came back to him. At that time, he would have liked to have someone at his side to reassure him. He touched her cheek gently.


    ? ¡­.. ?


    A small, chubby hand grasped Eustis¡¯ fingertips. It was a sleepy reaction of the child but Eustis was surprised. He had never been in physical contact with anyone since his dead wife.  The sensation was strange but not unpleasant. The child¡¯s hand was smaller and warmer than he had expected.


    He felt a lot of warmth, and then he went back.

 Chapter 5.1

    The next day, the nanny asked a Philomel who was barely awake, her face still crumpled from sleep, if nothing had happened last night.


    ? Nothing special? Really. Why, what happened? ?


    ? No, nothing. It¡¯s fine. ?


    What had happened?  As Philomel looked suspiciously at the nanny, she hastened to change the subject.


    ? In any case, His Majesty the Emperor has sent you a very special fruit known throughout the world to be good for strength recovery. ?


    ? His Majesty? ? Philomel asked, opening her eyes wide.


    ? Yes. Thank him when you see him next time. What did you do to make him send you such a precious thing for a simple cold¡­. ?


    The Water World is a sacred tree that grows in the heart of the continent, especially its fruit. It is known to be an excellent revitalizer.


    It was a medicine capable of making an eighty year old man stronger, it was a simple cold medicine for the emperor of the empire. Every year, the imperial palace received ten fruits as an offering. He had few. That¡¯s why it surprised her that the emperor gave some to Philomel.


    When she knew nothing about her future, she would have been delighted to think that this gift was the result of her father¡¯s love and interest.  But now she had the unpleasant feeling that it was Count Polan who had sent the fruit and put the emperor¡¯s name on it. The Count¡¯s heart was generous, and this generosity was directed to the Emperor¡¯s daughter, not to Philomel. The little girl replied with a business smile.


    She replied with a business smile.


    ? All right. Tell him that I appreciate the thoughtfulness. For the fruit and the medicine. ?


    ? Oh, is that all? ?


    ? Why? What else do you need? ?


    ? Nothing. ?


    The nanny seemed suspicious by the princess¡¯ lukewarm reaction. However, she continued


    ? Oh, on hearing the news that the princess is ill, His Grace the Duke of Abriden has asked to visit you. ?


    Prince Abriden. Nassar Abriden. The fianc¨¦ of Philomel.


    ? Really? ?


    ? When do you think he can come and visit you? ?


    Thanks to yesterday¡¯s rest day, Philomel was in better shape.  She had had a long cold.


    ? Can you arrange that for this afternoon if you can?  But if they already have something planned, I¡¯ll see it tomorrow. ? Philomel replied, remembering the boy standing in the rain.


    Shortly after, she received an answer from Duke Abriden that he would come to visit her this afternoon. Thinking of Nassar Abriden¡¯s handsome, well-groomed face, Philomel grabbed her nightgown and clenched her firmly in her fists.  This is an opportunity for her to understand Nassar¡¯s feelings towards her. He who had always behaved kindly towards her.


    When she found out that her fianc¨¦, Nassar, was the male protagonist who would follow Ellencia into the novel, she was shocked to the core.  As if taking her father away from her was not enough, Ellencia had also taken her fianc¨¦ away from her. In the novel, Nassar, as a stereotype of a male lead, was carefree, romantic and devoted. But only in front of the main character, Ellencia.


    He was so different from the Nassar she knew.


    ¡®He wasn¡¯t mine to begin with, so¡­¡¯


    If it¡¯s inevitable, it was better to face it now.  The pain would only hit her once instead of taking several blows over several days. Philomel went to her appointment.


    ? Nassar, straighten your face. His imperial highness will arrive soon. You wouldn¡¯t want her to see you with such a face. ?


    Philomel stopped walking when she heard the duke¡¯s voice escaping from her private drawing room.  Philomel stopped the maid who was about to announce her arrival with a gesture of the hand. As Philomel was accustomed to arriving late for appointments, Nassar and the duke were having a little chat, no doubt thinking that she would be late again as usual.


    ¡®Until now, I was always late because I was thinking about what to wear.¡®


    She didn¡¯t need to do that anymore, she was just dressed.


    ? But father, I¡¯m disappointed that I couldn¡¯t go to my appointment with my friends because I¡¯m visiting a sick person. ?


    ? But you have to do this because it¡¯s your duty. Have you forgotten who you are? ?


    ? ¡­.. No, I¡¯m well aware of that. ?


    As the Duke screamed silently, Nassar could not speak and closed his mouth. Philomel entered the private salon after counting to ten.


    ? It¡¯s been a while since I said hello to the princess. How do you feel? ?


    When the duke greeted her first, Nassar straightened up his childlike appearance and faced Philomel.


    ? I couldn¡¯t help worrying about your illness. ?


    ? It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other. Duke and ¡­Nassar, my cold is almost over. Thank you for your concern. ?


    When the Duke had finished his greeting, he informed them that he had a meeting to attend. Before leaving the drawing room, he did not forget to catch his son¡¯s gaze and silently warn him.  This meant that he should not offend her. Even though the princess was obsessed with his son anyway, he did not want his son to neglect her attention.


    After sitting on the sofa in front of the boy, Philomel opened her mouth.


    ? Nassar ?


    ? Yes, My Lady? ?


    She remembered the first time she had met Nassar. Philomel fell in love at first sight. She fell in love with this beautiful boy with a mature atmosphere. There was a mysterious atmosphere surrounding this boy with shiny platinum hair, which undoubtedly attracted her. She also loved his red eyes that others found creepy.


    ? Your Highness¡­ ?


    ? ¡­¡­.. ?


    ? Your Imperial Highness? Is everything all right? ?


    ? Oh yes, I¡¯m fine ?


    Nassar gave her a worried look. She had been lost in thought for a while.


    ? I¡¯m worried you¡¯re overdoing it. ?


    Sweet Nassar.


    In the past, she sincerely believed in his kindness and that he was in the same disposition as her. In fact, Nassar was the person who had shown her the most courtesy and kindness from everyone around her. However, after reading ? The Empress Ellencia ?, her beliefs were shattered. Philomel called out his name again.

 Chapter 5.2

    ? Nassar ?


    ? Yes, go ahead. ?


    ? If I¡¯m completely healed, will you want to go on a picnic somewhere? ?


    When the weather was nice, she would often go on picnics with him, with a basket full of food prepared by the maids. At best, she would just go to the palace garden with her subordinates. But that was the time Philomel would prefer.


    ? Of course. ?


    Nassar nodded gently.


    ? Where will the picnic be? ?


    ? Let¡¯s go where you want to go. Is there a place you want to go? ?


    ? Wherever you want, as long as I¡¯m with you, it¡¯s okay. ?


    That was an attitude and an impeccable answer.


    ? No, an outdoor picnic doesn¡¯t fit the weather these days. Yesterday, it rained and Nation Foundation Day was even postponed. What do you think, Nassar? ?


    ? Yes, your words are correct, your highness. I have witnessed it ?.


    ? It would be nice to have a picnic inside while eating snacks. ?


    ? Yes, that¡¯s nice too. ?


    ? My maid tells me there¡¯s a pianist who¡¯s a hot topic in high society. It would be really nice to call this person and listen to his show together. ?


    ? I¡¯ve heard about it. I think it¡¯s a good idea. ?


    He always answered flawlessly. But it was still just an answer.


    Oh.


    Nassar didn¡¯t want to do anything with her. Philomel realized that. From the beginning of this conversation, Nassar had never expressed his opinion. He was content to answer in agreement with what Philomel wanted to hear.


    Before, she believed that this attitude of saying yes to everything she wanted was due to his affection for her. However, Nassar was portrayed in the novel as an anxious man who did absolutely everything for Ellencia before she even opened her mouth to say it. He was a man who was melting down in front of the woman he loved. But he always knew how to keep his calm and courtesy in front of Philomel. It was simply because he had absolutely not a single drop of love in him for her.


    Through her experiences of the last few days, she saw the naked truth of the world around her, without this peaceful illusion.


    ? So we¡¯ll bring the pianist to perform in front of us. If the princess sends me a message when she gets better¡­. ?


    ? No. ?


    Philomel rose from her seat, cutting off Nassar¡¯s words.


    ? What? ? said Nassar with embarrassed eyes.


    ? Let¡¯s just say there¡¯s nothing more to this story. Thank you for coming. I¡¯m tired because I haven¡¯t fully healed yet. So let¡¯s leave it at that, Sir Nassar. ?


    Like Nassar, Philomel tried to smile politely and quickly say the words she had in mind.


    ? And you no longer need to come to the Palace twice a week to play with me. ?


    ? What, que¡­. ?


    ? I have no reason to abuse Sir Nassar¡¯s precious time. I¡¯m sure you also have your own schedule. From now on, feel free to spend it with other friends. ?


    ? Please, wait a moment. Have I done something to offend your Highness? Then I apologize. So your anger¡­. ?


    ? Not at all. Sir Nassar has done nothing wrong. ?


    Nassar was confused by Philomel¡¯s attitude, who hadn¡¯t lost her smile.


    ? I say that because since we got engaged, we haven¡¯t had time to meet other friends often. Because we see each other a lot. Don¡¯t you think I need other friends besides Sir Nassar? ?


    ? Okay. ?


    ? Bye, then. ?


    Philomel left the drawing room, leaving Nassar behind, who answered a dubious face. Philomel returned to her room and looked in the mirror to check her expression.  Had she managed to smile like Nassar, right there?  After practicing with her eyes closed for a while, a plausible smile had appeared on her lips. It was the mask she was going to wear in the future.


    Let¡¯s imitate Nassar.


    She was going to be nice to everyone, but she wouldn¡¯t give her heart to anyone.


    ? ¡­.. This way when I run away, I¡¯ll leave with no regrets. ?


    The little girl in the mirror had a smile full of loneliness.

 Chapter 6.1

    It seems that the world tree fruit was really the best medicine. After drinking the tea made from the fruit sent by Eustis, Philomel had regained his energy. His body and head were more relaxed than before.


    ~ During the Princess¡¯s literature class ~


    Philomel had closed the book she was reading and told her literature teacher.


    ? I¡¯m finished. What else should I read? ?


    ? You¡¯ve already read all this? You didn¡¯t just turn the pages ¡­..? ?


    ? I¡¯ve read everything. If you have any doubts, ask me questions about what I¡¯ve just read. ?


    Philomel answered all of the professor¡¯s questions.


    The nannies and teachers were shocked and looked at her in amazement. No sooner had she got out of bed than she was going to enthuse to her classes. This was completely different from the past when she spent her time doing other things and showed no interest in the content of the classes. When she voluntarily organized her questions and visited her teachers saying that Philomel did not understand certain parts, even the elderly foreign language teacher was embarrassed by her many questions. She spent her free time quietly taking extra classes or reading books. Even her time with Nassar was no exception.


    ? I¡­ Your Highness¡­ ?


    ? Well, Sir Nassar. I have a question, when was the Battle of Cilia? ?


    ? ¡­.. In 132 years of the Imperial calendar. ?


    ? Oh, that¡¯s right. Thanks for letting me know. ?


    Nassar was smart. He was sitting in front of her and he glanced at his fianc¨¦e in the corner as she was memorizing her history book.


    ? Should we spend our time doing our job today? Nassar brings your homework next time. We meet once a week, but you mustn¡¯t waste your precious time in vain. ?


    As soon as she said this, Philomel opened her book and started studying without looking at Nassar. Even when she occasionally asked a question when she didn¡¯t understand, Philomel kept her eyes on the book.


    She had permission to go and borrow a book and give it to Nassar who had come empty-handed, but she did not want to. Nassar drank only the cup of tea he had in front of him. He had never been so free since he had entered the palace to play with the princess. Until now, he had been content to do what Philomel expected of him, and that way he could get home faster.


    ¡®Is she mad at me?¡¯


    So even though he knew it wasn¡¯t polite, Nassar stared at the little face that was so focused that it was buried in the book.


    Instead of being angry, Philomel treated Nassar with a constant smile on her face. But it seemed strange, he felt that there was a distance between them. It was awkward. He felt like a thin wall of ice was blocking him from getting too close to her. Philomel didn¡¯t pay any attention to Nassar. The young boy grinned at the awkwardness.


    For some reason, he did not feel well. There was a time when he had hoped that the princess would be a little more mature¡­¡­¡­.


    But for some reason, it was not good at all.


    ~ O*O*O*O*O*O ~


    This was not the only change. The number of times the yellow-eyed girl became angry at people who were low-status had dropped significantly.


    ? Oh, I¡¯m so sorry  your imperial highness! ?


    The cup of tea dropped by the maid broke. The blue bird drawn on the surface divided into three pieces. The teacup was one of the favorites of the Princess who had received it as a birthday gift from Prince Abriden last year.


    ? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! ?


    The maid trembled at the thought of being severely punished, so she continued to beg for forgiveness. In itself, even if the princess gets angry, nothing can happen to her if the nanny intervenes.  But lately, she wasn¡¯t going to be able to be covered by the nanny.  She had gone on leave to her hometown but forgot to bring a gift for the nanny when she returned. She shook her hand on her chest, waiting for Philomel¡¯s virulent cries. And the princesse opened her mouth.


    ? What are you doing? Hurry up and clean up ?


    ? What? ?


    ? The carpet is going to get wet, clean it and get out. ?


    ? Oh, yeah, okay. ?


    The maid hastened to recover the broken pieces and gather them together. Philomel¡¯s words were still very unexpected by the handmaid.


    ? Be careful not to cut your hand. People are important, not cups of tea. ?


    If it had been the former princess, she wouldn¡¯t have worried about her injured hand and shouted how dare she break her teacup! The maid was so disturbed by her experience that she told all the other servants of the court.


    At first, most people regarded the change as a temporary whim of the princess.


    ? I guess she was punished for her behavior at the Festival. ?


    ? So how long is it going to last? She¡¯ll be back to normal tomorrow. ?


    ? Anyway, the palace is quiet for a while ?


    They remembered everything about the personality of the princess: she was a very sensitive and ruthless little girl. She had always neglected her duties as a princess, which she saw just as a game.  However, when this change in behavior lasted one day, plus two, plus several days, everyone was forced to realize that the Princess had finally come of age. Philomel¡¯s desperate struggle to survive was seen by others only as she was growing up.


    ? It was worth teaching the princess with all my heart and soul. I would have regretted it if I had retired because of my little backache. ?


    The nanny claimed that she was the great teacher who cultivated the princess, as if all the credit goes to her.


    ? You¡¯re the nanny after all! ?


    ? You¡¯re amazing! ?


    Philomel listened to the maids singing the nanny¡¯s praises with a distracted ear.

 Chapter 6.2

    And a few days later Philomel was invited to the Emperor¡¯s table. It was lunchtime. Rare dishes were prepared and placed in front of the two members of the imperial family. Father and daughter sat opposite each other at the end of a long table.


    Philomel was nervous enough not to even feel the taste of the food under the emperor¡¯s sharp gaze, but she tried to remain calm.


    ¡®Why did he call me?¡®


    It was not possible that he wanted to have a meal with his daughter. She could hardly believe it. So the emperor opened his mouth and said in a heavy voice;


    ? I heard a story that you were concentrating on your studies. That¡¯s a good attitude. ?


    It took Philomel a while to notice that the emperor¡¯s words were a compliment because he had a rather indifferent tone of voice.  Meals with her father, compliments from her father¡¯s mouth, that was the first time. It was only now that she no longer made sense of them that the things she wanted most fell into her hands. Philomel replied politely.


    ? ¡­¡­¡­..Thank you. But there is still a long way to go. ?


    ? Your teachers have sung your praises a lot. ?


    ? It¡¯s thanks to the great teachers that His Majesty has assigned me. ?


    His Majesty? The words seemed so incongruous in the little girl¡¯s mouth that Eustis raised his eyebrows. Everyone called him that, but Philomel had always called him ? Father ?.


    ? ¡­¡­. You¡¯ve become quite mature in the meantime. ?


    ? I have to work hard as a member of the imperial family so as not to tarnish its reputation. ?


    Philomel laughed.It was a smile that only lifted the corner of his lips gently without opening his lips so that his teeth were not visible.  The emperor looked at Philomel¡¯s noble ? smile ?. If he knew his daughter a little, he would have realized that the recent changes in her behavior were extremely unnatural. However, Eustis, who knew nothing about it, just felt uncomfortable.


    ? Okay. Keep working hard in the future. ?


    ? Yes, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. ?


    ? By the way, is your body getting better? Is your cold completely cured? ?


    Philomel¡¯s fork, moving towards his plate, stopped for a moment. She didn¡¯t know that Eustis would be interested in her condition.


    ? ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve got better after taking the medicine you sent me. ?


    She felt strange because it seemed that Eustis was genuinely worried about her.


    ¡®No, he wasn¡¯t. I mustn¡¯t be weak because the enemy is showing me a bit of favor.¡¯


    Philomel hardened his heart once again. If the emperor learned that she was a fake, he wouldn¡¯t listen to her, he would kill her one day.


    ? That¡¯s a relief. Your mother was very weak too. ?


    ? ¡­¡­.Yes ?


    Just as the emperor was not her father, the empress, whom she had believed to be her mother for nearly a decade, was not her mother. Eustis, looking up for a short time, fixed his gaze on Philomel again.


    ? Tell me if there¡¯s anything you need in terms of praise for your hard work or anything else. If you can¡¯t, don¡¯t. ?


    Praise, concern, and now reward.


    Philomel swallows. What she had been waiting for finally arrived. The emperor made a real distinction between price and punishment when dealing with people. Severe punishment for the poor. Rewards for those who performed well.  It was for this reason that Philomel expected him to do the same.  But she was not to say what she wanted immediately.  For the time being Philomel was going to hide his feelings.


    ? It is an honor that His Majesty recognizes my efforts. ?


    The emperor took his glass and came to her mouth and said slowly.


    ? Humble.  But it is better to be moderately greedy to assume the crown. ?


    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to do that.¡¯


    Philomel pretended to be worried and said


    ? In fact, there is something I want to ask Your Majesty. May I say what I want? ?


    ? What¡¯s this? ?


    Philomel told the emperor of his long wish. It was the first time she had ever asked him anything. She hoped that her acting was as natural and sincere as possible.

 Chapter 7.1

    After the meal, Philomel returned to her room.


    ? Princess! You have come back! So what did His Majesty tell you? ¡­. ?


    As soon as she saw Philomel, the nanny tried to find out the content of her conversation with the emperor. Then she saw that the princess was not alone, there was someone following her.


    ? No, there wasn¡¯t. What brings you here, Count? ?


    The person was Count Pollan.


    ? His Majesty has ordered that you retire. Until now, you have worked hard for Her Highness the Princess and his Majesty. ?


    ? What? What do you mean by that? ¡­. ?


    The nanny didn¡¯t understand Pollan¡¯s words, so she blinked.


    ? I¡¯ll give you a generous compensation, so you won¡¯t be disappointed. If you want, we can arrange a house for you in the capital. ?


    Philomel looked up at the nanny and smiled.


    ? Nanny, thank you for everything. Now don¡¯t overdo it and get some rest. ?


    ? Retirement?! What¡¯s that? I have no desire to retire. I¡¯ve made up my mind to stay with you, until the end. ?


    The nanny was afraid of the word retirement. She pretended that being a nanny was nothing, but she loved the power she had as the princess¡¯ guardian.


    ? I respect your loyalty, but the princess has personally informed me that you have been suffering from back pain for some time. She¡¯s worried that you might fall one day. ?


    Philomel hid behind the Count and smiled eerily.


    The prickly nanny made excuses.


    ? Well, it¡¯s not that serious. The princess certainly took it too seriously due to her young mind. ?


    ? I¡¯ve already checked with the other servants. You don¡¯t need to hide it. ?


    The nanny had boasted to the court servants that she ¡®is loyal to the imperial family by dedicating my whole body to that point,¡¯ but the message was clear.


    When Philomel had shown her genuine concern for the nanny and begged the emperor, Eustis ordered the nanny to retire without a word. From his point of view, if the nanny, whom the late empress followed as her mother fell apart, it would be difficult for him to see.


    ? So, from today on, stop working, and take care of your body. I plan to select and attach a competent maid to take care of Her Highness. ?


    ? I¡¯m really fine! Please reconsider ¡­¡­ ?


    Philomel passed the nanny who was clinging to Pollan to enter her room. It would be quicker to die and be reborn than to hope that Eustis would take back a fate he had already given once.  The maids who stood at the end of the room silently glanced at each other worriedly.


    ? ¡­¡­ What are we going to do if the nanny resigns? ?


    ? I have to do well with the new maid. ?


    ? How much was we spent on the nanny? It¡¯s a loss now. ?


    The maids had been able to work under more than favorable conditions due to the fact that as long as they paid the nanny, she didn¡¯t care what they did.  Philomel¡¯s plan was to throw them all out. If they remained in the palace and at her service, they would interfere with her preparations for escape¡­. It was a good start she had just made. Philomel went to the bathroom to wash herself with a light step.


    ~ O*O*O*O*O*O ~


    Few days later, at Philomel¡¯s place.


    Today was the first day of the meeting between Philomel and Countess D¨¦lesse. She was going to replace the nanny who had retired and would be in charge of the servants. When Philomel saw this gray-haired person, she thought :


    ¡®Count Pollan has hired someone rather competent despite the lack of time.¡¯


    The Countess Delesse had no guts but she was perfect to be a concise and secret servant. How Philomel knew all this when it was the first time she saw her was¡­.. Because the Countess Delesse was Ellencia¡¯s maid of honor. In the book the countess was a stubborn but dignified and honest person on whom Ellencia relied heavily. The countess with the soft round face bowed her head politely.


    ? It is a great pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. ?


    Countess Delesse was nervous to be reprimanded by the princess because of her stubborn appearance. As the princess was still young, she had only made a few appearances at public events, but the nasty nature of the princess was very well known in high society.


    ? Nice to meet you. I look forward to your cooperation. ?


    However, contrary to rumors of arrogance, the Princess greeted the Countess with a polite smile. There were no gestures or harsh remarks during the conversation that followed.  On the contrary, the little girl was more mature than other average noble children. After spending half a day after her meeting with the princess, the Countess was relieved.  According to the investigations into the Princess¡¯s routine, she was doing her best in everything she did, and she did not treat her subordinates carelessly.  At her age, there were still parts of her that were still immature, but if she received a good education she could grow up to become a remarkable model for the imperial family. The bad temperament of the princess was one of the many rumors circulating in society.


    ¡®They have guts to talk about the Princess like that,¡¯ thought Countess Delesse to herself.


    At that moment, the Princess wrapped her reddened cheeks with her little hands and said.


    ? Would you like to see my closet? I have a lot of pretty clothes. ?


    Both of them were having a good time refreshing themselves using their spare time.The countess was trying to find a topic of conversation that would appeal to a little girl and she ended up mentioning a trendy new dress, and the princess grabbed her hand to guide her to her dressing room.   The Countess, who thought she was far too mature for her age, was happy to see her act like a child and smiled happily.  However, when she checked the little girl¡¯s closet, her expression darkened. Philomel babbled, pointing at her dresses one after the other:


    ? This is my favorite dress, I bought it last spring. ?


    ? ¡­¡­. I see. They¡¯re all pretty. ?


    There wasn¡¯t really a problem with the dresses, but rather with the cleanliness of the closet.  At first glance, the clothes seemed to hang well, but if you look closer, they are randomly mixed without being organized by season or purpose. In addition, some dresses were crumpled and left in a corner. By doing this, the clothes would be ruined more quickly and could not be worn for long.  Until now the princess had a new dress every day, which gave her the impression that she was conceited.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe the servants made a mistake that even an aristocrat wouldn¡¯t make!¡¯


    Countess Delesse cast a cold glance at the servants of Philomel. Not only that, she had felt that they were careless in the way they served the refreshments.


    ¡®Is that all you¡¯re worth?¡¯


    Usually, a single revealed mistake hid a dozen others, she had to observe carefully and find out what they were doing so far.


    She would need new servants for the Princess.

 Chapter 7.2

    After a while, all the Prinesse¡¯s servants were replaced. This had happened due to an investigation requested by Countess Delesse to the Officials.  What came out was that not only were the maids neglecting their work but they were stealing the budget that was allocated to the Princess for private use. Of course, it was natural that the person who embezzled the most money was the nanny. All those involved were severely punished. Philomel heard later that the nanny had not even acknowledged her mistakes.


    ? Is it such a great sin that a poor old woman was confused and no longer knew it was her money or not? How unfair! If My Lady Isabella was alive, how could she have felt sad for me, who was like her mother¡­¡­ ?


    The maid who had come from the palace and who had seen the scene of the nanny crying and protesting, told Philomel in detail what she saw.


    It was not a good excuse because it was not a few pennies. The money that was embezzled was far too huge to say that it was a confusion, or a momentary mistake. Philomel thought the nanny was spending money unnecessarily, but she would never have thought it was that much.


    After that the nanny was beaten and thrown out of the palace.  But with all she had done, being alive was already exceptional. Unlike the other people involved who were imprisoned, the emperor had only confiscated her possessions. This was an exceptional act, yet the nanny found a way to show her dissatisfaction and even to protest.


    ? You must have seen that! She started to cry after only having received a blow, ? mocked the maid, imitating the nanny¡¯s grimace.


    ? ¡­.. You talk too much in front of her Highness. ? The countess Delesse reprimanded her in a grimace. She glanced at Philomel, she was worried that the little girl felt bad for the nanny who had raised her since she was a child.


    ? I¡¯m fine. I think you reap what you sow, ? Philomel said to her new maid with a reassuring smile. Anyway, it had nothing to do with her.  The countess smiled and patted Philomel¡¯s shoulder gently as she yawned.


    ? It¡¯s time to get ready for bed. ?


    ? Thank you. ?


    ? It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s my job. ?


    When she lay in bed, she felt drowsy. She hadn¡¯t been able to sleep well the last few days as she was busy planning for the servants and the nanny to fall. In addition, she had to study and she had many thoughts going around in her head.  Being called by the emperor, to tell him her wish, to show the state of her dressing room to the new maidservant to get to the result of throwing her old maids out. She had thought about this strategy for a long time before implementing it.  It may have been nothing for another person, but for a nine-year-old girl, all these thoughts had exhausted her. Anyway, she was happy that everything had gone according to plan. She hoped that it would continue like this. It was on this prayer that Philomel fell asleep.

 Chapter 8.1

    After the distracting people disappeared, Philomel¡¯s daily life became smoother.  Her tight schedule, the fear of being ostracized, and the fear of dying made her feel like she was suffocating, but she didn¡¯t let anything show through.  Luckily the nanny and the servants were no longer there, which made her life a little more comfortable. In addition, the new maids did their homework well. However, the new maids did their homework well.


    ? It¡¯s not enough, ? Philomel whispered as she turned the pages of the book she was reading, alone in her room before breakfast. It was a good thing that the nanny and her clique had disappeared and that she was beginning to gain recognition from people. But it was far too early to be relieved. At least she had to do everything in her power to survive until she was old enough to run away on her own.The next few years were going to be difficult, and since she couldn¡¯t do anything with that nine-year-old body, she would be able to eat and live well when she left the imperial palace.


    ? I¡¯m going to put my pocket money aside to use as an escape fund. What else do I need? ?


    How to escape?


    She had some ideas, but keeping those ideas alive was a great challenge. She had to rise in the emperor¡¯s esteem because there was one thing she needed to escape. The problem? This object was part of the treasure of the imperial family. A treasure that could only be used by an emperor or an heir recognized by the emperor.


    ? But how can I rise in his esteem? ?


    Her relationship with the emperor had not changed dramatically, he called from time to time to see her, but that was all. They weren¡¯t close to each other, they had a meal together but nothing more. There was no progress in their relationship.


    ? Well¡­what should I do? ?


    It had nothing that could replace the treasure of the imperial family. Philomel was rereading <The Empress Ellencia> for the umpteenth time, and suddenly her eyes began to shine.


    ? Yes, that¡¯s it! ?


    She stood up and immediately pulled the rope to call Countess Delesse and asked her to bring something with her.  The Countess entered the room after a while with a bottle of green powder.


    ? Here is the powder made from the breading of sansalcho you told me about. ?


    ? Thank you. ?


    ? What are you going to do with it? May I ask why you need the sansalcho powder. It¡¯s generally used as a medicinal ingredient.


    ? I¡¯m going to make some tea to give to His Majesty. I¡¯m concerned about his health. ?


    ? ¡­¡­.To His Majesty the Emperor? ?


    ? Yes! His Majesty likes to drink alcohol often! I have read that boiled water with sansalcho is good for a hangover, ? Philomel replied with childlike innocence. She had this reaction on purpose because she knew that the good Countess Delesse was a kind adult who would do anything to protect the innocent heart of a child.


    ? Well¡­I see. I am sure His Majesty will be pleased with the filial piety of the Imperial Princess. ?


    As expected the maid had an expression that faded for a moment, but soon she smiled and cheered Philomel on.


    ? Then, shall we prepare a teapot and a teacup?


    ? And a filter paper, please! ?


    ? Whoa, I¡¯ll get that for you, just give me a few minutes. ?


    As soon as Countess Delesse left the room, Philomel opened the lid of the vial and stuck her nose in.


    ? Oh, it smells strong! ?


    A pungent sour smell vibrated in the air. That was the reason why the Countess had reacted vaguely when she told him that she wanted to offer the emperor some sansalcho tea.   It was well known to everyone that sansalcho was good for hangovers, but few people drink it after drinking a lot. It tasted as awful as it smelled.


    ¡®But it¡¯s good to have this.¡¯


    The little girl got up and went straight to the hidden vault at the back of her room, opened the door and pulled out a vial as big as her forearm. The light came dancing with the golden liquid that filled the bottle making it shine.   It was the fruit juice from the world tree that the emperor had sent to her. Once the juice was mixed with the sansalcho, surprisingly the bitter taste of the sansalcho was neutralized. In the novel, Ellancia had discovered it accidentally when the emperor had given her juice from the fruit of the world tree. She had put it in the sansalcho tea.


    She couldn¡¯t believe the wonderful coincidence that came from the simple idea of ? if you mix one good thing with another good thing, it will be healthier ?.


    ¡®Well yes, the real princess was on another level,¡¯ Philomel thought with a bitter laugh.


    In any case, this tea so-called ? exclusive sansalcho tea ? is much more effective in relieving hangovers than just basic sansalcho tea. It was created by Ellencia and not only relieves hangovers better, but it also allows you to regain your vitality thanks to the fruit of the world tree. Until now, no one had dared to mix the precious juice of the world tree with this horrible tasting tea. In a few words, Ellencia was the true inventor of the ? special sansalcho tea ?.


    Of course, Philomel was going to take her place.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Ellencia, but you¡¯re going to have my father, my statut, you¡¯re going to be able to live well and eat well¡­you can make me this concession¡¯, mumbled the little girl, asking the real one to understand.


    Shortly afterwards, the countess returned with the filter paper and the necessary to make tea. Philomel gently filtered the tea sansalcho into the tea pot and finally she added a teaspoon of the golden liquid. The ratio was very important to make the best taste. Philomel added in the teapot two teaspoons as written in the book. Sweat formed on the top of her nose as she was concentrated on carefully mixing the water and tea with a teaspoon.


    ? It¡¯s done! ?


    She tasted it, and it was strangely sweet.


    ¡®Ellencia, you have a kind heart because you would have given this precious drink to anyone with a hangover, but I¡¯m different.¡¯


    Give what¡¯s good to the powerful!


    With these words, which she had learned earlier in her mind, Philomel went to the Emperor¡¯s room.

 Chapter 8.2

    As the tea tray was very hot and dangerous to be carried by a nine-year-old girl, it was the Countess who took care of it. Philomel had heard that yesterday the emperor was having a business dinner with the high-ranking aristocrats until late at night. So there was a strong probability that the emperor was suffering from that evening this morning. Philomel met Count Pollan on her way to the emperor¡¯s chamber.


    Count Pollan was moved to tears when he heard Philomel¡¯s explanation.


    ? At last! Spring is finally beginning to blossom between the two of you¡­. It is soon time for His Majesty to rise. Let¡¯s go. ?


    ¡®I knew it! He¡¯s still in bed because of a hangover!¡¯


    Philomel was all cheerful as he made his way to the Emperor¡¯s chamber. The Count opened the door and went in first.


    ? Your Majesty, look who¡¯s here! ?


    A voice filled with distress answered him somewhere on the bed.


    ? ¡­.. don¡¯t shout, it¡¯s resonating ?


    Eustis, who was lying down, found it difficult to stand up in bed.


    ¡®It is the time!¡¯


    Philomel took the tea tray from the Countess¡¯s hands and approached the bed.


    ? Your Majesty, how do you feel? ?


    She greeted him with the polite attitude she had practiced so hard. The unexpected voice surprised Eustis.


    ? Philomel? Why are you here? ?


    ? I¡¯ve brought you some sansalcho tea to help Your Majesty¡¯s health. If you want, you can have a drink. ?


    Count Pollan helped her from behind.


    ? Her imperial highness is visiting us in person. His Highness¡¯ filial piety is priceless. ?


    Eustis looked at the tea tray with a strange face. Perhaps because of the coppery smell, but the emperor¡¯s face, already pale, became worse.  Although the juice of the world tree changed the taste, it did not change the smell of the sansalcho.


    ¡®Oh no, does that mean he¡¯s not going to drink it?¡¯ Philomel immediately worried and stepped into bed to get closer.


    ? Although the smell is not famous, the taste is¡­ ?.


    Ugh, Philomel frowned immediately.


    ¡®It smells like alcohol!¡¯


    The smell of the liquor, which was not covered by the smell of sansalcho, came from the emperor. There were corpses of liquor bottles on the bedside table that the servants had not yet cleaned up.


    ¡®Wait, did he drink that much even after dinner?¡¯


    Eustis¡¯ eyes widened and, as if he was reading Philomel¡¯s thoughts, he said to her.


    ? Get away from me. ?


    ? But¡­. ?


    The tray that Philomel was holding at arm¡¯s length began to shake.


    ¡®It¡¯s too heavy.¡¯


    It was unreasonable for a young child to carry a tray with a full teapot and teacups for that long.


    ? ¡­¡­¡­.. Give me that. ?


    Eustis sighed, took the tray from the little girl¡¯s hands and put it on the bed. He looked at the tea for a moment as if to encourage himself to drink the mixture. He used a cup and emptied it as quickly as he could with frowning eyebrows.


    ? ¡­¡­¡­? ?


    The forehead that was frowned upon quickly became smooth.


    ? It doesn¡¯t taste bad. ?


    Philomel smiled brightly at the reaction she was expecting.


    ? Doesn¡¯t it? I made the bitter taste disappear by mixing it with the fruit of the world tree! ?


    ? From the fruit of the world tree? ?


    ? Yes! Your Majesty gave it to me! ?


    ? ¡­¡­Yes, for you to eat. ?


    ? I¡¯m not sick anymore. But Your Majesty often suffers from hangovers¡­.. ?


    Count Pollan took the opportunity to confront the emperor.


    ? Look, her Imperial Highness is worried about you, think of her and reduce your alcohol consumption. Your Majesty is strong but you¡¯ve been drinking alcohol for 10 years, your health will inevitably suffer. ?


    ? Be quiet. ?


    ? Your Majesty is still young¡­. ?


    ? Shut up, you¡¯re too noisy. ?


    Listening to their conversation, Philomel learned something new about the Emperor.


    ¡®He has been drinking for a long time¡­¡¯


    She knew nothing about Eustis because she rarely saw him until recently.


    ¡®And if he¡¯s been drinking for ten years¡­¡¯


    That coincided with the birth of Philomel. And at the same time, it coincided with the year of Empress Isabella¡¯s death.


    It seemed that he drank just as heavily to survive the death of the empress.  He seemed fine on the outside, but on the inside he was depressed. Somehow Philomel felt her heart grow tight.


    ¡®To think that in addition to the death of his wife, it turns out that his daughter was a fake!¡¯


    But Philomel shook her head hard to come to her senses.


    ¡®Whom do I pity?¡¯


    The emperor was a person who was going to kill her one day. She would not let herself weaken before she fled.


    ? Philomel ?


    Eustis had put his cup of tea on the tray and called out in a low voice.


    ? Thanks to you, I was able to clear my mind. Tell me, if you want something. ?


    There we go !


    That was what Philomel was waiting for.After all, the emperor was a man of price and punishment.  She wondered if she could ask for her wish since she had something good?


    ¡®What should I ask?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s much too early to ask for the treasure¡¯.


    Philomel finally said after a long moment of reflection what she wanted.

 Chapter 9.1

    ? It was a good idea to come here! ?


    Philomel smiles with satisfaction as she looks at the garden in full bloom. She was looking around, she was in the backyard garden of the imperial palace. The flowers planted by the skilled gardeners were in full bloom.


    ¡®Such a beautiful scene always brings a smile¡¯.


    It was no exaggeration to say that even the worst enemies are stunned when walking in the garden, so beautiful was it.


    ? Can you come for a walk with me? ?


    That was Philomel¡¯s wish. She had never walked with Eustis before.


    ¡®Yes, come for a walk with me and I¡¯ll tell you how I¡¯ll be an excellent successor,¡¯ the little girl thought determinedly. However, the person who appeared before her was completely different from the emperor. The little boy who appeared before Philomel seemed to be two or three years younger than her. He looked at her with a grumpy look on his face.


    ? Hey, ? he shouted.


    ? Only the imperial family can enter this place! ?


    ? ¡­¡­..? ?


    Philomel calmly guessed the identity of the little boy. It was a garden accessible only to members of the imperial family.  If he was in this garden, it meant only one thing, that he had imperial blood. And by the sight of his dull blond hair¡­.


    ? How dare you ignore me? Which family do you come from? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s an act of treason to sneak into this garden?! ?


    However, the person who appeared before her was completely different from the emperor. The little boy who appeared before Philomel seemed to be two or three years younger than her. He looked at her with a grumpy look on his face.


    ? Hey, ? he shouted.


    ? Only the imperial family can enter this place! ?


    ? ¡­¡­..? ?


    Philomel calmly guessed the identity of the little boy. It was a garden accessible only to members of the imperial family.  If he was in this garden, it meant only one thing, that he had imperial blood. And by the sight of his dull blond hair¡­.


    ? How dare you ignore me? Which family do you come from?Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s an act of treason to enter this garden?! ?


    The boy shouted these words believing Philomel was ignoring him.


    ¡®Oh, so loud. I can¡¯t think because of the noise. Is he an idiot? Why does he think that I am not part of the imperial family?¡¯


    Philomel opened her mouth and said in a soft voice trying to be patient.


    ? Hey, keep your voice down.  And it¡¯ll be nice to have an example¡­ ?


    ? Shut up! ?


    Crack. The young princess¡¯ thread of patience had just broken in her mind.


    There had been many people who had ignored Philomel during her short life, but this was the first time she had been treated so openly insultingly. It was only natural that her voice became cold and dry when she opened her mouth.


    ? Hey, shut up. ?


    ? What, what?! What did you just say¡­.? ?


    ? Are your ears plugged? Shut up Liam Elos. ?


    ? Liam! What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt? ?


    ? It¡¯s loud. What the hell¡¯s going on? ?


    The first person who appeared in front of the little girl was a woman holding a white umbrella. She had shiny blond hair and mud-colored eyes. The person next to the woman was a young boy who appeared to be three to four years older than Philomel. The boy¡¯s blond hair was as dark as Liam Elos¡¯. The two people were Marquise Elos and her eldest son Logan Elos. The former name of Marquise Sylvia Elos, was Belov.


    In other words, she was the daughter of the previous emperor and half-sister of the current emperor, the former Princess Sylvia. They were the only ones who could be described as blood related because all the other children of the sun had died or had left the country. Only Eustis and Marquise Elos remained, who had quickly sided with the new emperor.


    ¡®I heard that the Marquise Elos had two sons, but¡­¡¯.


    The eldest son had already met him so he knew her face, which was not the case for the second son, whom Philomel was meeting for the first time today.  As the Belov house was not very friendly, it was rare that there were meetings except in case of official events. However, the second son of the family, Liam Elos was still young and had not yet made an official appearance.


    Marquise Elos was surprised when she saw Philomel and greeted her.


    ? Oh my, Philomel. It¡¯s been a while. How have you been? ?


    Regardless of their family relationship, whether she was her aunt or not, it was extremely rude to talk to a princess in such a rude manner. Even within the same imperial family, there were rules of courtesy for addressing each other. Sometimes it could happen that they spoke more casually but only if they were close and had given each other the permission to address each other in this way. Liam looked at his mother with surprise before asking aloud.


    ? What? Is she Philomel the princess? But mother, you said the princess was very ugly! ?


    The Marquise hastened to close her son¡¯s mouth.


    ? Ahah, you must be mistaken! ?


    ¡®¡­. So that¡¯s what you think of me, huh?¡¯


    Philomel¡¯s eyes hardened and turned cold. Logan Elos took a step forward to distract Philomel.


    ? I greet your highness the Princess. I beg you to forgive my younger brother with a broad heart. ?


    Logan had been more polite than his mother and the second son. However, he had barely bowed his head and upper body. This was not how one greeted a princess. Logan Elos. This was the boy who was supposed to be the next emperor. Indeed, since Philomel did not have a Divine Spirit and she lacked qualifications. The ministers said among themselves that very soon the emperor would introduce his nephew, who had the reputation of being excellent, as the next heir to the throne.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure when Ellencia comes back, it would be like a dog chasing a chicken in any case.¡¯ (note : the real expression is ? the dog who was chasing the chicken who was watching him from the roof ?. Basically, the dog chasing the hen has no influence since the hen is on the rooftop. All its efforts will be for nothing.)


    Philomel snorted unconsciously before bowing her head to accept the greeting.


    ? We¡¯ll be on our way, if you allow it. I came to take a walk with my mother and brother today. ?


    But at that moment, Liam, who took his mother¡¯s hand, said to his brother, sticking to him.


    ? Hey, hey! When you become the emperor, please take away the garden and build a playground! I want to make a war game with my friends! ?

 Chapter 9.2

    ? ¡­.You! You shouldn¡¯t talk like that! ?


    Philomel had heard everything. Logan already saw himself as the future emperor. The little princess was confused by the behavior of the three people who already saw themselves on top. It was dangerous for her to antagonize them by considering the future. They would be the first to show their fangs if it was discovered that she was not the real princess, moreover they were already ready to take the authority of the princess immediately, if they could. Perhaps it would be wise to let what had just happened go.


    ¡®But¡­¡­.¡¯


    How could an heir to the throne leave such insults? It seemed to her that she had to put them in their place to some extent.


    ¡® If the Emperor heard about this, he might be disappointed in her again.¡¯


    Above all, she didn¡¯t want to live that way. She was a princess, until she had to leave the position to Ellencia. Philomel opened her mouth after making up her mind.


    ? Wait. Before the three of you leave, say hello. ?


    Sylvia turned to Philomel with a confused expression on her face and looked at her.


    ? If that¡¯s a greeting, I said it earlier. ?


    ? Madam Marquis of Elos, you were greeted when you were a member of the imperial family, were you not? ?


    ? That, that is¡­ ?


    ? And why have you been talking to me informally for the last while? Speak up. ?


    An exclamation came from the Marquis¡¯ wife¡¯s mouth. But there was nothing to say. Right.


    ? All right, I¡¯ll do as you wish. Sylvia Elos greets his imperial highness Philomel. Is that enough? ?


    Philomel said, detaching each word, to Sylvia who had bowed quickly before straightening up.


    ? Get down. ?


    ? What, what? ?


    ? Bow down. Isn¡¯t that the proper way to greet the heir to the throne? ?


    Actually, unless you were a commoner or a low-ranking nobleman, it was rare to give a strict greeting. Sylvia¡¯s face turned red with shame. She must have been furious. Even if she had become a marquess after her marriage, as she had been a princess before, she should have been treated as the highest of ladies. Moreover, she was said to dominate high society as her own since the empress¡¯s place was vacant. But the anger broke out elsewhere.


    ? My brother is going to be the emperor! You are not the successor! ? shouted Liam a thousand times as if he was trying to replace his mother. It was at that moment.


    ? What¡¯s all this fuss? ?


    The emperor had just appeared. The faces of Mr. Elos and Logan turned pale. Liam, who was still young, did not realize how dangerous what he had just said was.  A member of the imperial family would become the emperor, not the emperor¡¯s children. This was a remark that could be considered high treason.


    ¡®Maybe he had heard Liam!¡¯


    Philomel quickly approached the Emperor and asked:


    ? Your Majesty! Liam Elos has said that his brother will be the next emperor. Is this true? Can Logan Elos be the next emperor before me, the first princess of the empire? ?


    Marquise Elos exclaimed hurriedly


    ? Your Majesty, no! My son never said such a thing! ?


    ? ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ?


    The emperor remained silent.


    Logan joined in, thinking that the emperor would not abandon them.


    He said, ? That¡¯s right. Her imperial highness misheard. ?


    The emperor said.


    ? ¡­¡­¡­So the princess is lying? ?


    The Marquis¡¯ wife grinned.


    ? I don¡¯t want to go that far, but yes. Children often lie to get attention, don¡¯t they. Don¡¯t scold the princess too much. It¡¯s just a trivial lie. ?


    The Marquise and Logan were working together to make Philomel a liar. A reliable successor would have to use logic to refute these lying words, but words did not immediately come to her in the face of this unexpected situation. It was in these moments that Philomel realized that she was a weak child.


    ? Oh, no, I really heard that, your majesty! ? exclaimed Philomel with teary eyes.

 Chapter 10.1

    ? Tck. ?


    But that moment, Eustis bent down so that he was on the same level as the little princess¡¯ eyes. With a gentle hand, he wiped her tears from her small cheeks.


    ? You¡¯re not a liar. ?


    ? ¡­.. ! ?


    ? If you were a liar, I would be too. I heard everything. ?


    ? Your Majesty! ?


    In an instant the Marquise¡¯s pretty face turned pale. Logan, who had grasped the situation, dropped to his knees, his face to the ground.


    ? ¡­¡­..I have sinned to death! I was worried about my immature little brother and I made a mistake! ?


    ? Big, older brother? ?


    Liam took a step back.


    ? What is wrong with you? Everyone does this! His Majesty also pointed to my brother as the successor¡­.. ?


    ? Noisy! ?


    Pow!


    Logan hit his brother on the head.


    ? Why is Hyung hitting me, huh¡­.. ?


    Liam began to cry sadly. There was no chaos.


    ? Your majesty, what my brother just said is wrong. My parents and I never said such a thing to my younger brother. ?


    ? Well, yes! My son¡¯s imagination has no limit, that¡¯s why he was mistaken! ?


    The two people who had tried to lead Philomel on as a liar, were doing the same thing to Liam. The little boy, very shocked, watched his family betray him.


    ? Stop it. ?


    The icy voice didn¡¯t make much noise.


    ? I really don¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t think you were plotting right in front of my eyes. ?


    Despite the warm breeze, the temperature seemed to have dropped suddenly. Philomel was frightened and she wondered if the Elos family felt the same way.


    ? Well, uh, I mean¡­ ?


    The wife of the Marquis of Elos began to tremble in silence. Logan, who claimed to be intelligent, was all alone, white as a sheet and kept silent by pursing his lips.


    ? The reason I didn¡¯t touch you Sylvia is because it wasn¡¯t worth getting my hands dirty with blood. ?


    ? Eu, Eustice¡­¡­ ?


    Marquise Elos slumped to the ground with a plop. The situation of Sylvia, the former princess, was so desperate that she called her younger half-brother in a miserable voice.


    ? If you don¡¯t want to lose your head here, take your children and get out of here. I don¡¯t want to see blood today. ?


    So the three disappeared. After that, the Marquis¡¯ family assets were confiscated and the names of Sylvia and her two sons were removed from the Imperial Family Registry. Those whose names had been erased must live as commoners and their divine power sealed for life. This was a light punishment for committing a crime such as conspiracy against the imperial power. However, everyone knew that the Elos family was not really conspiring, but that they had failed in the education of their son.


    Philomel later discovered that where they ended up living, they were ostracized by their neighbors, making it difficult for them to even get a bowl of soup. Well, that was a story from the future. Now what was important was the impression she had of the man who was already walking away from her.


    ¡®¡­..I¡¯m scared.¡¯


    He was so cold to her real blood, it was obvious how he was going to treat his fake daughter.


    ? Aren¡¯t you going to walk? ?


    ? ¡­¡­.yes, yes? ?


    ¡®Walk. You say you want to do it?¡¯ That¡¯s right.


    The walk, she had forgotten because of the three people who had appeared. Philomel followed the Emperor¡¯s footsteps and talked about how she was exemplary in class and how these teachers complimented her a lot.


    Eustice gave only short answers such as ? I see, ? ? Yes, ? and ? That¡¯s not bad, ? but Philomel thought positively.


    ? Where is it? ? asked Philomel as he was about to finish their walk.


    ? Your Majesty, do you hate walking? ?


    ? I don¡¯t like it much. But you must get out once in a while since you¡¯ve been chasing the crooked worm without knowing what it¡¯s about. ?


    ? It¡¯s the story of the marquise and her sons, isn¡¯t it? ? asked Philomel, opening her mouth carefully.


    ? So, can you take a walk with me sometime in the future? ?


    ? ¡­¡­go out? ?


    ? Yes! ?


    ? It won¡¯t be fun. ?


    ? It¡¯s good, though. ?


    She would hope that the ? not fun ? didn¡¯t mean something new and harmful¡­. ?


    The emperor replied quietly as if he knew Philomel¡¯s agony.


    ? Okay. ?


    ? Wow! ?


    Wait, she wasn¡¯t supposed to say that. Philomel came to her senses and bowed politely.


    ? Thank you for your attention. ?


    ? ¡­¡­ You can do as usual. ?


    ? Yes? I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t hear it, but if you can repeat ¡­. ?


    ? No. Do what you want. ?


    Eustis walked silently without saying anything more. Philomel followed him carefully and glanced at the beautiful garden.

 Chapter 10.2

    From that day on, the next morning after the emperor drank too much, it became Philomel¡¯s daily routine to take a ? special sansalcho tea ? and barge into the emperor¡¯s room. Count Pollan, who wanted to break the emperor¡¯s drinking habits, actively cooperated and provided information.


    Eustis drank sansalcho tea every time, while staring at the count. Afterwards, the Emperor and the princess leave in a light walk in the garden.


    ? The composition teacher says I am the brightest student he has ever taught! ?


    ? Good for you. ?


    ? Is that a compliment to me because I¡¯m a princess? ?


    ? He was my teacher too, but he didn¡¯t have an obsequious personality. ?


    ? But I don¡¯t think so. ?


    Philomel, who often walked, twisted her ankle and fell.


    ? Ouch, Oww¡­.. ?


    It felt like my knee was skinned. The skin had come off, it hurt so much it brought tears to her eyes.


    ¡®Oh no, you mustn¡¯t cry¡¯.


    She had to get up quickly, otherwise the Emperor would surely abandon her. Or he would risk looking at her with a pathetic look.


    ? Are you okay. ?


    But Eustis came back to her. He even asked her if everything was okay.


    ? It¡¯s fine! ?


    Philomel stood up quickly and walked with a slight limp, Eustis watched her do so before moving closer to her. Suddenly, Philomel¡¯s body was lifted into the air. Eustis was holding Philomel by the waist and had pulled her up!


    ? Your Majesty! ?


    Frustrated, Philomel struggled.


    ? Stand still. ?


    ? But, but¡­¡­¡­¡­..! ?


    ? Only the royal family is allowed here, so no one else can move you. ?


    ? But your majesty is having a hard time. ?


    ? Me? You see me as a dying corpse. ?


    Eustis held Philomel this way and that, seeking the most comfortable position, as he continued the walk. Philomel was choked by the breathtaking awkwardness of the situation.


    ? Hold it if it¡¯s uncomfortable. ?


    ¡®How can I stand this?¡¯


    Aside from the physical discomfort caused by the hardness of the Emperor¡¯s arms, it was mentally painful.


    ? If you don¡¯t like it, at least sleep. ?


    How could she sleep peacefully under these conditions. Though thinking so, Philomel closed her eyes anyway. And surprisingly, she fell asleep in the Emperor¡¯s arms. When she saw the Emperor gently carrying the sleeping little child in his arms, Countess Delesse ran over in surprise.


    ? Well, you must have been tired. My goodness, you always wake up early to visit His Majesty. ?


    ? ¡­¡­¡­¡­. ?


    ? Her Highness wants to bring you a cart when you wake up. ?


    ? ¡­¡­ I see. ?


    Countess Delesse swallowed her saliva.  She knew how hard Philomel was used to living.It was natural that she felt like doing something for her when she saw her trying so hard with that little body. Also, the look of the emperor holding his little girl in his arms made her feel better. The countess took her courage in both hands and dared to speak.


    ? I heard that Empress Isabella also liked to walk in the garden. ?


    ? ¡­¡­..I liked to see flowers. ?


    When the answer came back, the countess said happily.


    ? It would seem that Her Highness the Princess resembles Her Majesty the Empress. She wakes up every morning to take a walk with Your Majesty. ?


    Eustis¡¯ blue eyes filled with melancholy at the memory of the past.


    ? Isabella usually looked at the surrounding landscape when she walked with me. I was the one seeing the person next to me. ?


    Eustice looked at his daughter quietly.


    ? So maybe this child is more like me than Isabella. ?


    At that moment, a nightingale sitting on a branch began to sing. Because of the bird¡¯s song, Countess Delesse did not hear the Emperor¡¯s words about the princess.


    However, she was certainly told the last time that she looked like him. Truth be told, she, who had been watching the Emperor from her side for months, had no sympathy for the Emperor¡¯s appearance. But it was clear that this was a positive sign for a good father-daughter relationship.

 Chapter 11.1

    Note : I¡¯m really sorry I disappeared like that without giving any news. I had my final exams starting, I had to work TT_TT


    I have midterms the whole month of May, so I might not publish at the same pace until then¡­ I hope you¡¯ll have the patience


    Time passed and Philomel turned ten. She was spending time with Nassar, who was visiting her as usual. Suddenly, the little boy asked her.


    ? Your Highness, do you hate me? ?


    Philomel looked up from her book and looked at Nassar, sitting opposite her, with surprise.


    ? What? There¡¯s no way. That¡¯s not true. ?


    ? ¡­¡­¡­Did you happen to overhear my conversation with my father that day? ?


    The day Nassar had visited her with his father, the same day Philomel had decided not to be attached to him anymore. The day she had made up her mind. Philomel remained silent, Nassar straightened up before putting one knee on the ground, his head down.


    ? I apologize. ?


    ? Nassar! Get up! ?


    Philomel was surprised by the gesture and reached out her hand.


    ? No, I will beg for your forgiveness until her Highness feels relieved. ?


    Nassar refused to straighten his head. Philomel said to him cautiously.


    ? You don¡¯t have to beg my forgiveness, Nassar. It¡¯s okay, because you didn¡¯t swear behind my back, you didn¡¯t speak in order for me to listen. I just overheard it.


    ? ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a problem in itself to have a heart like that. ?


    ¡®It¡¯s going to be difficult.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t like Philomel hated Nassar. Of course she¡¯d resented him for a while. After a while, however, the resentment had dissipated.


    ? What can I do? Even if they are my feelings, I can¡¯t control them.


    Philomel thought about it sincerely. Nassar¡¯s love was not something she could get even if she longed for it, it was not Nassar¡¯s fault that he could not love her. But Nassar still wasn¡¯t getting up.


    ? I even have to watch my feelings. So it falls to my responsibility to have had this bad feeling. ?


    Philomel felt compassion for Nassar.


    ¡®How much did the duke bother him for him to act like that?¡¯


    The Duke of Avriden was famous for the hard education he gave to his son. Classes in history, etiquette, and swordplay. The duke seemed to be warming up to Nassar to make sure that he acquired as much knowledge as possible and that he could do whatever was asked of him.  Philomel was beginning to understand a little of Nassar¡¯s suffering, since she had begun to take the succession classes herself. Nassar¡¯s shoulders, which shook before her, seemed so small. The crying little boy begged.


    ? If there is something you don¡¯t like, please tell me. After all, I was born to serve you. If you let me know, I will fix it. ?


    Philomel shouted


    ? Why should Nassar be born to serve me? Nassar belongs to himself! ?


    ? But my father says I must always serve Her Highness with that in mind. ?


    Perhaps the little boy had been trained to meet all of Philomel¡¯s needs. That was the level of brainwashing he had undergone.


    ¡®The Duke! What have you done to your son?¡¯


    Philomel grasped his forehead.


    ¡®If he gets attached to me like that, and later finds out I¡¯m a fake princess, he¡¯ll blame me for nothing!¡¯


    Besides, Nassar could not continue to think this way.


    ? Nassar, sit down. ?


    When Philomel spoke firmly, the boy, who looked dead inside, obeyed softly;


    ? Repeat after me. ?


    ? What? ?


    ? Follow what I am going to say now. ?


    ? Yes, your Highness. ?


    ? I am a valuable person. ?


    Nassar hesitated for a moment before repeating timidly.


    ? ¡­..I am a precious person. ?


    ? I was not born to serve anyone. ?


    ? ¡­.I was not born to serve anyone. ?


    ? I will live as I please. ?


    ? I belong to myself¡­ ?


    The young boy¡¯s voice began to break out after a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ? I will live as I please. ?


    The boy¡¯s voice exploded at his words. He was, indeed, the Duke¡¯s successor and would dust, Ellencia, but Philomel wished he could live his life.


    ? It was good. Now let¡¯s keep it that way! ?


    ? Yes! ?


    So Philomel began her own brainwashing for a while, she hoped it would work. Then it was time for Nassar to go home.


    ? I¡¯ll be going, then. ?


    The young boy hesitated to say goodbye. He didn¡¯t seem to want to go. What if when he got home, the new brainwashing didn¡¯t work anymore? Feeling sorry for Nassar, who looked like a little puppy abandoned in the rain, Philomel told him.


    ? Nassar. Let¡¯s have dinner tonight. ?


    ? ¡­. Can I? ?


    ? Of course. I¡¯ll tell the Duke as well. And Nassar? ?


    ? Yes. ?


    ? In the future, if the Duke tells you the opposite of everything I just told you¡­.ignore it. ?


    ? ¡­..I will do my best ?


    ? If you think you are going to do something ridiculous, tell me. I¡¯ll scold you. ?


    Nassar had a small laugh as if he thought it was a joke.


    ? I¡¯m not joking. I can scold a real peacock. ?


    At least as long as the Duke recognized Philomel as the princess. That day, Nassar returned home after a short discussion with Philomel after dinner. He shyly confided to the princess that he wanted to be a warrior when he grew up, not a duke.  There was no way the duke would let his only heir go off to the battlefields to fight monsters, but Philomel cheered him on.


    This was the first time Philomel had the opportunity to learn a little more about the little boy ? Nassar ?, not the male lead of the romance, not the heir to the dukedom of Abriden.


    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s enough.¡¯ the princess thought as she looked at Nassar who waved his hand. There was no need to be closer to Nassar than necessary, or even to get along with him.


    ? I¡¯ll just leave things as they are. ?


    Everything was peaceful.


    That night, when Nassar returned, Philomel grabbed the book


    and walked over to the fireplace, in which a fire was burning.


    ? I have memorized all the contents¡­. ?


    Philomel had read, over and over again this book. Just in case, the important contents had been changed with a password, hidden in a separate place. Not just in one place, but all over. There was no need to have the book


    anymore. It was time to destroy the evidence. It was too dangerous to keep this book in her possession. Even the maid who cleaned the room had never suspected that the book existed, but there was no law in the future.


    ? Aisch! ?


    Philomel hesitated as she looked alternately at the fire and the book, then closed her eyes before throwing it into the crackling fire. In a short time the cover of the book turned brown from the heat, the pages ignited and turned to ash. But, something inconceivable happened at that moment: there was a light that shone until in front of the chimney, the book <The Princess Ellencia> reappeared. There was no trace of scorch on it. Philomel was so surprised, that she just stared with a blank expression at the book on the floor.

 Chapter 11.2

    The next day, Philomel visited the Imperial Institute of Magic located in the Magic building.


    ? Here is your tea. ?


    Humphrey, the wizard, set a cup of hot tea in front of the Princess.


    ? Thank you for the drink. ?


    Philomel, dressed in a delicate cape, replied brightly. The wizard watched the little princess drink the tea with delight. Humphrey was someone Count Pollan had introduced to her when she said she had a question regarding magic. She heard that he was originally a talented person at the Magic Tower but he changed his job lately.


    ? So, your highness, what intrigues you? I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. ?


    ? I read in a book that there is such a thing as magic¡­¡­ ?


    Philomel had deliberately questioned, citing the fanciful magic of fairy tales that would mislead a child. It was a cover to hide the real problem.


    ? I think the author of the book exaggerated that. ? Humphrey replied without hesitation.


    After some time spent exchanging questions and answers, Philomel addressed the topic that intrigued him most.


    ? It would be great to have a book that tells us the future! ?


    ? You mean like the Prophecy? ?


    ? Yes! Come to think of it, I¡¯ve only heard of Prophecy, but does such a book exist? ?.


    Humphrey rubbed his chin and chose his words carefully.


    ? You can say it exists, and you can say it doesn¡¯t. ?


    ? What do you mean? ?


    ? The thing commonly called Prophecy is not a book that accurately records what will happen in the future. ?


    ? Yes, it is. ?


    ? But it is theoretically, practically impossible. ?


    Impossible?


    Philomel¡¯s expression crumpled on its own.


    ? You look disappointed. Yet, it¡¯s true. A magical prediction made by a wizard has a myriad of possibilities. ?


    ? And you, sir? ?


    Philomel, unable to shake off his lingering feelings, asked.


    ? The same is true of Faith¡¯s prophecy. In fact, even your prediction is off by about 30%. In fact, it¡¯s hard to say that the other 70% was completely correct. ?


    He spoke enthusiastically.


    ? Prediction is something you can say vaguely and say it came true when you go there and get a plausible result. Earrings on your ears, rings on your nose. Wasn¡¯t it the prediction of a shooting star that fell yesterday on a theory that the wrath of God is falling from the sky? The temple is unnecessarily conservative, so ¡ª¡ª. ?


    Oh, Humphrey covered his mouth with a stinging face.


    ? Oh dear, I never questioned the existence of God. When I talk about magic, there¡¯s a bit of exaggeration. ?


    ? So following Humphrey¡¯s words, an object that could be a prophecy doesn¡¯t exist. ?


    ? That is, there are no objects? ?


    That¡¯s right. Books sold on the market as so called prophecy are usually pure rubbish. Only a few of them are written by Divine Hall or the Wizard on the possibilities that they imagined. How can you predict the future unless being God. But Philomel already knew of such a book.


    ¡® Then what is this book? ¡® Philomel closed her lips.

 Chapter 12

    Judging that Humprey could not provide him with any useful information regarding the book ? Princess Ellencia, ? Philomel moved on to the next question.


    ? Perhaps a great wizard will be able to tell if he is using his magic? ?


    ? No matter how great he is, he can¡¯t be accurate¡­ ?


    ? Even if he¡¯s a great Magic Tower Master? ?


    This was the key information Philomel asked. The grandmaster of the magic tower. That was the title that referred to the owner of the Magic Tower. He had also been described as Philomel¡¯s biological father in the novel < Princess Ellencia>.


    ¡®I can¡¯t imagine what kind of person he is, as there is very little information about him in the book¡­¡¯


    Humphrey should have a little more information regarding the owner of the Tower since he was there until recently. But Humphrey¡¯s hand holding the teacup began to dip mercilessly.


    ? Who, who? The¡­Owner of the Tower¡­¡­? ?


    ? Yes, the Grandmaster of the Tower. ?


    ? Why do you ask that ¡­.? ?


    ? I was thinking that maybe the Grandmaster of the Tower might be able to see the future accurately. ?


    ¡®What¡¯s with the reaction? He¡¯s reacting as if he doesn¡¯t want to hear anything.¡¯


    Still, Philomel continued her questioning with a slight shake of her head.


    ? By the way, who is the owner of the tower? ?


    ? ¡­Uh¡­¡­He¡¯s a grand wizard. ?


    ? Yes, I know that. ?


    ? He¡¯s a Sage from the north. ?


    ? I know. ?


    ? And, and¡­. ?


    Humphrey suddenly grips his stomach.


    ? Ouch, stomach ache! I¡¯m sorry your highness. Please allow me to withdraw. ?


    ? What? Oh, okay, go ahead. ?


    Humphrey, who was holding his stomach, slipped out of the room. Judging by his yellow face, it didn¡¯t look like a fake illness: he was really sick.


    ¡®What is this¡­?¡¯


    After Humphrey¡¯s hasty departure, Philomel finished her tea before leaving the magic building. From then on, Philomel asked similar questions of several wizards in the court.


    The wizards snorted at the Prophecy, and knew nothing in particular about the Master of the Magic Tower, or said much about her issues.


    ¡®As expected, I have no choice but to meet him in person,¡¯ Philomel swore to herself as she walked painfully on her way back. As soon as she managed to escape from the palace, she would visit her biological father, who had been the first to become the master of the tower. Perhaps the owner of the Tower would know something about the book


    .


    ¡®And¡­.¡¯


    She wondered what kind of person he was. Back at the palace, in her residence, Philomel went straight to check if the book was still safe in the lockbox. For now, it was best to keep it here.


    ? Why did you come into my hands? After all, didn¡¯t you fall in my garden? ?


    Of course, she got no answer. With a sigh, Philomel closed the door of the coffer.


    Time passed again and Philomel turned twelve. Entering the Emperor¡¯s study, Philomel bowed gently to Eustis, delicately lifting the end of her dress.


    ? Your Majesty, it¡¯s a beautiful afternoon. ?


    ? Yes. ? replied Eustis in a placid tone.


    Although her etiquette teacher was full of praise for her to the point where her mouth had gone dry, Eustis said nothing. The young girl was not disappointed, however. Originally, the emperor was not a warm person. Before, she would have been distressed not to get any compliments from him, but now she was satisfied.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not hated.¡¯


    Today she was having tea with Eustis, as she did once a week. This was due to Count Polan¡¯s insistence that he reduce his drinking, the Emperor had started drinking tea more often. So Philomel would ask him to drink tea together occasionally. She looked at him, feeling the warmth of the tea cup in her hand. Eustis was busy, drinking his tea with one hand and looking at the documents with the other. Since he had not remarried, he not only had to deal with managing the politics of the empire but also take on the responsibilities of the empress, namely managing the internal affairs of the palace.


    ? Do you have a lot of work? ?


    ? ¡­¡­Not really. ?


    ? It seems like a lot. ?


    Philomel was seated in a chair that was much too high for her and her legs did not reach the floor. Annoyed, she began to shake them before stopping abruptly.


    ¡®Stop, you are not a child anymore. You have to be more dignified.¡¯


    Philomel tried to show interest in the Emperor¡¯s work in order to appear as the suitable successor.


    ? May I ask what kind of documents this is? ?


    ? It is about an international event that will take place. A date for the event has been set ¡­¡­ ?


    The answer he was formulating stopped in the middle.


    ? ¡­¡­¡­. ?


    ? ¡­¡­¡­. ?


    There was an awkward silence. The National Foundation Day was not a very pleasant topic for Philomel. Even after some time had passed, people often said that Philomel¡¯s actions at the previous National Foundation Day were reckless. To this day, Philomel would get depressed just hearing the word ? Foundation ? as it was one of her worst memories from her nine years. She watched as Eustis tapped the surface of the hard table with his fingertips, producing a nervous sound.


    ? If it is necessary to do so, ¡ª-. ?


    ? This is a boring event. If it¡¯s not fun, it doesn¡¯t taste good. ?


    ¡®You talk to keep out of trouble. It¡¯s one of the three biggest imperial anniversaries.¡¯


    Philomel spoke lightly, thinking that Lord Belleron would be angry if he heard it from heaven.


    ? ¡®Hey, it¡¯s the day of the Belerov empire. Of course it¡¯s important. You always give a commemorative speech on that day, right? ?


    ? Thinking about commemorations is the most boring thing to me. ?


    ? What I like most during the National Foundation is your memorial speech. ?


    Philomel hurriedly sipped her cup of tea to hide her innermost emotions, then smiled.


    ? ¡­¡­ ?


    ? If I ever become the next emperor, I would like to make a great speech like you. ?


    Eustis¡¯ tired face straightened slightly. This was the moment when Philomel¡¯s polite flattery skills shone. However, flattery came back like a boomerang with unexpected results, perhaps because people shouldn¡¯t say things they don¡¯t like.


    ? So, do you want to try it this time? ?


    ? What? What? ?


    ? The memorial speech. It is not written in the law that the congratulatory speech for the founding of the empire should only be given by the emperor. Even in ancient times, the emperor and the Heir, each of them makes a memorial speech. ?


    ? ¡­ What? Can I do such a thing? ?


    ? It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s okay to go out and say a word and come back¡­ Maybe you don¡¯t want to. ?


    There was only one answer for a prepared successor in such a situation.


    ? Let¡¯s stay positive! Why not? It¡¯s just a memorial speech ?


    With paper and pen in front of her, Philomel resolved vigorously.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t intend to, but it¡¯s an opportunity.¡¯


    Thanks to her improved relationship with the emperor, the aristocrats who made fun of her disappeared, but she was still considered as a troublemaker outside the palace. Therefore, she will be considered a legitimate successor to the throne if she made a big memorial speech. Moreover, after successfully completing this ceremony.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to ask the emperor for that object!¡¯


    Remembering the ? object ? that was essential to her escape, Philomel spent the night scribbling memorial phrases on paper.


    And a few days later, The National Foundation Day arrived. Philomel trembled as she stood at the foot of the platform where the emperor had climbed.


    ¡®There are too many people!¡¯


    The vast outdoor hall was filled with attendees. There were a lot of people, but since she had to give her speech, she felt like there were even more people. She had been practicing all day. It wasn¡¯t a problem.


    ? Are you listening to me? ?


    Nassar, who was standing next to her, asked with concern.


    ? Your highness, are you okay? You don¡¯t look very well. ?


    ? ¡­¡­Thank you for your concern. ?


    A little nervous, Philomel, like a true princess, held herself upright. A servant approached her and said.


    ? Your Grace, it is time to go. ?


    Before she knew it, Eustis¡¯ speech was over. Philomel took her turn at the podium, tense as a bow, her arms at her sides. The servant placed a loudspeaker in front of the young princess. A loudspeaker was a magical object: the sound booster stood at the end of a long par. The loudspeaker carried the sound from near to far so that it could be heard by people far away. Philomel cleared her throat.


    ? Dear Bel, Belerov¡­¡­ ?


    But then a problem suddenly arose. It was also a very big problem. Philomel¡¯s voice had not gotten any louder. The speaker was not working properly. Philomel gave the servant a wary look, but he was also embarrassed. There didn¡¯t seem to be a spare speaker for Philomel¡¯s size.


    ? As expected, it was too much for you, Your Highness. ¡ª¨C. ?


    The unexpected difficulty left Philomel¡¯s mind painted white.


    ¡®What shall I do, what shall I do, what shall I do?¡¯


    It was then. Philomel¡¯s vision suddenly increased. Eustis had lifted her in his arms. Eustis adjusted the height so that Philomel could use his speaker instead of her broken one. The eyes of those who witnessed the scene were colored with amazement. It looked so sweet, but did not suit the emperor.