Chapter 19
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Farewell
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The servants greeted the carriage returning to the annex palace.
"Your Highness. Did you enjoy your outing?"
"Yes. Where is His Majesty right now?"
Philomel nodded in greeting and asked.
"He's still in the council chamber—the state affairs meeting is running long. But who is that...?"
The servant eyed the commoner girl stepping down from the carriage after the princess.
"She's my guest. Ellensia, come along."
Philomel replied curtly and hurried toward the council chamber in the annex. All she could think about was getting this over with quickly and leaving this place.
"Your Highness, wait just a moment...!"
"This way."
Ellensia's sluggish steps were frustrating, so Philomel grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
"Oh my. Your Highness, you're back?"
"Would you like to join me for a cup of tea...?"
Everyone they passed tried to strike up a conversation. Normally, Philomel would have responded to each one, but she ignored them all and pressed on to the chamber.
A few who got a good look at Ellensia's face stiffened.
"Your Highness! What is this about?"
The knight guarding the chamber door blocked their path.
"I need to see His Majesty right now."
"Ah, but the meeting hasn't ended yet."
"It's urgent. Step aside."
The knight hesitated at the princess's fierce glare and relayed the message inside.
"...Your Majesty, Princess Philomel requests an audience."
The reply came immediately.
"Let her in."
Inside sat the emperor on his throne amid a group of ministers. Puzzled gazes turned toward the princess who had burst in.
"What is it? You wouldn't come here for nothing..."
The emperor's eyes, which had lingered on Philomel, froze on the spot where they naturally shifted beside her. The others did the same.
"Someone I'd like to introduce to Your Majesty."
Philomel shoved the flustered, uncertain Ellensia forward.
"I ran into her by chance in a nearby village. This girl's name is Ellensia."
A murmur rose among the ministers.
"She looks just like Mother, doesn't she? I wanted to show her to Your Majesty, so I invited her to the annex."
No matter what Philomel rattled on about, Emperor Justis's gaze never left Ellensia.
It made sense, but she still felt a twinge of sadness.
"Phew."
The moment she returned to her chambers, Philomel collapsed onto the floor. Thinking back on what she'd just done made her palms sweat.
The council chamber had gone deathly silent when she dragged Ellensia in, as if a bomb had detonated.
Philomel had bluffed that Ellensia might be a relative of the late Empress Isabella, but it wasn't very convincing.
The emperor, who should have smoothed things over, just stared at Ellensia's face for ages. Finally, Count Polan stepped in and suspended the meeting. The ministers shuffled out, whispering among themselves.
"We'll prepare a private room elsewhere. Your Highness, you should go as well."
With those grave words from the count, Philomel slipped away under the excuse of changing out of her outing clothes. By now, father and daughter were probably sharing an emotional reunion in the emperor's chambers.
She felt a pang of guilt for throwing Ellensia into that bewildering situation without any warning.
But it would be fine. In the novel, Emperor Justis recognized Ellensia as his daughter at first sight.
He was always kind to his daughter—he'd comfort her on his own. Philomel had no desire to announce with her own mouth, "I'm the fake."
She clenched her trembling hands tight.
There was no turning back now. She had to move forward.
She quickly got up and pulled out the bundle hidden under her bed.
Not even the maids who packed Philomel's things knew what was inside.
The princess had sternly warned them not to touch it, so they just assumed it held valuables.
Unwrapping it revealed commoner clothes: a plain navy dress without any patterns. She sometimes wandered the streets blending in with the common folk, so no one had batted an eye when she bought it.
"Your Highness, shall I help you change?"
Lady Deless called from outside the room.
"...No, I'm fine. Actually, my throat's dry—could you bring me a glass of cold water with ice?"
Philomel forced her voice to stay calm.
"Of course. Please wait just a moment."
FETCHING ice meant a trip to the kitchen. It was quite a distance from Philomel's chambers, so it would take Lady Deless some time to return.
'Lady Deless. Thank you for serving me so well all this time. I'll never forget you.'
Philomel silently bid her farewell.
She haphazardly shed her dress and donned the prepared outfit. She tied her hair into a single ponytail and wrapped it with a headscarf. Now, the bundle held only a pouch of gold coins and a single book.
Princess Ellensia.
'I don't want anyone else to see it, but I have no choice but to take it.'
Philomel took the letter from her drawer and placed it prominently on the desk. She had written it through the night.
She checked her reflection in the mirror and was about to slip out when she paused. Her eyes caught a glittering object on the decorative shelf: the golden ship model the emperor had given her as a birthday gift yesterday.
Philomel reached out and stroked its smooth metal surface.
She couldn't take it. The ring on her finger was essential and could be returned, but this was just a simple model.
Running off with something valuable would only invite accusations of theft. Like the other valuables, it was best left behind.
'No greed. It was never mine to begin with.'
Philomel left the model in place and quietly stepped out.
No one was nearby.
She crept down the corridor, careful not to draw attention. Ellensia's arrival had stirred up a commotion—everyone was buzzing about it.
"That girl the princess brought back... doesn't she look exactly like Her late Majesty the Empress?"
"Is she really a relative?"
"No way. Her clothes screamed commoner—Her Majesty wouldn't have commoner relatives."
"Maybe a distant one."
"Would a distant relative look that much alike? She resembled the Empress even more than the princess does. The princess, on the other hand, doesn't look like her at all..."
"Shh! Watch your mouth. You might vanish without a trace."
Just as expected.
Philomel slipped past them unnoticed. With the outing, nobles were coming and going constantly, and many servants were in travel attire too.
Plus, outsiders streamed in for the birthday banquet preparations. In her plain clothes, Philomel just looked like another maid.
She half-relaxed, seeing no one scrutinizing the passing maids.
"...Your Highness?"
Philomel jumped at Nassar Averyden's voice from behind.
"Is that you, Your Highness?"
Turning around would give her away.
But a mere maid couldn't ignore a young duke.
'What do I do?'
Her heart pounded wildly.
"Nassar. What are you doing?"
"...Father."
Then, out of nowhere, Duke Averyden came to her rescue.
"Standing around like that? Do you have business with that maid?"
Philomel felt the duke's gaze on her back.
"No, just a mistake."
"Come on, boy. We have things to discuss—hurry up."
"Yes, Father."
As their footsteps faded, Philomel started moving again.
She made it out of the building and reached the annex's main gate without incident. With so many people coming and going, the guards were overwhelmed just checking entrants.
"We'll restrict access once the banquet starts. Return by then!"
That was all they shouted at those leaving.
Philomel exited the annex effortlessly.
She followed the crowded path for a bit before veering into a side alley. She trudged along the bumpy road for some time.
The palace annex faded into the distance. At this range, even if she used divine power, Emperor Justis back at the annex wouldn't sense it.
Philomel took the ring from her pouch and slipped it onto her finger.
The Ring of Crimson Flame allowed even those without divine power to wield holy magic.
Last year on her birthday, Emperor Justis had infused it with his own divine power. That was how Philomel, lacking it herself, could use the ring.
Among the spells it enabled was teleportation. She pictured her destination in her mind.
'Focus. Stay focused.'
A lapse in concentration could leave her body torn apart mid-jump.
Philomel carefully rubbed the red gem with her index finger. Soon, a brilliant light poured from the gem, enveloping her body.
It was farewell.