Chapter 35
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: A Warm Welcome
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"Your Highness, you've really come back!"
The moment Philomel stepped into the room, Lady Deless lit up with joy.
"It's been a while, my lady."
"Where on earth have you been all this time? You didn't even say a word to me, someone who's been with you for so long!"
"...I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you."
"No, no, it's fine. Just having you back is more than enough. I was so worried something might have happened to you..."
Lady Deless sniffled as she pulled Philomel into a tight embrace.
"Welcome home. Truly."
The countess's body and voice trembled. The welcome was far more intense than Philomel had expected, leaving her a bit flustered, but she gently patted the woman's back.
"I'm home."
But Lady Deless wasn't the only one waiting up for Philomel at this late hour.
"Your Highness, I've missed you so much!"
"I knew you'd come back!"
"You're not leaving again, right? You have to tell us if you do!"
Philomel broke into a sweat calming the maids as they all poured out their words at once.
"You girls! I understand you're happy to see her, but what are you doing holding up someone who's tired?"
"S-Sorry!"
The maids bowed their heads at Lady Deless's scolding.
"Don't be too hard on them."
Philomel, feeling no displeasure, intervened on their behalf.
After soaking in the bath they'd prepared and changing into fresh clothes, she felt refreshed.
In the meantime, the maids had withdrawn, leaving only Lady Deless in the room.
"You should go rest too, my lady."
"No, I'm fine. I'll spend the night here. Look, I even brought some knitting to keep me busy."
The countess, settled in an armchair, held up her knitting. Philomel could guess why she wanted to stay by her side and didn't press further.
Philomel sat in a chair by the fireplace, waiting for her damp hair to dry.
"Your Highness."
Suddenly, Lady Deless spoke up.
"...Yes."
"I won't ask why you left. Others must have already questioned you plenty."
"..."
"Instead, promise me just this one thing. That you'll never leave without a word again. At least tell me."
"...Yes. I promise."
Philomel hesitated for a moment before nodding. She knew it was a promise she might struggle to keep—she'd worried most about Lady Deless when she left—but she had no choice.
Honestly, it left her stunned that the countess and maids had fretted over her this much.
She'd thought they'd remember her occasionally after all their time together, but not to this extent.
And they must have been in the most awkward position of all, serving her so closely during her disappearance.
What should she call this mix of guilt and quiet joy toward them?
Meow.
A sound from outside snapped her from her thoughts.
Meow, meow.
The crying didn't stop there; soon, scratching at the window joined it.
"Did a stray cat sneak in?"
Lady Deless rose and cracked open the terrace door.
Whoosh.
Something small and furry darted into the room in an instant.
"Oh dear!"
"Mrow?"
It was a cat.
The cat bypassed the startled countess, who nearly toppled over, and headed straight for Philomel.
"What a beauty."
Philomel admired its coat, which sparkled more brilliantly than any white she knew.
As the cat rubbed affectionately against her leg, she gained the courage to pet its head.
For a street wanderer, its fur was incredibly soft. It didn't look dirty at all.
"I don't know how it got in here, but it seems to have good taste."
"It doesn't shy from people—maybe it has an owner?"
"Who knows. If it does, they're probably searching high and low for it right now. It looks well pampered."
"I've never seen a silver cat before."
No matter how she looked, the cat's fur was neither gray nor white—it was true silver.
Lady Deless watched Philomel, unable to tear her eyes away, with a fond smile.
"Shall we look after it here until we find its owner?"
"I'd like to, but I don't know when I might have to leave again..."
The countess's face fell.
"Are you really going? Couldn't you just stay here with us?"
"I'm not the princess. I can't stay forever."
"But His Majesty searched for you so desperately. He won't treat you poorly just because you're not his blood daughter."
"...He searched for me desperately?"
She knew he'd hunted her down fiercely, but "desperately" didn't fit.
"Of course."
Philomel found it hard to dismiss the countess's firm reply.
"Well, he did say he wanted to formally register me."
"Really? What did you say?"
"I declined, but he told me to take time and think it over..."
"Accept it!"
She blurted it out forcefully, then clapped her hands over her mouth.
"...Forgive me. That's for you to decide, not for me to presume."
"Not at all. You said it out of care for me."
As a countess, she naturally wanted Philomel to live comfortably here in the palace where she'd grown up, rather than leave.
"If I may offer my opinion, life here isn't so bad. And I promise to serve you even better from now on."
"You've already done more than enough."
"After all, Princess Ellensia is the true daughter, so she'll handle all the heir training and duties. You could live at ease from here on."
"Thank you for thinking of me. But I'm truly fine."
Sharing the princess's role with Ellensia might not be easy, but the countess's concern touched her.
Philomel's gaze drifted to the cat still nearby.
Its perked ears made it seem like it was listening to their conversation.
Impossible.
Just her imagination, she brushed it off.
"I'm really not going anywhere, so go get some rest."
Even as Philomel dried her hair roughly and climbed into bed, Lady Deless kept knitting.
"I'll stay until you fall asleep."
Pretending to drift off seemed the kindest way to let her rest, so Philomel closed her eyes.
But having slept soundly in the emperor's chambers, sleep evaded her.
The cat, curling up by the fireplace, also seemed ready for bed, eyes shut tight.
For tonight, it could stay here. Tomorrow, she'd ask around about an owner.
To the sleepless Philomel, Lady Deless quietly asked,
"Is something bothering you?"
If "bothering" meant worries overflowing, yes. The future, the story's odd divergences, and... Ellensia's enigmatic attitude.
Though just yesterday, her meeting with Rguin and the secret of her birth felt ancient history.
"My head's just a bit muddled."
"I may not be much help, but I can always listen. Sometimes just sharing lightens the load."
She appreciated the offer, but most troubles couldn't be voiced.
Philomel picked something relatively safe.
"Well... about His Majesty and Princess Ellensia. Did something happen between them while I was gone?"
"Hmm. I haven't been around them much. What exactly do you mean?"
"Hard to say... They just seemed a bit distant."
To be precise, only Justis seemed distant; Ellensia had been warmly affectionate.
"That's only natural."
"Natural?"
"Yes. They're parent and child by blood, but as people, they only met a few days ago. Being close right away would be the strange part."
"...But doesn't blood tie parents and children with a special bond different from others?"
Yes, the connection she'd lacked with Justis.
Living in constant dread of the ground crumbling beneath her, she'd longed for that familial tie.
Though Katrin and Rguin, who shared her blood, could never provide it.
Lady Deless paused her knitting and met Philomel's eyes.
"Your Highness—no, should I call you Philomel from now on?"
"Whatever feels right."
"Philomel, do you remember me mentioning my daughter before?"
"Ah, the one studying abroad who just returned."
She recalled hearing the countess's daughter had studied politics at university in Elrita.
"Hee-hee. She used to say as a child she'd marry her father when she grew up, but now they're awkward around each other. They barely speak without me there."
This was the first time she'd heard family details.
"I believe parent-child bonds are fundamentally like any human relationship. Both sides need time and effort for something healthy. Like my husband and daughter after years apart—His Majesty and the princess are probably the same."
Resuming her knitting, Lady Deless's eyes held the wisdom of experience.
"...I see."
Her words only deepened the mystery.
In the book, the emperor and Ellensia bonded instantly like true father and daughter.
"Speaking of which, I'd love to introduce you to my family. They've all been eager to meet you after hearing about you."
Lady Deless's eyes sparkled.
"Me?"
Philomel responded hesitantly.
"If you must leave, how about staying at our estate for a while? I was planning to head to the territory anyway for some rest."
"What about your duties as lady-in-waiting?"
"No point without you there."
"You could serve Princess Ellensia instead..."
"Oh my. Do you think so little of my loyalty? I'm hurt."
The countess teased playfully.
"With my daughter back, I was about to return home. It's not because of you, so don't worry."
"..."
Philomel knew it was a white lie. The countess loved her work and was meant to serve Ellensia later.
"It's the countryside, but peaceful with kind folk. I'm sure you'd like it."
Lulled by her gentle tales of home, Philomel reflected.
Perhaps she'd built walls around herself for years.
Viewing herself as Ellensia's servant, she'd avoided getting too close. She didn't want to covet the heroine's place and end up the punished villainess.
Were there others she'd preemptively pushed away out of fear?
If so, maybe now I could...
Meow. Amid her fading thoughts, she thought she heard the cat cry.