Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: There Is No Place for the Fake
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was finally time to return to the imperial palace.
After Jeremiah contacted Rguin through the communication stone, the two of them returned to the spot where they had first arrived via teleportation magic and waited for him.
"……."
Jeremiah had been silent ever since they came back from the riverbank.
Philomel tried to guess the reason.
'Is he upset because it seemed like I wasn't taking his advice seriously earlier?'
If that was the case, then Philomel had something to say too.
She hadn't brushed off Jeremiah's advice. In fact, there was nothing to listen to or ignore. It simply didn't apply to her at all.
Philomel had never once expected them to see her as someone extraordinary.
Of course, she figured that since they'd followed her all the way here, they didn't hate her.
They might even like her quite a bit. But that affection probably wasn't the special kind reserved for family.
So when Jeremiah had spoken up, all she'd felt was a touch of bewilderment.
In a way, it even sounded like he was worried she might end up walking the same path as his mother.
'Jeremiah, you have a surprisingly sensitive side.'
In that instant, Jeremiah's and Philomel's eyes met.
He quickly turned his face away.
'Huh. But if he's mad, why does it feel like he's just been watching me...?'
Philomel's question was soon drowned out by the murmur of voices from the crowd. Come to think of it, the street seemed unusually noisy.
'What's going on?'
Philomel took a few steps out of the alley to peer onto the main road. A huge crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board, whispering among themselves.
'It'll take a while for Rguin to get here, so it should be fine for a quick look.'
Philomel listened in on the conversation between two nearby passersby.
"Hey, what's the fuss about that notice from the palace? Sheesh, too many people—can't even see it."
"Rumors are true about a new princess showing up."
"I knew it!"
"But that's not the point! Turns out the original princess wasn't a bad person after all!"
The listener jumped in shock.
"What? Then why was she acting like a princess when she's not even His Majesty's real daughter?!"
"The notice says it was an accidental mix-up by the servants when the princess was born."
"No way that's possible."
"Who knows! Babies get swapped in nurseries sometimes, right? Guess even nobles aren't so different from us."
"What a world."
"Watch what you say, friend. Heard folks badmouthing the former princess might get their tongues cut out."
"Who said that?"
"The soldier posting the notice. Turns out he's the one who found the real princess for us."
"Makes sense now. I had a feeling."
"When? You were the one yelling that those kinds of people deserve to die young."
"Hey! Don't say that where people can hear! But still……."
The man scratched his chin with a puzzled look.
"Weirdly enough, back then I was furious like it was personal... Looking back, there was no reason to be."
"Yeah. I thought it strange how someone who never reads the papers was so obsessed."
Just then, a voice came from right behind Philomel.
"What are you doing here?"
"Eek!"
Startled, Philomel let out a shriek, and Jeremiah scratched his cheek awkwardly from behind her.
"Rguin's here. Let's go."
"What about you, Jeremiah? Aren't you coming?"
Was he planning to leave the capital? If so, there was something she needed to tell him first.
Philomel looked up at him urgently.
"……You go on ahead. I've got some business to take care of before I follow."
Jeremiah gazed down at her steadily as he replied.
"How are you supposed to get back into the palace without Rguin?"
"I've got ways. It'll just take longer and be a hassle."
With that, Jeremiah vanished toward the square.
Philomel rejoined Rguin and returned to her chambers.
When asked why he was so late, Rguin explained that Lady Deless kept dragging him into conversations.
Only then did Philomel realize Rguin had been impersonating her in his true form to fool everyone else.
He boasted that his Philomel act had been flawless, but…….
"P-Philomel? Um... is the food to your liking?"
"If we've done anything wrong, please tell us without hesitation."
Judging by how Lady Deless and the maids were anxiously watching her every move, it wasn't very convincing.
'What on earth did he do?!'
But the damage was done.
She vowed never to make Rguin take on such a role again.
Jeremiah returned late that evening. He looked like he'd jumped into a pit of fire on the way—his clothes and hair were singed.
As usual, he climbed in through the window and pulled a fancy paper bag from his pocket.
"Picked it up on the way."
"……You picked up Crécion pastries on the way?"
The bag was stuffed with all sorts of popular items from Crécion's renowned lineup.
"Ahem! The line was short when I passed by. Bought 'em so quick, might as well be picking up trash."
It was odd logic—found was found, bought was bought.
Jeremiah stared guiltily at the innocent floor as he added,
"Anyway! Here, for you. Eat up. And……."
His next words were as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.
"Forget what I said earlier today. It was nonsense."
Philomel didn't grasp the meaning right away.
'What I said today? Oh, that!'
So sensitive after all.
Rguin, who had been listening in, chimed right in.
"What? What'd Jeremiah say?"
Instead of the fidgeting Jeremiah, Philomel answered.
"Nothing important. More importantly, let's eat these pastries! They're delicious!"
The three teleported via Rguin's magic to the maze garden and held a midnight tea party under the canopy.
"Hey, that one's reserved for me."
"Hmph. Finder keepers."
"Hand it over, no arguing."
"You first—keep your hands off the ones I bought."
The father and son's bickering formed a cheerful backdrop.
When Philomel offhandedly remarked, "It would've been nice if Lexion and Cardin were here too," they were promptly summoned.
Lexion tumbled out of the magic circle Rguin conjured in midair, clutching his shoulder as he stood.
"Ugh... Could you call me normally next time?"
Cardin, snoring away, fell headfirst and showed no signs of waking.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to call you like this……."
Philomel shot Rguin a reproachful glance, but he shrugged it off.
"What? They're tough kids—they can handle it."
'Sigh, never mind.'
In any case, Lexion took a seat. Soon after, Cardin woke up with a kick from Jeremiah and joined them.
Lexion and Cardin had officially started their duties as court mages that day.
The four began chatting amiably.
"Whoa! These pastries are amazing! What's this one called?"
Cardin exclaimed mid-bite.
"Damn, too noisy to eat."
Jeremiah grumbled next,
"According to the latest reports from the Magic Tower……."
Lexion said calmly,
"Phil, when I was pretending to be you today, that countess lady was super annoying."
Rguin jumped in.
Philomel watched her father and brothers chatter away, each in their own way. They really just say whatever's on their minds.
'Do they ever have a proper conversation?'
Still, they were all thinking of her in their own manners.
And she had something she needed to tell them now that they were all together—something before Jeremiah left.
"Everyone, listen up."
The chatter died instantly as all eyes turned to Philomel.
She cleared her throat and spoke.
"I have something to say to all of you. I wanted to use this chance to express my thanks."
She lightly gripped the hem of her dress with her fingertips and dipped into a curtsy.
"Thank you all for coming all the way here for me. Even if Jeremiah was dragged into it."
Jeremiah coughed awkwardly.
Philomel continued.
"But you don't need to take responsibility for my life."
The eyes that had been warmly following her words now filled with bewilderment all at once.
"Even after I finish what I came here to do, I have no intention of going to the Magic Tower. Oh, that's not to say I'll never go at all. If I miss you all sometimes, I'll drop by. Just don't turn me away at the door……."
"Phil, hold on."
Lexion was the first to regain his composure and raised a hand.
"Speak."
"If you're not coming to the Magic Tower, where do you plan to live? The palace?"
"No, not that. I haven't decided specifics yet."
"Then the Magic Tower isn't a bad choice……."
"No. Didn't you tell me before to do what I want?"
Philomel cut him off firmly.
"I did."
"I've thought it over, and I'm sorry, but I just don't feel like going to the Magic Tower."
"Why?"
Rguin asked, his face full of utter incomprehension.
"Even if you ask why…… It's just how I feel……."
"Once you become a mage, you might want to go?"
"I'm not a mage."
"You can become one."
Even against Rguin's insistence, Philomel didn't budge.
'I'm not saying never—why are they pushing so hard?'
Her three brothers kept trying to persuade her too.
"Phil, think it over again. The Magic Tower's a great place."
"Yeah! It's great because... uh, anyway, it is!"
"……Not bad."
Lexion, Cardin, and Jeremiah chimed in one after another.
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm not going."
Philomel nailed it down firmly.
Of course, a faint worry stirred inside her.
'I don't even know what the future holds—did I speak too definitively?'
If she ended up branded a criminal with nowhere to go, she'd have to gratefully head to the Magic Tower.
But there were no signs of that, and they seemed to assume she'd naturally come to the Magic Tower once her business here was done.
Continuing to accept their help without clarifying her feelings would be no different from deceiving them.
Philomel stealthily gauged their reactions. What if they were offended?
But they were thinking something entirely different.
They had to change her mind before she left the palace somehow.