There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 68

* * *

For Rosanne, the debutante ball she had been eagerly anticipating turned out to be a complete disaster.

Despite the posters and announcements, she desperately tried to deny the truth.

Philomell, that awful woman, was actually not a criminal—the very idea was absurd!

‘Who would ever believe such a thing!’

Even as she tried to convince herself, Rosanne’s mood remained utterly dismal.

To make matters worse, she couldn’t find a suitable partner for the debutante ball.

She had been introduced to several promising young men through her cousin, the daughter of a duchess, but none of them met her standards.

After a series of rejections, both given and received, she ended up attending alone.

And when she saw Philomell standing confidently in the hall, Rosanne’s hope crumbled.

The rumors she had dismissed were true. She had assaulted not a criminal, but a guest of the Imperial Family.

Rosanne frantically tried to avoid Philomell.

In the midst of her anxiety, the thought that surfaced was, ‘How can I possibly make amends for my mistake?’ The answer, she believed, lay in the ring she had stolen from Philomell.

That mesmerizing red ring.

The more she gazed at it, the more she desired to keep the jewel for herself rather than return it to the Imperial Family.

The ring was currently locked away in her jewelry box in her room.

She longed to keep it there forever, but….

Rosanne suppressed her greed and resolved to give the ring to the new princess.

Her plan was to win the princess’s favor with the ring and then implore her to protect her from Philomell.

First, she would subtly bring up the topic of the ring to arrange a private meeting, and then hand it over later.

But reality proved far more challenging.

The ladies gathered around the princess cast fierce glares at Rosanne. As Rosanne attempted to squeeze through the throng, she accidentally stepped on their feet and bumped their shoulders.

They were all daughters of prominent families. One woman fanned herself dramatically and sneered.

“Oh my, I don’t recognize her. Who is this?”

“Why, she’s the daughter of a local viscount family, something like Manon.”

“She’s Duchess Muriel’s cousin, always trailing after her.”

“Shouldn’t the duchess distance herself from relatives who lower her standing?”

Rosanne’s cousin, Sasha Muriel, standing nearby, flushed crimson.

“…Don’t acknowledge me in the future!”

Hearing her cousin’s sharp rebuke, Rosanne nearly burst into tears of frustration. Why did she always have to be treated this way?

‘They’re just proud of being born into wealthy families!’

Just then, the princess appeared before her like a savior.

The princess looked at Rosanne and said softly.

“Hello, young lady. Is something the matter?”

“Your Highness!”

Rosanne eagerly grasped the princess’s hand. The princess’s fair face momentarily stiffened before returning to its composed expression.

“Your Highness, please listen to me.”

“Do you have business with me?”

“I have a story I wish to share only with Your Highness! It’s a very important matter!”

“Well, what am I to do? I have a prior engagement with other ladies. You must wait your turn.”

“There’s no time! Your Highness, please….”

The princess firmly pushed Rosanne away, who was trying to whisper in her ear.

“Wait your turn.”

Rosanne looked around, feeling utterly humiliated.

They were all daughters of high-ranking noble families. The children of families with similar status to Rosanne’s were merely observing from a distance. Here, she was a disruptive presence, unaware of her place.

Laughter rippled through the group at Rosanne’s expense.

“…I, excuse me!”

She fled the scene as quickly as she could.

Rosanne, wandering in the dimly lit hallway, cried out.

“Why do I have to be so humiliated! What did I do wrong!”

Rosanne’s shame morphed into anger, directed at the innocent Philomell. Even if she was a state guest or held some honors, the woman was, ultimately, a commoner.

A commoner Rosanne could easily trample on!

It was all Philomell’s fault that she had suffered this humiliation.

Just then, Philomell appeared before Rosanne, who was consumed by venom.

Philomell, her eyes narrowed, said in a cold voice.

“We meet again.”

“Phi, Philomell….”

“Don’t you have anything to say to me now? It’s a bit late, though.”

It was a veiled demand for an apology.

“…No! Do you have any idea what I just went through because of you?”

“I’m sure it wasn’t as unpleasant as being held in a detention center. Anyway, you’re not going to apologize.”

Philomell held out her hand.

“Give me the ring.”

“No! Why should I give it to you? It’s an imperial treasure.”

Philomell obediently withdrew her hand.

“As you wish. It doesn’t matter to me if you don’t give it back. I didn’t particularly want it back anyway. But if you don’t return it to the Imperial Family, I will accuse you of theft.”

“Th, theft!”

“What else would you call taking something without permission? If you don’t return it within five days, by the end of this banquet, I will report you.”

“…Is it enough to just give back the ring?”

It was humiliating, but a glimmer of hope flickered in Rosanne’s heart. It would be fortunate if she could simply return the ring and Philomell would drop the matter entirely.

However, Philomell stared at Rosanne as if she were speaking nonsense.

“The ring is one thing, and getting slapped is another. Let’s be fair and let me hit you once.”

Then, she grabbed her shoulder and swung her arm around. It was a movement like a warm-up before exercise.

Rosanne’s expression twisted in horror.

‘What is that woman saying! Hit me? A mere commoner dares to hit me?’

It would be better for the world to know that she had struck that woman and face public criticism.

Being struck by a commoner was a fatal humiliation for her.

Even her father, Viscount Manon, had never raised a hand to his precious daughter.

Philomell chuckled.

“If you don’t like it, should I tell everyone what the daughter of Viscount Manon did to me?”

Rosanne bit her lip until it bled.

She wanted to tell her to go ahead, but she thought of her family.

The Manon family had moved to the capital with great effort. This was a crucial time. Her father and brothers were all working tirelessly to establish the family in the capital.

If, at a time like this, other families turned their backs on them, the foundation of the viscount family would crumble.

Moreover, if they incurred the Emperor’s wrath….

Rosanne let out a scream-like cry.

“This is unfair! You were just lucky!”

Philomell’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What did you say?”

“It’s true! You were born a commoner, but you were lucky enough to be switched with the princess and have lived as a princess ever since!”

Rosanne spewed out words like a machine gun.

“And you were lucky enough to please the Emperor! I don’t believe the talk about you being a VIP or whatever! The Emperor must be trying to cover up your sins!”

“……”

“You must have used all sorts of tricks to please the Emperor! Do you like it? Is it good to act cute and flirt to live like that?”

A chilling voice, which had sunk low, pierced Rosanne’s ears as she blurted out whatever came to mind.

“You don’t know anything about me, yet you’re running your mouth.”

Philomell looked down at Rosanne expressionlessly. Rosanne was definitely taller, but strangely, she felt like she was being looked down upon.

“…Hic.”

At Philomell’s single word and chilling gaze, Rosanne was startled.

But soon, she felt ashamed that she had been frightened by such a woman.

Rosanne, consumed by spite, thrust her face forward.

“Hit me! Hit me! What’s someone like you going to do even if you hit me….”

In that instant, Rosanne’s left cheek felt like it was on fire, and an enormous pain erupted.

It was a pain she had never experienced before.

Rosanne’s body seemed to float in the air for a moment before collapsing to the floor.

Her limbs trembled. It hurt. It hurt so much that she wanted to cry.

* * *

Philomell looked down at Rosanne, who had fallen and couldn’t get up. She was slightly worried.

‘Did I hit her too hard…?’

If she had caused irreparable damage, it would be an undeniable crime.

Philomell gently touched Rosanne’s face, which was lying face down. It didn’t seem like any bones were broken, nor did it seem like any teeth were missing.

At this rate, even if Rosanne were to accuse her later, Philomell could claim that she had simply repaid her for being hit before.

Although it wasn’t the case in every country, the logic of ‘an eye for an eye’ was somewhat applicable in the Empire’s laws.

Philomell clenched and unclenched her right hand, which had struck her face.

She was very angry, but her hand had moved because she was startled by the sudden approach.

The sensation of slapping Rosanne’s cheek was still vivid. Honestly, even if it was someone she disliked, hitting them didn’t feel good at all—just kidding, it felt surprisingly good.

Perhaps this was her true nature. Maybe the current version of herself was thanks to the child who would have become the villainous ‘Philomell’ in the book constantly being cautious and living that way.

‘I have to keep living kindly, even if I have to consciously do it, to avoid becoming a criminal.’

That’s what she thought, but Philomell’s hand rummaged through Rosanne’s handbag like a thief.

But the Crimson Ring wasn’t there. It seemed Rosanne hadn’t brought the ring to this place. With no other choice, Philomell got up.

“Return the ring on your own. The deadline is five days. Five days.”

She left the fallen person behind and exited the ballroom.

She had achieved her initial goal, so it was time to go back and rest.