There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 132

“W-What did you say…?”

Ellensia doubted her ears. What was [Marica] saying right now?

“You’re saying you possessed me into Ellensia’s body?”

“Wrong. I only opened the door; you were the one who chose that body.”

“What are you talking about? When did I ever!”

“Have you forgotten? Didn’t you desperately wish for it? To live like the owner of that body.”

Ellensia inhaled sharply.

“Like Ellensia, too…”

Before dying, she had unconsciously hoped. To live like the princess in the game, loved by everyone.

Marica shook her head.

“It was troublesome because you chose a descendant of Veleron. If it had been another body, I could have contacted you sooner.”

“…Why did you drop me into this world?”

Ellensia’s clenched fist trembled.

“Why did you bring me into this world when you couldn’t even take care of me properly! Why!”

Anger surged as she realized that the being before her was the god she had resented.

The anger made her forget her fear. The humiliations she had suffered until now came to mind one by one. She had been ridiculed by data fragments. She had been treated coldly and even hit.

“The life of the princess in the game that I wanted wasn’t like this!”

Marica’s eyes widened as she watched Ellensia rant.

“Keuk.”

And then she burst into laughter.

“Kyahahahahaha!”

“Why are you laughing!”

“Keuk, Keuheuheuh….”

She laughed for a while, even shedding tears, before finally stopping.

“Do you still think this is just a simple game?”

“…What?”

“Is that what you want to believe, or are you just stupid?”

“Who are you calling an idiot!”

“No, never mind.”

Marica patted Ellensia’s shoulder patronizingly.

“You’re just right for that level. I have an eye for people, you know.”

Ignoring Ellensia’s glare, she walked away, towards the altar located at the very end.

“I don’t know what kind of dream you had when you came here, but now that you’re with us, you’ll have to earn your keep.”

“Earn my keep?”

Sitting on the altar, the woman smirked, raising only one corner of her mouth.

“The treatment of a precious princess is over, that’s what it means.”

Hahahahahaha.

As Marica laughed, the followers laughed along. The eerie laughter filled the underground cave.

Fear resurfaced within Ellensia. She unconsciously looked around.

‘Someone, please save me…!’

But there was no one to protect her anywhere.

* * *

The Emperor’s office.

The revolver fell to the floor with a loud noise.

Justis stared blankly at the fallen revolver.

He failed again. He couldn’t pull the trigger after all. The reason was no different from when Isabella had just left.

Whether he liked it or not, the burden he carried on his shoulders was heavy.

If the Emperor died without leaving an heir, it would cause great chaos in the Empire. Moreover, if the intruder who entered Ellensia’s body became the next Emperor, it would be the worst-case scenario.

‘Above all….’

As he thought he was on the verge of death, two faces flickered before his eyes.

Philomell. That kind child resented Justis but didn’t wish for him to be unhappy. Surely, she would feel remorse if he died.

And Ellensia. The child his dead wife had left behind in exchange for her life.

The face of the child he had never met became clearer and clearer in the face of death.

‘It would be better for Philomell if I disappeared from her life forever, but not for that child.’

What if the temple found out the truth? The intruder was an existence that had even been prophesied to be wary of.

‘Of course, they would try to eliminate her.’

Moreover, it wasn’t just the temple that found Ellensia displeasing.

The Master of the Magic Tower. When Philomell went to the store to find Ellensia, he had the opportunity to stay in the same place as him. Waiting for his late daughter, he couldn’t hide his discomfort.

“I don’t understand. Why does Phil go through unnecessary hardships?”

Just for such a human.

He didn’t say it out loud, but his cold eyes said so.

Even when he was talking here before, whenever his daughter expressed concern about the real Ellensia, he frowned.

Philomell didn’t see it, but he, who was sitting across from her, saw it clearly.

‘I wouldn’t do anything against Philomell’s wishes if possible, but….’

If he turned into an enemy, he would be a more difficult opponent than the temple.

Justis summoned his temporary secretary and asked.

“How is the search for Ellensia going?”

“We continue to receive reports of sightings of someone similar to the Princess’s description.”

The secretary shuffled through the documents he was holding.

“We are currently sending those who have directly seen the Princess to verify the reports, so….”

“I’m going.”

“Yes? Your Majesty?”

“Who would know their child better than their parents?”

“Because reports are coming in from all over the country, the distance….”

“I can travel by magic.”

“But you also have to take care of state affairs, and you should consider your health….”

“Enough. Quickly organize and upload the reported locations.”

When the Emperor didn’t budge, he had no choice but to obey.

He had to go himself. Not everyone belonging to the Imperial Palace could be trusted. Just as he had planted spies in the temple, there would be those in the Imperial Palace who served others.

‘Moreover, if they were aiming for my life, now would be the perfect time.’

Right now, when that child has slipped out of my hands.

He couldn’t die until he found his daughter’s body. He was the only one in the world who could protect Ellensia.

Even if there was no way to drive the intruder out of that body, it didn’t matter.

Ellensia must be by his side. Even if she remained an empty shell for the rest of her life. Because that was the only purpose left in his life.

In the empty office, the Emperor murmured lowly.

“I will retrieve her no matter what. At any cost.”

* * *

Philomell opened her eyes. Judging by the dim light coming through the window, it was early morning.

Getting out of bed, Philomell scratched her head.

“I think I had some disturbing dream last night….”

She couldn’t remember.

“Oh well.”

Philomell looked around her room.

It had been about fifteen days since she started living in the Magic Tower. She was quite used to her new living space.

“…It was really a mess at first.”

She recalled when she first came here. The room was filled with all sorts of luxuries, such as porcelain and jewels.

“How is it? Isn’t it great? Isn’t it awesome?”

The Master of the Magic Tower introduced the room with a triumphant look. The dazzling appearance was his creation.

Later, she heard that he wanted to give Philomell a room she had never experienced before….

‘Even if you’re rich, who fills a bathtub with gold coins?’

It was as if a nouveau riche [a person who has recently become wealthy and likes to show off] , desperate to show off his wealth, had bought all the valuable things and put them in the room.

“Well, I guess that’s the kind of work that comes out when you try to make something better than the Princess’s room.”

Anyway, Regin’s sincerity was cleaned up by Philomell. She was grateful for his heart, but she couldn’t relax because it was too distracting.

Philomell washed lightly, changed her clothes, and left the room.

It was noisy outside.

“The Master of the Magic Tower has disappeared again!”

“There are urgent matters that need to be decided, but where did he go!”

Several wizards were pacing back and forth in front of the Master of the Magic Tower’s room. It was now one of the sights she saw on a daily basis.

The room Philomell was assigned to was on the top floor of the Magic Tower, just like the space where the Master of the Magic Tower resided.

“Oh!”

They bowed politely when they found Philomell.

“Good morning, Philomell!”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I slept well. Good morning.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Sleep is very important for your health.”

The wizards smiled awkwardly. The awkwardness in their attitude towards Philomell was undeniable.

Philomell had said several times that they didn’t have to treat her specially. The three brothers were the children of the Master of the Magic Tower, but they were called by their names and mingled with others without any formality.

However, the wizards were greatly embarrassed and said that it was difficult to treat someone who used to be a princess comfortably.

Regin’s attitude also contributed to this. There were so many wizards who almost fell backwards when they saw how the Master of the Magic Tower treated his daughter.

‘I have no choice but to wait until they get used to my existence.’

Since she decided to live here, her goal was to become a natural member of the Magic Tower.

“But what’s wrong?”

Philomell asked them, who looked very anxious.

They poured out their complaints.

“The Master of the Magic Tower is not here! He’s gone again!”

“Really, I think the work was done faster when he wasn’t in the Magic Tower.”

“That’s right! He would come to the Magic Tower and finish all the pending work at once.”

“I’ve been serving him for almost ten years, but this is the first time I’ve seen him work so hard.”

“Really? It just looks like he’s signing without reading the contents.”

“I guess you don’t know because you haven’t been here for long.”

“What don’t I know?”

“That’s how we feel comfortable. What good would it do to read it? You’ll only find fault with it.”

“…That’s true.”

“If I give you a tip, when you’re approving a large research grant, always aim for when he’s in a good mood.”

Watching them chat comfortably as if they had forgotten her existence, Philomell pondered.

‘Is this group okay?’

From what she had felt in a short period of time, the operation of the Magic Tower was quite haphazard. Regin’s work was, of course, rough, and the subordinates also roughly matched his mood and glossed over it.

Everyone showed great passion in the fields they were interested in, but they didn’t care about anything else.

The wizards’ tendencies were originally free-spirited, so it couldn’t be helped, but….

‘Ah, I want to fix it.’

Philomell, who was used to the Imperial Palace’s sharp and strict system, didn’t like it at all.

Then a new person appeared.

“Phil, good morning. But what’s wrong this morning?”

It was Lexion who had just arrived on the top floor on a floating stone.

“The Master of the Magic Tower…!”

He roughly grasped the situation just by looking at his colleagues’ troubled faces.

“There’s a way to deal with this.”

The eldest son and secretary of the Master of the Magic Tower gave a trustworthy smile.