There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 10

“Drip.”

Just then.

Justis lowered himself to meet Philomel’s eye level.

He wiped away the tears flowing down her small cheeks with his hand.

“You are not a liar.”

“……!”

“If you are a liar, then I am a liar too. I heard it as well.”

“Your, Your Majesty!”

In an instant, Marchioness Elos’s pretty face turned utterly pale.

Logan, who had managed to grasp the situation, prostrated himself.

“……I deserve to die! I was so worried about my immature younger brother that I made a mistake!”

“Bro, Brother?”

Liam stepped back.

“What’s wrong? Everyone said so. That Your Majesty had already marked you as the successor…….”

“Shut up!”

*Thwack!* Logan smacked his younger brother’s head.

“What gives you the right to hit me! Sob, waaa…….”

Liam began to cry pathetically. It was utter chaos.

“Your Majesty, what my brother said is false. My parents and I never said such things to him.”

“Ye, yes! My son has such a vivid imagination that he mistook his fantasies for reality.”

The two people who had accused Philomel of being a liar were now accusing Liam of being a liar.

Liam was greatly shocked by the betrayal of his trusted family.

“Enough.”

The icy voice barely silenced the commotion.

“I haven’t been paying enough attention. To think you were plotting treason right before my eyes.”

Even though a warm breeze was blowing, the temperature seemed to drop suddenly. *’If I’m this scared, how must they feel?’*

“Th, that’s, well…….”

Marchioness Elos couldn’t even string words together and trembled. Logan, who always acted so clever, was pale and silent, as if his lips were glued shut.

“Silvia, the reason I haven’t bothered with you until now is that you weren’t worth dirtying my hands over.”

“Yoo, Justis…….”

Marchioness Elos collapsed to the ground. The plight of the former Princess Silvia, calling out to her half-brother, was pitiful.

“If you don’t want your head to roll here, take your children and get out. I don’t want to see blood today either.”

And so, the three of them disappeared.

Later, I heard that the Elos family’s title and property were confiscated, and Silvia and her two sons were removed from the imperial registry.

Those whose names were removed from the imperial registry had their divine power sealed and had to live as commoners under constant surveillance for the rest of their lives.

It was a light punishment considering the crime of treason, but everyone knew that the Elos family hadn’t really plotted treason but had only failed to control their son’s words.

Later, Philomel learned that they continued to act like nobles even there, only to be ostracized by their neighbors and unable to get even a bowl of soup.

Well, that was all in the future. Currently, what was more important to Philomel was the Emperor’s mood as he strode further and further away.

*’……Scary.’*

*’If he’s so cold to his own flesh and blood, it was obvious how he would treat a fake daughter.’*

At that moment, the Emperor turned around as if he were a ghost.

“Aren’t you going to walk?”

“……Yes, yes?”

“A walk. You said you wanted to?”

That’s right. A walk!

I had completely forgotten about it because of the three Elos.

Philomel followed closely behind the Emperor, talking about how exemplary a student she was and how the teachers praised her endlessly.

Justis only gave short answers like ‘Indeed,’ ‘I see,’ and ‘Not bad,’ but Philomel thought positively, considering it a blessing that he even responded.

As the walk was coming to an end, Philomel cautiously asked, watching his expression.

“Your Majesty, do you perhaps dislike walks?”

“I don’t particularly like them. But since I chased away the bugs that were mindlessly swarming around, it might be necessary to come out occasionally.”

*’The bugs must be the Marchioness and her sons, right?’*

Philomel carefully opened her mouth.

“Then, could you perhaps take walks with me occasionally in the future?”

“……With me?”

“Yes!”

“It will be boring.”

“I still like it.”

Surely ‘boring’ doesn’t mean ‘boring’ in the sense that something harmful will happen to me……?

Whether he knew of Philomel’s worries or not, the Emperor quietly replied.

“Understood.”

“Wow!”

Wait, that’s not right.

Philomel came to her senses and bowed politely.

“Thank you for granting my request.”

“……You can act as usual.”

“Pardon? I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear you. Could you please say it one more time…….”

“No. Do as you please.”

Justis didn’t add anything more and walked silently. Philomel also followed quietly, admiring the beautiful garden.

* * *

After that day, it became Philomel’s daily routine to barge into the Emperor’s bedroom with ‘Special Sansalcho Tea’ the morning after he had drunk too much.

Count Polan, who wanted to correct the Emperor’s drinking habits, actively cooperated and provided information.

Justis glared at the Count but always drank all the Sansalcho Tea.

Then, the two of them would take a light stroll in the garden.

“My writing teacher says I’m the most brilliant student he’s ever taught!”

“That’s good.”

“Is it praise just because I’m a princess?”

“He was also my teacher, and he wasn’t the type to flatter.”

“But I’m not that…… Ugh!”

Philomel, who had been walking with quick steps, tripped and fell.

“Ouch…….”

It seemed like her knee was scraped. It stung as if the skin had been peeled off, and tears welled up in her eyes.

*’I can’t stay like this. I have to get up quickly…….’*

*’Otherwise, the Emperor would surely abandon her. Or he might look at her with disdain for crying over something like this.’*

“Are you alright?”

But Justis came back. He even asked if she was alright.

“It’s nothing!”

Philomel quickly got up and walked with a slight limp. He stared at her for a moment, then approached her.

Soon after, Philomel’s body floated into the air. Justis had grabbed Philomel’s waist with both arms and lifted her up!

“Your, Your Majesty!”

Philomel struggled in embarrassment.

“Be still.”

“Bu, but……!”

“Only members of the imperial family are allowed in this place, so there’s no one else who can carry you.”

“But…… Your Majesty, it must be hard for you.”

“Me? You see me as a dying corpse?”

Justis adjusted Philomel in his arms, found the most comfortable position, and continued the walk.

Philomel was so awkward in this situation that she kept fidgeting.

“Endure it, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

*’How can I endure this!’*

It was mentally distressing, not to mention physically uncomfortable because his arms were so stiff.

“If you really hate it, just sleep.”

There was no way she could calmly fall asleep.

Even as she thought that, Philomel closed her eyes for the time being.

And surprisingly…… she really fell asleep.

Countess Delles was shocked to find the Emperor holding the sleeping princess and rushed over.

“Oh my, she must have been tired. Well, she always wakes up early on days like today when she visits Your Majesty.”

“…….”

“She must want to bring you tea when Your Majesty coughs.”

“……I see.”

Countess Delles swallowed hard.

She knew very well how hard Philomel worked usually. Seeing her efforts with this small body naturally made her want to do something for her.

Besides, looking at the Emperor’s expression as he held his daughter, she somehow felt it would be alright.

The Countess mustered her courage and dared to flatter him.

“I heard that Empress Isabella also loved taking walks in the garden.”

“……She liked looking at flowers.”

As the answer came back, the Countess said happily.

“Her Highness the Princess seems to resemble the Empress. Seeing how she wakes up early every time to take a walk with Your Majesty.”

The blue eyes, recalling the past, were lost in memories.

“Isabella mainly looked at the surrounding scenery when we walked together. I was the one who looked at the person next to me.”

Justis quietly looked down at his daughter.

“So this child may resemble me more than Isabella.”

At that moment, an oriole sitting on a nearby branch chirped.

Countess Delles didn’t hear the part where the Emperor spoke about the Empress in detail because of the birdsong. However, she clearly heard the last words that the Princess resembled him.

To be honest, as someone who had been watching the Princess by her side for several months, she didn’t agree at all with the statement that the Princess resembled the Emperor.

However, she was certain that it was a positive sign in their father-daughter relationship.