There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 114

“So, what is your intention in saying that to me?”

Kilian, abandoning the politeness he had barely maintained, asked in a brusque manner.

“If you are a hero who saves people, don’t forget the duty you should bear.”

“Ha, it sounds as if I am currently neglecting my duty.”

“If not, you wouldn’t have cooperated with the plan to monopolize the herbs used in the cure for the epidemic, would you?”

Kilian’s expression hardened. Anger began to fill his voice.

“Do you have the right to lecture me on morality?”

Indeed, his imposing manner was impressive, as one would expect from someone who had defeated numerous monsters.

However, Philomell did not flinch at all. She had the defensive magic cast by Le Guin and… Nasar.

Philomell looked at Nasar, who was sitting next to her.

He had been watching Kilian with cold eyes from the beginning when Kilian was rude, and occasionally his fist with bulging veins twitched.

‘He wants to jump in right away, but he’s holding back.’

Because the subject of this conversation is, after all, Philomell and Kilian.

Nasar was enduring, worried that it would be rude to Philomell if he stepped in.

Philomell felt that his presence alone was a great strength and answered Kilian’s question.

“Yes, I do. I have nothing to be ashamed of in front of you.”

“Ha… haha.”

Kilian let out a hollow laugh and glared sharply.

“What right do you have? You’re just persistently staying here and tormenting her.”

‘Her’ seemed to refer to Ellensia.

Philomell asked, feeling absurd.

“Who is tormenting whom?”

She had never tormented anyone, though she had been tormented.

“Your very existence is a wound to her.”

“…A wound?”

“You haven’t done anything directly. But you’ve been living, enjoying things that the original Princess should have had all along, haven’t you? Even parents.”

Kilian’s words were getting more and more ridiculous.

“Don’t you know how she feels seeing you still remaining in the Imperial Palace and being loved by His Majesty?”

Philomell felt it deeply.

‘Ah, this guy is hopeless.’

Kilian’s voice was getting louder and louder.

“Even if the kind Princess can’t complain, if you have a conscience, you should disappear on your own. Don’t try to get away with saying you didn’t know. Ignorance is also a sin….”

Thump!

With a loud noise, the table in the drawing-room that Nasar slammed down on broke in two.

“I’m sorry, Philomell. I couldn’t listen anymore, so I committed a discourtesy.”

He stood up, apologizing to Philomell, not Kilian.

Then, Kilian, who quickly took a fighting stance, said to Philomell.

“Do you end up relying on a man just because you heard some unpleasant words?”

Nasar drew his sword.

“Don’t get me wrong. I just personally don’t like you.”

He raised one corner of his mouth and smiled bitterly.

“It’s disgusting to see you acting like a hero just for catching a three-headed mutt.”

“…What, what did you say?”

Kilian was more furious than ever, as if Nasar’s provocation had worked.

“How dare you insult the achievements I have made….”

It was a deeper anger than when he was passionately talking about Ellensia.

A touch-and-go situation. Philomell pulled on Nasar’s sleeve.

“Nasar, stop it.”

“But….”

“Not here.”

That’s right. As long as Kilian was on Ellensia’s side, they would inevitably clash someday, but not now.

At Philomell’s firm gaze, Nasar put his sword back into its scabbard.

“I will follow you.”

Philomell smiled faintly, pleased with his quick change from being so angry to being so docile.

“Let’s go back now.”

However, Kilian did not let them go back quietly.

“Are you running away?”

Philomell looked back at him.

“Kilian, you think it’s wrong for me to be loved by His Majesty, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then go to the Imperial Palace right now and tell him directly. Tell him not to be fooled by a fake and to take care of his real daughter.”

Kilian’s eyes widened, and he laughed, making a deflated sound.

“It’s easy to say….”

“Why can’t you? Are you afraid of the Emperor, unlike me?”

“……”

Looking down at the man with a hardened expression, Philomell said.

“You are not a hero. You are a despicable human being who can’t say a word in front of the strong and only blames the weak.”

“Don’t speak carelessly!”

“Then tell me why you only blame me. If what you say is true, isn’t His Majesty the most heartless person for cherishing a fake while leaving his own daughter?”

Of course, there was no reply.

Instead, something strange happened.

‘3%’

Kilian’s favorability suddenly increased by 3%.

However, he was still gritting his teeth and glaring at Philomell.

‘Is he perhaps the type who likes to be insulted?’

Philomell tilted her head as she left the drawing-room with Nasar.

In the carriage returning to the Imperial Palace from Count Escal’s residence,

Philomell pondered, stroking the recording stone she had brought.

‘Kilian was a bust.’

If he had any doubts about Ellensia, she was going to play the recorded conversation and ask for his cooperation. She wanted to ask him to exorcise the evil spirit that had entered the child’s body.

But the man she actually met was completely Ellensia’s person. Especially when he mentioned Ellensia, his eyes were turbid, and he seemed out of his mind.

‘I thought maybe he was pretending to be on the same side to put Ellensia off guard….’

Perhaps she had an excessive fantasy about heroes.

At that moment, Nasar, who was sitting across from her, spoke.

“You seem disheartened that your plan didn’t go as you wished.”

Philomell looked at him blankly.

‘He doesn’t ask anything.’

When she went to meet Kilian, she only gave Nasar very fragmented information.

Why Philomell and Ellensia competed for Sansalcho, or why she bothered to persuade Kilian, who was on the other side, etc. There must be many things he didn’t understand.

Still, Nasar didn’t pry.

I want to tell him everything. I don’t want to hide anything from him. To do that, I had to explain from the day I picked up a long time ago.

Philomell made up her mind.

‘I’ll trust Nasar as much as Nasar trusts me.’

Perhaps because she had already confided in Le Guin and her brothers.

“Nasar, you know….”

The beginning came out without difficulty.

The story continued even after the carriage arrived in front of the South Palace.

The story of a girl who picked up in the garden when she was young.

The girl struggled to become a perfect princess, holding a book in her hand. On the one hand, she dreamed of life outside the Imperial Palace. And she ran away once and came back to where she is now.

His face, which was initially full of surprise, gradually became filled with sadness.

Soon tears streamed down his white cheeks.

Philomell was flustered and asked.

“Nasar, are you crying?”

“I’m just sad because I can’t even imagine the pain you must have felt at that young age.”

“Nasar also had a hard time in many ways when he was young.”

“I have at least never worried about my life.”

Nasar looked back on the past.

He clearly remembered when Philomell suddenly changed at the age of nine. Until then, he thought the young princess lived comfortably.

How arrogant he was. He was a child who believed that his environment was more harsh than others.

Most of all, the most heartbreaking fact is….

‘I was by her side for so long, but I didn’t know at all.’

I couldn’t even imagine that Philomell was having these concerns. Yet, I was heartbroken that Philomell was keeping her distance from me. In the end, my own circumstances were the most important.

Nasar finally realized. For him, it was always more important whether Philomell would accept him than Philomell herself.

He opened his mouth with difficulty.

“If I had noticed something back then….”

If I hadn’t been afraid of being rejected and had constantly approached you, if I had begged you to let me know the burden you were carrying.

‘Would I have been of any help to you?’

Then, a warm hand touched Nasar’s eyes.

“…I didn’t know, Nasar was a crybaby.”

Philomell whispered, wiping away the moisture with her thumb. Her voice was also somewhat hoarse.

“I’m okay, so don’t be too sad. It’s all in the past.”

No. Scars of the heart do not heal so easily. Nevertheless, it was her consideration to say that she was okay.

Philomell looked closely at the man who was still crying.

His nose and under his eyes were all red, and his handsome face was a mess. But in her eyes, he looked more beautiful than ever.

Kiss. Philomell impulsively put her lips on his cheek. And after a few seconds, she slowly took them away.

“Oh….”

Nasar moved his mouth, forgetting to breathe.

Philomell blushed slightly and playfully excused herself.

“It’s an apology for pinching your cheek last time.”

The tears that had been flowing incessantly stopped.

Philomell smiled softly, having achieved her purpose.