There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 2

‘In the novel, I’m… No, not me!’

I don’t want to admit that I am the villain who meets such a miserable end.

It’s just that the name is the same. The name ‘Philomell’ wasn’t common, but it wasn’t rare either.

However, Philomell felt a little uneasy because she had repeatedly felt that the ‘Philomell’ in the novel was similar to her real self.

For example, there was an episode in her childhood that was described to reveal ‘Philomell’s’ evil nature.

‘Philomell’ loses the necklace she received from her father as a birthday present, and fearing his hatred, she frames a maid for stealing it and tries to kill her.

In reality, a similar incident occurred.

However, she didn’t deliberately put the blame on the maid.

Philomell really thought the maid had taken it. The necklace disappeared, and the last person to clean the room was the maid, so she misunderstood.

Later, when the maid’s innocence was revealed, she was severely scolded by her nanny and properly apologized.

She didn’t really intend to kill her. Thinking back, she seemed to have said, ‘I’ll kill you!’ but it was purely out of anger.

It wasn’t entirely a lie, but since the novel didn’t reveal ‘Philomell’s’ inner thoughts or the backstory, she seemed like a complete villain.

“No. They probably just heard the story from some ignorant gossip and wrote it as they pleased.”

Philomell shook her head and muttered as if to reassure herself.

“Your Highness, I’m coming in.”

Suddenly, the nanny’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Wait a minute, just wait!”

She quickly ran to the desk and put the novel in the drawer.

If she were caught reading a romance novel while in confinement, she would surely be bombarded with nagging.

“You weren’t doing something else instead of studying again, were you?”

The nanny, who hadn’t even been given permission to enter, opened the door and frowned as she looked around.

“What do you mean doing something else! I was studying properly.”

She pointed to the thick history book on her desk, but the suspicious nanny looked around the room a few more times before standing in front of Philomell.

“Please, get your act together now. If you cause trouble, it’s us who serve you who will be in trouble.”

“Okay……”

Soon, the nanny’s nagging began.

The nanny was the only person who could treat her carelessly, except for the Emperor.

She was also the Empress’s nanny, so even though she had never breastfed Philomell, everyone called her nanny.

The Empress trusted and relied on her nanny almost like a real mother, and she brought her into the palace when she got married.

Justis respected his wife’s wishes and made the nanny his daughter’s governess, entrusting her with full authority over her upbringing and education.

Since he was indifferent to his daughter, the nanny virtually controlled everything related to Philomell.

“His Majesty has firmly ordered this time to correct your habits.”

“Tch. Lies.”

Justis wasn’t a father who cared enough about his daughter to say such things separately.

However, the nanny knew that this worked well on Philomell, so she had been trying to manipulate the Princess by invoking Justis’s name since before.

For example, she would say that if she listened to etiquette lessons diligently, she would have dinner with Justis, or that if she got a perfect score on the exam, she could go to his office to play.

Then, when Philomell fulfilled the conditions, she would make excuses and slowly postpone the fulfillment of the promise.

Philomell realized she had been deceived only after about dozens of promises were broken. The nanny was largely to blame for her losing interest in heir lessons.

“What did you say just now? Lies! It’s a bad habit to doubt people’s words from the start. Should I really use the rod of love [a euphemism for corporal punishment]?”

When her intentions were revealed, the nanny made an exaggerated fuss.

“Okay, I got it. I’ll be careful from now on.”

Philomell lowered her tail first [backed down].

Even though the nanny was nearing old age, she was stout and strong. Even if she used the rod, she wouldn’t severely punish the Princess, but it was powerful enough to be frightening to a child.

“Please do. I really don’t know who you take after. Isabella was so mature even at that age……”

Even though she had heard it so many times that it was stuck in her ears, the words that she didn’t resemble her mother today stung her heart.

“Nanny……”

“Yes?”

“Do I not look like my mother that much?”

Philomell asked cautiously.

“Yes. Surprisingly so. Isabella was smart, mature, and sometimes innocent from a young age……”

It was the nanny’s pleasure to undermine Philomell’s self-esteem by comparing her from head to toe with the dead Empress.

Today, even the nanny’s usual nagging sounded like the story in the book that she wasn’t the real Princess, which made her feel down.

“So, you have to be quiet on the Founding Day……”

Philomell, who was listening to the nanny’s words with one ear and letting them out with the other while thinking about other things, opened her eyes wide at the unusual content.

“Founding Day?”

“You weren’t listening to me, were you?”

“Can I participate in the Founding Day?”

“Of course. It’s a national event, so it’s been decided that you’ll be released from confinement and go out on that day only.”

Founding Day. The Founding Day at the age of nine.

It was a word she remembered seeing in the book!

After the nanny left, Philomell took out the novel and skimmed through the beginning.

‘Found it.’

What she was looking for was the part where the main character, Elencia, was about to go to the Founding Day event held in the village when she was nine years old.

Elencia is the same age as Philomell, so the Founding Day mentioned here was the Founding Day that the nanny had just mentioned.

Elencia was going to go to the event, but on the day of the event, heavy rain poured down, and the Founding Day itself was postponed, so she couldn’t go.

I remember laughing because the part about the Founding Day being postponed due to heavy rain didn’t make sense.

‘Well, the Founding Day is the most important festival in the Vellerop Empire, and the date is set every year by receiving a divine message.’

As usual, the Empire’s leading weather-related wizards and scholars stuck together and researched, and as a result, they confirmed that it would not rain on that date this year either.

Moreover, in the book, the high priest collapses, and the Founding Day is postponed for a week.

“That’s right. It was just fiction after all.”

Why would a high priest, who is so healthy, suddenly collapse?

I felt much better. Now, all I have to do is check the sunny weather on the day of the Founding Day and relax.

After holding the Founding Day without any problems, I’ll take this book to my father and punish the nasty writer.

Philomell smiled and closed the book.

* * *

It should have been like that…….

Philomell, dressed neatly, stared blankly at the heavy raindrops falling.

“……Your Majesty, I think we should postpone the event to a later date.”

The Emperor’s secretary was at a loss, reporting to Justis about the unprecedented situation.

They couldn’t even go to the outdoor venue set up in the Imperial Palace’s front yard and were taking shelter from the rain under the roof of a nearby memorial hall.

The event manager, sweating profusely, explained that it was an unprecedented heavy rain.

“I understand. Postpone the event. Reschedule the date and report it.”

At the Emperor’s words, many members of the Imperial family and nobles who had gathered to listen to the commemorative speech prepared to leave.

‘Is it really going to be postponed like this? Like in the novel?’

Everything went dark in front of my eyes in an instant.

The novel must be a novel. It must never become reality. If not, I am really not my father’s biological daughter…….

“No! Don’t postpone it!”

Philomell shouted sharply without realizing it and ran out from under the roof.

“Your Highness! No!”

People hurriedly tried to bring the Princess, who was getting rained on, back, but Philomell ran madly and stood in front of Justis.

And she looked up at him and opened her mouth earnestly.

“Father.”

A slight crack appeared on Justis’s handsome brow.

“Please, please don’t postpone the Founding Day. Okay?”

“…….”

“We can give the commemorative speech inside the memorial hall. So please proceed as planned.”

Everyone, embarrassed by the Princess’s sudden behavior, was busy watching the father and daughter.

“I’m begging you like this. Please……”

Philomell’s eyes were wet with water, whether it was rain or tears.

“……Your Highness, we can’t do that. Please keep your dignity.”

One of the maids who served Philomell came next to her and whispered.

I know. Philomell also knew that the idea of giving a commemorative speech indoors was absurd.

Vellerop was an empire founded with the blessing of the Sun God. The Founding Day had meaning only when it was held under the bright sunshine. It wasn’t just postponed due to the inconvenience of outdoor activities.

I know it well.

‘But, but…….’

“Let’s go.”

The Emperor’s gaze, which had been directed at Philomell, was soon withdrawn.

“However, Your Highness……”

Secretary Count Polan hesitated, and Justis looked around at the Count and the audience and said.

“Does the Emperor have to listen to even the whims of a child? Even for wanting to see a festival and blocking the Emperor’s path?”

Everyone held their breath at the anger lurking beneath the blue eyes.

Many people knew that the Emperor could become as cruel as a demon, unlike his beautiful appearance.

There were rumors that he had assassinated not only his brothers but also the late Emperor to ascend to the throne.

“Let’s go.”

Justis turned away coldly.

Starting with him, the attendees left one by one.

Each of them glanced at the Princess, who was still standing blankly in the rain, but did not say anything. It was better not to get involved with the Princess, who was only hated by the Emperor.