There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 39

* * *

Philomel finished her visit and walked back the way she came.

‘Can I trust Katrin’s words?’

Even though she was her own mother, she couldn’t fully trust her. After all, she was an evil woman who stole her friend’s child.

‘What if it’s a trick to lessen her sins even a little bit……?’

But she didn’t know if she could gain anything by telling such a lie.

In the book, Katrin calmly accepts death when Ellensia returns to her original place. There was also a description that Katrin’s nature wasn’t evil, she was just driven mad by jealousy.

Perhaps Philomel’s actions, which differed from the original work, might have brought about some changes.

‘If not, Katrin’s words have a valid basis…….’

Philomel soon discovered herself wanting to believe Katrin and felt empty.

‘What’s so important about blood ties?’

Philomel lightly patted her cheeks with both hands.

“Get a grip. Don’t get too caught up in insignificant words and dig too deep.”

If she put aside the book’s contents and looked at the situation objectively, the conclusion was obvious.

Katrin, who kidnapped her friend’s daughter at the moment of her death, and the kind Ellensia, who grew up being mistreated under the kidnapper.

It didn’t make sense to believe Katrin in this situation.

There was no need to feel sorry for her. Although she was her biological mother, Philomel hadn’t spent much time with Katrin, and the two were close to strangers.

On the other hand, everyone knew that Ellensia was kind…….

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, a strong sense of incongruity arose.

“……Why do I naturally assume Ellensia is kind?”

If Katrin was a stranger to Philomel, so was Ellensia.

They hadn’t known each other for long, and she could count the number of times they had talked on one hand. But why did she believe that Ellensia was kind?

The answer was simple.

Because that’s what the book said.

Because that’s what , which had been Philomel’s guide and milestone since she was nine years old, said!

At that point, Philomel reached a fundamental question.

‘Can I completely trust ?’

It was a question she had consciously or unconsciously tried not to ask.

In fact, there were many points that had been questionable all along.

The fact that it took the form of a novel, unlike the books known as prophecies.

The fact that it was dropped in the garden as if to show someone.

When she first picked up the book, she didn’t have the time to think deeply because she was overwhelmed by its contents, but as she grew older, Philomel’s doubts about the book only grew.

She had simply buried the questions because there was no way to solve them at the time.

Wasn’t it an existence that wouldn’t burn even if she tried to burn it with fire in the first place? There was no existence as suspicious as that book.

She felt breathless. It was as if the ground she was standing on was suddenly collapsing.

Philomel returned to her chambers at a fast pace, as if being chased by something.

“Meow.”

Neither Countess Delles nor the maids were to be seen, and only the cat greeted Philomel.

She wanted to read the book again to confirm, but she had left the book at the inn when she left Anghelium.

She had memorized the contents because she had read it countless times, but the encroaching anxiety wouldn’t go away.

What if there was an implication she had carelessly overlooked? What if there were lines she hadn’t yet grasped?

Until now, she had been able to feel a little relieved in her life without anything to rely on because she had the book that told her the future.

But without the book, she felt like she had been thrown into a stormy sea with only a small sailboat.

It was like an anxiety disorder, regardless of whether she trusted the book or not.

Philomel bit her lip anxiously.

“I have to go get the book after all!”

As soon as she made up her mind, she headed for the door. It had only been two days since she left the inn, so there was a high probability that they still had the guest’s belongings without disposing of them.

Philomel was going to ask Eustis to send her to Anghelium.

‘I’ll be watched, but if I accept the condition that I’ll stay here for three months, they’ll send me.’

Currently, the most important thing was whether what she had firmly believed to be the truth for half of her life was true or not.

And if…….

If wasn’t a real prophecy…….

‘What am I…….’

A slight dizziness made her stumble.

“Ouch. Are you okay?”

Someone’s arm grabbed Philomel’s waist, preventing her from falling. At the same time, an unusually bright golden light caught her eye.

Philomel spoke the person’s name aloud.

“……Le, Guin?”

The other person replied casually.

“Yes. My name is Le Guin.”

“H, how are you here?”

Philomel was surprised and pulled away from Le Guin’s arm and quickly stepped back.

“Surely the Imperial Palace is impossible to teleport into…….”

Due to the magic suppression barrier, unauthorized people could not freely use magic in the Imperial Palace.

It was a semi-permanent power granted for the sake of the first emperor, the son beloved by the Sun God.

But how could Le Guin, who should be in the Magic Tower, be inside here!

“Who do you think I am? There’s no magic in this world that I can’t break.”

Le Guin replied with an arrogant smile.

“And we’ve been together all night since yesterday.”

Le Guin spoke in a friendly manner.

“When were we? Don’t say strange things.”

“That’s too much. I was patiently waiting for you to go out, so I was bored and just stayed over there.”

Le Guin pointed to a purple cushion placed in one corner with his finger. It was the cushion he had given to the cat this morning because he was worried that the bare floor would be too hard.

The silver-haired cat had taken over the cushion as if it understood Philomel’s words.

‘Wait, silver hair?’

Come to think of it, the person in front of her also had silver hair.

And now that she thought about it, the cat’s eyes were the same gold…….

“……Could it be that you’re that cat?”

Philomel asked hesitantly.

“That’s right.”

Le Guin nodded lightly and replied.

“Liar!”

“It’s not a lie. Do you want me to show you how I transform?”

When Philomel disbelieved, Le Guin snorted and then a familiar cat appeared with a pop.

“Meooow.”

The cat proudly meowed as if to say that it was Le Guin. It was in the same adorable form that had taken Philomel’s soul away just yesterday.

Pop!

The man reappeared.

“See? I was going to reveal my identity when you were alone, but that woman, whether she’s the Countess or something, kept sticking around, so I had a hard time waiting.”

“…….”

“Also, before that, I was looking for an opportunity when you were in the center of the Imperial Palace, but that place had too much divine power, so I didn’t want to approach it.”

“……Leave.”

“What?”

“I said leave right now!”

He dodged the cushion that Philomel threw with a flexible movement.

Philomel trembled with anger.

She had been deceived. How much she had loved that cat.

‘I was even thinking of raising it if the original owner didn’t show up!’

She had even secretly worried about what to name it.

After that, it took Philomel about thirty more minutes to calm down.

* * *

After a while.

Philomel acknowledged that she needed to talk to her biological father who had come to find her and postponed kicking him out for a while.

“Why are you sitting so far apart?”

But what she decided and what her heart felt were different.

Philomel coldly turned her head and replied to Le Guin’s question.

“I’m sorry, but please don’t come near me.”

“……What did I do?”

“I just feel that way.”

The two were sitting at opposite ends of a long, straight sofa, having an awkward conversation.

“Don’t you like cats? They’re cute.”

“I like cats. When they’re real cats.”

“Isn’t being cute ultimately an external attribute? As long as the appearance is cute, isn’t that enough? Your standards are difficult.”

By Philomel’s common sense, his standards were much more difficult.

A grown adult man pretending to be a cat and rubbing his body against her legs.

‘Such a shameless person!’

He’s not just any adult, he’s the Master of the Magic Tower. Is he allowed to do that?

Philomel’s theory was that the leader of a large organization should have a heavy dignity.

Le Guin, sitting in a crooked position with his feet on the table, grumbled.

“Lexion, that guy, said I’d be liked if I was a cat……. I’ll see him later.”

She didn’t notice it when she first saw him because she was distracted, but no matter how she looked at him, he didn’t seem like a very sound person.

On the one hand, she felt relieved. Wasn’t it really fortunate? She hadn’t done any rubbing or kissing with the cat yet.

‘Actually, I was going to do it after bathing him.’

If it had been revealed even a little later, Philomel would have almost lost her will to live.