There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 45

“It’s quite opportune that there are two vacancies for the position of court wizard.”

“Since we promised them the best research environment in the Magic Tower, they both packed their bags with joy.”

“……”

“The job of a court wizard is excellent in terms of honor and salary, but there are quite a few who want to quit due to the many restrictions on research.”

It seemed there were behind-the-scenes maneuvers that Philomel didn’t know about.

Le Guin asked Lexion,

“You were the one who packed Phil’s luggage, right? She was looking for it.”

“I’ll bring it to you now.”

Lexion took out a familiar cloth bag from the backpack on the floor.

It was a bag Philomel had bought herself at the market. He had found it at an inn while inquiring about Philomel’s whereabouts in Angelium and kept it for her.

Philomel hesitated as she was about to open the bag she received.

“Did you happen to check inside?”

“Of course not. I’m not the kind of rude person who rummages through other people’s belongings.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to doubt you.”

“I understand.”

Because was in here, she had become sensitive. The book was like a shameful secret she didn’t want to show anyone.

She opened the bag just a little and peeked inside, and a familiar brown cover caught her eye.

Fortunately, it wasn’t lost.

“Is anything missing?”

“No. Thank you for bringing it, Lexion.”

Philomel closed the bag again and answered quietly.

“You’re welcome.”

“Eub, bub, bub, bub!”

“It seems like he wants to say that he’s the one who brought it.”

“Thank you too, Cardin.”

“Eup!”

It was a little funny to see him expressing his opinion so actively even though he was tied up.

“Quiet. You’re so talkative even though you’re tied up.”

Thwack!

“Eup, eup, eup!”

Cardin jumped as Jeremiah kicked his butt.

“Puh-huh.”

Philomel knew it was rude to laugh at someone getting hit, but she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

She also felt somewhat relieved that the book was back in her hands.

When Philomel burst into laughter, the four men stopped all movement and looked at her.

“It’s good to see you smile like that.”

“Indeed.”

Le Guin agreed with Lexion’s words.

“Me? You must be mistaken.”

Philomel, who had become a little embarrassed, erased her expression and pretended not to notice.

Le Guin didn’t take his eyes off her as he brought up the question he had asked before.

“Now that I think about it, what are you going to do now? You found your belongings, so are you going to the Magic Tower?”

“……I need to leave the Imperial Palace for now.”

Philomel didn’t want to go to the Magic Tower, but she had to leave. This place with Elencia, the nanny, Katrin, and Eustis.

Surely a new life was waiting for Philomel somewhere other than here. Because this place was not for her.

Then Lexion spoke in a serious voice.

“Phil, what do you really want to do?”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t look happy at all right now. Like a child with homework they don’t want to do.”

“……That can’t be. I want to leave.”

“Really?”

Philomel couldn’t answer.

“We don’t want to take you against your will. If you don’t want to, please tell us honestly.”

“I want to take her.”

“……Le Guin, are you going to disregard Phil’s wishes again? Have you already forgotten what happened at the Magic Tower?”

“Ugh, why bring that up.”

Le Guin glanced at Philomel and ruffled his hair.

“Right! A person should live doing what they want to do. I’ve lived that way and taught my kids to do the same.”

“The problem was that you did everything you wanted to do.”

“Eup!”

Jeremiah and Cardin, who had returned to their seats, added a word each.

“Anyway, don’t worry about what we think and decide. No, ignore not only what we think but also anything that gets in the way and think about it. What do you want to do in the future?”

Philomel blinked.

‘……What I want to do?’

It was confusing. She should answer immediately, ‘I want to leave this place,’ but strangely, she couldn’t speak.

‘What do I want? Not what I have to do, but what I want to do.’

It was a question she hadn’t asked herself in a long time.

For a long time, when Philomel made big and small decisions, her pure desires were always secondary.

Most of her actions were not things she wanted to do. She wanted to be recognized by the Emperor because she didn’t want to die, and she ran away because she didn’t want to die.

‘And the reason I started living like that is…….’

Philomel ran her finger over the surface of the bag in her arms.

The outline of the leather cover was felt under the thin cloth.

‘It was all because of this book.’

For the past seven years, her greatest wish was to sleep comfortably in a place where she didn’t have to worry about her life.

But today, Philomel saw a possibility. That this book, which had controlled her life, might be wrong, maybe, just maybe.

It was a cruel possibility that she had been feeling vaguely but had continued to bury.

Philomel impulsively opened her mouth without even organizing what she was going to say.

“I, I might have been running away from some great truth all this time.”

Because if she acknowledged such a possibility, all the efforts she had made over the past seven years would be in vain.

All the fear, resignation, and worry would have been for nothing.

It would have been a wrong choice not to open her heart to the people who had sincerely approached her.

“But I don’t want to run away anymore. I want to know.”

What is the identity of this book that has been wielding her for a long time? Why did it come into my hands? What truth is hidden?

She wanted to face it without avoiding it anymore.

“…….”

The four men said nothing.

Since she came to her senses, Philomel had made it a habit to think over and over again before speaking.

The Emperor’s successor was such a position, and as a fake princess, she had to be even more careful.

She was ashamed of suddenly blurting out whatever came to her mind.

Moreover, she had left out the contents of the book, so it would have been a pie in the sky for them.

“I, I said something incomprehensible, right? What this means is…….”

“It’s okay. Le Guin always talks nonsense.”

“Thank you for being honest. To be honest, I didn’t understand everything, but I roughly know how you feel.”

“Eub, bub, bub!”

Philomel looked at the faces of the three brothers in turn.

No one had a puzzled or embarrassed look. They just accepted her words as they were.

Le Guin was the same.

“Good. I don’t know the details, but anyway, you’re saying that you have to be here to achieve what you want?”

“……I think so.”

All the keys must be with Elencia.

At least that’s what Philomel thought.

Elencia, the protagonist of and the real princess.

A girl who shows a different side from what was often mentioned in the book.

Philomel’s intuition whispered to be careful of Elencia in order to find out the identity of the book.

“Then the plan for the future has been decided. I’ll act with Phil. The rest of you guys can do whatever you want.”

Philomel asked in surprise.

“Are you staying here?”

“I told you. As long as you’re here, I’m not going anywhere.”

His smiling face was surprisingly reliable.

It would be a great help if the Magic Tower Lord was with her.

Even if the Emperor didn’t intend to kill her right now, the future was unknown. If it was Le Guin, who could ignore the barrier, it was possible to get Philomel out with teleportation magic in case of an emergency.

“If you spend a little time with me, you’ll want to go to the Magic Tower so badly.”

But the fact that he was so confident made her uneasy.

‘……Can I really get along well with him?’

Next were Lexion and Cardin.

“I need to adapt to the Imperial Palace life as soon as possible.”

“Eup, eup!”

“Are you two okay with not going back to the Magic Tower? Really?”

“I can’t quit when I just got a job. We’ll actively cooperate with what Phil is doing too.”

“Eub, bub!”

A slightly touching feeling welled up in Philomel’s heart.

But Jeremiah’s attitude was cold.

“Count me out. I’m going back.”

“He always throws cold water on things.”

“I’ve seen the face of my newly found sibling, so I’ve taken care of everything.”

He dismissed his father’s words and turned towards the exit of the garden.

“Wait a minute!”

Philomel called out, and he turned his head.

“I don’t have any personal feelings for you. But I don’t like group activities.”

“It’s not that…… There’s something I want to ask.”

Jeremiah nodded his chin as if to tell her to speak.

Philomel hesitated for a moment and asked what she had been wondering about since a while ago.

It was something that had been bothering her since Jeremiah revealed his name.

“Jeremiah, is your nickname ‘The Ice Prince’ by any chance?”

The Ice Prince.

It was an alias referring to a certain magician. In fact, Philomel had been wondering if Jeremiah was the Ice Prince since she heard the name Jeremiah.

“……Ugh.”

Then Jeremiah’s white face turned red in an instant. He pulled down his hood as if to cover his face and shouted.

“Don’t call me by that name!”

“……Did I do something rude?”

Lexion, who was chuckling, stepped forward.

“He hates that nickname. He says he doesn’t like it because it sounds too much like a young master. Cardin teased him a lot.”

“What are you laughing at!”

Cardin grinned and wriggled away from his brother, who was trying to kick him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…….”

“It’s okay!”

Just in case, Jeremiah was the Ice Prince.

‘This is troublesome.’

This situation was very difficult.

Because Jeremiah was another male protagonist in .