There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 55

There Is No Place for Fakes (5)

As she settled on the circular stone steps, Jeremiah reluctantly sat beside her.

The play was in full swing, so both watched in silence.

While watching the play, Philomela was also preoccupied with other thoughts.

‘It’s not the right time yet. I need to wait until Jeremiah opens up more.’

So far, the story was unfolding similarly to the book.

Elencia, a country girl, meets the wizard Jeremiah in the forest one day.

At the time, Jeremiah was traveling the world after leaving the Magic Tower.

Jeremiah saves Elencia from a wolf in the forest, and in return, Elencia shows him around the market.

It was the largest market held near Elencia’s village.

Jeremiah was reluctant, but he had some necessities to buy, so he accompanied her and found a different kind of enjoyment there.

He had never properly explored a market before because he disliked crowded places, so it was a completely new experience for him.

Before he knew it, he had opened his heart to Elencia and inadvertently revealed his dark side.

And decisively, he hears ‘that phrase’ from Elencia!

Philomela was planning to say ‘that phrase’ herself.

‘Then, naturally, a family bond, or something similar, might arise.’

Even if that didn’t happen, it was important for Philomela to hear what Elencia would say in advance.

The first experience always leaves the strongest impression. The second time is likely to be less impactful than the first.

Philomela glanced at Jeremiah with a nervous expression. He was completely engrossed in the play.

Just then, a thunderous voice struck Philomela’s eardrums.

“Oh, my love! Why do you not love me? Your indifference plunges me into sorrow, and I die today.”

A female actor on stage was passionately lamenting. Only then did Philomela focus on the play’s content.

The play being performed in the amphitheater was a typical tragic love story. Two lovers love each other, but they are torn apart by family opposition, slander from those around them, and petty misunderstandings.

‘I heard it’s a huge trend in the capital these days.’

Philomela had never seen it herself, but she had heard about the plot from the maids.

The man is the first to leave, but he later realizes his mistake and regrets it, while the woman grieves and finds new love.

It seemed to be the beginning, where the woman was clinging to her departing lover.

‘It’s a bit unsettling to watch.’

She knew that the relationship would be reversed later, but a woman clinging to a man reminded her of something.

‘That’s what Katrin and Philomela in the book did.’

She couldn’t understand why they clung to Eustis and Nasar over some insignificant man.

‘I must not do that,’ Philomela resolved, glancing at Jeremiah. But he looked somehow gloomy.

‘Huh, is it that boring? But he seems to be watching the play quite intently for someone who’s bored.’

Then suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.

It was what Jeremiah had said about his mother in the book.

“My mother thought that if she had a child, my father would love her. But my father was incapable of such a thing.”

A story he had casually told Elencia after a long time.

“My mother despaired. She realized too late that her wish could never be fulfilled. And then she left. Leaving behind the man she loved, and a child who looked just like him.”

Just as Philomela was reminded of Katrin and ‘Philomela’ in the book while watching the play, Jeremiah seemed to be reminded of his mother.

Combining the book’s content with what she knew, Jeremiah’s mother loved Le Guin.

That’s why she participated in the experiment and even had a child, but eventually, she left when she couldn’t win his heart.

When she didn’t know the details, Philomela vaguely thought, ‘They got married because they liked each other, but the father is too much.’

But considering that the two were only in a contractual relationship, Le Guin couldn’t be entirely blamed. Only Jeremiah was to be pitied.

‘The world is complicated, so complicated.’

Philomela sighed quietly and then widened her eyes.

‘Wait, isn’t this an opportunity?’

It was a mean thing to say to Jeremiah, but Philomela had been waiting for him to show a weak side. Only then could she say ‘that phrase’ and comfort him.

Perhaps accidentally leading him to see this play was a stroke of genius.

Exploiting someone else’s pain pricked Philomela’s conscience, but she couldn’t give up this godsend.

In any case, she had to prevent Jeremiah from falling for Elencia.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Jeremiah’s mood remained low even after the play ended with a happy ending.

Philomela brushed the dust off her clothes and stood up.

“Well, shall we go somewhere else?”

“……Okay.”

Lost in thought, Jeremiah followed her words without much question.

‘He’s so down, I feel a bit sorry.’

Hoping to cheer him up even a little, Philomela took him to an ice cream shop and handed him a large double-scoop ice cream cone.

“…….”

But seeing him barely eating it, Philomela lost her appetite for her own.

‘I have no choice. I’ll just have to say that phrase quickly…….’

Philomela took him around, looking for a suitable place.

Atmosphere is the most important thing for a conversation. She needed a place where Jeremiah would want to open up.

When they reached the riverside, she couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.”

The sun was setting. The waves of the Klimer River, known as the lifeline of the Empire, were dyed a beautiful red.

‘This would be a good place to bring it up.’

The scenery of the vast river was magnificent yet somehow lonely.

“Jeremiah, this way!”

Philomela called Jeremiah to a secluded and scenic spot.

Looking at the river against the backdrop of the sunset, he looked like a painting. The lonely atmosphere made him look even more like a work of art.

Philomela approached him, choosing her words.

‘Should I start by asking if he has any worries?’

Or should I start by sharing my childhood stories and naturally lead into old stories…….

But why?

She couldn’t open her mouth.

Philomela was flustered by his face, which looked much lonelier than she had expected.

She should quickly say something like Elencia did,

“I see the same loneliness in your eyes as I do.”

“I understand your pain. I’ll be your friend.”

She had to say these words, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to say them.

Reality was different from the imagination Philomela had when planning.

It was too vivid. Jeremiah’s loneliness.

He was not just a character made up of letters, but a living, breathing human being, and his pain was a trace of a person’s entire past.

Philomela thought quietly.

‘I’m so arrogant.’

She thought she understood Jeremiah just because she had read a book. She was confident that she could lead his heart in the direction she wanted.

If someone who had read a book like her appeared and said they understood Philomela, she would have been disgusted.

‘Okay. Let’s stop doing this now.’

Philomela changed her clouded expression to a bright one and approached him.

“Jeremiah!”

“……What is it, ugh!”

She shoved her ice cream into Jeremiah’s mouth.

“Eat my ice cream too! Don’t worry, I haven’t touched it.”

“Why would I!”

“Eat it and cheer up. Why are you so down?”

Philomela forced the ice cream on him and walked along the river with a light step.

Jeremiah watched her from behind, so dumbfounded that he laughed. He didn’t know what she was thinking at all.

Then he suddenly realized.

‘Oh, why am I laughing?’

He was elated today, doing trivial things.

He became serious rapidly.

If it were him normally, he should be angry, but he was grinning for some reason.

‘From the beginning, it was unlike me to play along with that girl.’

At first, he was just complying with her requests because Le Guin behind her was annoying, but at some point, he stopped thinking about his father.

Spite welled up in his heart. It was a kind of reaction and inertia. He wanted to return to his original self.

So he spat out barbed words at the retreating figure.

“Don’t be conceited.”

Philomela turned around.

“What did you say just now?”

“I think you’re misunderstanding.”

He said with a bitter smile.

“The reason Le Guin is hanging on your words isn’t because he has affection for you.”

“…….”

“That person doesn’t love his children, but he does recognize that we are his children. So he’s a little more lenient with us than with others.”

“So?”

“There’s another time when that person is lenient. When it’s an object that piques his interest. Sometimes it’s an object, an animal, a monster, and sometimes it’s a human. And you happen to fit both categories.”

Philomela said nothing.

“So don’t blindly believe in the favor that man gives you. He’s the kind of person who will turn his back on you at any time if his interest disappears. Don’t expect that you’ll be a special person to him.”

When there was no response, Jeremiah became anxious. He even said things he didn’t need to say.

“I know a woman like that very well. A person who hoped alone that she would become special to him and then despaired. If you’re going to be like that woman…….”

“You can stop there.”

“What?”

“I understand everything Jeremiah wants to say. You don’t have to say any more.”

Philomela smiled listlessly.

Jeremiah stared at her, unable to say anything.

“And don’t worry. I don’t have such expectations.”

A cold river breeze swept past them. Brown hair fluttered in the wind.

Philomela looked out at the other side of the river, which seemed to stretch endlessly.

“I know very well that I’m not special to Le Guin or my three brothers.”

Jeremiah was stunned.

A question arose in his mind as to whether he had just made an irreversible mistake.

Jeremiah thought so, even though he didn’t know exactly what kind of mistake it was.

There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]

There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]

No Place for the Fake Princess Philomel the Fake (Serialized Title) 가짜를 위한 장소는 없다
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Philomel's life takes a dark turn when she's executed for impersonating a princess and causing a devastating war. But fate has a twisted sense of humor. After her death, she finds herself reborn as the very character she despised from a mysterious book. Determined to escape her doomed fate, young Philomel embarks on a perilous journey of survival. She seeks out the real princess, Ellencia, hoping to forge a new life far from the palace's treacherous intrigues. Yet, her past refuses to stay buried. The emperor, who once loathed her, now desperately seeks her return, while her indifferent fiancé suddenly vies for her attention. Even her biological father emerges, disrupting her carefully laid plans. Can Philomel unravel the secrets of the ominous book that foretold her demise? Will she ever truly escape the shadow of her past and discover a future where she can finally be free? Dive into a world of royal secrets, hidden identities, and unexpected romance in this captivating fantasy series!

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