There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 64

Margaret, still somewhat dazed, responded,

“I will do my utmost to fulfill Her Highness’s wishes. Please leave it to me.”

“Please do!”

There was no time to lose in creating the dress. All available hands were needed.

But just as Margaret was about to leave, the Princess stopped her. Hesitantly, she asked with caution.

“Um… would it be too much to ask for another debutante dress?”

“Are you perhaps planning to entrust me with the dresses you’ll wear on the other days as well?”

This debutante ball was scheduled to last for five days, an unusually long period. It was intended to celebrate the arrival of the new Princess.

Of course, the true debutante day was the first day of the ball. Usually, a debutante dress referred to the dress worn on that particular day.

To attend each of the five days, a total of five dresses would be required.

No matter how great an honor it was to be in charge of the Princess’s debutante dress, it would be impossible for Margaret to create five dresses in such a short time.

The debutante was only a week away, and in the meantime, she had to complete two dresses.

‘I heard the remaining dresses will be entrusted to other dressmakers,’ she thought.

Princess Elencia fidgeted with her fingers.

“Actually, a friend of mine is also attending this debutante, and I was wondering if you could make her dress as well. Ah! Of course, I don’t want to pressure you, Margaret. Please tell me honestly if it’s too much to handle.”

The Princess twisted a strand of her hair.

“I’m worried because my friend is going through a difficult time right now. I want to bring her some joy, even if it’s just a little. But I suppose making another dress would be too difficult, wouldn’t it?”

Attending the debutante meant that her friend was also a noble.

A princess who had just arrived at the Imperial Palace and hadn’t even attended official events had already made a noble friend?

Margaret’s question was quickly answered.

One person immediately came to mind.

A person who was likely to have met Princess Elencia and was currently staying in the Imperial Palace as a VIP.

It was former Princess Philomell.

They should be in an awkward position, yet they were friends.

A warm feeling bloomed in Margaret’s heart.

Touched by the Princess’s kindness, she smiled and replied,

“Is that friend perhaps former Princess Philomell?”

“That’s right.”

“Then you don’t have to worry. I’ve already agreed to make Philomell’s debutante dress!”

“…Yes?”

Margaret didn’t notice the subtle hardening of the Princess’s face.

“Thanks to Her Highness recommending me, His Majesty the Emperor seems to have a favorable impression of me. He entrusted me with Philomell’s debutante dress as well.”

“…Dad did?”

Margaret couldn’t help but notice that the Princess’s expression was distinctly different from before.

“…Yes, that’s right. Is something the matter…?”

“Ha.”

It sounded like a sigh devoid of warmth.

But the Princess quickly regained her usual kind demeanor.

“That’s a relief! I hope you make Philomell’s dress beautifully!”

Margaret left the Princess’s residence with a puzzled expression.

* * *

Nasar visited the South Palace two days before the debutante.

He scratched his cheek and explained why he hadn’t been able to visit sooner.

“I suppose because I entered so recklessly last time, my entry permit wasn’t easily granted.”

Philomell, walking in step with Nasar in the back garden, mused, ‘So, he really did come in without permission that time.’

The Emperor probably hadn’t granted permission because the situation was chaotic shortly after Philomell’s return.

“Young Duke, you have a more reckless side than I realized.”

Nasar looked noticeably embarrassed.

“Why are you using honorifics? Please, just call me Nasar.”

“I can’t do that. Now that I’m no longer a Princess, I can’t call Young Duke Averdeen so casually…”

“No, Your Highness—”

“Young Duke, you should correct your honorifics. I’m not a Princess anymore.”

“…I apologize. I will correct myself.”

“You don’t have to use polite language with me.”

“That won’t do. Please retract that request.”

“No, it’s not a request…”

At this rate, it would never end.

Philomell decided to simply accommodate Nasar’s wishes as much as possible.

“Then how are you going to address me, Young Duke? And how should I address you?”

He pondered the trivial question seriously before finally speaking.

“Then, could you call me by my name, like before?”

“Your name?”

“Yes. You always called me by my name when we were young, didn’t you? You stopped doing that at some point, but you called me by my name again the other day…”

‘Did I?’

Come to think of it, she might have. She hadn’t been aware of it, but Nasar seemed to care.

It wasn’t a difficult request, so Philomell readily agreed.

“Okay. I’ll do that, Nasar.”

Nasar smiled brightly.

It was a radiant smile that seemed to illuminate the world.

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. Nasar, you can call me by my name too.”

“…Yes?”

“From now on, I suppose you can call me Philomell.”

“How could I ever dare to call you by your name?”

Nasar stammered, sounding like a broken tin doll.

‘What? Is he going to keep calling me Your Highness?’

If someone overheard that, she would be the one in trouble. She would be misunderstood as still clinging to her former position as Princess.

To prevent such an unfortunate event, Philomell firmly told Nasar,

“Be sure to call me by my name. Because I want you to, Nasar.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

Nasar, his face flushed, added in a small voice after a moment,

“…Philomell-nim [a polite suffix used when addressing someone respectfully].”

“You can drop the ‘-nim’.”

“I cannot comply.”

Nasar replied firmly.

“Wow, Nasar. You’re really resolute when you’re resolute.”

Philomell giggled.

Nasar’s gaze, smiling as he looked at Philomell, suddenly shifted behind her.

“I don’t think I’ve seen that person before. Is he Philomell’s new escort?”

Jeremiah, sporting a completely different appearance, glared at them with a sulky expression.

When appearing in front of others, Jeremiah not only wore his hood low but also utilized the power of his necklace.

Originally, only magical items permitted within the Imperial Palace barrier could be used, but after Le Guin repaired it, the necklace quickly regained its function.

Jeremiah retorted with his characteristically rude attitude.

“Can’t you tell just by looking that he’s an escort?”

Philomell, approaching Jeremiah, scolded him in a low voice.

“Jeremiah, you need to use honorifics.”

“…Tch, I apologize to the great Young Duke. I am the new escort.”

Nasar smoothly accepted the apology without changing his expression.

“I see. It’s definitely our first time meeting, but he feels strangely familiar. Perhaps we’ve met somewhere before…?”

Come to think of it, Nasar had mentioned accompanying the three brothers when he came from Angelium.

He probably couldn’t recognize him now because of the necklace’s effect, but it wouldn’t be wise to be discovered.

Philomell quickly grabbed each of their arms.

“Haha, Jeremiah just has a somewhat common face. You two will have plenty of opportunities to see each other in the future, so how about shaking hands?”

Jeremiah then tilted his head in a surly manner.

“Well, I don’t know if there will be many opportunities.”

Nasar said firmly and extended his hand first.

“There will be.”

The two shook hands. It was a handshake that seemed to carry an unusual amount of force.

She had thought only Jeremiah was prickly, but Nasar’s gaze wasn’t entirely friendly either.

‘Do the two of them not get along very well?’

Philomell decided that she should avoid having the two of them meet as much as possible.

After keeping Jeremiah at a distance to prevent friction between the two men, Philomell and Nasar continued their walk.

But from far away in the back garden, an anxious voice could be heard.

A maid was standing under a large tree. It was Emily, whom Philomell had planted as a spy.

Emily looked up at the tree and shouted,

“Your Highness! Please stop and come down! You’ll get seriously hurt!”

Only then did the figure hidden among the leaves become visible.

Elencia was hanging from the tree and climbing higher. Philomell’s eyes widened at the sight of the unexpected person.

‘Why is she doing that here?’

This was the South Palace’s back garden. It was quite a distance for Elencia, who lived in the West Palace, to travel.

Elencia, standing on the lowest branch, reached for a higher one.

“Butterfly, I’ll save you!”

Butterfly?

It was too far away to see clearly, but it seemed that Elencia was trying to rescue a cat stuck in the tree.

Why had Elencia come all the way here and was so determined to rescue a cat?

Nasar’s words greatly contributed to Philomell’s understanding of this embarrassing situation.

“That person is Princess Elencia. It’s my first time seeing her.”

That’s right. This was Elencia and Nasar’s first meeting.

‘The moment when the two fall in love with each other!’

The first meeting of the two in played out in her mind.

The situation was roughly the same as now.

Elencia was climbing the tree in the same way, trying to return a baby bird that had fallen from its nest.

But she ends up falling from the tree, and Nasar happens to be passing by.

He catches Elencia gracefully, and the moment their eyes meet, he falls in love at first sight.

He thinks she’s an angel falling from the sky or something.

Could the reason why a similar situation was occurring even though it was a year earlier be because it was their destiny? A chilling feeling ran down her spine at the exquisite arrangement of fate.

Philomell glanced at Nasar next to her, curious to see if he would fall for Elencia at this moment.

Just then, Nasar, who was watching Elencia’s antics, spoke.

Philomell was on edge.

What would be his reaction to seeing the woman he would passionately love in the future?

“She climbs trees like a monkey. That’s amazing.”

“…Is that all?”

“What else is there to say?”

“No, never mind.”

What a letdown.

‘No, that’s also a compliment in its own way… but still, comparing a princess to a monkey? A monkey.’

Does he only fall in love after catching her?

Philomell tilted her head.