There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 92

There Is No Place for a Fake - Chapter 92

* * *

“Did you have a good visit?”

The guard’s voice echoed from beyond the open doorway.

The door closed with a screech that grated on the ears. In the ensuing silence, Katrin asked,

“Aren’t you leaving, Lugein?”

Lugein, who had been leaning against the wall, turned to face her.

“I have something to say to you.”

“What is it?”

Katrin asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

Seeing those golden eyes, more reptilian than human, made her instinctively recoil.

She was, in fact, quite surprised by how cooperative he was with Philomell.

Although their time together for the experiment had been brief, Katrin had glimpsed his true nature.

He had smiled as he mercilessly slaughtered even the fleeing monsters.

That man was not one to cherish life. So why was he acting like a declawed cat around Philomell?

Was it simply because she was his daughter? Or was there another, more specific reason?

“I don’t like you.”

He approached Katrin, who was perched on the stool, and grasped her chin.

“Because you stirred up unnecessary trouble, I found out about Phil’s existence late.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you had informed me as soon as you gave birth, as per our agreement, I wouldn’t have this annoying problem.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them.

I could die here.

Katrin braced herself, closing her eyes.

But, contrary to her expectations, Lugein released her chin.

“Well, whatever. You’re also the one who gave birth to Phil… and I’m merely annoyed, not driven to eliminate you. From now on, quietly cooperate with that child’s plans.”

Katrin rubbed her chin where his cold hand had touched.

“Why do you help Philomell even though you find it annoying?”

It took considerable courage to voice that question.

Lugein, who was preparing to leave, paused and replied,

“I quite like that child.”

“Why? Is there a particular reason?”

“Hmm? Well, I haven’t really thought about why….”

The man scratched his head, a rare display of uncertainty.

“It’s just… fun to watch her. Her emotional expressions are so diverse… although I don’t like it when she cries. Anyway, I want to keep watching her for a while.”

The man, looking as if he had convinced himself, disappeared with a flash of light.

Katrin felt a surge of relief for some reason.

She sensed that as long as Philomell was with that man, she wouldn’t be in any real danger.

“Philomell.”

She thought of the child she had given birth to.

The memory of when she first decided to bear that child resurfaced.

“I’m recruiting women to bear my child. Do you want to apply? The more applicants, the better.”

The wizard who had saved her from the monster horde had stated it so matter-of-factly.

At the time, Katrin was consumed by immense self-loathing. She felt like a worthless piece of trash.

Katrin’s family had criticized her relentlessly for rejecting the Empress’s lady-in-waiting position.

In truth, if it had been revealed that she had been dismissed for incurring the Emperor’s wrath, she might have been killed by her brother, William.

It was then that the Master of the Magic Tower appeared before Katrin.

The greatest wizard in the world.

‘If it’s the child of a great wizard, it will also be a great being, right?’

Katrin had desperately wanted to bear that man’s child.

She had felt that if she gave birth to a great child, her own value would somehow increase as well. A twisted desire.

So she volunteered for the experiment. It was a weak, pathetic mentality of wanting to be vicariously satisfied through her child, rather than striving to become a valuable person herself.

Of course, even if this child became a great person, it wouldn’t inherently make her great. She realized that only after she became pregnant.

Katrin’s self-loathing only deepened.

“Wow, it’s been so long! Katrin, I missed you!”

When Isabella appeared, her self-loathing was compounded by feelings of inferiority.

Why couldn’t she treat her friends with the same pure affection that child did?

“The child’s name? I’m torn between two, but I think it’ll be Elencia. Yes. It’s a name taken from a flower. My darling likes it too.”

Why was she not the woman loved by that man, but Isabella?

On that fateful day, when she came to her senses, she had already switched her child with her friend’s child. A decision she would regret.

She was hopeless trash after all.

She had been blinded by selfish desire rather than grieving over her friend’s death. The burning desire to have even her own child be loved by that man instead.

Was that also a form of vicarious satisfaction?

‘Actually… I also had a name in mind for the child.’

Katrin murmured softly, recalling the face of the child who had been here just moments ago.

“But that child won’t need it.”

Philomell. A child who doesn’t need a name conceived by a cowardly mother. A child who proudly straightens her shoulders even in the face of harsh trials.

Ah, I’m so glad you don’t resemble me.

* * *

Philomell, who had returned to her chambers earlier, asked Lugein, who arrived later,

“Did you have a good talk with Katrin?”

“Yeah. Well, it wasn’t a big deal.”

It was only after leaving the tower that she noticed the cat wasn’t following her.

Lugein could have returned on his own with teleportation magic, but his lingering in the tower was unexpected.

‘Did they have something to discuss privately?’

Perhaps they had some unresolved issues to address. Even if they weren’t a couple, they were still parents.

‘But no matter how I analyze it, their relationship seems limited to that of an experimenter and a subject.’

As Philomell glanced at Lugein, he asked in a cautious tone,

“Phil, are you disappointed that Katrin and I aren’t lovers?”

“Excuse me?”

He gestured towards Philomell’s study.

“Judging by the books you have, it seems like a woman and a man always meet and succumb to an irrational emotion called ‘love,’ and then they get married and have children.”

“What books did you see?”

“The titles are like… ‘Destined Love,’ ‘The Perfect Count’s Secret,’ ‘The Secret Between the Duke and the Maid’….”

“Ugh! Stop!”

Philomell screamed and clapped her hand over Lugein’s mouth.

“If you ever utter those embarrassing titles again, I will never look at your face again for the rest of my life.”

At her resolute gaze, Lugein nodded vigorously.

After she freed his mouth, Philomell covered her face with both hands, mortified.

‘How did he find them? I definitely hid them well!’

Perhaps hiding those books in the corner of the bookshelf, obscured by other objects, had been too naive.

‘I should have at least torn off the colorful covers and disguised them….’

No. She should have simply burned them after reading them all.

But within Philomell’s heart, overwhelmed with embarrassment, another thought surfaced.

‘Why am I so embarrassed? I only bought those books to research !’

That’s right. It had definitely started with .

She had wondered if another version of was circulating in the market. There was no guarantee that the book Philomell possessed was the only one.

Fortunately, after a thorough investigation, no other copies of were found.

She had purchased all the romance novels featuring princesses or royal daughters as the main characters, but none were similar to it.

Later, she had even broadened her search to include novels with noble young ladies as the protagonists, but the one she had remained unique.

Only after tasking the maids with searching for out-of-print books did Philomell feel truly relieved.

She felt secure in the knowledge that there was no risk of her being exposed as a fake princess by someone else who had read the same book.

However, the unintended consequence was that she had become a devoted romance novel enthusiast.

It was incredibly embarrassing to reveal those books, with their often suggestive content, to anyone, but she couldn’t bring herself to discard them. It pained her too much.

‘That’s why I hid them.’

Philomell’s clasped hands trembled.

It was too mortifying. To be discovered by someone else! Especially by her father!

Lugein asked even more cautiously,

“Phil, what’s wrong? Was it wrong of me to look at that book?”

It wasn’t exactly wrong, but Philomell gritted her teeth and replied,

“No… It’s okay… But please don’t do that again….”

After repeatedly taking deep breaths to compose herself, Philomell asked,

“So, what were we discussing originally?”

“…Are you disappointed that Katrin and I aren’t lovers?”

“Right. That’s what it was.”

Philomell readily shook her head.

“I’m not disappointed. Well, I was a little disappointed when I first found out, but that’s ancient history.”

“Really?”

“Really. Whether you two were in love or not, what difference does it make? It doesn’t change who I am now.”

That was the realization Philomell had come to, feeling a quiet sense of contentment amidst the many people who cared for her after returning to the Imperial Palace.

She stated it to Lugein casually, but in truth, she had been deeply shaken when she first learned the truth about her birth.

An experimental subject born without the love of her parents. That’s how she had defined herself. She had envied Elencia.

How beautifully the love between the Emperor and Empress was portrayed in the book.

‘Because Elencia was born from such a beautiful and heartbreaking love, she must have been destined to be loved by everyone.’

Philomell had implicitly believed this.

And naturally, she had felt unworthy. Because she was merely a failed experimental subject.

Born from a clinical arrangement, devoid of love.

However, many people cherished Philomell. Even knowing she was a fake princess.

Duchess Delles, Count Polan, the maids, Melinda, the other young ladies… and Nasar.

Lugein and the three brothers were also more affectionate towards Philomell than she had anticipated. Otherwise, would they have bothered to follow her all the way here?

Thanks to them, Philomell had realized that she, too, was capable of experiencing happiness.

‘I’m not envious of Elencia anymore.’

Whether Lugein and Katrin were lovers or simply experimenter and subject, Philomell remained Philomell.

Philomell repeated her previous statement with unwavering confidence.

“I’m not disappointed.”

Lugein’s face visibly brightened.

“Then that’s a relief.”

“But why are you asking all this?”

“Just curious.”

Philomell was puzzled, but she didn’t press the matter.

She had something pressing to attend to. It was time to acquire Elencia’s diary.

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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