There Is No Place For Fakes

Philomel’s face turned into a bright red tomato color.

‘I’m not a child!’

Even if she showed the appearance of a trustworthy successor, she would hold her hat like a child! She was worried that everything she had been working on had gone awry.

Ever since he first held her in the garden two years ago, when Philomel’s pace slowed down from time to time, the emperor hugged her. Maybe that became a habit, he still hugged her. She said back then that she was good and that he shouldn’t have gone overboard.

When Philomel said nothing, Eustis asked lowly, “Aren’t you going to give a commemorative speech? If so, tell me. I will send you down.”

“…Ah, no! I’ll do it!”

If she just goes down like this, she will only become a coward who gets really scared and runs away.

‘I can’t do that.’

Philomel put her mouth to her amplification stone and spoke over and over again of her commemorative address he had prepared.

“Dear citizens of Belerov’s empire, welcome here. Today is…”

Fortunately, she was not distracted by her shame, and her tension was relieved. That day, Philomel delivered her unshakable speech to everyone. And the attendees returned home with two things in great surprise. The first was that the princess, who was thought to be a troublemaker, has excellent public speaking skills that do not match her age. The second was that the emperor was looking at his daughter with a very gentle gaze. Their common opinion was that ‘perhaps the previously drawn succession structure may change’.

On the same day, Philomel had dinner with the Emperor. To Philomel, who invited him to dine with her, the Emperor asked, “What about the little prince of Abridon?”

When she replied that she had no appointment with Nasar, he said with a curious look on his face:

“Didn’t you spend time with him every year on the anniversary of the founding?”

‘Did I? It certainly seems like that except when I was nine.’

But today there was something to be received from the emperor. “Today, I want to eat with Your Majesty!” Eustis said nothing more.

Swallowing the meat in her mouth, Philomel opened her mouth.

“Your Majesty, how was my speech today?”

“It was good, you did a good job.”

‘Even if I thought about it, it wasn’t bad.’

It’s been three years since she had been working hard to become a recognized successor. It seemed like it could be said at this point. Philomel tried to put on a nice expression as much as possible.

“Your Majesty, there is actually something I want.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the red flame ring!”

Suddenly, Eustis’ hand that was cutting the steak stopped.

“No.”

Philomel could not hide her disappointment at the sudden rejection.

“No, that’s…”

A puzzled Eustis explained.

“It’s not that it doesn’t work at all. It’s still early for you.”

“I won’t use it carelessly! I can use it well!”

Philomel continued urgently.

“It’s not that kind of problem. The ring of prominence puts a strain on the user’s body when he is young. You should at least wait after you become an adult.”

“Ha, but…”

The standard for adulthood in the Belerov Empire was eighteen. By the time Philomel reaches that age, it must have already been after Ellencia appeared.

“It is too far. I can’t wait until then.”

Philomel continued with a trembling voice.

Then, Eustis said, tightening his wrinkled brow.

“Why do you want the ring of red flames so much?”

“…That’s because it’s a symbol of the rightful heir to the throne.”

She couldn’t honestly say that it was to escape from him. Philomel gave the answer she had thought of beforehand.

“……I’ll give it to you when you become an adult. Tell me something different this time; I’ll give you anything.”

“I want the ring of red flame. If not, I don’t need anything.”

Conversation faded away due to unresolved differences of opinion. In the heavy flow of time, Philomel regretted it.

‘I was impatient. Even if it doesn’t work now, it won’t work in the future if I insist like this…’

When he said that he would give it to her only when she became an adult, she instantly became angry. The trust she had built up so far seemed to be eaten up by her childlike stubbornness. Before she left her seat after an uncomfortable meal, Philomel brushed off her idea.

“Sorry. I won’t force myself in the future. Good night.”

Then, because she bowed her head, she did not see the emperor’s face.

‘Ah, everything is annoying.’

Philomel was wasting her free time perched on her couch. Normally, she would have been thinking about what excuse she would have to go to get Eustis to stamp her eyes, but after the last meal she had lost all motivation. If she couldn’t get the ring of red flames in time, she would have to completely revise her escape plan. She couldn’t just let it go of her hands like this, but for now, she wanted to stay still without thinking about anything.

Just then, Countess Deles approached, observing Mel with her pillow.

“Me… Her Highness the Princess.”

“What’s going on?”

“His Majesty the Emperor is calling for you. It is said that Elita sent precious tea leaves as a gift.”

It was the first time Eustis had called Philomel first without her sending a word to him.

‘Well, I didn’t have time to do that because I went to visit him without calling.’

She didn’t know what to say, but when he called, she had to go.

‘But…’

Dump.

Philomel’s body stretched back.

“My princess?”

“Tell His Majesty I’m not feeling well.”

“Oh, where are you sick?”

“It’s nothing serious. What can I say… I’m just a little tired.”

“All right. Rest, Your Highness.”

Even after the countess had left, Philomel continued to play her late. By the way, the Countess Deles, who had left, returned. But it was not her alone.

“Majesty. His Majesty the Emperor is coming in person.”

“…Yes?”

Philomel jumped up from her couch in embarrassment.

‘But I don’t want to see your face right now…’

“Please tell him I fell asleep.”, said Philomel as she lay down with her face toward the back of the sofa. Then she pretended to be asleep.

Countess Deles hesitated for a moment, looking at Philomel, who heard the sound of her going out the door. She knew it was a useless act. If the emperor visited, even if the other person was sleeping, they had to wake him up. She didn’t wake up right away, and she even tell the countess to reject the emperor.

She thought, ‘I don’t like that but…’

After a while the door opened.

Philomel, who thought the Countess had returned to wake her up, stopped breathing at the sound of a voice she heard.

“Philomel.”

The emperor spoke softly.

“I know you are not asleep.”

‘Ugh. what a ghost’, Philomel flinched.

She wondered if she should get up for a moment, but she decided to pretend to be asleep and didn’t open her eyes.

“…You don’t want to face me now, do you?”

His voice was deeper than usual. How come she didn’t feel good?

‘His Majesty must be very angry!’

At some point, she felt like she had to quit halfway and get up.

“I still don’t know why you want that ring so much. There is no successor but you.”

The sound of his footsteps came closer.

“But… if you really want it.”

She could feel Eutis coming all the way behind her. Something tickled in Philomel’s head.

“Three years later. The year you turn fifteen, I will give you the ring of red flames then.”

“Really?”

Philomel jumped up. Eutis removed his outstretched hand from her and nodded his head.

“Yes. You won’t be an adult yet, but at that point, it shouldn’t be too much of a burden on your body. Still, it is better to use it as little as possible.”

“Thank your Majesty! It’s the best!”

Ha ha oh. Philomel was so moved by it that she hugged Eustis unconsciously.

‘…Oops. What am I doing right now?’, Philomel quickly fell out of her arms before the emperor could say anything.

He would hug Philomel when she needed it, but he never wanted to be hugged first. In fact, Eustis looked a bit surprised.

“Wow! I’m glad!”

When Philomel awkwardly raised her hands high, he didn’t ask what she had just done.

“Is it that good?”

“Yes!”

3 years. It was a long time, but compared to the first six years, three years was reduced by half.

‘Besides, it was before Elencia appeared.’

Anyway, there was a limit to getting the ring right away and running away with the body of a child. She was glad she didn’t get reported as an orphan.

At 15, she was still not an adult, but she was not the only one who couldn’t walk around alone. 3 years. If she waited 3 years, she could go outside.

Philomel clenched her fists.