On the same day, in Philomelâs residence. She was reprimanding Le Guin whoâd returned to his human form.
âWhy were you climbing the tree?â
âI just like it there, canât I be there?â
âItâs not like you canât, but when Ellencia saw you and wanted to save you, you shouldâve come down.â
âAh. That kid who looked stupid? But why should I?â
âThatâs because Ellencia was almost hurtâŚâ
âIt has nothing to do with me whether she gets hurt or not.â
In hindsight, thatâs it. Philomel was well aware that Le Guin, who did not possess any emotions, was not so amiable. But his mood was a little strange. If his interest in Philomel faded, then she too, might be treated the same way.
âI need to finish my work here before that time comes.â
She glanced at the clock.
âItâs already time. I have something to do, so Iâll get going.â
Philomel got up from the couch, but the moment she stood on her feet, a stabbing pain radiated from her hip, causing her to fall back into the couch.
âOuch.â
âAre you hurt?â
âYes. When I fell down earlier, I must have bruised myself.â
âShould I use healing magic on you?â
âItâs fine. Itâs really nothing.â
Philomel was ashamed to ask for treatment. She pretended to be fine and acted as nonchalantly as possible, as she got up again to leave. However, her movement became more and more ragged. She was in pain⌠but since she was already halfway to her destination. She reasoned that when she got the urgent matter handled, sheâd visit the Court Physicianâs office to get treatment.
Philomelâs destination was the Emperorâs office. An attendant brought a message from him requesting a visit anytime soon. She speculated it was a matter related to her treatment as a state guest. Philomel gathered her strength and somehow reached the Emperorâs office.
âHello, how are you doing your Majesty?â
She greeted him normally, but the nape of her neck was wet from sweat. The Emperor was staring at her with fierce eyes.
âWhat did I do wrong?â
Philomelâs heart sank.
âPhilomel.â
He approached slowly, calling her name in a very low voice.
âWha- what is it your Majesty?â
âAre you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Your gait is ragged.â
âOh, I fell down earlier. It doesnât hurt that much, so donât worryâŚâ
âNo. You are not looking good.â
Not looking good? What does he mean by that?
âYour condition is very serious. It is a miracle that you are even walking.â
Eustis made Philomelâs small injury sound a dozen times more serious than it is.
âIâll call the Court Physician right now!â
âIâll pay him a visit later! Thereâs no need for it!â
âHow did you fall?â
âWhile taking a walk I got caught in the roots of a treeâŚâ
âI get it. I will cut down all the trees in the imperial palace.â
âWhy? There is really no need to go that far!!â
âPhilomel, donât worry. Iâll take care of everything.â
Words, words donât reach him at all.
âAre you crazy?â
Philomel turned to Count Pollan looking for an explanation from him. But the Count became contemplative and only shook his head. As Philomelâs face gradually became as pale as a ghost, the Emperor felt that something was truly wrong with her.
â⌠Majesty, Your Majesty.â
âLetâs see each other later.â
It wasnât too early to express it that way! Pollan cried out in silence. After Philomel received treatment from the Court Physician, the Count resolved her misunderstanding.
* * *
The day of the Debutante Ball finally dawned. Philomel looked at her new dress through the mirror. She didnât need a new dress, but it was made by a tailor sent by the Emperor. When she tried to send it back, the tailor complained, saying that she could just wear it for the first day of the banquet.
âThe Emperor and the princess both requested this dress to be made for her; she canât abandon the work entrusted to her by the two of them.â
Philomel could roughly guess thatâs what the tailor was thinking.
In this Debutante Ball, the person who would attract the most attention after Ellencia, was Philomel. The tailor probably doesnât want to miss the opportunity to not only dress Princess Ellencia for her Debut but also Philomel.
âItâs surprising that Ellencia asked for a dress to be made for me though, butâŚâ
After all, is this Ellencia also like the kind hearted protagonist of <Princess Ellencia>? Then why didnât she show her good side only in front of Philomel? The obvious answer was âhypocrisyâ, but Philomel decided not to judge hastily. Debutante Ball, which was right in front of her, was an urgent priority and the best opportunity to observe Ellencia better.
âLetâs calmly think about how Margaret, who has not yet become famous at this point, came to be in charge of Ellenciaâs dress.â
âI asked you to be as frugal as possible.â
The cream-colored dress Margaret had sent was elegant and simple, but it could not hide the luxuriousness that oozes out in places. Well she had to be content with the fact that it wasnât too flashy. Le Guin, who had been watching Philomel, opened his mouth.
âIsnât it boring? The Nobles outfits Iâve seen are more luxurious.â
âWhat would a guest living in the imperial palace do with so much luxury? People would curse me for being too extravagant with their tax money.â
âIf thereâs someone who dares to curse you, can I take care of them?â
âYes?â
Le Guin just being still and not doing anything reckless, would help her tremendously.
âNo. Just watch me from afar and donât do anything.â
Philomel wondered if her response was too cold and short, so she resorted to flattery for the first time in a while.
âBecause there would be nothing good if an incident were to happen. And Le Guin is a great source of strength for me by just being by my side.â
He put a strengthening spell on her, so she was physically strong. After receiving Le Guinâs magic today, Philomelâs whole body was overflowed with energy. She looked forward to reuniting with Roseanne with anticipation.
Philomel chuckled thinking about it, and Le Guin, who was observing his daughter, immediately felt better for some reason.
âDonât worry about it. Iâll take care of it today. I just had a good idea.â
âI donât know what that is, but wouldnât it be better not to do itâŚ?â
But Le Guin didnât pay her any attention and disappeared with a flash.
âI donât feel good for some reasonâŚâŚ Iâm inclined to lean, right?â
Philomel thought with a small sigh. She was then escorted to the Imperial ballroom hall by Jeremiah. After learning manners and transforming into a decent knight, he firmly supported Philomelâs hand as she climbed into the carriage.
âCome out whenever you want.â
His blunt words were tinged with concerns for her.
âThank you Jeremiah.â
Philomel thought to herself.
âOnly Ellenciaâs face will shine through tonight and heal all. Donât worry about me.â
âAre you going to dance?â
âI think Iâve danced to my heartâs content in the past. Iâm not a young girl whoâs debuting this year, so thereâs no need to dance.â
âI see. But if you want, I donât mind being your dance partnerâŚâ
âJeremiah? Dance?â
It didnât suit him so much that Philomel burst into laughter. Well, Jeremiah was also a knight, so he could attend the ball if he wanted to, but she couldnât imagine him dancing.
âWhatâs so funny about it?â
âIâm sorry. I wonât dance but thank you for your offer, Iâll take your sentiment.â
While Jeremiah laughed at her with his jokes, the carriage arrived at the outer Imperial ballroom hall. She dissuaded Jeremiah from entering with her, and Philomel entered the hall alone. She was grateful for her fatherâs and her brothersâ hearts, but this was a burden she had to carry alone. Sheâs a fake princess. A character full of rumors. No matter what kind of life Philomel chooses, the majorityâs interest would naturally follow.
She wouldnât be able to stand alone for the rest of her life if she avoided this moment out of fear. She couldnât be protected forever, and this was the weight Philomel had to bear alone.
âItâs okay, itâs not much different from when I gave a speech at the festival when I was young.â
Philomel walked into the venue with dignified steps.
âLady Philomel is here!â
Everyoneâs eyes turned to Philomel at once. Their astonishment, their observation, their search, their interest, their arsenic, all of their attention weighed heavily on her.
Philomel, unwilling to lose, straightened her back and walked further inside with her head held high. The crowd split on either side, giving her way. A few stared at her without even trying to conceal their gazes.
âItâs good to be confident, but this is a bit burdensomeâŚâ
Philomel was trying to get into a corner, a place where she would be less visible to people.
âThe Sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor and the Little Sun, Her Highness the Princess are entering!â
The father and daughterâs appearance shifted the attention that had been focused on Philomel to them. They came out holding hands from the entrance dedicated to the imperial family on the second floor. Philomel was appreciative of the strange sight in front of her, as if somehow familiar.
Ellencia made a surprised expression upon entering the hall and seeing so many people, but then she waved happily at them.
âYour Highness the Princess.â
An exclamation flowed among the public. Even though it went against etiquette, on the contrary, it must be attractive because of it. How fresh and interesting the princess who grew up among commoners for over 16 years must be to the nobles. It was also described in detail in <Princess Elencia>. The overly callous Emperor and the benevolent and warm Princess, the conflicting yet harmonious father and daughter, became a picture just by being together.
Unlike Philomel.
âI had to watch my every step and follow the etiquette diligently, so people wouldnât brand me as an uneducated Princess. But Elencia is liked even if she doesnât follow them.â
She was confident in that position in her debut just two years ago. At that time, she just wanted to quickly get out of that position. But why was a corner of her heart bitter? Even though the place she was missing was so perfect. However, Philomel shook her head instead of tearing her expression down. She had no lingering feelings for that position. No, she shouldnât.
âListen! This is Princess Ellencia!â
Fortunately, Count Pollan started making announcements about Ellencia, so Philomel was able to divert her attention to something else. The Count explained the birth of Ellencia, how she came to be reversed with Philomel, and how she returned to the imperial palace. Of course, the circumstances of their reversal were lies to cover Catherineâs crimes, and the process of her return was also mixed with fiction. In the Countâs story, Philomel was considerably glorified. She was a benefactor who gave up her existing position and took the risk of being driven out as a criminal in order to find the Emperorâs real daughter. Even if Philomel had left Ellencia alone anyway, a year later, with Catherineâs confession, she would have come to the palace. It was not unreasonable for those who did not know that, to regard Philomelâs actions as righteous.
âAccordingly, the Belerov family expresses deep gratitude to Lady Philomel for her kindness, bestows her with the highest medal, and promises to honor her as state guest!â
Applause erupted from all directions at the Countâs impressive eloquence. Philomel was ashamed and wanted to hide in a mouse hole. Fortunately, as the subject soon shifted to Elenciaâs middle name, Philomel was able to escape attention as well.
People cheered when Her Holiness the high Priest was presented with the middle name of Ellensia. It was a symbol that the divine protection of Belerov was still in this land. Everyone waited for the princessâs middle name to be announced. Philomel, whoâd read the book, knew it even if she hadnât heard of it. Ellenciaâs middle name is going to be Halypso, Elencia Halypso Bellerov would be her full name. It was revealed at the end of the book, but âhalypsoâ meant hope that was not included in the ancient language. In other words, Ellensiaâs existence itself represents hopeâŚ
âThe name the high Priest has heard is Taspel!â
ââŚ?â
âThis is Her Majesty Ellencia Taspel Belerov!â
Thunderous cheers and applause filled the hall. Philomel looked at Elencia, who was smiling at everyoneâs attention.