~ Chapter 15 : There is no place for fakes ~

Raw provider : ShiyaMiam

Edit : Fizii (Thanks !)

So sorry about the delay, but IRL was very tough !

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«Glory for the Belerov empire. We praise the empire’s sun.»

«May the Sun God’s protection be with his descendants forever…»

The Emperor ignored everyone who came up towards him to greet him and proceeded to see his daughter.

«Have you finished your work, Your Majesty?»

Philomel asked, a bright smile on her face.

«Yes. Let’s get out of here.»

As usual, the Emperor, who was uninterested in banquets, disappeared as soon as the ball began.

He was having private meetings with several high-ranking aristocrats, including the Duke of Avriden.

It was the role of the Empress, the Princess, to handle the other guests at the banquet.

Following the Emperor, Philomel turned to meet the visitors and said:

«I hope you all enjoy a peaceful night.»

It was a flawless and perfect greeting.

Princess Philomel left the ballroom with a light and elegant step, as she always did.

On the way back to the palace, a soft, clear voice sounded from the Emperor’s carriage.

«It is said that Countess Lusan’s illness has greatly improved.I believe the medicine that worked in Elita also worked this time. The epidemic seems to be spreading to the south of the Empire, with the borders Elita, shouldn’t we supply medicines?»

«I see. I’ll deliver orders to the appropriate people tomorrow.»

Philomel selected and summarized the information she had heard while Eustice was away.

From news that shook the social world, such as Marquis X’s newborn being a girl, to politico-diplomatic information, such as Count X marrying a foreign embassador’s family.

She did, however, discard the information that the Emperor did not need to know.

The basic process of determining what was important and what was not needed a significant amount of effort.

She had to put in a lot of effort to learn the codes and how to write concise and relevant reports.

Eustis blue eyes fell on Philomel when she finished her report on all she had prepared, and he said:

«Good work.»

It was a compliment she often heard from him.

«Thank you.»

She gave him the same response.

The relationship with Eustis has been excellent and good in recent years.

They spent a lot of time together eating and drinking tea.

She would request it most of the time, but the Emperor would sometimes set an appointment with her first.

Philomel was doing her best to live with this feeling of being on the edge of a precipice.

She shouldn’t be too far away to be forgotten, but she also shouldn’t be too close to disturb him.

The lines were clearly drawn. Philomel, who was not of his blood, could not be loved as much as Ellencia.

She had, however, been recognised as a child in her own way after working herself to death.

«Come to think of it, it’s almost your birthday.»

She hadn’t expected this, but Eustis had brought it up first. Maybe Count Pollan said something to him.

«Is there anything you want as a present?»

The time has finally come.

Philomel swallowed her saliva in response to the question she had been awaiting.

It was time to put the long-planned strategy into action.

She began with flattery because she couldn’t declare she had waited too long for him.

«You don’t have to give me a gift every year, it’s a one-time thing. The one you gave me the other day is enough.»

Philomel extended her right hand. The Flame Red ring was wrapped around her middle finger and was shining brightly.

If she looked closely, she could see a fire inside the jewel.

This ring was important to her escape strategy. Eustis had given it to her as a promise when she was 15 years old.

«Not at all.»

The expected response was delivered.

«If you say so…»

she began purposefully cautiously.

«Your Majesty, there is one more thing I would like to receive from you.»

«What exactly is that?»

«The Star Palace of Utina…»

«The Utina’s Star Palace? Come to think of it, you’ve been to the Star Palace a lot. Right. I got it. I’ll give it to you as a present.»

«No! It’s not that.»

Philomel stopped him impatiently before the Emperor gave her a real star palace.

What was she going to do if she got a palace as a gift when she couldn’t even take it with her when she left?

«Then what is it?»

Philomel paused, then opened his mouth with a shy face.

«This is… I want to go on a spring outing to the detached palace with His Majesty…?»

«With me…?»

Eustis’ eyes widened slightly.

Although she had often asked to have a meal and tea together, this was the first time she had asked to go out for a few days together.

«If you’re busy, you can say no! I can go alone.»

Philomel’s gaze turned downward.

«It’s just that… The scenery I saw the last time I went to the detached palace was so beautiful that I wanted to show it to His Majesty someday.»

Her voice was getting weaker and weaker.

«Come to think of it, we’ve never taken a trip together before…»

She must create an atmosphere where rejection is as difficult as possible.

«…But that must be unreasonable, right?»

There was no certainty.

Philomel’s birthday was also that of Empress Isabella, who died in childbirth.

The emperor’s mood worsened every year as this date approached.

Count Pollan usually brought Philomel’s birthday present, but there was no way he would accept it.

For some reason, he was acting like a protector these days, and he wasn’t the type of person who talked to himself.

‘Tell me you’re coming! You’re coming!’

Her heart raced as she watched Eustis open his mouth.

«…I didn’t say it was too much. Let’s go together.»

«Really? Thank you! I’m so happy!»

«Is it that good?»

«Ah. I’m sorry. I’m so happy I couldn’t control myself.»

She thought she’d become used to concealing her feelings, but it was becoming increasingly difficult as the end came closer.

«You don’t have to be sorry. But there was a political meeting scheduled that day.»

That was right. On Philomel’s birthday, a political meeting was scheduled.

It was a truth that Philomel, who had become increasingly interested in political events in recent years, was aware too.

«That’s all right. We’ll be able to go after the government affairs meeting. The landscape will not disappear if you leave a day or two late.»

It wasn’t so much about the date as it was about getting Eustis there.

In the first place, she didn’t think Eustis would go out on the anniversary of his wife’s death.

«Your birthday will be over if you do it.»

«Yes? Oh, that’s right. But the business of the country is more important than that…»

Eustis frowned at Philomel’s words.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Thinking back on the conversation, there was nothing unusual.

Trade-related foreign affairs were to be handled with the ministers as soon as Elita’s envoy arrived, regardless of other topics.

The meeting schedule could not be advanced or postponed, according to the report.

As a result, the one who was procrastinating had to leave.

Furthermore, he would want to avoid thinking about his wife’s death…

«The meeting on government affairs will take place in the annex.»

«…Yes?»

« Elita’s messengers will also come to Utina Star Palace. If they leave from the port, the distance between here and the annexed palace is the same. »

‘For what reason do you do such a troublesome thing?’ thought Philomel. She asked the Emperor:

« What shall I do? »

It wasn’t as if foreign affairs appointments were only managed by the Emperor, why did he want to change the ambassadors’ itinerary so suddenly?

« Of course, you should come. »

The emperor replied as if her presence was a matter of course.

« You mean the messengers will follow us to Utina… ? »

« Yes. »

Oh my god. He wants to bring them as a troop. The ministers won’t go without anything: they’ll come with nobles. She didn’t dare imagine how many secretaries and servants would follow them in total. She could see a giant herd heading to the Utina Star Palace.

« Isn’t that already an outing? » the Emperor asked.

« Isn’t that too complicated? » replied the young princess

 « You only need to bring ministers related to diplomacy. The private palace has a large number of rooms, and if the ministers and the number of people accompanying them are sufficient, it is enough to accommodate them. »

The fact that the Utina annex was unnecessarily huge was well known to those who had frequented it for several years. Philomel, who had a headache, had given up trying to refute Eustis’ words. The important thing here was that Eustis had said he would go to Utina. Although the middle process was very absurd and irrational, there was no need to go against it.

« Yes, let’s do it. I think this outing will be great… »

« After the meeting, I’ll send the flies back right away. »

« You don’t necessarily have to do that. It’s better to get birthday greetings from multiple people. »

« That interrupts me. »

Philomel felt a little sympathy for the uninvited rat-level substitutes who were going to follow them to the Annex Palace for the meeting. But what could she do about it? The emperor they served was so arbitrary. Come to think of it, it would seem that the crowd would be more useful for the plan she had in mind. She decided not to worry about why Eustis had insisted on her birthday.

Let’s just say that he wanted to give her a birthday present to ease his instincts. Philomel tried to suppress her emotions and turned her gaze away from the carriage.