Chapter 5: 5

When Philomel woke up the next day, the nanny asked if anything had happened the night before with a puzzled look on her face.

“Something special? Nothing in particular. Why, what happened?”

“…No. It’s fine if you don’t remember it.”

What happened? Her nanny changed the subject as Philomel looked at her inquiringly. “More than that,” she said, “His Majesty the Emperor sent you the fruit of the World Tree, which is said to be especially good for restoring energy.”

“…His Majesty?”

Philomel asked, widening her eyes.

“Yeah. The next time you see him, thank him for giving you this precious gift. Why should you just sleep because you have a cold?”

The World Tree was a very sacred tree located in the center of the continent, and its fruit was known to be excellent for rejuvenation. The elixir, which was said to make even an eighty-year-old man lively, was like a cold medicine to the emperor of the empire. It’s not unreasonable since dozens of fruits were offered as offerings every year. However, giving it to Philomel was unexpected.

If she didn’t know anything, she would have been overjoyed knowing that it was her father’s love and interest. But now it’s just ‘Polan sent it in the name of the emperor.’ She only heard dry impressions. She was grateful for the count’s favor, but the object of his favor was not Philomel, but the emperor’s daughter.

Philomel answered business likely.

“Okay. Thank him for the undeserved kindness. The fruit will be consumed with the medicine.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“Why? What more do you need?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Oh, and after hearing that the princess was ill, Prince Avrydon asked to visit her.”

Prince Avrydon. It had to be Nazar Avrydon, who was engaged to Philomel.

“Yes?”

“I heard that the prince will visit you when you’re feeling well, but when would be a good moment?”

Thanks to her resting all day yesterday, Philomel’s condition wasn’t that bad. She had a cold, and she said, “If possible, can you schedule it this afternoon? If they say they have other plans, I’ll have to see them tomorrow.”

Philomel replied, recalling the boy standing next to her in the rain.

Shortly thereafter, she received a reply from the duke that they would visit in the afternoon. Philomel squeezed the hem of her blanket, remembering the well-groomed face of Nazar Avrydon. It was a chance for her to see the sincerity of Nassar, who was always kind to Philomel.

When she found out that Nazar, her fiancée, was the male protagonist in her novel that leads to Elencia, Philomel shuddered at it. Her father and her status weren’t enough, and she even stole her fiancé.

In the novel, Nazar was reckless, romantic, and devoted like a male protagonist in a romance novel. Of course, limited to the main character, Elencia. He was very different from the Nassar Philomel had known.

‘But he wasn’t for me in the first place…’

If it was an unavoidable blow, it was better to be hit at once. Being beaten over several days only made the bitterness last longer.

Philomel walked towards her appointment.

“Nazar, straighten your expression. Her Highness, the princess, is coming soon, so don’t show her a sad face.

“What?”

A voice from her private drawing room stopped Philomel in her tracks. She stopped her maid, who was about to announce the princess’s arrival.

Nazar and the duke were chatting, as they must have thought that since Philomel was always late for appointments, she would come late today as well.

‘Until now, I only wanted to show Nazar a pretty side, so I must have been late every time…’

There was no need to worry about it anymore, so she was dressed simply.

“But Father, today I…”

“I know you are upset that you couldn’t make it to the appointment with your friends because you were visiting her. But you have to do what you’ve been given. Have you forgotten who you are?”

“…I know it well.”

When the duke spoke quietly, Nazar couldn’t let out any more bullshit and shut his mouth. Philomel counted from one to ten before entering the living room.

“It’s been a while since I greeted Her Highness, the princess. How is your body?”

When the Duke greeted her first, Nazar also erased his childlike appearance from before and stood in front of Philomel.

“I couldn’t help but worry when I heard that you were ill.”

“It’s been a while. Duke… and Nassar. My cold is almost gone. Thank you for your concern.”

After the formal conversation, the duke said he had a meeting to attend and withdrew from his seat. Before he left, he made eye contact with his son and did not forget to convey the unspoken pressure. It meant not to offend Philomel. After all, he knew that the princess was obsessed with his son, but he did not neglect her attention, which was duke-like.

After sitting down facing the boy, Philomel opened her mouth.

“Nazar.”

“Yes, Princess.”

She remembered the first time she saw Nazar. Philomel fell in love at first sight with a handsome boy with a mature atmosphere. His unchildish personality and his rare platinum-colored hair evoked a mysterious aura that appealed to her. Even his red eyes, which others commented to be creepy, were to her liking. So she couldn’t be happier that Nazar was her fiancé.

“..Majesty… Your Highness, Princess. Are you okay?”

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‘Ah.’

“Oh, yes. It’s okay.”

Nazar looked at her with a worried look on his face. She must have been lost in her old memories for a while.

“I am worried that you are overdoing it.”

Nazar was really nice. In the past, she had no doubt that kindness came from a heart like her own. In fact, Nassar was more kind and courteous than any person Philomel had ever met. However, after watching <Princess Elencia>, that old belief began to crack.

Philomel called him once again. “Nazar.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“If my body fully recovers, where should we go on a picnic?”

When the weather was nice, they would sometimes go out with a basket of food packed by the maids. At most, it was all about going to the garden within the palace grounds accompanied by a lot of subordinates, but it was Philomel’s favorite time.

“Good.”

Nazar nodded his head kindly.

“Where shall we go for the picnic?”

“Let’s go where Your Highness wants.”

“Is there anywhere Nazar wants to go?”

“I like wherever I go with Your Highness.”

It was an impeccable attitude and answer.

“No, picnics don’t go well with the weather these days. The day before yesterday, the Festival was also postponed. What do you think, Nazar?”

“Listening to what you said, it seems to me that you are right.”

“It would be nice to have a picnic while eating snacks indoors.”

“Yeah. That’s good too.”

“My maid told me that there is a piano player who is the talk of the town. I think it would be really cool to invite him to play with us.”

“I’ve heard of it. That’s a good idea in my opinion.”

It was still impeccable, but it was just an answer.

‘Oh, Nassar doesn’t want to do anything with me.’, Philomel realized.

From the beginning to the end, Nassar did not express his will at all. He only moderately responded to Philomel’s opinion. She had previously believed that this attitude of letting her do whatever she wanted was due to affection. In that novel, Nazar was Elencia’s man, eager to do anything she wanted before it even came out of her mouth. An ordinary man in love who was at a loss in front of the woman he loved.

It was possible for him to always remain calm and polite in front of Philomel… because he did not love her at all.

‘It must have been the Duke’s doctor, not Nassar, who wanted to visit today.’ Through the experience of the past few days, she was able to see the world surrounded by mustard seeds very well to my bare eyes.

“Then we will hire a performer. When the princess gets well, if she gives me a message…”

“No.”

Philomel cut off Nazar and stood up.

“Yeah?”

Nazar looked at the princess with bewildered eyes.

“Let’s pretend that story didn’t exist. Thank you for coming to see me. My body hasn’t completely healed yet and I’m tired, so please go away.”

Philomel tried to smile respectfully, like Nazar, and quickly let out what she had in mind.

“And you don’t have to come to the palace to play with me twice a week from now on.”

“What is that…”

“I unnecessarily took away too much of your precious time. You must have had your own schedule. From now on feel free to spend your time with other friends.”

“Please wait. Somehow, I have offended Her Highness, haven’t I?

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with what you have said.”

Nazar was confused by Philomel’s smiling attitude.

“No matter how engaged one is, I’m saying this because I don’t have enough time to make other friends because I see you too often. Don’t I need friends of the same sex other than you?”

“… All right.”

“Then goodbye.”

Leaving Nazar, who answered with his unseen face, Philomel left. After her reception, Mel returned to her room and checked her expression in the mirror. Did she laugh properly like Nazar earlier? A few times she closed her eyes and practiced that plausible smile, and she turned to her reflection. That was the mask Philomel would wear from now on.

She would imitate Nazar. She would be kind to everyone, but without giving her heart to anyone.

Not even Nazar… so when she ran away, she would be able to go without leaving any regrets.

The girl in the raw mirror had a lonely smile.

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