22.
After Eustis left, Polan ordered the knights to treat Katherine’s wounds roughly before dragging her to the dungeon.
Katherine had to count herself lucky that her daughter resembled her. If not for that small mercy, she would already be a corpse.
“I knew it! That woman Katherine was the culprit all along! I told Her Majesty Isabella time and again not to associate with such a lowly wench!”
The Nanny, having finally grasped the situation, hopped about in a frenzy. As she had been the Empress’s servant since childhood, she claimed to know Katherine all too well.
“My Lady, you have worked hard. I will have you taken to your home by carriage, so you may return now.”
At Polan’s words, the Nanny clung tightly to Ellensia.
“Count, you really are lacking in delicacy! Who else is there for Her Highness the Princess to rely on and trust if not me? Isn’t that right, Princess Ellensia?”
“Yes? Ah, ah. That’s right.”
Ellensia, who had been lost in thought, nodded absentmindedly.
“So, for the time being, I will stay in the Imperial Palace and attend to the Princess properly. Please just prepare a room next to the Princess’s quarters.”
*She intends to use Ellensia as an excuse to settle in,* Polan thought, watching the Nanny’s hypocritical smile. Even at a glance, her tattered attire and deep-set wrinkles revealed that her life outside the palace walls had been arduous.
Considering the Nanny’s history, he wasn’t keen on the idea, but her logic held. Ellensia had been dropped into a strange place where she knew no one. It would be helpful for her to have someone with long experience at her side.
“Understood. I will arrange a room for you.”
“Hoho! Now you’re talking.”
“However, this is only until a new maid to serve Lady Ellensia is selected. Do not ever forget why you were kicked out in the first place, and mind your conduct.”
“Ah, I know, I know. You certainly have a sharp tongue. Come, Princess, let’s go to your room.”
As she followed the Nanny, Ellensia turned to look at Polan, her expression somber.
“Um, Count.”
“Yes, Lady Ellensia?”
Polan answered respectfully. The priest had already confirmed that Ellensia possessed Divine Power—a massive amount that no common village girl could wield unless she were royalty. Furthermore, thanks to the Nanny’s insistence, the fact that Ellensia looked exactly like the young Empress had come to light. It was an established fact that she was the true daughter.
“Is my father… not happy that he found me?”
“That is…”
Polan chose his words carefully to reassure her.
“How could that be? He simply needs time to accept it. He has lived for over a decade believing Philomel to be his own daughter. Please do not be too disheartened.”
Though Ellensia had spent her whole life longing for him, to Eustis, she was a daughter he had never imagined existed.
“…I suppose that is true. Thank you for your words. I’ll be going now.”
“Yes. Please rest well.”
The new Princess returned to the quarters where she would be staying.
***
Four or five men sat huddled around a table laden with food, talking loudly.
“Did you hear? They say Princess Philomel isn’t the Emperor’s biological daughter.”
“I heard. That’s all anyone talks about these days. Even the officials are frantic trying to find the girl.”
“Princess, my foot! Word is the real Princess is the daughter of the woman who kidnapped her.”
“So, a criminal’s daughter has been living as the Princess this whole time?”
“Hey, keep quiet about things that haven’t been confirmed. If that turns out to be a false rumor, we’ll all lose our heads!”
“Oh, come on. Everyone wouldn’t be babbling about it if there weren’t some grounds for it, would they?”
“I don’t really believe it myself. Someone known for being so benevolent couldn’t possibly be the spawn of a kidnapper.”
“She must have hidden her true nature for fear of being exposed as a fake. Don’t be so naive.”
“Well, she must have had something to hide, which is why she ran away, wouldn’t you think?”
“How about we find that fake Princess and use the bounty to turn our lives around?”
“If that happens, maybe your runaway wife will come back too!”
“Why do you keep bringing that up, you!”
Boisterous laughter erupted. Having shifted the conversation from the fake Princess to the runaway wife, they went back to chattering away, making the dining hall shake.
Philomel pulled her hat down lower. Even though she had woken up early to dye her hair with pigment bought at the market, she didn’t feel at ease. She was eating breakfast at the inn attached to the dining hall.
When she arrived in Angelium yesterday, it was too late to visit the Magic Tower. The facility only opened to civilians during the day.
A waiter approached and asked, “Miss, if you’re done with your meal, shall I bring you some tea?”
“No, I’m about to head out, so I’m fine.”
Philomel set down her utensils and stood up.
“You’re staying here tonight too, right?”
“Hmm. I’ll decide after I see how things go.”
A few people glanced at Philomel as she left, but they quickly averted their eyes. It was the effect of the Presence Erasure magic. When she stepped outside, people were gathered in clusters in front of the bulletin board.
“Is this woman the fake Princess?”
“She looks pretty.”
“Pretty or not, she’s a con artist.”
She walked down the street, trying her best not to face their direction. Magic wasn’t a panacea; if someone suspected her of being the girl in the portrait and scrutinized her, they might realize the truth.
Because of that, bypassing the intermediate checkpoints to travel to Angelium had taken longer than expected. Copies of Philomel’s portrait were plastered on every wall, and security forces patrolled with sharp, scanning eyes. As a woman traveling alone, she could only move while the sun was up, which hindered her pace.
‘Sigh. Am I hated that much?’
She had hoped that there might be some lingering affection they could overlook, but apparently not. Her goal in bringing Ellensia back had been to win the Emperor’s favor—or, at the very least, create enough chaos to escape.
Seeing the large-scale search operation mobilizing all available personnel, it seemed they were determined to catch her no matter what.
‘If I’m caught, I won’t be safe.’
Perhaps a charge of fleeing would be added, and she would be sent straight to the execution block. In her mind, the image of Eustis coldly looking down at her overlapped with the man who had been gentle when he gave her a birthday present.
A stinging pain bloomed near her heart. She forced herself to walk with purpose. If Leguin, whom she would meet ahead, accepted her as described in the book, she would be protected by the Magic Tower; if not, she would flee the country immediately.
Since he had accepted the ‘Philomel’ who ran away before her execution in the novel, she could stop worrying about him accusing her of being a fake. No matter what anyone said, he was her biological father.
After walking for about ten minutes, the Magic Tower appeared. Except for its dizzying height, the massive stone structure resembled a fortress more than a tower. It was said to have started as a single spire, but as mages gathered and continued to add expansions, it had evolved into this sprawling labyrinth. The Magic Tower bordered the Empire and offered free travel, yet it remained a separate administrative district. Its leader, the head of the mages, was the Tower Master.
“Those who have requests, come this way!” a man shouted in front of a small side entrance.
A long line had formed—easily over fifty people. She hesitated. She couldn’t find a way to meet Leguin directly. If she bluntly claimed to be the Tower Master’s hidden daughter, they would treat her like a madwoman. But she couldn’t simply demand to see him, either. She had heard that Leguin, the mysterious Tower Master, did not meet visitors, not even high-ranking nobles.
‘Should I just pretend to be crazy and reveal I’m his daughter?’
But if she did that here, it would draw too much attention. Just then, someone approached her.
“Miss, do you have business at the Magic Tower?”
It was an old man dressed in clean, unassuming clothes.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Eh, it’s a lost cause. Look at that line. Even if you stood at the end of it now, you wouldn’t even see the shadow of a mage before the day is out.”
“I see. I came quite early, too.”
Philomel grew impatient. The tower was not always open to outsiders; if she missed today, she would have to wait an entire week. She didn’t have that kind of time. The fear of the search was still constricting her breath.
“It’s not that there’s no way at all.”
“What is that?”
“I deliver general goods to the Magic Tower, so I know a few mages. If you want, I can introduce you.”
This might be her chance. If she met a mage and explained her situation, there might be a possibility of reaching the Tower Master privately.
“Then, I would appreciate an introduction.”
“Good. It’s 50 silver.”
“…Was there a fee?”
“Where in the world is anything free! I have to make my own pocket money too.”
She understood. This person was a broker. What she had learned after stepping out into the world was that the streets had their own ruthless rules.
“I’ll pay you now. Just a moment.”
Philomel took out a pouch and counted the coins. Considering a night’s stay was 2 silver, 50 silver was expensive, but she had the funds. Unfortunately, she did not notice the old man’s eyes gleam when he saw the gold coins inside.
“Hand it over!”
“Ah!”
The old man suddenly snatched the pouch and bolted. Or rather, he tried to.
“Still having people pulling these low-level scams, are they?”
“Ugh!”
Suddenly losing his balance, the old man rolled on the ground. What caught her eye was someone’s long, outstretched leg blocking his path.