36.
The next day, Philomel woke up late and enjoyed a leisurely morning with Countess Deles. No longer a princess, she was freed from the crushing weight of succession lessons and the endless list of imperial obligations.
However, that peace was shattered by a sharp, piercing shout from outside.
“Come out here, you lowly thing!”
Philomel opened the door and stepped out, coming face-to-face with someone she hadn’t seen in seven years.
“Nanny.”
“Aha. So you finally decide to show your face.”
“Nanny, please, stop!”
Nanny was fuming in the hallway, and Ellensia was struggling to restrain her.
“Who do you think you are, lingering around these halls?” Nanny spat, casting a venomous glare. “I don’t know how you tricked the Emperor, but it won’t work on me. If you have even a shred of conscience, get out of this place at once!”
When Ellensia had mentioned that Nanny was in the Imperial Palace, Philomel had braced herself for this exact moment. She met Nanny’s eyes with a cool, detached gaze.
“I’ll leave even without you telling me to. So, could you lower your voice and leave? People are watching.”
Nearby, palace attendants were frozen, their faces tight with unease. It was a delicate stalemate: a matter between a princess’s nurse and the former princess, leaving no room for them to intervene.
“Now that I look at you, you’re the spitting image of your mother! Because of you and that woman, our poor Princess Ellensia hasn’t even been able to see her father’s face all this time! Do you realize that?”
“I’m fine, so please, stop!” Ellensia grabbed Nanny’s arm, but her efforts were in vain.
“What kind of behavior is this? Stop at once!” Even Countess Deles, usually the picture of grace and composure, found herself utterly ineffective against Nanny’s vitriol.
Philomel let out a soft sigh. Though she had always disliked her, Nanny had been her primary caregiver for most of her childhood. Seeing such a person reduced to this, filled with such raw, ugly hostility, left a bitter taste in her mouth.
*Was I born to be the epicenter of trouble wherever I go?*
Just as Philomel’s spirits sank, Nanny’s body suddenly tilted, her feet losing traction as she tipped over—as if an invisible hand had given her a sharp shove.
“Aaargh!”
Nanny sprawled onto the floor, shrieking and flailing. “She pushed me! Oh, my back! Someone is killing me!”
“…What are you doing?”
The entire hallway, Philomel included, stared blankly at the scene.
“You pushed me!”
“Who? Me?” Philomel asked, genuinely bewildered.
“You fell down all by yourself, so stop trying to frame people! We all saw it.” Countess Deles stepped forward, and the other witnesses nodded in stiff agreement. To any observer, Nanny had simply collapsed. No one—not even Ellensia—had been within reaching distance of her.
“That can’t be! Someone definitely shoved me… Your Highness, you saw it, didn’t you?” Nanny looked toward Ellensia with desperate hope, but Ellensia merely shook her head.
“More importantly, get up quickly. What kind of disgraceful scene are you making?” Ellensia tried to pull Nanny up, her expression cold. Nanny grumbled, sensing that her audience was turning against her, but she stayed down.
“This won’t do. I think I’ve sprained my back; I can’t move.” She groaned loudly. Back pain was her chronic, weaponized ailment.
In the end, four servants had to hoist her up by her limbs like a piece of luggage. Nanny was heavy, and she shrieked if anyone dared touch her waist, turning the walk back to her quarters into a cacophony of agonizing cries.
“Meow.”
A cry came from behind. A silver-furred cat was peering out from the room, stretching its body with an air of profound satisfaction. Philomel watched it for a moment, an odd feeling prickling at her skin, before she turned away.
“Princess Ellensia.”
She called out to Ellensia, who was preparing to follow the procession of servants. There was something that needed to be said.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know how this will sound, but I hope you keep your distance from Nanny. Based on my time with her when I was younger…”
“Philomel.” Ellensia’s voice dropped. “Please, do not speak so poorly of Nanny.”
“…”
“I will apologize for what happened today. I’m sure there was a misunderstanding. But Nanny is a good person.”
“No. Nanny is not a good person.”
“Enough. I don’t wish to speak ill of someone in their absence. It isn’t the right thing to do.”
Philomel was left speechless. She had only meant to offer a warning, yet Ellensia’s reaction made her feel like a petty gossip.
“Your Highness, Nanny is…”
“I must go. I should comfort her after such an accident.” Ellensia paused, then added, “By the way, have you decided regarding the adoption? Have you accepted?”
“I have yet to give the Emperor an answer.”
“And what are your thoughts?”
“It is a gracious offer, but I feel it is undeserved.”
Ellensia smiled serenely. “Think about it positively. I would be so happy if we were sisters. If you stay here, there will come a day when you and Nanny resolve your misunderstandings.”
With that, Ellensia walked away.
*Misunderstanding?*
The absurdity of it almost made her laugh. She knew Nanny’s true nature far better than Ellensia ever could. And yet, despite having only met the woman a few days ago, Ellensia trusted her implicitly.
*Did Nanny already have her way with words?*
“Philomel-nim!”
Count Polan came rushing over, likely having heard the rumors from the staff. “How did this happen?”
“Count, what were you thinking, bringing such a woman back into the palace? You know what she’s capable of!” Countess Deles said firmly.
After learning the full story, Polan bowed deeply to both women. “I am truly sorry. I thought she had been taught a lesson and might have reflected on her actions. It was my fault for misjudging the situation.”
“You are going to chase her out immediately, right?”
“Of course. I am going to notify her now.”
Philomel sent Countess Deles back to her room and accompanied Polan to Ellensia’s quarters. Though the Countess was worried, she did not stop them. Nanny was not the type to retreat quietly, especially with Ellensia shielding her. Philomel didn’t have a perfect plan, but standing by and doing nothing was worse.
Inside the Princess’s suite, Nanny was lying on the luxurious bed, with Ellensia sitting nearby. To offer her own bed to a common servant—it was a display of mercy that bordered on foolish.
As the Count stepped forward to announce Nanny’s expulsion, the room grew tense.
“How can you be so cruel!” Nanny wailed. “Where do you expect an old, sick woman to go? You might as well just kill me!”
“You should have come to your senses when you were given another chance,” Polan replied firmly. “If I report the spectacle you made today to His Majesty, it won’t end with you just leaving quietly.”
“Surely His Majesty wouldn’t do that to the woman who was the Empress’s nanny…”
“Shall we check? I can report it this very instant.”
Nanny fell silent, at a loss for words.
“Don’t forget to apologize to Philomel-nim,” the Count commanded.
“But…”
“Ahem.”
Nanny mumbled quickly, her face a mask of forced reluctance. “…I am sorry. I was wrong.”
Just as it seemed the situation was resolved, Ellensia intervened, her eyes welling with tears as she stroked Nanny’s hand. “Nanny is so pitiful. Her back is injured; she can’t move at all. How can she possibly leave?”
“But, for the sake of not questioning her other crimes…”
“Does the Count have no mercy? At least let her stay until her back heals.” Ellensia turned to Nanny. “Your Highness, to go so far for me… How will you ever survive in this world with such a kind heart?”
Nanny sniffled, clutching Ellensia’s hands. The maids in the room seemed moved by the display. A wave of misplaced sentimentality flowed through the air, isolating Philomel and the Count.
“Philomel,” Ellensia said, turning to her. “If you are worried that Father will be angry, I will speak to him for you. So, couldn’t you forgive Nanny? She is clearly reflecting on her actions.”
By shifting the target of the request directly to her, Ellensia painted Philomel as the one insisting on cruelty.
Count Polan stepped in again. “No matter the circumstances, this cannot stand.”
“But the person Nanny harmed was Philomel, not you, Count. Please, step back.” Ellensia’s tone had sharpened into a command.
Philomel watched the room turn cold. *If I refuse now, am I just the villain desperate to kick out a helpless old woman?* She was leaving soon, so her reputation didn’t matter—but if she refused, it was unlikely she would get what she wanted anyway. If Ellensia took this to Eustis, he would take his biological daughter’s side without a second thought.
*Better to play along than to lose everything and be labeled the bad guy.*
Philomel took a breath and spoke. “Alright. Let’s do as the Princess says.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If Nanny promises to leave the moment her back heals, I won’t object. But, how about this?” Philomel held up a finger. “Nanny, do you remember when I was eight and fell down the stairs, breaking my leg?”
“Yes? Ah, yes, there was such an incident.” Nanny looked hazy, struggling to catch up with the sudden shift.
“Do you remember staying by my side for twenty-four hours because I was immobile?”
“Of course! Back then, I fed you, Princess—no, Philomel-nim—and carried you on my back whenever you needed to move.” Nanny’s eyes lit up with ecstasy. To her, that had been the golden age of her life, wielding unchecked power.
“I was so grateful for your strength when I was sick.”
It was a lie, of course. Those days had been a hell of incessant nagging and suffocating interference. But Philomel smiled brightly.
“So, why don’t you offer that same kind of strength to the Princess?”
“…To Princess Ellensia?”
“Although you are sick, there is much you can do from a bed. If you’re just offering wisdom through words, you don’t need to move your body.”
Nanny nodded, filled with renewed confidence. “That is true. Ellensia-nim’s mother, Isabella, also grew up receiving all my teachings. I never knew Philomel-nim understood my hard work so well.”
“Since the bed is spacious, why don’t you stay here, just like when you slept by my side every day, and take good care of the Princess?”