Philomel the Fake
Chapter 8

* * *

Philomel’s days became peaceful after the unhelpful maids disappeared.

Her schedule was packed with activities. People stared at her wherever she went, and these days fear of dying often washed over her without warning. She felt trapped whenever it happened, but regardless, the anxiety was bearable for now. Thankfully, she felt more comfortable after the nanny and her maids were cast out, and the new head lady-in-waiting as well as the freshly hired maids all tended to their duties faithfully.

“But this isn’t enough,” Philomel muttered, turning a page in her book as she sat alone in her room before breakfast.

It was great that the nanny and the maids were gone, and that people had started to regard her differently. But it was too early for her to relax. She needed to do everything she could to ensure her survival, at least until she was old enough to run away on her own.

She was only nine, a child hardly capable of accomplishing anything. It would take her a few years. But when she finally left the palace, she needed to be able to fend for herself. I’ve been saving part of my allowance to fund my escape, but what else can I do?

Could she plan out different ways to escape? She had already thought of one, but there was a huge hurdle that needed to be overcome before she could carry it out—winning the emperor’s favor.

There was a specific object she had in mind that would be the perfect aid in her escape, but the problem was that it was an imperial treasure. Only the emperor himself, or an heir who had won his recognition, could use it.

“But how am I supposed to win favor with him?”

The emperor had recently revised his opinion of her, that much was true, but it hadn’t done much to dramatically close the distance between them. She was sometimes invited to dine with him, but other than that, their relationship hadn’t improved.

Hmm... What do I do? She couldn’t just give up on the idea of securing the treasure, since there was nothing quite like it. Philomel’s eyes glowed as she turned another page of Ellensia, the Imperial Princess, as was her habit by now.

“Yes! This is it!”

Philomel used the bell pull to summon Countess Dellese, requesting that she fetch her something special. Moments later, the countess returned with a bottle of green powder.

“This is the ground herbal extract you asked for, Your Highness.”

“Thank you!”

“Please don’t mention it. May I ask what you intend to use it for? It’s generally for medical purposes.”

“I’m going to make tea with it and give it to His Majesty.”

“To... His Majesty?”

“Yes! He drinks often, doesn’t he? I read in a book that tea brewed from this powder is great for hangovers!” Philomel said, sounding purposely like a clueless child. From her experience, the countess was a good adult who wished to protect the innocence of her young charge’s childhood.

“Hmm... I see. I’m sure His Majesty will be pleased by the gesture.” As expected, the countess’s expression fell for a moment, but she smiled and encouraged Philomel regardless. “Shall I prepare a kettle and some teacups as well?”

“Yes, please! I’d also like some filter paper.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back,” the countess said with a smile.

Philomel immediately opened the bottle and sniffed it. “Ugh, that stinks!”

The powder had a pungent odor that immediately permeated the room. This was why the countess had looked dubious when Philomel said she planned to give tea made using this extract to the emperor. While it was widely known that the herb was good for dealing with the unpleasant aftereffects of excessive drinking, not many people actually used it—it smelled terrible and tasted even worse.

But I have this. Philomel went to the safe hidden in her room, opened it, and brought out a glass bottle that was as thick as her arm. It was filled with a rippling liquid that had a faintly golden hue—juice from the World Tree fruit. The bitter tea, mixed with some of this juice, supposedly produced a surprisingly palatable taste, as the bitterness was negated. In the novel, Ellensia had put some of the juice from the fruit, which had been a gift from her father, into the tea and discovered this by accident.

These are two high-quality ingredients, so I’ll wager it’ll be twice as healthy. Her reasoning was simple and the results had been spectacular. I guess the real princess was just born smarter than me, Philomel thought with a wry smile.

In any case, Ellensia had thus invented what she dubbed her Special Herbal Tea that not only negated the effects of a hangover but also restored energy. Nobody had ever considered mixing the juice of the precious fruit with the stinky tea before, making Ellensia its inventor. Not that Philomel would give her any credit for doing so in the real world.

Sorry, Ellensia! You’ll be just fine without discovering this tea, so please let me take it instead, she thought.

The countess returned, and Philomel brewed some tea using the powder and the filter paper the countess had given her, then used a teaspoon to scoop up some of the golden liquid. For the best results, the measurements had to be exact. Philomel put in two spoonfuls of the juice, just as the book had described. Sweat beaded on her nose as she cautiously stirred the concoction.

“There!”

She tasted the brew and noticed nothing but an oddly sweet flavor. It was delicious. Ellensia, you were kind enough to give this tea to a random knight suffering after a night of drinking, but I’m different!

Good things needed to be used as leverage. This universal truth that Philomel had learned early on led her to the emperor’s bedroom.

The countess carried the tray of tea for her, insisting the hot liquid was dangerous. The emperor had hosted a rare dinner with a handful of high-ranking nobles the night before. It had lasted well into the night, which meant it was very likely that he was suffering a hangover this morning.

Philomel encountered Count Polan on the way to his bedroom. The count seemed moved after hearing her explanation for being there.

“Ah! Finally, some proper father-daughter bonding! As it happens, it’s about time His Majesty woke up. Please come with me.”

I knew it. He hasn’t been able to drag himself out of bed yet. Secretly pleased, Philomel went with the count to the emperor’s bedroom.

The count stepped in first, opening the door. “Your Majesty, look who’s here!”

A tortured voice came from the bed.

“Don’t shout... You’re making my head ring.”

Eustis stirred weakly.

Now’s the time! Philomel took the tray from the countess and approached the bed. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” she said, bowing politely the way she’d been practicing.

Eustis sat up abruptly, shocked to hear his daughter’s voice. “Philomel? What are you doing here?”

“I brought some herbal tea for your health. If it’s okay with you, Your Highness, I’d like you to try a cup.”

The count chimed in from behind her. “She says she made the tea herself. Isn’t that touching?”

Eustis stared tiredly down at the steaming tea, his pale face turning a little yellow at the smell. The juice of the World Tree could defeat the taste of the herb, but not the smell.

Surely he won’t refuse to drink it all together, will he? wondered Philomel. She took a step closer, worried. “It may smell unpleasant, but the taste is—”

She suddenly grimaced.

He stinks!

Not even the stench of the herb could hide the smell of alcohol wafting off the emperor. She noticed all the empty bottles crowding the table next to the bed. The attendants must have taken away all the empty bottles last night, which meant that he’d had more to drink after retiring to bed.

He drank that much after the dinner had already ended? Her eyes went wide.

“Stay back,” Eustis said, shuffling away. He could no doubt tell what she was thinking.

“But Your Majesty...”

Her arms trembled as she struggled to hold the tray. It’s too heavy for me to carry for much longer! The tray, with its pot and teacup, was too heavy for a young child to hold all on their own.

“Give it here,” Eustis said with a sigh, placing the tray on the bed. He glared at the tea for a moment, as if it had personally offended him, then gulped down the contents of the cup all in one go. His eyes widened, and his furrowed brow smoothed. “That... doesn’t taste bad.”

Philomel smiled, seeing the result she’d been expecting. “I know, right? The juice of the World Tree fruit got rid of the bitter taste!”

“World Tree fruit juice?”

“Yes! The one you gave me.”

“That... was for you.”

“But I’m not sick anymore. And you often have a hangover...”

Count Polan said, “You should start drinking less, Your Majesty, if only for the sake of your daughter. You may be healthy now, but ten years of such heavy drinking will take a toll on your body.”

“Shut it.”

“The princess is still young, and you wouldn’t want—”

“I told you to shut it.”

Philomel learned something new from this conversation. So he’s been drinking heavily for years. She hadn’t known, since she seldom had the chance to meet with her father. And if he’s been drinking for ten years...

Ten years ago was about the time Philomel had been born and the empress had died. She guessed that her father had picked up his drinking habit after losing his wife. Though he looked fine on the outside, it seemed to her that he was still in mourning.

She felt an odd emotion come over her. His wife died and left him and now his daughter isn’t even really his!

She shook her head firmly, however. Why should I sympathize with this man? He would one day kill her. She needed to harden her heart against him until such a time that she could make her escape.

“Philomel,” Eustis called in a low voice, putting the cup back on the tray. “The tea cleared my head a little. Is there anything you’d like in return?”

There we go! It was just as she’d expected. The emperor was meticulous about doling out punishment and rewards. She’d expected that he’d grant her another wish after she gave him the tea.

What could she ask for? I can’t ask for what I really want yet... I’ve done too little to earn it. In that case...

She considered for a moment, then told him her wish.