Philomel shuddered at the cold air rising from the floor. As soon as she came to the police station, she was handcuffed and put in a detention cell.
Both wrists were sore from the handcuffs, and one cheek burned from being slapped.
Did you say your name is Roseanne Manon? The sheriff called her a young lady.
It didnât come to mind at first, but soon I found memories of Viscount Manonâs family.
Since she was educated as an heir, she had all the information about noble families in her head.
âIf itâs Manon Viscount⊠â
It was an ordinary family with nothing remarkable about it, except for the fact that the Viscountess was a sister to Duchess Muriel. Although the personality of the young lady was not normal.
It was the first time I had been slapped, so I was dumbfounded for a moment.
âIâve never been slapped on the cheek by a nanny.â
Moreover, considering the tingling pain in the cheek, not just pain, it felt like something had scratched it.
âRoseanne was wearing several rings.â
If it was a scratch on the ring, it would be scarred with a high probability.
But it was not the time to worry about wounds or pain. Not only the security guards but also the other criminals brought in were watching Philomel as if they were monkeys in a zoo.
âIs that woman the famous fake princess?â
âItâs the same as the wanted letter, so thatâs right.â
âWhy did you do that when you were fine?â
âYou know what? The bad blood that flows through your body canât be seen through the pond.â
âI shudder at the thought of patrolling 12 times a day because of her.â
At least the security guards were on the better side.
âHey! Youâre going to die anyway. Have fun with us!â
âWhy? Are you not satisfied with people like us because you used to play noble and pretend to be a princess?â]
âRoll in bed with me?â
The sinners blatantly looked at Philomel and made unspeakable jokes.
As the members did not actively restrain it, the water level only rose.
The situation of being exposed to them through the bars gnawed at Philomelâs spirit. However, if you imagine what will happen in the future, even this is not a big deal.
âI was stupid.â
I exposed the ring of red flame too much. Since the magic effect only works when the ring is worn, it cannot be removed from the finger.
âI should have kept my hands in my pockets.â
At least, it wouldnât have happened this far if she had activated the defensive magic by rubbing the ring before grabbing both arms.
If she is brought before Eustis like this, she will die sooner or later.
Thinking that the escape she had dreamed of for years would end in vain made her feel unfair before she was scared.
No matter how hard the villain tries, canât he escape from his fate?
I had to do something. I didnât want to do anything and wait for a certain ending.
Philomel stared at the people behind the bars.
âExcuse me.â
âWhat is it?â
The security guards flinched when the fake princess, who hadnât moved at all until then, spoke to them.
âIâll tell you again, Iâm not a fake princess. My name is Charlotte Tate. I am just a tourist here to visit my family.â
Philomel made up an improvised alias and excuse.
One of the security guards, who seemed to be the most senior among them, stepped out.
âOh, my. Iâm speechless. Hey, letâs get off to a good start. Thereâs no one here to believe such a lie.â
It didnât look like a good impression, but Philomel didnât give up.
âIs there not a single person in the world who looks similar?â
âSo youâre just a lookalike?â
âFrom what I saw in the newspaper, all the reports received so far have been false reports. You canât say itâs just me.â
Shut up! I know youâre trying to get out of here!â
Philomel took out the last move she made a while ago to the snorting man.
âFirst of all, I have a witness who will confirm my identity.â
âWho is that?â
âCall someone from the mage tower and call the wizard Lexion. I am his sister.â
When the story of the magic tower came out, the atmosphere among the members changed.
Angeliumâs economy was so dependent on the Mage Tower that it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was driven by the Mage Tower.
People who visited the Mage Tower spent money while staying in the city, and magic tools from there were the main specialties.
Historically, friction arose between the Mage Tower and the Empire, and when the Mage Tower closed its doors, it was the citizens of Angelium who died the most.
It was said that from their point of view, there was nothing good about them because they were hated by the wizards of the Mage Tower.
âLexion-sama? Did that woman just say Lexion?â
âIf itâs Lexion, is it the chief wizard of the magic tool management department?â
âA disciple of the Master of the Magic Tower?â
Moreover, Philomelâs brother whom she met for the first time today must have been quite a celebrity.
If managing magic tools was his job, the security guard naturally had to pay attention.
If not done carelessly, there may be a disruption in the supply of special products, and cooperation from the Mage Tower is essential to investigate crimes related to magic tools.
Philomel let out a sigh of relief. She thought that if Lexionâs name didnât work, she would drag Le Guin in as well, but she doesnât think it was necessary.
The title of the daughter of the owner of the mage tower is so grandiose that it would sound like a bluff.
â⊠How can we believe you?â
Asked the security guard, who was sluggish.
âIf you donât believe me, call him and tell Bernie to come over here.â
âBut at such a late hourâŠâ
âI canât wake him up in the middle of the night, is it okay to leave your little sister in a place like this?â
At Philomelâs point, they put on a sullen expression. It was just before passing.
Philomel decided that she would sell it anyway and that she would sell Lexionâs name.
âMy older brother is a person who cares very much for his only sister. he would be so heartbroken if he knew that such a younger sister was even beaten and imprisoned in a place like this by a simple mistake.â
The person who beat her was Roseanne, but she subtly blamed the police for the responsibility.
â⊠Well. Wouldnât it be okay to ask whether your younger sister visited Angelium?â
âYouâre right. If that statement were true, it could end up being the only high-ranking person walking in vain.â
As the opinions of the other members declined, the man had no other choice.
âGrunt. I canât believe it, but Iâll get in touch with you. However, if it turns out to be a lie, I wonât let you go, so be prepared. Even if a sinnerâs limb is not repaired, no one will care.â
Even the bloody threats did not frighten Philomel.
A sense of relief spread that somehow the crisis was over.
Heard that there are only two brothers, so if they ask about his sister, Lexion will naturally think of herself.
All that remains is to expect him to come to terms with minimal improvisation.
âHey, there you are. Go to the magic tower and see if that woman is right⊠â
âThere is no need for that.â
âCaptain!â
Someone who had just listened to the man giving instructions interrupted him. What they called the captain seemed to be the chief of the peace.
âA person who knows the fake princess has arrived. If you ask him, heâll figure it out right away.â
My head was blank.
âAre they here already?â
The chief of police responded to a memberâs question.
. He was able to arrive early because he was on his way this way.â
Who the hell is that? No, whoever he was he knew who she was, it was over.
âI could have gotten out if I had had a little more timeâŠ?
God was not on her side either.
Several footsteps and voices could be heard through the narrow hallway.
âCome this way. A report came in a few hours ago and she is locked up. The informant is a young lady named Rosanne Marnon, and she asked me to tell you a little bit about herself.â
âWait a minute. What do you mean, youâre locked upâŠâ
Before long, Nassar Avrydon appeared. Philomel was one of those people who didnât want to show this side of himself.
Nassarâs eyes were fixed on Philomel in the cell.
His honey-colored platinum hair shimmered in the light of the police station. The Little Duke of the world shined even in a cramped and noisy environment.
She turned her head, wanting to hide in a rathole.
âYouâre all right! Really⊠I was worried. But why are you in a place like thisâŠ? Please wait a bit.â
He drew his sword from his waistband.
He just had to borrow the key from them, but the barricade was cut off by the sword wrapped in an aura.
As Nassar entered the cell, Philomelâs handcuffed wrist caught his eye.
âCould you hold out your arms?â
The handcuffs were also broken into two, like pieces of paper.
âYour Highness. Please return to the imperial palace with me.â
He took Philomelâs cold hand as if sharing warmth. The eyes glistening with water were unfamiliar.
âWhy is he making that face?â
As if he genuinely cared about Philomel.
âHey, Little Duke. What kind of situation is thisâŠâ
The Chief was taken aback by the strange turn of events.
âAre you cold? Put mine on.â
Whether or not the Chief said so, the little Duke affectionately took off his overcoat and wrapped it around Philomel.
Embarrassment appeared on the faces of not only the chief of police, but everyone present.
It was because the Duke of Avrydon, who was supposed to take over the fake princess and send her away, showed an unexpected action.
Under the circumstances, it seemed that the woman they had captured was Princess Philomel, but they didnât understand why the duke had treated her with respect.
Princess Philomel was a fake, and if so, isnât she a sinner? Everyone on the street talked like that, and the newspapers used that toneâŠ
At that time, something flashed in the head of the police officer.
There was never a single time that an order to âcapture the criminal Princess Philomelâ had been issued through an official route.
It was only about finding the missing princess at all costs.
Combined with the rumor that the real princess had appeared, such an order was naturally accepted as a search for the guilty.
Looking back, I didnât question the strangely misinterpreted interpretation.
âWait, if the princess isnât a sinner, what have we done?â
A cold sweat broke out on the back of Chiefâs neck.
Even though they couldnât serve the innocent imperial family, they brought them and put them in a detention cellâŠ
I canât even think of more than that! It was a serious crime to the point of being merciful to kill gracefully.