The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 1.5

The topic of romance seemed to interest Meigyoku, who was at an age where such things caught her attention. After hesitating for a moment, she cleared her throat and opened the paper.

“Just a little bit.”

“Okay.”

“I feel a little guilty, so just a peek.”

“Alright, alright.”

Nodding deeply, Meigyoku cleared her throat again and lowered her gaze to the letter.

“Ranran—this is about Getsuran, right?”

“Probably.”

“Ranran, the winter chill is—”

Ranran,
The winter chill is growing stronger. I hope you are doing well.

Our march is going smoothly, but camping out in the cold is harsh. I feel like I might catch a cold.

How is the child in your belly?

I hope you and the baby are not trembling from the cold.

I pray wholeheartedly that the child will be born healthy.

You might laugh and say it’s too early, but I have thought of a name.

If it’s a boy, I’d like to follow tradition and give him the character “En.”

Taking one character from your name, how about Getsuen?

It would suit a child of ours.

If it’s a girl, I want to name her after that tree from our memories.

Houbai. A beautiful name, like the pale green plum blossoms.

Ah, Ranran.

I want to return soon and hold you in my arms.

I envy Shugetsu, who is always by your side.

I even resent him a little.

Please forgive this narrow-minded part of me.

— Enki

After reading to the very end, both of them fell silent.

The name at the bottom of the letter was not her father’s. In fact, the “hated man” mentioned in the letter was her father’s name.

“This…”

As she began to wonder what it all meant, Meigyoku spoke up.

“I think… maybe we weren’t supposed to read this. Even though it’s too late now.”

Hearing her uncertain words, Gekka found herself at a loss for how to respond.

It was completely different from what she had expected. She couldn’t hide her confusion, and she felt guilty and even a little scared for having uncovered such a thing.

(But I heard that Father and Mother eloped…)

This letter seems to tell a very different story.

From what they could gather, Ranran—her mother, Getsuran—had promised to be with this Enki person and was even carrying his child.

Yet, neither a brother named Getsuen nor a sister named Houbai existed in their family.

Suddenly, Gekka clapped her hands together.

“They must have been sent away!”

“Huh?”

Meigyoku’s eyes widened at the sudden declaration.

“Because we don’t have a brother or sister with those names. And if Mother’s fiancé died while he was at war, she would have had to raise the child alone.

She probably couldn’t, so she gave them away. Then, she married Father. But since Father’s family didn’t approve, they had to elope.”

This explanation made sense, and Gekka smiled as if she had solved the mystery. But Meigyoku tilted her head.

“But Gekka, looking at this handwriting, doesn’t it seem like this Enki person came from a noble family? If Mother had married into such a family, raising a child alone wouldn’t have been an issue.”

“Then…”

Just as she was about to ask what that meant, a sudden realization struck her, making her fall silent.

“Could it be that Keigetsu was supposed to be Houbai?”

Meigyoku clearly stated what Gekka had hesitated to say.

Gekka felt her heart skip a beat. A strange rhythm echoed in her chest.

Her sister did resemble their mother slightly, but not their father at all.

Gekka, on the other hand, took after both parents. Her lips were thin, just like her father’s.

Thinking about it that way, it was possible that her sister was not actually her father’s child.

Finding it hard to believe, Gekka shook her head.

“That’s impossible… That can’t be true.”

“We don’t know that.”

Meigyoku dismissed her denial and looked at the letter again, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“I do think you’re right that Enki passed away and Getsuran then married your father. But I also think Keigetsu is Enki’s child.”

“Why do you say that so confidently?”

“Because Keigetsu was born in our village.”

Meigyoku spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, making Gekka wrinkle her nose.

“So what?”

She was ready to dismiss the idea, but Meigyoku narrowed her eyes as if enjoying the conversation.

“Think about it. Getsuran is thirty-five now. Keigetsu is eighteen. That means when she gave birth, she was around seventeen. If she had another child before that, she would’ve been even younger.”

It sounded unlikely. Gekka quickly did the math in her head.

A baby stays in the womb for ten months. Given her mother’s personality, it was hard to imagine her having another child with someone new right after giving birth. That means at least a year must have passed before she could have been with her father.

The numbers didn’t add up. Meigyoku’s words seemed more and more convincing.

(So my sister isn’t actually my father’s child…?)

The thought sent a shiver down Gekka’s spine.

“Meigyoku-nee.”

As Meigyoku folded the letter, Gekka spoke in a low voice.

“Are you sure Enki was from a noble family?”

There was an unsettling feeling in her voice that made Meigyoku shiver.

Still, she nodded.

“Handwriting can reveal a lot about a person and their upbringing. This letter’s writing looks refined, and the fact that he wanted to follow tradition in naming his child suggests he came from an upper-class family.”

She added a quick disclaimer, “Of course, I can’t be completely certain.”

Gekka nodded quietly and took the letter.

(A noble family… A high-status family…)

Staring at the worn paper, Gekka bit her lip.

“But if Mother named her Keigetsu, doesn’t that mean she decided to raise her as Shugetsu’s daughter instead?”

There was no proof. Everything they had imagined came from the words in this letter.

“Gekka, are you listening? Let’s stop this now. Put the letter back before anyone notices.”

But what if it was true? That would mean Keigetsu was a noble’s daughter.

(Not me… but my sister…)

Gekka thought of her sister, always busy with household chores, dressed plainly without much care for her appearance.

She felt a sudden, irrational anger.

While covered in dirt, picking medicinal herbs, farming, and patching up old clothes, how many times had she daydreamed?

That she was not their real child, but an abandoned daughter of a wealthy family, meant for a better life.

She should have been wearing fine clothes, served by maids, and living in comfort.

“It’s not fair.”

She whispered, but her words were drowned out by the cheerful laughter outside, unheard by Meigyoku.

Their mother always said, “Keigetsu is such a great help.” Their father never scolded her. She was even allowed to help make medicine, something Gekka wasn’t trusted with.

She was already favored over Gekka.

And if she was actually a noble’s daughter—
“It’s not fair at all.”