The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 2.7

When Junkei heard that Tsukika had traveled all the way to the capital searching for someone, he immediately thought about the best course of action.

“First, you need to recover,” he said. “Eat well and rest properly.”

Grateful for his advice, Tsukika followed it diligently. She ate heartily and made sure to get plenty of sleep.

The next day, Tsukika was feeling much better. While she waited for Junkei to finalize his plan, Koji, who was feeling sympathetic, treated her with extra kindness.

“I had your clothes washed, but the sleeves are a little torn. Do you want them mended?”

Koji handed her the now-dry, well-worn clothes. Taking them, Tsukika borrowed a sewing kit.

“A seamstress could do it for you,” Koji said with a sigh as he watched Tsukika skillfully start mending the fabric. The Xu family employed two seamstresses, who could have fixed such a small tear right away.

“It’s fine,” Tsukika replied with a smile and quickly finished sewing the tear.

As she slipped on her repaired clothes, Koji let out a sigh of admiration.

“You’re amazing, Tsukika.”

“Not really. Unlike you, who has servants to do everything, I had to learn to do things myself.”

After tying her sash and getting ready, Tsukika reached for her hair, but Koji picked up a comb first.

“Let me do it! I’ve always wanted to try doing someone else’s hair.”

“Eh? Well… okay. But don’t mess it up.”

“Trust me!”

Seeing Koji hum happily while combing her hair, Tsukika couldn’t help but smile.

Her sister used to do her hair. Sometimes, they even braided each other’s.

(But… those days are gone.)

Thinking about the people she might never see again, Tsukika gazed at the treasured hairpin and letter she had carefully kept.

(If I find Enki, I’ll never have to return to that village again.)

If she could find him and be acknowledged as his daughter, she would never have to endure that miserable life in the mud. Instead, she could enjoy delicious sweets, wear beautiful silk, and live elegantly.

And if she couldn’t find him, she could still look for work in this city. After all, this was the royal capital of the Ryu Kingdom. With so many people, workers would always be in demand. Compared to the remote and desolate Harin, the bustling capital of Ryokugen was much more appealing.

While Tsukika was lost in thought, Koji finished her hair and handed her a mirror with confidence. When she looked at her reflection, she burst out laughing.

“What? Is it bad?”

“Terrible. It’s absolutely awful.”

Without hesitation, she undid the style. Koji groaned in disappointment, but Tsukika ignored him and brushed her hair again.

Her hair had always been done by Keigetsu. Since she rarely did it herself, she wasn’t very skilled, but it was still much better than Koji’s attempt.

Just then, Junkei arrived, wearing mourning clothes.

“My family is in mourning right now.”

Seeing Tsukika’s confusion, he explained that his grandfather, the head of the family, had passed away about half a month ago. They were in a mourning period and staying indoors.
He had found Tsukika collapsed while returning from seeing his mother off to her healing retreat in the south.

“The seven-day farewell period is over, so we don’t have to keep the house dark anymore.

But when going out, I still have to wear mourning clothes.”

He waved his sleeves with mild annoyance.

“Alright, Tsukika. Bring the hairpin and letter. Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

Surprised, Tsukika asked, and Junkei casually answered, “The Bureau of Law Enforcement.”

“Why there?!”

Tsukika was so startled that she raised her voice, but quickly realized it was suspicious behavior. She apologized, saying she was just surprised.

“The Bureau doesn’t just handle crime. There’s a department for finding missing people.

We’ll ask for their help.”

“Oh… I see.”

“We could check the Household Records Office, but since I’m in mourning, I can’t enter the palace right now. Sorry about that.”

During the month-long mourning period, it was considered impure to enter sacred palace grounds unless it was an emergency. Since he couldn’t personally check the records, he decided to escort Tsukika to the Bureau instead.

Tsukika was grateful and got ready to leave.

On the way, she asked about Junkei’s position.

Despite his refined features and gentle demeanor, he wasn’t a civil officer but a military one—specifically, a royal guard in the prestigious Imperial Escort Division, which served the Crown Prince.

“They only picked me because of my family background.”

Noticing her surprise, he laughed.

“The Crown Prince and I are close in age. My skills are decent, and my family is well-regarded, so I was chosen. It’s nothing to be proud of.”

“Perhaps you were chosen for your character?” Tsukika asked.

“You seem like a very kind person. Maybe that’s why they selected you?”

Junkei smiled lightly. “That’s a nice thing to say.”

His warm laugh made Tsukika blush slightly.

When they arrived at the Bureau, even the lower-ranked guards immediately straightened up and let Junkei inside without question. Clearly, his status was more than just a formality.

Thanks to him, Tsukika was treated with respect as well. When he stepped away, the officials became a little more intimidating, but at least they listened to her story.

“…Just a name, huh?”

Mou, a man in his thirties, sighed as he looked at the paper where he had written down her request.

“Is it difficult?”

“Of course. No age, no surname, no known location. And this was over ten years ago—we don’t even know if he’s alive. It’s nearly impossible.”

If she had an address or a family name, they might have been able to trace the household records.

Tsukika sighed. She had expected it to be difficult, but hearing it outright still made her feel disheartened.

“What was your mother’s name again?”

“Getsuran. Tō Getsuran. I heard she was a noblewoman.”

“Tō family…” Mou murmured, jotting it down.

“That family is well-known. It might be easier to start from that side.”

“Please, I’d really appreciate it.”

As Tsukika bowed her head, Mou nodded and suddenly clapped his hands as if remembering something.

“Now that I think about it, the Tō family was burned down about twenty years ago.”

“Burned down?!”

Tsukika shuddered at the ominous words.

“Yeah. The Crown Prince was furious with them. Their head was executed, and their mansion was burned. I was just a kid back then, but I remember.”

“They were famous for having a beautiful daughter,” Mou added nostalgically.

Tsukika’s heart pounded.

Everyone always said she resembled her mother. If her mother had been just as beautiful, she must have been well-known.

If that destroyed mansion was her mother’s home, then her grandparents were long gone.

Now, more than ever, she had to find Enki or his family.

If she failed, all her plans would crumble, and she would have to work to survive.

No, she refused.

She wanted to live in luxury, giving orders with a single gesture while smiling elegantly.

She would not settle for anything less.