The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 7.3

“Hougetsu is lying.”

As soon as Enshou entered Rougyoku’s living room, he lowered his voice and spoke clearly.

“Are you sure of that?”

“Yes. When Her Majesty questioned him, his heartbeat sped up. He remained tense even after that, which proves he was lying.”

It was likely because he wasn’t used to lying. Since Enshou was close to him, he could clearly sense it.

When he gave this answer, Rougyoku looked at him with exasperation.

“Ryusou… Don’t tell me you did that just to observe his reaction?”

“Well, that was part of the reason. Normally, I would check his pulse by placing my hand on his neck.”

Since Hougetsu had an injury on his neck, Enshou had decided against it. Hearing this, Rougyoku let out a deep sigh.

That was a rational decision. There was no reason to be concerned about his emotional state as a healthy young man.

“Once again, I must say… You are nothing like your father.”

Recalling Enshou’s father—a man quick to anger and fond of women—Rougyoku sighed again.

It was good that Enshou wasn’t like him, but at the same time, being too calm made him a bit unapproachable. Would he ever make the kinds of reckless mistakes that young people usually do?

Enshou continued speaking, wondering why Rougyoku looked so exasperated.

“Kouji, does this look familiar to you?”

As he spoke, he rolled up his left sleeve and showed his upper arm.

“It matches the one on Hougetsu’s neck.”

Kouji looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and nodded. Engraving matching marks must mean they deeply cared for each other, he thought.

“Do you know what this means?”

“Huh? …No, I don’t.”

Kouji tilted his head, wondering about the design, then shook his head firmly.

“Your Majesty, you know what this means, don’t you?”

When Rougyoku was asked, she looked at the mark with a puzzled expression and nodded.

“It’s the blessing of Shinryuu, isn’t it? His Majesty has the same mark on his arm.”

All members of the Sai family are given this engraving as infants—males usually on their dominant arm, and females in less noticeable places on their bodies.

Rougyoku tilted her head, wondering why this was relevant, and then suddenly realized something. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Enshou, who nodded silently.

“Hougetsu had one as well?”

Rougyoku was so shocked she couldn’t speak. She trembled, her eyes wide.

“It was burned away.”

Enshou continued, his face twisting in pain as he slumped his shoulders.

He had confirmed it with the court physician who treated Hougetsu’s injuries.

Enshou had asked if there had been a mark on his severely burned neck, but the answer was no.

Even if there had been one, the burned skin had to be cut away to prevent necrosis, meaning the mark would have been lost with it.

“I asked the royal physician. The wound on his neck was likely inflicted to burn that mark away.”

“What…! How could anyone do something so cruel?”

Rougyoku turned pale, her lips trembling with anger.

“It must have been done by someone who knew the significance of this mark.”

Enshou spoke in a low voice, rubbing his own tattoo.

“As you saw from Kouji’s reaction, only a limited number of people know its meaning—high-ranking officials who serve close to the royal family, longtime attendants… and those with royal bl00d.”

Rougyoku and Kouji both gasped at Enshou’s quiet statement.

Among those who fit Enshou’s theory, there was only one person in the palace now, besides the absent Enki.

“Princess Houbai…”

Rougyoku spoke the name in a trembling voice. Enshou silently nodded.

She was someone believed to have been with Hougetsu. And yet, she was also the one denying it.

“There’s no definitive proof yet. But all signs point to the same answer.”

It was dangerous to make accusations without evidence.

After all, she was the king’s only daughter. Making such claims without solid proof would only be seen as disrespectful.

Besides, Hougetsu himself was protecting the princess, insisting it was his own carelessness that caused his injury. With him refusing to say more, there was no way to investigate further.

“But why would the princess do such a thing?”

Kouji, who had been listening anxiously, cautiously asked.

Would it really be a problem if Hougetsu was of royal bl00d? He had been looked down on as a commoner, but if people knew he was of noble lineage, no one would oppose his marriage to Enshou—just like when Princess Houbai was discovered.

Enshou nodded.

“If the princess really did this, the reason must be… because she didn’t want people to know that Hougetsu was from the Sai family.”

“What do you mean, Ryusou?”

“If you’ve figured it out, just say it,” Rougyoku said impatiently, glaring at him.

Seeing her impatience, Enshou raised a hand to calm her and took a deep breath.

“This is only a hypothesis that Junkei proposed…”

He had discussed this with Junkei after interviewing the court ladies earlier that evening.

There was still no solid proof, so even mentioning it felt reckless. But once they reached this possibility, all the pieces seemed to fit.

“Well? Hurry up and say it.”

Rougyoku and Kouji, hearing Junkei’s name, both pressed him for an answer.

Enshou took another deep breath.

“What if… Princess Houbai and Hougetsu were switched?”

Rougyoku and Kouji gasped, covering their mouths to stifle their voices.

After a moment, Rougyoku murmured, “That can’t be…”

“Yes. It’s something that shouldn’t have happened.”

Enshou nodded, echoing her disbelief.

When Junkei suggested this theory, Enshou had thought the same thing. There was no way such a thing could have happened—it was unthinkable.

But when he calmly analyzed it, it seemed to make sense.

“Eighteen years ago, His Majesty’s beloved—who was pregnant at the time—disappeared.

Hougetsu is eighteen this year. The discovered princess is also eighteen. They seem to know each other and were both raised in Harin.”

Two girls of the same age, from the same place—what if they had been switched for some reason?

If they had been switched as infants, they wouldn’t have known. But what if, at some point, one of them learned the truth and came to the capital?

“That’s impossible.”

Kouji firmly rejected the idea.

“What do you mean?”

Rougyoku, still shaken by Enshou’s theory, tilted her head. Kouji frowned.

“Have you heard about a girl named Gekka, who looks just like the princess?”

Enshou had received a report about her from Gijouu the night before. There had been a conflict during a walk, and Junkei had confirmed the same story.

“Gekka said she was fifteen, the same age as me.”

When the two of them asked if he was certain, Kouji nodded firmly.

Gekka was definitely fifteen. He clearly remembered being happy to meet someone his own age.

Then, Enshou suddenly remembered something.

“Hougetsu said his younger sister was three years younger than him…”

He had mentioned it before—his sister was truly adorable, and despite being younger, she had already grown taller than him.

Kouji searched his fading memories. Though he had only spent a few days with Gekka, he had enjoyed chatting with someone his age. Was there anything else she had mentioned?

“Oh, and I think… she said her father’s name was Enki.”

His older brother, who had accompanied her to the Bureau of Justice, would know for sure.

But he had a vague memory of her mentioning it.

“Enki… That was His Majesty’s childhood name.”

Rougyoku muttered in disbelief. Enshou nodded.

All men of the Sai family had “En” in their names.

Everything connected.

Hougetsu’s younger sister had gone missing two months ago.

Around the same time, a brother and sister from the Jo family had rescued a girl searching for her parents.

And at the same time, the king had brought home a girl identical to his lost love.

It wasn’t a coincidence. They were all the same person.

Rougyoku closed her eyes and exhaled. A headache and dizziness washed over her, but she managed to stay upright.

“…It’s unfortunate that His Majesty is away.”

Enshou nodded.

They needed to wait for the king’s return.