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Python's os.path.realpath, when used with a substed drive on the Windows platform, don't resolve the substed path to the *real* path. 
For example creating a substed drive like this:
 subst z: C:\Users\Public\Desktop
and checking for the real path in python like this:
 import os
 myPath = "S:\\"
 print("Real path of: " + myPath + " is: " + os.path.realpath(myPath) )
prints
 Real path of: S:\ is: S:\
In the docs for the [subst][1] command, a substed drive is referred to as a *virtual* drive. Virtual, suggesting something being "not real", indicates that the Python *realpath* command is not working properly on Windows. 
 [1]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/subst 

In Windows, realpath is currently an alias for abspath. Issue 14094 has a pending PR that implements realpath, but it's waiting on improved tests and final approval. I'm afraid it won't make it into 3.8.
I suggest using the resolve() method of a pathlib.Path. For example:
 >>> os.system('subst W: C:\\Windows')
 0
 >>> pathlib.Path('W:\\').resolve()
 WindowsPath('C:/Windows')