ITIF Chapter 28

Belated Realization

‘Flower viewing! That’s right. He had invited me to go flower viewing together.’

Although she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had bothered her about it, the truth was that the attendant who had been guiding her had felt somewhat burdensome.

However, once they left the imperial palace, she would be able to part ways with him, and since he hadn’t made any clear mistakes, she had simply let him chatter away by himself.

‘Was he perhaps making advances?’

Now that she thought about it, she seemed to understand why she had felt strangely uncomfortable at the time.

She had absolutely no romantic experience.

Unmarried young ladies and gentlemen would often conduct secret romances with members of the opposite sex they met at social gatherings or masquerade balls, hidden from the adults.

Even though they already had arranged fiancés waiting for them.

Unlike them, she had been an Imperial Princess destined to become Emperor.

It would have been right to prevent in advance any foolish behavior like falling in love with someone she couldn’t promise a future with.

Moreover, she had neither the time to waste on romance nor the energy to devote attention to it.

‘Really, I…’

She let out a small laugh upon belatedly realizing that someone had expressed romantic interest in her.

A sudden thought made Giselle Grante furrow her brow slightly.

‘Could Kavelaseth possibly have feelings for me…’

Earlier, she had only thought that Kavelaseth was approaching her to scold her for breaking their agreement to stay out of his sight, and that he was displeased about it.

But if that attendant had been flirting with her, then the story became somewhat different.

‘…Was he helping me?’

She briefly entertained that thought, but Giselle Grante soon deemed her thinking excessive.

‘It was probably just a coincidence.’

Kavelaseth wasn’t the type of man to take interest in other people’s romantic affairs.

Unless it was a crime serious enough to displease him, he wouldn’t have interfered.

The correct interpretation was probably simply that he happened to be passing by where she was, and being displeased that she had broken her promise to stay out of his sight, he had tried to humiliate and embarrass her.

Knock knock.

After finishing her bath, as Lindsey was pressing a towel against Giselle Grante’s golden hair to squeeze out the moisture, there came a knocking sound at the door.

When Giselle Grante turned her head toward the door, Lindsey quickly ran toward it.

“I’ll go check.”

And when Lindsey returned to the bedroom, she wasn’t alone.

“Miss, this is my younger sister Olla. Olla, greet the Miss.”

Holding a large luggage bag firmly with both hands, Olla bowed her waist deeply.

“Hello, Miss. It’s an honor to serve you.”

She seemed to resemble Lindsey somewhat in appearance, but their atmospheres were completely different.

Unlike Lindsey, whose fluffy brown poodle-like short hair suited her well, Olla’s hair was long and calm.

Lindsey had said she was the older sister, but perhaps due to the composure that came from her appearance, Olla seemed a bit more mature.

“Nice to meet you. You must be tired from coming all this way. Lindsey, could you show Olla where she’ll be staying?”

“Uh…”

Lindsey blinked as she looked at Giselle Grante’s still-damp hair.

Then Olla, who had been observing Lindsey’s reaction, carefully raised her hand.

“…?”

When Giselle Grante looked at her, Olla spoke.

“I have a talent for hair styling, and it seems like an opportunity to show my skills to the Miss. If it’s acceptable, could you give me the honor of styling your hair?”

After blinking for a moment, Giselle Grante soon wore a gentle smile.

“Shall I see your skills then?”

Since this was her first job as a lady’s maid at the Amaterasu Ducal House, her enthusiasm seemed quite great as well.

“Yes.”

Olla nodded and quickly set down her luggage bag on the floor.

She rolled up her sleeves, then took a towel and approached Giselle Grante’s side.

Lindsey, watching this scene, also brought a new towel and helped with drying her hair.

****

“Have a safe trip.”

As the head butler bowed politely, all the employees of the ducal house lined up behind him also bowed deeply.

Duke Amaterasu, who nodded to them, extended his hand to Giselle Grante.

Giselle Grante accepted Duke Amaterasu’s escort and climbed into the carriage.

Soon Duke Amaterasu and Young Duke Mikhail also boarded the carriage.

Since today was the special day of the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, not only Giselle Grante but also Mikhail and Duke Amaterasu were dressed as elegantly as if attending an imperial palace ball.

As the carriage departed, Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail exchanged glances.

Giselle Grante was looking at the reflection of the two men in the carriage window.

Duke Amaterasu, who nodded slightly to Mikhail just enough not to be obvious, soon opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, Giselle. I heard that you’ve been going out frequently lately…”

Despite starting the conversation boldly, Duke Amaterasu trailed off and observed Giselle Grante’s reaction.

Though she was well past adolescence, he seemed cautious about openly revealing that he had been looking into his daughter’s activities.

“Yes. While I’m away from the Amaterasu territory and in the imperial capital, I’m trying to fulfill the role I haven’t been able to play until now.”

With those words, Giselle Grante turned her head back toward the carriage window.

The reflection in the carriage window showed Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail exchanging glances with furrowed brows.

She could interpret their expressions as something like ‘This isn’t what we expected.’

Since they seemed determined to keep probing until they heard the answer they wanted from her, Giselle Grante added another comment.

“As you’ve probably already heard from the head butler, I attended Countess Tarel’s salon and a tea party held at the imperial palace.”

Saying this, Giselle Grante quickly turned her head toward the two men.

The expressions of Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail, who had been showing disappointed faces, changed completely.

“That’s quite a good change. When you socialize with people, you learn various things… Isn’t that right, Father?”

“That’s correct. Giselle, if you’re enjoying yourself, this father is satisfied as well.”

Despite offering rather awkward explanations, the expressions of Mikhail and Duke Amaterasu were truly peaceful.

‘Both of them are good at hiding their true feelings.’

Just as Giselle Grante was making that assessment of them, this time Mikhail asked a question.

“But you know, Giselle. Do you know what kind of person Countess Tarel is?”

“His Majesty the Emperor’s mistress?”

Giselle Grante answered without any hesitation.

Then Duke Amaterasu cleared his throat and immediately spoke.

“Well, Giselle. As long as you’re happy with whoever you associate with, that’s enough, but…”

Duke Amaterasu trailed off while subtly sending a glance to Mikhail. Then Mikhail picked up where he left off.

“That’s right. If you’re enjoying yourself, I have no intention of stopping you. But wouldn’t it be more fun and easier to converse with young ladies your own age?”

Mikhail’s words seemed like careful advice, but they were essentially a roundabout way of telling her not to associate with Countess Tarel.

“Are you worried about my reputation?”

“Of course!”

Mikhail widened his eyes and nodded.

“Yes. I’m honestly being cautious about whether unsavory rumors might follow you, since you’re still unmarried and don’t have a fiancé.”

Finally, Duke Amaterasu also revealed his true feelings.

Giselle Grante smiled slightly and said:

“Would it be alright if we discuss that matter again after the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony is over?”

At Giselle Grante’s puzzling response, question marks appeared on the faces of Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail.

However, Duke Amaterasu soon spoke up.

“Very well. It wouldn’t be easy to suddenly distance yourself from someone you’ve been getting along well with.”

“That’s right, Giselle.”

Mikhail chimed in as if agreeing with Duke Amaterasu’s opinion.

With that conversation finished, Giselle Grante turned her head back toward the carriage window.

‘I wonder if they’ll say the same thing after the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony ends.’

She thought to herself.

****

The Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony was held in the large hall of the Grand Temple, the same place where Imperial Princess Trinity’s memorial service had been held not long ago.

However, many things were different from that time.

The hall of the Grand Temple, which had been filled with nothing but gloomy black—black dresses and veils, black suits—was now painted in various bright colors.

The nobles were dressed in their finest attire.

It was clear they had worn their best clothes and jewelry for this day.

The same was true for the people of the Amaterasu Ducal House.

Giselle Grante wore a light blue dress with a matching necklace and earring set made of sky blue topaz and amethyst.

Mikhail and Duke Amaterasu, dressed impeccably in suits with blue undertones, had their golden hair neatly combed back with pomade.

“It’s been a long time, Duke Amaterasu.”

As the three people from the Amaterasu Ducal House entered the Grand Temple, nobles who had arrived earlier and were waiting for the ceremony to begin came to greet them.

“It has been a while.”

Standing beside Duke Amaterasu as he conversed with the approaching nobles, she felt as if the back of her head was stinging.

Giselle Grante turned her head in the direction where she felt the gaze.

Her eyes met those of Lady Minster, who was glaring at her with murderous intent.

It seemed she harbored resentment over being embarrassed at the Empress’s tea party recently.

Giselle Grante tilted her head slightly.

‘I thought she wouldn’t appear in places where many people gather for a while.’

Giselle Grante swept over Lady Minster’s appearance with an indifferent gaze.

Lady Minster was wearing a dress from the most popular dressmaker’s shop recently.

After looking over Lady Minster from head to toe, Giselle Grante gave her a thumbs up.

“…?”

Lady Minster looked at Giselle Grante with a peculiar expression, as if trying to understand the meaning behind that gesture.

Soon, having thought of something, Lady Minster furrowed her brow sharply.

She even bared her teeth. It looked exactly like a frightened little dog.

‘She doesn’t like compliments.’

Giselle Grante didn’t think much of it and turned her head away.

Just then, the Emperor stepped onto the platform.

With that, the boisterous atmosphere in the hall became as quiet as if it were sacred.