ITIF Chapter 35

The Fickle Nobles of the Imperial Capital

“I came here to share good information with you, given what’s happening at the imperial palace… But if you don’t wish to speak with me, I’ll take my leave now.”

With those words, Lady Amaterasu attempted to rise from her seat.

“How hasty.”

Countess Minster hurriedly spoke up.

She had been searching everywhere for useful high-grade information anyway.

The taxes collected from the county alone were barely enough to cover the living expenses of her increasingly extravagant family.

To make matters worse, plague and famine had recently struck the county.

If the information came from Duke Amaterasu’s side, there might be a brilliant solution to resolve the tsunami-like situations that had befallen Count Minster’s house.

“Since you’ve come all this way, I suppose I should hear what you have to say.”

Having successfully convinced Lady Amaterasu to sit back down, Countess Minster immediately ordered her maid to bring tea.

“So what is this good information you speak of?”

The price Lady Amaterasu wanted in exchange for the information was obvious.

‘She’s going to ask me to put in a good word with the Empress so she can get closer to the Crown Prince.’

Until now, Duke Amaterasu’s house had maintained a step back.

They had maintained a neutral stance, supporting neither Princess Trinity nor Joshua.

But that situation had completely changed with Princess Trinity’s death.

They could no longer just watch from afar.

While Count Tarel’s heir had been gaining popularity recently, the forces supporting him remained weak.

So to belatedly side with Joshua, they needed to look good to the Empress, and for that, they needed a mediator.

Someone like Countess Minster herself, who was close to the Empress.

‘She doesn’t seem to know that I’ve been cast out yet.’

Countess Minster inwardly mocked Lady Amaterasu.

“I have a good idea that could generate enormous wealth in a short time.”

However, at her unexpected words, Countess Minster’s eyes sparkled.

****

Meanwhile, in Duke Cardia’s office, Kavelaseth was listening to a report about Giselle Grante.

“One maid regularly visits the Grand Temple, and the other is monitoring Count Zimmer’s daughter?”

At Kavelaseth’s question, Count Preston continued his answer.

“That’s correct. Lady Amaterasu herself has been consistently visiting Countess Tarel’s salon, and recently she went to see Countess Minster.”

“Countess Minster?”

“Yes, after Lady Amaterasu’s visit, Countess Minster apparently purchased an enormous amount of flowers.”

As unexpected words kept appearing, Kavelaseth’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘What exactly is she trying to do?’

Kavelaseth couldn’t quite figure out Giselle Grante’s intentions.

At first, he thought she might be questioning Princess Trinity’s death.

Judging by how she secretly went to see Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter.

But then she encouraged Countess Tarel to get involved in the succession struggle, and now Countess Minster as well…

Kavelaseth needed to know.

What this variable called Giselle Grante was trying to accomplish, so there would be no disruption to his alliance plans.

Just then, Count Preston voiced the very question Kavelaseth had been pondering.

“What exactly is Lady Amaterasu trying to do?”

“…….”

When Kavelaseth didn’t answer immediately, Count Preston spoke again.

“In the end, her goal must be to become Empress…”

“That can’t be it. If she wanted to become Empress, there would be no need to drag Countess Tarel in and make the Empress uncomfortable.”

At Kavelaseth’s words, Count Preston nodded with a strangely convinced expression and muttered to himself.

“Is that so? But when I think about it more, it also seems like she’s deliberately acting in ways that would antagonize the Empress. I wonder why…”

A glint appeared in Kavelaseth’s eyes.

‘Antagonizing the Empress.’

It was behavior that no ordinary noble would ever engage in.

Her son Joshua had been recognized as Crown Prince and would soon become Emperor.

Who would dare antagonize an Empress who would hold absolute power?

But if we assume that Giselle Grante was opposing the Empress, many aspects of her recent activities aligned with that theory.

Though there was no evidence, Kavelaseth considered it highly likely that the Empress was involved in Princess Trinity’s death.

And Giselle Grante had directly visited Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter, who was connected to that incident.

Though it seemed she obtained no information due to the severed tongue and broken wrist.

The appearance of Count Tarel’s heir at the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony was also likely influenced by Giselle Grante, though the method remained unknown.

Until then, Countess Tarel and her son had lived quietly, as if they barely existed.

That was, until Giselle Grante suddenly returned to the imperial capital and began frequenting Countess Tarel’s salon.

That wasn’t all.

As soon as news spread that the Empress was looking for a new lady-in-waiting, she went to see Countess Minster.

It was precisely when other nobles, learning that she had been abandoned by the Empress, began severing ties with Count Minster’s house.

‘Everything is related to the Empress. But why…?’

****

As if displaying the ancient history of the Phasis Empire, the Empress’s office was filled with art pieces hundreds of years old, and invaluable paintings hung on every wall.

In the center was a massive mahogany desk – the seat of the office’s owner, the Empress.

Diagonally on either side of the Empress’s desk were two other desks, one belonging to Marchioness Latse, and the other currently vacant.

Additionally, the Empress’s ladies-in-waiting each occupied their own desks, handling the Empress’s duties by proxy.

Then, the Empress’s dignified voice rang through the eerily quiet office.

“Is this the complete list?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Only then did the Empress begin examining the documents that Marchioness Latse had placed on her desk earlier.

The documents contained a list of nobles who had visited Countess Tarel’s salon.

Next to each name was detailed information about how frequently they visited, how long they stayed each time, and what topics they discussed with whom.

“Quite a substantial amount.”

Confirming the thickness of the parchment stack, the Empress muttered softly, and Marchioness Latse said:

“For Your Majesty’s convenience, I’ve organized the important houses at the front with detailed information about them.”

The Empress nodded slightly and turned the pages.

As Marchioness Latse had said, the further she went, the more names of houses that were less important to the Empress appeared.

After reviewing the contents, the Empress extracted several pages from the thick parchment bundle and handed them to Marchioness Latse.

“Should we apply pressure to these houses?”

“For now.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

After quickly scanning the list the Empress had given her, Marchioness Latse placed one sheet on the desk of another lady-in-waiting who was busy with work.

Then she placed another sheet on yet another lady-in-waiting’s desk.

“You all know the procedure, right? First, persuasion. If persuasion doesn’t work, you may use any method necessary.”

One of the ladies-in-waiting who had confirmed the information about the house assigned to her asked:

“Should we proceed quickly?”

The Empress, comfortably leaning back in her large office chair and watching them, spoke leisurely:

“I’d like the matter resolved before the upcoming imperial ball.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

The ladies-in-waiting who had been reviewing their documents immediately rose from their seats.

After leaving the office, they quickly exited the imperial palace and boarded carriages.

The two carriages that left the palace entered the townhouse district.

The carriages stopped in front of different noble mansions.

****

As usual, Giselle Grante had her carriage stop at Count Tarel’s mansion and looked around, her brow slightly furrowing.

Seeing this, Lindsey asked:

“Miss, what’s wrong?”

“The number of carriages has definitely decreased.”

Only then did Lindsey look around at the waiting carriages and gave a short hum before saying:

“The weather isn’t good today, so perhaps everyone is running a bit late?”

Lindsey said while looking up at the sky.

The sky, which had been dark since morning, looked ready to pour rain at any moment.

“Well… I’ll have to go in and check.”

When she waved away Lindsey who was trying to escort her, Lindsey stood there and bowed deeply.

“Have a good visit, Miss.”

Giselle Grante hurried into Count Tarel’s mansion.

The spacious hall was not bustling with nobles as it had been before.

“You’ve arrived, Lady Amaterasu…”

Spotting Giselle Grante entering the hall, Countess Tarel approached her.

With a troubled expression she had never shown before.

“It was dark outside. It looks like it might rain heavily. I suppose everyone is staying quietly in their mansions today, avoiding going out.”

Giselle Grante offered words of comfort to the dejected Countess Tarel.

“That must be it, right?”

Forcing a smile, Countess Tarel hugged the dog Catsy closer to her chest.

Giselle Grante smiled brightly and stroked Catsy’s fluffy head.

“Of course.”

Though she spoke those words, she was thinking something else.

‘The Empress has begun to move.’