ITIF Chapter 36

The Instigator

Today, as usual, Iliana was killing time in the mansion, bored and tedious, so she came down to the first floor with the intention of taking a walk.

As she was about to move toward the garden, she caught sight of her mother, Countess Minster, who looked somehow pleased.

‘She seems to be in a good mood?’

Since the Empress’s tea party, her mother had not gone outside and had been secluding herself in the mansion, remaining gloomy throughout.

But to see her looking so pleased – what on earth could it be?

“Mother, what’s the matter?”

Iliana asked, but Countess Minster, seeming absorbed in her own thoughts, did not answer.

‘Did she not hear me?’

Iliana tilted her head briefly and spoke again.

“……Mother?”

Only then did Countess Minster turn her head toward Iliana.

“Oh, Ilia. Where are you going?”

“It felt a bit stuffy being inside all the time, so I thought I’d take a walk……”

“It looks like it might rain, so if you’re going out, make sure to take an umbrella.”

“I’ll bring one for you, my lady.”

The maid standing behind Iliana quickly ran up to the second floor.

Countess Minster had told Iliana that she was taking a brief rest for vacation, but Iliana didn’t believe those words.

Because from the first day of the vacation, Countess Minster had been in a very bad mood.

Moreover, she would sometimes shout in a voice filled with indignation, “This is all because of that Lady Amaterasu!”

Though she hadn’t explained things clearly, Iliana had roughly grasped the situation.

That her mother had been put in a difficult position due to the incident at the imperial tea party. And that her own responsibility for falling for a shallow provocation and ruining the Empress’s tea party was not light.

But seeing her pleased now, it seemed news had come for her to return to the imperial palace.

“Did you perhaps receive contact from Her Majesty the Empress?”

Contrary to her expectation, Countess Minster frowned at Iliana’s question.

“You’ll have to give up on that side. She’s someone who shows no mercy even for a single mistake……”

Countess Minster continued grumbling complainingly after that.

How many years had she served, yet she never thought she would be cast aside like discarded trash.

Hearing those words, Iliana’s shoulders also drooped.

The Empress had given a hint not to appear in social circles as much as possible until the incident at the imperial tea party died down.

Because of that, Iliana had been unable to budge from the count’s residence ever since the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony.

Just like Count Zimmer’s daughter, who had been a maid to the deceased Princess Trinity.

“Then what do I do now? Forget about becoming Crown Princess – at this rate, all the good marriage prospects will be snatched away by other young ladies.”

Perhaps because the sky had been gloomy for the past few days, Iliana showed her dejected mood openly.

“Is that my fault?”

“…….”

At Countess Minster’s sharp gaze, Iliana made a tearful face and shut her mouth tightly.

Then Countess Minster quickly continued speaking.

“What meaning is there in us fighting among ourselves over past events? We need to think about future matters……..Iliana, you don’t need to worry. People are quite simple, you know.”

When Iliana frowned as if asking what she meant, Countess Minster quickly continued.

“Right now, they’re probably trying to distance themselves thinking there’s nothing more to gain from me.”

“…….”

“But times like this make it easy to distinguish who are my people and who aren’t. So it’s a good thing. You should also watch carefully now. Distinguish well between those who left your side as soon as your situation worsened and those who remained by your side.”

Iliana only let out a light sigh.

Due to the commotion she caused at the imperial tea party, not only the young men who had been expressing interest in her, but even the young ladies she had been close with since childhood began to distance themselves from her.

But she didn’t bother to voice this matter.

Because it seemed like it would make her feel depressed again.

And the real reason the situation had become like this was all because of Lady Amaterasu.

‘It wasn’t just her head that was bad.’

Lady Amaterasu must have had her character buried in the mud as well.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have insulted her in front of everyone, saying her appearance was shabby.

In fact, until Countess Minster worked as the Empress’s maid, the Minster family was not particularly wealthy.

If Countess Minster had not handled her duties well and gained the Empress’s trust, they would never have obtained the title of count either.

In short, the current Minster count family was no different from being built by Iliana’s mother, Countess Minster, with her own hands, and the foundation of that power was the Empress.

Now that the Empress had let go, only the path of decline remained.

“Yes, I’ll keep Mother’s teachings well in mind.”

Iliana nodded her head roughly and tried to turn toward the garden.

It was because of her physician’s recommendation to take walks when feeling depressed.

It was when Iliana, having left the mansion, was strolling in the garden.

Through the open window, she could hear Countess Minster’s voice.

“Honey! Honey. It went up again.”

“Is that really true?”

“I’m telling you it did! I think it’ll go up even more tomorrow.”

Iliana glanced at the pleased-looking faces of Countess Minster and Count Minster, then moved on.

Since Iliana knew nothing about business or estate management, she couldn’t join the conversation, but she knew one thing.

That recently her mother had purchased bulbs of some flower. Quite a lot of them, too.

****

Count Frederick was reading reports that had come up from the count’s territory for quite some time when he heard the sound of shoes from the corridor.

Click-clack, click-clack.

It probably wasn’t a maid working at Count Frederick’s residence. He had them wear comfortable shoes while working.

‘Who could it be?’

It was when Count Frederick narrowed his eyes.

The office door burst open and Lady Amaterasu walked confidently inside.

“It’s been a while.”

Behind her stood the butler with a troubled expression, just moving his lips soundlessly.

While he realized the butler’s incompetence in failing to stop Lady Amaterasu who had barged in regardless, he also understood his situation.

Giselle Grante was the one and only daughter of Duke Amaterasu.

So the butler would have had no way to stop her.

“Have you been well during this time?”

Regardless of Count Frederick’s incredulous expression, Lady Amaterasu sat down on the office sofa as if his office were her own home.

Watching that sight, Count Frederick was seized by a strange sense of déjà vu.

‘That brazenness that feels almost shameless…….’

Somehow it didn’t feel unfamiliar.

As if he had experienced this situation once before.

While he was pondering over this situation that seemed familiar, Lady Amaterasu calmly demanded tea from the butler.

“Not too hot, and put in two spoonfuls of honey.”

“Yes. Control the water temperature so it’s not too hot. And put in two spoonfuls of honey……”

As if caught up in her pace, the butler was taking down Lady Amaterasu’s order.

“Ha…….”

Finally, a hollow laugh burst from Count Frederick’s mouth.

Then the butler looked back at Count Frederick with a flustered expression.

Count Frederick waved his hand dismissively, meaning he should leave now.

The butler bowed and left the office, and Count Frederick gestured toward the thick parchments he had been reading and the pile of documents stacked high on one side of his desk.

“Due to the young lady’s sudden action, I am currently suffering mental and temporal damage in real time?”

Count Frederick’s voice was thoroughly tinged with irritation and annoyance.

Nevertheless, Lady Amaterasu answered calmly without losing her smile.

“I won’t take up your time for long.”

Lady Amaterasu had barged into Count Frederick’s residence without any advance notice of her visit.

And at the time when he was most focused on his work.

Of course, he had rejected all the letters Lady Amaterasu had sent him several times before, saying she wanted to meet and have a conversation.

“It seems compensation will be necessary, but what does the young lady think?”

And normally, he should have immediately kicked out this Lady Amaterasu who was being impolite, rude, and acting high and mighty from his mansion.

He would have done so normally.

The reason he wasn’t able to do so was probably…….

“Time is money. And I’m fully aware that I’m currently consuming your time.”

One of Count Frederick’s eyebrows rose.

The saying that time is money was something he completely agreed with and also something he often said.

[Time is money. And right now, Your Highness the Princess is consuming my precious time. In real time.]

[Then I just need to pay the price for the time consumed.]

The image of Princess Trinity snorting as if it were nothing suddenly came to mind, not by Count Frederick’s will.

But Princess Trinity and Lady Amaterasu had nothing in common.

While both were undoubtedly outstanding beauties, they were completely different from their appearance to their atmosphere.

If Princess Trinity was a beauty who gave a refreshing feeling with her proud yet spirited nature, tall and striking appearance, then Lady Amaterasu was smaller than her and belonged more to the lovely category.

So there was no reason to think of Princess Trinity while looking at Lady Amaterasu.

‘But why…….’

He couldn’t understand why he had suddenly thought of Princess Trinity while looking at Lady Amaterasu.

‘Is it because she said the same thing Princess Trinity used to say?’

He thought that briefly, but even so, Count Frederick had said that time is money hundreds of times in his life.

Because of that, people who had close relationships with him knew well that it was his verbal habit.

‘Did I say the same thing in front of Lady Amaterasu?’