ITIF Chapter 37

Give and Take

Though he wasn’t certain, he had no memory of ever saying that time is money.

‘Could it be… did she investigate my background?’

Count Frederick’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘If she did, why would she do such a thing?’

While Count Frederick was lost in various thoughts by himself, Giselle Grante opened her mouth.

“Especially for someone like you who earns tremendous amounts of gold every hour, you must also know well that the value of that time is equally high. So I will compensate you for the value of your precious time that I’ve wasted.”

“How will you do that, that compensation?”

To Count Frederick’s counter-question, Giselle Grante answered.

“You’re purchasing and storing large quantities of Semper bulbs, aren’t you?”

At this unexpected topic, Count Frederick blinked for a moment before rising from his seat.

Then he walked around the wide office desk and stood in front of it.

“Wait… What’s this talk about Semper bulbs when you’ve come barging in here?”

How does she know that I possess large quantities of Semper bulbs and come here with that knowledge?

“Right. You probably won’t believe me even if I tell you this… Then how about this?”

Giselle Grante spread out all five fingers and continued speaking.

“By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the price of Semper bulbs will be formed like this.”

Count Frederick’s expression became peculiar for a moment.

It was true that the price of Semper bulbs was rising day by day.

Because of this, there was no one anywhere in the empire who could be confident about what price would be formed tomorrow.

So that was definitely bluffing.

“Whether you believe it or not, tomorrow we’ll be able to confirm whether my words were right or wrong.”

But Giselle Grante’s voice and expression were full of confidence.

“Fine. Let’s say it turns out as you say. What happens after that?”

“If it turns out as I said, dispose of the entire quantity before the Semper blooms.”

“…Are you joking?”

Count Frederick’s expression became even more menacing.

He seemed to have concluded that Giselle Grante had come to either steal the quantity of Semper bulbs he possessed, or to make deals with them.

“I have no intention whatsoever of profiting from Semper bulbs. I merely hope for compensation in return for providing information.”

At Giselle Grante’s words, Count Frederick, who had been looking down and seemingly thinking about something for a moment, soon opened his mouth.

“Compensation… Fine. Then what do you want from me in return for the information?”

He seemed to have decided that this would be better than wasting time arguing about an unknowable future.

The Count Frederick she knew would bite down on something once he caught it and wouldn’t let go until it was resolved.

Though she didn’t know the exact reason why he did this, even now he was trying to dig into the death of Princess Trinity.

That’s what was written in the diary that contained the future as well.

“If you discover any new information related to the Princess Trinity case, please tell me as well.”

“Why should I do that?”

“That… let’s discuss it again after tomorrow.”

With those words, Giselle Grante rose from her seat. And just as she was about to leave the office.

“Are you leaving already?”

She encountered the butler who was standing at the door holding a tray.

Giselle Grante picked up the teacup placed on the tray. Then she emptied the cup in one gulp.

“Thank you. It was delicious.”

Smiling brightly, she placed a silver coin on the tray and left Count Frederick’s office just like that.

“…What a spirited person.”

The butler said quietly while watching the retreating figure of Lady Amaterasu.

Likewise, Count Frederick watched her departing figure as she left suddenly.

The butler set down the tray he had been holding on an empty spot on the office desk and offered tea.

“Why don’t you take a breather at this opportunity, Count.”

Count Frederick, who had been sitting slightly perched on the edge of the office desk with his arms crossed, looked at the tray.

There were two teacups placed on the tray.

Count Frederick, who had briefly focused on the completely empty teacup among them, soon picked up the teacup beside it.

Then he took a sip of tea.

‘…Wasn’t it hot?’

Count Frederick raised one eyebrow while looking at the teacup, and the butler bowed deeply.

“I apologize, Count. She said she had something urgent to tell you that would definitely be helpful to you…”

It was an excuse for not being able to stop Lady Amaterasu who had barged into the office earlier.

“A week’s salary deduction will do.”

At Count Frederick’s casually spoken words, the butler flinched and trembled, then soon bowed with an accepting expression.

‘But then, why did I…’

Count Frederick questioned his own behavior and thoughts from earlier.

He was someone who acted like a mirror. In the way of returning exactly what the other person did.

Normally, if Lady Amaterasu had acted unreasonably, he should have done the same.

But he had behaved courteously toward the young lady.

‘Why on earth did I do that?’

****

“Interesting.”

Kavelaseth said with an expressionless face, casually dropping a word.

Then the young noble sitting across from him sighed lowly and said.

“It seems Duke Cardia has a good hand?”

“I can tell right away that your hand isn’t good.”

When Kavelaseth snorted, the young noble sitting across from him covered his forehead and said.

“Ah… Was it already showing?”

While the young nobles gathered around the poker table were each checking their hands, a young noble who had approached with a wine glass asked.

“By the way, everyone’s been making a fuss about not being able to buy Semper bulbs, how many did Duke Cardia purchase?”

As the young noble said, recently among the nobles, buying Semper bulbs had spread like a trend.

Under specific conditions, Semper flowers bloom in striped patterns, and because that appearance was considered fascinating, they were traded at much higher prices than ordinary Semper flowers.

Since the patterns couldn’t be confirmed until blooming, there was a gambling aspect to it, but the more bulbs one possessed, the higher the probability of obtaining special Semper flowers.

Therefore, the nobles in the imperial capital were all desperately trying to buy Semper bulbs.

Especially this year, for some reason, the strange phenomenon continued where if you bought today, the price of Semper bulbs would rise tomorrow.

However, Kavelaseth judged that this unprecedented phenomenon should be viewed with caution.

Currently, Semper bulbs were not in sufficient supply to satisfy those who wanted them.

It seemed that the situation where supply was far short of demand had created this bizarre phenomenon.

It was certainly closer to gambling than investment.

Moreover, it was impossible to know how long the price of Semper bulbs would continue to soar. Unless one possessed some special ability to see the future.

“I’m the type who doesn’t invest in unpredictable matters.”

After taking a sip of red wine, Kavelaseth said flatly.

But the general trend was different from his thinking.

Seeing how the topic of Semper bulbs kept coming up even at gatherings of academy classmates like this.

“Come on. Won’t you regret it? It’s an opportunity to easily gain great wealth.”

Another young noble said, and soon the young noble sitting next to him interjected.

“What would Duke Cardia have to regret. And it’s actually better this way. If Duke Cardia bought up all the Semper bulbs, we wouldn’t even get a chance.”

The young nobles nodded in agreement that he was right.

“What about you, Mikhail?”

Kavelaseth looked toward Mikhail, who was sitting beside him looking at his cards.

“I’m not particularly interested in beauty that fades with time.”

Mikhail said, shaking his head.

“But your sister seems to think differently.”

Mikhail, who had been concentrating intensely on predicting hands by observing the expressions and behaviors of the other young nobles until just moments ago, finally turned his head toward Kavelaseth.

“My sister? What about Giselle?”

“Haven’t you heard anything from the young lady about Semper bulbs?”

When Mikhail looked at him with an expression asking what he was talking about, another young noble interjected into their conversation.

“Are you talking about Lady Amaterasu?”

Mikhail gave no particular response or reaction.

But somehow the topic of conversation among the young nobles had already shifted to Giselle Grante.

“I saw her up close at the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony before, and she was extremely beautiful…”

Perhaps displeased that his sister had become a topic of conversation, Mikhail’s brow furrowed slightly.

But the young nobles were too busy chattering about Giselle Grante to notice Mikhail.

“I heard she hasn’t returned to the Amaterasu duchy after the investiture ceremony and has been staying in the imperial capital?”

One young noble who had been subtly watching Mikhail’s reaction added.

Then a young noble who had been somewhat oblivious since their academy days finally crossed a line he shouldn’t have.

“I heard her betrothal hasn’t been decided yet, may I put myself forward as a candidate?”

“Shut that mouth.”

When Mikhail spoke coldly, the young noble who had suggested putting himself forward as a candidate for Lady Amaterasu’s betrothal immediately declared surrender.

He raised both hands spread wide up to his face.

With that, the topic of Lady Amaterasu that had briefly come up disappeared.

Mikhail usually had a laid-back personality and rarely got angry.

But none of the academy classmates gathered here wanted to see Mikhail truly angry.

In the past, when Lady Amaterasu lived in the imperial capital, bad rumors followed her.

Saying she’s unlike the people from the Amaterasu ducal family, all sharp-minded.

Naturally, the same topic circulated within the academy as well, and at a dinner gathering where everyone was present, Mikhail beat a young noble who had insulted Giselle Grante by calling her ‘Amaterasu’s fool’ until he fainted.

Though he received a suspension for it.

Anyway, after that day, the academy classmates saw the Young Duke of Amaterasu differently.

That he was quietly unhinged.