ITIF Chapter 80

The Butler’s Scheme

“……!”

Having trained under the scorching afternoon sun, it seemed they were quickly cooling off instead of rushing back to their quarters.

“G-goodness…….”

Flustered by the sudden display of bare flesh that unfolded before her eyes without warning, the butler began to flutter about, not knowing what to do.

Should he discreetly lower the parasol to shield her eyes, or should he quickly suggest they return to the mansion…….

However, contrary to the butler’s expectations, Giselle Grante remained composed.

Since it was light training today, they hadn’t bothered with armor, but she well knew how grueling it was to train for hours under such intense sunlight.

Sweat would be pouring down like rain, and not only their outer garments but their underclothes would surely have been soaked through long ago.

So naturally they’d want to remove their clinging clothes as soon as training ended.

Not removing their pants and undergarments was the maximum courtesy they could show.

And the reason she understood the knights’ circumstances was because she herself had experienced the same thing.

A commander who had never held a sword versus a commander who had sweated and suffered alongside the knights—on the battlefield, it was obvious which one the knights would follow without needing to compare.

And in the past, the Empress and her ladies-in-waiting had visited the training grounds on a sweltering summer day under the pretext of supporting Trinity.

They had called the knights barbaric upon seeing them with their shirts off.

Of course, unlike their pot-bellied husbands, they couldn’t easily tear their eyes away from the tall, muscular upper bodies with such large frames. Afterwards, one of the Empress’s ladies-in-waiting even began actively pursuing a knight…….

And she had secretly envied the knights who could freely cast off their shirts in front of everyone.

But unlike the active-natured Trinity, Giselle Grante of the past had been a demure young lady.

If she didn’t blush or show embarrassment at seeing the knights’ bare bodies, it would have seemed unseemly.

‘I should return to the ducal residence.’

She had seen enough of the training and was about to suggest they head back.

Just then, Kavelaseth emerged from the building connected to the training grounds.

He was conversing with a large-framed knight beside him as he walked toward where the knights were gathered.

Then, spotting her and the butler standing at a distance, he strode directly toward them, passing the knights in individual training.

“What were you doing here?”

He asked, his expression clearly showing his displeasure.

“Ah, well…… I suggested to the Young Lady that she might enjoy watching the knights’ training. Since the wait seemed like it would be rather long, I thought she might be bored…….”

Kavelaseth glared at the butler with one eyebrow raised, and the butler’s head automatically bowed low.

The butler suggesting they watch the training must have been within the scope of what Kavelaseth had permitted.

‘Then why is he so angry?’

Puzzled by his inexplicable reaction, she tilted her head and changed the subject, pointing to his white shirt clinging to his torso, soaked through.

“Did you do some personal training as well? You must be feeling quite uncomfortable…….”

****

While Kavelaseth went to wash up, Giselle Grante spent time with Lady Greykin.

They were enjoying tea and desserts, engaging in conversation for a while, when Count Preston came looking for them.

“There you are, Lady Greykin. Uh…….”

Like someone being chased, he was about to pour out what he had to say the moment he saw Lady Greykin, but his gaze landed on Giselle Grante.

Seeing Giselle Grante, Count Preston blinked slowly before greeting her.

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Amaterasu.”

Then he introduced himself. Giselle Grante also greeted Count Preston with appropriate courtesy.

“The pleasure is mine.”

Count Preston—he was a man who would remain by Kavelaseth’s side when he became Emperor. According to the diary, he would also become a minister of the Empire in the future.

The two of them, Kavelaseth and Count Preston, had rarely been seen together in public.

So few people knew about their close relationship.

‘So he’d already secured him. Then just when did he start planning to usurp the throne…….’

While she was pondering Kavelaseth’s plans, Count Preston urged Lady Greykin.

“My lady, it’s rather urgent.”

“Oh, what should I do? I have something that needs urgent attention.”

Finally, Lady Greykin spoke with a troubled expression.

“I was just thinking it would be good for me to go see His Grace as well. Please go ahead.”

“Then if you’ll excuse me. I’ll see you next time, my lady.”

Lady Greykin rose from her seat with an expression full of regret.

“Well then. Until we meet again.”

Count Preston and Lady Greykin, who exchanged brief farewells with her, hurriedly left the drawing room.

‘Is she handling some matters for the ducal residence?’

Giselle Grante thought as she watched Lady Greykin’s retreating figure rapidly disappearing into the distance.

‘Well.’

Her head nodded involuntarily.

Lady Greykin had been among the most capable of Trinity’s ladies-in-waiting.

If she had become Emperor as planned, perhaps Lady Greykin too would have become a minister like Count Preston.

Giselle Grante wore a bitter smile as she imagined a future that would never come.

Just then, the butler walked into the drawing room. After scanning the interior, he spoke.

“Count Preston was urgently looking for Lady Greykin, so I came to see…… but it appears they’ve already been here.”

“It seems Lady Greykin has some work she’s doing?”

“Ah, yes. Well…….”

At Giselle Grante’s question, the butler began to explain.

Count Preston, delighted to find Lady Greykin—who had once been Princess Trinity’s lady-in-waiting—at the ducal residence, had asked for her help.

Lady Greykin, who happened to be bored, agreed, and she handled her assigned tasks satisfactorily.

Since then, Lady Greykin had been helping Count Preston with his work.

“……I see.”

This was something she hadn’t known, as Lady Greykin hadn’t brought it up first.

“Shall we move to another location?”

“Let’s.”

Giselle Grante immediately rose from her seat.

In fact, the reason she had visited the Cardia ducal residence today was partly to check on Lady Greykin’s well-being, but mainly because of her appointment to meet with Kavelaseth.

The place they moved to, following the butler’s guidance, was a drawing room in a location somewhat removed from where she had been with Lady Greykin.

“Would you like me to prepare fresh tea?”

Then the butler listed the types of newly acquired teas.

“Please do.”

She nodded readily.

When she had visited the ducal residence before, the tea the butler had recommended had suited her taste well, and she was curious about what tea he would recommend this time, so she had no desire to decline.

“Then please wait just a moment.”

After the butler left and she was alone, Giselle Grante looked around the interior of the drawing room.

Despite being in the same ducal residence, it had a different atmosphere from the place she had just been with Lady Greykin.

Where she was now felt somewhat more austere.

Perhaps it was because the furniture design was simpler and the colors were closer to achromatic.

While she was looking around the interior, footsteps drew closer.

‘That was quick.’

Thinking the butler had returned with the fresh tea, she turned her head toward the direction of the sound.

But the person who walked into the drawing room wasn’t the butler. It was Kavelaseth.

As if he’d just finished washing up, he walked toward her, patting his slightly damp hair with a towel.

And the moment their eyes met, both he and she froze slightly.

“…….”

“…….”

His face showed an expression full of puzzlement as to why she was here.

Her face clearly showed surprise at why he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Silence settled over the drawing room.

As the two stood wordlessly looking only at each other’s faces—

The butler walked in carrying a tray.

He casually set down the tray he was carrying on the table and spoke.

“Perhaps because you just trained, Master, your physique has improved even more.”

The butler began excessively pouring out words praising the beauty of Kavelaseth’s muscles.

About the elegant lines of his deltoids, the beauty of his latissimus dorsi, the excellence of his abdominals…….

At first glance, he seemed to be rejoicing in his master’s growth, but she soon grasped the butler’s hidden intention.

That he was subtly—no, blatantly—trying to boast about the superiority of his master’s physique.

And certainly, there was merit to the butler’s words.

The proof was that she too couldn’t easily tear her eyes away from Kavelaseth’s bare body.

Afterwards, the butler continued to lavish praise on each and every minor muscle on Kavelaseth’s body.

Naturally, her gaze moved according to the butler’s explanations.

“Just look at the pubic bone muscle, commonly called the pubis. It’s appropriately thick yet elastic…….”

Her gaze landed on Kavelaseth’s pubic muscle that the butler was indicating.

Kavelaseth swept back his hair that had fallen forward and cut off the butler’s words.

“Enough. That’s sufficient.”

The butler promptly closed his mouth.

Then he bowed to the two of them and walked out into the corridor.

With just the two of them left, the space fell into silence once more.

Without the butler’s praise, it became even more difficult to stare at Kavelaseth’s bare body.

“…….”

Not knowing where to rest her gaze, her eyes rolled and landed on the teacup in her discomfort.

Since it was brewed with newly acquired tea leaves, it would be better to savor it before it cooled.

But that her gaze kept drifting back to Kavelaseth’s bare body was not by her own will.