ITIF Chapter 119

That’s Me

“Baron Cypress? Though I have fallen to this state…!”

Before the Empress could finish her sentence, the knight yanked the chain sharply.

Caught off guard, the Empress was pulled by the knight’s brutish strength, staggered, and fell.

Blood flowed from her knees and hands that struck the stone floor, and her scraped face, but the knight paid no heed and barked:

“If you don’t want to be gagged, follow quietly!”

Lying prone on the dirty, damp dungeon floor, the Empress bit the tender flesh inside her mouth.

She glared at the knight through narrowed eyes.

Even under the Empress’s venomous gaze, the knight only gripped the chain attached to her wrists and pulled hard.

Though she had much she wanted to say to this knight who knew nothing of courtesy, the Empress endured. And she ground her teeth tightly.

Vowing revenge against the knight who had given her such humiliation and those who had conspired to harm her.

****

After leaving the Grand Temple, Kavelaseth’s next destination was the Imperial Palace.

When he had visited the Grand Temple to attend the Emperor’s funeral, only a dozen or so Cardia Knights had accompanied Kavelaseth.

But now, besides the Cardia Knights, knights from the House of Amaterasu, House of Howard, House of Blatnik, and other noble families of the alliance were with him.

And when Kavelaseth entered the Imperial Palace, the royal insignia had been completely changed.

From what the late Emperor had used to that symbolizing the House of Cardia.

This was possible thanks to a two-pronged plan, with the alliance nobles divided into two groups moving according to their objectives.

Kavelaseth and the key figures of the alliance had occupied the Grand Temple and captured the Empress and Crown Prince, while the other group had chosen to seize the empty Imperial Palace.

And this plan had originated from Giselle Grante’s suggestion and been executed by Kavelaseth.

When Kavelaseth and the alliance nobles who had gone to the Grand Temple entered the audience chamber, Count Preston and his party, who had arrived first and been waiting, greeted them.

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting.”

The alliance nobles shared great satisfaction and joy at having achieved their long-held aspiration.

“With this, the alliance’s long-cherished wish has finally been realized.”

They displayed gestures that had been performed secretly until now, or lightly patted each other’s shoulders in encouragement.

Then Kavelaseth walked to the end of the audience chamber.

Naturally, the eyes of everyone in the chamber followed Kavelaseth’s movement.

“…….”

As he sat in the chair positioned at the very center of the audience chamber, the alliance nobles all bent one knee in unison, paying respect to the new Emperor.

“Duke Cardia. No, I should correct the title to Your Imperial Majesty now.”

Count Preston, who had been Kavelaseth’s closest aide and fulfilled that role admirably, was the first to speak, and Duke Blatnik and Marquis Howard also added words of congratulation.

“Congratulations on your ascension!”

“May happiness and prosperity accompany the new era!”

****

No helping hand reached out for the Empress and Crown Prince, who had fallen from being the Empire’s most powerful figures to being imprisoned in the palace’s darkest and most dreary dungeon.

Such was the nature of falling in the hierarchy of status.

Just as bees had gathered where there was honey, no bee would willingly fly to a flower that was no longer sweet and might cause illness if consumed.

Since the relationships had been formed with self-interest as their purpose from the start, there was no need to help the Empress and Crown Prince from whom nothing more could be gained.

Was that why?

Though only a few days had passed since her imprisonment, the Empress’s appearance had changed quite miserably.

Her hair, which had always been glossy and sleek from high-quality oils, was tangled and brittle, and her dress, which had been clean without a single wrinkle, was stained and ruined.

Giselle Grante, who had come to visit the Empress, quietly observed her appearance.

The Empress, who had been staring blankly at one corner of the stone wall as if dazed, slowly turned her head toward her.

When their eyes met, focus returned to the Empress’s green eyes that had been empty and hollow.

“……Lady Amaterasu?”

Soon, a raspy voice flowed from between the Empress’s parched lips.

Giselle Grante spoke with an expression devoid of any emotion.

“You look terrible.”

The Empress’s brow furrowed slightly. She seemed to think she was being mocked.

The Empress, who had been staring at Giselle Grante with a contorted expression for a moment, soon gripped the bed and pulled herself up.

Creak.

An unpleasant noise from the old bed frame echoed through the narrow cell.

Though it was loud enough to grate on one’s nerves, the Empress didn’t seem to care much and approached the bars where Giselle Grante stood.

“I thought you were sensitive to noise… but perhaps not?”

Giselle Grante maintained the same emotionless voice and expression as before.

It was rather the Empress who found her attitude strange.

“You talk as if you know so much about me.”

The Empress, who had been tilting her head slightly while staring at Giselle Grante, soon continued in a tone suggesting it didn’t matter either way.

“Anyway, what brings you to such a shabby place? Are you here to mock my ridiculous state? If not that… are you going to get me out of here?”

The Empress spoke with a self-deprecating laugh.

Even as she spoke, she seemed to judge it a story with no possibility.

Nevertheless, perhaps seeing it as an opportunity to escape from here, she continued moving her lips.

“The House of Amaterasu and the House of Cardia. These two houses certainly weren’t on good terms with me. But you need to know that there are no eternal allies or enemies.”

The Empress’s green eyes glinted beyond the bars. Giselle Grante quietly took in the Empress’s words and expression.

“Until now, the two houses’ opinions may have aligned around me as a common enemy. But will it remain so even after the common enemy is gone?”

The Empress reached through the gaps in the bars, trying to grasp Giselle Grante’s hand.

Giselle Grante didn’t avoid the Empress’s contact and just let her be.

Then the Empress’s voice became warmer than before. It was a voice she knew well from having heard it before.

“I hope you’re not naive enough to think the bond between the two houses will continue as it is now. Lady Amaterasu.”

At the Empress’s quiet warning, Giselle Grante spoke softly.

“I wonder if you remember.”

“Remember? What……?”

“There have been so many incidents, but today I especially recall the time when I had to go back and forth to the temple to purify my body and mind. Is it because I just returned from the Grand Temple?”

At Giselle Grante’s nonchalant response, the Empress’s brow furrowed even more.

Her face showed she wondered what on earth she was trying to say.

“Thinking about it now, all of those things were certainly quite coincidental circumstances.”

“What on earth are you…….”

“When the drawn curtain was pulled back, empty wine bottles were rolling around under the long curtain by the window.”

When Giselle Grante said that much, the Empress’s green eyes began to tremble finely.

“I’m glad you haven’t completely forgotten. Do you also happen to remember what happened to me after that?”

“…….”

“His Majesty let out a grand sigh and then said this: ‘One month! For the next month, don’t even think about stepping one foot outside the palace and reflect on yourself. I wonder if you have any sense at all’…….”

Giselle Grante imitated the Emperor who had muttered and turned his body sharply. Then she immediately turned toward the Empress with a smile.

“Sigh… Make sure the maids clean things up well so nothing catches His Majesty’s eye in the future. Tell them firmly. I’m sorry I couldn’t pay attention, Tri.”

The Empress’s hand that had been touching Giselle Grante’s finally fell away.

Trinity might have told the maids or someone else about that situation.

But at that time, the only one directly facing the Emperor and Empress was Trinity alone.

“It’s me. Me. The existence you’ve desperately wanted to kill and eliminate from the moment I was born.”

Struggling to calm her confusion, the Empress asked with an expression showing she had no idea what she was talking about.

“Why would I? For what reason would I want to kill Lady Amaterasu? Rather, it would be the opposite.”

“…….”

“You must remember too. I marked you first as the match for my son Joshua, who will become the next Emperor. And not just that…….”

The Empress began rattling off meaningless excuses.

As if, at this very moment, Giselle Grante alone was the only savior who could get her out of here.

After listening to the Empress’s excuse-like rambling for a while, Giselle Grante raised her voice for the first time since entering this place.

“First Imperial Princess of the Phasis Empire, Trinity!”

The Empress flinched and her shoulders trembled.

She couldn’t tell if it was from surprise at the sudden loud voice or because of the unexpected appearance of Princess Trinity’s name.

Only after taking a deep breath and exhaling did she continue with a bright smile.

“That’s me.”

“……!”

The Empress stepped back hesitantly. Her green eyes looking at Giselle Grante began to tremble finely.

She quietly took in the Empress’s unusually agitated state.

However, soon, as if thinking of something, the Empress’s trembling lips curled up sharply.

“I have no idea why you’re spouting such nonsense…….”

The Empress shrugged and continued staring at Giselle Grante with a gaze that had become somewhat sharper.

“……Let’s stop talking about Trinity, which is neither fun nor interesting, and I’d like you to tell me the real reason you came all the way to this shabby and dreary prison to find me.”