ITIF Chapter 110

It’s Okay to Refuse

“Is there… some problem?”

Instead of saying that the sight of Lady Greykin wiping Count Preston’s cheek looked quite affectionate, Giselle Grante shook her head.

Count Preston, who had opened his mouth as if he was about to immediately discuss what happened at the Imperial Palace, suddenly turned his head toward Lady Greykin.

“Ah, before that. Since I’ve already used it, may I use it a bit more?”

Count Preston’s gaze fell on the handkerchief Lady Greykin had set down.

“Ah, please use it.”

“I’ll have it laundered and return it to you.”

Wiping his sweat with the handkerchief he received from Lady Greykin, Count Preston opened his mouth again.

“What was discussed at the Imperial Palace today was about the salt business that the Antares family had been monopolizing.”

Giselle Grante and Lady Greykin held their breath, waiting for Count Preston’s next words.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Perhaps his throat was dry, as Count Preston picked up the water bottle on the table. Then Kavelaseth began explaining instead.

“The Emperor said he would nullify Marquis Antares family’s monopoly on the salt business. Seeing him make such a bold move, it seems the amount of taxes they didn’t report to the Imperial family until now was considerable.”

“That’s right. From now on, it seems many people will be able to engage in the salt business through bidding.”

“Did the Emperor really allow that?”

To Giselle Grante’s question, Kavelaseth murmured lowly.

“It certainly is unexpected.”

“I agree with that. After nullifying the salt business monopoly, it was Duke Cardia who proposed the solution. Count Frederick and I agreed with that opinion, and then other nobles expressed their agreement as well.”

Then another surprising fact was heard.

Though she hadn’t heard it directly from the person involved, Giselle Grante could tell by feeling.

That Count Frederick was not favorable toward Kavelaseth.

That such a person was the first to agree with Kavelaseth’s opinion was nothing but puzzling.

“Count Frederick?”

It was the moment she voiced her rising question. The grip of Kavelaseth’s hand holding hers under the table tightened slightly.

She flinched in surprise and turned her head slightly toward Kavelaseth.

As expected.

Kavelaseth’s lips, which had been pleasantly curved upward the whole time, were now pressed into a straight line.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Lady Greykin and Count Preston continued.

“Is the Emperor really going to abandon the Antares family? He’ll incur the Empress’s wrath…”

“Everyone seems surprised. There’s no one anywhere in the Empire who doesn’t know that the Antares family, the Empress’s maiden family, has been under the protection of the Imperial family until now.”

Throughout the conversation of the four people about this matter, Kavelaseth still showed no intention of letting go of her hand.

After the situation report ended, Lady Greykin, who was leaving the conference room, turned her head.

After glancing back and forth between Giselle Grante and Kavelaseth for a moment, Lady Greykin soon left the conference room.

Only when the two of them were left alone in the conference room did Giselle Grante slowly open her mouth.

“Do you perhaps have something to say to me?”

“He wants to see you.”

“Who?”

“The Emperor.”

“…His Majesty the Emperor?”

When Giselle Grante looked at him with surprised eyes, Kavelaseth nodded with a stiff face.

“What reason did he give?”

“He said it was to congratulate you before such an important marriage. If you don’t want to, I’ll refuse on my end. I just brought it up because I thought it would be best to hear your opinion first….”

Kavelaseth’s lips, which had twitched as if to add something more, pressed shut.

Instead of asking what he had been about to say, Giselle Grante began speculating about the Emperor’s psychology.

‘To congratulate me…’

The Emperor wouldn’t know that Kavelaseth was actually his son, not his nephew.

And wanting to see his nephew’s fiancée’s face once before the marriage wasn’t particularly strange.

For an ordinary person, that is.

But the Emperor was someone who not only had a history of reclaiming the throne after regicide, but also didn’t consider blood relations particularly meaningful to the extent that he would abandon even his daughter if he judged her to have no value.

For that reason, Kavelaseth would also be reluctant to introduce Giselle Grante to the Emperor…

Though she mulled it over for some time, it was difficult to grasp the Emperor’s intentions.

It seemed necessary to understand the context of the conversation before the talk of meeting her came up.

“What conversation were you having with the Emperor before the topic of seeing me came up?”

After pondering his memories for a while with his gaze lowered, Kavelaseth soon opened his mouth.

“He asked who had reported the fact that the Antares family embezzled. The Emperor seemed to assume it was naturally me.”

“So it was after he learned that you were the informant. That he said he wanted to see you.”

“Right.”

As her contemplation deepened, Giselle Grante’s lovely brow also furrowed deeply.

Since she had no way of knowing the Emperor’s intentions, she worried that even if she encountered difficulties during the meeting, it would be hard to respond quickly.

‘But simply refusing doesn’t seem to be the answer either…’

It was the moment she was about to say that she’d like to think about it a bit more before deciding.

“…!”

Kavelaseth suddenly lifted her by the waist. Then he seated her on his lap.

“If you don’t want to, you can refuse. Giselle.”

Perhaps because she was so startled, her heart pounded rapidly.

Giselle Grante glared at Kavelaseth with eyes grown round.

“Are you talking about this situation right now?”

Kavelaseth, who chuckled with a languid face, pulled her waist even closer and whispered softly.

“The only thing you can refuse is meeting the Emperor.”

Then he tapped her lower lip, which was protruding in displeasure.

“…I want to go to the Imperial Palace.”

“There wasn’t really a need to give that answer right now, was there?”

Making a completely mischievous expression, Kavelaseth gently bit her cheek, not hard enough to hurt.

“But when I go to the Imperial Palace, please stay by my side the whole time.”

Kavelaseth’s eyes curved beautifully, as if quite satisfied with her answer.

“I will.”

****

Meanwhile, Marchioness Latse was in high spirits, delighted to be out with her family for once.

Though it was a bit chilly in the evening, it was still fine.

This wasn’t the first time traveling west, so thanks to preparing quite thoroughly, it was manageable.

It was a bit regrettable that they couldn’t bring the children because they left in such a hurry.

“Is this where we’re staying tonight?”

Having gotten out of the carriage, Marchioness Latse pointed with her chin at the inn right in front of her and asked. The escort knight who had jumped down from his horse answered.

“This is said to be the finest inn in this village.”

However, the exterior of the inn right before her eyes looked far too shabby in her view.

“I don’t want to be fussy in such a remote place, but…”

Marchioness Latse began with that preface while looking at her husband.

Perhaps from being subjected to the carriage all day, her husband had shadows under his eyes.

“Honey. Think about it carefully. If rumors spread that people from Marquis Latse family, the finest family in the capital, stayed in a place like this…”

After listening to his wife’s chattering for a while, Marquis Latse finally waved his hand as if to say that was enough.

“Alright, alright.”

Then he ordered the knight waiting by the carriage.

“Sir, it seems this won’t do. Find out if there are any other inns nearby. As quickly as possible.”

“Understood.”

The knight who nodded gave instructions to the other knights.

Several of the remaining escort knights mounted their horses again. Soon the knights scattered in all directions.

“It seems we’ll have to wait a bit. What would you like to do?”

Marquis Latse gestured toward the carriage while asking his wife’s intentions.

“I’m feeling a bit stuffy from being confined in the carriage, so how about a walk before entering the inn?”

“…Let’s do that.”

It was when Marquis Latse reluctantly nodded.

A knight who came out of the inn spotted the two people moving away from the carriage and asked.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to take a short walk.”

Marquis Latse answered casually without looking back. Then he walked off toward the shopping district.

To the knight who was blankly watching the backs of the Marquis and Marchioness Latse, another knight said.

“The Marchioness doesn’t seem pleased with this inn. So everyone went to see if there are other accommodations.”

Having heard about the situation that changed in that brief moment, the knight shook his head in exasperation.

The knight who was trudging toward the knights guarding the carriage soon counted the number of people remaining.

Besides himself, three seemed sufficient as personnel to guard the carriage.

“How many went to look for other inns?”

“Four in total. Since you ordered them to find a place to rest as quickly as possible…”

The number of escort knights who accompanied the Marquis and Marchioness Latse’s journey was twelve in total.

That meant four escorts had followed the Marquis and Marchioness Latse who headed to the shopping district.

“Four…”

“Should I follow them now as well?”

It was when the knight who had been sitting on the ground by the carriage asked while getting his heavy body up.

A scream was heard from not too far away.