ITIF Chapter 116

An Uninvited Guest at the Alliance Meeting

That night, Giselle Grante couldn’t fall asleep until the late early morning hours.

The sudden news of the Emperor’s death had given her much to think about.

He had been a father she both respected and feared, but one who had ultimately abandoned her.

In the end, he had died just as futilely as she had…….

After tossing and turning in bed for a long while, she finally got up.

She sat at the console, tidied her disheveled hair, then wrapped a thick shawl around herself.

Though it was quite late, she thought it would be better to take a walk and get some fresh air rather than just lying still in bed.

She had just stepped onto the landing of the staircase leading to the first floor after leaving her bedroom.

‘……Did I just hear something?’

Giselle Grante stopped moving and listened carefully to the sounds.

Just then, she heard it again. It was the sound of a door closing. Perhaps because it was early morning when everyone was asleep, even small sounds felt amplified.

‘It seems there’s someone else who can’t sleep, like me.’

Giselle Grante’s eyes widened as she descended the stairs, thinking nothing of it.

‘An alliance meeting!’

It had been the same when variables arose due to Philipo’s sudden appearance at the Crown Prince investiture ceremony.

The alliance nobles had held a meeting in a secret space at Duke Amaterasu’s estate, then left the duke’s residence in the early morning hours without the estate employees knowing.

Recalling that time, she found herself nodding.

‘It’s quite possible.’

If the alliance nobles were gathered at Duke Cardia’s estate for a meeting, she moved forward, speculating where that place might be.

****

The meeting that had started in the early morning hours when everyone at Duke Cardia’s household was asleep had already been going on for several hours.

Though they should have been exhausted from the continuing meeting, there was no trace of fatigue on anyone’s faces, including Duke Kavelaseth, who sat at the head of the table.

They had waited far too long.

And at the end of that wait, the day to achieve their goal had drawn near.

The day the Emperor of the Phasis Empire would change, that is.

As such, the atmosphere in the meeting room was much more heated than usual.

“If we miss this opportunity, we don’t know when such a good chance will come again, so it would be best to immediately summon each family’s elite forces to the capital.”

A young noble spoke boldly.

Though it was somewhat radical logic for someone who had inherited a count title at a young age, no one in the meeting room could easily refute him.

This was because his father had been executed simply for displeasing the Emperor.

Cough.

Just then, an elderly noble cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention.

“It’s not that I don’t understand the Count’s feelings, but…… rather, I think now is the time we need to be cautious.”

The young noble who had just offered his opinion looked at the elderly noble with a shocked expression.

Though apologetic to him, the elderly noble opened his mouth again as if he had no intention of changing his opinion.

“If things go wrong, we might incur the resentment of the Empire’s citizens. Furthermore, there might be groups who question whether we’re involved in the Emperor’s death. If that happens, it will cause problems for future governance as well…….”

Kavelaseth looked around at everyone in the meeting room with a somewhat troubled expression.

Though their opinions differed, everyone shared the same sense of anticipation about the Emperor’s sudden death.

And the person with the strongest decision-making power in this room was Duke Kavelaseth Cardia—him.

That’s why he couldn’t speak carelessly.

It’s not difficult for those with a common enemy and the same goal to band tightly together. But what comes after could be different.

Having prepared for a long time, there was nothing good about rushing. But there’s always an appropriate timing…….

So it was equally difficult for him to make a decision easily.

‘It’s almost time for sunrise.’

It was time to signal the end of today’s meeting without having narrowed their differences.

Just as Kavelaseth was about to suggest wrapping up today’s meeting.

“…….”

He sensed someone approaching near the meeting room. Without much thought, Kavelaseth abruptly stood up.

“Kavel? What’s wrong?”

Mikhail asked, watching Kavelaseth suddenly rise from his seat and walk toward the entrance.

“It seems there’s a stray cat nearby, so I’m going to check.”

“……What?”

Mikhail muttered something with a somewhat dazed expression, then looked around and asked.

“Are you saying Catsy is here?”

However, Kavelaseth lightly ignored Mikhail and strode forward.

Then, he knocked lightly on the door from the inside so as not to startle the other person, before opening it.

As he had expected, Giselle Grante stood beyond the door.

“The feeling is a bit strange. I think I’ve experienced this situation once before.”

Giselle Grante spoke first with a slight smile. Kavelaseth also smiled back and said.

“Indeed. I do have a record of catching a stray cat that was prowling near a meeting room.”

“May I come inside as well?”

“Would you turn back if I said I wouldn’t let you in?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

Giselle Grante shook her head with a resolute expression.

Her spirited gaze looked quite reliable.

“Come in.”

No sooner had he spoken than she tried to step inside.

Just before her foot touched the inside of the meeting room, Kavelaseth said.

“However, the moment you enter here, Giselle, you become a complete accomplice. With the alliance nobles.”

A look of bewilderment crossed Giselle Grante’s face for a moment. But she only glared at him briefly without making any particular complaint.

“Fine. I understand the Lady’s intentions well.”

Kavelaseth smiled gracefully and returned to his original seat.

“Excuse me, wait a moment. Look over there, please.”

Marquis Howard, the first to notice the outsider who shouldn’t be here, alerted the other nobles.

Naturally, the alliance nobles’ gazes turned to Giselle Grante as she entered the meeting room.

Everyone in the meeting room looked at Giselle Grante with disbelieving expressions, but among them, those who received the greatest shock were undoubtedly her family—Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail.

“Giselle, why are you here…….”

“……Giselle? What’s going on?”

Mikhail immediately glared at Kavelaseth with a hostile expression.

Though he must have felt Duke Amaterasu’s murderous gaze as well, Kavelaseth’s eyes remained fixed on Giselle Grante.

She walked toward the front of the meeting room at a pace neither slow nor fast.

Arriving at the center, she surveyed the meeting room.

Her standing posture was very straight, and her long hair, simply let down without any adornment, further enhanced her pure charm.

She was more than a span shorter than the nobles gathered here, and her build was also delicate and slender.

But her presence was by no means small.

“Everyone has worked hard late into the night. I believe there must have been good reason for all of you to urgently visit Duke Cardia’s estate at this early hour.”

“…….”

The nobles in the meeting room busily exchanged glances between Kavelaseth and Duke Amaterasu and his son.

Everyone here had agreed not to reveal the alliance’s existence to anyone other than themselves.

This wasn’t limited to just wives and daughters.

Though Young Duke Amaterasu was an exception, it applied to heirs who would inherit the family as well.

This wasn’t only because of the confidentiality clause.

It was to protect their families in case things went wrong.

Yet Duke Cardia brought his unmarried fiancée inside?

Moreover, judging by their very angry expressions, it seemed Duke Amaterasu and his son knew nothing about this matter.

While the alliance nobles were lost in various thoughts, Giselle Grante opened her mouth again.

“That’s probably to devise countermeasures for the rapidly changing Empire situation.”

No sooner had Giselle Grante finished speaking than a young noble raised his hand.

“……I apologize for interrupting, but Lady, you should not be here.”

“Why not?”

“Well, that’s…….”

He trailed off, looking back and forth between Kavelaseth and Duke Amaterasu and his son.

Kavelaseth nodded as if to say it was fine, while Duke Amaterasu and his son simultaneously rose from their seats.

Just as the two turned toward Kavelaseth.

“I have a good way to resolve this situation to everyone’s satisfaction here……. Would you like to hear it first?”

Giselle Grante smiled slightly as she surveyed the nobles exchanging confused glances with each other.

Was it only Kavelaseth’s delusion that her confident expression, which even seemed somewhat arrogant, looked quite reliable?

Kavelaseth’s heart pounded rapidly.

Perhaps it was because she looked more radiant than ever to his eyes.

****

The Emperor’s funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere.

Such a large crowd gathered that even the Empire’s largest Grand Temple couldn’t accommodate them all.

The High Priest on the platform praised the Emperor’s achievements under the guise of a sermon, and the majority gathered in the Grand Temple nodded in agreement.

Among those immersed in grief were Giselle Grante and Kavelaseth as well.

“He’s quite the braggart.”

Kavelaseth briefly criticized the High Priest.

Giselle Grante merely lifted the corners of her mouth slightly and turned her gaze to the Empress.

The Empress, wearing a black veil pulled low, kept dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief.

Beside her sat Joshua, slouching and staring straight ahead with a rather bored expression.

It was regrettable that only high-ranking nobles could see the Crown Prince up close, as Joshua appeared indifferent to his father’s death.

“Now we will have the Crown Prince’s memorial address.”

Only after sufficiently embellishing and glorifying the Emperor’s past achievements, from trivial to great, did the High Priest look at Joshua.

Just as Joshua rose from his seat and moved to the center of the platform.

“……?”

The sound of multiple footsteps growing closer from afar could be heard.

Turning their heads, they could see Imperial knights entering the Grand Temple.

Though their expressions were nearly emotionless, everyone could immediately sense the tremendous anger radiating from the knights.