ITIF Chapter 14

I’ll Stake My Future

“What did I tell you? Despite all the back and forth, I said the Emperor would ultimately be Prince Joshua, didn’t I?”

Someone boasted that their prediction had been correct, while another voiced their disappointment that their strategy had failed.

“Just the gifts that went to Princess Trinity’s associates alone could buy several villas…”

And among these conversations was talk that Giselle Grante could not simply overlook.

‘Gifts that went to Princess Trinity’s associates?’

It meant someone had received quid pro quo bribes. Using Princess Trinity’s name…

‘Who could it have been?’

Giselle Grante’s beautiful brow furrowed slightly.

“Did the young lady also fail in this betting?”

Kavelaseth asked.

Giselle Grante briefly closed her eyes, then opened them, wanting to distance herself from the noise around her and the sadness of knowing there was a traitor among her people.

After taking a deep breath in and out, she spoke.

“Previously, I had bet on Princess Trinity.”

“Oh my, I hope you didn’t bet too much.”

Kavelaseth offered words of consolation with an expression that showed no real sympathy.

“So this time, I’m thinking of making a different choice.”

“A different choice? That’s ridiculous. There shouldn’t be any other options left now, should there?”

“…”

“There are quite a few who pledged loyalty to the Empress even while Princess Trinity was alive. And after today, that number will only increase.”

This meant it wouldn’t be easy to squeeze in and wag one’s tail at the Empress.

In her estimation, Duke Amaterasu and Young Duke Mikhail seemed to have kept quiet about the fact that they were supporting Kavelaseth from Giselle Grante.

Kavelaseth also seemed to think that Giselle Grante was unaware of this fact.

“Let me make this clear now.”

So Giselle Grante looked straight into Kavelaseth’s red eyes and said:

“If it were me, I would stake my future on you.”

Instantly, his public smile vanished completely, and Kavelaseth’s gaze turned cold.

“…”

Kavelaseth stepped closer to her. Then, lowering his voice further, he said:

“Let me ask you something. Young Lady Amaterasu, do you know what you’re saying?”

Giselle Grante only showed a faint smile.

“…?”

Though Kavelaseth’s gaze grew even more chilly at that inscrutable smile, she answered calmly.

“Well. Whether I’m saying this knowing what I mean, or pretending to know while being ignorant—you’ll find out by watching.”

Then she spun around gracefully.

“I have other appointments after this, so then.”

“…”

Kavelaseth followed the retreating figure of Giselle Grante with narrowed eyes.

‘Did either Duke Amaterasu or Mikhail give Giselle Grante a hint?’

About the fact that there was a faction trying to make Kavelaseth the next Emperor.

But that fact was supposed to be kept secret from everyone except the family head and the next family head.

So according to their agreement, Duke Amaterasu’s daughter should have been completely unaware of anything related to this.

****

“Miss, did your conversation with the Duke go well?”

Lindsey, who had been standing at some distance, hurried to follow Giselle Grante and asked.

Lindsey’s face bore a smile she couldn’t hide.

It seemed she had been watching her converse with Kavelaseth just moments before.

Giselle Grante only nodded slightly and quickly walked toward the carriage.

‘Speaking impulsively like that… it wasn’t like me.’

Even if she truly supported Kavelaseth as the next Emperor, it had been too hasty a statement.

Kavelaseth was quick-witted and didn’t trust people easily.

If she tried to approach him too suddenly, she might instead arouse suspicion.

Moreover, judging by the atmosphere so far, it didn’t seem like Duke Amaterasu had given Giselle Grante any hint about supporting Kavelaseth.

‘I spoke in a nuance closer to assumption rather than certainty, but… how will he interpret it?’

But in truth, she had no other alternatives.

At this rate, Joshua would become Crown Prince.

Just like in the future Giselle Grante had seen, she too might become Crown Princess.

Then what awaited her was a future where she would die by Kavelaseth’s hand this time.

She was no longer Princess Trinity.

No matter how diligently she studied imperial studies and trained her body, she could never become Emperor.

So to find a way to survive, whether she liked Kavelaseth or not, it was right for her to stand behind him.

‘It’s true I spoke impulsively, but now that Joshua’s appointment as Crown Prince has been decided, siding with Duke Cardia is the way for me and the House of Amaterasu to survive.’

Just as she reached that conclusion, a carriage carrying a handsome man with short brown hair in blue military uniform passed by in front of her.

‘…Count Frederick?’

After briefly watching his profile, Giselle Grante hurriedly boarded her carriage.

“Follow that carriage.”

“…Pardon?”

“Hurry!”

“Yes!”

****

The carriage stopped at the road leading to Count Frederick’s estate.

The carriage following behind also stopped.

“…!”

Giselle Grante’s body swayed momentarily from the sudden stop. Soon after, she heard her guard knight’s shout.

“Miss! Are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?”

Giselle Grante asked while arranging the hair that had fallen across her cheek.

“I’m fine, but what happened so suddenly?”

“The carriage ahead stopped abruptly, and while trying to avoid collision, we…”

“Ah…”

A small sigh escaped between Giselle Grante’s slightly parted lips.

Having followed from the Grand Temple all the way to Count Frederick’s estate, it wouldn’t be strange for the cautious man to notice.

She had calculated and moved with that in mind.

“So what should we do now, Miss?”

This time a voice came from the driver’s seat.

“We wait.”

“Pardon? What do you mean we wait… Oh!”

The driver who had been asking about Giselle Grante’s words suddenly cried out in surprise.

Soon, commotion could be heard from outside the carriage.

“There is a noble person riding inside.”

“That’s none of my concern. Weren’t you the ones who bothered me first? Get out of the way!”

Giselle Grante let out a small laugh.

‘His hot temper hasn’t changed.’

She thought to herself.

“That won’t do! If you’re going to be rough, we have no choice but to fight back…!”

Her guard knight, sensing an impending armed conflict, raised his voice.

Count Frederick’s lips curved into a crooked smile as if he found it absurd.

“Ha… Fight against me? Fine, if it’s to see the face of that noble person in the carriage, I’ll gladly oblige.”

Count Frederick gestured to the knight behind him.

Then Count Frederick’s guard knight handed him the sword from his waist.

The knights of the House of Amaterasu and the knights of the House of Frederick all gripped their swords without hesitation.

Then the carriage door burst open.

“…?”

Not only Count Frederick, but also the confronting knights turned their heads toward the carriage.

Soon, long legs extended from inside, stepping onto the carriage’s footrest.

“Miss! It’s dangerous to get out of the carriage now!”

The House of Amaterasu’s guard knight shouted urgently.

“This seems to be the only way to resolve the situation without casualties.”

Giselle Grante waved her hand slightly toward a nearby guard knight.

The reluctant guard knight then ran over and took her hand.

With the guard knight’s escort, Giselle Grante elegantly descended from the carriage.

Count Frederick, who had been quietly watching, spoke:

“The person who was following me… was the Young Lady Amaterasu?”

“How interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

Count Frederick raised one eyebrow and asked back.

Though his tone was quite polite, the irritation in his voice was clearly evident.

“We’ve never met before, have we? Yet you immediately recognized that I’m from the House of Amaterasu. I found that interesting.”

She was right.

As far as she knew, Count Frederick and Duke Amaterasu’s daughter had never met directly.

But the moment he saw her face, he immediately realized she was Giselle Grante of the House of Amaterasu.

The reason was actually that her beauty was comparable to Princess Trinity, who was called the greatest beauty of the Empire.

Even Count Frederick, who had little interest in the opposite sex, was momentarily mesmerized.

“Tsk…”

Count Frederick clicked his tongue.

Complimenting and praising a woman’s beautiful appearance was something he was not good at.

“Are you going to keep me standing here?”

After briefly considering Giselle Grante’s question, Count Frederick said:

“Open the iron gate!”

“Yes, Count!”

Count Frederick’s guard knights moved in unison.

Thus, Giselle Grante was able to enter Count Frederick’s estate without bloodshed.

****

“……”

Giselle Grante and Count Frederick sat facing each other in the guest reception room.

But Count Frederick’s gaze toward her was quite attentive.

Unlike just moments before when he had noticed her tail and boldly shouted for her to come out of the carriage, he now clearly showed hesitation about what to say first.

His expression showed he didn’t understand the situation, while also seeming to be probing.

So she spoke first.

“You must have quite a lot of questions for me.”

“That’s right. First, you must answer why you followed me.”

Count Frederick looked at her with somewhat piercing eyes.

As if he himself didn’t know how he would react depending on her answer.

While she had indeed acted in a way that could offend him, his growling attitude from their first meeting was somewhat amusing.

When a faint smile appeared on Giselle Grante’s beautiful face, Count Frederick’s green eyes widened slightly for a moment.

However, quickly composing his expression, he lowered his voice.

“Young Lady, do you think I’m… joking right now?”

“No. You look quite serious.”