ITIF Chapter 2

Recovery

 

Though she had clearly moved her own lips to make a sound, the voice that reached her ears was not her familiar own.

 

Trinity tried to touch the back of her neck.

 

“Stop!”

 

The man shouted and roughly grabbed Trinity’s hand as it moved toward her neck.

 

“How dare you!”

 

Trinity couldn’t hide her anger and glared at the man.

 

To lay hands on a member of the imperial family. How presumptuous.

 

Only then could Trinity properly see the man who was embracing her body protectively.

 

Black hair neatly arranged without a single strand out of place.

 

Moderately thick, dark eyebrows.

 

The bridge of his nose flowing down from his straight forehead and high nose bridge looked as if it had been personally carved by a master craftsman.

 

‘…Duke Kavelaseth Cardia?’

 

Trinity had seen this man a few times before. It had been quite long ago, but she remembered clearly.

 

No, anyone who had seen him up close even once would never forget him for their entire life.

 

There were few people, men or women, who possessed such captivating looks.

 

His upright and proper posture, actions, manner of speech, and gaze all exuded the dignity befitting a great noble.

 

Anyone who saw him would immediately realize, “Ah, he must be of noble birth.”

 

But Trinity had a different reason for remembering him.

 

Though outwardly he treated her with courtesy befitting his respect for the imperial family, there was a subtle contempt in his eyes.

 

It was a rare occurrence.

 

For someone to show not the slightest bit of servility before a member of the imperial family—especially the First Imperial Princess who was mentioned as the next emperor.

 

When Trinity’s gaze turned to his refreshingly open almond-shaped eyes, his lips parted.

 

“How dare…”

 

His low voice sounded quite dry and emotionless. But she could feel the subtle irritation buried within it this time as well.

 

When Trinity just stared at him blankly without responding, a cold voice soon escaped his lips.

 

“…Did you just say ‘how dare’ to me?”

 

Her shoulders trembled involuntarily for a moment.

 

It was the first time. The first time her shoulders instinctively shrank under someone’s gaze.

 

Not even under the piercing gaze of the emperor, the empire’s greatest power, nor when she had been forced to kneel before the merciless leader of barbarian tribes had such a thing happened.

 

“I am…”

 

Trinity opened her mouth then closed it again. Her own voice, trembling thinly, was too unfamiliar.

 

‘But what has he been saying since earlier… Giselle Grante?’

 

Since it seemed she wouldn’t be able to communicate with the man in front of her, she quickly tried to call for a maid.

 

The moment she turned her head to pull the bell cord, she was startled beyond measure.

 

“…!”

 

In the mirror located where she had turned her head, the face of a woman who appeared much younger than Trinity was reflected.

 

The woman in the mirror met Trinity’s eyes directly without averting her gaze.

 

Trinity soon realized why Duke Kavelaseth Cardia had been calling her ‘Giselle Grante Amaterasu’ since earlier.

 

“Ha… Gi, Giselle… Grante?”

 

A hollow laugh escaped from her lips.

 

“That’s right. Giselle Grante. That’s the name you’ve been called since you were born.”

 

Kavelaseth spoke mockingly. She glared at him with sharpened eyes. And just as he was about to speak again.

 

“…Miss?”

 

A young maid who had been walking into the bedroom stopped in her tracks and muttered as if she had seen something bizarre.

 

Then she immediately shouted toward the corridor.

 

“Miss! Miss Giselle is alive!”

 

Perhaps hearing that vigorous voice, a middle-aged maid soon came running into the bedroom.

 

“What nonsense are you… Miss?”

 

Several young servants followed into the bedroom, and their reactions upon seeing her were not much different.

 

“Bring the Duke.”

 

Duke Cardia commanded the servants who stood staring at her in shock.

 

“…”

 

“The physician must have made a mistake. As you can all see, the report that Duke Amaterasu’s daughter had died is not true.”

 

“…”

 

The servants, who had only been blinking their eyes, finally began nodding their heads and hurriedly left the bedroom.

 

“We’ll bring the Duke and the young Duke!”

 

“I’ll fetch the physician…”

 

“Then I’ll get the head butler…”

 

A while later, Duke Amaterasu, who entered the bedroom, shed tears of joy upon seeing Trinity.

 

“Thank goodness… What great fortune.”

 

Young Duke Amaterasu also couldn’t take his eyes off her face.

 

“Giselle…”

 

The butler repeatedly muttered thanks to God, and the maids’ reactions were much the same.

 

Trinity still wanted to ask what had happened to her.

 

But since it wasn’t at all the atmosphere to ask such things, she kept her mouth tightly shut and only looked at the people in the bedroom.

 

Then, among the people in complete confusion, her eyes met with a man who maintained an expressionless face.

 

“…”

 

Duke Cardia, who had been looking at her with an unreadable gaze, opened his mouth.

 

“How about we leave so the young lady can rest?”

 

****

 

Trinity, First Imperial Princess of the Phasis Empire. That was the name by which she was known. Not as Giselle Grante Amaterasu, Duke’s daughter.

 

Having lived her entire life as Imperial Princess Trinity, the fact that she had suddenly become Giselle Grante was still unbelievable to her.

 

‘Have I… gone mad?’

 

She briefly entertained such a thought, but she was clearer-headed and more lucid than ever.

 

‘Or perhaps I’m dreaming…’

 

That didn’t seem to be the case either. For a dream, all five senses were far too vivid.

 

‘Then why…’

 

As she pondered the incomprehensible current situation, she decided to set aside problems she couldn’t immediately understand.

 

And she tried to recall her memories from before possessing Giselle Grante’s body.

 

She had gone to her bedroom as usual, tossed and turned a bit, but had fallen asleep. That was all she remembered.

 

She was feeling confused by the incomprehensible situation when:

 

Knock, knock.

 

The sound of knocking on the bedroom door could be heard.

 

“Miss. Have you calmed down a bit?”

 

From the way she was addressed and the cautious tone of voice, it seemed to be a maid who had been attending to Giselle Grante.

 

She had just been thinking that she needed information to break through this frustrating current situation.

 

She immediately answered.

 

“Come in.”

 

A maid and a white-haired elderly man wearing a monocle entered the bedroom.

 

“So it was true…”

 

The old man, who had been looking at her with disbelieving eyes, soon bowed deeply and apologized.

 

“It was my mistake. I’m truly sorry, Miss.”

 

“…”

 

She had no way of knowing what mistake he had made to be apologizing like that.

 

So instead of answering, she just looked at him with indifferent eyes.

 

“It’s presumptuous to say this after making such a big mistake, but… this is truly miraculous! In my 20 years as a physician, this is the first time I’ve experienced such a thing…”

 

The old man became slightly excited and raised his head.

 

“Miraculous?”

 

Giselle Grante’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

 

Perhaps thinking this was an expression of anger, the white-haired old man bowed his head and continued speaking.

 

“I, I’ll stop making excuses. I truly committed a great discourtesy. Please punish me.”

 

Watching the old man bow deeply and ask her to punish him somehow made her feel tired.

 

It was also difficult to rashly ask for the full story. Moreover, she didn’t particularly want to know.

 

What kind of mistake he had made—such things weren’t her current concern.

 

“That’s enough. Please leave now.”

 

The old man slowly raised his head and examined her expression, tears mixing into his face.

 

“You won’t punish me despite the great mistake I made?”

 

Trinity briefly pondered, then waved her hand dismissively in the air.

 

This was also meant to tell him to leave.

 

“Then before I go, may I examine Miss’s physical condition?”

 

“Ah…”

 

Trinity finally realized. That the old man before her was Duke Amaterasu’s personal physician.

 

Perhaps because her body had changed, her condition was better than ever, but hoping to learn something through him, Trinity nodded.

 

“…Such a thing in this world.”

 

The physician who had finished his examination shook his head.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

The maid asked with a worried expression, and the physician swallowed dryly before speaking.

 

“A truly miraculous thing has happened.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Though I still can’t believe it, Miss’s illness has completely disappeared.”

 

‘An illness…’

 

“Then I’ll take my leave now. I must quickly deliver this joyful news to the Duke and young master as well…”

 

After the physician left the bedroom, the maid placed a mug of warm milk in her hands.

 

“God must truly care for you, Miss. That’s why He held onto your soul so you couldn’t leave early.”

 

“Held onto my soul?”

 

The maid seemed flustered and moved her lips uncertainly before speaking.

 

“Miss. By any chance, do you not remember things well?”

 

Trinity stared at the maid intently and nodded.

 

After seeming to ponder for a while about what to say first, the maid opened her mouth again.

 

“Actually, Miss was pronounced dead just a little while ago.”

 

“What?”

 

A sharp voice burst from Trinity’s lips.

 

The unfamiliar feeling of it not being her familiar voice was reinforced once more.

 

“That’s why the ducal residence was turned completely upside down. But then you miraculously came back to life like this. So everyone is confused but also rejoicing.”

 

The maid continued speaking calmly while trying to suppress her slightly elevated mood.

 

Through her conversation with the maid, Trinity was able to learn various pieces of information. Starting with the fact that the maid chattering in front of her was named Lindsey.

 

“So, Lindsey. I was trying to die?”

 

“Um… how should I put this… Actually, it wasn’t really that you were trying to die…”

 

Lindsey trailed off, reading the situation.

 

“Tell me everything honestly, without hiding anything.”

 

At Trinity’s urging, Lindsey just blinked her eyes as if hesitating.

 

“It’s fine, so go ahead?”

 

Trinity recognized her somewhat high-handed tone and coaxed Lindsey more gently. Then Lindsey finally opened her mouth.

 

“It was to attract Duke Cardia’s attention… a kind of performance.”