ITIF Chapter 77

Reason for Attending the Gathering

Giselle Grante quickly covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her dress.

Then she retraced her steps back the way she had come.

Only when she reached a dead end did she take a deep breath.

After that, she waited until the guards fell into a deep sleep.

Thud. The sound of something massive collapsing echoed, followed by another thud.

Convinced that the guards had fallen asleep, she immediately turned back toward the Emperor’s chamber.

‘That’s going to hurt.’

Glancing at the guards sprawled on the floor with a slightly pitying gaze, she opened the door and went inside.

****

As it was a day commemorating the founding of the Empire, the Emperor delivered a lengthy speech before the nobility.

It was a throne obtained by committing patricide without hesitation.

Given his disposition to use any means necessary for his purposes, the Emperor’s gaze, atmosphere, and every aspect of him exuded a charisma that ordinary people could scarcely dare to approach.

This effect was achieved not only through his natural aura but also through careful staging.

Imperial knights dressed in crisp white uniforms entered the hall in formation.

The imperial knights, all similar in height, build, and age, appeared young, handsome, and strong.

Before the Emperor’s address began, they simultaneously drew the swords at their waists and performed a kind of demonstration.

Then, from the moment the Emperor entered the hall, they stood rigidly without the slightest movement, staring at the nobles in front of them.

This was meant to subtly display their formidable military power.

It was also a kind of hint that anyone who coveted the throne would have to face these well-trained imperial knights.

And that wasn’t all.

Even before the Emperor’s entrance, the orchestra had been playing softly, playing an important role in creating a solemn and majestic atmosphere.

In short, the orchestra’s music reverberating through the vast hall was more like sound effects than actual music.

As if trained to match the pace of the Emperor’s words and the volume of his rising voice during the speech, the music intensified and then subsided, greatly contributing to the Emperor’s hold over the nobles in the hall.

Clap clap! Clap clap clap clap…….

When the Emperor’s address commemorating the founding celebration ended, the nobles in the banquet hall, overwhelmed by the orchestrated atmosphere, applauded without hesitation.

Receiving the applause, the Emperor smiled slightly, pulling up the corners of his mouth.

His posture was upright yet imposing, and his slightly raised chin made him look almost haughty.

Kavelaseth turned his head away from the Emperor’s arrogant face, which seemed so proud of himself that he didn’t know what to do with himself.

As it was a gathering with many people, glances came at him from all directions, but one particular furtive gaze was particularly irritating.

“……!”

When their eyes met, Young Master Flerino gasped sharply. Then he quickly turned his head in the opposite direction.

After that, he shifted his body slightly to hide behind Viscount Flerino.

Apparently puzzled by his son’s sudden behavior, Viscount Flerino looked around.

When his eyes met Kavelaseth’s, he smiled and nodded in greeting.

Kavelaseth showed no particular reaction and turned his head away. He didn’t particularly want to deal with Viscount Flerino.

From what he had observed, Viscount Flerino groveled before those in power and was merciless to those weaker than himself.

In noble society, this could be considered common and even wise conduct—at least the part about groveling before those in power.

And Viscount Flerino’s son showed similar tendencies, taking after his father completely.

Not long ago, Kavelaseth had attended a social gathering.

There, he witnessed Young Master Flerino harshly berating a servant.

At first, he thought the servant had been rude to the young Viscount.

[Here he goes again. I really don’t know why he acts like that……]

[Let’s move away before we get involved.]

From the murmuring of other nobles, he learned that the young Viscount habitually enjoyed tormenting others.

And that he was a malicious person who specifically chose to torment only those in weaker positions than himself.

Having business with him anyway, Kavelaseth immediately approached the young Viscount Flerino.

And when he approached, he poured wine on the clothes of the young Viscount, who was puzzled and about to greet him.

[My mistake. My hand slipped.]

Then he took out a handkerchief and wiped his own hands.

The young Viscount, who had been blinking in confusion for a moment, seemed to soon realize.

The fact that Kavelaseth was trying to torment him.

Being humiliated in front of everyone without any reason was certainly a situation worthy of protest. Even if the other party was the great Duke Cardia.

But the young Viscount Flerino didn’t do that.

[I-I see.]

Even while his clenched fists trembled, he didn’t utter a single complaint before Kavelaseth and simply accepted his behavior.

From his servile attitude, Kavelaseth completely lost his will to fight.

In fact, the reason Kavelaseth had attended that social gathering was not only to socialize with nobles but also to take revenge on behalf of Giselle Grante against the young Viscount Flerino, who had disturbed her peace of mind.

After that day, he thought about why he had willingly drawn attention to himself with behavior he would normally never engage in.

Being someone who didn’t particularly cling to relationships with others, his interest in Giselle Grante was a very unfamiliar feeling.

But what was clear was that Kavelaseth Cardia felt favorably toward Giselle Grante Amaterasu. Unlike before.

Whether this was romantic interest or respect for her as a person intelligent enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, he would have to figure it out gradually…….

As soon as his thoughts about this were organized, this question arose:

Would it be possible to emulate behavior even for a father and son who didn’t share the same living environment?

Viscount Flerino and his son had very similar traits. As if the son had inherited his father’s disposition directly.

If it was possible to emulate a father’s behavior even without living together, learning from him, and observing him, then Kavelaseth would be the same as the Emperor.

He would be looking down on people with his chin arrogantly raised as if he had the world beneath his feet.

Just like the Emperor before his eyes now.

“…….”

Before long, Kavelaseth found the answer to the question he had pondered.

Just as his biological father the Emperor had killed his brother and usurped the throne, he too was plotting the same plan.

‘Blood will tell, is that it?’

Kavelaseth’s gaze, which had briefly sneered, wandered through the banquet hall as if searching for someone.

Then his gaze stopped at the place where Mikhail and Duke Amaterasu were.

‘Come to think of it, she hasn’t been visible for a while.’

Kavelaseth’s gaze quickly scanned around the two people.

****

Having safely entered the imperial palace archive, Giselle Grante looked around the interior.

This place where the history of the Phasis Empire flowed was a place whose existence was unknown to anyone except the Emperor and the heir apparent.

Even seeing it again, it was a mysterious place so splendid that her eyes widened, yet also sacred and even reverent.

On the high domed ceiling, elaborate murals were painted—constellations floating in the sky depicted as human figures.

Below that were bookshelves filled to capacity.

The documents densely packed on the shelves included various diplomatic documents and legal documents, letters exchanged among the imperial family, as well as ancient relics and priceless art pieces.

The greatest purpose of the secret archive was the secrets passed down only to the imperial family member who would become the next emperor.

This served as a key to protecting the imperial family’s power.

Usually, the daily lives of the imperial family were recorded, but the storage locations differed between records from when they were alive and after they died.

Here, the records of the late Empress and Imperial Princess Trinity would remain.

She began searching for the late Empress’s records.

As she rummaged through records of the late Empress’s birth and life events, looking for records from Rugal during the time she was pregnant with Trinity, she unconsciously turned her gaze and froze when she caught sight of something in her field of vision.

‘……Duke Cardia?’

At first she wondered why he was here, but upon looking again, she realized it wasn’t Kavelaseth himself but a painting in a frame.

The man in the painting whom she had momentarily mistaken for Kavelaseth was the first Emperor of the Phasis Empire.

Calming her startled heart, she stared intently at the portrait in the painting.

And she analyzed the first Emperor’s disposition in her own way.

‘Unlike what’s commonly known, he might have had a free-spirited personality.’

That would make sense.

In the painting, he wore black pants and a white shirt, with the collar area of the shirt carelessly unbuttoned.

And there was a small marking on his chest.

Her gaze lingered on the marking for a moment before scanning the entire painting.

The portrait in the painting was so elaborate and vivid that it felt like facing a living, breathing person.

“……!”

In that moment, she recalled why she had disliked Kavelaseth.

When she had come to the secret archive as a child, she had seen this portrait too.

The first Emperor of Phasis with black hair like the night sky and red eyes.

Not long after that, she encountered Kavelaseth who had come to the imperial palace.

At first, she was curious about the fact that there was a child wandering the palace and spoke to him.

If he was lost, she would help him find his parents.

It was the best kindness she could offer.

But the boy only glared at her with unrefined eyes.

Though his sharp gaze toward her remained, she couldn’t hide her delight and pointed at the boy with her finger.

[Identical.]

[Identical……?]

[You’re identical to His Majesty the first Emperor of Phasis. Your black hair and…….]

[Take that hand away.]

The boy wore a displeased expression and slapped her arm away.

[How impertinent!]

Too flustered, the words reflexively burst out, and what came back from the boy was a cold sneer.

[How absurd. Who’s calling who…….]

The black-haired boy clicked his tongue at her as if dealing with an ill-mannered child, then turned away.

And he muttered as if talking to himself.