ITIF Chapter 114

A Wasted Trip in the End

“When did they say the Crown Prince would return to the imperial palace?”

“It seems he’ll be back today.”

“……I see. You may go now.”

The Empress waved her hand dismissively at the attendant while pressing her throbbing forehead.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Joshua’s voice.

“Mother, I’ve arrived.”

Only then did the Empress’s perpetually furrowed expression clear up brightly.

The attendant who had been watching the Empress’s mood quickly opened the door, and soon Joshua entered.

Joshua, who had glanced at the attendant bowing deeply, asked:

“Did something happen while I was away?”

The Empress’s expression was bright. However, it seemed he had read from the attendant’s restless demeanor that the Empress was in a foul mood.

“What incident? There’s never a peaceful day in the imperial palace. But anyway, how did it go? Was the matter resolved well?”

“It wasn’t easy as expected, but it doesn’t seem like a wasted trip.”

Though it sounded vaguely like a warning not to expect much, Joshua’s eyes told a different story.

The Empress’s expression brightened further at her son’s eyes, which were sharper than ever.

“……Is that so?”

Though they had told the Emperor and everyone else that he would be going hunting with his noble friends as usual, the place Joshua had actually led the Crown Prince’s knight order to was the Kingdom of Ernesto territory in the southern part of the empire.

“It’s fortunate there was a positive response, but……. what would you think about postponing that schedule a bit?”

The Empress asked carefully. Her voice was gentle, and her tone was amiable.

It was a consideration to avoid upsetting her son, but Joshua’s brow immediately furrowed.

“Postpone…… the schedule?”

Joshua felt as if cold water had been poured over him.

The reason he had gone all the way to distant Ernesto was to take revenge on Duke Cardia.

To postpone the plan now when the opportunity for revenge was right before his eyes?

“What’s the reason?”

Joshua asked accusingly. After pondering for a moment, the Empress soon shook her head.

“I don’t think I can explain the reason to you right now.”

“Ha…….”

In the end, a hollow laugh escaped from Joshua’s mouth.

“I think you know this too, Mother. That I haven’t achieved many accomplishments since becoming Crown Prince, or rather, even before that.”

“…….”

“So I need to show them. I need to prove my abilities!”

He too knew that the nobles were subtly criticizing the Crown Prince’s qualifications.

However, there was a significant difference between known facts and the truth.

The reason Joshua hadn’t been able to step forward easily all this time was largely due to the existence of his half-sister Trinity and the influence of the oracle.

The first oracle that if the first child was a prince, he would target the Emperor’s life.

Even the Empress wouldn’t have known that oracle would end up binding Joshua’s feet as well.

“There’s no need for that.”

“……?”

“You are the legitimate bloodline of His Majesty the Emperor and a descendant of heaven. Who dares to evaluate you?”

The Empress continued with a solemn expression.

“Joshua, you are someone who doesn’t need to seek anyone’s approval. Rather, everyone in the empire, whether commoner or noble, will come to desire your approval. That’s what the position of Emperor is.”

It was a seemingly plausible statement.

However, he was not young enough to be easily fooled by the Empress’s honeyed words.

“I don’t need everyone’s approval……. are you certain about that?”

At Joshua’s question, the Empress’s lips trembled for a moment. However, the Empress smiled, curving her lips that were trying to stiffen, and said:

“Of course. Once His Majesty the Emperor is gone…….”

The Empress, who had been speaking, suddenly made an expression as if she had made a mistake and covered her mouth. Then she quickly added:

“I misspoke. Please forget what I just said. You know well too, Joshua, what His Majesty’s temperament is like, don’t you? That there will absolutely be no abdication while he lives. ……Besides, I’ve endured too much in my life.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Anyway. What I was trying to say was let’s take some time. I’m not saying to make your plan disappear…….”

Though it was just a short answer, that alone seemed to have improved the Empress’s mood considerably. The Empress’s tone became as affectionate as usual.

“Come to think of it, you just arrived at the capital, so you probably haven’t heard yet. Marquis and Marchioness Latse met with an accident recently.”

“Were they seriously injured?”

“They died.”

“……Pardon?”

To Joshua’s shocked question, the Empress explained the situation.

While trying to negotiate with the western barbarians under the pretext of a vacation, they were attacked by bandits.

“It was truly an unfortunate accident…….”

The Empress lowered her gaze slightly with a sorrowful face. Joshua briefly consoled the Empress for losing her close associate.

“Indeed, my son is the only one who worries about me.”

The Empress, who had quickly composed herself, smiled and continued:

“You must be tired. Go and rest.”

“Yes……. You too, Mother.”

Just as he said that and turned around, the thought that he had been manipulated by his mother flashed through his mind.

Joshua, who had stopped walking for a moment, soon left the reception room. He thought there was no point in arguing further with someone grieving over the loss of a cherished lady-in-waiting.

Soon, in the reception room left alone after Joshua’s departure, the Empress’s eyes, which had been lost in thought for a while, gleamed with a strange color.

****

Inside the carriage returning from the imperial palace to Duke Cardia’s residence.

Giselle Grante, who had been deep in thought for a while, turned her head upon feeling a gaze. Then her eyes met with Kavelaseth’s.

“You have the look of someone plotting something.”

Giselle Grante shook her head and said:

“I just…… thought something was strange.”

Kavelaseth sent her a steady gaze as if telling her to speak.

“Hmm…….”

Giselle Grante hummed softly as she chose her words.

The Emperor’s somewhat comfortable attire, his slightly disheveled hair.

Both felt far too unfamiliar to her.

Hadn’t he always said that the Emperor must always be perfect and be a figure worthy of reverence?

As if to prove those words, he had always shown only an impeccably proper appearance at any time and place. It wasn’t much different even in front of family.

However, today’s Emperor had a somewhat more human appearance.

Even though to the Emperor, Kavelaseth and she were persons of interest.

Which meant…….

Just as she thought that far, Kavelaseth urged her in a rather kind voice.

“Giselle.”

“……His hair was slightly disheveled. His clothes also looked a bit comfortable, and his sitting posture wasn’t straight either.”

Kavelaseth, who had been lowering his gaze as if lost in thought for a moment, turned his gaze toward her and said:

“Now that you mention it, that seems to be the case.”

Kavelaseth, who had paused briefly, soon continued while staring intently into her eyes.

“But Giselle, you yourself are definitely a bit strange…….It’s as if you’re talking about someone you’ve been observing for a long time?”

“…….”

At Kavelaseth’s sharp observation, Giselle Grante only swallowed dryly.

In fact, this was precisely why she had hesitated for a moment before bringing up the Emperor’s story to Kavelaseth.

The connection between the previous Giselle Grante and the Emperor.

By estimation, there was a very high possibility that the two had no connection at all.

Therefore, she had anticipated that if she mentioned the Emperor’s change, this question would inevitably follow.

“My father always used to say. That throughout long meeting hours, His Majesty the Emperor always maintained a proper posture.”

“…….”

“He also said that regardless of time and place, he wore perfect formal attire. But today was different.”

Suddenly, a recent incident came to Kavelaseth’s mind.

After the meeting regarding the nullification of the salt business ended, the Emperor had called him aside separately to ask if he was the one who had reported the Antares family’s embezzlement.

Looking back, the Emperor at that time also had an atmosphere that seemed the same as usual yet subtly different.

[I’ve grown old now too. It’s too much for me to handle vigorous young people.]

That had inwardly irritated him.

[You’ve aged too. You even know how to praise me now.]

Even someone as hard as steel would sometimes become vulnerable.

Especially if the situation required him to judge his family’s relatives with his own hands, his mind would be all the more complicated.

He had thought that much and moved on…….

Of course, he hadn’t noticed the part about the Emperor becoming negligent in grooming his appearance until Giselle Grante mentioned it.

“Your eye for detail is excellent.”

Kavelaseth’s eyes curved roundly. However, the positions of both corners of his mouth were subtle.

Strangely, whenever Giselle Grante showed interest in someone else, his mood became twisted.

Even if it was the Emperor.

“……You flatter me.”

Though he had tried to express his displeasure in his own way, she seemed to have taken it as a simple compliment.

****

It was another morning at the imperial palace, same as yesterday.

If there was something slightly different from usual, it was that the Emperor’s rising was getting later.

“Is His Majesty still sleeping?”

The chamberlain approached the knights standing guard and asked.

“It seems so.”

The knight’s answer was somehow unsatisfactory.

Inwardly criticizing the knight who couldn’t give a clear answer of yes or no, the chamberlain knocked on the bedroom door where the Emperor was.

Knock knock.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, it is the chamberlain.”

However, there was no response from inside.

“He couldn’t have forgotten there’s a meeting this morning…….”

Muttering to himself and knocking on the bedroom door several more times, an ominous thought rose in the chamberlain’s mind.

Recently, the Emperor’s health had been rapidly deteriorating.

Though he had kept his mouth shut because the Emperor had threatened him not to tell anyone, he was somewhat worried.

Nevertheless, he considered it needless worry and walked into the bedroom.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, it is the chamberlain. Since there was no answer despite knocking several times…… Your Majesty?”

The chamberlain’s brow furrowed as he approached the bedroom, rambling excuses in preparation for a reprimand for entering the bedroom without permission.