ITIF Chapter 12

Memorial Service for Princess Trinity

 

“I understand.”

 

The server bowed politely and withdrew, and Kavelaseth’s gaze turned back to Giselle Grante.

 

When their eyes met, Kavelaseth smiled and gestured with his eyes toward the food plate in front of her.

 

“Eat before it gets cold.”

 

Kavelaseth unfolded the newspaper he was holding.

 

“Ha…”

 

Eventually, a quiet laugh escaped her lips. However, he seemed completely unbothered, maintaining his composed demeanor.

 

Perhaps it was fortunate.

 

There was a thin newspaper positioned like a partition between her and him.

 

‘By the way, where did that mother and daughter from earlier go?’

 

Giselle Grante looked around the hall.

 

But there was no sign of the Swider mother and daughter.

 

Given how they had been clinging to her earlier, it seemed unlikely they would leave Kavelaseth’s side easily…

 

“Are you looking for that mother and daughter from earlier?”

 

Did the newspaper have holes in it or something?

 

Giselle Grante had that thought as she looked at the newspaper that was faithfully serving as a partition between her and Kavelaseth.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Then Kavelaseth continued.

 

“They won’t return until you finish your meal, so please eat comfortably.”

 

She was somewhat curious about how he had managed to separate the two women. But instead of asking, she picked up her utensils.

 

It seemed better to eat quickly and leave. If she went to her room like this, he might think she was running away to avoid him.

 

“…”

 

As she continued eating silently, she caught sight of the front page article and her eyes widened.

 

[Princess Trinity’s assassin Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter dismisses charges with ‘I am innocent.’]

 

The article continued with content about how shameless she was despite evidence being scattered everywhere.

 

‘…Innocent?’

 

It was somewhat shocking for someone who had killed a person to say such a thing.

 

But Giselle Grante thought about what might have caused Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter to say such words.

 

‘Either she’s truly innocent and falsely accused, or she’s making excuses to avoid responsibility.’

 

It had to be one of the two.

 

Seeing her hand holding the utensils stop as she became lost in thought, Kavelaseth asked.

 

“You don’t seem to be enjoying your meal. Is the food here not good? Or perhaps…”

 

Kavelaseth put down the newspaper he was holding on the table and pointed to the article about Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter.

 

“…is it because of this article?”

 

“What do you think about this article?”

 

Kavelaseth, who had been quietly observing Giselle Grante as if trying to understand her intention behind the question, spoke slowly.

 

“Well… my answer would depend on who did it, why, and for what reason.”

 

It was still before the trial.

 

So it seemed he had decided to reserve his words rather than offer unfounded speculation.

 

Giselle Grante judged Kavelaseth’s choice to be quite wise.

 

And she also concluded that he did not trust her.

 

Otherwise, there would be no need for him to keep his mouth so firmly shut.

 

There was no particular need to earn his trust anyway.

 

But there was something certain.

 

That Kavelaseth had not called Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter a criminal, and that he knew she was particularly interested in Princess Trinity’s death.

 

****

 

Princess Trinity’s memorial service was held at the Grand Temple.

 

Since it was open for anyone to attend, there was an endless stream of mourners.

 

During the mourning period, entry to the Grand Temple was permitted regardless of social status, so there didn’t seem to be any special restrictions.

 

They had only stationed priests in robes throughout the area.

 

And among that procession was Trinity, who had taken Giselle Grante’s appearance.

 

The ceiling and walls of the Grand Temple were filled with murals by famous artists, and the brilliant five-colored light pouring through hundreds of stained glass windows illuminated Princess Trinity’s coffin placed at the front.

 

The atmosphere was so sacred that even those who didn’t believe in God would feel reverent.

 

Since this was the death of royalty, specifically someone who had been expected to be the next emperor, such a production was appropriate.

 

This would further imprint the royal family as mysterious beings in the minds of those who visited the Grand Temple.

 

She tried to find familiar faces among the grieving people.

 

But most of them were people she didn’t know.

 

More precisely, people who had little connection to her regardless of who became the next emperor.

 

Giselle Grante placed a single white flower on the coffin of her former self, Princess Trinity.

 

“…”

 

After a brief moment of silence, she turned away to make room for the next person.

 

Soon, another person who had been waiting behind placed a white flower on Princess Trinity’s coffin.

 

“It’s a bit awkward to say this in such circumstances, but it’s truly so beautiful…”

 

Lindsey looked around the Grand Temple interior, continuously uttering exclamations of admiration.

 

Giselle Grante swept her eyes across the Grand Temple interior without emotion and moved on.

 

“But miss, where are you going?”

 

“I want to drink some water.”

 

There was a spring in this Grand Temple that was said to heal illnesses, and quite a few people came specifically to drink from it.

 

“Ah…”

 

Lindsey nodded in understanding and followed behind her.

 

Giselle Grante left the Grand Temple’s spacious hall and entered a small side path.

 

When she entered the various branching paths that spread out like ant tunnels, she heard quiet voices from somewhere.

 

“So now Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter will be executed?”

 

“They said there would be a trial, but with such clear evidence, it can’t be overturned, can it?”

 

Inside the Grand Temple, there were many private rooms intended for one-on-one meetings with priests or quiet individual prayer, and it wasn’t uncommon for nobles to conduct private conversations there.

 

The voices seemed to be leaking from one of those places.

 

“That’s true. But I don’t quite understand.”

 

“What don’t you understand?”

 

“Baron Oppenheimer’s daughter didn’t have that kind of temperament, did she?”

 

“Wait… I think someone’s coming.”

 

With that voice, the sound of a door creaking shut echoed.

 

‘They must not have had the presence of mind to close the door properly.’

 

Given the location, whenever two or more people gathered, they would chatter about the princess murder case, so there probably wasn’t much need to pay careful attention.

 

After walking through the narrow passage for a while, she found a priest standing guard in front of a door.

 

When Giselle Grante looked at him, the priest spoke in a monotone voice.

 

“I apologize, this area is currently restricted.”

 

“Thank you for your hard work.”

 

Giselle Grante gave a light nod and passed by.

 

After walking through the narrow corridor for a while longer, Lindsey asked cautiously.

 

“Miss, but do we really have to go this deep into the Grand Temple just to drink water?”

 

“There’s a place I need to stop by first.”

 

“A place to stop by…?”

 

After walking through the narrow corridor a bit more, Giselle Grante stopped when she reached a dead end.

 

“Here. This is the place I wanted to visit.”

 

And she opened the door.

 

“…Here? What is this place with so many priest robes?”

 

Lindsey stared wide-eyed at the priest robes filling the walls.

 

“You could say it’s the priests’… wardrobe.”

 

Giselle Grante walked inside familiarly.

 

And she picked up one of the priest robes hanging on the wall.

 

“What are you going to do with that?”

 

“I’m going to put it on and go out.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Opportunities to come to the Grand Temple aren’t given often.”

 

“But if we get caught, it’ll be terrible… will it be okay?”

 

Though Lindsey asked with an anxious expression, Giselle Grante hurriedly put the priest robe over her dress.

 

The priest robe was just long enough to barely cover the dress she was wearing.

 

“Lindsey, wait here for a bit.”

 

After pulling the hood deep to cover her face, Giselle Grante walked toward the door.

 

Lindsey made a flustered expression and opened and closed her mouth.

 

“…What? No, miss…”

 

“You can even sleep.”

 

With those words, Giselle Grante closed the door.

 

****

 

Having stepped outside, she headed toward the deep recesses of the Grand Temple, away from the large hall where the mourners had gathered.

 

The place she headed to with familiarity was a small prayer room and wine storage adjacent to the High Priest’s office.

 

Unlike the Grand Temple’s large wine storage, this place stored only very old and precious wines separately, which were used to satisfy the High Priest’s personal desires.

 

Actually, she hadn’t wanted to know. Such secrets of the High Priest that could never be revealed to the believers who visited the Grand Temple.

 

In fact, she hadn’t known either until she was repeatedly confined here after falling out of favor with the Emperor.

 

It was during the time when the previous High Priest led the Grand Temple. One day when Trinity was being held here by the Imperial Knights, reflecting on her actions.

 

The High Priest, who had gone out, returned.

 

Though he was usually away, that day he happened to have a private conversation with someone in his office, and she could hear it.

 

The content was a request to strongly argue against divorce if his wife came to the Grand Temple for divorce counseling.

 

That was when she first learned.

 

The fact that the High Priest was accepting private requests and accumulating personal wealth in the name of God.

 

That he was someone who could easily lie in God’s name if there was adequate compensation.

 

And that corrupt High Priest recommended the current High Priest before his death.

 

It was uncommon for the Emperor and Empress to visit the Grand Temple like today, and judging that the High Priest wouldn’t miss this opportunity, she had confined herself in this small prayer room. And her expectation was not wrong.

 

“The High Priest says there’s something he must report to His Majesty before the memorial service.”

 

At the chillingly familiar voice, Giselle Grante looked up.

 

And she pressed her face close to a small gap to peer inside.

 

Inside the High Priest’s office, which was so luxurious and large it was hard to believe it was inside the Grand Temple, were the Emperor, the High Priest, and the Empress.

 

“High Priest, what exactly is this urgent matter you speak of?”

 

The Emperor asked.

 

“I have been worried about the Empire’s future since the unfortunate incident befell Princess Trinity.”

 

“And?”

 

“I have been continuously praying to God, hoping for Princess Trinity’s peace and the Empire’s bright future.”

 

The Empress let out a light sigh at the High Priest’s words and lowered her gaze.

 

“Continue.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. But in the midst of this, I seemed to have received a divine oracle… so I urgently requested this audience.”