ITIF Chapter 15

She Fell for Him

 

Giselle Grante looked at the empty table.

 

Even though she wasn’t an invited guest, she had expected to at least be offered a cup of tea.

 

How very like him.

 

As if reading what her gaze meant, Count Frederick spoke.

 

“If it’s a brief matter, there’s no need for either of us to waste time.”

 

It meant he wouldn’t be serving tea.

 

‘How cold.’

 

Giselle Grante gave a bitter smile and nodded.

 

‘Right. This is how he’s always been.’

 

She realized this fact anew.

 

“You seem to be thinking quite deeply, Count. Perhaps… you’re wondering if my interest has shifted from Duke Cardia to you, Count Frederick?”

 

It was a probing question, but Count Frederick’s expression stiffened with a start.

 

It was an expression that seemed to hope that wasn’t the case.

 

At his transparently readable attitude, Giselle Grante burst into incredulous laughter.

 

Immediately, Count Frederick’s brow furrowed.

 

After briefly moving his lips as if pondering something, he spoke.

 

“Let me be clear. This is troublesome.”

 

“…….”

 

“I already have someone I care for romantically. So, Lady Amaterasu, I cannot accept your feelings.”

 

It was quite a firm rejection.

 

But she had never confessed nor had any intention to confess, yet here she was being rejected first.

 

This must be karma from the body’s previous owner, but it was she who was being humiliated.

 

Somehow her mouth felt bitter.

 

‘But wait, Count Frederick has someone he likes? Who on earth could it be?’

 

But no particular person came to mind. It was also quite surprising that he could love a woman.

 

Count Frederick seemed like someone born to work.

 

He had no hobbies, let alone women, so she never would have expected him to be passionate about something as intangible as love.

 

“Of course, I understand that organizing one’s feelings isn’t easy… but I thought it would be less of a waste of time for both of us if I made this clear now.”

 

At his continued response, she was so absurd and angry that she wanted to shout for a moment, but Giselle Grante simply closed her eyes tightly and opened them to collect her emotions.

 

Count Frederick, who had been quietly watching her with a troubled expression, suddenly stood up.

 

“……?”

 

Then he left the office.

 

‘Don’t tell me. Is that it for the business?’

 

So he left the office without even telling her to leave?

 

Just as Giselle Grante was laughing helplessly in bewilderment.

 

Count Frederick returned to the office.

 

And in his hand was a handkerchief.

 

A floral-patterned handkerchief with white lace that definitely appeared to be a woman’s.

 

Had he roughly snatched it from a maid passing by outside the office?

 

As Giselle Grante was thinking this, Count Frederick bluntly held out the handkerchief.

 

“Use this if you need it.”

 

“Don’t tell me you think I’m going to cry?”

 

“……Weren’t you?”

 

Count Frederick asked back with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

 

‘Really, this is unbelievable.’

 

Giselle Grante gathered her brief anger and opened her mouth. Her intention to comfort him, thinking he might be somewhat heartbroken after the death of Princess Trinity whom he served, completely disappeared.

 

“Perhaps I’ve taken too much time. I’ll just get to the point. I have absolutely no romantic interest in you, Count Frederick. So please refrain from unnecessary misunderstandings.”

 

This time Frederick’s face hardened with shock.

 

He really seemed to have thought that her gaze had turned from Duke Cardia to him, Count Frederick.

 

As if falling in love at first sight was so easy.

 

“……That’s fortunate then.”

 

The white lace handkerchief that had been extended toward her just moments ago crumpled in his hand.

 

“Then why did you follow me?”

 

“Count Frederick, I thought you might know something. For instance, matters related to Her Imperial Highness Princess Trinity.”

 

Instantly, Count Frederick’s eyes turned cold. As if searching while also measuring something.

 

He had been like this during their first encounter with Trinity as well.

 

Not the kind of gaze that naturally revered and served someone because they were nobility born of high birth, but the gaze of someone examining whether the other person was suitable to serve as their lord.

 

From her experience, Count Frederick was not easily swayed by others’ words and actions.

 

He had always seen, thought, and judged for himself.

 

Though he hadn’t been like that just moments ago. Hadn’t he misunderstood her as some strange woman who would fall for just anyone?

 

“I suppose rumors can’t be trusted after all…….”

 

Count Frederick muttered quietly, just barely audible.

 

Then he immediately glared at Giselle Grante with blazing eyes.

 

“No. Is she indeed someone who lacks proper judgment?”

 

His irritated frown represented Count Frederick’s current state of mind.

 

He seemed unable to get a sense of which it was.

 

Thinking ‘She’s different from the rumors when experienced directly,’ while inwardly thinking something like ‘Ignorance breeds courage.’

 

Count Frederick, who had been confused for a moment, glared at Giselle Grante with cold eyes and spoke.

 

“Unless you intend to desecrate the dead, please refrain from carelessly mentioning that person’s name.”

 

And he pointed toward the door.

 

“Please return now. It would be difficult to add more kind words.”

 

She clearly understood he meant for her to get lost, but she also couldn’t retreat like this.

 

Count Frederick was currently the only person trustworthy enough to help investigate Princess Trinity’s murder, even at the risk of danger.

 

“Previously, Her Imperial Highness Princess Trinity gave me a small favor. I couldn’t even properly thank her for that… who would have known she would suddenly leave like this?”

 

“…….”

 

“I’ve concluded that there are suspicious circumstances regarding Her Imperial Highness’s death. So I simply wanted to know the truth.”

 

“…….”

 

“How about thinking of it as a small curiosity born from goodwill, an interest of that magnitude?”

 

“With mere curiosity……!”

 

Count Frederick glared at her with blazing eyes.

 

“Is having curiosity and showing interest merely trivial? I am a person of the House of Amaterasu. But if I also dig deeply into matters whose mastermind I don’t know, it would be equally dangerous for me.”

 

Giselle Grante conveyed that the interest she was showing was more than simple fascination.

 

“Is it Duke Amaterasu’s orders? Or is it Duke Cardia’s?”

 

Count Frederick asked back with an expression that he didn’t quite understand.

 

And understandably so.

 

Amaterasu and Cardia. Both ducal houses had supported neither Princess Trinity nor Prince Joshua, maintaining neutrality.

 

Since the late Empress, Trinity’s mother, and the late Duke Cardia had been quite close, it would have been possible to expect that Kavelaseth would support Trinity, but for some reason, he didn’t step forward for Trinity.

 

The same was true for Duke Amaterasu, who avoided getting involved in political strife.

 

It wouldn’t be strange for Count Frederick to misinterpret Giselle Grante’s sudden interest in the dead Princess Trinity.

 

“The House of Amaterasu has no connection to this matter. More importantly, since you were also at the Grand Temple, you must know that there will soon be a crown prince investiture ceremony.”

 

As if this matter was already giving him a headache, Count Frederick let out a faint sigh.

 

After Trinity’s death, the nobles were on high alert.

 

Princess Trinity and Prince Joshua. Depending on which of the two they had sided with, it would determine whether their families would prosper even more or disappear into the back pages of history.

 

Count Frederick was in the same situation.

 

Though he hadn’t openly supported Princess Trinity, he wasn’t the type to immediately wag his tail to Prince Joshua just because his bet had failed.

 

He had taken considerable time to choose a lord to serve, and had pledged loyalty to Princess Trinity who met his standards.

 

Changing his mind now to side with Prince Joshua wouldn’t be something his pride would allow.

 

“Isn’t it strange?”

 

And Giselle Grante added fuel to his suspicions.

 

“Princess Trinity was murdered right before the investiture ceremony. And by a maid’s knife at that.”

 

“What exactly are you trying to say to me?”

 

Count Frederick growled lowly, but Giselle Grante immediately continued.

 

“All of this situation feels too coincidental to me. The fact that they specifically announced Prince Joshua as crown prince at Princess Trinity’s memorial… do you think this is all just coincidence?”

 

Giselle Grante said that much and then closed her mouth. And she observed Count Frederick’s complexion.

 

Hoping he would help investigate Trinity’s death.

 

****

 

Count Frederick gazed beyond the office window.

 

Just then, the Amaterasu ducal house’s carriage that had followed him from the Grand Temple leisurely departed the count’s estate.

 

He reflected on what had happened before arriving at the mansion.

 

[My lord. It seems a carriage is following us.]

 

[I know.]

 

[Then what shall we do?]

 

[Go to the count’s estate.]

 

There had been ways to lose the carriage by taking side roads, but Count Frederick didn’t change his route.

 

‘Either they have no intention of hiding the fact that they’re following, or they don’t have the brains for it.’

 

Count Frederick judged the opponent’s intentions to be one of the two.

 

And the moment he learned that the person who got out of the carriage was Lady Amaterasu, he made his decision.

 

‘She was the type who didn’t have the brains to follow unnoticed.’

 

Because he remembered the rumors that her intelligence was somewhat lacking.

 

One question was resolved, but soon a new question arose.

 

‘But why would Lady Amaterasu follow me? ……Don’t tell me?’

 

The thought that immediately came to mind was ‘she fell for him.’

 

‘Unable to forget Duke Cardia despite being rejected, dripping with lingering attachment, did she finally decide to change her target?’

 

Her standards are quite high, aren’t they?