ITIF Chapter 44

Mark (1)

Then, pulling up one corner of her mouth in a crooked smile, the noblewoman snorted derisively.

She probably said something like, “That fool from Amaterasu has come! It seems she wants to be even more embarrassed.”

That’s what Giselle Grante thought.

Suddenly, the noblewoman’s expression hardened, and her complexion turned pale blue.

‘…What?’

Giselle Grante looked at the noblewoman with a puzzled gaze.

Her gaze seemed to be directed toward Giselle Grante at first glance, but upon closer inspection, she was looking slightly to the side.

Giselle Grante turned her head slightly to the side.

Duke Amaterasu was glaring at the noblewoman with murderous intent.

She quickly turned her head toward Mikhail.

“…….”

Mikhail was even worse.

His menacing aura suggested that if his leash were released, he would immediately pounce and bite the noblewoman’s nape.

‘How… reassuring?’

Of course, she knew it was a threat meant to protect her, but both men were too frightening.

Giselle Grante stepped back, intimidated by their terrifying presence. Then Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail immediately spoke to her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Giselle, what’s the matter?”

The expressions of the two men looking at Giselle Grante were gentle, and their voices were tender enough to be tickling.

‘Thank goodness. It’s because I’m Duke Amaterasu’s daughter.’

If she weren’t, she might have been the one facing their murderous glares.

Even afterward, nobles who didn’t know what had happened earlier whispered about Giselle Grante, but they quickly fell silent.

This was because Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail would glare at them with blazing eyes, as if they would kill them each time.

As they entered the center of the hall:

“How long has it been? It’s been so long since we’ve seen you, Duke Amaterasu!”

“Young Duke Amaterasu, it’s been a while. I believe this is the first time we’ve met since the monster subjugation incident…”

Nobles began approaching Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail to speak with them.

The two men engaged in conversations with the nobles respectively, while Giselle Grante stood quietly beside them with a faint smile.

They discussed topics related to the empire’s recent rapid changes, business, diplomacy, and politics.

As Giselle Grante was listening to the conversations coming from both sides:

“Lady Amaterasu.”

Someone addressed her.

“We meet again like this.”

Giselle Grante quietly looked at the young lady who had spoken to her and then returned the greeting.

“Have you been well, Lady Howard?”

After briefly inquiring about each other’s well-being, Lady Howard pointed somewhere.

“Let’s go over there.”

Young ladies were gathered in that direction.

Giselle Grante looked in that direction and hesitated for a moment.

Since it was such an open hall, high-level information wouldn’t be exchanged among the nobles conversing with Duke Amaterasu.

However, since the main topic was a field she had been interested in from before, she wondered if it would be right to leave this place.

Then Lady Howard suddenly linked arms with Giselle Grante.

“…?”

Giselle Grante’s eyes widened at this intimate gesture.

But Lady Howard paid no mind and spoke to Duke Amaterasu.

“Would it be alright if I borrowed your daughter for a moment, Duke Amaterasu?”

Duke Amaterasu, who had been staring at Lady Howard with surprised eyes, soon looked at Giselle Grante with a questioning gaze asking if it would be okay.

“Yes? Let’s go together.”

When Giselle Grante didn’t answer immediately, Lady Howard gently shook the arm she was holding and urged her.

‘…What? Why is she acting like this toward me?’

Giselle Grante was simply bewildered by the current situation.

This was only the second time she had met Lady Howard face to face.

The first time was at the Empress’s tea party, and both then and now, Lady Howard seemed to feel an inner intimacy toward Giselle Grante. Though she couldn’t understand the reason why.

Giselle Grante found herself nodding unconsciously.

It might have been because Lady Howard was looking at her with the expression of a pitiful kitten.

“Then I hope the ladies have a pleasant time together.”

Duke Amaterasu said with a faint smile.

Was it because of the smile that graced his usually expressionless face, or was it due to the dignity added to his already handsome features?

Giselle Grante thought she understood why noblewomen with husbands, or widowed noblewomen who had lost their husbands early, all stole glances at Duke Amaterasu.

As soon as Duke Amaterasu gave his permission, Lady Howard smiled brightly and led Giselle Grante toward where the young ladies were gathered.

“I’ll decline your thanks.”

“…?”

At the questioning look, Lady Howard continued.

“I know everything. They were probably having such boring conversations that you were about to yawn. And you were just listening silently. How uninteresting.”

Giselle Grante blinked slowly.

Having been quite interested in their conversation, Giselle Grante found this rather absurd.

It was clearly Lady Howard who had interrupted her.

“But you know, my lady.”

Lady Howard asked as they walked.

“Doesn’t the Duke have any thoughts of remarrying?”

“…Pardon? Why do you ask that?”

“Well, he’s so attractive. I was thinking it might be an imperial loss for him to continue staying alone. But still… would a stepmother be somewhat uncomfortable?”

Giselle Grante smiled slightly and answered.

“Then if there’s a beautiful widowed noblewoman around, please introduce her to us.”

“Really? Ah, let me think of who among the beautiful widowed noblewomen there might be…”

As Lady Howard was trying to recall with a furrowed brow:

“Amazing! Magnificent!”

Someone exclaimed quite loudly in admiration. Lady Howard pointed toward where the nobles were gathered and asked.

“What could that be about?”

Shaking her head, Giselle Grante turned toward where the voice had come from.

Then Lady Howard spoke with evident excitement in her voice.

“I’m curious what it is. Let’s go over there and check it out.”

Then another loud voice, almost shouting, was heard again.

“Is this it? The mark that’s supposed to be on His Highness the Crown Prince’s body?”

A mark on the Crown Prince’s body?

Giselle Grante immediately nodded to Lady Howard and took the lead in walking.

“Let’s go over there.”

“Great!”

The two women, united in purpose, squeezed between the gathered nobles.

In the center of the nobles stood a very familiar figure.

‘…Joshua!’

Joshua had taken off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves partially. On his exposed wrist, there was a small drawing.

‘That’s supposed to be the mark?’

According to the founding myth of the Phasis Empire, the emperor was called a heavenly descendant who came down from heaven.

It was a founding myth that even children in the Phasis Empire would know.

The myth’s content included a story that there was a mark on the heavenly descendant’s body that could identify their existence, and they ruled as emperors.

However, this was nothing more than an old story that had faded long ago.

Giselle Grante judged that the reason this story had faded was due to the hereditary nature of imperial power.

If the mark of the heavenly descendant truly existed, then if the emperor’s child didn’t have the mark, the imperial power would pass to another’s hands.

Then the previous emperor would completely lose power the moment a new emperor ascended.

They might be evaluated and punished for various misdeeds they had committed. So it was realistic to consider that the mark could be fabricated at any time.

The biggest reason she had judged the founding myth to be completely fabricated was because Trinity didn’t have such a mark on her body. It was also thanks to entering the imperial palace’s secret library and seeing the truth of the story.

Anyway, although she had never confirmed it separately, she was certain that the current emperor also didn’t have a mark.

If the emperor had a mark like Joshua’s, he would have proudly displayed it.

Even if the mark was in a private area of the body, he would surely have frequently brought up stories related to it.

But the emperor had never mentioned the mark even once.

For this reason, Giselle Grante thought that the emperor’s body wouldn’t have the mark known as the heavenly descendant’s proof.

The emperor she knew would never hide such a proud mark on his body.

“It’s His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Then Lady Howard’s somewhat displeased voice brought Giselle Grante out of her thoughts.

Her expression seemed somewhat disapproving, so Giselle Grante tilted her head and asked.

“You don’t like him?”

Then Lady Howard whispered in Giselle Grante’s ear.

“Actually, you see, I was supporting Princess Trinity as the next emperor.”

“…….”

At the sudden mention, Giselle Grante stiffened slightly. But pretending to be unaffected, she whispered as naturally as possible.

“Why?”

“She’s cool, isn’t she?”

“But Princess Trinity is…”

Lady Howard quickly spoke with an expression that she had made a mistake.

“Ah, by any chance, does Lady Amaterasu support His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Just as Giselle Grante was about to move her lips to give an answer, Joshua’s voice was heard.

“Haven’t you all seen enough now?”

Joshua looked at the nobles who had flocked to see the mark and tried to roll down his sleeves.

Then someone shouted.

“I, I want to see it too, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please grant me the honor of seeing the mark as well!”

Soon voices continued from here and there.

“Now, now, please don’t push. Someone might get hurt. Those who have seen the mark proving the next emperor, please step back a little, and let those in the back also see the mark…”

Marquis Latse, standing guard beside Joshua like a protective knight, controlled the situation.

As the nobles in the front row stepped back, this time the group of young ladies stood close to Joshua.

One of the young ladies who looked at the mark on Joshua’s wrist exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow… So this is that mark we’ve only heard about in stories! I never imagined I’d be able to see it in person…”

The young ladies beside her also looked at Joshua with longing eyes.

Joshua made eye contact with each of the young ladies who had approached him.

The young ladies’ reactions when their eyes met Joshua’s were varied.

Some blushed deeply and shyly lowered their gazes, others quickly checked their attire, or combed through their hair that wasn’t even disheveled…

Among them, there was also a young lady who openly stared at his face.

In any case, with this, Joshua was able to complete not only his investiture as Crown Prince but also prove that he was the next emperor ordained by God.