ITIF Chapter 70

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However, if she just went back like this, there would have been no point in disguising herself as an employee of Radcliffe Trading Company and coming here.

“Could you spare me a moment? Lady Greykin.”

Lady Greykin, who had been about to leave the drawing room, slowly turned her head toward Giselle Grante.

Lady Greykin’s eyes widened slightly as she gazed at her face.

“That appearance… what on earth happened, Lady Amaterasu?”

Only then did Lady Greykin ask, scanning Giselle Grante’s appearance from head to toe.

“There are some circumstances… Would it be alright if we talked for a moment?”

Lady Greykin, who had been staring intently at Giselle Grante as if trying to discern her intentions, soon spoke.

“Prepare tea for our guest.”

The maid bowed at the waist and left the drawing room.

A slight tension filled the air in the drawing room.

By now, Lady Greykin’s mind must be complicated with all sorts of thoughts.

She would be busy trying to figure out why that fool from Amaterasu had come looking for her, even going so far as to disguise herself as a trading company employee.

“Let’s sit first.”

Lady Greykin offered her a seat.

Fortunately, unlike Lady Zimmer, she didn’t seem to harbor much resentment toward Giselle Grante.

As they sat down, Lady Greykin continued speaking while scanning Giselle Grante’s appearance.

“It suits you well. That outfit too.”

Since it didn’t seem to be meant as mockery, Giselle Grante opened her mouth with an awkward smile.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight, my lady.”

“Have I? I think I’m ordinary. How much time has passed since Her Imperial Highness the Princess suffered that terrible fate, and already…”

Lady Greykin trailed off as if unable to continue.

Even without hearing it to the end, Giselle Grante could guess what Lady Greykin had swallowed back.

Having lost a precious imperial descendant, it would have been right to take time to honor and mourn her.

But right now, the nobles were busy calculating whether aligning themselves with Crown Prince Joshua or the mistress’s son Philipo would benefit their family more.

Even while confined to house arrest at the estate, she seemed to be keeping up with outside news in a timely manner.

Giselle Grante thought with her eyes slightly lowered.

‘Yes. This is how she’s always been.’

Lady Greykin had a gentle-seeming personality at first glance, yet she was firm in her convictions.

So when it came to matters she judged to be right, she didn’t easily bend her will.

For a moment, Giselle Grante felt a bit sorry for having suspected that Lady Greykin might be a traitor who had received orders from the Empress.

Meeting her in person, she could fully sense that Lady Greykin was genuinely grieving Princess Trinity’s death.

“…Or am I wrong? Am I the strange one? You think so too, don’t you, my lady? That the right thing is to quickly find a way to survive.”

Lady Greykin spoke self-deprecatingly with a bitter smile. Her faintly trembling voice carried a hint of tears.

Giselle Grante waited quietly until she could gather her rising emotions.

“Anyway, I should hear the reason why you went so far as to disguise yourself like this to secretly visit me.”

Only after composing her emotions did Lady Greykin ask her question.

“Because I want to know the truth of that day.”

Even though she hadn’t clearly specified when or which day’s truth she wanted to know, Lady Greykin immediately understood and replied.

“What will you do once you know that?”

“Because there are things known differently from the facts that I want to correct. And I also want to help someone who is trembling in fear, bearing false accusations and waiting only for the day their head will roll.”

Lady Greykin stared at Giselle Grante with an unreadable expression.

She couldn’t tell what Lady Greykin was thinking now, but it didn’t seem like she would oppose Giselle Grante’s opinion.

“I once hoped such a day would come. Though I never thought someone who would actually try to do it would appear. If all of that person’s secrets were exposed to the world, it would feel truly refreshing.”

Lady Greykin showed a slight smile.

Though she had referred to “that person,” it was possible to surmise that she too had accumulated resentment toward the Empress.

“Did you hear about the trial?”

“Yes.”

“Then shall we go together for now?”

Giselle Grante immediately stood up from her seat.

“Where… are we going?”

Lady Greykin, who had been awkwardly rising from her seat, asked anxiously.

“I’m going to protect you in a safe place.”

Giselle Grante briefly explained why this was necessary.

That the reason Lady Oppenheimer’s trial had ended inconclusively was due to an anonymous tip.

That someone who didn’t want the truth revealed would soon attempt to silence people to manage the situation.

Only then did Lady Greykin stand up from her seat.

“That makes sense. Actually, I knew that my father had made a deal with someone regarding my fate.”

“……”

“The deal was that they would spare my life if I kept my mouth firmly shut until the situation was completely sorted out—no, even after that.”

Giselle Grante nodded and said.

“Count Greykin wasn’t the only one who accepted that deal. Count Zimmer must have made the same promise to save his daughter. But since someone broke that promise and spoke up, they’ll come for retaliation now.”

“…Then was it Lady Zimmer who spoke up? I haven’t met with anyone and have been staying quietly at the estate.”

“I’ll explain later. For now, let’s prioritize getting you out of the estate. Where do we move the items ordered from Radcliffe Trading Company?”

“It would be the goods storage.”

“Let’s go there first.”

The two immediately headed to the goods storage.

And they approached a large wooden crate among the items delivered today through Radcliffe Trading Company.

Giselle Grante opened the lid of the wooden crate and asked, pointing inside.

“Can you fit in here?”

Looking at the empty interior of the wooden crate, Lady Greykin hesitantly stepped back.

“…You want me to get in here?”

Before someone sent by the Empress came to deal with Lady Greykin, disappearing from the estate first was the plan Giselle Grante had devised.

If possible, without even the Greykin family’s employees knowing. By riding in Radcliffe Trading Company’s cargo wagon.

****

At that moment, Lady Zimmer was spending idle time in the field in front of the villa.

At first, the leisurely life in a quiet rural village away from her daily routine of parties and social gatherings had been nice.

She had chosen this place instead of the count’s residence as her house arrest location, recalling the memories of enjoying rest here once or twice a year on vacation.

But this unchanging life was starting to become boring.

Contrary to what they’d said about being able to return soon, there was still no news from the capital.

At first, she had applied fragrant oils to her hair and body and worn fancy dresses, just like when she lived in the capital.

But even wearing expensive dresses tailored at the capital’s luxury boutiques and dressing up nicely had no benefits.

Walking through the fields only stained the hem of her skirt with grass stains, and the only people to show her carefully dressed appearance to were boring maids and stiff guard knights.

Her interest in news about Radcliffe Trading Company, which she’d heard was receiving favorable reviews among nobles, was also brief.

Radcliffe Trading Company was still conducting business centered only in the capital, and being away from the capital, she couldn’t become a customer of Radcliffe Trading Company.

There seemed to be rumors that they would soon expand their business throughout the empire, but anyway, that wasn’t happening now.

With a sigh, Lady Zimmer gazed into the distance.

Hoping that the trial would end soon, that the house arrest would be lifted and she could return to the capital.

Then something caught the edge of her vision.

“…?”

Lady Zimmer slowly rose from her seat, squinting to focus on that something.

A man in armor was riding a horse toward her.

‘The trial results are finally out!’

Her joy was short-lived.

Realizing how shabby her reflection looked in the small stream, Lady Zimmer hurriedly turned her steps toward the villa.

It seemed better to tidy herself up before meeting the knight who had come to deliver the news.

“…Olla?”

Upon entering the villa, Lady Zimmer first looked for Olla.

But Olla was nowhere to be seen in the living room, bedroom, or laundry room.

“If you’re going somewhere, you should say so before leaving. No basic manners…”

Lady Zimmer clicked her tongue and shook her head.

Then, having no choice, she began grooming herself alone.

Since there didn’t seem to be time to change dresses, she simply draped a shawl over her shoulders.

And she tidied her hair that had been disheveled by the wind.

After this quick grooming, Lady Zimmer’s head tilted as she left the dressing room.

“…?”

Come to think of it, she hadn’t heard the sound of hoofbeats for a while now.

Puzzled and tilting her head, she immediately left the villa and looked around.

Neither the horse that should have been tied to a tree nor the knight who should have delivered news of the trial were visible.

“Maybe they were just passing by…”

Muttering to herself and looking around, Lady Zimmer discovered something in her line of sight and approached it.

She picked up what looked like a note thrown among the grass and checked its contents.

[Since there are watching eyes, please understand that I couldn’t deliver the news face to face…]

It was brief, simply stating when and where to come out.

At the mention of watching eyes, Lady Zimmer glanced around.

There didn’t seem to be anyone else besides her nearby, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

Especially since Lady Amaterasu had visited this place just a short while ago.