ITIF Chapter 95

Is He Crazy?

“Did something happen with Duke Cardia?”

Count Frederick asked directly for the reason.

Giselle Grante pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head faintly.

“Even if you try to hide it, it’s all obvious.”

Giselle Grante lowered her head slightly to conceal her flushed cheeks.

“Well, actually, I think I already know even if you don’t tell me.”

“……You think you know?”

Count Frederick let out a light sigh and added.

“Seeing how you’re so distracted and upset, it must be that Duke Cardia unilaterally criticized you over something trivial, isn’t it?”

Kavelaseth hadn’t criticized her.

He had merely checked if they felt any aversion toward each other before having an heir.

But she couldn’t openly tell Count Frederick that she had kissed Kavelaseth.

That was a personal matter for both her and Kavelaseth.

While Giselle Grante hesitated over what to say, Count Frederick spoke again.

“Just as I was catching my breath after resolving the territory’s affairs, I heard the news of your engagement with Duke Cardia.”

Giselle Grante quietly waited for Count Frederick’s next words.

“At first, I doubted my ears. I even suspected the rumor had spread incorrectly……. What happened?”

“The engagement news is true.”

When Giselle Grante nodded, Count Frederick’s eyes widened slightly.

Count Frederick, who had frozen briefly as if shocked, turned his head toward Giselle Grante.

Then he asked, almost accusingly.

“There must have been appropriate reasons, but how did you come to make such a choice?”

He seemed ready to grab Duke Cardia by the collar if there wasn’t a legitimate reason for their engagement.

Giselle Grante was a bit flustered by his reaction.

Count Frederick and Giselle Grante had joined hands for a common purpose.

To reveal the truth about Princess Trinity’s death and punish those behind it.

So personal matters like an engagement were beside the point.

‘Is this really something to be this angry about?’

While finding his reaction strange, Giselle Grante briefly explained the situation.

After hearing the full explanation, Count Frederick shook his head in disgust.

“This is truly absurd.”

Giselle Grante agreed with his words by nodding, then spoke.

“Now that your curiosity is satisfied, are you ready to tell me why you wanted to see me?”

“It wasn’t anything major. I just wanted to inform you personally that I had successfully resolved the matters in my county and returned to the capital.”

He could have informed her by letter, but Count Frederick had arranged to meet Giselle Grante in person because he wanted to hear it directly from her.

Whether the news of her engagement with Duke Cardia was true, and why she had made such a choice.

“I see.”

But Giselle Grante felt somewhat deflated.

She had been anticipating hearing important news when he said they should meet in person to talk.

Something about the Empress and the Antares family, or something related to Trinity’s death.

‘It was just a courtesy call.’

Perhaps this sentiment showed on her face, as Count Frederick asked.

“Are you disappointed?”

“A little.”

Count Frederick, who had been gazing at Giselle Grante quietly, soon changed the subject.

“By the way, how will you get back?”

She had come by carriage with Kavelaseth, and the carriage had long since disappeared from view.

“If it’s all right with you…….”

Count Frederick was carefully beginning to speak when—

A carriage bearing the Cardia ducal family’s crest was approaching them.

****

It wasn’t that he had any particular business. No, not at all.

He had simply followed along because Giselle Grante was going out.

The butler who came to Kavelaseth’s study where he was working informed him of Giselle Grante’s outing.

Since Kavelaseth had no plans to go out today, he simply needed to arrange a carriage for her to ride and assign a few escort knights.

That must have been why Giselle Grante had informed him of her outing.

But his body moved before his mind could think.

The result was him riding in the same carriage as Giselle Grante.

He had planned to go with her wherever she wanted to go. Because now he was Giselle Grante’s fiancé.

But he became quite displeased when the person who appeared at the meeting place turned out to be Count Frederick.

However, he couldn’t cut off his fiancée’s relationships using his own displeasure as an excuse.

So he could only watch as she got out of the carriage.

And watch as she walked away with Count Frederick.

“Where should we go?”

At the coachman’s question, Kavelaseth answered offhandedly.

“Straight ahead for now.”

After glaring at the carriage wall for a while, Kavelaseth soon changed his mind.

‘I should make this clear while I’m at it.’

For the sake of their future married life, it seemed better to firmly establish this now.

“Turn the carriage around to where my fiancée is.”

And when Giselle Grante and Count Frederick’s figures began to appear beyond the carriage window, his displeasure doubled.

‘Aren’t they too close?’

Couldn’t they stand a bit farther apart while talking?

As he was thinking this, his eyes met Giselle Grante’s as she looked in his direction.

Her slightly flushed cheeks and downcast gaze somewhat improved his displeasure, but he had no intention of letting it pass.

After Giselle Grante parted with Count Frederick and sat in the seat next to him in the carriage, Kavelaseth stared at her intently.

Then Giselle Grante asked, puzzled.

“Didn’t you go out because you had other business?”

Why did you come back, Giselle Grante’s question implied, but Kavelaseth didn’t answer right away.

But unable to resist her eyes that seemed to demand an answer, he finally spoke.

“……Was your conversation with Count Frederick enjoyable?”

“Hmm…….”

Kavelaseth felt mixed emotions at the sight of Giselle Grante pondering as she chose her words.

On one hand, he was irritated that she didn’t immediately deny it by saying it wasn’t enjoyable at all, but on the other hand, her slightly husky voice was very pleasant to hear.

Still, that didn’t make his displeasure disappear.

He didn’t know what kind of relationship she had previously had with Count Frederick, but it seemed necessary to make it clear that things couldn’t remain the same after marriage.

“I’ll tell you in advance that I’m very possessive of what’s mine.”

“Pardon?”

Giselle Grante looked at him with an expression that showed she had no idea why he was bringing this up.

“Especially when it comes to people.”

“I see. That’s news to me.”

Giselle Grante looked at him with an expression that said, “So what?”

‘Now that I think about it, she’s quite oblivious.’

Tsk, clicking his tongue, Kavelaseth quickly spoke.

“I won’t quibble about the past. But wrap it up as soon as possible.”

“I’m not sure what you want me to wrap up.”

Saying this, Giselle Grante looked at him with wide eyes.

Instantly, a deep furrow formed between Kavelaseth’s brows.

‘Am I crazy?’

Kavelaseth began to doubt his mental state. Because even that look on Giselle Grante seemed too pretty.

But he had to say what needed to be said.

“Count Frederick.”

“So you’re saying you want me to ‘wrap up’ Count Frederick……. Why should I do that?”

At her question demanding a valid reason, Kavelaseth was at a loss for words.

And all because of his fiancée who was so brazenly confident in her assertion.

‘Does she mean to keep meeting other men even after marriage?’

Even so, he almost blurted out that if that’s what she wanted, she should go ahead.

Kavelaseth straightened his clouding mind and said.

“I think I’ve said this before. You seem to have forgotten, so I’ll say it one last time. The idea of separating marriage and romance is nothing but nonsense.”

****

Watching Kavelaseth and Giselle Grante return to the estate together after going out together, the butler smiled contentedly.

Too overwhelmed with sorting through various thoughts, Giselle Grante entered the estate without noticing the butler’s expression.

‘No way, right? Does he actually like me?’

She didn’t forget to steal glances at Kavelaseth’s face as they walked.

Whether he didn’t notice her gaze or was pretending not to, Kavelaseth’s eyes remained fixed straight ahead.

Only when they arrived at her bedroom door did Kavelaseth finally turn his head toward her.

When their eyes met, she remembered the kiss in the carriage.

Overwhelmed by sudden embarrassment, Giselle Grante unconsciously avoided his gaze.

“Thank you for today.”

Whatever the reason, Kavelaseth was the one who had escorted her.

Being a busy person, she was grateful that he had taken time for her.

“Not very sincere.”

A grumpy reply came from Kavelaseth.

“What do you mean not sincere…….”

Just as she was about to turn her gaze back to him—

On her lips, his lips touched and pulled away.

Giselle Grante flinched in surprise, her shoulders trembling.

Kavelaseth looked at her and snorted softly before adding.

“Next time, I’ll expect sincerity from you.”

After gazing at her slightly parted lips for a moment, Kavelaseth turned around abruptly. Then he walked away at a leisurely pace.

Blinking rapidly as she watched his retreating figure for a while, Giselle Grante finally stepped into her bedroom.

“Really…… what is this?”

Giselle Grante carefully mulled over Kavelaseth’s behavior throughout the day.

Kissing her whenever they were alone, being concerned about Count Frederick……. No matter how she thought about it, this seemed like love.

“That’s impossible. Kavelaseth, with me……?”

Words denying the thought that suddenly arose slipped through her slightly parted teeth.

‘Did he take some wrong medicine or something?’

Just as Giselle Grante was doubting Kavelaseth’s mental state, there was suddenly a knock at the door.