Jieselgrante looked at the empty table.

Although it wasn’t a promised guest, she thought at least a cup of tea would be offered.

It was truly like him.

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

“If it’s a brief matter, I think we both needn’t waste time.”

It meant he wouldn’t offer tea.

‘How cold.’

Jieselgrante held back a bitter smile and nodded.

‘Right. He was originally this kind of person.’

Realizing that fact anew.

“Count, you seem to be thinking a lot. Perhaps… are you wondering if my interest has shifted from Duke Kardia to you, Count Frederick…”

Though it was asked teasingly, Count Frederick’s expression suddenly stiffened.

As if hoping that wasn’t the case.

Seeing through his attitude so clearly, Jieselgrante burst into incredulous laughter.

At that, Count Frederick’s brow immediately furrowed.

As if pondering something, he moved his lips slightly before speaking.

“Let me be clear. This is troublesome.”

“…”

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

It was quite a straightforward rejection.

But she had never confessed, nor did she intend to, yet she was being rejected first.

This must be the karma of the previous owner of this body, but she was the one being insulted.

Somehow, her mouth felt bitter.

‘By the way, Count Frederick has someone he likes? Who could it be?’

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

Count Frederick seemed like a person born to work.

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

“Of course, I understand that sorting out one’s feelings isn’t easy… But I thought it best to make things clear now to avoid wasting each other’s time.”

At his continued response, she felt so dumbfounded and angry that she wanted to shout out loud for a moment, but Jieselgrante just squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them to gather her emotions.

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

“…?”

Then he left the office.

‘Surely. Is this the end of the matter?’

And so he left the office without even saying to leave?

As Jieselgrante was smiling helplessly and feeling bewildered, it was then.

Count Frederick returned to the office.

And in his hand was a handkerchief.

A floral handkerchief with white lace that certainly looked like it belonged to a woman.

Did he perhaps forcibly take it from a maid passing by outside the office?

As Jieselgrante was thinking this, Count Frederick gruffly held out the handkerchief.

“Use it if you need to.”

“Surely, you didn’t think I would shed tears, did you?”

“…Was that not the case?”

Count Frederick asked back with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

‘Good grief, this is ridiculous.’

Jieselgrante suppressed her brief anger and opened her mouth.

Any intention to comfort him, who might be somewhat heartbroken after the death of Trinity, the imperial princess he had served, completely vanished.

“I seem to have dragged this on too long. I’ll get straight to the point. I have absolutely no romantic interest in you, Count Frederick. So I’d appreciate it if you refrained from unnecessary misunderstandings.”

This time, Frederick’s face froze in shock.

He really seemed to have thought that she had turned her eyes from Duke Kardia to him, Count Frederick.

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

“…If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate.”

The white lace handkerchief that had been held out to her just moments ago was now crumpled in his hand.

“Then why did you have me followed?”

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

At that moment, Count Frederick’s eyes turned cold. As if searching, yet also as if measuring something.

He had been the same during their first encounter with Trinity.

Not like others who naturally revered her as a noble-born royal, but with eyes that scrutinized the other person to determine if they were suitable to serve as his lord.

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

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

Of course, he hadn’t just now. Hadn’t he misunderstood her as some strange woman who would fall for just anyone?

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

Count Frederick muttered quietly, barely audible.

Then he immediately glared at Jieselgrante with blazing eyes.

“No. Perhaps you really are someone who can’t discern things properly?”

His furrowed brow reflected Count Frederick’s current state of mind.

It seemed he couldn’t quite figure out which it was.

While thinking ‘Experiencing it firsthand, it’s different from the rumors,’ he was likely also inwardly thinking something like ‘They say ignorance is bliss.’

After a moment of confusion, Count Frederick shot Jieselgrante a cold look and said,

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

And he pointed towards the door.

“Please leave now. I doubt I can add any more pleasant words.”

Though she clearly understood he meant for her to get out, she also couldn’t back down like this.

Because currently, Count Frederick was the only trustworthy person who might be willing to dig into Princess Trinity’s murder case, even at the risk of danger.

“Previously, Her Highness Princess Trinity gave me a small favor. I hadn’t properly thanked her for that… Who could have known she would leave so suddenly like this?”

“…”

“I judged there were suspicious circumstances regarding Her Highness the Princess’s death. Hence, I merely wished to know the truth.”

“…”

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

“With mere curiosity of all things…!”

Count Frederick glared at her with blazing eyes.

“Is having curiosity and paying attention such a trifling matter? I am a person of the Amaterasu duchy. However, it would be equally dangerous for me to dig deeply into matters whose backers are unknown.”

Jieselgrante conveyed that her interest was more than simple curiosity.

“Is it Duke Amaterasu’s order? Or is it Duke Kardia?”

Count Frederick asked back with an expression of not quite understanding.

And for good reason.

Amaterasu and Kardia.

The two ducal houses had maintained neutrality, supporting neither Princess Trinity nor Prince Joshua.

It was possible to expect that Cabelased would support Trinity since the previous Empress, Trinity’s mother, and the previous Duke Kardia were quite close, but for some reason, he did not step forward for Trinity.

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

It didn’t seem strange that Count Frederick would misinterpret Jieselgrante’s sudden interest in the deceased Princess Trinity.

“This matter has nothing to do with the Amaterasu duchy. More than that, you were at the Grand Temple too, so you must know, but I hear there’s to be a crown prince’s investiture ceremony soon.”

As if he already had a headache over that matter, 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 own houses would flourish even more or disappear into the annals of history.

The same was true for Count Frederick.

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

He took considerable time in choosing a lord to serve, and he had sworn loyalty to Princess Trinity, who met his standards.

His pride wouldn’t allow him to change his mind now and side with Prince Joshua.

“Isn’t it strange?”

And Jieselgrante added fuel to his suspicions.

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

“Just what are you trying to say to me?”

Count Frederick growled lowly, but Jieselgrante immediately continued.

“All these circumstances feel too coincidental to me. Even the fact that Prince Joshua was declared crown prince at the very place meant to mourn Princess Trinity… Do you think this is all just a coincidence?”

Jieselgrante stopped there and closed her mouth. Then she observed Count Frederick’s complexion.

Hoping that he would contribute to uncovering the truth about Trinity’s death.

Count Frederick stared out the office window.

Just then, the carriage of the Amaterasu duchy, which had followed him from the Grand Temple, smoothly left the count’s residence.

He recalled the events up to arriving at the mansion.

‘My lord. It seems a carriage is following us.’

‘I know.’

‘Then what shall we do?’

‘We go to the count’s residence.’

There was a way to shake off the carriage by taking a side road, but Count Frederick did not change the 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 other party’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 a decision.

‘It was the side without the brains to follow without being noticed.’

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

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

‘But why would Lady Amaterasu come to me? …Surely not?’

The thought that immediately came to mind was ‘She has fallen for him.’

‘Despite being rejected, she couldn’t forget Duke Kardia and kept dripping with lingering feelings, so in the end, she decided to change the object of her affections?’

Quite discerning, it seems.