In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 121

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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This Life, I Will Become the Clan Head Episode 121

I was sitting with my eyes closed in a comfortable armchair with a soft backrest.

Feeling the gentle breeze coming through the slightly open window brush against my skin, a smile naturally formed on my face.

The reason I love that my birthday is in spring is because around this time, I can always feel the wind mixed with the scent of flowers like this.

“Mmm…”

Just then, the baby sleeping in my arms began to stir.

“Merillin, are you awake already?”

“Yaaawn-.”

As if responding to my words, Merillin opened her small toothless mouth wide and yawned.

“Did you sleep well, Merillin?”

When I gently caressed the baby’s soft cheek, her black pearl-like eyes looked at me.

“Kyaa-!”

“Did you have a good dream?”

I carefully kissed the forehead of the child who was smiling brightly at me.

The sweet scent unique to nursing babies made me smile along with her.

“Our Merillin, who do you take after to be so pretty?”

“Kyaa, ooh!”

The baby stretched her tiny hand toward me.

For a baby who had just learned to sit up by herself, this was her way of expressing her feelings with all her might.

“Yes. I really like you too, Merillin.”

I took her small hand and kissed her soft palm as well.

The baby kicked her feet as if it tickled.

“Now, now, be careful not to damage anything!”

I could hear the workers outside shouting, but inside my room was as peaceful as if it were a completely different world from the noisy outside.

“Merillin, shall we practice again?”

Merillin, who had been playing by grabbing and releasing my long flowing hair, looked at me.

“Come on, try to follow along. ‘Mother’, ‘Mother’.”

Since it’s a word I’ve never properly called myself, the word rolling on my tongue feels a bit unfamiliar.

But Merillin has a mother who will love her more than anyone else.

“Can you see my lips moving, Merillin? You do it like this. Mother, Mother.”

“Oh my, Young Lady. She’s still far from being able to speak, you know?”

Loril, who had returned after changing the water in the vase, entered the room and spoke.

“No. Merillin is a genius, Loril. If I keep letting her hear this, she’ll speak much faster than other children.”

“You’re really impossible.”

Even while scolding me, Loril couldn’t stop smiling, as if she didn’t really mind.

After all, there’s no mother in this world who would dislike hearing that her child seems like a genius.

“You’ll have to grow up quickly to meet Young Lady’s expectations. Right, Merillin?”

Merillin is Loril’s first baby, born three years after her marriage.

Loril succeeded in a love marriage, and her partner is Flint Debon, a young deputy commander of the Lombardy Knights.

Like Loril, he’s the third son of the Debon Family, one of the vassal families.

The Debon Family, which handles Lombardy’s transportation and logistics business, had their family head pass away four years ago after being bedridden for a long time, and his eldest son Clang inherited the position.

Flint Debon, Loril’s husband, was Clang’s youngest brother.

Merillin, who had seen the light of the world just 5 months ago, was truly a lovable child with light wheat-colored hair like Loril’s and black eyes like Flint’s.

“Merillin, come to Mother!”

Merillin, who had been comfortably nestled in my arms, smiled brightly and reached out her hands toward Loril.

I supported Merillin’s bottom and handed her over to Loril, saying:

“I’m going to the trading company for a bit. Play with Merillin here, and when it’s time for Flint’s training to end, leave work together, Loril.”

“I wondered why you were wearing ready-made clothes. Are you going out again? Should I come with you? I can leave Merillin with someone for a while.”

“No. Did you forget that Loril is still on maternity leave?”

“But…”

At my words, Loril made a sad face while fidgeting with innocent flower petals.

“Tomorrow is also a special day, and I haven’t been able to see Young Lady much lately.”

“I visited your place just a week ago, didn’t I?”

“Exactly! It’s been a whole week! I’m worried about whether you’re eating properly, or if those Empress lackeys are bothering you at some banquet!”

“…Do I look like someone who would just take it if they bothered me?”

“That’s not the point, but…”

Loril had always taken care of me like looking after a much younger sibling.

But since giving birth to Merillin, it seems like her worry about me has gotten even worse.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Loril!”

“Alright, Young Lady. I’ll prepare the dress and accessories you’ll wear tomorrow before I leave.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow too, Merillin!”

I waved my hand widely before going outside.

The estate was always busy with people coming and going all day, but today was even more so.

I put on an outer garment over the plain ready-made clothes I was wearing and pulled up the hood.

Fortunately, the workers mobilized for tomorrow didn’t recognize me as I passed by and continued their conversation.

“There must be a big event at the Lombardi Estate tomorrow?”

“Huh? Have you been working without knowing that?”

“Someone would have to tell me.”

“Tomorrow is the 18th birthday of Young Lady Pirenthia Lombardi. It’s the day when Lord Gallahan Lombardi’s only daughter becomes an adult.”

“Ah, so that’s why it’s so grand…”

That’s right.

Tomorrow was finally the historic day when I would turn eighteen and be recognized as an adult.

* * *

“I’m here.”

I said while taking off the hood that had been covering my head.

“Welcome, Lady Pirenthia.”

Cleribane took off his glasses and greeted me warmly.

Cleribane, who proudly entered the final year of his thirties this year, was showing what it meant to be ‘a man who ages gracefully.’

The long hair he had always worn tied back was cut short this year and neatly combed back, and his gaze had deepened with each passing year.

And above all, Cleribane’s greatest charm point was the Pellet Trading Company.

He had such a reputation for being ‘ascetic’ that he had no romantic partners, and being young and handsome, Cleribane was none other than the founder of the Pellet Trading Company.

“It’s quite noisy today too. When is the construction supposed to end?”

“The construction on the west side is scheduled to be completed by today. But the south side will probably take a few more weeks since it’s major construction that requires laying new roads.”

“It can’t be helped. Everyone’s working hard.”

Even while the dusty and noisy construction was going on, the trading company’s business had to continue.

But Cleribane smiled and shook his head.

“This is work to buy up all the buildings and land in this area to create one large complex, so we can endure this much.”

Cleribane looked as if he was full even without eating.

Five and a half years since the day Grandfather collapsed.

During that time, the Pellet Trading Company had achieved tremendous growth.

The building of the Pellet Trading Company that I first bought for Cleribane quickly became too small, so we bought nearby buildings one by one.

And eventually, we came to create one complex like this.

Also, besides this headquarters located in Lombardy, the central part of the Empire, we now had an Eastern Branch and a Southern Branch.

The west was occupied by Angenas, and frankly, it wasn’t a very advantageous area, so we were currently turning our attention to the north.

“Has there been any contact from Violet?”

“Yes, I was just about to report to you about that.”

Cleribane handed me a folded report that looked like it had just been taken out of an envelope.

I took it and quickly read through it.

“…It’s the Monak Guild again?”

“I apologize.”

Cleribane answered with a gloomy expression.

“They’ve really been bothering me since last time.”

The Northern Region had one more specialty besides minerals.

It was the trees that grew while enduring the harsh climate of the north.

Among them, the tree called ‘Triba’ grew quickly and was tough and sturdy, so it was used everywhere from construction to furniture.

Pellet Trading Company was planning to buy those Triba trees to increase their influence in the Northern Region.

But for the past few months, a place called ‘Monak Guild’ had appeared and kept outbidding our Pellet Trading Company for the Triba trees in an absurd situation.

Eventually, Violet, unable to stand it anymore, stepped forward herself and headed to the Northern Region.

However, the situation wasn’t improving much.

It was the first time the always successful Pellet Trading Company was experiencing such a thing.

“For Violet to lose in a purchasing competition. What exactly is their identity?”

“I’ve asked Lord Beit to investigate, but it doesn’t seem easy. They’re a newly established guild and move in small groups as if they have secrets.”

“Even Beit says that?”

Now, beyond the tree purchasing competition, I was really becoming curious about the Monak Guild’s identity.

“Triba trees don’t cost just a penny or two. And they’re currently buying tremendous quantities, aren’t they?”

“Yes, that’s right. They’re keeping up with about half the amount we purchase.”

“But a guild with that much money can’t just fall from the sky…”

“I suspect it’s probably a guild independently established by an experienced merchant who received investment.”

Cleribane spoke in a cautious tone.

“From shaking off purchasing competitors to preemptively securing the next Triba tree cultivation sites, they’re extraordinarily skilled.”

“That’s what I thought too, right?”

A merchant’s experience is valuable.

Especially the knowledge gained through direct physical confrontation accumulates and allows them to gain more profit in the next transaction.

In that sense, the Monak Guild leader was definitely someone with a lot of experience.

Ah, of course, sometimes there are guilds that ignore such rules and create tremendous results from the beginning without experience.

Like Pellet Trading Company.

But that was possible because of me, who knew the future, and Cleribane, who had genius abilities.

“So how are other matters going?”

“A request came in from the Ruman family in the Eastern Region. They want to reduce the commission fees for trade to the east…”

I spent about several hours receiving reports on the trading company’s affairs before standing up.

“If any other news comes from Violet, please let me know immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

“And when you send a reply to Violet, please convey this message too. Tell her not to worry too much about losing in the Triba tree competition.”

Cleribane stared at me intently.

“We want to increase our influence in the Northern Region, not really compete with other guilds over trees. If necessary, we can return to minerals. It’s better for Violet to focus on the big picture.”

“Lady Pirenthia…”

Cleribane was half sobbing as if he was deeply moved.

“I’ve always said it, haven’t I? The most important things are you two, Cleribane and Violet.”

Even if we lose other things, we can always rebuild them.

As I said that and turned around, I saw Cleribane quietly taking out a handkerchief and wiping his eyes.

And he goes around getting called a ‘cold handsome man’ outside.

After discussing with Cleribane about seeing each other at tomorrow’s birthday banquet, I left Pellet Trading Company.

I had just walked out through the main gate after crossing the long, newly developed wide complex.

I noticed someone leaning against the wall next to the large gate.

It was a man wearing a deep hood pulled down like I was.

Thanks to being about a head taller than other people, even his shadow on the ground was particularly large and long.

Just as I glanced at that man whose face wasn’t visible and was about to pass by him.

“Tia.”

It was an unfamiliar voice.

Very low and attractive.

Yet somehow affectionate, the voice called me.

Stop.

I stopped walking and looked up at the man.

Then he slowly removed his hood.

“…You.”

Slightly disheveled black hair and red eyes shining brightly in the sunlight.

The guy who had completely lost his youthful appearance and returned as a full-grown adult.

“It’s been a long time, Tia.”

It was Peres.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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