In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 128

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

This Life, I Will Become the Clan Head Episode 128

Why me?

A question arose in Cleribane’s mind.

He and the Second Prince had never properly exchanged greetings.

They had only brushed past each other occasionally at the Lombardi estate or banquets.

So why would he be wary of me?

Cleribane hid his confused feelings and politely greeted Peres.

“I greet you for the first time, Your Highness the Second Prince. I am Cleribane Pellet.”

However, Peres gave no response.

He simply stared intently at Cleribane.

It wasn’t particularly a frown or stern expression, just a habitual blank face, yet the crushing sense of intimidation tormented Cleribane.

It seemed to say ‘submit.’

However, Cleribane maintained his composure by recalling the day he first stood before Rulak.

The Second Prince was impressive, but not quite at Rulak’s level yet.

He tried not to waver by remembering that fact.

And at some moment.

The oppressive weight that had been tormenting Cleribane disappeared like a lie.

He was testing me.

Cleribane was able to realize this.

“I’m also pleased to meet the person leading the remarkable progress of Pellet Trading Company.”

“…It’s an honor.”

However, just because he had withdrawn the deliberately projected intimidation didn’t mean Peres’s attitude had softened.

Cleribane could clearly feel the wariness that still subtly remained.

And that rang alarm bells in Cleribane’s mind.

‘I should request materials from Lord Beit.’

Cleribane decided he would send a letter as soon as the banquet ended.

“May I join you?”

Peres politely asked Gallahan.

“Of course.”

“Excuse me then.”

Just as Peres was about to sit down.

Bang!

Giliou struck the table in front of him hard with his palm, clicked his tongue, and said.

“Ah, why are there so many flies? You saw it too, right Meylon?”

“Yeah. A really big dung fly keeps buzzing around.”

It was an exchange between the twins sitting across from them, glaring at Peres.

Anyone could tell it was clearly aimed at Peres.

“Giliou, Meylon!”

Gallahan scolded the two.

At Gallahan’s stern voice, the twins withdrew their glaring gazes from Peres, but their defiant attitude remained the same.

“…You two.”

Peres spoke in a low voice.

“I heard you received knighthood.”

“So what?”

Meylon sharply retorted.

It was a tone completely devoid of respect or courtesy toward a prince, but Peres didn’t mind.

Instead, he casually threw out a suggestion.

“How about we spar sometime.”

“S-spar?”

The twins’ eyes, which had been consistently hostile, wavered.

For someone training with the sword, sparring with a skilled opponent is an invaluably precious experience.

Depending on the person and timing, that single sparring session could bring more than years of training.

That Peres was a genius who had already created aura at twelve was a famous story everyone knew.

Moreover, they had heard about his brilliant academic record from Pirenthia.

Though they didn’t want to admit it, Peres was a far more advanced swordsman than the twins.

Sparring with such a Peres.

Peres delivered the finishing blow to the wavering pair.

“I think I could be of great help to you two. I’ll spare a day to be your opponent. How about it?”

“Ugh.”

Finally, Meylon gave in.

Giliou followed suit.

“I’ll visit the Lombardi Knights soon.”

Watching the twins nod with frustrated faces, the corners of Peres’s mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.

Then, Gallahan called over a servant passing by with wine and picked up a glass.

Peres, who was beside him, also chose a glass.

Then he gently swirled the glass in his hand and took a sip of wine.

It was quite a skilled and familiar gesture.

Gallahan, who had been watching Peres with round eyes, asked.

“Do you drink?”

“Occasionally.”

“That’s right, Your Highness is an adult now. I keep forgetting. I suppose it’s because the image of you as a child standing by my sickbed remains in my mind.”

Gallahan laughed heartily and asked.

“How was the Academy? It must have been difficult being alone in a distant place.”

Peres, who had been gazing into the distance and taking another sip of alcohol, blinked slowly.

He couldn’t find words to answer Gallahan’s question.

For Peres, the Academy was a place he had to go.

The Empress had driven him away, and he had also gone there of his own accord.

So the things he experienced there were things he naturally had to overcome.

Neither he himself nor anyone else had asked Peres ‘wasn’t it difficult?’

Gallahan carefully called out to Peres, who seemed somewhat dazed.

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, I apologize. It’s the first time I’ve been asked such a question.”

“Haha, I suppose it’s because Your Highness handled everything so admirably. Did you enjoy your Academy life?”

Another difficult question to answer.

Peres tilted his head slightly and asked Gallahan back.

“What does enjoyable mean?”

“Enjoyable is… something that leaves many memories. Memories that make you smile when you recall them, and that you want to remember for longer.”

“Hmm.”

Peres thought for a moment, then nodded.

“If I think of it that way, it seems it was enjoyable.”

Peres had gained important things at the Academy.

Knowledge, experience, and people too.

They were things he couldn’t afford to lose for his future endeavors.

Gallahan smiled, saying he was relieved at Peres’s words.

“Did you make many friends? They say good friends made during school days last a lifetime.”

“Haha.”

Finally, Peres let out a small laugh.

It was a strange laugh mixed with a sigh.

When the prince, who had been expressionless throughout, suddenly burst into a small laugh, Gallahan was surprised but laughed along.

“Why are you smiling?”

“…Now I understand the reason a little.”

Tia’s nature of being unable to pass by people in trouble and hardship was clearly visible in Gallahan.

Those green eyes that consistently shone with kindness.

Those lips that always had a small smile hanging on them.

Peres nodded his head.

“The Academy wasn’t bad.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Your Highness. Tia worried about you a lot.”

“…Tia did?”

Peres looked at Gallahan as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Of course. She said several times, ‘Peres should make many proper friends.'”

Peres covered his mouth with his large hand.

She worried about me.

She thought about me.

Just that alone made his heart pound with joy, as if it might burst out of his slightly parted lips.

That’s when it happened.

“So everyone was gathered here?”

A clear and cheerful voice was heard.

Peres very slowly looked toward where the voice came from.

He already knew too well who it was without even turning around.

“Peres, why does your face look like that? Did something happen?”

His face, which people could never figure out what he was thinking, she always looked into like clear water.

But the feelings he harbored now couldn’t be discovered yet.

Peres hid the trembling of his heart and shook his head briefly, answering curtly.

“No, nothing happened.”

The banquet was scheduled to continue until dawn.

But since I had to move busily starting tomorrow, I slipped out of the banquet before midnight.

Peres followed me out, saying he would escort me.

“You don’t really need to escort me.”

“The Lombardi estate is large. I’ll just walk with you to the front of the annex.”

My home wasn’t very far from where the banquet was being held.

Walking along the familiar path, I asked Peres.

“When are the friends you graduated from the Academy with coming? You said they’d follow you to the Imperial Capital.”

“Soon. They should be coming around now.”

“Introduce me when they arrive. I’m curious.”

“…Curious?”

“Of course. They’re the peo… no, friends that you chose, Peres.”

If Peres had chosen the same people as in his previous life, I would only need to provide a little help on his path to becoming Crown Prince.

If not…

Then I’ll just help him a lot, that’s all.

I thought lightly as I continued walking.

And before we knew it, we had arrived in front of the annex.

“Well, see you later.”

I waved my hand to Peres and then turned around.

After taking a few steps, I remembered something I had forgotten to say to Peres and stopped walking again.

“Peres.”

“Yeah?”

“You worked hard. Congratulations on graduating.”

How could I forget the most important thing to say.

My mind, really.

Peres blinked his eyes a couple of times as if slightly surprised, then smiled faintly.

“I heard Tia was worried about me.”

“…Dad told you?”

Peres nodded his head.

“Well, since you had to adapt in a foreign place, I was concerned about that aspect. I never worried that you wouldn’t succeed.”

“Never?”

“Yeah, never.”

Peres was someone who had graduated from the Academy excellently even under much harsher conditions.

This time he was given a much better environment, so there was no way he would fail.

“…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

I waved my hand again and entered the annex.

I climbed the quiet corridor and stairs and stood in front of my room door.

I could see that the door was slightly open.

I was going to rest right away, but that won’t work.

I sighed softly and went inside.

The dim room looked no different from when I left home for the banquet.

But after turning on the lights in the room, I removed the ring and earrings I was wearing one by one and said.

“At least turn on a light. Why are you sitting in such a dark room, Beit?”

Then Beit, who had been sitting in a chair placed in the corner, got up.

“Did you enjoy the banquet?”

“You know well that I find banquets bothersome.”

“Haha. Since it was Pirenthia’s birthday banquet, I thought it might be a little different.”

While I grew into an adult, Beit’s Information Guild had also completely finished growing.

Now the information obtained through Caramel Avenue boasted perfect reliability.

“If you came directly to my home at this hour, it must be something big?”

I asked while removing the last necklace around my neck.

“…Didn’t you ask me to look into the Monak Guild?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

I answered while slowly walking to the window.

Perhaps to confirm that the light in my room turned on without any problems.

I could see Peres still standing in that spot.

“I found out who the owner of that Monak Guild is.”

“Ah, as expected of you, Beit. So who is it, the person who troubled our Pellet Trading Company?”

I spoke to Beit while waving my hand to Peres once more.

Peres, who had been looking up at me for a moment, waved his hand just like me and then walked back toward the banquet hall.

Perhaps because of the bright lights lit along the path, the deep shadows seemed to drag heavily behind Peres as he walked away.

As I leaned against the windowsill where the night breeze gently blew in, watching that sight, Beit said to me.

“The owner of the Monak Guild is the Second Prince, Peres Bribachau Durelli.”

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