In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 132
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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 132
Biejie entered first with thundering footsteps, determined to be ahead.
Thud.
Shannet shook her head slightly at the sight of him sitting down in the chair placed in the center, making a loud noise as if to show off.
There were four chairs in total, but only Shannet and Biejie were attending today’s meeting.
Shannet, who sat quietly one chair away from Biejie, asked.
“Lorels isn’t coming today either?”
“It’s not like he’s trying to impress Father at this point, so why would Lorels bother sitting here.”
“It’s not just about impressing… Sigh, never mind. If he doesn’t want to, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Gallahan isn’t coming either, so why are you only saying that to Lorels?”
Biejie poured oil on the conversation that was winding down.
“Gallahan went down to Chesayu to take care of his territory. That’s clearly different from not attending meetings while staying in the same manor, Biejie.”
“If he has his own territory, he should go live there. Stop wasting Lombardy’s money. Isn’t that right?”
Just as Biejie was about to raise his voice stubbornly.
“Lombardy’s money is not for you to worry about.”
“Father.”
Rulak entered the study and looked at Biejie with sharp eyes.
“Didn’t I take you back too, even though you abandoned Lombardy and went to Angenas for over a year without any particular reason.”
Biejie couldn’t give any response to Rulak’s words and just gritted his teeth.
Rulak looked at such Biejie with displeasure once and then started the meeting.
It was a session to hear the opinions of the two people about the big and small events that happened in the clan during the week.
The meeting didn’t last long.
And at the end of the short meeting, Rulak said.
“You two must have heard that Pirenthia is pursuing business with the Debon Family.”
At the same time, Biejie snorted with dissatisfaction.
“…Do you have something to say, Biejie.”
“What would my opinion matter. You’ve always been lenient with that… No, with that child, so you’ll overlook it this time too.”
“I was lenient. Yes, that might have been the case.”
A subtle smile even crossed Rulak’s lips as he talked about Pirenthia.
Biejie looked at that with frowning eyes and then turned his gaze away.
“Your prediction is correct, Biejie. I plan to trust and watch over that child this time too.”
Trust, he says.
Biejie grumbled inwardly.
His father had definitely never trusted Biejie for even a single moment.
But what’s so special about that girl.
I don’t know what she’s doing with the Debon Family, the most struggling among the vassal families, but should I go interfere.
It was when Biejie unconsciously raised his head with such thoughts.
Rulak, who was already watching him, said in a low voice.
“So leave Pirenthia alone.”
Biejie flinched in surprise and hastily averted his gaze.
After the meeting ended, Biejie and Shannet left the study.
Although they were siblings, there was no warm conversation between them.
Too many things had gone wrong for that to happen.
But at the end of the long corridor, Biejie called out to Shannet.
“Are you planning to just leave Gallahan’s daughter alone, sister?”
“If we don’t leave her alone? Didn’t you hear Father’s command too.”
“But!”
Biejie unconsciously raised his voice, then glanced toward the study at the other end of the corridor and said.
“This is tantamount to tarnishing the clan’s name. People are laughing! Saying that Lombardy’s child is acting recklessly, relying only on the clan’s power!”
“…What? Hahaha!”
Shannet, who had widened her eyes, suddenly burst into laughter.
Biejie, who had no idea what she was laughing about, just stared at her blankly with a frown.
“Haha, Biejie! You’re saying something really funny! You’re worried that ‘someone who acts recklessly relying only on Lombardy’s power’ might damage the clan’s reputation! You!”
“Are you saying I’m acting recklessly relying only on the clan’s power?”
Biejie, who finally realized why Shannet was laughing, gritted his teeth.
But Shannet wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes while still enjoying herself.
“Thanks to you, I’m laughing for the first time in a very long while. And Biejie, getting involved in clan business is Tia’s right. It’s not something we can do anything about.”
At Shannet’s carefree words, Biejie shouted angrily.
“Doesn’t it bother you, sister! You know what it means to use direct lineage authority! And by a young girl at that!”
“You seem quite afraid that child will compete with us for the next clan head position.”
“Afraid? Who’s afraid of whom? Ha! Competition! I’m merely talking about knowing one’s place. If this isn’t that Half-Baked daring to act beyond her station, then what is it!”
“Haah…”
Shannet sighed and shook her head while looking at such Biejie.
“Biejie, let me give you sincere advice for your sake. Don’t think about stopping that child and focus on producing results yourself. That will be the only way you have any chance of winning.”
Leaving those words, Shannet turned around and walked away first.
Watching her back as she walked proudly down the center of the corridor, Biejie spat.
“Acting all high and mighty by herself.”
And he turned the other way and walked off angrily.
It took quite some time to reach his home, but Biejie’s anger hadn’t subsided at all.
As soon as Biejie opened the door and entered, his wife Ceral welcomed him with delight.
“You’re back, honey?”
As if she had been reading a letter, Ceral was holding a purple envelope and letter paper in her hands.
And as always, Ceral sensitively read Biejie’s mood.
“Did something happen outside?”
Saying that, Ceral gently pulled Biejie to sit on the drawing room sofa.
“Phew, well, you see.”
Biejie began to spill out all the unpleasant events that had just occurred.
Ceral listened quietly to Biejie’s story without saying anything.
“Really, Father is strange too. Has his judgment deteriorated because of his age? He should call that lowly thing and give her a good scolding for acting recklessly.”
“That’s what I’m saying. From what I heard, it’s some kind of delivery business.”
“De, delivery?”
“Yes, since the Debon Family does nothing but move things around, they’re probably just playing along with Pirenthia’s games.”
“Gallahan also embarrassed us by doing business with commoners.”
Biejie grumbled with dissatisfaction.
While deliberately ignoring the fact that Gallahan had become one of the continent’s wealthiest people in a short time through his ready-made clothing business.
“I wonder what people will say about Lombardy for a while again.”
Ceral sighed as if truly embarrassed.
Then she held out the letter she had set aside to Biejie.
“The Empress sent a letter. Would you like to read it, honey?”
Biejie obediently took the letter and read it.
It contained brief greetings along with content about accelerating the Western Region development plan several times over.
“As expected of the Empress! What tremendous decisiveness!”
“The Imperial Court is also unsettled because of the Second Prince who doesn’t know his place. She probably wants to hurry things along and settle matters quickly.”
“That’s right. It’s best to cut things off from the root before strange rumors start.”
Biejie kept giving thumbs up saying “As expected of the Empress!” multiple times, showing no signs of thinking beyond that.
Ceral clicked her tongue inwardly at such stupidity from Biejie, and smiled beautifully in proportion to her annoyance while speaking in a subtle voice.
“So, honey. I have a good idea.”
“A good idea?”
“If they’re going to rush the construction, the workers from Angenas alone will be far from enough. So how about you joining in there?”
“Me, me?”
Biejie’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, to be precise, you would take Lombardi Construction and participate in the Angenas development.”
“Construction… I’d have to use direct lineage authority for that.”
Biejie suddenly felt his courage falter.
Though ‘direct lineage authority’ could override vassal families and their supervisors’ jurisdiction in one go, failure would bring equally great responsibility.
“What’s the big deal? Even a child like Pirenthia uses her authority.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“And it’s Angenas. The Empress herself is pushing this project forward. Surely there’s no chance of failure?”
Biejie was gradually being persuaded by Ceral.
“This is an opportunity, dear. Think about it. If you bring back such a major achievement as the Angenas territory development, how differently will the people of Lombardy view you?”
Biejie fell into thought, but Ceral waited leisurely.
She knew he was already swayed by her words, just taking time to process it.
After some time passed.
Biejie said exactly what Ceral expected.
“Then could you send a letter to the Empress for me?”
* * *
Creny had briefly drunk tea before leaving, saying he had something to do for some reason, and when only Peres and I remained in my room’s drawing room.
“Actually, I came to give you this.”
Peres pulled out a small box from his chest.
And he opened it to show me.
“A diamond?”
And not just any diamond either.
“Did you carve this yourself again?!”
It was a diamond carved into the shape of a small chick.
“Why…? Why, of all things, a chick?”
With this expensive diamond?
“I was trying to carve this, and some chicks happened to pass by nearby. They were cute.”
“So, so that’s why a chick…”
I examined the large diamond carved into a chick shape for such a simple reason with a somewhat deflated feeling.
“Your skill is good though.”
The small, round chick was quite adorable.
“Thank you.”
Peres smiled with the corners of his eyes crinkling at my praise.
“You carved it with aura again… didn’t you?”
“Yeah, diamonds are definitely harder. I had to use aura more forcefully.”
That’s not what aura is supposed to be used for.
I wonder what reaction Croily Grandfather would show if I showed him this.
I thought that as I put the diamond chick back in the jewelry box.
And I stood up from my seat and said to Peres.
“Come follow me for a moment.”
The place I took Peres to was the room across from my bedroom.
“Would you like to take a look inside here?”
I said to Peres while opening the door.
“Ah…”
Peres was speechless for a while after seeing what was inside the room.
Right, you’re at a loss for words too?
I patted Peres’s shoulder and spoke as gently as possible so he wouldn’t feel hurt.
“These are all the gifts and letters you sent me while you were at the Academy. See?”
“…Yeah.”
“Over there are the wooden dolls and gems you carved and sent, this big box contains letters, over there are books, and that big bear doll is one you made yourself. You’re good at sewing too.”
The room was already at saturation point.
With no more space for additional gifts.
“So now you don’t need to give me any more…”
“Thank you.”
“Huh?”
“Thank you, Tia. For keeping all of these like this.”
Peres was genuinely happy.
Just from the fact that I hadn’t thrown away the gifts he sent and had collected them all.
I said in momentary confusion.
“No, no. I should be the one saying thank you. You’re the one who sent the gifts.”
“Is that so? No. I think I should still be the grateful one.”
Peres’s eyes sparkled brightly as he looked around the room.
“It really makes me feel good to send you gifts, Tia.”
“…Why?”
“Because it means I can now give you something.”
Peres smiled softly beneath his long eyelashes.
Somehow, that smiling face overlapped with the image of young Peres sitting alone in the crumbling pavilion.
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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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