In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 142

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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 142

Despite attempts to dissuade him, the Angenas Patriarch broke through the closed castle gate and headed toward the logging site.

However, unfortunately, collapsing earth and stones covered the mountain path, and the carriage the Angenas Patriarch was riding in was also buried beneath it.

Upon learning of the patriarch’s disappearance, Aivan urgently dispatched soldiers to find the carriage, but regrettably, both the patriarch and the coachman had already passed away.

The detailed contents of the received letter filled his mind, but Ronchent remained silent.

It was out of courtesy to the Empress.

Instead, Empress Lavinia asked back.

“…What did Father say?”

No matter how famous the Empress was for being ruthless, she couldn’t help herself when faced with news of her father’s death.

Ronchent spoke with an even more sorrowful heart.

“The Angenas Patriarch has passed away. This is a letter that arrived from the Aivan family this morning.”

The small letter that had flown across the continent tied to the leg of a messenger bird was crumpled and dirty.

It formed too stark a contrast with the white, well-groomed, smooth hands of the Empress who received it.

The Empress’s head gradually lowered.

With her hair fallen forward, her face was no longer visible.

At that sight, Ronchent Aivan naturally felt pity and comforted the Empress.

“I understand your grief must be great, Your Majesty. The late Angenas Patriarch was truly a model for many nobles.”

Even at his gentle voice, the Empress showed no movement.

How great must her grief be for her to be like this.

Perhaps hot tears were flowing down the Empress’s face.

Ronchent Aivan continued with words of consolation.

“So that the remains of the Angenas Patriarch can safely return to the Imperial Capital, we Aivan will do our best to…”

“What happened to the Triva trees?”

“…Pardon?”

Ronchent Aivan doubted his own ears.

And asked back.

“What do you mean…”

“We need to bring back the collected Triva lumber.”

The Empress slowly raised her head.

Empress Lavinia’s face, once again illuminated by sunlight, was perfect.

There was no trace of makeup ruined by tears, nor was it distorted by grief.

It was exactly the same face she had when greeting the Aivan patriarch just moments before.

“Father was directly participating in timber auctions in the north, collecting Triva wood. Could the Aivan family help transport that to Angenas?”

“Uh, th, that is…”

Ronchent Aivan was momentarily speechless.

He felt chills at the sculpture-like beautiful face of the Empress staring directly at him.

Her father had died in an accident, yet the first words from the Empress upon hearing the news were about Triva trees.

The western development project came before her father’s death.

“If, if you could tell us which storehouse it’s kept in…”

Though he should have naturally refused since they were already short-handed with Aivan’s reconstruction work, Ronchent answered without thinking.

Because his mind was filled entirely with one thought.

‘The Empress is dangerous. We must distance ourselves from Angenas.’

His instincts were crying out as such.

The Empress was someone who could readily accept any loss for the sake of her ambitions.

And next time, that target could very well be Aivan.

When he had visited the Empress’ Quarters, Ronchent Aivan’s heart had been heavy.

Because along with the news of her father’s death, there was one more piece of bad news to deliver.

It was an order conveyed by letter from the Aivan patriarch, and now he could see it was an excellent choice.

Having finished that thought, Ronchent nodded heavily and opened his mouth.

“We will transport the lumber that the Angenas Patriarch had already purchased and collected to Angenas. However…”

“What is it?”

“It seems it will be difficult to supply Triva lumber to Angenas from now on. It’s needed for Aivan’s reconstruction… I ask for Your Majesty’s understanding.”

The Empress’s blue eyes glinted coldly.

Unable to withstand that gaze, Ronchent averted his eyes and swallowed dry saliva.

“…I suppose so. I understand Aivan’s position.”

Thank goodness.

Ronchent Aivan suppressed the sigh of relief that was about to escape and quickly rose from his seat.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I must take my leave as I have other appointments…”

Empress Lavinia coldly glared at Ronchent’s back as he bowed and hurriedly left his seat.

And when she heard the sound of his carriage departing, the Empress called for a maid and said.

“Bring Duiji.”

A moment later.

Duiji Angenas arrived at the drawing room, summoned by the Empress.

“Father has passed away.”

These were the Empress’s first words, thrown out before her younger brother could even sit down.

“What did you just say, sister? F, Father has passed away?”

Duiji Angenas felt as if the sky was falling, his legs gave out and he collapsed into a chair.

However, he wasn’t even given time to grieve.

The Empress spoke in a dry voice.

“So as soon as you leave the Empress’ Quarters, move quickly according to my orders. There’s much to be done.”

“Isn’t this too much, sister!”

Duiji Angenas rarely burst out in anger.

“Father has passed away! Yet sister shows no sign of sadness, how can you…!”

“Don’t talk such nonsense, Duiji.”

The Empress cut off Duiji’s words with a sharp voice.

“If we don’t get our act together, our Angenas family will bear all responsibility for the landslide that occurred in the north. But Father’s death might prevent that, so in a way, it’s fortunate.”

“Si, sister!”

Duiji Angenas cried out in shock.

But Empress Lavinia paid no heed to her younger brother’s reaction.

“They’ll claim the landslide occurred because of reckless logging demanded by our Angenas family. Yes, Father’s matter could serve as an excellent shield.”

Having finished her thoughts while muttering quietly, Empress Lavinia looked at her younger brother who was staring at her with contempt.

The ability to see through what people wanted had always been one of Lavinia’s specialties.

Even now, with just one word from her, that contempt in Duiji’s eyes would melt away like snow.

Thinking this, Empress Lavinia opened her mouth.

“Duiji, you should succeed Father and become the head of Angenas.”

“…Me, me?”

Look at that.

Weren’t those coldly hardened eyes now wavering with greed for power?

“Yes, someone must fill that position after Father. Of course, the Durak Caravan Leader will be ambitious for it, but I can place you in that seat.”

“Angenas Patriarch…”

Duiji muttered as if dreaming.

“But since it’s so sudden and you’ll need help at first, follow my advice for the time being. Can you do that?”

Duiji’s answer had already been decided from the moment she brought up the patriarch position.

“Yes, sister. I will do so.”

Empress Lavinia quietly twisted up one corner of her mouth and said.

“Then you must immediately spread news of Father’s death as quickly as possible to as many people as you can. Our Angenas family will be in deep mourning from this moment until the funeral ends. Naturally, we won’t be able to attend tomorrow’s council meeting either.”

“But even during mourning, attending such occasions is the rule…”

“The day you act even slightly awkward in that place, that old man from Lombardy will bind Angenas hand and foot. Do you think you could handle that?”

“N, no. I’ll stay at the manor.”

Lavinia looked at her younger brother with disdainful eyes as he hurriedly waved both hands in fear of Rulak, then said.

“Go on then.”

Duiji Angenas left the Empress’ Quarters with steps remarkably similar to the Acting Lord of Aivan, and Lavinia was left alone again in the quiet space.

And the Empress picked up the vase that had been placed on the table and hurled it to the floor with all her might.

Crash-!

That wasn’t the end of it.

Empress Lavinia grabbed everything within reach and threw it, tearing things apart.

“Haa, haa…”

A moment later, the Empress stood in the middle of the ruined drawing room, catching her rough breath, and called for her attendants.

“Clean this up. And you there. Tell His Majesty the Emperor that the Empress requests he briefly visit the Empress’ Quarters. Right now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

While the attendants and servants busied themselves cleaning the drawing room, Empress Lavinia returned to her bedroom.

She immediately called for her maids and changed into a plain dress that had been shoved into a corner for being so unremarkable.

And sitting quietly before her vanity, she picked up a cloth soaked with makeup remover and wiped her face clean.

Rustle, rustle.

With small sounds, all traces of makeup were perfectly erased from the Empress’s face.

After a while, what remained in the mirror was Lavinia with a pale complexion devoid of color.

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”

When the attendant announced this, the Empress took a small deep breath and rose from the vanity.

And the very next moment, she left the bedroom calling for the Emperor in a sorrowful voice.

“Your Majesty…”

Before anyone knew it, Lavinia’s face no longer held any trace of her cold demeanor from moments before, filled only with pitiful deep sorrow.

* * *

As the sun was setting.

The doors of the ‘Gentleman’s Club’ on Sedacunaga in the Imperial Capital, a social club where noble men gathered to drink and converse, opened and Ronchent Aivan emerged with a weary face.

“They’re all too much.”

After leaving the Empress’ Quarters, Ronchent had headed straight here.

It was to prepare for tomorrow’s council meeting.

At the meeting to discuss methods for providing relief for the northern landslide, he needed people who would support him and advocate for strong relief efforts.

He had thought that through his frequent visits to the Imperial Capital, he had formed quite a few friendly connections.

The results were disastrous.

“I am a member of the noble council, but you know I’m still at the bottom ranks. It would be awkward for me to step forward and speak, ahem.”

“Sorry to say, but making such arguments would put me in other nobles’ bad books. Aren’t we talking about emptying our own pockets to restore what the north brought upon itself?”

Not a single person readily stepped forward to help the north.

Even those with whom he had clinked glasses daily and attended banquets together, building relationships, all turned their backs on him.

Instead of hurrying back north, Ronchent Aivan had remained in the Imperial Capital to seek help.

Naturally, his sighs only grew deeper.

Since they could no longer provide Triva wood, it was difficult to hope for cooperation from the Angenas side either.

If he went to tomorrow’s council meeting in this state, he might not be able to secure even a single penny of those fine subsidies that the eastern region had received.

“Is it really necessary for everyone to be so heartless?”

Ronchent’s shoulders drooped endlessly as he walked toward the carriage parked nearby.

That’s when it happened.

“Are you the Acting Lord of Aivan?”

As he approached the carriage, someone called out to him.

“Yes, but who might you be?”

“I am Yohan, butler of the Lombardi family. The head of Lombardi has sent me because he wishes to meet with the Acting Lord of Aivan briefly at the manor.”

“Lombardi…?”

The relationship between Lombardi and Aivan wasn’t particularly good.

In business matters, they maintained decent relations through mines and trading companies, but recently Aivan had sided with the Empress and come under Lombardi’s scrutiny.

“Hmm.”

But he couldn’t ignore it when Rulak Lombardi himself had personally sent someone.

He couldn’t afford to displease Rulak Lombardi, who had a firm grip on the council meetings.

Especially not in a situation like this.

Eventually, Ronchent headed to the Lombardi manor.

* * *

I quietly stood behind Grandfather, watching the Acting Lord of Aivan enter the study.

His expression wasn’t particularly good.

He seemed quite wary about why Grandfather had summoned him at such a time.

“Welcome. I’m sorry to hear about the northern incident.”

Grandfather was the first to speak to the Acting Lord of Aivan.

“Thank you. I’m thinking it’s fortunate it wasn’t worse.”

The exchanged words were quite smooth, but the atmosphere was stiff as could be.

Besides suddenly being brought to the Lombardi manor, the Acting Lord of Aivan looked extremely tired.

And rightfully so.

I already knew that the Acting Lord of Aivan had struggled all day at the social club trying to create allies for himself.

And that it hadn’t gone as he wished.

Nobles who become extremely stingy when it comes to opening their own purses wouldn’t have easily rolled up their sleeves to help with northern affairs.

That was exactly the point I needed to target.

“The young lady is…”

The Acting Lord of Aivan looked at me and trailed off.

“This is.”

When Grandfather was about to introduce me, I straightened my shoulders and stepped forward.

“I am Pirenthia Lombardi, Acting Lord of Aivan.”

“Ah, that daughter of Duke Gallahan…”

He seemed to have heard about me before.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I extended one hand toward the Acting Lord of Aivan, requesting a handshake.

It was rare for women and men to shake hands as equals.

“Ah, yes…”

The Acting Lord was somewhat flustered but took my hand.

Handshakes have a strange power.

I gripped his hand firmly and said.

“I was so shocked to hear the heartbreaking news about the north.”

I spoke in a trembling voice, as if choked with emotion.

“Wanting to help somehow, I asked Grandfather to invite the Acting Lord of Aivan.”

The Acting Lord of Aivan flinched slightly at my appearance of genuinely feeling sorry.

Confirming this, I gently patted the back of the Acting Lord’s hand and delivered the final words I had prepared.

“You must be going through so much emotional hardship.”

Warm, compassionate words at the end of an exhausting day tend to have great effect.

The Acting Lord of Aivan’s gaze was trembling finely, as if he was getting emotional remembering all the struggles of the day.

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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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