In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 165

—————
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 165

I first brought Larane inside the house.

“Drink this, Larane. And wipe your tears a bit.”

Larane, who was endlessly shedding tears with already red and swollen eyes, looked like she might collapse at any moment.

“…Thank you, Tia.”

Though she smiled weakly, Larane’s fingers trembled slightly as she took the cup I handed her.

“Tell me once you’ve calmed down a bit. Are you getting engaged?”

“…Yes, probably.”

Larane’s long eyelashes trembled with a small sigh.

“I accidentally overheard a conversation between Mother and Father earlier. It seems the discussion is already mostly finished.”

An engagement the person involved doesn’t know about.

It sounds absurd, but unfortunately it’s a common situation in the Empire.

Especially for noble families with high power, marrying off their children is used as the most convenient and effective method to maintain that power.

Of course, when parents care about their children, they allow them to have love marriages or give them decision-making power by letting them meet before the engagement.

But expecting such consideration from Biejie and Ceral is a luxury.

“What do you want to do, Larane?”

I asked carefully.

“I….”

Ah, damn.

Larane’s tears, which had stopped, began flowing again.

I quietly handed her a handkerchief.

Drip, drop.

Larane, who had been silently shedding thick tears, spoke.

“…I thought a day like this would come someday. I’ve been taught and raised that way since I was young. That someday I’d have to marry someone my parents chose.”

Despite her sad expression, Larane’s tone was calm.

“But then I met Lord Avinox, and I learned that just being with someone could make me this happy. So I was going to tell my parents about Lord Avinox….”

Larane gripped the handkerchief tightly.

“Father and Mother were very pleased. They said my marriage would be of great help to Father.”

“Larane….”

“It would be useless even if I told them I don’t want a political marriage, wouldn’t it.”

Larane, smiling dimly, looked particularly small today.

“I feel so sorry for Lord Avinox, what should I do? He’ll be shocked. He’s more tender-hearted than he appears….”

It was then that Larane’s face, which had seemed relatively calm like someone who had given up, suddenly crumpled.

As she thought of Avinox, emotions seemed to surge up and tears flowed even faster.

“But I really don’t want to marry anyone other than Lord Avinox, Tia. If it’s not him, I don’t want to….”

I hugged Larane tightly.

And I waited, stroking her back until her crying stopped.

During that time, I could clearly feel Larane’s conflict.

The thought that she must take the predetermined path for her family, and her desire to be with the person she loves.

How painful it must be to be unable to choose just one of those two things, and unable to abandon the other.

Larane’s trembling body was telling me everything.

I spoke to Larane, who had calmed down a bit and was wiping her tears.

“First, regardless of what happens in the future, wouldn’t it be good to clearly convey your feelings to Lord Avinox?”

“Would that be okay? Wouldn’t that be shameless?”

“Lord Avinox would rather be worried about you, Larane. And news like this tends to spread quickly. I think it would be better for you to tell him directly rather than let him find out through rumors people whisper.”

“Then tomorrow, ah, what should I do.”

Larane realized something and stamped her feet anxiously.

“Tomorrow is the day of the reading club where I meet Lord Avinox. But Mother seems to be planning to take me to greet them tomorrow….”

“Tomorrow already?”

That’s fast.

Usually when marriage talks go between families, they take time to negotiate conditions one by one.

Because it’s literally a marriage conducted like a contract.

Perhaps all the detailed discussions have already been completed.

If so, all that’s left is to make an official announcement.

“As you said, Tia, rumors will already spread by tomorrow.”

“The meeting place is in the Imperial Capital, right?”

“Yes, it’s Caramel Avenue in Sedacunaga.”

How coincidental.

The location happens to be there again.

I nodded and spoke to Larane.

“Larane, first write a letter to give to Lord Avinox. I’ll go to the reading club tomorrow and deliver it.”

“Really? Ah, thank you so much, Tia!”

Larane hugged me tightly.

What a surprise.

This isn’t usually her personality.

She must have been very worried about Avinox.

“Then I’ll go quickly and write the letter. Just wait a little, Tia.”

Larane jumped up from her seat.

As I saw Larane off, a sudden curiosity made me ask.

“But who is the other party?”

In my previous life, Larane married a cousin of the northern Aivan patriarch.

To be precise, a vassal of Aivan and the younger cousin of Migente Aivan.

It was probably the Empress’s arrangement to secure northern votes.

It better not be that bastard this time too.

I should have buried that guy when I went to Aivan.

As I was muttering to myself like that, Larane spoke to me.

“…The Crown Prince.”

Excuse me? Pardon?

“What, what did you say? Who?”

“The Crown Prince….”

I hadn’t heard wrong.

I grabbed my stiffening neck.

“…Ha.”

I tried to sublimate my rising anger into a deep sigh, but would that work?

Ceral, Biejie.

They’ve both gone insane.

How dare they try to match Larane with a scoundrel like Astana.

Looking at Larane, who despite her red swollen eyes was still pure and beautiful, I solemnly declared inwardly.

I will stop this marriage.

* * *

At the same time.

Emperor Yobanes and Empress Lavinia faced each other after a long time.

Yobanes, who couldn’t take his afternoon nap because of this schedule, yawned widely.

“Yawn. So why did you want to see my face, Empress.”

“The marriage discussion for the Crown Prince that I mentioned before is progressing well, so shouldn’t we celebrate together, Your Majesty?”

“Marriage discussion?”

Yobanes frowned.

“You mean the suggestion about connecting Biejie Lombardi’s daughter with Astana?”

“Yes, that child’s mother is my cousin, and they’re quite pleased about becoming in-laws with the imperial family, so the marriage talks are proceeding smoothly.”

“Then she would be Astana’s sixth cousin?”

“Under imperial law, relationships beyond uncle are permitted for marriage. Even cousins often marry each other.”

“Ahem.”

Yobanes coughed uncomfortably.

“The Lombardi patriarch would never agree to such a thing.”

Marriage as a union between families ultimately required the patriarch’s permission.

And Yobanes knew Rulak’s personality well.

He also knew how terrible that stubborn man’s love for his blood relatives could be.

Empress Lavinia glanced at Yobanes before speaking.

“This is no ordinary matter—it’s a royal marriage. Everything must proceed according to Your Majesty’s will.”

“But…”

“Refusing a royal marriage proposal would clearly cross the line, even for Lombardi. Unless they intend to disregard the imperial family and Your Majesty’s authority… Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

“That’s true.”

Yobanes nodded.

Empress Lavinia smiled inwardly at his response and added another comment.

“You mentioned recently that the Lombardi patriarch’s opposition to the imperial iron mine development has been troublesome, didn’t you?”

Emperor Yobanes wanted to develop the massive iron mines owned by the imperial family to make money.

But doing so would obviously flood the already saturated iron market with more goods and drive prices down further.

Rulak Lombardi had used this reasoning to express massive opposition to Yobanes’ plan.

With the Lombardi patriarch taking such a stance, a considerable number of nobles followed suit, forcing even the emperor to be cautious.

“If the imperial family and Lombardi were to become in-laws in this situation, the Lombardi patriarch couldn’t simply oppose everything anymore.”

Yobanes’ ears perked up with interest.

“If it’s Biejie’s daughter, she would be even more useful should he ever become the Lombardi patriarch.”

“I’m delighted that Your Majesty understands my intentions.”

Empress Lavinia smiled beautifully.

She poured his favorite liquor in front of Yobanes and said,

“There’s no need to decide immediately, so try having a conversation with the Lombardi patriarch tomorrow, Your Majesty. He might not oppose it as much as expected.”

Of course, Rulak Lombardi would be furious.

She had instructed Ceral not to tell anyone in the Lombardi family about this matter.

How that old man, who usually looked down on the imperial family and disliked Astana, would react to such a sudden marriage proposal was practically predetermined.

And that would wound Yobanes’ pride.

Empress Lavinia smiled secretly.

* * *

Jingle.

With a small bell sound, I entered Caramel Avenue.

The dessert shop was filled with its characteristic sweet and delicious aroma, but it wasn’t enough to soothe my mood today.

“Welcome, customer.”

Beit, who seemed to be working at the shop today, approached me with a smile and greeted me.

“Just one person?”

“I heard there’s a book club meeting here today.”

I answered Beit with a bright smile.

While showing him the small poetry book I was holding.

But why is he flinching after looking at my face?

“…A book club meeting, you say? I’ll escort you to the second floor.”

Beit and I began climbing the stairs together.

“Who is it?”

Beit asked in a very hushed voice.

“What do you mean?”

“The person who made Lady Pirenthia so angry. I don’t know who it is, but I think I should hold a moment of mourning for them in advance.”

“…I’m not angry.”

“Look in a mirror before you say that. Your smiling face gave me goosebumps. Look at this.”

Beit showed me his arm, which had gotten goosebumps between his shirt sleeves.

By then we had reached the second floor, and I asked while pretending to look around for a seat.

“…Abinox Ruman. Where is he?”

“Ah, so it was about Lady Larane’s marriage proposal after all.”

Beit clicked his tongue and pointed upward with his finger.

“If you mean Young Master Ruman, he’s alone on the 3rd floor terrace. From his expression, he looked like he might jump off, so I wanted to give him a different seat, but he seemed to be waiting for someone, so I let him have that spot.”

“Is that so?”

Perfect.

I gripped my dress tightly and climbed the stairs again, saying,

“Then from now on, don’t let anyone enter the 3rd floor terrace.”

“Understood.”

After glaring fiercely at Beit, who was clicking his tongue with an ‘Oh my, tsk tsk’ at the end of his words, I went up to the 3rd floor.

Fortunately, there weren’t many people on the 3rd floor.

As Beit had said, Abinox was on the terrace.

The poetry book that was the book club’s theme was carelessly thrown on the table while he sighed deeply.

His forlorn figure looking up at the sky seemed quite melancholy, but I can’t see any of that right now.

I went out to the terrace and immediately closed the door behind me.

Click.

At that sound, Abinox turned his head, and his eyes widened as he recognized me.

And I swung the poetry book I was holding.

Thwack!

Abinox’s shoulder, struck by the book, shook greatly.

“P-Pirenthia…”

“You should have proposed long ago! I told you to express yourself!”

Seeing his golden hair sparkling in the sunlight and his gentle face made me realize anew how well Abinox and Larane suited each other, which made me even more furious.

“Take responsibility!”

“…Pardon?”

“Take responsibility for our Larane!”

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