In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 192

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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 192

The retainers stirred at the mention of succession.

“Master, such words are still premature….”

“Would you say it’s too early?”

Rulak asked back with a smile.

“Isn’t it time for me to rest as well? I suppose this is what they mean when they say each day is different from the last.”

The retainers wore somber expressions.

Especially those who belonged to the younger generation.

The only clan head they knew was Rulak.

It was hard for them to imagine anyone other than Rulak sitting in the position of clan head.

A strange silence fell over the gathering.

“Now, now, when did I say I was stepping down immediately? Why do you all look like you’re attending a funeral?”

Rulak said with hearty laughter.

“Come, speak freely. Tell me who I should trust to hand this family over to.”

Another silence descended.

Everyone was lost in thought.

Then the Head of the Heringga Family was the first to break the silence.

“How about Lady Shannet?”

There were those who nodded and agreed with him.

“Hasn’t she been directly overseeing various matters as acting clan head all this time? Her abilities have already been proven, so it would be the safest choice.”

“Hmm. Do the rest of you think the same?”

In response to Rulak’s question, this time the head of the Grinik family, who managed the land, answered.

“I have experience working with Lady Shannet. In fact, each time I felt such stability that no time was needed to coordinate our efforts. It was just like working with you, Master.”

“That’s right. Also, Lady Shannet’s crisis management abilities are incomparable to anyone else’s.”

Tolta, the head of the mining industry, stepped forward in agreement.

Then, the head of the Brey family, who was in charge of Lombardi Bank, spoke up.

“I think Lord Gallahan would be suitable.”

“Oh ho.”

At the emergence of another name, Rulak raised his eyebrows.

“What is your reasoning?”

“Because Lord Gallahan already has experience governing and developing a territory, Master.”

“Indeed. Chesayu has achieved much development in a short time.”

“Yes. Even I, who make my living dealing with money, was quite surprised by Lord Gallahan’s very high understanding of commerce and finance.”

The words carried more weight coming from the head of the Brey family, who was usually stingy with praise for others.

“Lord Gallahan certainly has very excellent qualities in that regard.”

“That’s right. Also, if Chesayu is incorporated as Lombardi territory, couldn’t we expect tremendous synergistic effects commercially? What do you think, Head Dillard?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Romasie Dillard, the head of Lombardi Guild.

Rulak was no exception.

“I….”

Romasie Dillard answered in a calm voice.

“I think that while both Lady Shannet and Lord Gallahan could be good succession candidates, they would not be the best choice.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Tolta, sitting beside him, asked in surprise.

“Then are you saying there’s another option besides Lady Shannet and Lord Gallahan? No, Head Dillard, surely you don’t mean….”

Are you talking about Lord Biejie?

Tolta couldn’t bring himself to say the last words and asked with wide eyes.

“No. I was speaking with Lady Pirenthia in mind.”

This was an even more impactful statement.

“Pirenthia?”

“Isn’t Lady Pirenthia Lord Gallahan’s daughter?”

“Why would you suggest a young lady who’s still….”

Various comments poured out from among the heads who had supported Shannet and Gallahan.

But Romasie Dillard remained composed.

“She has been brilliant since childhood. After coming of age, she has successfully led various Lombardi businesses. Also, it’s not as if there’s never been a succession that skipped a generation in Lombardi’s history.”

“That may be true, but….”

Then an unexpected person joined the discussion.

“I also first thought of Lady Pirenthia when you mentioned succession, Master.”

It was Clang Debon, head of transportation and delivery.

“Didn’t you just say that working with Lady Shannet gives you a sense of stability?”

Clang Debon said, looking at the head of Grinik who had made that comment.

“When working with Lady Pirenthia… it feels like being invincible.”

“In-invincible?”

“Yes. The feeling that there’s nothing to fear, that if you trust and follow Lady Pirenthia, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Well, that’s quite….”

Then the Head of Heringga raised an opposing opinion.

“But Head Dillard, while she may be brilliant, isn’t Lady Pirenthia still young? Moreover, she recently became engaged to the Second Prince. Could such a person become the successor?”

This was also a valid point.

Once again, everyone’s attention focused on Romasie Dillard.

Then Romasie Dillard smiled subtly and shook his head.

“It’s merely an engagement. There haven’t even been serious marriage negotiations yet. Also, regarding her age.”

Romasie Dillard looked directly at the Hering Patriarch and said.

“Being young doesn’t make her any less a Lombardi. Isn’t that right?”

In other words, she was fully qualified to be the successor.

After the heated debate, the meeting room became quiet again.

But this time, even Rulak remained silent, lost in thought.

He had expected Shannet and Gallahan’s names to come up, but the mention of his granddaughter Pirenthia was unexpected even for Rulak.

Stroking his beard, Rulak quietly looked at Romasie Dillard.

Romasie had always been the one among his retainers who best understood and acted upon Rulak’s intentions.

‘Is that the case this time as well? Or….’

Romasie was one of the first people to support Rulak when he was young, before he became a candidate for clan head.

Since then, Rulak and Romasie Dillard had essentially grown together.

And now he had stepped forward to support Pirenthia.

This held great significance for Rulak.

At the same time, it raised a question.

‘What did Romasie see in Tia?’

He wouldn’t have publicly supported Pirenthia in such an open setting without valid reasons.

Romasie Dillard was certain.

That Tia was the right person to surpass Gallahan and Shannet for the position of the next Lombardi clan head.

‘There must definitely be something.’

Rulak’s curiosity was growing stronger.

* * *

“Your Highness, it’s still too early to return to the palace!”

Lignite cried out in distress.

Upon hearing that Peres had suffered a great ordeal, he had rushed to the Lombardi estate with Tedro and Steeli.

However, what they found upon arrival was Peres stubbornly insisting on returning to the Imperial Palace despite not yet being able to move freely.

“It’s not like we’re going to announce to the world that the Empress tried to kill Your Highness. That means you won’t be able to receive proper medical treatment at the palace, so what exactly do you plan to do in this condition!”

Steeli spoke angrily, but Peres paid no heed.

“Bring my sword, Tedro.”

“For once, I agree with those two. You still need to recover at Lombardi.”

“That’s right. You can’t even walk properly!”

Lignite let out a deep sigh.

This weak appearance of Peres came as a great shock to the three men.

Though there had often been assassination attempts before, this was the first time Peres had suffered such severe injuries.

“And you were poisoned too! They say Lombardi’s physician is incredibly skilled. Let’s stay just one more day for treatment, Your Highness!”

But Peres only shook his head.

Finally, Lignite raised his voice in frustration.

“Then at least tell us the reason! What’s the sudden reason for wanting to return to the Imperial Palace? When you first came to the Lombardi estate, you dismissed all of us and acted like you were going to settle down here!”

“It’s because of Tia.”

Peres, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, grabbed a pillar and forced himself to stand as he answered.

“I can’t drag Tia into my fight.”

Ah, they said the Lombardi young lady was also there this time.

Only then could the trio understand Peres’s sudden change in attitude.

The Lombardi young lady seemed to be an incredibly precious person to Peres.

“My thinking was short-sighted. I should have dealt with the Empress first.”

Murderous intent flickered in Peres’s red eyes.

Not only did she send the Sercheu Marquis as an assassin, but she also had a tail follow behind and even used poison.

If she wanted to kill him that badly, it would be proper courtesy to respond with the same mindset.

But he didn’t want to drag Tia into that ugly fight.

“Perhaps it’s fortunate that I realized it now.”

This wasn’t the time to be happy about having Tia by his side, even if only through a contract engagement.

Despite his selfish actions putting her in danger, his foolish self, intoxicated by Tia, had failed to realize how irresponsible his behavior was.

“Huu.”

Peres suppressed his pain with a sigh and asked Lignite.

“Where is His Majesty the Emperor?”

“…At his lover’s house in the Northern Residential District of the Imperial Capital.”

“Is it a recent relationship?”

“Well, yes.”

“Then he’ll be in a good mood even if he hears about the broken engagement, so that’s fortunate.”

“Br-broken engagement?!”

The trio asked in surprise simultaneously.

“A broken engagement? Your Highness, please reconsider.”

“If you break off the engagement with the Lombardi young lady now for no good reason, you’ll fall out of His Majesty’s favor and that’ll be troublesome!”

“The hunting competition is coming up soon, so how about discussing it after that’s over?”

Peres knew better than anyone how important Lombardi’s role was in the plans that lay ahead.

But nothing could be more important than Tia’s safety.

However, the response came from a completely unexpected source, not from Peres.

“Talking about breaking off the engagement, are we?”

The startled trio quickly turned around.

There was Tia, standing in the open doorway with her arms crossed, leaning against the frame at an angle.

“I dragged my exhausted body here to visit you after working myself to death detoxifying poison, and what? A broken engagement?”

She narrowed her eyes and strode toward Peres.

Intimidated by her presence, the trio retreated hesitantly like a parting sea, unconsciously making way for her.

“Where do you think you’re going in that condition, Peres?”

“I’m thinking of returning to the palace.”

“Why?”

“I can no longer…”

“You’re not about to spout some nonsense like ‘I can’t put you in danger anymore,’ are you?”

Tia asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Don’t tell me that ‘broken engagement’ I just heard also came from that same ridiculous context? It can’t be. Right, Peres?”

“…”

Peres remained silent, only pressing his lips tightly together.

“I pulled that dagger out as quickly as I could, you know. Did the poison perhaps spread to your brain in the meantime? Because otherwise, the Peres I know wouldn’t say something so stupid.”

At the relentless stream of harsh words, Steeli glanced at Lignite.

‘Shouldn’t we stop this?’

But Lignite shook his head slightly.

‘Never mind, just stay quiet and let the Lombardi young lady do as she pleases.’

That’s what his eyes conveyed.

“Peres, I’ll give you a chance to take back what you just said.”

Tia said with a bright smile.

“If you say that Estira used strong medicine and you temporarily spouted nonsense, I’ll forgive you.”

But Peres didn’t back down either.

He only stared at her intently with deep eyes.

“So that’s how it is.”

Tia muttered in a low voice.

Then she raised one finger and poked Peres’s shoulder, pushing him as she spoke.

“Sit.”

That was all it took.

Peres, whose body wasn’t well, had to sit back down on the bed with a thud, frowning from the pain.

Then Tia whipped her head around to glare at the trio and said.

“Everyone out.”

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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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