In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 197

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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 197

“I pay my respects to Your Majesty. I am Gillard Brown, head of the Brown family.”

Emperor Yobanes’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Gillard Brown, who had finally approached and stood before him.

And the smile that had filled his face disappeared.

“Hmm.”

At that long, incomprehensible sound, Lord Brown’s face hardened.

He hadn’t expected the Brown family’s return to be welcomed with open arms, but he hadn’t expected such indifference either.

Since the Imperial Court bore some responsibility for what had happened to the Brown family, he had expected at least some sign of disturbance.

“Yes, your face does seem somewhat familiar.”

That was all Emperor Yobanes’s reaction amounted to.

Flustered, Gillard Brown instinctively shrank back out of habit.

And at that moment, Pirenthia’s words came to mind.

“From now on, always hold your head high with confidence. Straighten your shoulders too. Now you must become a family head worthy of the Brown family name.”

A family head worthy of the Brown family name.

Those words made Lord Brown lift his trembling head.

Then he finally saw it.

Behind the Emperor’s indifferent face, the pale figure of Empress Lavinia.

“What in the world…”

A voice that sounded as if someone was strangling her flowed from Empress Lavinia.

It had been ten years since they had lost track of Gillard Brown, son of the previous Brown family head.

However, when they had last tracked him, Gillard Brown had been weakened by a long illness and had only daughters, no sons.

So they thought he wouldn’t pose much of a threat and stopped pursuing him.

‘Has he been hiding in Lombardy all this time?’

Empress Lavinia’s sharp gaze reached Rulak Lombardi, who wore a relaxed expression.

She couldn’t just stand by and take this.

She had to do something to stop this situation.

Empress Lavinia chose to attack.

“Are you certain this man is the Brown family head, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm, it was so long ago.”

“Mere resemblance in appearance proves nothing.”

Currently, nothing belonging to the Brown family remained.

Because Angenas had burned everything.

She thought there was no way the Brown family, who had been attacked in the middle of the night and had everything burned, could have anything to prove their identity.

“Lord Brown, show them that.”

Then Rulak spoke to Gillard Brown as if he had been waiting for this.

“Please look at this, Your Majesty.”

Lord Brown took something carefully wrapped in soft cloth from his chest and handed it to Emperor Yobanes.

“This is…”

“It’s a ring my father received from the Previous Emperor during his lifetime.”

The thick ring made of gold had a clear imperial emblem carved into it.

Inside the ring, the name of the previous Brown family head was also engraved.

“I was told the Previous Emperor bestowed this when he had served as Imperial Knight Commander for ten years.”

The faces of several Imperial Guards standing guard over Emperor Yobanes became noticeably somber.

There wasn’t a single Imperial Guard who didn’t know the story of the Brown family head who had devoted his entire life to the Imperial Court only to be betrayed by the Previous Emperor in the end.

“Are your doubts somewhat cleared now, Empress?”

Rulak Lombardi asked Lavinia gently.

The Empress had no choice but to nod, but her gaze never left the ring Yobanes was holding.

Her face clearly showed her desire to snatch it away and destroy it immediately.

Then, Lord Brown slowly knelt before the Emperor.

The dozen or so Brown family members standing behind him all followed suit.

“Our Brown family has been living while being pursued by unknown assailants, Your Majesty. In the end, to survive, we scattered, changed our names, and lived while hiding our tracks.”

Gillard Brown spoke in a rather calm voice.

“But with the help of the Lombardi family head, we decided to find courage. And now that I can kneel before Your Majesty as the Brown family head, I would have no regrets even if I were to die.”

At those heartfelt words, the nobles shook their heads and covered their mouths.

The Imperial Guards’ faces also looked quite troubled.

“Though our right hands were stolen, our loyalty has been preserved without being taken.”

Now was the moment when the nobles noticed the empty right sleeves of the Brown family men.

“Oh my!”

“Good heavens…”

“How cruel…”

Various reactions burst out simultaneously.

And they were all glancing sideways at the Empress.

Everyone knew that only Angenas could have done such terrible things to the Brown family.

“The Brown family and the Lombardi family have had deep ties since ancient times.”

Rulak Lombardi spoke while slightly loosening the tense atmosphere.

“These people have been through much. Now let Your Majesty end their suffering. So they no longer have to be pursued by fear.”

“How do you suggest I end it?”

Emperor Yobanes asked with a frown.

His face showed complete annoyance.

“Wouldn’t it suffice to help restore the Brown family name to the Noble Registry? It was merely an ‘unfortunate accident’ that caused the family to disappear, but their descendants are clearly continuing the lineage like this. I believe helping them in this way would be the proper thing to do.”

But an intense reaction burst from Empress Lavinia.

“That cannot be allowed, Your Majesty!”

Empress Lavinia, clutching her dress hem and striding forward, looked down at Lord Brown and spoke.

“Regardless of the reason, this is a family that once disappeared from the Noble Registry. In other words, they are currently nothing more than commoners.”

Contempt filled Lavinia’s eyes as she looked at Gillard Brown gazing up at her.

“Becoming nobility again cannot be so easy. It would be unfair, and it’s also a matter of trust in the Nobility Council.”

“Trust?”

Rulak let out a hollow laugh.

“Did you just say trust, Empress?”

The respectful address he had maintained for courtesy’s sake in official settings had long since disappeared.

“That’s right, Lombardi family head.”

“Ha! How ridiculous! To speak of trust. It’s clear the Empress doesn’t know exactly what happened in the previous generation, or how the Brown family came to this state!”

If she had known, she wouldn’t have so easily brought up the word ‘trust.’

Empress Lavinia’s body flinched greatly.

Yet she couldn’t offer any proper rebuttal.

Because Rulak’s words were correct.

Lavinia only knew that Angenas had taken everything from the Brown family and eliminated the family’s survivors.

She didn’t know exactly how that had happened.

To avoid leaving evidence, they had destroyed all related records.

Even if those were Angenas records.

“But I know.”

Rulak spoke with a meaningful smile.

“At times like this, being old is truly useful. The memories of what I saw and heard directly remain vividly.”

Cold eyes without any trace of laughter, contrary to his expression, looked down on Empress Lavinia.

Originally, Rulak had no intention of stepping forward like this.

Having entrusted everything to his granddaughter Tia, he had planned to step back and merely observe.

But a few days ago, he received news that assassins sent by the Empress had nearly harmed Tia in Lombardy territory.

And everything changed.

Rulak looked at Emperor Yobanes and said.

“I, Rulak Lombardi, will personally guarantee the identity of Lord Brown and the Brown Family members.”

These were not words that could be taken lightly.

Rulak had essentially declared that Lombardi stood behind the Brown Family.

It meant he would also take responsibility for any actions the Brown Family took.

It also meant that touching the Brown Family would be the same as touching Lombardi.

‘How dare you touch my granddaughter?’

Rulak glared at Lavinia Angenas.

He felt he had endured the irritating sight of Angenas for far too long.

If something was this bothersome, it would be simple to just remove it from sight.

I’ll make you deeply regret touching Tia.

Rulak smiled cruelly at Empress Lavinia.

* * *

The eve festival became even more boisterous.

Everyone was busy adding their own comments about the incident between the Brown Family and Angenas Family that had just occurred.

The Empress eventually left the banquet.

Word quickly reached my ears that Empress Lavinia had staggered on her way up to the room prepared at the villa.

“Tsk, damn it!”

Astana returned to his original seat and gulped down alcohol.

“Bring more alcohol, Belesack!”

He also shouted angrily at Belesack who was standing beside him.

If the Empress had been here, she would have at least tried to stop him.

“Your Highness, please stop now…”

“Shut up! Hurry and bring the alcohol!”

The Imperial Guards on duty tried to stop him a few times, but Astana, completely drunk, was unreasonable.

Now it’s about time.

“Follow me, Lady Brown.”

I blocked the path of the servant trying to bring Calogaju along with Ramona and approached Astana.

“Please stop now, Crown Prince.”

“What?”

“I will not serve you any more alcohol.”

How would someone who had become like a dog from drinking react when told they wouldn’t be given more alcohol?

“Are you daring to defy my orders right now!”

Of course they bark like a dog.

Barking as if they would bite me at any moment.

“Is it because you’re stingy about the money for mere Calogaju? How pathetic that Lombardi’s hospitality amounts to only this much!”

I spoke in a calm voice to Astana who was desperately demanding more alcohol.

“If it’s about money, Your Highness has more than enough to last even after leaving this world, but this is for your sake. You should think of the Empress.”

That’s right, you’re a mama’s boy, aren’t you?

Not missing my expectation, Astana’s eyes immediately turned menacing.

“What did you say?”

“The Empress must be very worried about the earlier incident, so how heartbroken would she be if Crown Prince showed an unseemly appearance to the nobles while drunk.”

The thing drunk people hate hearing most is ‘you’re drunk.’

Sure enough.

Astana screamed as if having a fit.

“I’m not drunk! Besides, how would you, who doesn’t even have a mother, know my mother’s heart!”

My head went blank for a moment.

I had been deliberately making him drink and subtly getting on his nerves, but.

Wow, you’re really something.

A parent diss right away.

“Why did you suddenly become mute? Are you missing your lowly mother who’s in the other world?”

Without me needing to provoke him further, Astana had immediately crossed the line.

This was evident from the Imperial Guards and Lombardi Knights who were staring wide-eyed with their mouths agape, unable to say anything.

The only difference between the two sides was that the Lombardi Knights had their hands on the swords at their waists.

“Hah…”

I suppressed the urge to grab the barking Astana by the hair and quietly removed the gloves I was wearing.

And I threw them right at Astana’s face.

Smack!

A quite satisfying sound rang out.

Everyone knew what it meant to throw gloves at someone.

“L-Lady Lombardi!”

One of the startled Imperial Guards called out to me as if to stop me.

But I ignored him and glared at Astana as I spoke.

“I challenge Your Highness to a duel.”

I could see Astana struggling to understand the situation with his unfocused, drunken eyes.

“A duel…?”

“Yes. But since Your Highness is drunk and I am not one who wields a sword, let’s settle this with representatives.”

And I pointed directly at the still dumbfounded Imperial Guards and said.

“My escort knight and an Imperial Guard would be perfectly suitable.”

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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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