In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 22

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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 22

“I came to personally celebrate your birthday.”

“Why so suddenly….”

Acting friendly.

But since I couldn’t say that, I looked up at Grandfather.

Did you call him, Grandfather?

But Grandfather seemed just as surprised.

“For the Crown Prince to come all the way here. Quite surprising indeed.”

After the last incident, when Astana left this manor for the final time, he had caused all sorts of trouble as if he would never set foot here again.

Yet here he was, coming to my birthday party with such a bright, smiling face.

Considering the Crown Prince is only twelve years old this year, this is no ordinary matter.

Perhaps Astana is more formidable than I thought.

“After returning to the palace that day, I was severely scolded by Mother. Today too, she told me to come personally give Pirenthia a birthday gift as an apology.”

I had expected it was the Empress’s doing, but I was still surprised.

For the Empress, who doted on her son beyond measure, to suppress even the Crown Prince’s pride and make him apologize.

And to do so publicly in front of so many nobles.

The Empress, who had a firm grip on high society, couldn’t have been unaware that this many people would attend my birthday party.

“I see.”

Grandfather didn’t say much.

But I could tell.

In Grandfather’s eyes, which had previously viewed the Crown Prince as merely an annoying and ill-mannered puppy, wariness now dwelt.

“Happy birthday, Pirenthia.”

Astana said this while holding out a small jewelry box he had been carrying.

It was a black box about the size of my two palms put together.

Ah, I don’t want to accept it.

What if there’s something like a bomb inside?

I’d like to inspect it before opening.

Setting aside everything else, I simply didn’t want to receive anything from the Crown Prince.

But with all eyes in the banquet hall focused on us, I had no choice but to accept it.

When I hesitated, Grandfather nodded slightly as if to say it was fine to accept.

In the end, I took the jewelry box from Astana and opened it.

Though I did flinch slightly while opening it.

“Ooh!”

“As expected of the Imperial family’s wealth….”

As soon as I opened the lid, explosive reactions erupted from those around us.

The birthday gift from the Crown Prince was a necklace.

It featured a ruby that looked to be at least the size of an adult’s finger joint, surrounded by small topazes.

“Mother picked it out for me. How is it, pretty?”

Though Astana said this, the hidden meaning was closer to ‘How is it, looks expensive, right?’

The nobles were all murmuring about how the Empress had bestowed something precious upon me.

But honestly, I wasn’t pleased.

Showing off wealth in front of the Lombardis.

I wasn’t particularly impressed.

But the more annoyed I felt, the brighter I smiled as I spoke.

“Yes. Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Good, good.”

Thinking he had completed his task, Astana looked relieved.

“Young Lady, I’ll take the gift to be stored.”

A servant who had been waiting nearby approached and carefully took the jewelry box.

Ugh, I want to wash my hands.

I wanted to wash them thoroughly with water right in front of the Crown Prince, but for now I discreetly rubbed them on the hem of my dress.

“We were briefly delayed. Thank you all for coming such a long way to celebrate my granddaughter Pirenthia’s birthday.”

Grandfather raised his glass high once more, trying to restore order to the unsettled hall.

“Now let us begin the banquet.”

As soon as Grandfather finished speaking, several doors connecting the banquet hall and kitchen opened simultaneously, and servants emerged carrying large silver platters.

Foods designed mainly for people to carry around and eat comfortably were piled like mountains on each table.

Fortunately, people began chatting pleasantly among themselves as they had before Astana’s arrival.

“I should eat something too.”

Seeing the appetizing food suddenly made me hungry.

I saw the twins had already started eating at the nearest table and was about to head over there.

If only that brat wasn’t naturally following behind me.

“Why are you following me, I mean, why are you following me, Your Highness?”

At my question, the Crown Prince glanced around once and erased the smile from his face before answering.

“It’s not like I want to stick around with you either.”

Then he looked around as if checking where Grandfather was.

He’s probably doing this because he received orders from the Empress to come to my birthday party and appease the Lombardi family head.

“I’ll hang around with you for a bit then leave, so you just shut up and stay quiet.”

“Sh-shut up…. Huu.”

The little brat has already learned bad speech habits.

I knew well what kind of things the Crown Prince did in my previous life when he ran around with Belesack and Astaliou, but I didn’t know he was such a rotten little brat from childhood.

Like facing a cockroach, I didn’t want to be around him at all.

“I need to play with my cousins. Well then, excuse me.”

Later, when he grew up and became politically useful, being forced to associate with him could be part of my plans.

I was prepared to endure that much.

But I was still a growing child, and I had absolutely no desire to spend time with this bastard who was so vile that calling him a ‘dog’ would be an insult to dogs.

“Ah shit, really. Hey, I told you to just stay put.”

A twelve-year-old acting like such a thug toward an eight-year-old.

In my previous life, though Lombardi fell, it might have been heaven’s blessing for the Empire that the Second Prince, not this bastard, became Crown Prince.

“Crown Prince.”

Then a familiar voice called out to Astana.

“I was truly disappointed we couldn’t play together last time.”

It was Belesack, with Astaliou standing behind him.

“Last time? Ah, I wasn’t particularly disappointed.”

When the Crown Prince answered indifferently, Belesack’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

But that was all.

The guy who would normally be ready to brawl with the Crown Prince by now was instead laughing obsequiously.

A typical case of being strong against the weak and weak against the strong.

Just like his father Biejie.

Astana, who had been looking at Belesack with disdain, said to me.

“Hey, you’re better than that guy.”

I’m not happy about it at all.

I sighed involuntarily, wondering what kind of nonsense this was on what should have been an enjoyable birthday.

Meanwhile, Belesack’s face was worth watching.

While he could tolerate being ignored by the Crown Prince, being compared to me was unbearable, so he clenched both fists and glared at me.

At me? Why me?

It wasn’t me who said something about you, it was the Crown Prince.

But Belesack seemed to feel even his anger in a strong-against-weak-weak-against-strong way, radiating terrifying hostility toward me.

“Pirenthia.”

Then, I heard a voice like heavenly music calling my name.

“Come here.”

It was Shannet who called me from a distance.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Huh? Hey!”

“Your Highness! Come with us…”

Astana was trying to follow me, but Belesack grabbed him as if he thought this was the perfect moment.

Even dog shit has its uses.

I quickly ran to Shannet, afraid I might get caught again.

“Did anything happen?”

Shannet was worried that the Crown Prince might have done something to harm me.

Even if the prince came bearing gifts and talking about apologies, she didn’t believe it was sincere.

“It was a bit annoying, but I’m fine! But why did you call me?”

“The gifts people brought have all been organized, so the birthday girl should show the courtesy of opening at least a few of them.”

“Ah, the gifts!”

My mood, which had soured due to the Crown Prince’s appearance, instantly brightened again.

Of course there would be gifts at a birthday party!

Moreover, most of the people who came to the banquet were influential figures in the empire, so how much would the total value be!

Just thinking about it made me happy.

“I think I could spend the entire banquet just opening gifts! Hehe.”

At my words, Shannet’s expression became subtle.

“…Won’t that be tiring?”

How tiring could opening just a few gifts be?

I shook my head vigorously.

“Alright, do as you wish.”

Shannet said that and led me to where the gifts people had brought were organized.

And then I understood the meaning behind Shannet’s expression.

“A-all of this is for me?”

“The gifts from me and the twins, as well as from your uncles, have already been taken to your room. These are what the banquet attendees brought.”

“I definitely… won’t be able to open them all.”

If I tried, I’d clearly end up bedridden with body aches starting tomorrow.

Because the neatly stacked gifts literally formed a small hill.

The larger items were mainly at the bottom, with smaller ones well-organized toward the top.

Well, with hundreds of people attending the banquet, it was natural for there to be this many gifts.

Seeing my overwhelmed face, Shannet chuckled and said,

“There are eyes watching, so just open a few and go.”

“…Yes.”

I opened gift boxes right there with Shannet’s help.

As expected from high-ranking nobles, there wasn’t a single gift that wasn’t valuable.

Most were accessories and jewelry suitable for a young child, and perhaps having heard somewhere that I liked books, there were also several pretty illustrated children’s books.

And opening gifts was more fun than I thought.

I was getting increasingly addicted to the thrilling sensation, like opening random boxes.

As I lost track of time opening gifts one by one, eventually Larane, the twins, and even Creny, Astaliou’s younger brother, came over to watch.

Random boxes are fun to watch others open, after all.

“This time, this one! Open this one!”

Giliou brought over a very large box that had been placed in one corner and set it down in front of me.

“Sure, why not.”

I didn’t really have high expectations.

Usually, the smaller the gift box, the better what’s inside.

“Ooh, it’s a doll!”

“A bear doll!”

As expected, the large box wasn’t very substantial.

Unlike me, who doesn’t particularly like dolls, I could see Larane and Creny’s eyes sparkling.

Besides this bear doll, there was one more doll among the gifts I’d already opened.

Since I wouldn’t use them anyway, maybe I should give them to those two.

I was thinking about that when,

“Tia!”

“Huh? Father!”

I threw down the gift I was opening and stretched out both arms toward Father who was running toward me.

“Sorry Father was late to our daughter’s birthday! You waited a long time, didn’t you!”

Father lifted me up and hugged me while choking up.

“It’s okay! I was having fun playing with everyone else!”

“I see, I see. You were all opening gifts together?”

Father asked, looking at the empty boxes scattered across the wide space.

“We opened so many, but there’s still that much left!”

Meylon said excitedly, snorting with enthusiasm.

“…There really are a lot of gifts.”

Father looked at the mountain of gifts with bewilderment.

“Yes! I love it! So many people came too!”

“Really? This side of Tia is a bit different from Father.”

Father was the type who absolutely hated noisy and chaotic situations.

“That’s something she takes after me.”

Grandfather had made a round of the banquet hall and guests and returned.

Behind Grandfather, I could also see Biejie and Lorels.

Biejie still seemed to hold a grudge, glaring at Father.

“Still, it feels good to have everyone gathered in one place like this.”

Grandfather looked around at the family members and smiled contentedly.

The Lombardi family and the four siblings along with their families were Grandfather’s achievement.

Though not perfect, Grandfather’s smile as he looked at what he had accomplished overflowed with proud satisfaction.

“Ahem.”

There was an unwelcome intruder interrupting the heartwarming scene.

“What is it, Crown Prince?”

Grandfather also seemed displeased by Astana’s intrusion, asking curtly.

“I have something to deliver.”

“Something to deliver?”

Grandfather raised one eyebrow as he looked at the Crown Prince.

“If it’s a gift for Pirenthia, didn’t you already give one earlier?”

“Ah, this isn’t something for Pirenthia.”

Both Grandfather and the other family members gathered here tilted their heads in confusion.

Astana took something out from the inner pocket of his jacket.

It was a deep purple envelope sealed with golden wax bearing the imperial crest.

“That’s…”

Biejie was the first to recognize what the envelope was and muttered.

My eyes widened too.

It was an envelope I had opened several times in my previous life while working as Grandfather’s secretary.

“Her Majesty the Empress asked me to deliver this invitation to the imperial palace dinner banquet.”

The Crown Prince said that and began walking with heavy steps.

I thought he would naturally head toward Grandfather, but this time my expectation was wrong.

Astana walked over with the envelope and stood before me and Father, who was holding me.

“Please do attend and grace the occasion, Lord Gallahan Lombardi.”

Father received the envelope with trembling hands.

Until now, the Empress’s dinner banquets had always been attended by Biejie, the eldest son, in Grandfather’s place, as the invitations always bore the name ‘Rulak Lombardi.’

But this time was different.

On the luxurious purple envelope, the name ‘Gallahan Lombardi’ was clearly written in elegant handwriting.

And I had to bury my face firmly into Father’s shoulder to keep from letting out a cheer.

My heart swelled with emotion.

Now it was time to go to the Imperial Palace to meet him.

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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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