In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 220

—————
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 220

Empress Lavinia was looking out the window from a dark corridor where she had deliberately not lit any lights.

She could see some commotion briefly stirring inside the distant knight order building, and then Peres emerged from it.

Behind him, she could also see Belesack limping along.

Shortly after, a carriage carrying the two men left the knight order alley.

The Empress watched the back of that carriage until the very end, then began walking briskly toward the Imperial Palace.

Though it was past midnight, there was no hesitation in her steps.

She already knew through a confidant she had planted inside the Imperial Palace that Yobanes had not yet gone to bed.

“Inform His Majesty that I have come, Head Maid Otuwa.”

Head Maid Otuwa, who had come out after attending to the Emperor upon hearing there was a visitor, stiffened when she discovered Empress Lavinia.

“…Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Head Maid Otuwa went back inside, and shortly after, the bedroom door opened.

“The Empress has been visiting me quite frequently lately.”

Yobanes, who had changed into his nightwear, spoke with a crooked smile toward Lavinia.

Though it was clearly mocking words, Lavinia just stood quietly with a strange smile.

“Hmm.”

Yobanes looked at her with apparent interest before asking.

“What brings you at such a late hour, Empress?”

“I have urgent matters to discuss with you, Your Majesty.”

It was a request for a private audience.

When Yobanes nodded and gestured lightly, all the servants in the bedroom went outside.

“The council meeting is in a few days.”

In the Emperor’s bedroom, now left with just the two of them, Lavinia spoke first.

“Ah, if it’s about that, I roughly know what you’re going to say.”

Yobanes said with a slight frown.

The long-standing territorial conflict between Angenas and Brown had come up as an agenda item for the council meeting.

As Emperor, Yobanes had to decide who would gain the qualification to represent the western region.

“You’re asking me to side with Angenas at the council meeting, isn’t that right?”

Saying this, Yobanes picked up a thin bundle of documents that had been placed on the table.

“However, according to what my aides found out, the territory that went to the Brown family is slightly larger.”

But it was such a small difference that it could be nullified by the Emperor’s word.

“…That’s correct.”

Empress Lavinia acknowledged it.

“I came here to receive a definite answer that Your Majesty will support Angenas.”

“A definite answer?”

Yobanes chuckled.

Then he pulled out another piece of paper from under the document bundle and showed it to the Empress.

“A letter from the Lombardi clan head.”

Since entering the bedroom, this was the first crack in Empress Lavinia’s smile.

“As compensation for the broken engagement between the Second Prince and Pirenthia Lombardi, they’re offering 100,000 gold.”

100,000 gold.

It was truly an enormous amount.

No noble family in the Empire could pay such a sum and remain intact afterward.

But Lombardi was an exception.

Always, Lombardi was an exception.

“How dare they insult the Emperor and then try to cover it with money?”

Emperor Yobanes muttered grumpily.

Of course, he intended to take the money.

Yobanes wasn’t foolish enough to refuse 100,000 gold.

But he had to show that things wouldn’t always go Lombardi’s way.

To humble the arrogant Lombardi’s pride, he could support Angenas any number of times.

After all, Angenas couldn’t threaten imperial authority like Lombardi could.

Yobanes spoke to Empress Lavinia.

“I will support Angenas at the council meeting.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Lavinia smiled brightly and subtly added more words.

“And there is one more matter I need your assurance on.”

“Huh, one more thing? I knew the Empress was greedy, but.”

Yobanes let out a hollow laugh as if incredulous.

“Well then, let’s hear it.”

“Please allow the Imperial Guards to investigate Pellet Trading House today and arrest its owner, Cleribane Pellet, Your Majesty.”

“Pellet Trading House?”

This time Yobanes’s eyes widened greatly.

It was because a completely unexpected name had come up.

“Quite a big fish.”

Anyone living in the Empire knew about Cleribane Pellet and Pellet Trading House.

The trading company that had been established just over ten years ago had already grown large enough to form one of the Empire’s pillars.

Particularly, eastern trade was at a level where Pellet Trading House dominated it.

There was even a saying that to sell goods in the east, one had to go through Pellet Trading House.

“What is the reason?”

“Since the investigation into the assassination attempt has been sluggish, I personally looked into it and found evidence that the suspicious medicine the Crown Prince took was distributed through Pellet Trading House.”

Lavinia answered without changing her expression at all.

“Evidence. Evidence…”

In other words, it was saying ‘it could be so, but it might not be.’

“Not a bad picture at all.”

Yobanes grinned as he imagined Imperial Guards surrounding Pellet Trading House.

He thought it was a good opportunity to show imperial authority after a long time.

Also, the fact that Cleribane Pellet was originally Lombardi’s person played a part in Yobanes’s decision.

“The Imperial Guards are originally like the hands and feet of the imperial family.”

Emperor Yobanes said to Empress Lavinia.

“There’s no reason the Empress couldn’t command the Imperial Guards.”

* * *

“Damn it.”

Looking at Loril’s pale face, I cursed.

“This was it. What the Empress was aiming for.”

Probably Belesack was bait from the beginning.

She drew mine and Peres’s attention there and targeted Cleribane.

“Why would the Imperial Guards come for my brother…”

Loril asked in a trembling voice, seemingly terrified.

“They’re trying to find the contract. The contract where money was borrowed using Angenas’s territory as collateral.”

“But for the Imperial Guards to move directly just for that…”

“They must have coordinated with the Emperor beforehand. And there happens to be a perfect excuse for the Imperial Guards to move, doesn’t there?”

“Su-surely not…”

Loril couldn’t even put those words in her mouth and just trembled her lips.

“That’s right, the Emperor’s assassination attempt. They must have somehow connected Cleribane to it.”

Whether they fabricated plausible evidence somewhere like they did with Belesack’s suicide note, or were just using it as an excuse, I couldn’t tell.

But one thing was certain.

Namely, that Emperor Yobanes would tolerate the Empress’s such actions.

“They caught Cleribane over there?”

“N-no. I only heard they’re searching the manor and trading company thoroughly like hunting for lice….”

Then there was still a chance.

“First, we need to find Cleribane before they do.”

I said, turning to look at Peres.

“Peres, deploy your people to Lombardy territory and the Imperial Capital.”

“The Imperial Capital?”

“Cleribane said a few days ago that he had a meeting scheduled with Father today at the main branch of Gallahan Clothing Store in the Imperial Capital. I don’t know the exact time, but he might have already headed to the Imperial Capital.”

“Got it. I’ll look for him.”

After confirming Peres’s retreating figure as he unhitched the horse from the carriage and rode off, I spoke to Loril.

“Let’s go to the Lombardi Knights.”

“The Knights?”

“Yes, I have a favor to ask.”

I quickened my pace without saying anything more, but inside me, anger was quietly boiling up.

Empress Lavinia, how dare you touch my person?

* * *

“Search every nook and cranny! Cleribane Pellet could be hiding anywhere!”

“Yes!”

Imperial Knights and soldiers stormed into the Pellet Trading Company located on the outskirts of Lombardy.

An angry Violet rushed out of the office and walked toward the knight who appeared to be in charge.

But something was strange.

The one giving orders to the Imperial Guards and commanding them was not a fellow Imperial Guard, but a knight from Angenas.

The giant knight standing tall in the middle of the trading company grounds, a head taller than the others, was someone Violet knew well.

Idan Clus.

The captain of the Angenas Knights who only listened to the Empress’s orders.

An Angenas knight captain giving orders to Imperial Guards.

It was an absurd combination, but the Empress was someone who could make such things possible.

And from that scene, Violet could guess what was happening.

However, that didn’t mean she could just let them ransack the Pellet Trading Company as they pleased.

Violet raised her head even more defiantly and stood before Idan Clus.

“I am Violet Rife, deputy head of the Pellet Trading Company. What on earth is this about?”

“Deputy head?”

However, without answering and after briefly looking Violet up and down, Idan Clus ordered the Imperial Guard standing by.

“Take her away for interrogation.”

“Let go of me! I said let go!”

They were people who had no intention of having a conversation.

Though Violet resisted with all her might, she couldn’t overcome the strong force of the Imperial Guards.

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