In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 253

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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 253

 

Peres closed both eyes.

 

Above his head, he felt the heavy weight of a crown magnificently adorned with gold and jewels.

 

Crown Prince of the Lambru Empire, Peres Bribachau Durelli.

 

He savored and reflected on his achievements.

 

And as he slowly opened his eyes, he saw hundreds of nobles facing him.

 

They seemed shocked.

 

The fact that he had ultimately ascended to the position of Crown Prince appeared quite shocking, as several squeezed their eyes shut.

 

Yes, they wouldn’t have known.

 

When his existence was first revealed to them – the Emperor’s only bastard born from a maid’s body – no one would have predicted such a future.

 

They would have thought it natural that the bastard’s future would only involve dying at the Empress’s hands before reaching adulthood, or if lucky, living in hiding a bit longer before dying at the hands of Astana who became Crown Prince.

 

“To reach this position.”

 

Peres spoke in a low voice.

 

It was a voice that made listeners’ arms break out in goosebumps.

 

The nobles looked at Peres with somewhat despairing eyes.

 

“There were truly many events.”

 

The Crown Prince’s red eyes searched out those who had once raised their voices alongside Angenas, one by one.

 

Though he hadn’t even ascended to the throne yet, his attitude at the Crown Prince appointment ceremony was somewhat arrogant.

 

But no one dared to find fault with it.

 

With neither the Empress nor the Emperor in their positions now, the new Crown Prince was already practically the master of the Empire.

 

Peres then spoke as if making a declaration.

 

“However, past errors must not leave their stains on the new era that is to come. Therefore, I intend to settle everything here today.”

 

Finally, what was to come had come.

 

Who would become the sacrificial lamb as an example.

 

It was when all the nobles gathered here couldn’t even make a sound of breathing.

 

“Bring them.”

 

Peres gestured to the attendants waiting by the door.

 

“What are those?”

 

What the attendants were carrying were a total of four sheets of paper.

 

Each one neatly framed, just like the Crown Prince appointment document had been moments before.

 

“Astana Nerempe Durelli, and the Mayer Marquis and his descendants.”

 

Peres said, pointing to each frame.

 

“These are their renunciation documents for succession rights to the throne.”

 

Renunciation of succession rights to the throne.

 

It was a promise that no matter what happened in the future, they would not inherit the throne.

 

It was giving up the greatest right granted by bloodline, practically surrendering everything as royalty.

 

“Wh-when did this happen…?”

 

The nobles were shocked.

 

They didn’t even have time to feel relief that they weren’t the targets of this ‘cleanup.’

 

It had been repeated countless times in history for a new victor who ascended to the throne or Crown Prince position to eliminate other succession right holders.

 

But that process was usually messy and ugly.

 

Many would die, and in the process, they often lost the trust of the Empire’s citizens and nobles.

 

It was also the first gateway to dirtying oneself by jumping into the political arena where grudges were tangled like spider webs.

 

“Hmm…”

 

The nobles groaned.

 

For all to see, the surrender documents of the succession right holders gleamed neatly beyond the gold-plated frames.

 

The Crown Prince had secured their surrender without spilling a single drop of blood.

 

It was perfect control.

 

Now the only bloodline to inherit the throne in the Empire would be the successors starting from the Crown Prince.

 

“It seems we’re ready to start anew.”

 

After speaking with satisfaction, Peres pulled out another document from his chest.

 

“I shall convey His Majesty’s will to you all.”

 

Though his attitude was perfectly businesslike, the nobles receiving it were not.

 

“A will…?”

 

“His illness must have been that severe…”

 

Issuing a will meant the Emperor’s life was coming to an end.

 

The nobles fell into deeper silence and listened carefully to the Crown Prince’s voice.

 

“I, Yobanes, Emperor of the Lambru Empire, hereby decree by imperial command the following. First, maintenance of the Empress’s family succession rights and inheritance rights. Second…”

 

The nobles doubted their ears at the contents of the will that followed.

 

A will was the most powerful weapon an emperor possessed.

 

Since Yobanes had always been greedy, the nobles had mentally prepared themselves.

 

Even if he demanded each family immediately pay a thousand gold to make the Emperor’s funeral the most magnificent in history, they would have no choice but to comply.

 

But.

 

“Th-the Empress…?”

 

The contents of the will were about maintaining the Empress’s independent authority, unlike before.

 

There was nothing in it that Yobanes himself could benefit from.

 

It was all a will for the successor Crown Prince.

 

“To manipulate even His Majesty’s will as he pleases.”

 

“Just how did he force this?”

 

The nobles whispered in very small voices.

 

That Yobanes would never have left such a will on his own.

 

Surely the Crown Prince must have made it so he had no choice.

 

“Just who is he going to such lengths for?”

 

Big question marks began appearing in the nobles’ minds one by one.

 

And at some point they realized.

 

That from a while ago, the Crown Prince’s gaze had been fixed on just one person.

 

“Could it be…?”

 

“Lo-Lord Lombardi?”

 

But as if such gazes weren’t even felt.

 

The Lord of Lombardi sat quietly without any agitation, maintaining a very calm appearance.

 

Thanks to this, the nobles’ confusion intensified, and eventually the Grand Meeting Hall, which had been quiet until now, began to stir.

 

Amid that slight commotion, the Crown Prince spoke.

 

“Lastly, there is one thing to announce.”

 

The Crown Prince had clearly made up his mind to tie up everything perfectly today.

 

He had gathered the nobles in one place and was already setting off his third bomb in succession.

 

“I, Crown Prince Peres Bribachau Durelli, hereby declare that my engagement to Pirenthia Lombardi, Lord of Lombardi, is valid.”

 

Finally.

 

Some nobles even opened and closed their mouths as if they would immediately raise objections.

 

But that was all.

 

To keep their heads attached to their necks, they had to keep their mouths shut.

 

And for good reason – the engagement announcement was also flawless and perfect, just like everything the Crown Prince had done so far.

 

There was absolutely no angle to attack.

 

He had brought down his mortal enemy Angenas and the Empress, eliminated other succession right holders so nobles couldn’t even think of having rebellious thoughts.

 

Moreover, he had twisted the dying Emperor’s arm to create laws protecting the rights of the next Empress.

 

The nobles felt like stupid beasts who had unknowingly been perfectly hunted and trapped in a cage.

 

“This is to keep the promise between the Imperial Court and Lombardi.”

 

However, as if even that wasn’t enough, the Crown Prince threatened in a low voice.

 

“I will not marry any woman other than the Lord of Lombardi.”

 

They understood that the words ‘will not marry’ also implied he would not produce an heir.

 

Wasn’t the Crown Prince someone who suffered greatly precisely because he wasn’t the Empress’s child?

 

There was no way such a person would have heirs with anyone other than the Empress.

 

So this was practically a threat.

 

The nobles thought simultaneously.

 

“Those who oppose the engagement between me and the Lombardi family head are going against His Majesty the Emperor’s will, and I will charge them with the crime of disobeying imperial orders.”

 

No, it was a complete threat.

 

It seemed like they were getting a preview of the Crown Prince’s future actions as he began his unstoppable reign.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

A voice that was neither loud nor high quietly echoed through the grand meeting hall.

 

“The nobility is one of the foundations that make up the Empire. Governing and persuading the nobles well is also an important duty of Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

In the midst of herding hundreds of nobles into the cage called the grand meeting hall and threatening to behead them for disobeying imperial orders if they didn’t listen.

 

Who on earth was the person speaking righteous words against the Crown Prince!

 

In the gazes of those searching for the source of the voice, they saw the Lombardi family head rising from her seat.

 

“It’s troublesome if you only issue ultimatums telling us to unconditionally accept and follow.”

 

Then hundreds of gazes quickly shifted to the Crown Prince.

 

Even though she was his fiancée, they were curious about how the Crown Prince would react in anger to the Lombardi family head who was directly challenging his authority.

 

However, they were surprised once again.

 

“…I suppose I got a bit excited for a moment.”

 

Because the Crown Prince’s fierce momentum, who had just been scolding the nobles with sharp eyes, softened all at once.

 

Not only that.

 

“I apologize.”

 

“Oh my, not at all!”

 

“An apology! That’s absolutely unnecessary, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

 

When Peres slightly bowed his head in apology, the nobles instead waved their hands frantically, not knowing what to do.

 

And their eyes, which had been gloomily downcast until just moments ago, began to sparkle as they turned toward Pirenthia.

 

“I think I need to explain a bit more.”

 

When Pirenthia said this while looking at everyone, the nobles perked up their ears.

 

“We’re not getting married immediately. We plan to have an engagement period of two years.”

 

“Why two years, Master of Lombardi?”

 

To someone’s question, Pirenthia smiled and answered.

 

“I have no intention of doing either the Imperial Court’s or Lombardi’s work half-heartedly. So I plan to place one person each on both sides to help with my work.”

 

Each word, spoken without hesitation in a confident yet gentle tone, had the power to naturally inspire trust in the listener.

 

It was a tone that stuck in the ears in a different way from the Crown Prince’s.

 

“And my cousin who will help with that work will graduate from the Academy in about two years. Therefore, my taking over authority regarding the Imperial Court will be around the time when all preparations in Lombardi are complete.”

 

“That’s true.”

 

“Lombardi certainly does need time too.”

 

The nobles nodded and understood.

 

“Also, the heirs of His Highness the Crown Prince and I will not inherit overlapping authority from the Imperial Court and me, Pirenthia Lombardi.”

 

At Pirenthia’s words, the nobles’ faces brightened considerably.

 

Because it meant that the worst-case scenario the nobles had worried about—one person inheriting everything from both the Imperial Court and Lombardi—would not happen.

 

Moreover, didn’t Pirenthia Lombardi also have Chesayu and the Gallahan clothing business that raked in cash from across the Empire?

 

Gulp.

 

People who were reminded anew of how enormous Pirenthia Lombardi’s power was swallowed hard.

 

“There’s no need to look at it only from the bad side. There are definitely good aspects too.”

 

As if ventilating the stale air, she said with a smile.

 

“For example, the hospital being built in Lombardi.”

 

When the hospital that was the talk of the capital was mentioned, the nobles’ ears perked up once again.

 

“Since we’ve decided to maintain the engagement rather than break it off, I plan to operate it for all citizens of the Empire, not just Lombardi citizens. Of course, all of you gathered here will be able to use it too.”

 

“Ooh!”

 

“What wonderful news!”

 

No group was as sensitive to their own interests as the nobles.

 

In other words, they were easy to handle.

 

Pirenthia smiled inwardly and added.

 

“I also plan to greatly expand the Lombardi Scholarship Foundation. Until now, it’s been focused on the arts, which is true. At least from now on, there won’t be cases where smart and capable people can’t attend the Academy due to financial reasons. If any of you have such people around you, just bring them to me.”

 

“Haha!”

 

“As expected of the Lombardi family head!”

 

“How generous!”

 

At Pirenthia’s magnanimous words, the nobles burst into laughter.

 

Pirenthia laughed along with them.

 

And through a strange gap in the laughter, someone’s muttered words echoed.

 

“Even if it’s Lombardi, can they really handle all that money?”

 

It was at that moment that the smile completely disappeared from Pirenthia’s face.

 

“Who is it.”

 

She said coldly while scanning the noble seats.

 

“Who just said that.”

 

Naturally, the frightened culprit didn’t come forward.

 

Her coldly hardened gaze, which made one wonder if she was the same person as just moments before, was scary enough to make the nobles avert their eyes even though they had done nothing wrong.

 

When no one came forward to confess, the Lombardi family head spoke to everyone.

 

“Never doubt Lombardi’s capabilities again.”

 

It was a short but deadly warning.

 

She had subdued the Crown Prince, who was radiating a frightening aura, with a single word, effortlessly bestowed good deeds that could benefit all citizens of the Empire, and now displayed the charisma to suppress hundreds of nobles at once.

 

The nobles simultaneously glanced at the faces of those sitting next to them and thought.

 

Perhaps they should fear the Lombardi family head even more than His Highness the Crown Prince.

 

Even though they hadn’t spoken aloud, they tacitly agreed and nodded their heads.

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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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