In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 34

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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 34

“I’m also on my way to meet Lord Gallahan right now, so I’m suggesting we go together.”

“Ah…”

There I go again.

Not just me, but the children around us also nodded as if they understood.

Larane quietly patted her chest in relief, as if she had been worried that I might get dragged away by Cleribane and get scolded.

“Hmm.”

Cleribane seemed displeased with everyone’s reaction and narrowed his eyes for a moment.

“Th, then shall we get going?”

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

The twins noticed that sharp gaze and quietly rose from their seats.

“Goodbye!”

Then, before I could even try to stop them, they said their farewells and hurriedly ran away.

“Bye, Pirenthia. Goodbye, teacher.”

Larane also quickly said her goodbyes, not wanting to be left behind, and moved away from us.

I could see Belesack, who had been waiting for his sister at the doorway, glare at me once before following after her.

They’re all acting like this because they’re scared of Cleribane.

Of course, he doesn’t have a particularly gentle personality, and his eyes are naturally sharper than most people’s.

I looked at Cleribane.

“Really, I don’t understand it.”

He has a cold impression because he doesn’t smile much, but he definitely has handsome features.

The reason I can concentrate well during his lectures is partly because the content is good, but also because Cleribane is good-looking.

Yet everyone is so afraid of Cleribane like that.

“Right, teacher?”

At my words, Cleribane shrugged his shoulders.

“Well. It seems like you’re a bit special, Young Lady.”

“Is that so?”

Cleribane didn’t answer further and took the lead.

But he didn’t walk away by himself at a pace I couldn’t keep up with.

Rather, he walked slowly with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he had come out for a stroll.

He was being considerate of me, who couldn’t walk as fast as an adult.

See this.

This person is such a kind person.

* * *

“Yawn.”

I tried to hold it back, but a yawn eventually escaped.

I wiped away the tears that formed at the corners of my eyes and looked at the two people who were having an earnest meeting.

“But if we do that, wouldn’t it no longer be a business targeting commoners?”

Father said to Cleribane with dissatisfaction.

“This price is affordable for commoners who have some money.”

Cleribane answered in a calm voice.

“Right. A price that only those with money can afford. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“The emphasis of this business is not on price. It’s on quality. Quality.”

“No matter how good the quality of an item is, what’s the use if people can’t buy it?”

The meeting had been going in circles for quite a while now.

I was surprised at first too.

To think that Father could be so passionate about something like this.

Father, who seemed to find Cleribane intimidating until the meeting started, had somehow shed that demeanor and was now sharply confronting Cleribane.

But if Father was fire, then Cleribane was like ice.

He was calmly and methodically refuting Father’s burning ideas, pouring cold water on them.

Of course, that’s exactly why the two of them made such a good pair.

While I was resting my chin on the table and flicking cookie crumbs with my fingernail, Father and Cleribane also entered a lull.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Phew.”

Father’s face looked very tired as he rubbed his eyes and sighed.

I carefully approached and asked.

“Dad, are you okay?”

Father, who had been smiling weakly at my question, lifted me onto his lap with an “oomph” sound.

“Tia.”

“Yes?”

“Do you think Dad can do well?”

Well, the business he was pursuing now was completely different from Father’s natural personality.

The Koroi-Jung business last time was similar, but back then everything had happened somewhat by chance.

But this time was different.

This business was being conducted under Father’s leadership from start to finish.

Even the capital was like that.

It wasn’t money with the Lombardi label attached, but money that Gallahan as an individual had saved up over time.

Of course, this was an all-in business that was only possible because he was a Lombardi who wouldn’t have trouble making a living even if this business failed.

“Dad, cheer up.”

Even though it was just words like a verse from a familiar children’s song, I spoke with sincerity and patted Father’s shoulder.

“Clothes made in advance for people to wear, how wonderful is that!”

I deliberately raised both hands and shouted with exaggeration.

That’s right.

The business Father was planning right now was, in a word, the ‘ready-to-wear business.’

He said he got the idea when making promotional prototypes to distribute to nobles during the last Koroi-Jung business.

You might think of it as just a general clothing business, but the important thing is that there’s no concept of ‘ready-to-wear’ here yet.

People here generally go to ateliers to have clothes tailored.

From the perspective of someone wanting to buy clothes, it’s quite a convenient system.

If you visit an atelier where experienced professional fashion designers, pattern makers, and seamstresses are on standby, everything gets resolved at once.

Through consultation with a designer, you can make clothes in the style you want using the fabric you want.

Since they’re made to fit your body perfectly, you don’t need to worry about the fit.

But that’s why it’s expensive.

Even among nobles, unless you’re quite wealthy, clothes are treated as quite precious.

This is especially true for gorgeous and delicate dresses worn to banquets or social events, as the material costs alone are substantial.

If even nobles aren’t free when it comes to clothing, how much more so for commoners?

Those who can afford it seek out cheaper ateliers that cater to commoners, but if not, they make clothes at home.

Since they buy fabric and sew clothes, the absurd situation arises where a mother’s skill determines the quality of the family’s clothing.

As if that weren’t enough, I heard that in impoverished areas, people don’t wash their clothes often for fear they’ll wear out from frequent scrubbing.

In this situation, Father’s idea is truly revolutionary.

When I first heard it, I honestly thought Father might be an incredible genius.

Looking at something so obvious from a completely different perspective is much more difficult than you’d think.

Well, the fact that Cleribane quickly jumped on board says it all.

“We can’t postpone deciding on the price any longer.”

Cleribane announced the end of break time as he spoke.

“There are quite a few things to consider: the cost of orders placed with the Craftsmen’s Guild, the price of creating clothing patterns, and construction material costs.”

I got down from his lap and sat in the chair next to him so the two could talk comfortably.

That’s when my eyes met Cleribane’s.

It was the same look as usual, but somehow different.

But that was only for a moment.

In the blink of an eye, that expression had disappeared.

Did I see it wrong?

“Lord Gallahan, please listen carefully to what I have to say.”

Cleribane turned his gaze from me and spoke to Father.

“Lord Gallahan, the reason I said we should open the shop in Heslot Market rather than Sedacuna is because I judged that commoners would be more open to new purchasing methods than nobles.”

“But….”

“This business should target those among the commoners who desire luxury goods.”

Huh? Wait a minute.

I looked at Cleribane in surprise.

This isn’t right.

But Cleribane was serious.

There seemed to be no room for jokes in his eyes as he looked at Father.

“Hmm….”

Father also began to think very carefully at Cleribane’s appearance.

“Luxury goods….”

No! Father! That’s not it!

“Yes, we should use Heslot Market, but it should be a business for those who can spend considerable money for something new.”

No, why is even Cleribane like this!

In my panic, sweat began to flow down my back.

“So raising the price would be right….”

Finally, Father clasped his hands together and pondered.

We’ve been doing so well up until now!

This business should target ordinary middle-class people among the commoners.

So naturally, the prices should be set low.

People who have enough leisure to try something new to avoid the trouble of making clothes themselves, but would prefer clothes cheaper than those tailored at dress shops.

People who would still have clothes made at ateliers for special occasions, but would willingly accept the disadvantage of potentially overlapping designs and buy ready-made clothes for daily wear.

“Please think about it carefully.”

It was Cleribane whom I had trusted!

He was trying to lead Father down the wrong path.

I waited until the very last moment.

Hoping that either Father or Cleribane would notice the blind spot in this opinion.

But when Father opened his mouth after deep contemplation, I had to intervene.

“Then we should indeed raise the price….”

“B-but I think I would hate that!”

As I hurriedly exclaimed, Father looked at me with surprised eyes.

Since it’s come to this, there’s no choice.

I spoke as indirectly as possible.

“It means other people might wear the exact same clothes as me, right? Especially after paying expensive money for it. Then I think I’d just buy clothes tailored at an atelier!”

“Is that so?”

“I originally bought clothes at ateliers anyway!”

Father nodded slightly, saying “That’s true.”

“So I think we should lower the price of clothes a bit. So people can buy them easily and wear them comfortably.”

I thought about just giving a hint as usual, but I couldn’t risk things going wrong again.

I looked at Father and spoke in a strong tone.

“And among commoners, there are more people without money than rich people, right?”

In other words, the market is bigger.

Of course, the profit from selling one piece of clothing would be smaller, but we can’t ignore the principle of small profits and quick returns.

That was exactly where the advantage of early ready-made clothing lay.

“Pirenthia’s words seem to make sense. What do you think, Lord Cleribane?”

At my words, Father turned to Cleribane as if asking for his opinion.

I also turned my head toward him along with Father.

And I saw it.

A smile spreading across Cleribane’s face like slow motion.

It wasn’t just a light, passing smile.

It wasn’t his usual cold, mocking smile either.

It was a bright smile of genuine joy.

“C-Cleribane?”

I heard Father’s flustered voice.

I was just as surprised.

In this life and in my previous life, this was the first time I’d seen Cleribane Pellet smile like this.

No, I never even dreamed he was someone who could smile so brightly like this.

Regardless of our father-daughter shock that went beyond surprise, Cleribane was still smiling.

And at the end of his gaze was me.

But I, surprised by Cleribane’s picture-perfect smile, had no room to think about such things.

Then Cleribane, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up and approached me.

Startled.

Surprised, I stiffened my body momentarily, but didn’t move carelessly.

I just quietly watched what Cleribane was doing.

Cleribane, who had walked over to me, knelt on one knee in front of me and lowered his body.

It happened before the flustered Father could say anything.

And where Cleribane’s fingertips touched was my sleeve.

More precisely, it was the ribbon attached to my sleeve.

Without me knowing when it had come undone, the knot had loosened and the string was fluttering.

Cleribane silently grasped the end.

His long, white fingers made a rustling sound as they tied a pretty knot, quickly creating an elegant ribbon.

“Th-thank you….”

At my small voice, Cleribane looked up at me and smiled.

“Don’t mention it, Young Lady.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off that face.

Because it seemed like there was more meaning in those gently folded eyes than what I could see.

Because it seemed like something inside him had changed just moments ago.

I sat there quietly looking at Cleribane like that.

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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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