In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 47

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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 47

“Are you alright, Tia?”

Grandfather asked while brushing off my clothes that Peres had been holding.

“I’m fine, Grandfather. This child here is my friend….”

“Peres Bribachau Durelli.”

It was a pronouncement devoid of any emotion, as if delivering a sentence.

Peres’s shoulders flinched slightly.

However, Grandfather’s cold gaze merely looked him up and down as if evaluating an object.

“Grandfather?”

Since it was the first time seeing him like this, I cautiously called out to Grandfather.

“So, this child is the Second Prince. I would recognize him even if I met him on the street outside the palace.”

“How so?”

Grandfather answered without taking his frowning eyes off Peres.

“You, boy, resemble the Previous Emperor remarkably. So much so that one might think you’re the Previous Emperor’s child rather than Johannes’s.”

At those words, Peres’s eyes wavered for a moment.

“Has no one ever told you this?”

When Grandfather asked, the boy nodded slightly.

“Of course. Your mother would have never seen the Previous Emperor, and Johannes wouldn’t have wanted to be reminded of his own father. So he would have kept you even more distant.”

“His Majesty the Emperor didn’t get along well with His Majesty the Previous Emperor, Grandfather?”

“Who knows.”

Grandfather chuckled and said.

“I still can’t be certain that Johannes didn’t poison his own father’s medicine.”

What a completely dysfunctional family?

I thought the Lombardi Family was a mess, but the Imperial Court is even worse.

At least Biejie waited quietly until Grandfather passed away from old age.

When I remained silent, Grandfather finally noticed my reaction and quickly added.

“Of course, this is nothing for our Tia to worry about. Forget what Grandfather said.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

I quickly answered like a well-behaved granddaughter.

“Good, good. And you….”

Grandfather’s gaze turned back to Peres.

Though better than before, his eyes were still somewhat cold.

“Are you living alone in this pavilion right now?”

Nod nod.

“Without even maids or servants?”

Nod nod.

“Since you haven’t starved to death yet, I suppose someone occasionally brings you food?”

Nod nod.

“Are you a mute who can’t speak, son of the Emperor! A person should know how to answer with words!”

Grandfather shouted loudly.

Then Peres shrank his shoulders and hid behind my back.

“That boy…!”

Grandfather seemed displeased with that behavior too and reached out to grab Peres by the scruff of his neck.

But for some reason, Grandfather hesitated and stopped his action.

I seized that opportunity to quickly grab Grandfather’s hand and giggled.

“Grandfather! Let’s go inside and talk! My legs hurt….”

Actually, my legs weren’t hurting from standing this long, but I was being dramatic.

“Alright, Pirenthia, you go inside for a moment.”

“What about you, Grandfather?”

“Grandfather will have a little talk with this boy and then come in.”

Grandfather’s expression was resolute.

If I insisted on staying here, it seemed like he might pick up Peres again and stuff him into the carriage.

For now, I needed to listen to Grandfather.

I had no choice but to turn around and head inside the pavilion.

I conveyed with my eyes to Peres, who stood there blankly watching me.

‘He’s the lifeline I worked so hard to bring you! Make sure to charm him!’

Click.

Pirenthia entered the pavilion, and the old door closed.

Rulak stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the Second Prince before him.

He deliberately didn’t hide his sharp and heavy aura.

When Rulak was like this, even grown adults couldn’t easily lift their heads.

But Peres was different.

His bright red eyes looked straight up at Rulak.

His face, unchanging like a white porcelain mask, was filled only with sharp wariness.

It was completely different from how he was when Pirenthia was beside him.

Earlier, when Rulak had reached out his hand, there was even murderous intent in his eyes for a moment.

“Not bad.”

From seeing him rush out at the sound of his granddaughter’s voice and obediently listen, he thought he was a pitiful puppy who had lost his mother.

But now he could see this was a very cunning tiger cub.

Rulak smirked.

“I thought you only resembled your grandfather in appearance, but your personality is identical too.”

Johannes was not bold at heart, and would bristle and make a fuss at the slightest crisis.

But the young Peres before him was now evaluating Rulak.

Despite being a forgotten prince with such a frail body that a simple twist of the neck would stop his breath.

Despite being a loner whom no one would mourn if he died.

That defiant appearance greatly resembled the Previous Emperor.

Even though he was utterly lacking as a human being, the Previous Emperor had done his job reasonably well as an emperor ruling the Empire.

And paradoxically, that very point poked at the mischief deep within Rulak.

He wondered if he should just pretend not to know and let him die.

“Do you want to live?”

Rulak asked Peres with a smirk.

“With one word from me, you live. What shall it be? Should I let you live?”

He could see Peres clenching his still laughably small fists tightly.

His blood-red eyes glittered with hostility toward Rulak, who was mocking him with his life.

They said the Empress trembled with rage at the color red, disposing of even ruby gifts without trying them on, and it was understandable.

Imagining Lavinia Angenas grinding her teeth and trembling while looking at Peres made Rulak feel good.

In fact, that alone was reason enough for Peres to survive.

“Yes, I’ve decided. I’ll let you live.”

Rulak smiled like someone giving moldy bread to a starving person.

“Consider it fortunate that your existence makes the Empress utterly unbearable.”

Peres wasn’t happy.

Instead, he spoke with a voice full of hostility.

“Pirenthia doesn’t resemble you at all.”

“What? Hahaha!”

Rulak bent over and burst into loud laughter.

“Yes, what a fortunate thing indeed. Isn’t it? That my granddaughter doesn’t resemble me and has no tainted corners.”

Then instantly, the smile disappeared from Rulak’s face.

And he quietly warned.

“So don’t even think about clinging to my granddaughter and staining her with your filth. She’s not a child for the likes of you to covet. Do you understand?”

Rulak remembered the way Peres had looked at Pirenthia just moments ago.

It wasn’t the pure friendship of a young child.

Given just a little time, it would grow in size and become a spark that would soon burst into bright red flames.

The fact that Peres was of the Emperor’s bloodline didn’t matter one bit.

For Lombardy, being a member of the Imperial family was rather a definite negative factor.

Peres didn’t answer, but Rulak didn’t need an answer either.

From today onwards, Peres’s life and death were practically in Rulak’s hands.

If this creature, whether dog or beast, got too close to his granddaughter, he could simply pull on the leash he held.

Finally, Rulak gave Peres one last cold look before turning around to find his granddaughter.

“Where are you, Pirenthia!”

The cheerful voice that rang out loudly as he opened the pavilion door seemed like a completely different person.

* * *

While Peres and Grandfather were having their conversation, I was looking around inside the pavilion.

Though it was large and spacious as befitting a building within the Imperial Palace, the completely neglected pavilion was nothing but eerie.

I carefully stepped on the stone stairs to go up to the second floor.

Even those were broken here and there, so I had to watch my step.

Naturally, there would be no one to light fires at the proper times either.

At the other end of the dim corridor, I could see the only door that was open.

“Wow, really…”

Opening the bedroom door, I was left speechless.

My expectation that it would be a complete mess since a young child had been living alone without adult care was completely wrong.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if that had been the case.

Peres’s bedroom was empty.

There was only a large bed, simple furniture, and books stacked neatly.

Except for the old dishes placed in front of the fireplace, there were no traces that anyone lived in this room.

There wasn’t a single common decoration or valuable-looking item.

In a pavilion guarded only by a young child with no master, there was no way any precious items would still remain.

“Ah…”

Except for two items I discovered as I sat on the bed.

A wooden sword placed by the bedside and the medicine bottle I had given him.

Those two items lay there forlornly on the disheveled blankets.

Just then, I heard Grandfather’s voice.

“Where are you, Pirenthia!”

“I’m here!”

I quickly ran down the stairs.

Fortunately, Peres looked fine without any injuries.

Of course.

Our grandfather isn’t bad enough to be mean to such a pitiful child.

When I hopped over and stood in front of him, Grandfather bent down slightly to meet my eye level and said.

“Grandfather has somewhere to go for a moment, so wait here. I’ll leave a guard outside, so don’t worry.”

A guard whose face looked somewhat familiar held the bag I had brought and bowed silently.

“Yes, Grandfather. Come back quickly!”

“Hehe, you little thing…”

Grandfather patted my head one last time and went outside.

Having somehow found the way here, a waiting Lombardy carriage picked up Grandfather and began racing along the forest path.

I waved goodbye and then asked Peres, who was standing beside me.

“What did you talk about with my grandfather?”

“…Nothing much.”

“You were outside for quite a while. What did you talk about?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

So did he get scolded by Grandfather?

Well, nothing serious must have happened.

I put aside my curiosity and extended one hand to Peres.

The boy stared at me as if wondering what this meant.

“Let’s go. I brought various things to give you.”

The path up the stairs is quite rough.

If this skinny boy accidentally fell, he might get seriously hurt.

That’s why I extended my hand for him to hold.

Whether he was slow in everything he did, Peres blinked once slowly before taking my hand.

I gripped firmly the hand that came to hold mine so gently and began climbing the stairs first.

I wondered if he might dislike holding hands with me, but fortunately the boy was quietly following along well, step by step.

And when we reached the bedroom, it was actually Peres who was holding my hand more tightly.

* * *

Yobannes walked down the Imperial Palace corridor with a rigidly hardened face.

His steps clearly showed his impatience.

When he arrived at the study, the guard standing in front quickly opened the door for him.

The sky was completely colored by the rising red sun, and sunlight shone deeply into the study through the wide-open windows.

And there was someone receiving that light fully while greeting Yobannes.

“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”

It was Rulak Lombardi, sitting and drinking tea as if it were his own study.

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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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