In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 48

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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 48

“What… are you doing here?”

I managed to hold back from frowning, but a displeased voice escaped nonetheless.

Emperor Yobanes hastily cleared his throat with “Ahem, ahem” and corrected his words.

“What I meant was… what brings you to this distant place?”

“Of course. That must be what you meant.”

Rulak said with a smile that created wrinkles around his eyes.

“Has it been three years now?”

The head of Lombardy does not easily leave Lombardy territory.

This was both fortunate and concerning for Yobanes.

The old man knew everything about how the imperial palace operated, yet he, the emperor himself, could hardly know what was happening inside Lombardy.

“About that long, yes.”

Yobanes regained his composure and answered while naturally taking his seat at the head of the table.

“You’ve become much more dignified in the meantime.”

But that was only momentary. At Rulak’s single remark, Yobanes’ thick eyebrows twitched once.

He was irritated by the way the old man treated the empire’s emperor like a neighborhood child he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“How many times this old man wanted to come to the imperial palace. But I kept the words Your Majesty spoke when we last met close to my heart, and turned back at the palace gates again and again.”

“…Anyone listening would think I persecuted the head of Lombardy, who is like an uncle to me.”

“You said, ‘I have no confidence leading this empire from an imperial palace where the head of Lombardy comes and goes as if it were his own home, so if you want to drag me down from the throne, keep showing your face at meetings.'”

“Ahem…”

Yobanes had nothing to say.

It was a natural reaction since those were indeed the words he had said to Rulak.

“At that time, I was overwhelmed with heavy duties…”

Rulak watched Yobanes making pathetic excuses with a smiling face and said,

“Despite enduring all this time, today I could not help but come to see Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

“…What on earth is this about? At this early hour.”

Yobanes was also dying of curiosity.

Coming to wait in the study like this without giving advance notice was both typical of Rulak and yet not like him at all.

“If I may speak boldly, do you know what situation Second Prince Peres is currently in?”

“Peres?”

It was a name unfamiliar even to speak aloud.

It took several seconds for him to realize that this was the name of his own son whom he had been living while forgetting.

“That child… the Empress must be taking good care of him. Are you saying the reason the family head came today is because of that child?”

It was completely unexpected, so Yobanes tilted his head sideways.

“Let me ask Your Majesty one thing. Did you truly entrust his upbringing believing that the Empress would properly care for the Second Prince?”

He used honorifics for the emperor, but not for the Empress.

This was the unique speech pattern of the Lombardy family heads that showed their unrivaled status.

Yobanes answered irritably at Rulak’s tone that seemed to be scolding him.

“Are you now trying to interfere even in internal imperial affairs?”

Unlike the previous emperor, Yobanes was a relatively docile emperor who had never openly opposed Lombardy, but he showed some agitation when it came to matters concerning his succession.

“I do not intend to lecture Your Majesty about responsibility toward children. What use would such things be in the imperial family? However.”

Rulak shook his head as if quite regretful.

“The seeds Your Majesty has sown must not become a pretext for making a fool of Your Majesty, must they not?”

“Making a fool of me… a pretext?”

Yobanes’ attitude became quite serious.

“What do you mean by that? Explain properly.”

To the impatient Yobanes, Rulak showed a leisurely smile and spoke.

However, the words that flowed from his mouth were not light at all.

“The Angenas family reported their territorial income this year at half the actual amount.”

“Half?”

The fact that Angenas, the Empress’s family, was engaging in some degree of tax evasion was not new information to Yobanes.

However, the fact that the scale amounted to half of the original reported amount made him flustered.

“But there is another point Your Majesty should pay more attention to.”

“What is that?”

“Someone who discovered irregularities in the tax records reported this to their superiors, but strangely, no action was taken.”

It was as Rulak said.

The expression disappeared from the already surprised emperor’s face as if the color had drained away.

Rulak paid no mind to the emperor’s reaction and poured oil on the fire.

“Doesn’t this mean there are already quite a few people receiving imperial money while working for Angenas?”

And he poured it generously.

“Not paying taxes properly? That’s a cute little trick that could be overlooked once. But if even imperial officials are cooperating in this matter… Surely that would be damaging Your Majesty’s authority?”

“Hmm…”

The emperor rubbed his temples as if getting a headache.

Rulak, who had been watching this scene as if enjoying an entertaining play, threw in the second stone he had brought.

This time hoping to create an even larger ripple in the lake.

“I also have something to apologize to Your Majesty for. Do you perhaps remember the mine located at the Sebest River dock?”

“…I remember it.”

“That iron mine that the previous emperor entrusted to our Lombardy in preparation for emergencies was sold to the Baraportga family by my son.”

“Baraportga family…”

“One of Angenas’s leading vassal families.”

In preparation for the possibility that the Durelliga family might be pushed out of the throne, the imperial family had been secretly siphoning off assets bit by bit and entrusting them to Lombardy.

For example, five thousand gold bars sleeping in the deepest part of the Lombardi Bank vault.

Or mines that were known to the outside as ‘small and insignificant mines’ but actually had vast iron veins underground.

This was a measure based on the very ancient covenant that ‘Durelliga and Lombardy do not turn their backs on each other.’

“Although Baraport’s seal is stamped on the documents, isn’t it all too obvious who the real owner of the mine is?”

Of course, it was Bestian’s Shuls family that took over the mining business of that mine, but Rulak didn’t bother to mention that point.

“Angenas probably didn’t know what kind of mine it was, but it’s proof that their ambitions have grown large enough to reach for iron mines.”

Iron ore was a very important military resource.

Iron, which becomes the material for weapons, was a resource possessed only by a very few families in the empire, including the imperial family and Lombardy.

And they were, without question, families that had been loyal to the imperial family for a long time.

Although Angenas was the Empress’s family, they were originally closer to the noble faction than the imperial family.

Iron ore was not wealth permitted to them.

“And it was Your Majesty who made it possible for them to dream such presumptuous dreams.”

“My fault! That’s preposterous! I merely!”

“Didn’t you give power to Angenas? Not content with having your first son from the Empress, you threw your second son to the Empress as well. You didn’t even care whether Lavinia Angenas killed or spared that servant’s child…”

“Killed or spared?”

Yobanes was not a foolish emperor.

At least that was Rulak’s assessment.

He was sharp about his own interests and quick to read people’s inner thoughts and the implications of their words.

Just like right now.

“Then are you saying the Empress harmed Peres… the Second Prince?”

“Fortunately, he’s still alive. Though it seems he’s been fed poison.”

“Ha!”

Yobanes lost his words and just let out a hollow laugh.

It was definitely not affection for the servant’s son whose name he couldn’t even properly remember.

Rather, it stemmed from anger and resentment toward the Empress who dared to touch his bloodline.

Rulak pushed forward a water glass he had prepared in advance and said,

“Of course, empowering Angenas as a counter to me was a very good move, Your Majesty.”

Yobanes flinched at being completely read, but Rulak smiled contentedly at the sight.

It was close to the gaze of a teacher looking at a well-raised disciple.

“But you gave him far too much. That was the problem. He kept being greedy without realizing his stomach would burst… Now it’s time to take away that power.”

“However…”

“Your Majesty need not do anything.”

Yobanes’ hand, which had been pressing his throbbing forehead, stopped.

Rulak smiled slightly while looking at the Emperor.

And he made a proposal the Emperor could never refuse.

“I shall become the villain for you.”

* * *

Peres and I sat facing each other on the bed.

The only sofa was covered in layers of dust, and the floor was as cold as ice, so we had no choice.

Black hair still covering his nape, white skin, and red eyes as crimson as his lips looked at me.

“Peres, you…”

With one blink, his long eyelashes trembled slightly.

“You’ve grown a bit, haven’t you?”

“I think I have gotten taller.”

Peres nodded with an indifferent expression as he answered.

“Well… you were already a head taller than others.”

I muttered while recalling his appearance from my previous life.

I had only seen him once from very far away, standing in the crowd that had gathered excitedly upon hearing that a new Crown Prince had been born.

Peres’ figure, with a more imposing build than the surrounding guards, his cloak billowing as he looked down at everything with cold eyes, instantly captivated the crowd.

“Who?”

“Huh? Oh, never mind.”

But it was hard to imagine that this kid in front of me would grow into such an adult.

Compared to Crown Prince Peres, who had been like a large wolf with glossy black fur, this kid was…

“Who are you thinking about right now?”

Though equally expressionless, the current Peres was a bit more…

“A puppy?”

At my random comment, he tilted his head.

See that? He really does look like a dog… no, like a puppy.

“Do you have a pet puppy?”

“Uh, no. I was just thinking about getting one.”

“You like puppies? I like them too. I’ve never actually seen one, but since you like them, I’m sure I’ll like them too.”

Peres muttered words whose meaning I couldn’t understand.

“Have you been doing well with the homework I gave you?”

“Eat meals, take medicine, lie down when the maid comes, and practice swordsmanship.”

He answered immediately while counting on his fingers one by one.

“Yes, that’s it.”

“I did it all. Everything you told me to do, all of it.”

Was it my imagination that there seemed to be a black tail wagging behind his bright face?

“Should I show you?”

Peres asked as if he would grab a wooden sword and demonstrate right away.

“No. That’s not what’s important right now. Since you did your homework well, you should get a reward. Don’t you think?”

“A reward?”

I grinned while pulling over the bag that had been placed to one side.

Peres’ gaze never left my hands as I untied the knots on the bag’s tied lid.

“Now, I’ll give a present to a good child.”

You don’t know Santa, do you?

I said while opening the bag wide.

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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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