In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 54

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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 54

“Wow, a Founding Day medal?”

“That’s right! The Imperial Palace sent someone to the clothing store!”

Every year on Founding Day, the Emperor awards medals.

The recipients of these medals are truly at the Emperor’s complete discretion.

Among past emperors, there were some who gave medals to their own sons, the princes.

The contents of the medals were also varied.

Sometimes they bestowed name plaques, and there were cases where they generously granted one of the imperial family’s villas.

“For contributing to protecting the health of the Empire’s citizens by creating ready-made clothing…”

Father muttered in disbelief, pinching his own cheek.

“Dad is the best!”

I kissed my dazed father’s cheek and showed even more joy for him.

Actually, I already knew.

That Father would be this year’s Founding Day medal recipient.

Emperor Yobanes had already conveyed his intentions to Grandfather three months ago, and Cleribane had told me about it.

It wasn’t for nothing that I wrote to Peres that we’d be able to see each other soon.

Moreover, this year’s Founding Day was scheduled to be even more special.

Cleribane had brought news that tremendous clans with histories older than the Empire itself, who firmly controlled each region, had arrived in the Imperial Capital recently to attend the banquet.

Sersheu from the south, Ruman from the east, Angenas from the west, and Aiban from the north.

Among the Imperial Court banquets of recent decades, had there ever been another banquet with as many grand and distinguished guests attending as this one?

“They said to attend the Founding Day banquet in just three days… What should I prepare, no, more importantly, clothes for our Tia first…”

Father was still rambling incoherently while looking after my clothes first.

Even though the one receiving the award was Father, not me.

“I want to wear clothes from Gallahan Clothing Store!”

At my exclamation, Father’s eyes widened in surprise.

“But Tia, the clothing store’s clothes are…”

Father paused to choose his words.

“For wearing to an Imperial Palace banquet, they’re a bit… How about wearing the clothes Aunt Shannet gave you as a gift this time?”

He seemed worried that I might be mocked if I went to the Imperial Palace banquet wearing ready-made clothes.

In a way, it was a natural concern.

Ready-made clothes were commoners’ clothing.

You could tell just from the fact that Father was receiving a medal for creating ready-made clothing for those who had always been naked and cold.

But I didn’t bend my stubbornness.

“I’m going to wear clothes that Dad made!”

“Tia…”

Father hugged me tightly.

He seemed moved by my extreme filial devotion.

“Thank you, Tia.”

Father patted my back gently while choking up again.

“Whose daughter could be this lovely…”

I hugged Father tightly too.

I couldn’t help but smile because I felt so good.

An Imperial Palace banquet.

What a perfect opportunity to promote children’s clothing.

* * *

“His Majesty is waiting.”

The Emperor’s chamberlain quietly spoke to Peres as he approached.

It was still early, when the sun had barely shown its face.

Yobanes summoned Peres about once a month to share breakfast together.

Others seemed to think this meant ‘His Majesty cherishes the Second Prince very much,’ but well.

Peres thought this was closer to surveillance.

Checking whether the half-baked prince he had reluctantly taken in was harboring any improper thoughts.

When he entered, the Emperor was already eating.

Without even the common courtesy of a greeting, Yobanes confirmed Peres’s arrival with a sideways glance but didn’t stop eating.

Peres also familiarly took a seat one place away.

Soon, excellent food with the same menu the Emperor was eating was served.

Looking at it quietly, Peres recalled the day he first entered Poirak Palace.

When he was getting used to moldy food, the day he first learned what a ‘princely’ meal was.

The day he realized how warm it was when candles were lit after sunset and the fireplace burned all night.

The day when anger hotter than the lit fire had boiled within him.

The only thing that made Peres smile about that day’s memory was Pirenthia alone.

“I heard your aura duration has noticeably increased.”

The Emperor spoke to Peres, who had been thinking of Pirenthia.

“…Yes.”

“I see.”

Though it was ridiculously short for an answer to the Emperor, Yobanes didn’t mind.

It was because his heart was greatly swayed by the tremendous swordsmanship talent Peres displayed.

When Yobanes first read the report the swordsmanship instructor submitted to the chamberlain, he doubted his own eyes.

A skilled person who could maintain aura for an hour at the mere age of thirteen!

Throughout the Empire’s entire history, there had never been such a swordsman.

At thirteen, it was an age where you’d be considered talented just for keeping up with physical training to the end.

A similar example was Crown Prince Astana.

Astana, who had been holding a sword from a much younger age than Peres, had recently finished basic training at fifteen and started theoretical classes for aura.

His progress was on the fast side.

Seeing such Astana, the Empire’s nobles said ‘the Imperial family’s future is bright.’

Until now, only Yobanes and the swordsmanship instructor knew of Peres’s achievements.

No, since the swordsmanship instructor was selected based on Lombardy’s recommendation from the beginning, Rulak must also be receiving reports.

But excluding them, Peres was still a forgotten prince.

He was completely different from Astana, whose every move was practically broadcast and who received the nobles’ attention.

They barely knew of Peres’s existence.

“Peres.”

At Yobanes’s call, Peres put down his utensils.

“Attend this Founding Day banquet.”

Peres’s red eyes looked at the Emperor with question.

Looking at those eyes, Yobanes wondered if Peres’s mother, whose face he couldn’t even remember now, had such red eyes.

“…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

What came out after a moment’s consideration was a gentle but clear refusal.

Yobanes was flustered, having never imagined that Peres would ‘refuse’ an imperial command.

He had thought Peres would be overjoyed at the chance to finally come into the light after living hidden from view.

But there was no particular emotion on Peres’s face.

There was even a hint of annoyance.

“It’s a place where you can be recognized as the Second Prince.”

Yobanes spoke with a warning tone as his final attempt.

“Is recognition necessary?”

“…What?”

Even at the counter-question, Peres didn’t explain further and stubbornly kept his mouth firmly shut.

The Emperor watched that appearance quietly, then muttered as if talking to himself.

“You resemble me, boy.”

For a moment, undisguisable displeasure flashed in Peres’s eyes, but Yobanes, absorbed in his own thoughts, failed to notice it and continued speaking.

“Yes, you are my bloodline even without the recognition of those petty nobles. You are the Second Prince of this Lambru Empire.”

The ‘recognition’ that Peres had mentioned wasn’t merely about the nobles’ recognition as Yobanes understood it.

It meant that the Emperor’s recognition was also unnecessary.

In fact, it hadn’t even been three years since the Emperor began caring whether Peres was alive or dead.

Before that, he had left him to the Empress who only wished for Peres’s death.

Perhaps the Emperor too had hoped that his one night’s mistake would simply disappear.

But Yobanes seemed to have interpreted those words quite differently.

“That is…”

Peres tried to correct the misunderstanding but was cut off by the Emperor’s words.

“However, the nobles need to know that Astana is not the only prince who has the recognition of me, the Emperor.”

Astana.

Peres’s eyes changed at the mention of the Crown Prince’s name.

Noticing this, Yobanes smiled coldly.

“Yes, it seems you agree on that point as well.”

In truth, if it were purely for Peres’s benefit, it would be better to remain hidden for a few more years.

Peres didn’t possess the enormous power of the Angenas family that Astana had through his maternal relatives.

Though he had Rulak Lombardi as his guardian, that was merely a transaction between the Emperor and Rulak.

So it would be better to remain quiet and build up his own strength.

But that was the path for Peres’s sake.

It wasn’t the path for Yobanes’s sake.

“Founding Day has held special meaning in various ways since ancient times.”

Recently, the Angenas had offered ten ingots of gold.

It was an action the Angenas had taken to keep Peres in check while trying to curry favor with Yobanes.

If Peres were brought to the forefront at this Founding Day, the Angenas would have to pay attention.

Much more than just ten gold ingots.

“This year is even more so. Since Gallahan Lombardi will enter the palace to receive his decoration, the nobles attending the banquet will be double the usual number…”

“I will attend.”

Peres said abruptly.

Just moments ago his face had been quite blank, but now his eyes were even shining.

‘So he does have ambition.’

Yobanes nodded and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

He hadn’t expected that Peres would change his attitude like lightning just from hearing the name ‘Gallahan Lombardi.’

* * *

The day of the Founding Day commemorative banquet.

I finished preparing with Loril’s help.

“Yes, this is it.”

I smiled with satisfaction as I moved my body gently in front of the mirror.

“Wow, Young Lady, you look so cute!”

“Right?”

Usually children my age hate it when adults call them ‘cute.’

But regardless of what those kids think, if you look cute to adults, that’s a jackpot.

It’s the adults who buy children’s clothes after all.

The outfit I chose to promote the newly launched children’s clothing was a modest brown dress.

It was exactly the style that adults love to dress their children in – one that made my green eyes stand out while looking neat and proper.

However, that wasn’t everything.

Under the solid-colored dress, I wore a cream-colored silk blouse, and green silk with gorgeous flowers embroidered in gold thread was sewn along the hem of the brown dress.

Small emeralds were attached to the brown fabric that might otherwise look plain, and a rosary made of pearls thicker than finger joints was used to tie around the waist once, making the dress’s volume even more voluminous.

Additionally, round-shaped white lace was attached to the sleeves, creating a dress so gorgeous and beautiful that it couldn’t be considered ready-to-wear.

Though it started similarly to others, the charm of ready-to-wear was that you could transform it into something completely different by using desired accessories and displaying individual fashion sense.

Of course, the emphasis here was on everyone knowing what the simple ready-to-wear originally looked like.

People need to know the original form to recognize how expensive the jewelry I used was and how I displayed aesthetic sense to change it into a pretty design.

It was perfect material to stimulate the competitive spirit of nobles who loved showing off and had plenty of money and time but little to do.

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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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