In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 57

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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 57

Those eyes with a strange gleam were definitely looking at me and Peres.

Oh no, were we caught?

This was a disaster.

No one should know yet that Peres and I are acquainted.

I quickly averted my gaze from the Emperor.

But I could feel it.

That persistent stare lingered on me for quite a while longer.

However, when I looked back a moment later, the Emperor was conversing with Father and Grandfather with the same face as before.

Did I perhaps see it wrong?

It was possible that Yobanes had given me a casual glance and I had gotten scared for nothing.

In any case, I tried my best not to look in Peres’ direction again.

“Then let’s start with the medal ceremony and continue enjoying the banquet.”

Yobanes said, looking around at the gathered nobles.

Father, who had been holding my hand all this time, placed me beside Grandfather and said affectionately.

“Daddy will be back in a moment.”

Even though he was nervous enough for his hands to turn cold, he looked after me first.

It was completely different from the Emperor over there who had made his children into props for himself and paid them no attention.

I gave Father a light kiss on the cheek, putting my feelings of support into it.

Just that alone made Father smile brightly, saying it gave him strength.

In front of everyone watching, Emperor Yobanes stood on the platform, and the Emperor’s aides brought the medal.

As I watched Father’s back walking toward the center, everyone’s gazes were directed toward the platform.

There stood Peres, dignified as a member of the imperial family.

Astana, who had appeared from somewhere and was now fully entering adolescence, was also beside the Empress, glaring at Peres with a truly disgusted expression.

Even with age, he still can’t manage his expressions.

Then suddenly, I looked at Peres.

He was still looking at me.

Whether he was in a good mood or bad mood.

That expressionless face, whose inner thoughts I couldn’t read, looked a hundred times more imperial than Astana.

I gave him a slight smile and turned my face back toward the platform.

The medals looked different depending on who received them, and Father’s medal appeared to be a large golden necklace.

And behind it stood another aide.

Like the medal, he was carefully holding something precious with both hands.

“Gallahan Lombardi, come forward.”

At the Emperor’s words, Father knelt on one knee before him.

“I, Yobanes Canaboën Lambru Durelli, bestow this Founding Day medal upon you.”

Unlike his hearty laughter from moments before, his low, resonant voice declared solemnly.

“With ingenious attempts that no one else could think of, you have contributed to my will to care for the people of the Lambru Empire, so you are fully qualified to receive this medal.”

A necklace bearing the imperial seal was placed around Father’s neck.

“Furthermore, since your achievements are so excellent, I bestow a special gift upon Gallahan Lombardi along with the medal.”

A special gift?

The second waiting official stepped forward.

And what was handed to the Emperor was a scroll made of old leather.

Yobanes unrolled it to show everyone before granting it to Father.

“I hereby declare that Gallahan Lombardi is, from today, the lord of the Chesayu region.”

Gasp.

I wasn’t the only one who drew in a sharp breath.

Everyone gathered in the banquet hall was shocked.

Except for Grandfather, who seemed to have known in advance and remained calm, and the Emperor, who was grinning broadly.

Although the Founding Day medal held special meaning, the largest gift ever awarded alongside the medal had been a villa.

And even that was just a kind of villa usage right that would be returned to the imperial family when the recipient died.

But a territory?

And that scroll made of leather was unmistakably a land deed.

Moreover, the Chesayu region wasn’t land directly governed by the imperial family.

Located at the port of the Nokta River, the second largest river in the Lambru Empire, it had high grain production and population density…

“It’s Mrs. Sershou!”

Someone shouted in a small voice.

To the Emperor’s left rear, the white-haired elderly lady maintained her noble bearing, unperturbed by the concentrated gazes of the people.

Betrix Sershou.

The sister-in-law of my grandmother, Natalia Sershou, and the elderly lady who served as the head of the wealthy Sershou family of the south.

The Chesayu region, originally Sershou family land, had been granted to Father.

That meant it was Betrix Sershou’s will.

Father looked at the land deed clutched in both hands with a dazed expression and said.

“I will humbly accept Your Majesty’s will and take good care of it.”

The medal ceremony was brief, but its aftermath was great and long-lasting.

“I need to sit down and rest for a moment…”

Father clutched the land deed tightly with both hands and muttered.

“Haha! With such a small liver, how will you properly fulfill your duties as a lord!”

Emperor Yobanes returned to his cackling self and teased Father.

Yes, he must be in a good mood.

Since he made a big show with someone else’s land.

Yobanes, who said he would now enjoy the banquet, disappeared among the nobles, and I scurried over to Father’s side.

“Daddy!”

“Tia…”

Father looked at me and smiled weakly.

“What should I do after receiving such a wonderful thing…”

His face showed more burden and sense of debt than joy at gaining land.

“What do you mean what to do? Just say thank you and live well.”

“Nephew!”

The one who approached was Mrs. Betrix Sershou.

She was Father’s maternal aunt.

She was smiling so kindly at Father that I wondered if the rumors about her being strict were true.

Mrs. Sershou was famous for her unfortunate personal history.

She had two children but both died in accidents, and she lost her husband early too.

Branch family members had been demanding for years that she hand over the family’s rights since there was no heir, but she ignored them all and held power firmly.

But she was equally famous for something else: her aesthetic sense and fashion sense.

Betrix Sershou’s influence was so strong that it was said the Empire’s fashion trends started in the south.

No wonder all kinds of textile merchants had established themselves in Sershou territory.

Before Gallahan Clothing Store was created, when people thought of ‘clothes,’ they thought of Sershou, not Lombardi.

I tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous.

Sure enough.

Mrs. Sershou’s gaze fell on me.

“Ah! This child is my daughter Pirenthia. She’s your great-aunt.”

“Hello, Mrs. Sershou. I’m Pirenthia Lombardi.”

Mrs. Sershou had strong pride in what she had achieved.

So I thought it would be better to use an official title rather than a family one.

Fortunately, Mrs. Sershou seemed to prefer that as well, nodding slightly with a faint smile.

Then she looked over the clothes I was wearing.

Her ordinary but sharp brown eyes sparkled with interest.

“Oh my. That outfit suits you very well.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Sersheu. This outfit is from Gallahan Clothing Store.”

“This is what they call ready-made clothing that I’ve only heard about?”

The old lady’s eyes widened.

“It’s a bit of a stretch to call it ready-made clothing. My daughter wanted to wear something I made to today’s banquet, so she added various decorations to embellish this dress, making it quite different from the original.”

Father quickly explained while waving both hands.

“This child decorated this outfit?”

Mrs. Sersheu stared directly at me.

“Do you like it, madam?”

I asked with an anxious heart.

“…Hmm. Yes, it’s a very pretty dress indeed.”

As expected.

I was a bit worried, but it had an effect.

Actually, the style of neatly inserting silk with ornate embroidery at the corners of the hem was something Mrs. Sersheu had popularized in my previous life.

But since that was three or four years in the future, I wasn’t sure if it would be effective now.

But seeing how she can’t take her eyes off my dress now, she seems quite pleased with it.

“Yes, if ready-made clothing is utilized in this way, quite a variety of outfits could be created.”

Mrs. Sersheu unconsciously touched the fabric of the dress I was wearing while muttering.

At some point, my existence had become something like a mannequin wearing clothes, but I didn’t mind.

This was exactly why I made and wore this outfit, so I was actually grateful.

“The silk produced in our Sersheu could create good harmony with ready-made clothing. What do you think, Gallahan?”

Mrs. Sersheu asked Father.

“Ah, well, that is…”

Father was in the middle of choosing his words.

Another voice suddenly interrupted the conversation.

“The jewels attached to that outfit are from our territory, Mrs. Sersheu.”

It was Jerome Aivan, the head of the Aivan family, notable for his long white beard.

“What brings Lord Aivan all the way to the Imperial Capital?”

“When Mrs. Sersheu from the south has made a move, what’s so significant about me coming?”

“Running across plains is different from the trouble of crossing mountains and lakes.”

A tense battle of wills ensued between Mrs. Sersheu and Lord Aivan.

“So you’re all here.”

This time it was the Lord of Ruman from the east.

Excluding Angenas from the west, wealthy figures from all other regions had gathered in one place.

Father seemed like he would soon be gasping for breath, overwhelmed by the presence of the three people, while nearby nobles were lingering around, wanting to eavesdrop on the ongoing conversation.

The Lord of Ruman, who arrived last, asked Father directly.

“So, I heard Gallahan Clothing Store plans to open branches in the outskirts this time.”

Until now, the clothing store had spread centered around the Imperial Capital, which was the center of the Empire, Lombardy Territory, and the surrounding medium and large territories.

And this time, they were looking into territories other than the central ones, and it seemed that rumor had spread.

“Regarding that matter, actually the person in charge isn’t me…”

Father said while sweating profusely.

“Ah! There he is. Lord Cleribane!”

Just then, Cleribane approached this way and greeted politely.

His appearance in an indigo silk tunic suited the splendid banquet well.

“This is Cleribane Pellet.”

Father introduced Cleribane to the two lords.

“I’m still inexperienced and only handle external affairs, while the actual work of the clothing store is managed by Lord Cleribane here, so please direct your questions to him…”

Actually, to be precise, the actual workers were Cleribane and me.

Since people don’t know of my existence, Cleribane’s stock has been rising more and more lately.

“Oh, I see. Look here, let’s go over there and have a glass of wine with me…”

“I have some very fine rose wine that I brought directly from Ruman.”

Lord Aivan and Lord Ruman quickly rushed to Cleribane.

A business meeting was starting on the spot.

Cleribane would tell me the details of what was discussed later.

With the wealthy figures from each region stepping forward, the mediocre merchant leaders who had attended the banquet targeting Father couldn’t even present their business cards.

They could only drink alcohol from afar with dissatisfied faces.

But only Mrs. Sersheu didn’t attach herself to Cleribane.

Instead, she approached Father and me closely and said.

“Shall we have a conversation about Chesayu Land, Gallahan?”

It was the smile of a victor who had already secured a good position.

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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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