In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 64
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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 64
“…Who’s coming?”
I closed the book I was reading and looked at Loril.
“The Second Prince is visiting the Lombardi estate… A messenger from the Imperial Capital just left a moment ago.”
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
Peres is coming to Lombardy?
Was he in a situation where he could freely go out like that?
Of course, he wasn’t in a position where he had to live in hiding like before, but even so, there were many obstacles to leaving the Imperial Capital and wandering around freely.
But he’s coming to Lombardy right now, leaving the Imperial Capital which is the Emperor’s domain?
It’s the perfect scenario for getting attacked by someone on the way.
“Today?”
“Yes, he’s supposed to arrive around noon.”
“Huh…”
Peres isn’t stupid.
There’s no reason for him to push himself and come to Lombardy.
“No, but why on earth?”
“Well…”
Loril shrugged her shoulders and whispered.
“But Young Lady. Did you know the Second Prince?”
Ah, come to think of it, Loril doesn’t know.
“Um, yes, a little from before. We’ve just been exchanging letters since then.”
“Ah! Could it be, that…”
I nodded my head instead of answering.
As expected.
A strange smile appeared on Loril’s face.
“Oh my. Then the Second Prince is coming to see our Young Lady!”
Sigh.
She was definitely having strange fantasies again.
“It’s not like that. There must be some other business.”
“But seeing that the Imperial messenger called for me specifically, doesn’t that mean he’s definitely coming to see you, Young Lady?”
“Is… that so? Were you the only one there?”
“Um, no. It was me and the butler.”
The butler oversees this estate but mainly takes care of Grandfather’s affairs.
“Then that means he’s coming to see me and Grandfather…”
But I couldn’t guess any particular reason.
Especially in this situation where he and I are pretending not to know each other.
“Well, I’ll find out when Peres arrives.”
Anyway, since he was already coming here, there was nothing I could do to stop him.
And since the Imperial messenger had been knocking on the estate’s door loudly since morning, anyone who needed to know about Peres’s visit would already know.
I ignored Loril, who kept looking at me with emoticon-like eyes and smiling, and continued reading my book.
It was a book containing information about various rare diseases like Tlenbroo and treatment examples.
Time passed quickly and it became noon with the sun hanging in the middle of the sky.
In the distance, I could see the Imperial carriage that Peres was riding in approaching.
The carriage even had a large Imperial Family flag attached to it.
It meant this was a very official visit.
Grandfather sent a message saying he had a prior appointment, so I should have lunch with Peres first and then bring him to the study.
But I wasn’t the only one who came out in front of the estate.
“Lady Shannet, Lord Biejie, and even Lord Lorels. They all sent servants from their families.”
Loril whispered quietly in my ear.
She was right.
Since it would be awkward for them to come out personally, they all seemed to have sent people to observe the situation.
Why was the Second Prince, not the Crown Prince who had previous dealings, visiting Lombardy?
And why was I called out?
I could tell just by how the servants’ gazes kept lingering on me.
Clatter, clatter.
Finally, the horses stopped walking and the door of the lavishly decorated carriage opened.
Peres, with his usual nearly expressionless face, walked toward us.
But I could tell from seeing Peres’s eyes sparkling brightly.
That guy is incredibly excited right now.
Before Peres could make a mistake, I quickly bent my knees slightly and showed light courtesy.
“Hello, Your Highness the Second Prince. Welcome. I’ve been waiting.”
“Ah… Hello, Lavinia Angenas.”
Peres glanced around at the surroundings for a moment and then matched my pace.
“Unfortunately, Grandfather has a prior appointment, so I’ll escort you to Father’s quarters. Let’s have lunch together and then go to Grandfather’s study.”
“…Yes.”
Success.
I managed to greet him awkwardly like people who were barely acquainted.
The persistent gazes of the servants who had come on missions followed us tenaciously until we left the manor hall and entered the annex.
Though they did back off when the butler sternly warned them.
I could finally relax when we passed through the long corridor and entered our house.
I plopped down on the sofa in the drawing room and asked.
“Phew. Why did you come here, Peres?”
“To see you, Tia.”
“Don’t joke around.”
“I’m serious.”
As Tia and Peres started bickering, Loril’s eyes widened.
“Young Lady…”
“What?”
“You two are… much closer than I thought.”
“…Loril?”
When Peres called her name, Loril was so surprised she nearly jumped.
“How, how do you know my name…”
“Because Tia mentioned you a few times in her letters.”
“Ah, yes… I see.”
Loril looked at me and blushed slightly.
“Stop changing the subject. Why did you come today?”
“Ah, Young Lady…”
Loril looked at me in surprise at my sharp tone.
Actually, I was a bit flustered too.
It wasn’t something to get this irritated about.
It seemed my nerves were much more sensitive than usual due to Father’s situation.
“I came to deliver this.”
Peres calmly pulled out an envelope from his chest.
That thing coated with melted gold that could be recognized from ten li away.
“W-wait! Is that a letter from His Majesty the Emperor right now?”
“Yeah.”
‘Yeah’!
I was well aware of Peres’s somewhat off-kilter personality!
But the Emperor’s letter is different from letters written by ordinary people.
If the Emperor officially has someone deliver a letter, that person bears the heavy responsibility of delivering that letter to the owner of the name written on the envelope as quickly as possible.
This is common knowledge that any citizen of the Empire would know!
Peres just stared blankly at me and Loril as we panicked.
I hurriedly examined the letter envelope.
“Rulak, Lombardi….”
“Oh, I’ll send someone to the study right away!”
Loril said while gathering up her dress hem in one hand so she could run.
“Wait.”
I raised one hand to stop Loril.
“Peres, do you happen to know what’s written inside this envelope?”
“It’s about making you my companion.”
Peres showed no hesitation in revealing the contents of the Emperor’s letter.
I held my head and sighed.
“This is troublesome….”
Becoming a prince’s companion was essentially a public declaration that the child’s family or clan would support that prince in the succession struggle.
You could see this with Astana and Belesack.
After announcing that he was the Crown Prince’s man, only such people gathered around Biejie.
Since Biejie, who was predicted to be Lombardy’s next clan head, was supporting the Crown Prince, Angenas’s stock was rising day by day.
“Is it troublesome?”
Peres asked me.
“Well, it’s not exactly good.”
I had already completely fallen out with Astana, that is, the Empress, over this incident.
Because of my quarrel with Astana, I had ended up pointing a sword at Astana’s throat.
Moreover, that incident had caused the fact that Peres could use aura to spread widely.
The Second Prince’s official appearance at the formal occasion of the Founding Day banquet, combined with the fact that Peres, who was only thirteen years old, could use aura, had caused an uproar about a genius appearing.
But having a bad relationship with Astana’s side was different from completely becoming Peres’s person.
To be precise, it meant Father, the third son of the Lombardi clan head, declaring his support for Peres.
This could greatly affect Father’s business.
While I was lost in thought.
I made eye contact with Peres.
The boy’s slightly frowning eyes stared at me intently before asking a question.
“So, becoming my companion would be troublesome for you?”
I nodded slightly and tried to explain the reason to him.
But.
“What are you doing!”
Riiip.
Peres tore the Emperor’s letter exactly in half.
Has this kid gone crazy!
But Peres said firmly.
“If it’s going to cause you trouble, then it’s not necessary.”
“Even so, you can’t just do that!”
It’s still the Emperor’s letter!
I held the torn letter in both hands and stared at it blankly.
“My thinking was shallow.”
Peres said somewhat calmly.
“I thought it would be good if you became my companion.”
“Hey, are you angry?”
In a way, he had every right to feel bad.
I asked carefully, but Peres shook his head.
“No, I’m serious. Forget about this letter. I’ll handle it myself.”
What are you going to do!
Peres would be in big trouble if he fell out of the Emperor’s favor now.
“No, we need to tape it back together and take it to Grandfather first.”
The recipient written on the letter was Grandfather.
“What letter are you talking about.”
“Oh, Father….”
Father was leaning against the open bedroom doorframe.
“Lord Gallahan Lombardi.”
Peres quickly greeted Father.
“What letter are you referring to, Your Highness.”
Peres glanced at me briefly, then held out the Emperor’s letter torn in half.
“Hmm….”
Father pondered with a face that said ‘what to do with these children,’ then asked.
“I heard it’s a letter about making Tia Your Highness’s companion.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“His Majesty finally….”
Father had the expression of someone who had suspected this might happen.
Perhaps there had been some conversation among the adults.
Father looked at Peres with strange eyes for a moment.
It was a scary face that was completely unlike Father—neither kind nor gentle.
When Peres met Father’s gaze, his shoulders flinched slightly, then I could see them tense up with strength.
The two of them remained motionless as if having a staring contest.
“Um….”
Just as I was about to speak, unable to watch any longer.
Father, who had been leaning against the doorway with difficulty, made a ‘hmm’ sound and pulled something from behind the door.
It was the crutch that Doctor Omari had left this morning.
“His Majesty’s letter must be delivered immediately. Let’s go to Father’s study.”
“I’ll go! Father, your leg is….”
“I can still walk.”
Father said with a smile but firmly.
“I can walk if I use the crutch. A father should help with his daughter’s affairs.”
Father’s figure walking step by step with the crutch looked precarious.
It was like that when walking down the flat corridor, but even more so when going down the stairs.
Loril and I offered to support him, but Father refused.
“I can do it myself.”
It was a stubborn attitude that momentarily reminded me of Grandfather.
But at the same time, that back was so broad that during the walk to the study, I wasn’t afraid of anything in the world.
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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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