In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 7

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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 7

Why is that person here!

Although he looked much younger than the person I knew, that was definitely Cleribane Pellet. His tall stature, his upright posture as if he had a cast around his waist, and those upturned eyes. There weren’t many people in this Lombardy who could maintain such an arrogant attitude.

“What brings Cleribane here?”

Father also seemed quite bewildered as he scratched his head. And for good reason, since Cleribane Pellet was someone who oversaw the Lombardi Upper Echelon—very capable but extremely busy.

At least the future version of him that I knew was like that.

He was so busy that during the time I worked beside Grandfather, I could count on both hands the number of times I properly saw Cleribane’s face.

“May I come in?”

“Of course. Please come in.”

Father led Cleribane to the center of the drawing room with a still bewildered expression, and I quickly picked up a book to pretend I was reading. I didn’t know why. It just felt like the right thing to do. I fixed my gaze somewhere on the densely packed letters filling the page and instead perked up my ears.

As if conscious of me, Cleribane glanced once in my direction before sitting across from Father.

“What brings you here? Did Father perhaps urgently send word…”

“It’s nothing like that.”

“Then…”

Even though they were both employees of the same family, Father’s attitude was very different from when he dealt with Doctor Omari. From that alone, I could roughly guess Cleribane’s current position within the family. It was certain that he wasn’t someone even the clan head’s son could treat carelessly.

Why would such a person come looking for Father?

“The reason I came today concerns Pirenthia, not Gallahan.”

Huh? Me?

I mustered all the patience within me to resist looking in their direction.

“You came to see Pirenthia?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I could feel Father’s and Cleribane’s gazes. Somehow my forehead area felt prickly, but I still turned a page as if I were reading.

“Then it must be about lessons.”

Lessons? What lessons?

Unlike me, who was still confused, Father nodded in understanding.

“Nothing has been decided yet. Today I came to have a brief conversation with Pirenthia.”

“I, I see.”

Separate from understanding why Cleribane came today, Father seemed quite flustered, clearing his throat a couple of times before calling me.

“Tia, come here.”

“Yes.”

I approached with an innocent face as if I were a child who had been reading the whole time and knew nothing. Then after briefly wondering where to sit, I sat on Father’s lap.

I’m seven years old now. If I were a real seven-year-old, I would try to stay as close to Father as possible in a space with a stranger.

Father, as if expecting this, lifted me onto his lap.

Then silence fell for a moment. More precisely, Cleribane and I faced each other without saying anything. I just stared blankly at Cleribane, who said he came to talk with me but wasn’t saying anything. I couldn’t rashly greet him first because I didn’t know whether my seven-year-old self had met him before or not.

“…Indeed.”

After a moment, looking at me with intrigued eyes and muttering something incomprehensible, he slightly bowed his head while still seated and greeted me first.

“It’s my first time meeting you, Pirenthia. I am Cleribane Pellet.”

Thank goodness. We haven’t met before.

I inwardly sighed in relief and bowed politely.

“Hello. I’m Pirenthia Lombardy.”

Trying to make the best impression on the future power behind the family, I bowed so politely that I bent my head too much and my body swayed. This big-headed child’s body really is inconvenient.

“Gallahan, may I have a private conversation with Pirenthia for a moment?”

It was phrased as a question, but he wasn’t really seeking Father’s consent. In other words, it was telling him to leave.

“Tia, Cleribane says he has a few questions for you. Daddy will go into the room for a bit, so you must answer politely. Understand?”

Father explained while affectionately stroking my head.

“…Yes.”

I somewhat expected it, but I’m a bit nervous about having to talk alone with Cleribane. Those sharp eyes examining me from head to chest to stomach are also very burdensome. I felt like I was on an operating table.

As soon as Father’s room door closed, Cleribane stood up and brought something from over there. It was the book I had been reading until just before, “The Southern People.”

“Do you know what kind of work I do for the Lombardi Family?”

If I knew that, I wouldn’t be this nervous.

What kind of work was ‘that’ Cleribane Pellet in charge of in his youth? I shook my head greatly.

“I work teaching the young heirs of the family who will lead this Lombardy in the future.”

Ah! Lessons!

Now I finally understood the conversation Father and Cleribane had. I too had received lessons from an education supervisor for a brief period starting around age nine.

But my teacher then wasn’t Cleribane. Had he moved to a different position before that?

Anyway, the ‘lessons’ Cleribane was talking about were a kind of heir education, the first official evaluation platform that Lombardy children climbed.

According to the education supervisor’s plan, the family’s children were gathered together and taught. At first glance, it might sound like just light home education, but it was nothing like that.

Rather, it had many cruel aspects. First, there was no set age for receiving lessons. Regardless of age, only children judged ready to keep up with the lessons were given the qualification to attend. Naturally, the children’s levels were revealed by the age they started receiving lessons.

Second, there was no set age for stopping lessons either. You would simply hear one day, ‘You don’t need to come to lessons anymore.’

That was my case in the past. Of course, it wasn’t graduation but being stripped of the qualification to participate in lessons any longer.

And finally, the evaluations given after each lesson were reported to Grandfather. In other words, the current Cleribane Pellet was practically a direct line connecting me and Grandfather.

And the fact that he came separately like this meant.

‘Grandfather sent him.’

Remembering Grandfather’s face lighting up when he saw me, I barely suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out.

As I looked at him with bright eyes without any special reaction, Cleribane, perhaps displeased about something, slightly frowned and asked while placing the book in front of me.

“I heard you were reading this book.”

“Yes, I’ve been reading it since yesterday.”

“I see. Then what is it about?”

It seems like he’s testing whether I can really read this book.

I’m glad I read it in advance last night. I pretended to think for a moment, going “Hmm,” then answered.

“I’ve only read a little bit, but there are mysterious people living together in the Southern Forest of the Empire. This book tells stories about those people.”

Cleribane seemed a bit flustered after hearing my story. He probably thought I was just carrying the book around like a toy.

I understand. It was natural to be suspicious when a seven-year-old who should be reading picture books was reading a book that would bore even adults.

I looked at Cleribane with a smile, in a ‘please ask me anything’ posture.

“What is the name of the author who wrote this book?”

“It says ‘Rofili’ on the cover there, doesn’t it?”

“What was the content of Chapter 1?”

“That person named Rofili was talking about how she came to hear rumors about the southern people.”

“Hmm…”

It was Cleribane who lost his words at my smooth answers. Finding that sight amusing, I giggled inwardly while asking with an innocent expression that knew nothing.

“Did you come because you wanted to read this book? Shall I lend it to you?”

I said while offering the thick green-covered book to Cleribane.

“I am curious about what comes next, but I can read it later.”

“Ahem. That’s not it. I’ve already read this book, so Pirenthia may continue reading it.”

“Ah, what a relief!”

I hugged the book to my chest and smiled as if I were truly happy.

To see that cold person’s eyes shaking wildly—the fun of teasing him is quite satisfying.

His confusion was brief. Cleribane, who returned to his stoic expression, asked me another question.

“Rofili heard three rumors in total. He…”

“Wait a moment, Uncle Cleribane.”

“…What is it?”

“You’re wrong.”

I smiled, curling up the corners of my mouth.

“Rofili isn’t ‘he.’ It’s ‘she.'”

“What?”

“It’s mentioned in the preface. The full name is Abane Rofili. She’s a female scholar.”

“Wh-what does that matter now…”

Flustered Cleribane opened the book and frantically read through the preface.

Ah, this is enjoyable.

I added one more remark toward Cleribane, who couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“You said you’d already read it. You must have read it carelessly.”

His shoulders flinched and his ears turned red. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting into laughter.

A moment of silence passed. Cleribane, who had been looking at me with a somewhat frustrated expression, slammed the book shut with a thud. Then he spoke threateningly toward me, who was sitting there with a relaxed expression.

“At first, you’ll find it difficult to keep up with the lesson content.”

“I’ll get to learn lots of new things!”

I nodded my head as if welcoming it and spoke brightly.

“I won’t give you special treatment just because you’re young. You’ll be taking lessons together with your older cousins.”

“That sounds fun!”

The night sky must be dark for the moon to appear brighter.

Next to those kids, I’ll look even smarter!

Cleribane let out a small sigh as he watched me excitedly swinging my short legs, and spoke as if giving up.

“…And I’m not ‘mister.’ Please call me ‘teacher.'”

Permission was finally granted!

Before Cleribane could change his mind, I quickly answered loudly.

“Yes, teacher!”

To think I’d be attending ‘lessons’ at the age of seven!

This might be the earliest in Lombardy history, wouldn’t it?

I wondered how Cleribane would report today’s events to Grandfather.

Such thoughts made me feel even better, so I looked at Cleribane and gave him a big grin.

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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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