In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 77
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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 77
“It’s me… Did you know?”
“I’ve never actually met you before, but I’ve heard and memorized many things about you, Young Lady. I was quite rude earlier since you seemed like you didn’t want to reveal your identity, Young Lady.”
Such thoroughness!
As expected of Violet Rife.
I smiled and extended one hand to Violet, requesting a handshake.
“Nice to meet you, Violet.”
“You knew my name?”
Violet’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I heard it just now, and I also make it a point to memorize important things related to the clothing store.”
“Oh my…”
Violet smiled softly.
But her sharp gaze was constantly trying to read me without rest.
Violet Rife.
In my previous life, she was Cleribane’s right hand and the second-in-command of Pellet Trading Company.
Pellet Trading Company’s remarkable growth in such a short period was possible thanks to Cleribane’s genius intuition, but Violet’s meticulous management was also indispensable.
When Cleribane boldly led the business from the front, Violet would thoroughly oversee and manage everything from behind – they were a fantastic duo.
Without Violet Rife, there would have been no ‘Pellet Trading Company’ that rose like a comet.
Seeing how she handled things just now, it seems I don’t need to worry just because she’s younger than the Violet from that time.
Is this how Grandfather felt when he saw excellent talent?
I smiled warmly while looking at Violet.
“Tia?”
Just then, I heard someone calling my name.
It was Father, who was just entering the clothing store.
“Dad!”
When I ran over and hugged him, Father’s eyes widened with a bewildered expression.
“How are you here…”
“Starting today, I can go outside too!”
“Right, that’s true…”
Even while patting my back, Father let out a hollow laugh.
“To think the day would come when I’d run into Tia outside like this by chance…”
Father’s muttering voice became choked up, as if moved by his daughter’s growth.
Oh, Father.
“How did you know Dad was here?”
Father usually goes to work at the office in Lombardi headquarters or the office at the Imperial Capital branch.
This branch store was newly established, so it was one of the places Father frequently visited to check on.
“Lord Cleribane told me!”
Cleribane, who had just entered and was handing his outer coat to a store employee, flinched.
“Lord Cleribane?”
Receiving Father’s gaze, Cleribane cleared his throat and explained.
“Lady Pirenthia asked about your schedule, saying she wanted to surprise you, Lord Gallahan…”
“I see… haha.”
“Dad, shall we go outside?”
I asked while taking Father’s hand.
“That would probably be best.”
Father, who looked around, also nodded.
By now, everyone in the clothing store was looking at us.
They weren’t unpleasant looks asking ‘Who’s making all this noise?’
Rather, it was the atmosphere of people whispering among themselves in surprise, as if they had unexpectedly encountered famous actors or celebrities.
“To actually see the famous Gallahan Lombardi father and daughter!”
“Oh my, how adorable!”
“Then that man behind them must be Lord Cleribane Pellet!”
The murmuring was growing louder, loud enough for us to hear their conversations.
“Let’s go eat something delicious!”
Since it’s lunchtime anyway, it should be okay to interrupt Father’s work a little.
When I said that, Father also nodded with a bright smile.
“Alright, what would our Tia like to eat?”
Where should I suggest we go?
The list of restaurants I had wanted to visit but had to endure since my regression flashed through my mind.
* * *
Contrary to his appearance that suggested he would enjoy fruits or light vegetarian food, Father, who was a thorough carnivore, was very satisfied with the restaurant I guided him to.
It was a place I used to visit with great resolve when my salary came in during my previous life – not particularly fancy, but famous for its excellent roast of large chunks of meat baked in the oven.
“Let’s come here again later, Young Lady!”
Loril was also enjoying herself.
But Cleribane’s reaction was a bit different.
“Lord Cleribane, are you alright?”
I asked Cleribane, who wasn’t eating much and had put down his fork, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
I was worried he might be sick somewhere.
“I’m fine. It just doesn’t suit my taste very well.”
“Br-, I mean, Lord Cleribane doesn’t really like meat.”
Loril, who had habitually started to say “Brother” but realized we were outside and corrected herself, explained.
“Huh?”
But he looks completely carnivorous!
“You look like you’d take a bite of rare steak dripping with blood, chew it thoroughly, then drink red wine while laughing ‘heh’!”
“…That’s a very specific example. But I don’t particularly like meat.”
“I didn’t know that either.”
Father said with surprise while cutting his meat into large pieces.
“Then what kind of food do you mainly like?”
“I like light salads or seafood-based dishes. But there aren’t many such restaurants, so I usually cook for myself.”
“You cook too?”
One surprise after another.
He seems like the type who would live with nothing but a bed as furniture at home.
Yet such a person cooks his own meals at home.
“Then, just a moment!”
I ordered one more dish from the menu.
It was a fresh salad mixed with freshly prepared grilled seafood and leafy vegetables – another popular menu item this place was proud of besides the roast.
“Wow.”
Cleribane, who took a bite without much expectation, was genuinely surprised.
“It’s delicious, isn’t it, Lord Cleribane?”
“Yes. Thank you for your consideration, Lady Pirenthia.”
“Since we’re having a meal together, it’s good if we all eat deliciously!”
It was heartwarming to see Cleribane’s eating pace had definitely changed from before.
I was watching him with my chin propped on one hand, and when Father’s meal seemed almost finished, I brought up the main topic.
“Dad, please give me Lord Cleribane.”
“Cough!”
“…Gah!”
For some reason, both Father and Cleribane choked at the same time.
“Dad, are you okay? Cleribane, you too.”
I handed water to the two men who were coughing so hard their faces turned bright red.
“What, *cough*, what on earth do you mean, Tia!”
Father asked, still coughing behind the napkin covering his mouth.
Then, uncharacteristically for Father, he glared at Cleribane with fierce eyes.
“Cleribane, please explain.”
“No, I, well… There’s some misunderstanding…”
Cleribane was so flustered that he was wiping the sweat flowing down his forehead with the napkin he had been using to wipe his mouth.
I intervened to explain before any more misunderstandings arose.
“I mean exactly what I said. I’ll need Cleribane’s help from now on. Cleribane, you submitted your resignation to Grandfather, right?”
“Yes, I submitted it yesterday.”
Cleribane had settled his employment relationship with Grandfather as we had discussed beforehand.
Grandfather seemed a bit shocked, but I heard he still told Cleribane to ‘let him know if you need anything in the future.’
Father had now stopped coughing and was looking at Cleribane and me with serious eyes.
“For the time being, it should be possible to work alongside the clothing store duties. But later on…”
As I spoke, I began to feel a bit sorry for Father.
Starting a new venture with me was certainly a better opportunity for Cleribane, but Father had been running the ready-made clothing business together with him all this time.
“I see. Let’s do that then, Cleribane.”
But Father’s answer was simple and clear.
“The clothing store is stable now, so it should be fine. Tia probably needs Cleribane’s help more than I do.”
Father doesn’t fully understand the relationship between Cleribane and me.
He seemed to think I had simply decided to start something with Cleribane’s help.
Considering my age, that was the most believable explanation.
No one would think that I would lead a business with Cleribane as my front man.
“Please take good care of Tia from now on, Cleribane.”
When Father said this with a smile, Cleribane nodded his head.
* * *
Fortunately, Father and Cleribane said they had finished all their schedules and were returning to the office to rest.
Father still had a few more things to discuss with Violet, but Cleribane had finished all his work.
So I took Cleribane and Loril with me to my third destination of the day.
It was a commercial district not too far from Gallahan Clothing Store.
But it was somewhat away from the market and had a wide boulevard where many carriages passed through.
Among these, I led the two to a 3-story building located on a corner.
“This is the right place, isn’t it, Loril?”
“Yes, that’s right. The former owner said he’d wait here… Oh, there he is!”
Loril cheerfully greeted a middle-aged man and approached him.
“Where is this place, Lady Pirenthia?”
Cleribane asked me while looking around.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
The man called the ‘former owner’ led us to the first floor of the building.
Inside the already emptied space, there was only a small table.
He then pulled out a contract from his coat.
It was a contract that was mostly filled out, with only a few blank sections and the final signature remaining.
“Now then, what is the name of the building’s new owner?”
Loril, who received the question, looked at me.
“Write down Cleribane Pellet.”
“…Lady Pirenthia?”
I heard Cleribane quietly calling my name from beside me, but I didn’t look his way.
“Cleribane Pellet… Alright, now that everything’s filled out, just pay the remaining balance and have this Cleribane person sign here, and we’re done.”
The man signed the section with his name and put down the quill pen.
“The remaining balance is here.”
I said as I placed the money pouch I had been carrying on the desk.
It was my allowance pouch that I had brought from home.
“Cash… Let me count it for a moment.”
While the owner counted the gold coins in the pouch, I turned toward Cleribane.
“From today, this will be our office.”
“But why is my name…”
“Because this building belongs to Cleribane.”
“But…”
“I’m a Lombardi, so any building I acquire will eventually be known to Grandfather, sooner or later. That won’t do, so it’s right for Cleribane to be the building’s owner.”
“I see…”
“But aside from that, this building really is yours, Cleribane. It’s a gift for working well together in the future.”
Cleribane stood still for a while, unable to speak.
In the meantime, the former owner finished counting all the coins and confirmed that the remaining balance was correct.
“Now, Cleribane, please sign.”
I handed the quill pen to Cleribane.
Taking it and rolling it in his hand for a moment, Cleribane soon wrote his name without hesitation.
“Thank you, Young Lady.”
After finishing his signature, Cleribane bowed his head to me.
The former owner, satisfied with completing the contract, was putting the contract back in his coat when he turned to us and asked.
“Oh, and when I file the report, I need to register this building’s name with the government office. What should it be?”
“Pellet Trading Company.”
I answered.
“Taking the surname from ‘Cleribane Pellet,’ please register it as ‘Pellet Trading Company.'”
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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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