In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 90

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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 90

A necklace?

Did someone lose Shannet’s necklace?

The maid supervisor who couldn’t lift her head right now was someone who had worked at the Lombardi estate for decades.

She had a rather stubborn personality, so she wouldn’t turn pale like that over just any ordinary matter.

“I-if we find and gather the children who cleaned the bedroom this morning…”

“That’s enough.”

Shannet, who had been standing still with her back turned, spoke.

Her voice was monotonous without any inflection, as if it were someone else’s business.

But even at that small voice, the maid supervisor flinched and stiffened her body.

“No, Lady Shannet. I will do whatever it takes to find the culprit…”

“Nelli.”

Shannet called the maid supervisor’s name.

“I think I lost the necklace myself.”

“…Pardon?”

“Now that I think about it, I wore the necklace when I went out a few days ago. I must have lost it outside then.”

A lie.

Shannet treasured that necklace, which was her mother’s keepsake, very dearly.

Everyone living in the estate knew that she only wore it on truly special occasions.

The maid supervisor seemed unable to find words to say.

“B-but…”

“So don’t make innocent people suffer needlessly.”

This wasn’t something that could be easily covered up and passed over.

High nobility like the Lombardi family, who had precious objects scattered throughout their homes that ordinary commoners couldn’t even dream of seeing in their lifetimes, treated such matters very seriously.

When an incident occurred where an employee touched their master’s belongings, the employees’ quarters would be completely turned upside down that very day.

If the missing item still wasn’t found, it wasn’t uncommon for them to bring in likely servants and torture them to make them confess.

The maid supervisor was probably expecting such a future and had turned so pale.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Shannet, still not showing her face, asked in a stern voice.

“Y-yes, Lady Shannet.”

“Th-thank you…!”

A maid who had apparently cleaned the room spoke while barely managing to control her trembling body.

“You may go.”

At Shannet’s command, the maid supervisor and all the other employees left.

I wondered if I should leave with them, but somehow it didn’t feel right to leave Shannet alone right now.

The door closed with a click.

That was the moment.

Shannet’s body, which had been standing upright, collapsed just like that.

“…Sob!”

Her figure sitting down right there and covering her mouth looked so small from behind.

“Uh…”

Creny tried to approach her upon seeing that sight, but I shook my head and didn’t let go of his hand.

“Mother…”

It was because Giliou and Meylon, who had been watching the situation in the room, approached Shannet.

The twins hesitated for a moment, then carefully placed their hands on Shannet’s shoulders.

Perhaps because of her sons, Shannet tried to pull herself together, but it didn’t seem easy.

“Mmm…”

Young Creny’s eyes were already welling up with tears just from seeing Shannet and the twins.

“Let’s come play another time.”

I gently pulled Creny’s hand and spoke in a small voice.

“Okay.”

And I turned around.

“Grandfather…?”

Grandfather was looking at Shannet with sad eyes.

Grandfather, who had been watching Shannet’s collapsed figure from behind for a moment, quietly turned around.

He didn’t say anything, but it somehow seemed like he meant for us to follow, so I took Creny’s hand and began walking with Grandfather out to the garden.

Following Grandfather, who walked the same path every day out of habit.

Grandfather’s steps were slower than usual, considering Creny.

Creny also seemed to be mindful of Grandfather’s mood and walked quietly without saying anything.

And finally we reached the evergreen forest.

It was a place where Grandfather and Grandmother’s memories remained.

Grandfather stopped walking and gently placed his hand on the largest tree, saying:

“Do you know why Shannet is so sad about losing just one necklace?”

“I heard it was Grandmother’s keepsake.”

I answered carefully.

“Because it’s a precious object. If such a precious object disappeared, I think I would be really sad too.”

Grandfather, who had been caressing the pine tree longingly, turned to look at me and smiled gently.

And he patted my head.

It was a touch that seemed somewhat dispirited.

“Yes, to understand Shannet’s feelings like that, our Tia is truly kind.”

And Grandfather spoke as if half-muttering:

“Shannet was particularly close to Natalia. She was the eldest and the only daughter among the four siblings. That necklace was something Natalia gave directly to Shannet just before she closed her eyes.”

The necklace was an even more special object than I had thought.

Having lost such a keepsake, how great must her sense of loss be.

“If it’s such a precious object, we could just find it by any means necessary.”

“Aunt Shannet is someone who loves the peace of Lombardi.”

“…What?”

“I just think she’s that kind of person.”

I smiled slightly at Grandfather, who was looking at me with surprised eyes.

It was a conclusion I had reached thinking about the reason Shannet divorced after losing so much in my previous life.

Shannet didn’t want to disturb the peace of the Lombardi family because of her own problems.

Not knowing in her dreams that Bestian had another woman, she shouldered everything herself for the sake of Lombardi and the twins.

It was a foolishly kind choice, so typical of Shannet.

I thought for a moment, then carefully tugged at Grandfather’s sleeve and asked:

“By any chance, Grandfather.”

“Hmm?”

“Are there more things that Grandmother left behind? Objects that can always be carried on one’s person, like a necklace?”

“Hmm. There are a few of Natalia’s rings left.”

“Then how about giving those to Aunt Shannet? It might not be the same as the necklace, but it could still fill the empty space a little.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea! Yes, that’s what we should do!”

Grandfather’s face, which had retained some bitterness, brightened completely.

“My goodness, my goodness! What a clever child!”

Grandfather hugged me tightly, his rough beard prickling enough to feel sharp.

Creny seemed to be seeing Grandfather laugh so heartily for the first time and looked up going “Heh,” then slyly pushed his head forward asking to be patted too.

“Yes, yes. I should hurry and go look for Natalia’s jewelry box.”

While patting Creny’s round head, Grandfather continued to laugh so cheerfully.

* * *

I had already clocked in for the third time this week at 【Caramel Avenue】, the dessert shop.

Today was the day Cleribane would meet Bestian again, and I had stopped by to eat something sweet in the meantime.

I had no doubt that Cleribane would handle the task as I instructed, so my steps to the dessert shop were infinitely light.

Recently, instead of just buying cakes to take home, I more often came up to the second floor to eat a slice or two before leaving.

“Mmm! Delicious!”

I scooped up a forkful and took a big bite, stomping my feet at the soft sweetness and rich flavor of the cream.

In front of me, with a clink, another plate with dessert was placed down, and Beit, the employee, smiled softly.

“You really do love our shop’s cakes.”

“Because they’re delicious! And somehow I feel at ease when I come here.”

“At ease?”

“Yes! Um, it feels like coming to my secret hideout that no one knows about?”

At my words, Beit stopped moving and stared at me intently.

His mysterious amber eyes gave me a strange feeling, as if I were looking at real jewels.

“I’m just saying, you know.”

I slightly avoided those eyes and changed the subject.

“Today, please pack desserts that adults would like into two boxes. I’m giving them as gifts.”

“Desserts that adults would like…”

I was thinking of bringing them to Shannet, whose complexion had become noticeably darker since losing her necklace.

“Please send one of them to Pellet Trading Company.”

It was a snack gift for Cleribane and Violet, who had been working hard lately.

“Yes, understood. Please wait a moment and I’ll bring them.”

Beit nodded politely and went downstairs.

Left alone again, I was reverently taking a bite of the new dessert that Beit had brought earlier.

“Ahaha!”

“My lady, you’re so good at jokes!”

A group of women on the opposite side of the second floor burst into loud laughter.

It wasn’t that they were unpleasant or anything.

I simply turned around because of the loud noise, but I made eye contact with one woman in that group.

It was Maria Patron, who was laughing with her face covered by a fan, showing only her eyes.

“Ugh, this really kills my appetite.”

The happiness that had made me feel like I was flying just moments ago instantly disappeared.

To run into that woman here.

But to make matters worse, Maria Patron and her companions whispered a few words to each other and then approached me.

“Oh, why are you coming? Don’t come…”

“Hello, my lady. You are Lady Pirenthia Lombardi, correct?”

She finally came over and spoke to me.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Just the fact that I wasn’t grabbing that woman’s hair and tearing it out was enough to deserve this year’s children’s award.

I was definitely qualified.

“I, I believe we met at the Pellet Trading Company banquet last time…”

Maria Patron seemed a bit flustered by my cold reaction and forced a smile while pretending to be friendly.

“So what?”

“Hoho. That banquet was probably a bit overwhelming for someone so young, wasn’t it? Seeing that you don’t remember me… I even had a separate greeting with the head of the Lombardi family that day…”

Maria Patron deliberately shrugged her shoulders as if for the ladies who had approached with her to hear, being conscious of them.

“Ah yes. That time, that…”

When I acted as if I remembered, Maria Patron showed a face that said ‘of course.’

“The lower noble who didn’t know her place and dared to speak to Grandfather.”

“Pfft.”

The women burst into laughter, and Maria Patron’s face turned bright red.

How stupid.

I thought she just had no eye for men, but she has no eye for people either.

Even though I may be young, she couldn’t even recognize at a glance that I’m not someone she could treat like a fool.

Someone with such terrible sense would only become a laughingstock if they entered the cutthroat social circles of the Imperial Capital.

The ladies who are now laughing heartily at Maria Patron are exactly that type.

People who are toying with some upstart lower noble who doesn’t know her place.

Just as I was about to turn my head away after giving Maria Patron one last cold look up and down.

Something that shouldn’t be visible to my eyes came into view.

Was I seeing things wrong?

I blinked, but it didn’t disappear.

“That necklace…”

A round sapphire necklace with no particular decoration but unique cutting and high purity.

That was definitely Shannet’s necklace.

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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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