In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 17

I subtly turned my body to the side so that my pitiful, crying face was clearly visible.
“Florentia!”
“G-Grandfather…”
I could tell that Grandfather’s anger meter soared even higher upon seeing me sob.
“M-Mother.”
At Mayron’s murmur, I looked past Grandfather through my tear-wiping fingers and saw Shananet walking towards us, her face equally furious.
Unlike Grandfather, who had stopped in front of the Prince and the knights, Shananet kept walking.
She stood before the Prince’s escort knights and said coldly,
“Move.”
It was just that one word, but the Imperial Knights had no choice but to step back, one by one, to let Shananet pass.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Her tone was calm, but her voice trembled.
She probably knew the twins were with me, so she must have been very worried.
I lowered my head, feeling ashamed.
“Tia.”
Shananet called my name.
And while wiping my tear-soaked cheeks, she said,
“Were you very scared?”
“N-No. I’m fine.”
I blurted out the truth, but Shananet seemed to think I was acting maturely.
She stroked my head a couple of times, then glared coldly at Astana.
“I was informed that the First Prince would be visiting my home, but I did not expect such a rude guest.”
Grandfather said, glancing at me, who was still sniffling.
“Has the Prince not heard of the agreement between the Lombardi family and the Imperial Family?”
“I have heard of it, but…”
Astana seemed somewhat intimidated by Grandfather’s presence and couldn’t be as arrogant as before.
However, he still hadn’t fully grasped the situation.
“Does my father know about this absurd rule? That there’s land in this country where imperial knights cannot enter? If he knew, he wouldn’t stand idly by.”
The moment Astana said that, I saw a flicker of deep irritation cross Grandfather’s face.
You’re dead now, you insolent brat.
“It is not an agreement with His Majesty Jovannes, the First Prince’s father, but a solemn oath between Romatilli Durelli, the First Emperor, and Venox Lombardi, the Head of Lombardi at that time.”
“Ah, Father’s name…”
The Prince seemed more shocked that Grandfather had called the Emperor by his name than by the ancient agreement between the Durelli and Lombardi families.
It is true that the Emperor’s name should not be called lightly.
But Grandfather was fine.
Because he was the Head of Lombardi.
The meaning of the long-standing oath was clear.
It was not merely a relationship between a lord and his subject.
It was a relationship of mutual non-aggression.
And an alliance that must be maintained for the survival of the Empire.
That was the relationship between the Durelli Imperial Family and Lombardi.
Throughout the Empire’s long history, several emperors had struggled to break free from Lombardi’s grasp, but none had succeeded.
This was also true for Emperor Jovannes, Astana’s father.
Grandfather left the speechless Astana and reprimanded the wet nurse and knights beside him.
“Just because a young Prince cannot distinguish right from wrong, should you all be swept along?!”
“W-We apologize…”
The wet nurse and knights bowed their heads.
Although they had reluctantly obeyed the extremely willful Prince’s command, they knew well what would happen if they provoked Lombardi.
“I will overlook this matter, considering it a mistake made by a young Prince.”
It meant he would treat it as a quarrel between children and not officially protest to the Emperor.
If Grandfather were to protest to the Emperor about breaking the oath, the Emperor would have no choice but to apologize.
It was a grand gesture of leniency, choosing to endure it this time to save Emperor Jovannes’ face.
My Grandfather, how cool!
I trembled with emotion at Grandfather’s truly Lombardi-like demeanor.
Then, a hand patted my shoulder.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry.”
Shananet seemed to think I was still scared.
But Astana still hadn’t backed down.
He pointed a finger at me and glared.
“B-But this all happened because that girl didn’t listen to my command! She disobeyed my order to pick up my hat and even threw it further away!”
“Watch your words, Prince.”
Grandfather’s eyes flashed again, warning him.
“It sounds as if my granddaughter should have picked up the Prince’s hat like a servant.”
“That’s obvious—”
The wet nurse urgently grabbed the Prince’s shoulder.
It was a sign to stop.
The Prince, who couldn’t contain his anger and was huffing for a moment, eventually slapped the wet nurse’s cheek.
Then, he turned so sharply that his clothes flapped and said in a loud voice,
“Let’s go! I don’t want to stay in this kind of place any longer!”
Seriously, to the very end.
The Prince stomped his feet and left, and finally, peace returned.
“Young Lady, we apologize.”
“We didn’t know how they would react if we resorted to force, so we couldn’t…”
The guards who had followed the escort knights apologized to me repeatedly.
“It’s alright. If you had stopped them then, that good-for-nothing, no, the First Prince would probably have drawn his sword.”
He would have, indeed.
As I was reassuring the guards, I saw two people running breathlessly up the stairs the Prince had just descended.
It was Viese and Bellezac, father and son, who had been waiting for the Prince at the main building’s front entrance.
“Father! What on earth is going on?!
Why did His Highness the Prince leave so angrily—”
“Florentia.”
Grandfather completely ignored Viese and called my name.
I’m going to get scolded.
I answered politely, trying to look as pitiful as possible.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Well done.”
“…Pardon?”
“Lombardi must always be Lombardi, before anyone.”
Grandfather left those words and returned to his office.
I’m sure he didn’t literally mean “well done,” but it still made me feel good.
And I liked Grandfather, and this Lombardi family, even more.
Shananet spoke to me, who was standing blankly, watching Grandfather’s retreating back.
“You must have been very startled, let’s go to your quarters.”
“I’m fine.”
I genuinely was fine, but my young body apparently wasn’t.
As I tried to walk, my legs, due to tension, almost gave out, and I nearly collapsed.
Shananet sighed softly when she saw me like that, then told a guard standing nearby,
“Could you carry Florentia to her quarters?”
“Ah, yes! Of course!”
I ended up being carried back to my room by the guard, and along the way, I somehow dozed off.
***
It was another hectic day.
Gallahan returned home, taking two or three stairs at a time, eager to see his daughter’s face as quickly as possible.
“Tia, Daddy’s home! Hmm? Sister, what brings you here?”
At the very unfamiliar sight of Shananet sitting in his parlor, Gallahan briefly stepped out and then back in.
It was to make sure he had come to the right house.
“Gallahan.”
“Yes, Sister.”
“Could you sit here for a moment?”
Gulp.
Gallahan swallowed loudly, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Something about the atmosphere was strange.
After confirming through Tia’s open bedroom door that his daughter was sound asleep, Gallahan obediently sat on the sofa as Shananet instructed.
“Tia fell asleep early today, haha.”
He feigned nonchalance to ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere, but it was no match for Shananet.
Shananet, whose face remained expressionless, looked at Gallahan, who was rubbing the sweat that had somehow formed on his palms onto his knees, and said,
“Florentia will be tired today. Something happened during the day that startled her quite a bit.”
“S-Something happened? What happened to Tia?”
Gallahan asked in surprise, his voice loud, but Shananet placed a finger to her lips.
“Do you intend to wake your daughter?”
Gallahan immediately shut his mouth.
“Earlier today…”
Shananet explained what had happened during the day to Gallahan in a quiet voice.
Contrary to what she expected, that he would be furious, Gallahan merely sighed deeply and said nothing.
“Gallahan. Florentia is a bright child, but she is still young. She needs care at her age.”
Shananet said sternly.
“Leaving your child alone every day like this.
Do you have any self-awareness as a father?”
“…I was short-sighted.”
Gallahan couldn’t lift his head.
“You’re not thinking of quitting your current work and staying by Florentia’s side, are you?”
“H-How did you know that…”
“Weakling.”
As if she had expected it, Shananet shook her head.
“Do you think Father will live forever, Gallahan?”
At her question, Gallahan’s shoulders noticeably flinched.
It was a concern he had harbored since he came of age, having been born into a powerful family like Lombardi.
“Abandon the foolish idea that you can avoid the storm by lowering yourself and staying hidden.”
All the siblings were well aware of Viese’s immense hunger for power.
And if the position of Head of the family were to become vacant, that ambition would surely cause trouble.
“You currently lack the power to protect Florentia. If anything were to happen to Father right now, what would become of you and your daughter?”
For the first time, Shananet was giving sincere advice to her youngest brother.
“Fortunately, you have a rather good mind. Your appearance is easily likable, so dealing with people won’t be difficult. So use those things to build power, Gallahan.”
Having finished speaking, Shananet rose from her seat.
Gallahan, who had been lost in thought and hastily stood up with her, bowed to her.
Shananet, walking elegantly to the door without a sound, suddenly turned back and said,
“If you have to leave home starting tomorrow, send Florentia to me. I don’t have as much work as you do.”
“T-Thank you, Sister.”
Gallahan was surprised, and Shananet, rarely, showed a faint smile before leaving the room.
Left alone, Gallahan cautiously opened Tia’s bedroom door.
He gently touched his daughter’s round forehead as she slept soundly, making soft sounds, and then quietly said,
“I’m sorry, Tia.”
He had thought he was loving his child wholeheartedly, even for her mother who had passed away.
But a parent’s role should not end there.
Gallahan stroked Tia’s forehead and vowed firmly, again and again.
That he would protect his daughter, no matter what.
***
Upon returning to the Imperial Palace, Astana was summoned by the Empress immediately after changing his clothes.
The Empress greeted her son with a radiant smile.
“Did you have a good visit, Prince?”
Has she not heard yet?
Astana couldn’t answer and stammered.
The Empress, watching her son for a moment, still with a smiling face, said,
“You didn’t listen to me. I told you to be careful of your conduct when you went to Lombardi.”
“I-I apologize, Mother.”
The unruly Astana became the most gentle and well-behaved son in the world only when he stood before the Empress.
“Soon, the Prince will take the gift of apology I send and visit the Lombardi mansion again.”
“But…! Ugh!”
The Empress painfully gripped the Prince’s chin as he tried to protest.
“Prince.”
“Yes… M-Mother.”
“Was today very humiliating?”
“…Pardon?”
The Empress softly caressed Astana’s face, as if she hadn’t just gripped it painfully.
“Answer me, Prince.”
“…Yes. It was humiliating.”
“What was?”
“I, I am to become the Crown Prince and inherit this Empire. But. But they…”
“They acted as if they were the masters of this Empire, didn’t they?”
The Empress smiled as if making a joke.
“Lombardi is like that. They are people who have lost respect for the Imperial Family, relying only on the power of their paltry money.”
Clear hostility was reflected in the Empress’s eyes.
“So never forget today’s events, Prince.”
As expected, Mother understands my feelings!
“And that child, Florentia, will one day regret having been disrespectful to our Prince. Your mother will make sure of it.”
Astana nodded vigorously.
“I will do whatever it takes. So, Prince, you just have to listen to me.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The Empress embraced Astana.
Outwardly, it was quite a beautiful sight of mother and son.