In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 177

Hunting was a leisure activity enjoyed by all noble men, regardless of age. Thanks to this, land that included good hunting grounds doubled in value.
Now, as early autumn set in, it was fox hunting season. There were several famous hunting grounds across the empire known for good fox hunting, and the territory of the Baraport family in the central-western region was one of them.
And in the Baraport territory, the hunting competition after-party had been going on for three days.
In front of the Baraport family’s villa, bonfires blazed across a large, wide field, and hundreds of roughly carved wooden tables and chairs were set up. It was a type of banquet decoration, mimicking the resting appearance of hunters who hunted for a living, not nobles who hunted for leisure and hobby.
Because of this, instead of delicate wine glasses, crude wooden cups were filled with high-proof alcohol, and large roasted dishes that could be eaten with bare hands and a single fork were served.
The sun had just set, and the third night of the after-party was heating up.
And from the large table in the very center, a loud cheer erupted.
“Win! Win!”
“Imperial Prince! Just a little more strength!”
The First Imperial Prince Astana and the second son of the Baraport family were arm wrestling.
The second son of the Baraport family, who preferred physical activities to thinking and was quite burly, was an ill-suited opponent for Astana, who was rather small in stature.
But despite that difference, the second son of the Baraport family was straining so hard his face was beet red.
“Ugh, Whoooah!”
No, he was pretending to strain.
“Wow, Imperial Prince, win!”
“Win, win!”
Everyone around, cheering with bulging veins in their necks, already knew the truth.
Perez, watching that ridiculous play from afar, twisted the corner of his lips and sneered.
“They’re living diligently.”
“Isn’t that how those people survive?”
Regnite also clicked his tongue and said.
Since the hunting competition was hosted by the Baraport family, a vassal family of Angenas, it was naturally filled with nobles who supported the First Imperial Prince.
“But the First Imperial Prince seems to be serious, doesn’t he?”
“Surely he doesn’t know?”
These were Stilley and Tedro, academy classmates who had recently joined Regnite and Perez.
“Who cares, that idiot.”
Regnite spoke sharply, but the other two were not.
Stilley, who had been seriously watching Astana, spoke first in a low voice.
“I bet 1 silver on ‘he doesn’t know’.”
Then Tedro, as if Stilley knew nothing, wagged a finger and shook his head.
“I bet 2 silver on ‘he knows but pretends not to for pride’.”
“Oh, that sounds plausible? Then I’ll change mine to that too.”
“What? Then the bet’s off!” As the two squabbled, the arm wrestling was coming to an end.
The second son of the Baraport family, who seemed to be holding on for a bit, finally began to tilt his arm back little by little.
“Ohh!”
“Your Highness! Just a little more!”
The cheers around them grew louder.
And finally.
Thud!
The second son of the Baraport family collapsed weakly to the side, his hand touching the ground.
“Whoa!”
“As expected, Your Highness!”
Amidst the second son of the Baraport family hitting the table in frustration and the cheering young nobles, Astana clenched his fist. He was completely intoxicated with victory.
“…What a display.”
Perez soothed his nauseated stomach with those words and approached Astana, step by step.
“Hahahaha! This is my strength! Haha, did you see? Did you…”
Astana, who had been laughing loudly, stopped speaking when he saw Perez approaching. And he frowned deeply. He didn’t even bother to hide his true feelings.
“What is it, you?”
Astana looked Perez up and down first and asked.
“…The arm wrestling looked interesting.”
Perez replied, looking around at the nobles.
“I was thinking of joining in.”
At the same time, the surroundings fell silent. An awkward atmosphere flowed as everyone exchanged glances and looked at each other.
“You, you…”
Astana stammered.
“You have to defeat this guy first to earn the right to challenge me! Don’t you even know that!”
Astana pointed a finger at the second son of the Baraport family in a hurry and said.
Perez’s red eyes slowly turned towards him.
Flinch.
The second son of the Baraport family, who had been cleverly acting to please Astana just moments ago, couldn’t even meet Perez’s gaze properly. There were too many rumors about the Second Imperial Prince, and since the Baraport family had sided with the First Imperial Prince, their fear was even greater.
Perez, who had been silent for a moment, lightly shook his head.
“No. I already defeated you in the hunting competition, so don’t I have the right to challenge you directly to arm wrestling?”
Perez’s somehow clear voice resonated low across the field.
Now, all the nobles were looking only at Astana.
Perez was right. A few days ago, in the hunting competition, Perez had defeated Astana. And by a significant margin.
Astana’s eyes twitched a few times beneath them, then he shouted.
“Hmph! What do I care if that’s your skill or your subordinates’ skill!”
Perez’s subordinates referred to Regnite, Tedro, and Stilley, who had participated as assistants in the hunting competition.
“And you participated with five subordinates. But you couldn’t catch more than that many foxes, so are you incompetent or are your subordinates incompetent?”
“You, you lowly commoner! Show respect to the First Imperial Prince, you lowly commoner!”
In the end, Astana was trembling again, bringing up the ‘lowly commoner’ insult.
Perez was annoyed. To think such a person was his opponent.
His mother, the Empress, was somewhat enjoyable to fight, but Astana was not. He was a pathetic rival who extinguished even the last ember of his competitive spirit.
Step.
Perez took a step closer. And looking down at him, he said.
“You should be grateful that I share half of the same blood as you, Astana.”
“…” Astana was so overwhelmed by Perez’s aura that he couldn’t even speak properly.
Perez scoffed at Astana’s pathetic state and said.
“Are you frustrated?”
“I, I am the… legitimate son and eldest son of the Lambru Empire…”
“Shh.”
Perez raised his index finger to his lips. If Astana were to spout any more nonsense, he might truly want to kill him on the spot.
Fortunately, Astana listened well to Perez’s words.
Perez, wearing a satisfied smile, spoke in an even lower voice.
“If you are truly that great. If you want to defeat me. Participate in the hunting competition held in the Lombardi territory next month.”
Astana’s blue eyes wavered. His dull mind furiously spinning was reflected in Perez’s red eyes.
The hunting competition held annually in the Lombardi territory in mid-autumn was one of the largest in the Empire. Therefore, many people participated, and the honor of winning was great.
And most importantly, it was held in a vast hunting ground incomparable to other places.
In other words, it was easy to manipulate.
It was perfect for those who would help Astana to participate in the hunting competition under their own names and swap their catches with Astana’s.
Astana, well aware of this, had a hint of a sly hope in his eyes.
Perez looked down at him calmly and added, as if he knew nothing.
“In that competition, where you have to participate alone, we can truly test our skills against each other.”
“Th-that’s right! That’s what it will be! As soon as I return to the palace, I’ll submit my application for the competition, so you better not run away!”
Astana immediately shouted triumphantly.
Perez felt disgusted by his immediate arrogance, now that he had a loophole for a cowardly trick. He now understood well what Tia sometimes meant by ‘stupidity is contagious.’
Astana continued to shout at Perez’s back as he shook his head and walked away.
“I’ll humble that arrogance of yours in the hunting competition! Hahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
“Wahahaha!”
Like a round, the other nobles burst into laughter all at once.
Stilley, who was walking behind Perez on their way back to the castle, approached him and whispered softly.
“Um, Your Highness.”
“What is it, Stilley.”
“Is that person really your half-brother?”
Perez quietly frowned.
Stilley glanced back at Astana and said.
“I don’t think anyone would find it strange if he died in a riding accident from pricking his horse with a needle?”
“Right. Everyone would just say the idiot died doing idiotic things. A completely natural death, how about that?”
“Or it would be good if he shot himself in the foot with a poisoned arrow and died.”
“Wow, hey, that’s good!”
Stilley and Tedro chuckled, rattling off plausible accident scenarios. Until Regnite, sensing Perez’s discomfort, nudged their backs.
In the end, no conversation took place until they returned to Perez’s room.
And finally, when only the four of them remained in the room, Perez spoke.
“Getting rid of Astana right now isn’t difficult. But the problem would remain.”
The problem, of course, was the Empress. The true target of his revenge had always been the Empress.
“We have to tie them together and bring them down.”
Perez said, roughly untying the strings of his cloak.
“And. I can’t let her off that easily.”
Thud.
The carelessly discarded cloak fell heavily onto a luxurious chair.
“Are the preparations for that finished?”
Perez asked Regnite.
“Yes. Ramona is returning to the capital from Sheshou, so we plan to start as soon as she arrives.”
“Proceed carefully without any hitches.”
“Understood. You don’t have to worry, just focus on your role as Lady Lombardi’s fiancé.”
Stop.
Perez’s movement, as he elegantly crossed his long legs, ceased. His red eyes glared at Regnite, but Regnite, already immune to such gazes, merely smiled.
“Oh, Lady Lombardi, that…”
“We’d like to meet her too. You never show her to us. Your Highness, that’s too much…”
“Quiet.”
Perez said in an annoyed tone, picking up a book from the desk.
Thump. At that moment, an envelope placed on the book fell.
Perez picked it up and asked Tedro.
“When did this letter arrive?”
“This morning…? It arrived when Your Highness was practicing swordsmanship.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
Perez was angry at Tedro.
“Oh, no, I… Since when did Your Highness care so much about letters?” Regnite patted Tedro’s shoulder, who was feeling wronged.
“See the color of that letter? Remember it well. That one’s special.”
Regardless of what his classmates were discussing, Perez quickly tore open the letter. His eyes moved busily, reading the contents.
And then.
“Gasp!”
Stilley and Tedro gasped, covering their mouths in shock.
“Is, is His Highness…?”
“Smiling?”
A quiet smile was blooming on Perez’s face as he read each line of the letter. It was a smile as warm and affectionate as the pale pink of the letter paper.
“See? I told you so, didn’t I?”
Regnite felt a sense of relief as the two who had not believed him finally saw another side of Perez. Now he wouldn’t be accused of being a liar.
“Unbelievable…”
Stilley seemed deeply shocked, even clutching his head.
It was then that Perez abruptly stood up from where he was sitting. And he put his cloak back on.
“Where are you going?”
Regnite asked.
“To the capital.”
“Now?”
“Yes.” Perez, having tied his cloak, even picked up his sword.
“W-wait a minute, Your Highness!”
“You have to give us time to prepare too!”
The three, finally coming to their senses, began to scramble to follow Perez.
Regnite then said to Perez with a tearful face.
“No, are you saying you’re going to ride all night if we leave now?!”
“Ugh…” Heh.
“Why suddenly! Let’s go tomorrow morning! At least when dawn breaks!”
But Perez firmly shook his head.
“No.”
Perez, who answered briefly, began to walk towards the stables where the horses were.
Regnite, frustrated, shouted at his back.
“Why! Why not!”
Then Perez, halfway down the stairs, replied.
“Because Tia called.”