In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 197

“Greetings to Your Majesty. I am Gillard Brown, the head of the Brown family.”
Emperor Jovanes’s eyes narrowed as he finally looked at Gillard Brown, who stood before him.
And the wide smile on his face vanished.
“Hmm.”
At the drawn-out, inexplicable sound, the Brown Patriarch’s face stiffened.
He hadn’t expected the Emperor to welcome the Brown family’s return with open arms, but he also hadn’t expected such indifference.
He had thought that the Imperial family, bearing some responsibility for what happened to the Brown family, would at least show some agitation.

“Yes, I think I do remember your face.”
That was all of Emperor Jovanes’s reaction.
Flustered, Gillard Brown instinctively flinched.
And at that moment, he recalled what Florentia had said.
“From now on, always hold your head high. Straighten your shoulders too. You are now becoming a Patriarch worthy of the Brown name.”
That phrase, worthy of the Brown name, made the Brown Patriarch lift his bowed head.
Then, he finally saw it.
Behind the indifferent Emperor’s face, Empress Lavini’s face was deathly pale.

“What in the world…”
A voice that sounded as if someone was strangling her escaped Empress Lavini.
It had been ten years since she had lost track of Gillard Brown, the son of the previous Brown Patriarch.
However, when last tracked, Gillard Brown was weakened by a chronic illness and had only a daughter, no sons.
So, she had thought he wouldn’t pose a significant threat and had stopped pursuing him.
‘Were they hiding in Lombardi all this time?’
Empress Lavini’s sharp gaze landed on Rulac Lombardi, who wore a relaxed expression.
She couldn’t just stand by and take this.
She had to do something to stop this situation.
Empress Lavini chose to attack.

“Are you certain this man is the Brown Patriarch, Your Majesty?”
“Hmm, it’s been too long.”
“Mere resemblance in appearance proves nothing.”
Currently, no Brown family artifacts remained.
Angenas had burned everything.
She believed there was no way the Brown family, who had been attacked in the dead of night and had everything burned, could have anything to prove their identity.

“Brown Patriarch, show it to His Majesty.”
Then, Rulac, as if he had been waiting, said to Gillard Brown.
“Please look at this, Your Majesty.”
The Brown Patriarch took something carefully wrapped in soft cloth from his pocket and handed it to Emperor Jovanes.
“This is…”
“It’s the ring my father received from the former Emperor during his lifetime.”
The thick golden ring had a clear Imperial crest carved into it.
Inside the ring, the name of the previous Brown Patriarch was also engraved.
“I was told it was bestowed by the former Emperor when he had served as Imperial Knight Commander for ten years.”
The faces of several Imperial Knights guarding Emperor Jovanes visibly darkened.
This was because no Imperial Knight was unaware of the story of the Brown Patriarch, who had dedicated his life to the Imperial family but was ultimately betrayed by the former Emperor.

“Are your doubts now resolved, Empress?”
Rulac Lombardi asked Lavini gently.
The Empress reluctantly nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the ring in Jovanes’s hand.
Her face clearly showed her desire to snatch it away and destroy it immediately.
At that moment, the Brown Patriarch slowly knelt before the Emperor.
The dozen or so Brown family members standing behind him also followed suit.

“We, the Brown family, have been living in fear, pursued by unknown assailants, Your Majesty. To survive, we scattered, changed our names, and hid our tracks.”
Gillard Brown spoke in a surprisingly calm voice.
“But with the help of the Lombardi Patriarch, we found the courage to come forward. And now, to be able to kneel before Your Majesty as the Brown Patriarch, I have no regrets, even if I were to die.”
At his heartfelt words, the nobles shook their heads and covered their mouths.
The Imperial Knights also looked grim.
“Though our right hands were stolen, our loyalty has been preserved, unwavering.”
It was at this moment that the nobles finally saw the empty right sleeves of the Brown family men.

“Ah!”
“My goodness…”
“How cruel…”
Various reactions erupted simultaneously.
And all of them glanced at the Empress.
Everyone knew that only Angenas could have done such a horrific thing to the Brown family.

“The Brown and Lombardi families have long shared a deep connection.”
Rulac Lombardi said, easing the tense atmosphere slightly.
“They are people who have endured much. Now, Your Majesty, please put an end to their suffering. So that they no longer have to live in fear.”
“How am I to put an end to it?”
Emperor Jovanes asked, frowning.
He looked quite annoyed.
“Wouldn’t it suffice to help them have the Brown family name reinstated in the noble registry? The family merely disappeared due to an ‘unforeseen accident,’ but their descendants are clearly continuing the lineage.
I believe assisting them in this way would be the proper course of action.”

However, a vehement reaction burst from Empress Lavini.
“That is out of the question, Your Majesty!”
Clutching the hem of her dress, Empress Lavini strode forward and looked down at the Brown Patriarch, saying, “Whatever the reason, this is a family that has once disappeared from the noble registry. In other words, they are currently nothing more than commoners.”
Contempt gleamed in Lavini’s eyes as she looked at Gillard Brown, who looked up at her.
“How could it be so easy to become a noble again? It would be a matter of fairness, and also a matter of trust in the Council of Nobles.”

“Trust?”
Rulac let out a hollow laugh.
“Did you say trust just now, Empress?”
The honorifics, which had been used out of courtesy in public, had long since disappeared.
“Yes, Lombardi Patriarch.”
“Hah, well! To speak of trust.
It seems the Empress clearly doesn’t know what happened in the past, and exactly how the Brown family came to be in such a state!”
If she knew, she wouldn’t have used the word ‘trust’ so easily.
Empress Lavini’s body visibly flinched.
Yet, she couldn’t offer any rebuttal.
Because Rulac’s words were true.
Lavini only knew that Angenas had taken everything from the Brown family and dealt with the survivors of the family.
She didn’t know exactly how it happened.
Because all related records had been destroyed to leave no evidence.
Even if they were Angenas’s own records.

“But I know.”
Rulac said with a meaningful smile.
“At times like this, being old is truly useful. The memories of what I saw and heard directly remain vivid.”
Contrary to his expression, his eyes were cold, devoid of any hint of a smile, as he looked down at Empress Lavini.
Originally, Rulac had no intention of stepping forward like this.
Having entrusted everything to his granddaughter, Tia, he had intended to stay back and simply observe.
But a few days ago, he received news that assassins sent by the Empress had nearly harmed Tia in Lombardi territory.
And everything changed.
Rulac looked at Emperor Jovanes and said, “I, Rulac Lombardi, will vouch for the identity of the Brown Patriarch and the people of the Brown family.”
These were not words to be taken lightly.
Rulac was effectively declaring that Lombardi stood behind the Brown family.
It also meant he would share responsibility for any actions the Brown family took.
And it meant that to touch the Brown family was to touch Lombardi.
‘How dare you lay a hand on my granddaughter?’
Rulac glared at Lavini Angenas.
He himself felt he had endured Angenas’s irritating presence for far too long.
It would be simple to just remove her from his sight if she was so annoying.
He would make her regret touching Tia.
Rulac gave Empress Lavini a cruel smile.

The eve festival grew even livelier.
Everyone was busy adding their two cents about the recent incident involving the Brown and Angenas families.
The Empress eventually left the banquet.
The rumor that Empress Lavini stumbled on her way up to the room prepared in the villa quickly reached my ears.

“Tsk, damn it!”
Astana returned to his original seat and chugged his liquor.
“Bring more alcohol, Bellezac!”
He also yelled loudly at Bellezac, who stood beside him.
If the Empress had been here, she might have stopped him.
“Your Highness, please stop now…”
“Shut up! Bring me alcohol at once!”
The Imperial Knights on guard made a few attempts to stop him, but Astana, thoroughly drunk, was unmanageable.

Now, it must be about time.
“Follow me, Lady Brown.”
I approached Astana, blocking the path of the servant who was taking away the Cello Liquor, with Ramona.
“That’s enough, Your Highness, the First Prince.”
“What is it?”
“I will not serve you any more alcohol.”
How would a drunk man, who had turned into a dog, react if you refused him alcohol?
“How dare you defy my command!”
Naturally, he barked and growled.
Barking as if he would tear me apart at any moment.
“Are you so stingy with the money for mere Cello Liquor? How pathetic, Lombardi’s hospitality is only this much!”
I said calmly to Astana, who was raging for more alcohol.
“There’s more than enough money for His Highness to drown in and still have plenty left over, but this is for Your Highness’s own good. You should consider Her Majesty the Empress.”
Yes, you’re a mama’s boy, aren’t you?
Just as I expected, Astana’s eyes immediately turned fierce.
“What did you say?”
“Her Majesty the Empress must be very worried about what happened a moment ago. How disheartened she would be if His Highness, the First Prince, showed such a poor image to the nobles while drunk.”
The phrase a drunk person hates most is ‘you’re drunk.’
As expected.
Astana shrieked as if having a seizure.
“I’m not drunk! And how would you, who has no mother, know my mother’s feelings!”

My mind went blank for a moment.
I had deliberately gotten him drunk and provoked him, but…
Wow, you’re really something.
Straight to insulting my deceased mother.
“Why have you suddenly become mute? Do you perhaps miss your lowly mother who’s in the afterlife?”
Without me needing to provoke him further, Astana crossed the line immediately.
This was evident from the Imperial Knights and Lombardi Knights, who stood with wide eyes and open mouths, speechless.
The only difference between the two sides was that the Lombardi knights had their hands on the swords at their hips.

“Hoo…” I suppressed the urge to grab the barking Astana by the hair and quietly took off the glove I was wearing.
And then, I threw it right onto Astana’s face.
Smack!
A rather satisfying sound rang out.
No one was unaware of the meaning of throwing a glove at someone.
“La-Lady Lombardi!”
One of the surprised Imperial Knights called out, trying to stop me.
But I ignored him, glared at Astana, and said, “I challenge Your Highness to a duel.”
Astana, with his alcohol-blurred, unfocused eyes, struggled to comprehend the situation.
“A duel…?”
“Yes. But since Your Highness is intoxicated, and I am not a sword-wielder, let us each appoint a representative to settle this.”
And then, I pointed directly at the still-stunned Imperial Knights and said, “My escort knight and an Imperial Knight would be perfectly suitable.”