In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 228

“Why, why are you doing this?”
A flustered Clerivan approached Gallahan to stop him.
Gallahan smiled comfortably at Clerivan and said.
“Because thanks to you, Tia wasn’t lonely.”
“Ah…”
“As Tia’s father, I wanted to thank you for being by my daughter’s side.”
Clerivan was silent for a moment.
So many thoughts crowded his mind that if he opened his mouth, a messy tangle of words would pour out.
After taking a few breaths, Clerivan carefully opened his mouth.
“It is I who should be thanking you.”
A small laugh followed his words.
“You wouldn’t know how much my life changed thanks to meeting Lady Florentia, Sir Gallahan.”
Clerivan had thought he was withering away while managing the Lombardi mansion and teaching the successors.
Every day, he just did the tasks given to him, with no excitement or clear goals.
Moreover, he was greatly disappointed by the utterly ordinary grandchildren of Rulac, whom he had begun to teach.
And then, he met Florentia.
“The feeling of meeting someone who recognized me, who recognized my worth. It was like being reborn.”
The successor training room, decorated like a playroom for children.
That space filled with low desks and chairs, colorful cushions, and adorable dolls.
The thrill of meeting Lady Florentia, who revealed her true self with sharp, glittering eyes in that place!
“If it weren’t for Lady Florentia, I would have been lonely until I died.”
Clerivan smiled broadly and bowed his head, his heart still swelling with that old memory.
“Thank you, Sir Gallahan.”
Clerivan then adjusted his basket and said.
“Have a good evening with your family.”
Just as Clerivan made a polite bow and was about to pass by Gallahan.
Thud.
Gallahan’s hand grabbed Clerivan’s shoulder.
“…Sir Gallahan?”
Clerivan’s gaze wavered as he looked down at Gallahan’s hand holding him.
“Why…?”
“Clerivan.”
Gallahan asked with his characteristic sweet smile.
“Where are you going?”
“Dinner is about to begin, so I’m just heading to my room…”
“Is it alright for you to have dinner with just that food?”
Gallahan said, pointing to the basket.
“No, I’m really fine…”
“I’m not fine.”
Gallahan was still smiling.
His smiling face was clearly the same, but his green eyes were fierce.
Clerivan somehow felt a little scared.
Gallahan’s fingertips, gripping his shoulder, dug in a little deeper.
“Sir, Sir Gallahan?”
At that moment, Gallahan asked.
“Are you planning to leave Tia alone in front of Father?”
“That’s…”
“You two lied together.”
Gallahan’s fingers squeezed Clerivan’s shoulder even tighter.
“You should take responsibility together.”
“Uh… uh…” ??
Clerivan frowned.
No!
I’m scared of the Patriarch too!
He wanted to shout that, but seeing Gallahan’s neatly folded, unmoving eyes, Clerivan eventually dropped his head and replied.
“…Alright.”
“Haha! Good thinking! Let’s go inside quickly!”
Gallahan patted Clerivan’s shoulder and pushed him forward.
“I’ve told the kitchen to prepare plenty of seafood dishes that you like, Clerivan.”
“Huh? How did you know I would be attending…?”
“Everything just flows as it’s meant to be, haha!”
As he was pushed along by Gallahan, who was trying to gloss things over, Clerivan wondered if it was true.
Was meeting him in this hallway not a coincidence?
Seeing Florentia, who had a completely different personality from Gallahan, he had vaguely thought she resembled her deceased mother.
But.
‘Perhaps she resembles Sir Gallahan after all…’
Clerivan thought that and was helplessly dragged into the dining room.
***
“Clerivan?”
Why are you here?
When I asked with my eyes, Clerivan looked at my father with a somewhat dejected expression.
I didn’t quite understand, but it seemed like he was dragged to the dinner because of my father.
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
“It’s been a long time since we all gathered like this.”
The twins and Shananet came in, and I missed my chance.
“Long time no see, Lord Pellet.”
Shananet greeted Clerivan gently.
Even though it was a family gathering, no one showed any discomfort towards Clerivan.
“Yes. Long time no see, Lady Shananet.”
While greetings were exchanged.
“Everyone’s here.”
Grandpa arrived.
Soon, the food came out, and we began to eat.
As time passed and dessert was served, I spoke.
“Grandpa. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Hmm? What is it, Tia?”
I recalled telling my father and clenched my fists again.
Rip it off all at once!
“You know that the Brown family became the representative of the West at the great council today, right?”
“I figured it would be that way from the start, since you stepped up.”
“Then, what about the method?”
“You, Tia, and that wolf-like Second Prince, must have worked together.”
Grandpa chuckled and drank his wine.
It was complete trust in me.
My heart felt even heavier.
At that moment, my father sent me a look, as if to give me strength.
“Before… the Pellet Merchant Guild took the money Angenas owed to the Lombardi family, didn’t they, Grandpa?”
“They did.”
“At that time, the Pellet Merchant Guild lent money to Angenas and took land as collateral.”
“Oh, so you used that? Very well done, very well done! Hahahaha…”
Grandpa’s laughter gradually faded.
And he tilted his head, asking me.
“But how did Clerivan exercise the collateral rights without even attending the great council?”
“Please read this, Grandpa.”
I quietly presented Clerivan’s lifetime contract.
“Hmm. Let’s see. ‘I, Florentia Lombardi, owner of the Pellet Merchant Guild…’ ”
His voice stopped as he read the contract.
But the most important part was already out.
That I was the owner of the Pellet Merchant Guild.
Grandpa was still staring intently at the contract, and Shananet smiled, shook her head, and drank her wine.
“You, you rascal…”
I bowed my head, ready to quietly accept a scolding.
But the blame flew in an unexpected direction.
“Clerivan, you rascal! You should have told me!”
“…I apologize.”
Clerivan bowed his head calmly, as if he had somewhat expected it.
“You despicable fellow! How could you deceive me so perfectly!”
“Grandpa, that wasn’t Clerivan’s idea, it was mine…”
“Wait.”
Grandpa raised his hand to stop me and asked.
“Then, the matter of the Lyra Diamond Mine… It was the first business the Pellet Merchant Guild undertook after its creation.
The one that took the mine right under Lombardi’s nose.
“…That was my doing.”
“But you were only eleven years old then, weren’t you?”
“I was.”
“Then buying grain from Sheshou and selling it in the East…”
“Yes, that’s right too.”
“And the Triva timber from the North? And currently having a firm grip on Eastern trade?”
Grandpa asked me repeatedly in a voice that was hard to distinguish whether he was angry or curious.
“Are you really, really saying that the Pellet Merchant Guild is your business, Tia? That you’ve been building up the Pellet Merchant Guild since that young age?”
“Yes.”
“Without the help of this grandfather, or the family?”
“I did receive help from Lombardi sometimes. Even though you didn’t know, Grandpa.”
I nodded and replied.
Grandpa looked back and forth between me and Clerivan several times.
And then.
“Hahahaha! Ohhoho!”
A louder laugh than ever before burst out.
He was laughing so hard.
He even used a napkin to wipe away the tears from his eyes.
“So that’s how it was! Haha! A mere child of ten-something! Hahahaha!”
That’s a relief.
I sighed softly in relief.
Grandpa didn’t seem angry, thankfully.
He just kept looking at the contract again and again, sipping wine, and repeating ‘Hahaha!’
“I was worried that you, Tia, were too young and lacked experience! But you were quite the guild master of a business powerhouse! Ohhoho!”
With Grandpa’s reaction like this, I could also relax a little and laugh with him.
“But, Tia.”
Shananet called me.
“Won’t it be difficult to manage both the Pellet Merchant Guild and the Lombardi family?”
Her words were full of concern.
“I don’t want to give up either. I’m a bit greedy, you know.”
I shook my head and said.
“And from the beginning, I didn’t build the Pellet Merchant Guild alone. Clerivan and Violet did all the hard work. I plan to continue entrusting all the work of the Pellet Merchant Guild to them as it is now.”
“Then, then. Tia should succeed me and become the Head of Lombardi! Of course!”
“Um, Grandpa. Aren’t you mad at me?”
The atmosphere wasn’t bad, but I was still worried.
“It’s not bad for a person to hide some of their abilities. Well done, Tia.”
Grandpa praised me instead.
He really wasn’t angry.
Then.
“Grandpa.”
“Hmm?”
“That contract.”
I said, pointing to Clerivan’s contract in my grandfather’s hand.
“That’s a lifetime contract, you see.”
“Ah, yes! I should keep it safe!
To keep Clerivan tightly bound!”
Grandpa laughed again, ‘Ohhoho!’, and handed the contract back to me.
Ah, more fingerprints.
By now, Clerivan was also smiling comfortably at Grandpa’s words, shaking his head as if he couldn’t help it.
“So, is everything finished with Angenas now?”
Grandpa asked me.
“Hmm, no.”
“You mean there’s still business left?
Perhaps…”
Grandpa said, narrowing his brows worriedly.
“Are you planning to go easy on those Angenas? Our Tia is too soft-hearted…”
“We still have debts to collect. Clerivan, how much was it?”
At my question, Clerivan wiped his mouth with a napkin and replied.
“2500 gold for the first payment, and 4500 gold for the second. A total of 7000 gold.”
“That’s the money the Head of Angenas borrowed secretly from the Empress after the Henforek Territory incident.
And of course, he didn’t pay interest on that either…”
“Including three months of interest and the penalty for breach of contract, it’s a little over 8000 gold.”
“That’s what it is.”
I smiled at my family, who were looking at me and Clerivan with somewhat blank expressions.
“Oh, and there’s more! We also need to get compensation for destroying the Pellet Merchant Guild and Clerivan’s mansion!”
“Violet is currently recording all of that.”
“It must have been uncomfortable in the Knights’ building, she should rest a little. Violet, really.”
“You know Violet’s personality, don’t you?
She won’t be satisfied until she repays what she received.”
“Exactly. She’s too kind.”
We should repay them twice over.
I said to Clerivan, as if making a promise.
“I’ll scrape every last bit out of them and then build you a nice new house, Clerivan.”
“Yes. Should we build an even better guild building while we’re at it?”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!”
I heard Grandpa laughing as he listened to the conversation between Clerivan and me.
“Yes, yes. That’s my granddaughter!”
At that moment, the butler, Johan, rushed into the dining room.
He wouldn’t usually interrupt a family dinner.
Grandpa’s face subtly hardened when he saw Johan entering with a letter on a tray.
And the stiff atmosphere grew even heavier after hearing Johan’s words.
“An urgent dispatch from the Imperial Palace.”
Grandpa put down his wine glass and tore open the envelope of the letter.
He read the contents carefully, then immediately rose from his seat.
“Jovanes is in critical condition. I must go to the Imperial Palace immediately.”
The Emperor is in critical condition?
He seemed perfectly fine at the great council earlier?
“Tia.”
Grandpa called me, looking back at me, who was still seated.
“You, as the successor of the Lombardi family, will come with this grandfather.”