In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 241

“You said you had an earlier appointment.”
“That appointment was with Ramona, wasn’t it?”
That was the first thought that came to mind.
He had rushed out without a word after the meeting ended.
He must have been hurrying to meet Ramona.
That was the second thought.
A surge of emotion.
It was a ridiculous thought, but a resentment towards Perez welled up inside me without my knowing.
And my heart ached at the sight of him walking side-by-side with Ramona.
“They look like a very well-matched pair, don’t they?”
Someone said.
If I turned my head, I would know who it was.
But for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off Perez and Ramona.
“I hear that Lady Brown and His Royal Highness the Second Prince were quite close since their academy days?”
“That’s right. That’s why there were even open rumors at the academy that the two were in a romantic relationship…”
Chairman Killian, proudly recounting a rumor he’d picked up somewhere, stopped speaking.
It was because the relatively young Duke Widda lightly tapped the oblivious Chairman Killian’s hand.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
But Chairman Killian was even more oblivious than expected.
“Ah, the Acting Head of Lombardi wouldn’t be bothered by such a small matter.”
Such a small matter?
“Though the annulment hasn’t been officially announced, the parties involved must have already settled things. Am I not right, Acting Head of Lombardi?”
Chairman Killian was right.
Perez and I hadn’t officially broken off our engagement.
Not yet.
Of course, it was also an expected outcome once I became the Acting Head of Lombardi.
“…That’s right.”
I answered in as calm a voice as possible.
“See that!”
Chairman Killian looked at me with eyes full of trust.
“Our Acting Head of Lombardi is not one to be swayed by personal feelings!”
Even though Chairman Killian kept saying the right things, every single word began to grate on my ears.
He was crossing the line.
To casually discuss my affairs as if they were a trivial matter, right in front of me, the Acting Head of Lombardi.
“As expected of Lombardi…”
“Enough.”
I cut off Chairman Killian in a low voice.
Turning my gaze from Perez to the chairman, I saw a rather flustered expression.
I was no longer smiling.
I stared at Chairman Killian with an expressionless face.
He must have understood my meaning by now.
I put on a moderately polite smile again and said,
“Should we really be spending our time here like this? Let’s go to the restaurant. And His Royal Highness also…” I said, still observing Ramona and Perez walking in step and conversing.
“Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if they knew we were watching them like this?”
“Ah, ahaha…”
At my words, the nobles awkwardly laughed and nodded.
“You’re right.”
“Indeed. Let’s make way for them!”
The nobles and I turned slightly away from the direction Perez and Ramona were approaching.
Even as I resumed walking, my chest continued to ache as if a hole had been torn through it, but I tried to ignore the sharp pain.
I had to get used to it.
I chose Lombardi.
Perez would become the Emperor, and an Emperor needed an Empress.
So, someday, someone else would fill the spot beside Perez.
Someone other than me.
And Ramona would be a truly good choice.
The Brown family was a loyal house that no one could dispute, and with their splendid return, they could strongly support Perez, who had a weak political base.
Ramona’s individual brilliance would also play a part.
She was strong and upright.
And it was clear at a glance that she was very fond of Perez.
‘I have to get used to it.’
I reminded myself once again.
Then, I recalled what Perez had whispered to me in the Knight Order’s office.
“To press my lips against the Acting Head’s like this. To touch her skin like this. It can only be me. No one else.”
I could still feel Perez’s warmth, as if he was suffocating me, refusing to let go.
“Hoo.”
I let out a small sigh, pretending to smooth my hair.
If I didn’t, my messed-up feelings would show on my face.
Fortunately, as a cool breeze blew, it seemed to have an effect, and the unpleasant churning in my heart calmed down considerably.
See, I can do it.
Suddenly, a baseless confidence welled up.
From now on, whenever things get tough like this, I’ll just take a deep breath and get through it.
Because I can’t live my whole life without seeing Perez.
I looked at him one last time, as if to confirm, before our paths completely diverged.
It’s much more bearable.
Yes. Eventually, it will be okay.
Time solves everything…
Stop.
My steps halted without my knowing.
I froze, still looking at Perez’s face.
Are you… smiling right now?
***
Perez left the conference room where the state meeting had been held, trying to soothe his regretful heart.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.’
He deeply regretted not being able to properly meet Tia’s eyes and say goodbye at the end.
“I will proceed with the next schedule alone.”
Perez said to his aides, who had been following him everywhere recently.
“It was a meeting with your academy classmates, wasn’t it? Understood. We’ll pick you up in an hour.”
It was a meeting with the academy trio and Ramona to receive reports on what had happened in places Perez’s eyes couldn’t reach.
However, the aide, thinking it was merely a private gathering with friends, readily withdrew.
“Do so.”
Perez continued to walk straight ahead.
Outwardly, he appeared expressionless, exuding a chill colder than winter weather.
But in his mind, there was only Tia.
‘Her face looks a little thinner.’
Taking over all of the Emperor’s duties and ensuring that no one felt Jovanes’s absence was all part of Perez’s plan.
In a very short time, Perez had to make the empire unable to function without him.
“Hoo.”
Perez sighed, uncharacteristically.
The work that stretched from morning till night was tiring but bearable.
Fortunately, Jovanes hadn’t been a particularly capable Emperor, so filling his void was easy.
What truly tormented Perez was Tia.
To be precise, he couldn’t even sleep because he missed her so much.
He wanted to ride his horse and climb over the Lombardi mansion wall even at dawn, but he couldn’t, having been sharply warned not to do so again.
These days, the only time he could breathe during his daily routine was when he read the documents Tia sent regarding the Angenas property liquidation.
The contents were purely business-like – what had been disposed of, how much it cost, and so on.
But Perez felt as if he could hear Tia’s voice in every line, and he kept the documents right beside him all day as he worked.
“Your Royal Highness.”
A familiar voice reached Perez’s ears; he had been so lost in thought about Tia that he hadn’t noticed anyone approaching.
“Lady Ramona Brown.”
It was Ramona, who had just alighted from her carriage.
“The meeting place is over there, Your Highness.”
Ramona calmly pointed in a slightly different direction from where Perez was headed.
“Ah.”
He had been so engrossed in thoughts of Tia that he hadn’t even known where he was going.
“Shall we go together?”
The quick-witted Ramona said so and led Perez towards the meeting place first.
Even as they walked together, there was little conversation between them.
They only briefly discussed sword training.
Then, Ramona cautiously spoke.
“I will officially join the Imperial Knights next week.”
“Indeed. Congratulations. You’ve achieved your goal.”
“Thank you.”
Ramona smiled and bowed slightly, then added,
“But that is not my dream.”
“Has your goal changed?”
When she was at the academy, Ramona’s dream was to restore her status and become an Imperial Knight like her ancestors in the Brown family.
“Yes. After seeing Lady Florentia, I decided to follow in her footsteps.”
Ramona said with a shy smile.
“I think I will succeed the headship of the Brown family sometime next year.”
“…Unexpected.”
He hadn’t known Ramona had such ambition.
She had always said she would be happy if she could just clear her family’s name and wield a sword for the rest of her life.
“Seeing Lady Florentia confidently succeed the headship, I also gained courage. Although I am the only child my father has, I also believe there is no one more qualified than me to be the next head of the Brown family.”
Ramona spoke confidently.
Her demeanor somehow resembled Tia’s, and Perez nodded.
“That’s good news.”
“I believe many more people like me will emerge in the future. You have set a precedent that even women can inherit a family if they have the ability.”
Ramona’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Lady Florentia is truly an amazing person. She is wise, beautiful, and full of vigor.”
It wasn’t flattery; Ramona was genuinely captivated by Tia.
“I can’t count how many times I’ve been moved by her kindness towards the weak.”
“Tia has always been like that since she was little.”
Perez said, nodding several times.
“Ah, so she was indeed.”
“That’s one of the reasons why Tia always has so many talented people around her. Do you know Alfio Gian?”
“The famous sculptor, you mean?”
“Yes. He saw Tia when she was very young and recommended her to the head of Lombardi. Before that, I heard he was learning carpentry in the Lombardi family.”
Perez felt proud.
Because he could tell Ramona stories about Tia that she didn’t know yet.
His shoulders even puffed up at the fact that he knew more about Tia.
“Tia is that kind of person. Generous to the weak, and strict with cowardly strong people…”
As he spoke, Perez recalled the first time he met Tia.
The image of little Tia, like a fairy suddenly appearing in the forest, was still vivid in his mind.
She shone so brightly.
Perez even thought he was hallucinating, that he was addicted.
“Stop it. What are you doing? Why are you eating that grass?”
When he heard her clear voice.
Recalling that moment, Perez still felt his heart pound.
Thanks to that, the corners of his mouth, which were always stiff, slowly relaxed, and a smile emerged.
“Lady Florentia?”
Just then, Ramona spotted Tia standing ahead and tilted her head.
She was standing with some of the most powerful nobles in the empire.
“Tia.”
Perez unconsciously called her name and approached her warmly.
But.
“…Tia?”
It was strange.
Her face, as she looked at him, was one Perez had never seen before.
Cold and stiff, as if not even a needle could penetrate it.
Thump.
Perez’s heart sank.
His heart, which had been pleasantly pounding moments before, now fluttered uneasily.
“Let’s meet again at the restaurant.”
Tia said to the surrounding nobles, then turned sharply and began to walk away.
Without even glancing at Perez again.
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
Chairman Killian said, looking a little bewildered.
And so, before Perez could do anything, Tia was striding away towards her carriage.
At her retreating back, Perez felt a fear he had never experienced, not even when being chased by assassins.
It felt as if his body was being cut in half by an invisible sword.
“Damn it.”
Perez muttered a low curse and ran to catch up with Tia.
Something was terribly wrong.
A trickle of cold sweat ran down his back.