In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 249

“Things to do?”

“Ugh, you!” Perez, startled by the sensation of me speaking under my fingers, quickly pulled his hand away. He then asked again with a somewhat mischievous smile, “What are these things to do?”

Perez’s eyes shot out like lasers, filled with a strong eagerness to immediately run and accomplish whatever I said.

“It’s not something you can do. I have to do it.” At my words, Perez’s eyes drooped slightly, looking a bit downcast. Still, he’s so handsome. I gently stroked Perez’s cheek and said, “My fiancé is no ordinary noble, so there’s a lot to prepare.”

“Tia. If it’s because of the nobles, you don’t have to worry too much. They can’t object to the Emperor’s will,” Perez said worriedly.

“I know. But my pride won’t allow me to just hide behind that as a shield.”

“Hmm.” Perez pressed his lips together again. I knew that was his habit when he was troubled and couldn’t quite say something. I subtly threw out a probing question. “By the way, Perez, honestly, I was surprised.”

“About what?”

“To get that will, you must have had quite a long power struggle with the Emperor. I didn’t know you were that interested in the throne.”

“Ah.” Perez thought for a moment, then replied, “Nothing is as important to me as being with you, Tia. So I was thinking of just leaving the Imperial Palace if he wouldn’t write the will.”

That’s right. That’s closer to the Perez I usually know.

“But,” a faint smile spread across Perez’s lips. “Perhaps you’ve changed me, Tia.”

“Me?” Perez explained to my bewildered self, “Because you saved me. That one bottle of medicine you gave me that day changed everything.” Perez’s fingertips lightly brushed my forehead. “Perhaps I thought that if I ascended the throne, I could help people, just as you helped me.”

Perez then pulled my hand and kissed my fingertips. “That glass bottle with the medicine you gave me was more precious than anything in the world to me.” His voice, muffled and brushing against my fingertips, was warm.

Perez, having kissed each joint of my fingers, looked directly at me and said, “I have a question I want to ask you too.”

“Wh-what is it?” I stuttered slightly without realizing it. Whenever Perez looked at me with such deep eyes, my heart couldn’t help but pound.

“Why did you accept my proposal?”

“Ah, actually, that’s…” A rush of forgotten indignation surged. “I came to the Imperial Palace to propose to you too. I had to accept quickly because you beat me to it.”

It’s unfair, so unfair. I could have made a cool proposal too! Of course, I couldn’t have had a ring like Perez, so maybe it wouldn’t have been as cool. I thought as I looked at the ring sparkling beautifully on my fourth finger.

“Oh, of course. Your proposal was the best. To get the will…” I quietly looked up at Perez’s face. Suddenly, truly suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. Ah, I’ll grow old looking at this face. There was no fear. Only joy. When I reach the end of my life, old and gray, my memories will be filled with Perez.

“I just realized something,” I said, smiling at Perez. “That I only live once.”

“Tia.” Perez hugged me tightly again and gently rubbed his forehead against mine. I didn’t push him away. There was no need. Now that we were engaged, there was no need to hold back. I hugged Perez back just as tightly.

“I was afraid,” Perez confessed softly into my ear. “Even though you said you loved me, I was afraid you’d refuse marriage until the very end.”

“I couldn’t do that,” I said firmly. “I have no intention of making my child a bastard.”

I had grown up receiving my father’s boundless love. And today, I learned the truth about my mother. She was someone who loved my father and me enough to trade her own life for us. So I didn’t have a big complex about being a bastard. But whether I wanted to pass that on to my child was a completely different question.

“Because I want my child to lack nothing.” I couldn’t see my future child’s appearance directly like my mother, but if possible, I wanted to give them only good things.

But something felt a little strange.

“Perez?” The boy who would usually answer ‘Hmm?’ and meet my eyes had suddenly slumped down, as if his legs had given out.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Had I been too excited to notice that Perez was ill? Startled, I crouched down and examined Perez’s face.

“Ah, child…” Perez mumbled softly.

Ah, I was thoughtless. I carefully asked Perez, “Perhaps, you… don’t like children?”

Perez stared at me instead of answering. My voice was clearly laced with tension.

“I have cousins, but no siblings. I was thinking about three… Perez!” Finally, Perez swayed greatly once more.

“If you’re sick, let’s go back quickly and see the Imperial physician…”

“It’s not that.” Perez’s hand firmly gripped my arm. “I’ve never thought about having my own family.”

“Your face… it is red.” Only now did I see that Perez’s lowered face was flushed.

“Perez.” I placed my hand on Perez’s hand that held me and said, “Now that we’ve promised to marry, you and I are family. This is how we become family. Do you understand?”

“…Family.”

“As time passes, the family members will increase.” Then, realizing my mistake, I quickly added, Lest he collapse again. “Of course, if you want to. If you don’t want children, we can find a way for the throne and the Lombardi family…”

“I want them,” Perez said urgently. “Our children.”

He had answered so quickly. His shoulders lightly heaved with each breath. But his red eyes were still trembling. It was understandable. For so long, the place of family in Perez’s life had been empty.

“And as you know,” I squeezed Perez’s hand tighter. “I am someone who protects my family no matter what.” My father was like that, my grandfather was like that, Shananet was like that, the twins were like that, and Lorraine was like that. Lombardi was the same.

“When we first met in this forest, I told you, ‘I’ll help you.’ I promise again. I’ll protect you, Perez.” I felt Perez’s fingertips tremble slightly under my palm. At the same time, his eyes narrowed a little.

“That’s what I want to say,” Perez said, cupping my cheek. As if holding the most precious thing in the world. “I’ll protect you, Tia. No matter what happens.”

It was something anyone in love might say. But Perez’s promise was not empty words. He would protect me as he swore. No matter what.

I quietly smiled at him. Our gazes naturally intertwined. Perez slowly leaned in. Just the two of us, Perez and I, crouched in the large forest. At this moment, nothing else in the world mattered more. Only we existed.

Perez, who was now very close to my lips, asked with languid eyes, “Can’t I?” He seemed quite shocked by me blocking his lips earlier.

I chuckled softly and leaned closer, saying, “Of course you can.”

Whoosh! The dry winter forest made a cool sound, like a fresh spring breeze. Just like the day we first met.

“Welcome, MiLady,” the butler, Johan, greeted me in front of the Lord’s office. Normally, he would help me with everything from the moment I woke up to prepare for work. But today, it was my first official day, so I had asked in advance to prepare quietly by myself.

“Good morning, Johan.” I returned the greeting and carefully placed both hands on the closed office doorknob.

Click. As I applied pressure with both hands, the two doors smoothly slid open with a small sound.

Tap, tap. Only the sound of my footsteps echoed in the quiet office. I looked around the office with an indescribable feeling. While my inauguration party was bustling outside for three days and nights, the office had also finished preparing to welcome its new owner. Only the chairs and sofas my grandfather had used for a long time had been replaced with new items. But that alone had significantly changed the atmosphere of the office from a few days ago.

“Hmph.” I suppressed the surging enthusiasm in my chest with a short sigh, turned around, and asked Johan, “What’s the first schedule?”

“I have arranged a Lord’s meeting with the Lords of the vassal families.”

It was appropriate. Although I had known the Lords since I was young, since I had just become the new Lord, I should meet them once before starting work.

“When does the meeting begin?”

“The Lords will begin arriving shortly.”

“Alright. Then I’ll go now.”

“No one has arrived yet…”

“For the first meeting, this is fine. I should wait for the first meeting.” Because once the busy work of the Lord begins, they will always be waiting for me.

Entering the conference room next to the office with Johan, I went to the head of the empty table and sat down. And soon after, the Lords began to arrive one after another. Families with close ties entered the conference room in pairs or threes.

“Oh, Matriarch!”

“You were already here!”

“We apologize!”

Startled, they quickly apologized and bowed their heads.

“There’s no need to apologize. I just wanted to wait. Please, everyone, sit.” I smiled comfortably and gestured, but the Lords seemed quite embarrassed that I had arrived first.

Just then, the conference room door, which had closed once, opened again, revealing a very familiar figure. I smiled warmly at that person and greeted them.

“Welcome, Lord Pellet.”