In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 256 (End Main Story)

The banquet prepared to celebrate the Crown Prince’s appointment was changed to the Emperor’s coronation ceremony.
For three days, the Empire mourned Jovanes’s death, and then prepared to welcome a new Emperor.
The carriage carrying me arrived at the Imperial Palace and stopped.
“Florentia.”
The door opened, and Perez appeared.
He kissed the back of my hand deeply.
I saw the imperial guards and servants standing nearby awkwardly clear their throats and quickly avert their eyes.
“Perez!”
Despite my scolding, Perez remained steadfast.
He even grinned, which was quite sly.
After the incident with Jovanes, Perez began to express his feelings more than before.
At least in front of me.
I pulled my hand away from his and said,
“Let’s go quickly. Everyone must be waiting.”
“No one in this Lambru Empire would complain if you made them wait a little, my Tia. We can go a little slower.”
‘My Tia,’ he said.
I protested several times, asking if he wasn’t embarrassed, but Perez dismissed my complaints each time, saying, ‘I’m just calling what’s mine, mine.’
I shook my head and walked ahead.
“We’ve come all this way with such difficulty, so we should enjoy this moment.”
Perez followed behind me and said.
“Yes. We went through hell.”
The events of the past flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.
“But that doesn’t mean we need to be rude.”
How many people do you think are waiting for us in there right now?
When I glared at him, Perez just laughed again.
“Are you ready?”
We finally stood before the banquet hall where the coronation ceremony would be held.
When I nodded, Perez extended his hand.
“Shall we enter, Lady Lombardi?”
“Let’s go, Your Royal Highness.”
Today would be the last day I called Perez ‘Your Royal Highness’.
Soon, the tightly closed doors of the banquet hall began to open.
“Announcing His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Lady Florentia Lombardi!”
The servant’s booming announcement echoed.
The bright light of the grand banquet hall poured down as if welcoming us.
And we saw the many people who had been waiting for us.
The path they cleared led us to the high platform directly ahead.
It was a place only the Crown Prince, who was to be crowned Emperor, and his consort could ascend.
The carpet beneath my steps felt like it firmly supported my feet.
Among the people lined up on both sides of the path, I found familiar faces.
Grandfather, Father, Shananet, and Clerivan standing beside her.
Turning my eyes to the other side, I saw Avinox and Lorraine, and the twins standing together.
Besides them, I saw Chanton Sheshou, Migente Ivan, and the head of the Brown family, Ramona.
They bowed their heads slightly to me.
Meeting each person’s eyes, Perez and I gradually approached the platform.
I turned my head and looked beside me.
Perez was already looking at me.
Since when had it been?
Suddenly, such a question crossed my mind.
“Let’s go up, Your Royal Highness.”
I stopped in front of the platform and said.
“Lady Lombardi will also ascend with you.”
I had somewhat expected it.
Since we were officially engaged, there would be no problem ascending the platform together.
However, I wanted to confirm with Perez.
As Perez had said, it had been a long, long journey.
It was a question of whether I could share this moment, achieved at the end of that difficult path.
“Tia.”
Perez looked only at me in this vast space, among countless people, and said.
“Look around. All of this is what you’ve achieved.”
Perez’s hand, holding mine, tightened a little more.
And with a picturesque smile, he asked me.
“Will you ascend with me, Lady Lombardi?”
His voice somehow made me laugh.
I nodded and replied.
“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
We looked at each other.
And at the same time, we took our first step onto the platform.
***
“Lady Florentia, Lady Florentia, please wake up.”
A small voice woke me from my sleep.
“…” My eyes, still stiff from staying up late looking at documents last night, wouldn’t open properly.
“It’s time to get up now.”
It was early morning, but the gentle voice wasn’t jarring to my ears.
“Good morning, Catherine.”
As I, unable to properly open my eyes, buried my face in the soft pillow and waved one hand, I heard Catherine’s soft chuckle.
“Can’t I sleep just a little longer?”
“Did you stay up late last night? I specifically told His Majesty to make sure you went to bed early.”
“It’s not Perez’s fault. It’s mine. I insisted on sleeping more.”
In the end, I was carried to bed by Perez, documents still in hand.
“Lady Estira also said you should be careful about fatigue during your last check-up.”
Catherine said in a scolding, strict voice.
Catherine, who volunteered to be my lady-in-waiting after Perez ascended the throne, personally attended to all my needs without the help of others.
Lauriel, who was pregnant with her second child, was no longer my lady-in-waiting but a close friend who occasionally visited to chat.
“I know, I know. Oh, I’m hungry.”
With Catherine’s help, I washed and got ready, then headed to the dining room.
“Good morning, everyone.”
At my greeting, my family, who were already eating, looked at me.
“Please make it hearty enough to fill me up.”
I said to the approaching servant and sat down.
“You seem to have a busy schedule today.”
Father, who had arrived from Chesayu yesterday, looked at me worriedly, his face tired from the journey.
“Because there’s a meeting. And the agenda.”
Clerivan nodded in agreement with my words.
“It will probably be a long meeting. Eat well, Lady Lombardi.”
“You too, Head of Pellett.”
“I’m already on my second bowl.”
I first drank some warm tea and asked my father.
“How is the port coming along?”
“We need to expand the docks, but the construction is slow, which is a real concern.”
“Hmm. While you’re here, why don’t you meet Violet?”
“I already contacted her and we’re meeting this afternoon. Half of the goods coming and going from the port belong to the Lombardi Merchant Guild and the Pellett Merchant Guild, so if we put our heads together, we might be able to find a solution.”
I conveyed my sympathy by pouring a little more warm tea into my father’s empty teacup as he spoke with a tired face.
“I plan to stay at the Imperial Palace tonight. If anything happens, please send someone to the Empress’s Palace, Father.”
“Yes, yes.”
Father rubbed his eyes and nodded, as if he hadn’t fully woken up yet.
“If Lady Lombardi is also at the Imperial Palace today, the mansion will be empty, won’t it?”
“Indeed. We’re also going on a month-long training camp today.”
The twins, who had recently focused on building muscle and had become even more imposing, said, pressing down on a mountain of pancakes with their forks.
“Is Aunt also leaving today?”
At my words, Shananet wiped her mouth and nodded.
“A new mineral has been discovered in the north.
I think I’ll have to go there myself.”
It was just like Shananet, who liked to see everything with her own eyes.
“You must be struggling in the summer.”
“But I have to make sure.”
Shananet said firmly.
We finished breakfast quickly with a short conversation checking on the family’s well-being.
“Head of Pellett, are you ready?”
“Yes, Lady Lombardi.”
Clerivan emptied his coffee and stood up, saying.
“Good luck.”
With my father’s farewell, I left the dining room and arrived at the entrance, where Craney, holding a large stack of documents, greeted me.
“You’re here, Sister.”
“You still don’t eat breakfast, Craney?”
“If I eat anything in the morning, my stomach bothers me all day. I’ll make sure to eat lunch instead.”
Craney, who was a picky eater, grinned and said.
“Still, on a day like today, it would be good to eat.”
It was when I was about to get into the carriage, thinking I should at least give Craney some fruit during a break in the meeting.
“Are you going to the Imperial Palace?”
“Ah, Grandfather.”
I saw my grandfather slowly walking towards us, hands behind his back, as if he had come out for his morning stroll.
Beside him was Ralph, the dog my grandfather had recently started raising.
He was large but very gentle and smart, monopolizing the love of everyone in the mansion.
“No matter what happens today, you must not back down, Tia.”
My grandfather’s smile was gentle, but his eyes shone as sharply as ever.
“When have I ever backed down?”
At my reply, my grandfather burst into a hearty laugh and nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes. You’ll handle it well, of course.”
My grandfather said that, patted my shoulder affectionately, and then started walking with Ralph again.
They were heading towards the evergreen forest.
I stood there, watching my grandfather’s relaxed back, and then got into the carriage.
The carriage carrying me, Craney, and Clerivan drove without stopping and arrived at the Imperial Palace.
“Hoo.”
As we walked down the Imperial Palace corridor, Craney’s slightly nervous sigh echoed.
“Craney.”
“Yes, Sister.”
“Just trust me and follow.”
I patted Craney’s back and said.
It must have hurt.
Craney grinned as usual and nodded.
When we reached the Grand Council Chamber, the knights guarding the door quickly saluted us.
“Open the door.”
At my words, the servants bowed and opened the Grand Council Chamber doors.
The heavy doors moved, spilling out the clamor of conversations within.
Today’s Grand Council would likely be the fiercest battlefield since I became the head of the family.
But I wasn’t anxious.
Because I had made all preparations to win today.
As I walked into the Grand Council Chamber, hundreds of nobles rose in unison.
“Welcome, Lady Lombardi.”
I nodded leisurely in greeting towards them and found my seat.
Clerivan and Craney sat behind me.
Feeling a gaze, I turned my head and saw Perez, seated on the Emperor’s throne, looking at me.
“Good morning, Lady Lombardi.”
He greeted me first.
“Did you have a good breakfast, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. And you, Lady Lombardi?”
“Me too.”
I replied briefly, then grinned and added.
“What kind of day is today, after all? Don’t you agree?”
In a word, it meant, “Let’s really go at it.”
“Since Lady Lombardi has arrived, let us begin the Grand Council!”
The nobles who had risen for me sat down again, and the Grand Council began.
It was just another ordinary day in the Lambru Empire, which was being hailed as an unprecedented era of peace.
_ The End –