In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 35

Chapter 35
The Lombardi mansion kitchen was bustling from dawn. Today was the day the direct Lombardi family gathered for lunch. Even my father, who usually seemed too busy to breathe, stayed home today. He couldn’t be late for a family meal, especially after such a long time. Regardless of the reality, it was my grandfather’s command that the family should appear “family-like,” just as important as the prosperity of Lombardi’s businesses.

Thanks to this, my father and I, who had skipped breakfast and woken up late for a simple snack, got dressed with the help of the servants. I heard that other families hired people specifically to help them get ready, but we didn’t feel the need for that. It was enough to get help on these important occasions.

“Our Tia is getting prettier by the day!” My father smiled broadly, looking at me in the mirror. I didn’t bother with false modesty. Even I could see how pretty I was.

“You look so handsome too, Dad!” This wasn’t an empty compliment either. My father, dressed up for a change, looked so cool that even my eyes widened. A father and daughter resembling each other, together like this, made for an even more pleasing sight. Perhaps even more so in the eyes of others. I could tell just by looking at the maids who helped us get ready, their faces flushed, unable to take their eyes off my father and me. When a little grooming is all it takes to make us look better than anyone else in Lombardi, why would we need to hire extra staff? My shoulders puffed up a little.

“Come on, Tia.” I took his large, gently offered hand and walked. My father’s hand was big and warm. The weather was also wonderfully sunny, and the bright sunlight seemed to softly melt into the splendid interior of the Lombardi mansion. Everything felt perfect. Until we reached the banquet hall, Eleanor Hall, and opened the door.

“Welcome.” The butler, waiting by the door, greeted us politely. However, my gaze was drawn to the other Lombardi family members who were already seated inside. Seeing the head seat empty, it seemed my grandfather hadn’t arrived yet.

Ugh. I don’t want to go in. I instinctively wanted to step back, but I coaxed and persuaded my legs to walk towards the table as my father led me. As we got closer, their familiar faces came into view. Or to be precise, their faces all looked twenty years younger than they did in my memories. The opulent clothes they wore and their beautiful appearances made them look like angels at first glance. But I knew their insides were either empty or stained black.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Viese, who was sitting at the head of the table, looked at me. Frankly, as a Lombardi by blood, and my father’s brother, his appearance wasn’t bad. But I truly disliked the naked greed in his sharp eyes.

Ugh. Feeling nauseous, I quickly looked away.

“Alright, Tia, you can sit with your other cousins here.” The tables were divided into adult and children’s sections. That was a relief for me. If I had to look at Viese and his wife, Selal, who were still staring at me, I wouldn’t have any appetite.

“Tia!”

“Sit next to us here!” The twins, who had arrived earlier, greeted me boisterously as usual.

“Yes. You two take good care of Tia.”

“Don’t worry!” They answered bravely. My father seemed relieved by their answer and smiled warmly.

“See you later, Tia.” My father, after kissing my head, moved to the other table. Among the couples seated, my father looked a little lonely sitting by himself. I sighed softly and turned around to sit down.

“Tia’s going to sit next to me!”

“No! She’s sitting next to me!” The twins were bickering over me. Father, who was taking care of whom? Giliou and Mayron, who were usually so close and got along well, often argued when it came to me.

“Now, you two. Don’t fight.” I tried to soothe them, but the twins, already worked up, didn’t seem to hear my voice.

“It’s my turn this time!”

“No way!” Their voices grew louder. Just as I was about to step between the panting duo, fearing they would draw attention.

“Giliou. Mayron.” Someone, who had just entered the banquet hall, called the twins’ names in a stern voice. It was their father, Vestian Schulz. As he strode closer, the smile on his face never faded, but there was an unsettling chill in the air.

“What’s all this commotion?” And Vestian’s gaze, as he came closer, landed on me. “It’s you again.”

Huh? Vestian’s attitude was strange. It was completely different from when he was with Aunt Shananet. He glanced at me as if I were a nuisance and even subtly pushed my shoulder. It was a light touch, but the strength of an adult made my body take a step back. Vestian, having removed me from the twins’ side, spoke to his sons. “Didn’t your father tell you to behave yourselves at today’s family gathering?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry…” Scolded, the sulking twins hung their heads.

“Alright. I’ll trust you.” Vestian said that last and then walked to the other table. “Hahaha, I apologize. I’m late!” His voice was so cheerful, it was hard to imagine it belonged to the same person who had just looked down at me coldly. Yes, that was the Vestian Schulz I knew. I sat down next to the twins, who had quietly returned to their seats, my mind dazed as if I had just dreamed. Of course, the two of them had returned to their usual playful expressions, as if they had never been dejected.

I carefully asked them, “Hey, listen. Did I do something wrong?” The twins tilted their heads at my question.

“Just now, Lord Vestian… seemed a little angry with me.” Only then did the two of them nod and say, “Ah.” Then they subtly glanced around and answered me.

“It’s not your fault, Tia.”

“Father just dislikes his cousins.”

“He dislikes… his cousins?” I didn’t easily understand what they meant.

“Yeah. Father said he hates Lombardi.” Giliou hesitated before speaking.

“How could you say that!” Mayron gasped in surprise and scolded Giliou.

“But, Tia’s okay.”

“Y-yeah, but…”

“I won’t tell anyone. Don’t worry.” I said to reassure them. Mayron seemed relieved, as if a weight had been lifted by my promise. And then he whispered in a small voice, as if making an excuse, “Father doesn’t like us playing with Tia either.”

“…Really? Does Aunt Shananet know that?” Sure enough, the twins shook their heads simultaneously.

“Father said it’s a secret just for the Schulz family men.” The Schulz family men. That wasn’t a fitting description for the twins, who openly used the Lombardi name, or for Vestian, who introduced himself as “Vestian Lombardi” at official events despite not having changed his surname.

I turned my head and subtly glanced at the table where the adults were gathered. I heard laughter, haha hoho, as if Vestian had cracked a joke. But there was clearly no lie in the hand that had pushed me away or in the twins’ words. Yet, there was no pretense in Shananet’s smile as she held Vestian’s hand and laughed with him. The Shananet I knew would have chosen to cleanly separate rather than put on such an act. Like in my previous life.

But one thing was certain: Vestian Schulz might not be the carefree son-in-law I thought he was.

It was then. Across the large table, a sneering voice spoke.

“Hey, half-breed.”

Ah. It’s been a while since I heard that. I turned my head and saw Bellesac mocking me. He seemed subdued for a while after getting beaten up. But today, his face was full of an irritating smirk. Where the needle goes, the thread follows. Astaliu, sticking by Bellesac’s side, also looked smug.

“Hey, can’t you hear me calling you?” When I didn’t answer, Bellesac growled in an even harsher voice. But would a person answer if a dog barked? I pretended not to hear and focused on tearing my pre-meal bread.

“That b****, she really…” Bellesac, even more enraged, huffed and puffed, then looked around. He then plucked a green grape from the bunch in front of him and threw it at me.

Thump! The green grape hit my face and fell, rolling on the white tablecloth. You haven’t been beaten enough yet. I had no intention of just enduring it. I planned to pay him back in kind. So I grabbed three new grapes in one hand, in addition to the one that had flown at me. But before I could throw them, something flew at Bellesac’s face.

Splatt! A buttered piece of bread stuck to Bellesac’s face and slowly slid down.

“Pffft!” I laughed, looking in the direction the bread had come from. It was Mayron, still holding the butter knife in his hand.

“What are you doing… Ugh!” Bellesac ripped the bread off his face and was about to burst out in anger when another piece of bread flew and stuck to the other side of his face. Of course, it was Giliou’s work, without a doubt.

“Wh-what! What are you two doing!” Bellesac wiped his greasy face with a napkin and cried out indignantly.

“You threw fruit at Tia first, didn’t you?”

“So we thought you wanted to play by throwing food?” The twins said, teasing him mischievously. Bellesac hissed through gritted teeth.

“Playing with that lowly thing, you two have changed! See, this is why you should only be friends with people of your own class!” But the twins barely listened, picking their ears with their fingers. Bellesac fumed for a while longer, then at some point, he chuckled and said, “You two, it’d be good to stay on my good side!”

What’s he talking about? I could have just dismissed it as Bellesac’s usual nonsense, but there seemed to be something to it. His triumphant demeanor made it even more so. Bellesac looked at me and the twins and said, “I’ve received permission from Grandpa to visit the imperial palace once a month from now on. By special request of Her Imperial Majesty the Empress.”