In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 39

Two weeks had passed since the opening of my father’s Gallahan Clothing Store.
In short, the ready-to-wear business was a huge success.
Even today, the stock sells out every day before opening hours, causing them to close early, and the term ‘ready-to-wear’ was gradually spreading throughout the Lambru Empire, almost synonymous with Gallahan Clothing Store.
They couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming crowds and demand, so a while ago they had to hire additional weavers and tailors, and their number was three times that of the initial hires.
And now, they were looking for a suitable location to open a branch.
Many people were surprised by the introduction of the new concept of ready-to-wear and the affordable prices of the clothes.
However, the most surprised by the success of this business were undoubtedly the people within the Lombardi family.
My father, who had always had a faint presence, and whom the family members merely regarded as a shy youngest son who loved to read, were half-turned upside down in surprise.
Some vassals had even asked Clerivan several times to confirm if ‘that Gallahan was the Gallahan I knew.’
To that extent, my father’s position had changed significantly from two weeks ago.
Today, the mansion was bustling from morning because of my father.
It wasn’t a mandatory gathering like the previous banquet; it was a voluntary breakfast gathering.
Everyone gathered except Laurels’ family, who had stayed at the Ginueforc family mansion, his in-laws, over the weekend, and Vestian, who had gone to work early in the morning.
I sat next to my father, picking fruit with a fork, and enjoyed observing the faces of the people seated around the table.
My grandfather smiled contentedly, watching the servants bustling in and out of the dining room.
“Haha! It’s truly a good sight. Isn’t it, Shanannet?”
“Yes, Father. The employees are very happy too.”
“That ready-to-wear truly is convenient, Gallahan!”
A few days after my father’s clothing store opened and achieved great success, a large order for several hundred pieces of the same type of clothing came in at once.
It was from the Lombardi family.
They had chosen Gallahan’s ready-to-wear as uniforms for the employees working inside the mansion.
With that order, my grandfather instantly became the clothing store’s special VIP, and today was the day the ordered clothes were distributed to the servants.
The uniforms, generally in a reddish-brown or dark burgundy color, were dresses for women that allowed them to wear any top underneath, and trousers and vests for men that could be worn with a shirt.
The clothing store, which originally only sold women’s clothing, had to create patterns for men’s clothing due to this order, but it was a large enough order to more than cover the cost.
“Thank you for the compliment, Father.”
My father bowed slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.
And among them, what I loved most was this change.
“Ahem.”
Viese coughed lowly, constantly gulping down water for no reason.
“How did you come up with such a brilliant idea, Gallahan?”
My grandfather said to my father with a pleased expression.
“Hmm.”
As the compliments continued, Viese’s face grew increasingly stiff.
He seemed to be trying to act calm, but his eyes twitched erratically, as if he was fuming inside.
Ah, how amusing. Viese couldn’t stand it when the family’s and the empire’s attention shifted to my father.
I had to pinch my thigh to keep from laughing too obviously as I stared at Viese’s expression.
“Johan.”
My grandfather called the butler who was waiting nearby.
“Yes, Patriarch.”
“What did the servants say? Do they like it, as Shanannet said?”
“Everyone is very grateful that they no longer have to worry about clothes.”
“Ho ho, yes. Good, good.”
My grandfather nodded repeatedly, very pleased, and then said,
“If there’s any problem with the clothes, or if anyone needs extra, they can always purchase new ones. Is that possible, Gallahan?”
“Yes, of course. If Johan contacts the clothing store, we’ll arrange for them to be delivered to the mansion anytime.”
The butler seemed a little surprised by my grandfather’s words, then smiled and bowed deeply.
It was an expression of gratitude and respect.
“Yes. And Gallahan.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You did very well.”
It was just that one sentence.
A single compliment from a father to his son, casually tossed out.
But the repercussions were great.
The people around the table paused for a moment, and Butler Johan stared at my grandfather.
“Hmm hmm.”
My grandfather seemed to sense the reactions around him and quickly resumed his meal with a cough.
“…Thank you, Father.”
My father seemed surprised for a moment, then replied in a small voice.
Just then, Selal interrupted with an exaggeratedly high-pitched voice,
“In a few days, our Bellesac will be visiting the Imperial Palace, Father.”
It was a remark clearly intended to shift the topic of conversation from my father to her son, Bellesac.
“What kind of gift should we bring?”
She wasn’t actually asking for advice.
In short, she was asking for something suitable from ‘the family’s possessions.’
Shanannet, who couldn’t possibly misunderstand her hidden meaning, frowned her elegant brows and said,
“Is there really a need to bring a gift just for a brief meeting of children?”
“But he’s not just any noble’s child; he’s His Royal Highness the First Prince, who will someday be the Crown Prince! It’s our first visit, so we should bring a gift to make a good impression…”
“Then choose a suitable gift according to your means.”
“But brother…”
“Selal.”
At Shanannet’s stern attitude, Selal’s face fell.
And then she looked at my grandfather as if asking for help.
“…The day before the visit, get the vault key from Johan.”
When my grandfather said ‘vault,’ he meant the strongroom deep inside the mansion.
It was a place filled with all sorts of treasures that the Lombardi family had owned for hundreds of years, a place I had only entered a few times.
It was a three-story underground space, so vast that you could get lost inside.
In other words, when my grandfather said, ‘Take the key,’ he meant to choose freely from inside and gift it to the prince.
There was no need to say that Selal’s face immediately brightened as if a light had been switched on.
Shanannet seemed displeased with my grandfather’s decision but said nothing further.
“Thank you, Father.”
Selal smiled, stroking Bellesac’s head, who was sitting next to her.
Viese also finally relaxed his expression a little.
Bellesac, oblivious to what the adults were saying, was busy stuffing bacon into his mouth greedily.
After staring at Bellesac with disdain for a long time, I accidentally met my grandfather’s gaze.
Then, my grandfather’s stiff eyes softened.
As expected, Grandfather likes me.
I chewed my food diligently, as if I knew nothing.
“Ho ho…”
Perhaps just seeing his granddaughter eating something delicious made him happy, my grandfather kept smiling and then gestured towards the butler.
“Johan, give her the key.”
The key?
Is he talking about the vault key?
Selal, like me, seemed to think so, and her face brightened as she adjusted her clothes to receive the key.
“Huh?”
But what the butler handed my grandfather was not the vault key I knew.
And my grandfather called me.
“Tia, come here.”
“…Me?”
Anyway, since he called, I walked up to my grandfather.
My grandfather gently stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and then placed a slightly large key in my hand.
“It’s the key to the library I promised you for your birthday.”
“Library… Ah!”
I had forgotten.
When my grandfather asked if a library would be a good birthday gift, I had said it was good, but asked him to grant a favor later.
So I thought my birthday gift was over with that.
I’m about to use my favor right now!
Surely this won’t be a substitute for it, will it?
I quickly asked, feeling anxious.
“Grandfather, but I received something else…”
“Take this too. I’m giving this to you because you love books. Besides, you’ll need a suitable place for advanced lessons with Clerivan, won’t you?”
“Advanced lessons?”
Shanannet asked, looking between me and my grandfather.
“Haha, yes! Clerivan came to me a while ago and said that our Florentia is very smart and ready for more difficult lessons.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Shanannet patted my head, delighted as if it were her own news.
“This library is for your use only. So read much and learn much, Florentia.”
“Thank you! I love it so much, Grandfather!”
I deliberately shrieked ‘Kyaak!’ and hugged my grandfather’s neck.
“This rascal, ho ho ho!”
My grandfather seemed a little surprised, then patted my back, enjoying his granddaughter’s affection.
It was truly a gift received at the perfect time.
I hugged the key, clutched tightly in both hands, to my chest and exclaimed for all to hear,
“I’ll learn a lot in the library you gifted me, and quickly become a wonderful person!”
***

After finishing breakfast and seeing my father off at the entrance for work, I quickly took the library key and left.
When I first heard the location of the library, I had to tilt my head.
“It’s near Grandfather’s office?”
“Yes, young lady. You should go there.”
I thought since it was a gift for me, it would be somewhere near my and my father’s residence.
“Why there…?”
“Well. It was the Patriarch’s decision…”
Indeed, a gift is up to the giver.
With a pounding heart, I headed to the floor where my grandfather’s office was located.
My library was two rooms away from my grandfather’s office.
And the moment I arrived, I understood why my library was set up near the office.
“Welcome, Lady Florentia.”
A Lombardi knight guarding my grandfather’s office greeted me.
It seemed that the guards protecting the office also restricted access to my library.
As my grandfather said, this library was a space only I could use.
I bowed politely, then carefully inserted the key into the door and turned it.
Click.
With a small metallic sound, the door opened.
It was a small space compared to the common library accessible to everyone in the mansion, but at a glance, it was well-stocked with many books.
The three walls, except for the window, were all filled with books, making it quite cozy.
I closed the door behind me and walked step by step to stand in front of the window.
“I missed you.”
I slowly traced the window wall.
And looked around the study.
“We meet again like this.”
Coincidence was truly frightening.
This room, which had now become my personal library, was the office where I had worked to help my grandfather in my previous life.
I whispered softly, looking at the interior that was slightly different from my memory but still comfortable.
“Please take care of me this time too.”
Just then, there was a knock.
“Come in.”
At my reply, the door opened, and Clerivan entered.
“I came upon your message, young lady.”
Before coming here, I had the butler move the location for our advanced lessons.
Clerivan was holding a thick book under one arm, as if he was truly here to teach me.
His thoroughness in being mindful of others’ eyes was so typical of Clerivan that I smiled and said,
“Shall we start the lesson, Sir?”