In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 62

We immediately returned to the Lombardi mansion by carriage.
Emperor Jovanes immediately offered to send the imperial physician, but Father refused.
Inside the carriage on the way home, Father smiled, reassuring me that he was fine, but his face was filled with complex emotions as he said,
“We cannot let the imperial family know about Lombardi’s internal affairs.”
Despite his own body showing abnormalities, he had to worry about the family’s affairs.
Fortunately, Grandfather had sent someone to the mansion beforehand, so preparations were quick.
When we arrived, servants were waiting with a stretcher.
However, not knowing the detailed reason, they all stiffened when they opened the carriage door and saw Father half-reclining.
“Ah, I apologize.”
Father smiled from the stretcher.
“…Don’t talk nonsense.”
Grandfather said to Father in a low voice.
The bedroom was already perfectly prepared to receive Father.
As we entered our residence, Clerivan and Lauriel were waiting with grim faces.
“You’ve come at this late hour, Mr. Clerivan.”
“Is time the issue?”
For several years now, despite working closely together, Father and Clerivan had always used polite honorifics with each other.
“The doctor?”
Grandfather asked the butler.
“I’ve contacted Doctor O’Malley.”
Everything was happening too quickly.
Father, lying in bed, rubbing his right leg, Grandfather, sitting in a chair beside him.
And the people gathered to help us.
They were all struggling to accept the situation.
However, no one knew the reason for Father’s collapse.
Except for me.
Amidst the busy people, I tried to maintain my composure.
For Father, who still didn’t know what his illness was, I deliberately pretended to be distracted, trying not to look too serious.
However, my efforts seemed to be meaningless in front of Father.
“Tia.”
Father called me.
The bedroom fell silent.
The people who had been moving busily suddenly stopped dead and looked at me.
They must have all forgotten about my presence.
“Dad’s okay.”
Father said.
“I know.”
I answered, trying my best to hide my emotional turmoil.
“Yes. Because our Tia is smart.”
Even as I saw his gentle smile directed at me, I couldn’t smile back.
“You don’t have to be scared.”
I couldn’t answer.
I should be scared.
The disease Father had was a terrifying one.
And that disease, in my past life, had taken Father from me.
Such words felt like they were about to force their way through my lips.
Instead of saying anything else, I simply lowered my head deeply.
“Tia…” Father seemed surprised by my reaction, his eyes widening.
Ah, I should make him feel more at ease.
But Father’s appearance in bed was too similar to his sickbed appearance from my past life.
Biting my lower lip was the best I could do.
Father seemed to think that my condition was unusual.
Despite his discomfort, he tried to get up from the bed and approach me.
“Doctor O’Malley has arrived.”
Fortunately, the butler’s voice announced the arrival of Doctor O’Malley, carrying his medical bag.
“Would you mind stepping out for a moment?”
Grandfather said to the people.
Soon, only Father, me, Grandfather, and Doctor O’Malley remained in the bedroom.
“What are the symptoms, sir?”
“First, my right leg…”
Father calmly explained his condition.
I knew it without even hearing it.
No, I knew everything that was going to happen.
The sensory abnormalities starting in his right leg would worsen over a week.
Doctor O’Malley would do his best to prescribe medicine, but it wouldn’t have much effect.
At most, it would only reduce the discomfort from the paralysis.
And in a month, the other leg would also begin to experience paralysis.
Another month, and the range of motion in his right arm would rapidly narrow.
Another month.
He would completely lose the use of his right hand.
And so, a week before my birthday, Father, unable to move anything below his neck, would also suffer from respiratory distress.
When I couldn’t bear to see Father suffering so much, and prayed all night long for him to die quickly.
Three days before my birthday.
Father closed his eyes, taking his last breath.
Unstoppable memories rushed in like a flood.
“Florentia, come here.”
Grandfather, perhaps worried about me being alone, gestured from near the bed.
But I shook my head.
And I sat in a chair in the corner of the bedroom, far from the bed.
“Have you fallen recently, or injured your back?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“In that case…”
Doctor O’Malley examined Father with great caution.
“Can you move your toes?”
“…” Father stared at his toes, focusing all his attention, but his right foot didn’t budge.
“That’s strange…”
Father tried several times, frowning in bewilderment, but it was no use.
It was only natural that the leg, which had been perfectly fine this morning, suddenly wouldn’t obey, as if it belonged to someone else.
That was the terrifying nature of the disease called Tlenbru.
It appears suddenly, without any warning signs.
It’s not a hereditary disease.
No one knows how it occurs.
It was the same in the previous life.
Estira only created a medicine that alleviated the paralysis symptoms.
She didn’t discover the cause of the disease Tlenbru.
“Do you have any pain in your leg?”
“Pain… No. I’d rather it hurt. It feels like my leg suddenly disappeared.”
“Hmm…”
Doctor O’Malley’s expression grew increasingly grim.
“That’s quite… unusual symptoms.”
Although he was stalling with various words, Doctor O’Malley probably already knew.
The sudden and peculiar symptoms of Father pointed to only one disease: Tlenbru disease.
Father seemed to sense something from Doctor O’Malley’s increasingly sparse words.
He looked at Grandfather with dark eyes, then spoke to me, sitting quietly in the corner.
“Tia, would you step out for a moment?”
“…Yes.”
I quietly walked out of the room and closed the door.
I didn’t even try to eavesdrop on the conversation inside.
Because I already knew what they would say.
“Young Lady…”
Lauriel and Clerivan, who had been waiting outside the door, stood up when they saw me.
“Don’t worry too much. Duke Gallahan will be fine.”
Lauriel embraced me warmly, but my heart felt frozen solid, so it was no use.
“Could you bring me a warm glass of milk?”
I asked Lauriel.
“Of course, Young Lady. Just a moment!”
Lauriel, happy that I wanted something to drink, quickly headed to the kitchen.
Now, only I and Clerivan remained in the drawing-room.
Clerivan didn’t easily try to comfort me.
He seemed to have sensed something unusual from my demeanor.
“Clerivan.”
“Yes, Lady Florentia.”
“I need to send a letter far away. Please find someone reliable and fast.”
I picked up a pen on the drawing-room table and a memo pad.
I didn’t hesitate about what to write.
Knowing this day would come, my hand, holding the pen, could remain steady.
I quickly scribbled a short letter and handed it to Clerivan.
“Just send it as it is.”
“This is…”
Since the paper wasn’t folded, Clerivan could see the entire content of the letter.
Clerivan’s blue eyes wavered.
“The destination of the letter is…”
***
Click.
The door to Father’s bedroom opened, and Doctor O’Malley came out.
The doctor didn’t look at me.
No, he just gave a brief greeting, avoiding my gaze, and hurried past.
Right.
He had just informed Father that he had a fatal illness, and it must have been difficult to face his young daughter.
I sighed softly.
“Tia, would you come in here?”
Just then, Father’s voice called me.
Clerivan quietly followed me as I walked towards the bedroom.
Father was sitting on the bed, looking just as he had been a moment ago.
“Doctor O’Malley told me what the problem is, Tia.”
Father said to me with a smiling face.
“He said my leg muscles were just surprised, and I’ll get better soon.”
What?
I couldn’t believe my ears.
And my heart pounded.
Could the future have changed?
Is it really not Tlenbru disease?
And I looked at Grandfather.
“Ah…”
Grandfather wasn’t looking at me.
Like Doctor O’Malley, he avoided my gaze.
“Dad will be fine soon.”
Father told me in a lively voice.
“Don’t worry too much, Tia.”
I couldn’t say anything.
It felt like I had swallowed a large stone, and my throat was blocked.
Even at this moment, knowing he had an incurable disease.
Father was thinking more about me.
Worried that his daughter, only ten years old, might worry about him.
Might be scared.
With such a youthful face, so brightly.
I clenched my teeth and looked at Father, then turned away.
And I said to Clerivan,
“The letter goes to the Imperial Academy, recipient…” My and Father’s only hope.
“Recipient is ‘Estira’, please.”