In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 65

“Hmm? Gallahan? What brings you here?”

Rulac paused the meeting and returned to his office. It was because of the message that the Second Prince, whom he had arranged to meet after lunch, had arrived in a hurry. But it wasn’t just Florentia and the Second Prince waiting for Rulac in the office. Gallahan, on crutches, was also there.

“His Imperial Highness, the Second Prince, said he had something to give to Father, so I came in a hurry.”

“To me?” Rulac looked at Perez. As his guardian, he occasionally visited Phorak Palace to check on his life, for appearances’ sake. But Rulac still wasn’t used to Perez’s eyes. Today, too, as his eyes met the Second Prince’s, he hid the feeling of his stomach uncomfortably twisting inside.

“His Majesty commanded me to deliver this.” Perez held out the golden envelope with a brief remark.

“…It doesn’t seem like it was originally in this shape.”

“I apologize.” Perez bowed his head deeply to Rulac.

“Hmm.” Rulac looked at Perez disapprovingly, then took out the two-piece letter and read it. Before long, Rulac’s low voice flowed out. “Jovanes…” His demeanor suggested he was about to grab the letter pieces and run to the Imperial Palace. Flames of anger flickered in Rulac’s eyes. While Viese and Bellezac had begged for their companion positions, this was clearly a situation where the Emperor Jovanes was using his son to pester Florentia.

“Grandfather?” Rulac looked at his granddaughter, whose eyes were wide with surprise. Her innocent and beautiful face made his anger flare even more. “How dare he covet my granddaughter?”

While companions of the same sex were considered friends, it was different for those of the opposite sex. In the Imperial Family, it was common practice to secure marriage prospects in this way from ancient times. It was a method of preempting a formal marriage proposal before the age was right. There was no way Jovanes wouldn’t know that. Of course, this was not a formal engagement, and Florentia’s future wouldn’t be decided by just this. She was Rulac Lombardi’s granddaughter, after all. But feeling displeased was a separate matter.

“Don’t worry, Gallahan. I’ll take care of this.” He intended to go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow and throw these two torn pieces of paper in the Emperor’s face.

“I will accept it.”

“…What?” Rulac asked back, surprised by Gallahan’s words.

“I will accept His Majesty the Emperor’s proposal. I will let Tia be His Imperial Highness the Second Prince’s companion.”

It was an uncharacteristic decision for Gallahan. Rulac shook his head, trying to explain. “But Gallahan.”

“I also know how far a companion relationship can go, Father.”

“Then why…” But Rulac stopped mid-sentence.

“He visited yesterday. The doctor Father called visited late last night.” At Gallahan’s seemingly calm words, Rulac felt his heart sink. It meant that doctor had also diagnosed Tlenbru disease. Heaven was indeed trying to take his son early.

Rulac, mournfully silent, suddenly looked at Florentia. His granddaughter had bowed her head deeply. The intelligent child seemed to already know that her father’s leg wasn’t just broken. Both the son who couldn’t bring himself to tell his daughter he had a fatal illness, and the granddaughter who pretended not to know her father’s condition. Rulac felt his heart breaking.

Gallahan continued in a calm voice. “At one point, I thought that when a storm blew, one should simply lower oneself and wait for it to pass, Father. But now I know that’s not how one survives.” Rulac read Gallahan’s meaning and nodded gloomily. Even Rulac couldn’t interfere with what happened after his death. “So I tried to steadfastly fight that storm and protect Tia… But if I can’t do that, I want to give Tia whatever strength I can, Father.”

Rulac gritted his teeth at the sight of his son preparing for his death, leaving his young daughter behind. He clenched his fists so hard they threatened to break, trying not to curse at the heavens right then and there. And then, in a very weary voice, he said, “Alright. I understand. If that is your wish, then do so.”

“Yes, Father. And… it’s just a companion, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s just a companion. Nothing more, nothing less.” Rulac said, as if making a promise to Gallahan.

“Tia, usually, your father would ask for your opinion, but this time…”

“I know. Do as you wish, Father.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Gallahan’s large hand stroked his daughter’s soft brown hair. Rulac swallowed a sigh at the sight and looked at Perez. “Second Prince.”

“…Yes.”

“You know that the Second Prince and the First Prince are very different, don’t you?” Perez nodded. “The First Prince has a strong maternal family. Moreover, his mother is the Empress.” Unless he committed a crime tantamount to treason, the Empress and Astana were safe. But Perez was different. Although the Lombardi patriarch served as his guardian, that was merely by agreement with the Emperor. Even a slight misstep would cause the Second Prince’s position to endlessly waver.

Rulac was not worried about Perez, of course. He was concerned that his granddaughter, Florentia, might be negatively affected in some way because of him.

“I think you understand what I mean.”

“I understand.” Rulac still disapproved of Perez, but if Gallahan wished it, he had no intention of opposing the companionship. However, there was one question. “But why did you tear the letter?”

“…I did so because I realized that becoming my companion would be troublesome for Florentia.”

“You tore His Majesty’s letter for that one reason?”

“That one reason is enough.”

Rulac was silent for a moment, then blurted out, “That much, I like.” And then he gave Perez a quick once-over and turned away. “I came out of a meeting, so I need to go back. Second Prince, since you’re already at my house, please rest sufficiently before returning. I will send a separate reply about the letter. And Gallahan.”

“Yes, Father.”

“You go back and rest, quickly.”

“…Yes.”

Rulac, leaving the office again, headed for the great conference room where people were waiting. Then he suddenly stopped and called out to his butler, Mark, who was following behind him. “Find a famous physician in the capital and bring him here. Don’t tell anyone, and be careful.” Rulac hadn’t given up on Gallahan yet. Even if it was Tlenbru disease, he intended to find a cure for it, no matter what.

“That’s what money is for.” Rulac steadied his weakening heart and returned to the conference room.
***
Viese was walking frantically down the corridor. Normally, he would have contacted Doctor O’Malley to visit his quarters, but he couldn’t wait. A moment ago, he had seen Gallahan heading to the patriarch’s office with the Second Prince and had rushed here in a single breath. He got a little lost since he hadn’t been to this area before, but he soon found the doctor’s research lab.

BANG!

With a loud noise, the door burst open, and a startled Doctor O’Malley rushed out. “How did you get here! If you had sent someone, I would have come…”

“Gallahan, what disease is it?”

“Y-yes…? What do you mean?”

“Don’t even think about lying to me. I know Gallahan’s leg isn’t really broken.” Viese’s words were half bluff. He already knew there had been a commotion after the Founding Festival banquet. But the commotion he had heard about through others was only about the two princes drawing swords at each other, there was no mention of Gallahan breaking his leg. However, Gallahan had returned to the mansion unable to walk much earlier than expected, and had been recuperating for several days since. Although they had spread rumors that his leg was broken, Viese harbored suspicions.

“W-well, that is…”

As expected, Doctor O’Malley couldn’t answer immediately and fidgeted. Viese whispered to the doctor in a friendly tone to coax him. “Look here, Doctor O’Malley. I already know everything, so I came! I’m just asking because I wonder if I, as his older brother, can be of any help to my younger brother.” The doctor hesitated for a moment but soon fell for it.

“…Even if you knew the name of the disease, there wouldn’t be much you could do to help.”

“What… what do you mean? What on earth is Gallahan suffering from?”

“T-Tlenbru disease…”

Viese’s movements instantly stopped.

“Tlen… bru. Isn’t that a fatal disease?” His voice trembled slightly. Doctor O’Malley closed his eyes tightly, feeling as if he had returned to the day he told the patriarch and Gallahan himself the diagnosis. Even though Viese didn’t have a good relationship with his brother, he must be heartbroken that his brother had a fatal illness, the doctor thought.

But then.

“Hahaha! …Puhahaha!” Viese burst into laughter. After laughing so hard his back bent, Viese exclaimed with a wide smile, “Heaven is giving me an opportunity!”

His face looked as if a ten-year-old blockage had been cleared. Pure joy permeated every sound of his laughter. There was not a single hint of a person about to lose his younger brother to a terrible disease.

“Thank you, Gallahan! Thank you!” Viese continued to laugh for a long time, unaware that Doctor O’Malley was looking at him with a disgusted expression.
***
After leaving my grandfather’s office and parting ways with my father, Perez and I headed to the garden on the annex side. Lauriel went back to the house to help my father. We reached a quiet spot where a fountain flowed, and I turned to Perez.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“…Me?”

“Yes, you. Why are you so gloomy, so quiet, and why are you watching me so closely?” Perez was walking so carefully that he barely made a sound, like someone walking on thin ice. And that bothered me.

“Because it seems like you’re thinking something, Tia. And… with your father’s situation, too.” Perez was being considerate of me. For a moment, I felt ridiculous for getting annoyed. He’s only thirteen, and he’s checking on my mood, while I’m just getting angry. I sighed softly and said, “Don’t worry about my father. Of course, he’s got a bad illness, but he won’t die.”

“Do you know the name of the disease?” Perez asked cautiously.

“Tlenbru.”

“Ah…” Perez tried his best to maintain a calm expression, but failed. Just the way he was looking at me with worried, puppy-like eyes was a dead giveaway. But I put my hands on my hips and said, “There’s someone coming right now who created the cure for Tlenbru disease. With the cure.”