In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 67

“Lady Florentia…” Estira hugged me tightly. “I was so surprised to receive your letter.” Her eyes, which had matured since I last saw them, were already brimming with tears.

“So, to research the cure for Tlenbru…” Estira mumbled, as if she had just realized, then quickly shut her mouth when she saw Clerivan and the Lauriel siblings behind me. She was worried that outsiders might learn internal matters.

“Say hello, Estira.” I said, pointing to the people behind me. “This is Lord Clerivan and Lauriel.”

“It’s my first time meeting you. I’m Lauriel Dillard.”

“E-Estira.” Estira was flustered when Lauriel, who, despite being my maid, clearly exuded the aura of a noble lady, greeted her politely. And then Clerivan greeted her. “It’s been a long time, Miss Estira.” Estira had also lived at the Lombardi mansion for a period, so she must have known Clerivan. But that was always Clerivan as my teacher. Not as Florentia’s person.

“It’s okay. You can talk comfortably in front of these two.”

“Yes…” Estira still seemed awkward, even as she nodded. Judging by how she subtly glanced at the two. I led Estira to the guest room I had prepared for her.

“I, I don’t need such a luxurious room, Young Lady!”

“No. Estira is clearly my guest. And I’ve prepared a separate research lab too. I thought about setting it up near Doctor O’Malley’s lab, but I just made it here in the annex. Is that okay?”

“Yes… Thank you.” Estira said, still looking unfamiliar with the luxurious guest room.

“I want Estira to take care of my father in the best possible condition.” At my words, Estira’s eyes changed, and she nodded firmly.

I finally asked the question I had wanted to ask since I first saw Estira. “So… how’s the research progressing?” I had been exchanging letters with her occasionally and knew the general progress. The last letter Estira sent contained concerns about the ratios of various medicinal ingredients. And after receiving my letter informing her of my father’s illness, Estira immediately sent a letter saying she was departing from the academy. A full week had passed since then. I had been hoping that Estira would come with the cure.

“Has the medicine been made?” Instead of answering, Estira opened the bag she had been carefully holding and rummaged through it. The time spent waiting, clenching my fists, felt endlessly long.

“Here it is, Young Lady.” What Estira held out was a small glass bottle containing a dark green liquid.

“This is…”

“Yes. It’s the most effective mixture of medicine I’ve found so far.”

“Haa…” With a short sigh, my body swayed.

“Lady Florentia!”

“Young Lady!”

If it hadn’t been for Clerivan, who startled and caught me, I would have collapsed right there.

“Are you alright?” Clerivan asked with a voice full of concern. I mumbled, without even time to answer Clerivan. “Thank goodness…” It’s truly a relief that there’s a cure. I was scared. Even though it was a future I already knew. I was so afraid of losing my father to illness again.

“Young Lady…” Lauriel gently touched my trembling shoulder.

“It’s not finished yet. We’ll only know after we administer it to Lord Gallahan.”

“How long will it take? Until the medicine takes effect.”

“You’ll know in about two days.”

“I know you must be tired, but can you meet my father now?”

“Of course, Young Lady.” Estira said readily, gathering the medicine and a few books.

“Absolutely not! That’s out of the question!”

“Phew.” This is frustrating. At Doctor O’Malley’s shouting, I finally sighed heavily. The situation began like this. When I took Estira to my father, Grandfather happened to be visiting, and Doctor O’Malley happened to be there for a house call to treat my father’s indigestion. It was a type of complication that arose from a sharp decrease in physical activity.

Upon seeing Estira, Doctor O’Malley’s face immediately contorted. Even after several years, his ill feelings seemed to remain. And when I explained the situation and Estira took out the medicine bottle, Doctor O’Malley burst out in anger like that.

“An unverified medicine! And a medicine made by such a young person!” Doctor O’Malley shouted, his veins standing out on his face. “How dare you administer it to Lord Gallahan!” His voice softened as he realized where he was, but the doctor was still fuming.

“Quiet, Doctor.” Grandfather, frowning, finally spoke.

“B-but, Patriarch. This is truly dangerous.” Doctor O’Malley turned his head and glared at Estira, saying, “Was your name Estira?”

“Yes. I am Estira, researching at the academy thanks to the Lombardi family’s benevolence, Patriarch.”

“So, it just so happens that what you were researching at the academy was a cure for Tlenbru?” By coincidence. Grandfather’s sharp gaze was directed at Estira.

“Yes. That’s right. Actually, while researching another disease, I discovered that a mixture I created happened to be effective against Tlenbru disease.”

“And it just so happens that Gallahan also contracted Tlenbru disease.”

“When I heard about the disease in the letter Lady Florentia sent to inquire about his well-being, how could I, who owes so much to Lombardi’s grace, remain still?” Estira answered brilliantly, but Grandfather continued to look at her with an inscrutable expression.

“Thank you for coming all this way,” my father said, breaking the tense atmosphere. “What is that medicine made of?”

“‘Arojeng’ is the main ingredient, mixed with various other herbs. Here is the list.” Estira readily handed him the list, and my father scanned it. He was well-versed in herbs, being a well-read and knowledgeable man.

“There are many herb names I’ve never seen before.”

“You can find them in this book here…”

“Would it be possible to borrow that book for today?”

“Of, of course.” Estira nodded at my father’s request. My father put the received book aside and said in a calm tone, “Actually, since this morning, I’ve had a strange sensation in my left foot. Perhaps…”

“Hmm.” Grandfather hummed. “So, when I heard this news in a hurry…” My father looked at the small medicine bottle.

“Absolutely not!” Doctor O’Malley shouted, interrupting. “As his primary physician, I absolutely cannot condone this for Lord Gallahan’s safety!” He was citing my father’s safety as the reason, but why did fear show on the doctor’s face? Why did it seem as if he was worried about losing his position?

Despite being insulted to his face, Estira remained calm. She had shown everything she had and stepped back to let my father make a choice.

“Such medicine from an improperly educated physician! It’s dangerous!” The doctor was even pointing his finger at Estira. “Trust me, and it would be wise to slowly treat the symptoms!” He thumped his chest loudly.

Then my father looked at me. As if asking for my opinion.

“There’s no other medicine anyway.” At my words, everyone looked at me. “So. I hope Dad trusts Estira’s medicine for once.” I know this medicine is the only cure that will heal my father’s illness. But I didn’t push it too hard from the beginning because I wanted to confirm that my father also had the will to take the medicine.

“Alright. Let’s do that.” My father’s thinking didn’t last long. “Please, Estira.”

“I will do my best, Lord Gallahan.” Estira bowed deeply.

“This is an outrageous decision! You will regret it!” Doctor O’Malley cursed and slammed the door shut as he left. And that day, my father drank the first dose of the cure.

“What do you mean? The cure isn’t working?” I couldn’t believe my ears. What?

“…To be precise, it’s not that it’s ineffective, but the medicine is only producing about half of its intended effect.” Estira said, her eyes tightly closed. “I apologize, Young Lady…”

“No… way…” That shouldn’t be happening. Estira is clearly the one who made the cure, so my father, who took that cure, should be getting better now.

“Why…” And at that moment, a warning bell rang in my head. The medicine Estira made now could be different from the medicine in my previous life. Clearly, the current Estira is younger and has less research experience than back then. So much has changed. I hadn’t seen that obvious fact until now.

I was staring blankly at one spot when.

BANG!

The door burst open, and Clerivan rushed in.

“Angenas copied the ready-to-wear business!”

“What did you say?!”

“Angenas is trying to get His Majesty the Emperor’s approval to start a ready-to-wear business in the West, just like Gallahan’s Clothing Store!”

“Those crazy fools…” The ready-to-wear business was currently a unique commercial strategy of our Gallahan’s Clothing Store. There was no patent, but my father had even received a Founding Festival medal for ready-to-wear, so it was a business guaranteed by the Emperor as Gallahan Lombardi’s. Knowing this well, Angenas was trying to get permission from the Emperor.

“They’re so greedy they don’t know their mouths will tear.” Gallahan’s Clothing Store’s ready-to-wear business wasn’t simply a result of my father’s skill. It was the result of mobilizing the Lombardi family’s trading companies, textiles, and even connections. Angenas could never handle it.

“Clerivan, right now… Just as I was about to give Clerivan instructions, the door burst open with another loud noise.

“Tia!”

“Tia!”

It was Shananet’s twins. They rushed over and hugged me tightly, their faces a mess of tears and snot.

“What’s wrong, you two?”

“Sniff, we heard. Lord Gallahan…”

“He has Tlenbru disease…” My father’s illness was a secret known only to a very close few and Doctor O’Malley. I gripped the twins’ shoulders tightly and asked, “Where did you hear that?”

“It’s a rumor in the mansion.”

“We heard the maids talking.”

Damn it. If the employees were talking, then the entire mansion probably knew by now.