In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 77

“You… knew it was me?”
“I haven’t met you in person, but I’ve heard and memorized a lot about the Young Lady. I apologize for being rude earlier, as it seemed you didn’t wish to reveal yourself.”
Such thoroughness!
Indeed, it’s just like Violet Riffe.
I smiled and extended a hand to Violet, offering a handshake.
“Nice to meet you, Violet.”
“You knew my name?”
Violet’s eyes widened.
“I just heard it, and I also tend to memorize important things when it comes to the garment shop.”
“Oh, my…”
Violet chuckled softly.
But her sharp eyes were still trying to read me incessantly.
Violet Riffe.
In my previous life, she was Clerivan’s right-hand woman and the second-in-command of Pellet Merchant Guild.
Clerivan’s genius intuition was important for Pellet Merchant Guild’s remarkable growth in a short period, but Violet’s meticulous management was also indispensable.
It was a fantastic duo, with Clerivan boldly leading the business upfront, and Violet meticulously overseeing everything from behind.
Without a person named Violet Riffe, the suddenly rising ‘Pellet Merchant Guild’ would not have existed.
Seeing her handling things just now, I don’t think I need to worry even if she’s younger than the Violet of that era.
Is this how my grandfather felt when he saw talented individuals?
I smiled broadly at Violet.
“Tia?”
Just then, I heard a voice calling me.
It was my father, who had just entered the garment shop.
“Dad!”
When I ran and hugged him, my father’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“How did you get here…”
“Because I can go out starting today!”
“Yes, that’s right…”
My father chuckled hollowly, patting my back.
“To think the day would come when I’d accidentally run into Tia outside like this…”
My father’s murmuring voice was choked with emotion, as if moved by his daughter’s growth.
Oh, my father.
“How did you know Dad was here?”
My father usually goes to the office at the Lombardi main branch or the imperial capital branch.
This branch had only recently opened, making it one of the places my father frequently visited.
“Clerivan told me!”
Clerivan, who had just entered and was handing his coat to a garment shop employee, flinched.
“Clerivan?”
Receiving my father’s gaze, Clerivan cleared his throat and explained.
“Lady Florentia asked about your schedule, saying she wanted to surprise Lord Galahan…”
“I see… Haha.”
“Dad, shall we go outside?”
I asked, holding my father’s hand.
“I think that’s a good idea.”
My father looked around and nodded.
By now, everyone in the garment shop was looking at us.
It wasn’t an unpleasant gaze like ‘Who’s making so much noise?’
Rather, it was like accidentally running into a famous actor or celebrity, a surprised whispering among themselves.
“To actually see the famous Galahan Lombardi and his daughter!”
“Oh, how cute!”
“Then the man behind them is Clerivan Pellet!”
Their murmuring was growing louder, loud enough for their conversations to be heard.
“Let’s go eat something delicious!”
It was lunchtime anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to interrupt my father’s work a little.
When I said that, my father also smiled broadly and nodded.
“Okay, Tia, what do you want to eat?”
Where should we go?
A list of delicious restaurants I wanted to visit but had to hold back from since my regression flashed through my mind.
***

Despite his appearance, which suggested he might enjoy fruits or light vegetarian meals, my father was a thorough meat-eater and was very satisfied with the restaurant I led him to.
It was a place I used to visit on a whim when I got my paycheck in my previous life; not particularly fancy, but famous for its excellent oven-roasted large chunks of meat.
“Let’s come here again later, Young Lady!”
Lauriel was also happy.
But Clerivan’s reaction was a bit different.
“Clerivan, are you okay?”
I asked Clerivan, who had stopped eating, put down his fork, and was wiping his mouth with a napkin.
I wondered if he was sick.
“I’m fine. It just doesn’t quite suit my taste.”
“Oh, no, Clerivan doesn’t really like meat.”
Lauriel almost habitually called him ‘brother,’ but then corrected herself, realizing we were outside.
“Huh?”
He looks like a complete carnivore, though?
“He looks like he’d take a bite of a rare steak, blood dripping, chew it thoroughly, then drink red wine and ‘hmph’ with a smile!”
“…Your example is very specific.
But I don’t particularly like meat.”
“I didn’t know that either.”
My father said, cutting a large piece of meat, looking surprised.
“Then what kind of food do you usually like?”
“I prefer light salads or seafood-based dishes. But there aren’t many restaurants like that, so I usually cook for myself.”
“You cook too?”
It was a continuous string of surprises.
He seemed like the type of person who would only have a bed as furniture at home.
To think such a person cooks for himself at home.
“Then, just a moment!”
I ordered another dish from the menu.
It was a refreshing salad of freshly prepared and grilled seafood mixed with leafy greens, a popular menu item here besides the roast.
“Wow.”
Clerivan, who took a bite without much expectation, was surprised.
“It’s delicious, isn’t it, Clerivan?”
“Yes. Thank you for your consideration, Lady Florentia.”
“Since we’re eating, it’s good if everyone enjoys it!”
It was heartwarming to see Clerivan eating at a noticeably faster pace than before.
I rested my chin on one hand and watched him, and then, seeing that my father’s meal was almost finished, I brought up the main point.
“Dad. Give me Clerivan.”
“Cough!”
“…Gag!”
For some reason, both my father and Clerivan simultaneously choked.
“Dad, are you okay? Clerivan, here you go.”
I handed water to the two, who were coughing so hard their faces turned bright red.
“What, cough, what on earth are you talking about, Tia!”
My father asked, still coughing, his mouth covered with a napkin.
Then, uncharacteristically for my father, he glared at Clerivan.
“Clerivan. Explain yourself.”
“No, I, well… is there some misunderstanding…?”
Clerivan was so flustered that he was wiping the sweat from his forehead with the napkin he had used to wipe his mouth.
I intervened before any more misunderstandings could arise and explained.
“It’s exactly as I said. I’ll need Clerivan’s help from now on. Clerivan, did you submit your resignation to grandfather?”
“Yes. I submitted it yesterday.”
Clerivan had ended his employment with grandfather as we had discussed beforehand.
I heard that grandfather seemed a bit shocked, but still told Clerivan to ‘speak up if he needed anything in the future’.
My father had stopped coughing and was now looking at Clerivan and me with serious eyes.
“For now, it will be possible to combine it with the garment shop’s work. But later on…” As I spoke, I felt a little sorry for my father.
Starting a new venture with me was certainly a better opportunity for Clerivan, but my father had managed the ready-to-wear business with him until now.
“Yes. Let’s do that, Clerivan.”
But my father’s answer was simple and clear.
“The garment shop is stable now, so it will be fine. Tia will need Clerivan’s help more than I will.”
My father didn’t fully understand the relationship between Clerivan and me.
He just seemed to think that I had decided to start something with Clerivan’s help as a practical manager.
Considering my age, that was the most plausible explanation.
No one would think that I would proactively run a business with Clerivan as the executive.
“Please take good care of Tia in the future, Clerivan.”
When my father said that with a smile, Clerivan nodded.
Fortunately, my father and Clerivan said they were returning to the office to rest after finishing all their appointments.
My father still had a few things to discuss with Violet, but Clerivan’s tasks were all completed.
So I took Clerivan and Lauriel to my third destination for the day.
It was a bustling commercial area not far from Galahan Garment Shop.
However, it was a place where many carriages passed by, as it was some distance from the market and the main road was wide open.
I led the two of them to a three-story building located on the corner.
“This is it, Lauriel, right?”
“Yes. It is. The former owner said he’d wait here… Ah, there he is!”
Lauriel greeted a middle-aged man warmly and approached him.
“Where is this, Lady Florentia?”
Clerivan looked around and asked me.
“You’ll know soon enough.” The man referred to as ‘former owner’ led us to the first floor of the building.
The interior was already cleared of all belongings and empty, with only a small table placed in the center.
And from his pocket, he pulled out a contract.
It was a contract mostly filled out, with only a few blank spaces and the final signature remaining.
“Now, what is the name of the building’s new owner?”
Lauriel, who was asked the question, looked at me.
“Write Clerivan Pellet.”
“…Lady Florentia?”
I heard Clerivan’s voice calling me softly from beside me, but I didn’t look at him.
“Clerivan Pellet… Well, it’s all filled out now, so just pay the balance and have Clerivan sign here, and it’s done.”
The man signed the section with his name and put down the quill pen.
“The balance is here.”
I said, placing the money pouch I had brought on the table.
It was my allowance pouch, brought from home.
“Cash… Let me count it for a moment.”
While the owner counted the gold coins in the pouch, I turned to Clerivan.
“From today, this will be our office.”
“But why my name…”
“Because this building belongs to Clerivan.”
“But…”
“Because I’m a Lombardi, my grandfather would know about any building I acquire, sooner or later. I can’t have that, so it’s right for Clerivan to be the owner of the building.”
“Is that so…”
“But apart from that, this building is truly Clerivan’s. It’s a gift for a good start to our future together.”
Clerivan stood still for a long time, unable to speak.
In the meantime, the former owner finished counting the coins and confirmed that the balance was correct.
“Now, Clerivan. Sign here.”
I handed the quill pen to Clerivan.
He took it, rolled it in his hand for a moment, then boldly wrote his name.
“Thank you, Young Lady.”
After signing, Clerivan bowed to me.
The former owner, satisfied with the contract, put the contract back into his pocket and then turned to us and asked,
“Oh, and when I file the report, I need to register the building’s new name with the office. What will it be?”
“Pellet Merchant Guild.”
I replied.
“Please register it as ‘Pellet Merchant Guild,’ named after Clerivan Pellet’s surname.”