In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 78

There was a visitor at the Empress’s palace again today.
It was the Angenas family head, her father.
“What did you just say?”
Lavini turned around, glaring at the family head.
“Julietta Aveino, singing at the Lombardi banquet?”
The Empress’s accumulated resentment towards Julietta, who was rapidly rising as an opera singer and had recently become the Emperor’s new lover, was considerable.
The fact that such a Julietta had performed a congratulatory show at the banquet of her rival, Lombardi, was the last straw, and her pent-up anger finally exploded.
“Aargh!”
Screaming, the Empress began to throw everything in sight.
There was no exception for the transparent crystal vase, nor the teacup and teapot that the maid had just brought in.
Only after dozens of sharp crashes echoed, making the reception room floor a mess, did the Empress stop her tantrum.
“Haa, haa…”
Her neatly tied-up hair had come loose and swayed with each of the Empress’s ragged breaths.
“…That woman, she sided with Lombardi, didn’t she?”
Thud. The Empress, sitting on the reception room sofa, gripped the armrest and spoke.
“It seems to have started when she became a promotional model for Gallahan’s clothing store.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
The Empress bit her lip.
It wasn’t because of the Emperor’s infidelity.
They had been in such a relationship from the beginning.
Lavini herself had several lovers she met secretly.
They were a couple formed purely out of mutual give-and-take, so there was no reason to be angry about extramarital affairs.
However, if it jeopardized her standing in aristocratic society, that was a different story.
The countless women who had passed through the Emperor’s hands had never been a match for Lavini.
On the contrary, she had even kept and used those who showed promise and knew how to obey her.
But Julietta was not that kind of person.
She loved to be the center of attention everywhere and wanted to be the focus of all eyes.
The problem was that all that attention and gaze should belong to Lavini.
“I’ll have to take action soon.”
At Lavini’s chilling words, the Angenas family head quietly lowered his gaze.
Lavini’s cruelty sometimes gave even her father chills.
“That plan is progressing without a hitch, isn’t it, Father?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“We must get it into our hands. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when we’ll get another.”
Lavini’s eyes blazed as if a vivid blue flame had ignited within them.
“…Your Majesty is right.”
The Angenas family head tightly closed his mouth and picked up his teacup, which was left alone on the table.
***

The Lombardi family gathered around the table for the first time in a long while.
It was a Lombardi family dinner.
As usual, children and adults were divided into two tables.
Lorraine and Bellezac had already arrived.
I greeted Lorraine with a smile.
“Hi, Lorraine.”
“Hi.”
And I sat down without a greeting with Bellezac.
Immediately after, Astaliu and the Craney brothers arrived.
“You sit here!”
Astaliu roughly pulled his younger brother to the seat next to him.
Craney stumbled, his face completely downcast.
It seemed he disliked Craney associating with me.
It was obvious he intended to make his brother Bellezac’s minion, just like himself.
“I want to sit over there…”
Craney mumbled, looking at the seat next to me with a tearful voice.
But Astaliu intimidated Craney with an even fiercer face.
Sigh.
I sighed inwardly and said, “Craney, come here.”
Hearing my call, Craney brightened and briefly glanced at Astaliu.
“It’s okay, come here.”
After a moment of hesitation, Craney finally scurried over and settled into the seat next to me.
I whispered into Craney’s ear.
“From now on, if Astaliu bothers you, run to your mother. Understand?”
Loretta detested Astaliu’s violence towards Craney.
Perhaps even now, Astaliu was gently bothering Craney, avoiding his mother’s watchful eyes.
“Yes!”
Craney still looked at Astaliu with a hint of anxiety but nodded brightly with a smile.
Sigh, I guess I’ll have to play with him more often.
In fact, playing with Astaliu doesn’t help Craney at all.
It only has a negative influence.
Craney sat between Lorraine and me, and Lorraine took care of him, pouring water for him and looking after various things, as his arms were still short.
“Tia, hello.”
The twins joined the table.
But their faces didn’t look good.
It seemed like they were in this state last time too.
“What’s wrong with your faces?”
Their uncharacteristic gloom bothered me.
“Well…”
Mayron hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Giliou nod slightly, he spoke.
“Father and Mother haven’t been getting along very well lately.”
“The two of them?”
Shananet and Vestian, the couple who were so lovey-dovey they could make lovebirds jealous?
“They’ve never fought in front of us before. But today…”
“They had quite a big fight.”
The twins said, looking dejected.
“What did they fight about?”
“I’m not sure, but it seemed to be about the families.”
“‘Lombardi’ and ‘Schulz,’ those words came up often.”
A fight involving the names of both families.
“Was that why you stayed at the Schulz’s place for so long last time?”
“It seems they both need a little distance.”
Mayron said quite calmly.
“I just hope we don’t have to choose one parent over the other.”
Giliou said, almost resignedly.
Ah, come to think of it, it was around this time.
I remembered Shananet and Vestian’s divorce.
I looked at the table where the adults were eating.
Shananet was eating silently with a pale complexion, but Vestian looked no different than usual.
He was constantly laughing and talking, as cheerful as ever.
They were two completely contrasting people.
Just then, I saw Father finish his meal and greet Grandfather.
He was excusing himself to leave early because he was busy today.
Father gave me a warm smile one last time and then left the dining room.
And then, I saw Viese follow him out.

“Gallahan.”
Gallahan, busy leaving for work, turned around at the unwelcome voice calling him.
It was Viese.
“I haven’t received your apology yet, though.”
To stop someone who was rushing out, only to bring up an apology.
Gallahan sighed inwardly and said, “I have never done anything to apologize for, brother.”
“Do you not remember chasing me out of the banquet?”
“I did not chase you out of the banquet. When you said you didn’t like Tia’s birthday banquet, I merely told you to leave.”
Viese’s face quickly flushed.
There was a time when Gallahan had feared that fiery temper.
But now, he even felt sorry for his eldest brother.
He had learned that a temper that charged ahead without thinking only made a person seem foolish.
“You.”
Viese leaned in threateningly, but Gallahan stood with his hands behind his back, neither backing away nor moving forward.
“You seem to be acting so dissolutely because you trust Father. How long do you think Father will remain so vigorous?”
Gallahan couldn’t believe his ears.
And he felt a sense of despair.
Viese had truly been blinded by lust for power.
To the extent that he would speak ill of Rulac, his father, let alone his own brother.
Gallahan hardened his resolve once more.
It was the resolve he had made when he was awarded the medal and the Chesayu region this time.
“Brother.”
Gallahan spoke calmly, but with a warning in his voice.
“I have no interest whatsoever in the position of Lombardi family head. And I believe you know that well.”
Viese flinched slightly, but a wary look still lingered in his eyes.
Gallahan sighed and continued.
“When the time comes, I will leave this mansion and go to Chesayu.”
“…Are you serious?”
“This Lombardi might seem like the most valuable thing in the world to you, brother, but I have no intention of letting my daughter live in this mud pit.”
Tia was more precious than anything in this world.
So Gallahan intended to keep his daughter away from the Lombardi bloodline.
To live freely, like a human being, breathing freely.
“So do not touch us. I have warned you.”
Gallahan glared at Viese one last time, then turned his back and walked away.
Left alone, Viese was extremely displeased with his impertinent younger brother’s attitude, but he thought he had at least received a surrender.
To think things would unfold so easily!
To say with his own mouth that he had no interest in the family head position!
It felt as refreshing as a toothache being cured.
A satisfied smile naturally formed on his face.
This way, there would be no fight with Gallahan over the family head position.
Viese now believed there were no remaining rivals.
***

“Teacher, congratulations on your opening!”
I handed a small potted plant I had bought at a flower shop on the way to Clerivan.
The newly hired employees of the trading company smiled at me as if I were cute.
Publicly, Clerivan had highly praised my potential, arranging for him to continue teaching me even after his employment contract with Lombardi ended.
This was a measure to prevent anyone from finding it strange if I frequented the trading company in the future.
“I’ll find a place for the pot.”
A polite employee of the trading company, who had appeared out of nowhere, quickly took the pot from my hands.
“Shall we go upstairs then?”
Clerivan led me to the third floor, where the office was.
As I entered the office, I saw Violet, who was already waiting with tea prepared.
This time, she was a crucial member of the Pellet Trading Company whom I had insisted Clerivan bring along.
Click.
The door closed, leaving only the three of us in the office.
And I naturally took the highest seat.
“Now that the trading company has successfully opened, we should set our first goal, right?”
At my words, Clerivan and Violet nodded with serious faces.
Their dependable appearance made me feel as if I had gained a thousand allies.
I cleared my throat slightly and began to speak.
“Our Pellet Trading Company’s first goal is a mine.”