In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 8

The Patriarch’s command was to have Florentia participate in the lessons.
However, Clerivan’s own doubts were too great to simply obey without verifying it himself.
A seven-year-old reading such a book?
Was that utterly cold man becoming a doting parent in front of his granddaughter?
Clerivan thought as he knocked on the door of the room Gallahan and Florentia were using.
Receiving Gallahan’s surprised greeting, he stepped inside and found Florentia reading a book in a corner of the parlor.
The child was conspicuously reading the green-covered People of the South.
‘She can’t possibly be actually reading it.’
Clerivan hadn’t believed Rulac’s words from the start.
He had no intention of risking the atmosphere of the lessons he had carefully established by bringing in another clueless seven-year-old.
His plan was to confirm today that Florentia was merely looking at the book as if it were a picture book and then convince the Patriarch.
“Tia, come here.”
At Gallahan’s call, Florentia closed her book and walked over.
She was a child with curly brown hair tied with a ribbon and fair, rosy cheeks typical of children, exuding a lively energy.
However, despite that, Florentia still looked far too young.
Especially when she sat on her father’s lap.
But there was one thing.
One thing that shook Clerivan’s certainty.
The sharp intelligence brimming in her bright green eyes, which perfectly resembled her father, Gallahan’s.
How many seven-year-olds would meet the gaze of a stranger who was deliberately staring at them, smiling brightly without averting their eyes?
“…Indeed.”
It was understandable why the Patriarch said this child strongly inherited his blood.
Florentia certainly seemed closer in personality to her grandfather, Rulac, than to her father, Gallahan.
However, she was still just a child.
Even if she showed courage and boldness later, that was an entirely different story from the hypothesis of having a genius mind capable of reading and understanding specialized texts at seven.
But Clerivan’s thoughts shattered as he began to converse with Florentia.
“I haven’t read much yet, but it says there are strange people living in the forest in the southern part of the Empire. This book tells stories about them.”
To his surprise, the child had accurately grasped the book’s content.
She might have just heard this much from someone.
Clerivan tried not to be swayed by this thought.
“What is the name of the author who wrote this book?”
“It says ‘Rophili’ on the cover, doesn’t it?”
“What was the content of Chapter 1?”
“That person, Rophili, was talking about how they heard rumors about the southern people.”
“Hmm…”
But despite his continuous questions, Florentia answered without hesitation, leaving him speechless.
Was this child truly understanding everything she read?
Clerivan’s confusion didn’t end there.
“Rophili isn’t ‘he.’ It’s ‘she.'”
“Eh?”
“It says so in the preface.
Full name is Avane Rophili. She’s a female scholar.”
To be corrected by the young Florentia herself.
Although People of the South was a book he had read a long time ago, it was a mistake not to have known that Rophili, the author and narrator, was female.
It was the result of carelessly assuming that someone who published such a famous research book would be male.
Clerivan’s face flushed with embarrassment as he realized his mistake right in front of Florentia’s clear eyes.
“You said you’d already read it. You must have skimmed it.”
In the end, he was even teased by the child.
The moment he thought her smile, with just the corners of her lips curled up, looked very familiar, Clerivan frowned.
This child truly resembles the Patriarch.
Even that infuriating smile is an exact replica.
“You will participate in the lessons from the sixth day of next week.”
However, Clerivan, who emerged from Gallahan’s room, was now smiling.
“I thought of changing jobs because this education official position was too tedious. Maybe I’ll try a little longer.”
This child might make teaching a bit more enjoyable.
Clerivan, his motivation renewed after a long time, hurriedly returned to his office to prepare for the lessons.
“The sun’s out after a long time, shall we go for a picnic in the garden?”
Father, who was enjoying a leisurely afternoon, made a sudden suggestion.
“Let’s pack plenty of your favorite delicious cakes and cookies, Tia, and get some sun.
Oh, it would be good to stop by Dr. Omally’s first.”
Aha.
Father’s intention was clear at a glance.
He thought I would dislike going to the hospital, so he was trying to entice me with a picnic full of delicious treats.
It’s already been a week since Dr. Omally mentioned it.
I nodded, thinking how quickly time flew.
Father smiled brightly and moved quickly before I could change my mind.
Seeing that the picnic basket was already prepared, it seemed he had planned this in advance.
He really had a charming side.
With that, I took Father’s hand and headed to Dr. Omally’s infirmary.
Inside the consulting room, which opened with a creak, there was Dr. Omally and another person.
“Oh?”
The blonde woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, was nodding as she listened to Dr. Omally, seemingly receiving instructions.
“You’ve arrived.”
Even as Dr. Omally greeted us, my eyes didn’t leave the woman.
Noticing my gaze, Father asked who she was, and the woman, perhaps startled, replied in a faint voice.
“Oh, I’m Dr. Omally’s apprentice, Estira.”
She didn’t seem that timid.
She appeared surprised by the sudden situation of the patriarch’s son speaking to her.
“Now, shall we take a look at your wrist?”
Dr. Omally smiled and approached me.
But I quickly turned into Father’s embrace, avoiding the doctor’s touch.
“Tia?”
“Haha, it seems the young lady is suddenly feeling shy.”
Father seemed surprised by my uncharacteristic behavior.
“Why is our Tia like this? Are you scared?”
I shook my head vigorously and then said,
“That unnie…”
“Hmm? Say that again, Tia.”
“Let that unnie do it.”
My words surprised all three of them.
It was Dr. Omally who broke the awkward silence that had lingered for a moment.
“It seems Estira has taken a liking to the young lady. Then, Estira will handle the examination today.”
“But still…”
“Estira is one of my most talented apprentices, so don’t worry. I will be right here with you. Is that alright with you, Lady Florentia?”
I nodded and approached Estira, holding out my sore wrist.
“Ah… Th-then, just a moment…”
Estira, her face flushed with apparent embarrassment, carefully unwrapped the bandage on my wrist.
Her fingertips were trembling, showing how nervous she was.
Feeling apologetic for causing this situation, I spoke first to divert her attention.
“Is your name Estira, Unnie?”
“Yes, it is.”
“My name is Florentia, and my dad’s name is Gallahan.”
“Oh, is that so…”
She works at Lombardi, so of course she knows our names.
But it’s not bad to reintroduce ourselves.
To help Estira remember us more clearly.
“What do you learn from the doctor, Unnie?”
“I’m learning herbalism.”
“Hee. So you’re going to become a doctor too, Unnie?”
“Yes. Though I still have a long way to go.”
Perhaps because I was chattering away, Estira seemed to relax a bit.
“The swelling has gone down a lot, so I think we can change the medicine, Master.”
“Hmm. Is that so. Go and fetch the Sacos Grass extract.”
At Dr. Omally’s words, I frowned.
I wasn’t worried about whether the medicine would be good, but I was deeply concerned about its taste.
And indeed.
The light green liquid Estira brought looked extremely bitter at first glance.
“Drink this, Tia.”
Father, as if he had been waiting, held out a cookie from the picnic basket.
I reached in and took out three large cookies, holding them in one hand.
Gulp.
I swallowed the trembling bitter medicine in one go and quickly put a cookie in my mouth.
Then I held out one of the remaining two cookies to Dr. Omally.
“Oh, thank you, Young Lady!”
The doctor gratefully popped the cookie into his mouth.
And the other one.
“Unnie, eat.”
Estira’s eyes widened at the cookie suddenly held out in front of her.
“I, I…”
“Because you treated me. It’s delicious.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Estira finally accepted the cookie with both hands.
“Alright, shall we go then?”
Father lifted me into his arms and said cheerfully.
“Goodbye.”
Carried in Father’s arms, I waved to Dr. Omally.
As we moved away, I saw Estira quietly looking down at the cookie I had given her.
“Bye, Unnie!”
When I shouted, she was startled and bowed deeply towards me.
I kept waving.
Next time, should I specifically ask for Estira to come?
I needed to keep seeing her and get close to her.
“Hmm-mm. Hmph-hm.”
Leaning on the windowsill and enjoying the cool breeze, a tune naturally came to my lips.
“You seem particularly happy today. Are you excited about your first lesson tomorrow?”
Well, that’s part of it.
I smiled as I looked at Father, and he smiled back.
Then, he quickly returned to his work, busily drawing something with his hands.
I looked out the window again.
The sky was clear, as if the rain that had been falling until yesterday was a lie.
The air felt even cleaner.
I greedily inhaled the blowing wind, as if to drink it all.
And at the end of that long breath, I saw a carriage bearing the merchant guild’s flag entering the mansion.
I curled the corners of my lips and muttered softly,
“It’s here.”