In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 87

“You picked it up on the way?”
“Just open it and see.”
Perez looked at me again, then carefully opened the box.
As soon as a little sunlight touched it, a gem that split into hundreds and thousands of sparkles, emitting an even more brilliant light, was revealed.
“Is this… a diamond?”
It was a diamond brooch specially made for Perez.
He just stared at the diamond, which he had never seen before, without touching it.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
“…It’s dazzling.”
That’s a vague impression.
Honestly, feeling a little disappointed, I deliberately spoke with extra emphasis.
“I had it custom-made for you.”
“I like it.”
He answered immediately, without even a half-second of thought.
Though his change of attitude seemed a bit quick.
“Don’t just look at it. Try it on and see if it suits you.”
I tried to act cool.
But I couldn’t overcome my impatience and spoke.
Perez hesitated for a moment, then took out the brooch and pinned it to his chest.
The gem, polished with the most brilliant technique among Croyley’s proud cuts, was so dazzling it hurt the eyes, yet it was so beautiful that one couldn’t stop looking at it.
“Wow.”
Kailus let out a small gasp from behind.
I fully agreed with that sentiment.
The brooch was worth its price, as it was made solely for Perez.
Not only the high-purity, large diamond, but also the harmony with the obsidian polished in the same way made it even more so.
“I knew it would suit you well.”
I felt proud, as Perez’s beauty seemed to be enhanced even further.
Kailus and Catherine also nodded vigorously, agreeing with me.
“Thank you.”
Perez kept staring at the diamond, as if still amazed.
“But it must have been very expensive.”
“Hmm. A little?”
Not just a little.
If I had tried to buy this brooch with money, it would have cost hundreds of gold.
It was even more so because diamonds were in such high demand these days that their value had soared several times over.
I shrugged and admonished Perez.
“Wear it beautifully everywhere. It’ll suit you anywhere.”
Perez fiddled with the brooch on his chest and nodded.
But then he put the brooch back into the box.
“I’ll wear it on a special day.”
“Well, it’s up to the person who received the gift.”
Seeing the subtle smile on his lips, Perez seemed to be in a very good mood.
I was too.
Funnily enough, giving a gift to Perez made me feel like the owner of a diamond mine.
“Shall we go back soon…”
I was about to suggest returning to Phorak Palace because it felt a bit chilly.
“Hmm? We have guests.”
Emperor Jovanes’s familiar, deep voice was heard.
The Emperor was not alone.
Behind the Emperor, who entered the garden where we were, with his hands clasped behind his back, were the Empress and Astana.
The Empress, who had probably intended to spend time with the Emperor and Astana, made no attempt to hide her discomfort.
And my eyes met Astana’s, who had been looking at me first.
Astana, now fifteen, was fully in his adolescence.
He looked closer to the “First Prince Astana” I remembered.
“Greetings to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, and His Royal Highness the First Prince.”
I quickly stood up and greeted them according to etiquette.
“I wondered who it was, and it was you.”
Jovanes looked at me and Perez with curious eyes.
And finally, he spoke to me in a friendly voice.
“It’s been quite a while, Florentia. Was the last time when Gallahan received the Order of National Foundation?”
His smiling face as he said that truly resembled a friendly uncle next door.
It was hard to imagine that he was, in fact, more cunning and quicker at political calculations than anyone else.
However, I was no less.
Whether his attitude towards Perez was unpleasant, or his act of weighing his children to gain his own advantage was annoying.
Nevertheless, Jovanes was the Emperor of this empire.
I deliberately smiled brightly, as if embarrassed, and said.
“It is an honor that you remember even such things, Your Majesty.”
“…” Jovanes’s eyes widened, then he smiled and said.
“You certainly know how to speak beautifully.”
“Thank you for your kind regard, Your Majesty.”
Polite and cute.
But at the same time, not intimidated, and firm.
Because I am Lombardi.
I smiled brightly, not avoiding the Emperor’s gaze.
Then a peculiar light flashed in the Emperor’s eyes.
The Emperor, who had been subtly looking at me for a moment, turned his head slightly to look at the Empress and said.
“There’s no better place for a cup of tea than this. How about joining us here, Empress?”
When the Emperor spoke like that, the Empress’s reply was fixed.
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
However, she did not forget to glare at Perez as if to kill him.
Additional tables and chairs were placed where I and Perez had been.
A very awkward and uncomfortable gathering was arranged.
Astana and Perez, who happened to be sitting across from each other, didn’t even look at each other, and the Emperor, disregarding the uncomfortable atmosphere, leisurely drank his tea alone.
Did he only care about his own comfort, regardless of others?
He was a truly annoying Emperor.
Then my eyes met Astana’s again.
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
It was an extremely uncomfortable tea time.
Ah, I want to go home quickly.
The Emperor asked me, who was regretting that I should have just stayed in Phorak Palace.
“Is Gallahan completely well now?”
“Yes. Fortunately, the medicine was effective, and he recovered without any side effects.”
“That’s a relief.”
The Empress interjected into the conversation.
What a relief.
When she tried to take away my father’s ready-to-wear business.
“And Second Prince.”
The Empress called Perez.
“…Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”
When Perez reluctantly replied, she said with a slightly triumphant smile.
“It would be better to receive guests in Phorak Palace from now on. That is the Second Prince’s space.”
In short, she meant for him to stay cooped up in Phorak Palace and not wander outside.
No, why?
While you and Astana are walking around perfectly fine?
I was just going to drink my tea quietly, but I can’t do that.
I answered instead.
“It’s my fault, Your Imperial Majesty.”
With a face full of distress.
“I wanted to see this garden, so I begged His Royal Highness the Second Prince. Please scold me.”
The Empress was momentarily flustered, then cleared her throat.
“Hmm. Well, if the Lombardi Young Lady says so, I’ll overlook it this time…”
“I heard that people who enter the Imperial Palace can freely enter and exit here.
It’s my fault for misunderstanding… I’m truly sorry, Your Majesty.”
I immediately shifted the arrow to the Emperor.
In fact, everyone knows that this garden is open to everyone.
The Empress was making an unreasonable argument.
In this situation, what the Emperor could say was fixed.
“…You didn’t misunderstand.
This garden is a place where people can freely enter and exit.”
“Really? Then can I also come to visit sometimes whenever I come to the Imperial Palace, Your Majesty?”
The Emperor glanced at the Empress, then slowly nodded.
“Oh, I’m so happy!”
Since the Emperor said it was okay, the Empress had nothing to say.
I deliberately smiled even more innocently and said to Perez.
“It’s a relief that I can continue to visit the garden. Isn’t it, Your Royal Highness?”
I kicked Perez’s foot under the table.
“Uh-huh. Yes, it is.”
Fortunately, Perez answered appropriately.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
I excluded the Empress from the conversation and continued to smile only at the Emperor.
The Emperor stared at me and then said in a mischievous voice.
“Indeed, a daughter is different.
Florentia, would you like to be my daughter?
There will be much more interesting things if you become my daughter than Gallahan’s daughter.”
He doesn’t even know how much fun I’m having these days with the Pellet Merchant Guild and the mine.
I was dumbfounded, but I giggled and replied slyly.
“I don’t know about my father, but Your Majesty might have to fight with my grandfather. Are you sure you’re okay with that?
My grandfather dotes on me a lot!”
“What?”
The Emperor, surprised by my bold reaction, burst into loud laughter.
“Hahahaha! What a witty child!”
Then, all of a sudden, his voice became subtle.
“Yes. I can tell at a glance that you are loved by the Patriarch. Such high-quality diamonds.”
The Emperor’s gaze was fixed on my hair, as if enchanted.
More precisely, it was my hair clip.
A large diamond the size of a thumbnail was surrounded by smaller, intricate diamonds.
“I heard that diamonds are so popular these days that even small ones are hard to find. To buy such a hair clip for his granddaughter shows extraordinary affection.”
Even as he said that, the Emperor’s eyes couldn’t leave my hair clip.
It was an intense desire.
I had clearly presented the Emperor with something twice that size as soon as the diamond business was established.
And I had also secretly bought several sets of earrings and necklaces through someone.
I knew for sure, as I had personally given Clerivan the approval.
To have such greed for material possessions, even after being born a prince with everything and becoming Emperor.
In some ways, he was a truly remarkable person.
I raised my hand and touched my hair clip, saying.
“This hair clip, I’m embarrassed to say, is not a gift from my grandfather.”
“Then, is it Gallahan?”
“No. I received it from my teacher, Your Majesty.”
“Teacher?”
Jovanes tilted his head.
“Yes. Clerivan Pellet, who runs the Pellet Merchant Guild, is my teacher.”
“Oh, Clerivan Pellet?”
Jovanes seemed genuinely surprised, as if he truly hadn’t known.
“Is he still teaching you even after leaving the Lombardi family?”
“Yes. That’s right, Your Majesty.”
“He must truly cherish you as a student. To take care of you even when he’s so busy!”
“Thanks to his great care, I’m learning a lot by observing him closely.”
“Yes, that kind of hands-on learning is the best.”
I could feel it immediately.
The Emperor’s gaze towards me had changed.
But Astana, who had been quietly sitting there without saying anything, caused a problem.
“What’s this?”
He suddenly took the brooch box that was placed in front of Perez.