In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Side Story, Chapter 26

“Ugh.”

My consciousness slowly returned, like rising to the surface from underwater.

The first thing I saw was Catherine’s pale face.

“Are you conscious?”

“I think I’m okay……”

I was lying stretched out on the office sofa.

I clearly remembered feeling the floor when I collapsed.

“What happened, Catherine?”

“You stood up from your chair and suddenly collapsed……”

“Ah, right.”

I remembered the moment just before I collapsed.

Suddenly feeling dizzy and losing my balance.

“Ugh.”

My wrist, which seemed to have instinctively grabbed something, ached.

I shouldn’t get up right now.

“How much time has passed?”

“T-ten minutes or so. Are you really okay?”

I nodded.

But even that small movement made my head spin again, so I wasn’t quite okay.

I sighed once and asked, “Catherine, did you move me to the sofa by yourself?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Anyone else know about this?”

“No, Matriarch.”

I quickly glanced around, trying not to move my head too much.

The office door was still firmly closed, just as it was before I collapsed.

“That was a good call, Catherine.”

It meant not telling anyone.

I looked up at the office ceiling with a slight sense of relief.

The health of the Lombardi family must not be leaked.

When my father collapsed from the Tlenbru disease, my grandfather immediately silenced everyone.

Each of them ran their own businesses, and even if they didn’t, people all over the empire listened intently and reacted sensitively to Lombardi’s every move, big or small, so there was no other way.

So how much more so for information about the Lombardi patriarch’s health?

If rumors spread that I had collapsed.

The thought alone made me dizzy.

Starting with Perez.

For a moment, the thought crossed my mind, ‘Should I tell him?’

But then he would surely drop everything important and rush here.

“First, let’s finalize the guest seating tomorrow. And then.”

I bit my lower lip for a moment, then told Catherine, “Only tell Clerivan, the twins, and Craney about my condition.”

If Lombardi falters, the Empire falters.

So I chose only the minimum number of people who could prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

“And I’d be grateful if you could tell the butler to bring Dr. Estira.”

The construction of Lombardi Hospital was nearing its end.

Thanks to that, Estira was hard to see these days.

She would probably be at the construction site at this hour, so it would take quite some time for her to come to the office.

“Will you be alright alone, Matriarch?”

“I’m much better now that I’m lying down. Please hurry, Catherine.”

“Understood.”

Catherine nodded, still looking worried, and quickly left the office.

Left alone in the office, a deep sigh escaped me again.

The World Tree carved on the office ceiling felt even larger today.

I raised one arm and covered my eyes.

“My body has been a bit strange lately.”

My stamina was lower than ever, and I often felt dizzy.

My appetite was also gradually decreasing.

So my body couldn’t hold up.

“I’m still young, so it probably isn’t a serious illness.”

Still, if it was an illness that required immediate rest or long-term treatment, it would be a headache.

“Perez will worry a lot.”

I really didn’t want to see his dark face.

Even as various thoughts swirled in my mind, closing my eyes brought on fatigue again.

Without even time to consider taking a short nap before Estira arrived, I fell back asleep.

The Grand Conference Room, where Florentia and Lombardi’s retainers usually held meetings.

Five people were gathered there.

“What did you say?”

“The Matriarch collapsed… What do you mean?”

Giliou jumped up, and Clerivan’s face hardened as he asked again.

Mayron’s face was contorted as if he would burst out of his seat at any moment.

“She has regained consciousness and is currently resting.”

“But still, to have collapsed.”

Mayron nervously ran his hands over his face.

Catherine looked at the four horrified people and explained in the calmest tone possible.

“……That’s why I’m informing you all about the Matriarch’s condition.”

A somber atmosphere heavily pressed down on the conference room.

“It might be because of me.”

Craney said with a voice full of tears.

“Because I couldn’t learn quickly enough……”

He remembered a mistake he had made recently.

Because of that, Florentia had to go through an even busier schedule for several days to resolve the issue.

“Has the physician visited?”

Clerivan asked.

Catherine, looking frustrated, shook her head.

“The Matriarch ordered Dr. Estira to be brought. We sent someone immediately, but it will take some time for her to come from the hospital construction site.”

“But then, shouldn’t we at least bring another physician?”

Craney said.

Then Clerivan, instead of Catherine, answered firmly, “No. We cannot allow the Matriarch to be examined by just anyone. Moreover, if the Matriarch’s condition were to be revealed outside by mistake……”

“Tia probably worried about that too, which is why she asked for Dr. Estira.”

Giliou agreed.

Then he and Mayron stood up.

“I need to tell the captain to strengthen the mansion’s security.”

“It might not be an illness that’s making Tia sick.”

At the last words, everyone’s faces turned cold.

It was just a hypothesis, but what if someone had poisoned Lombardi’s matriarch?

“I’ll guard the office for now.”

Mayron told Giliou.

His usual playful demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

The twins looked at each other with unsmiling faces.

Clerivan also rose from his seat, unable to hide his distress.

“Until there are further orders from the Matriarch, let’s all do our best in our respective positions.”

Everyone gathered in the conference room nodded with heavy faces.
***

KNOCK, KNOCK.

A knock echoed in the office.

“Come in.”

At my reply, Estira, breathing slightly heavily, immediately opened the door.

She must have walked as fast as possible, conscious of other gazes, even if she couldn’t run.

“Matriarch, what on earth……”

“It’s nothing serious. I just got dizzy and collapsed for a moment.”

However, at my words, Estira’s complexion grew even paler.

“You lost consciousness?”

“Yes. Just for a moment.”

“There were no symptoms even in last month’s check-up, so why……”

Estira’s voice trembled with anxiety.

The names of all sorts of illnesses that could make a body sick enough to lose consciousness in a short period must have been swirling in her head.

But that was only for a moment.

Estira quickly regained her composure and said, “I will begin the examination, Matriarch.”

The examination process was long and meticulous.

Estira didn’t call her disciples but personally went back and forth between the mansion’s laboratory, using all sorts of examination equipment to check my condition.

With each piece of equipment that was added, I tried to appear calm on the outside, but.

Every time Estira habitually frowned, a little bit of anxiety inevitably built up.

Is it a serious illness?

But I’m still so young.

Then again, my father was also young when the Tlenbru disease developed.

As I lay there, looking up at the World Tree on the ceiling, Estira finally put away her examination tools.

And then, she opened her mouth, which had been closed for a long time.

“Matriarch, have you been feeling more fatigued recently?”

How did she know?

“Yes. I wasn’t lacking sleep, but I kept feeling sleepy.”

“How is your appetite?”

My eyes widened at Estira’s questions, which pinpointed the symptoms I had been experiencing.

“Hmm. My appetite isn’t very good either. My clothes feel a bit loose, so I think I’ve lost weight.”

At my reply, Estira nodded, looking at the medical record in her hand.

“Perhaps.”

I swallowed once and asked, “Is it a serious illness?”

What if Estira says yes?

What about Lombardi, and Perez?

All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind in a very short moment.

“It’s not an illness.”

“Haa.”

A short sigh escaped me, like a string I had been holding snapped.

Thank goodness.

It’s not an illness.

“Wait, it’s not an illness?”

“Yes, that’s right. However, your body is expected to undergo a lot of strain for about the next 8 months.”

Is it my imagination, or is there a faint smile on Estira’s lips?

“And after that, you will need about a year of light recuperation, Matriarch.”

It was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

She said it wasn’t an illness?

“What do you mean, Estira?”

“You are pregnant. Congratulations, Lady Florentia.”