In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Side Story, Chapter 28

“What on earth is this smell?”
I pretended to cough, covering my nose and mouth, and first tried to grasp the situation.
The conference hall, which usually only had simple refreshments, today had food that could replace a meal.
My favorite sandwiches, my favorite tea, and my favorite cake, among others.
I knew at once who had prepared these foods.
Normally, I would have happily enjoyed them.
“…Let’s go to our seats first, Craney.”
Leading Craney to my seat, the smell of food grew stronger and stronger.
It was truly torture.
And when we arrived at my seat, even more food was ostentatiously laid out.
Craney whispered softly so only I could hear.
“These are all your favorite foods, Sister? His Majesty’s consideration is extraordinary.”
“Yes, it is.”
The problem is that the timing is really bad.
I tried my best to breathe shallowly as I sat in the chair.
As I was trying to compose myself, I heard the conversation of some nobles who had completely misunderstood the situation.
“Isn’t this significant? A meal instead of refreshments.”
“Indeed, His Majesty must be saying something indirectly.”
“Right. It means we shouldn’t think of going home easily today.”
That’s not it, you’ve got it all wrong.
I wanted to tell them, but it was hard to even open my mouth right now.
“Sister, are you still feeling very unwell?”
Craney asked worriedly.
Instead of answering, I just nodded and used my thumb and forefinger to push the plate in front of me towards Craney.
“Still, you should eat something.”
“…It’s okay.”
I feel like I’m going to throw up.
I was truly exerting superhuman patience just by not bending over and retching right there.
I looked down at the most foul-smelling item on the plate.
It was a sandwich with thinly sliced ham, cheese, and apple, my favorite snack normally.
But now, I couldn’t even bear to look at it.
“Ahem.”
Looking at it made me feel even more nauseous, so I hastily picked up my teacup.
Fortunately, as the fragrant and calming scent of tea entered, my stomach seemed to settle a little.
As I continued to pretend to drink only tea and avoid the smell, I felt a gaze.
It was a very sharp gaze.
Reluctantly, I lifted my eyes from the red tea, only to find something even redder waiting for me.
It was Perez’s eyes.
‘What, what? When did he arrive?’
I must have been so busy trying to suppress my nausea that I didn’t even notice him arriving in the great hall.
“Why are you staring like that?”
He was always sensitive, but even more so when it came to me, and he seemed to quickly notice that something was amiss.
Because I hadn’t even touched my favorite sandwich.
Eventually, his gaze began to sweep over me from head to toe.
And his usually expressionless face slowly cracked.
A shallow furrow appeared between his perfect brows, and his drawn eyes squinted slightly.
As if he had noticed something.
I instinctively averted my gaze in a hurry.
Unintentionally, I turned my head with a whoosh and hid my expression with the teacup.
“Haa.”
A sigh escaped me.
It felt unsettling to have to keep my pregnancy a secret from Perez.
But I had no choice.
He was making a face like that just because I wasn’t touching the prepared food.
If he found out I was pregnant…
“Sigh.”
I sighed again and shook my head.
At the same time, I took another sip of tea.
“This tea is really good.”
It was something I often drank, but today its scent and taste were particularly different.
Moreover, as the warm tea entered my stomach, the nausea subsided, and the churning in my stomach felt much better.
“Good.”
I should try to find foods that don’t upset my stomach in this way, one by one.
Although it was just tea with little nutritional value, I felt the same emotion as finding a treasure map, encountering a non-nauseating food for the first time in a while.
So I didn’t know.
The fact that Perez’s face, still watching me, had completely hardened.

After the grand conference, in the Emperor’s office.
The atmosphere was serious.
The heavy air, as if the ceiling of the Great Lambru Empire’s Imperial Palace was about to collapse, made it impossible for Perez’s aides and close associates, who had gathered immediately after the meeting, to even breathe properly.
They were all watching one person, Perez.
After a very long silence, he finally spoke.
“Everyone leave, except for the three of you.”
The ‘three’ here referred to the Academy’s Three Musketeers.
The officials, who had secretly let out a sigh of relief, all hastily left the office.
However, Perez remained silent for a while longer.
He sat with his long legs crossed, staring into space with a cold face.
The Three Musketeers quickly exchanged silent glances.
‘It seems he’s really angry this time, isn’t he?’
‘It seems so. It’s on a different level from last time.’
‘Someone say something.’
At a nudge to his side, Regnite Luman finally spoke cautiously.
“Your Majesty, although it wasn’t the bill we initially proposed, you did succeed in revitalizing the Academy, didn’t you?”
Then, his dark, ruby-like eyes slowly slid towards Regnite.
He flinched.
He had been a close friend and confidant, sticking by Perez’s side since they were teenagers, but he couldn’t help but feel extremely nervous under Perez’s gaze.
“The nobles were initially completely opposed to mandatory Academy education. To impose a six-month mandatory Academy education on one person per generation, against such opposition, is clearly an encouraging achievement.”
“Indeed it is.”
Perez replied unexpectedly docilely.
“The beginning is important. The Academy will soon become a social gathering place for young nobles. Then, regardless of obligation, the number of those who complete Academy education will naturally increase. I am satisfied with the results of today’s grand conference.”
“Th-then…?”
Why are you looking so gloomy?
A large, unspoken question mark floated above the heads of Regnite and the other two.
“Something’s wrong.”
“Your Majesty, if you could tell us what’s wrong…”
“Tia didn’t eat her sandwich.”
“…Pardon?”
What, really.
Of course.
Such expressions briefly crossed the faces of the three.
“A sandwich…?”
Is that really such a serious matter?
That the Lombardi Matriarch didn’t eat a sandwich?
They felt deflated.
But since he was satisfied with the results of the grand conference, perhaps they should be relieved.
“She didn’t even touch it.”
That sandwich was something Perez had personally ordered the Imperial Palace chef to prepare.
Exactly according to Tia’s favorite recipe, as always.
“And she avoided my gaze. Even turning her head away.”
“…The Lombardi Matriarch?”
Tedro asked back in surprise, without realizing it.
The Lombardi Matriarch always had a gaze that seemed to pierce through people.
So much so that he would avoid making eye contact as much as possible, even when he had to meet her.
It was a scene that was hard to imagine.
At that moment, Stilley pointed out a positive aspect.
“Couldn’t that just be a coincidence, that she happened to look away?”
But Perez shook his head, saying that wasn’t it.
And with the most melancholic expression in the world, he said,
“She sighed as she turned her head.”
“Oh.”
“Twice, at that.”
“Gasp…”
This time, even the Three Musketeers could only close their mouths and blink.
Not eating a sandwich? That could happen if she wasn’t hungry.
Avoiding his gaze? That could happen anytime.
But consecutive sighs…
Perez seemed to think the same, letting out a deep sigh of ‘hmm’ and rubbing his forehead.
Emperor Perez boasted the most powerful imperial authority at any time, but when it came to matters concerning the Lombardi Matriarch, he was utterly helpless.
So, for the Three Musketeers, who served such an Emperor right by his side, this matter was by no means something to be taken lightly.
“Your Majesty, did you do something wrong?”
It was quite an impertinent remark to make to the Emperor, but no one reprimanded Regnite Luman.
Because it was an emergency.
Perez could no longer hide his anxiety and ran a hand over his dry face.
“I don’t recall anything. And lately, I’ve been busy, so we haven’t spent much time together.”
“But if you didn’t do anything wrong, the Lombardi Matriarch wouldn’t act like that, would she?”
“Think carefully, Your Majesty. You must have done something wrong.”
“Refusing food, avoiding eye contact, and then sighing? And this is just days before the wedding.”
It was when Tedro said that.
“Ah! Isn’t that the answer? The wedding.”
The wedding?
The faces of the three men, who hadn’t understood Tedro’s words, simultaneously tilted in confusion.
“When my cousin sister got married, she went through a very gloomy period before the wedding. What was it called? Marriage blues?”
“Marriage blues? Is there such a thing?”
Regnite asked back, as if he had never heard of it before.
“I didn’t know either, but they say it’s common. When you feel anxious about the future before marriage, or when you regret deciding to marry…”
“What did you just say?”
Perez slowly lifted his face, which he had buried in his hands as if hiding, and cut Tedro off.
His firm eyes, which were always filled with strong conviction, even if they were cold, trembled like a bird caught in the rain.
“Ah, no, that is…”
Tedro closed his mouth belatedly, but it was already too late.
Perez muttered in a voice that trembled as pitifully as his eyes.
“Regret… the marriage?”