In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Side Story, Chapter 3

If the Lombardi Merchant Guild and the Pellett Merchant Guild completely cut off trade with the South, the outcome was obvious.
Sheshou sold grain through various merchant guilds, but its largest clients were, of course, my two merchant guilds.
Broadly speaking, the Lombardi Merchant Guild handled Western trade, while the Pellett Merchant Guild was responsible for Eastern trade.
Of course, even if they didn’t sell grain to the East and West as they did now, Sheshou would be fine.
The overall revenue of the territory would significantly decrease, but the residents of Sheshou’s territory wouldn’t starve.
However, that wasn’t the outcome Chanton Sheshou desired.
Just as my father had hoped when he built the port in Chesayu, Chanton Sheshou wanted his territory’s residents to not just barely survive but to prosper abundantly.
The Lombardi and Pellett Merchant Guilds were no different.
Even if they didn’t deal with the South immediately, the Lombardi family wouldn’t collapse, nor would the Pellett Merchant Guild.
Eastern trade, though difficult, could still be conducted via land routes as before.
However, the extreme conflict between Lombardi and Sheshou was clearly a huge loss for the entire Empire.
As the staring contest between Chanton Sheshou and me, standing on opposite sides of the Grand Council Chamber, lengthened, the silence grew taut.
“Enough.”
Perez’s short, firm words cut the strained tension.
“Head of Pellett, bring that here.”
With a light gesture, Perez pointed to the stack of documents in my hand.
It was a bundle containing the details of the losses incurred from this incident and the toll agreement with Sheshou.
When Clerivan handed it to him, Perez read through the rather thick pile without hesitation.
Perez rubbed his forehead a couple of times with his long fingers, then spoke.
“According to the contract, Sheshou is indeed in violation.”
A groan of anguish emanated from the opposing faction.
However, they couldn’t openly express their dissatisfaction in front of Perez, only sighing.
“Lord Sheshou shall immediately cooperate to resume trade and compensate Lombardi double the amount of the losses as per the contract.”
“…Understood, Your Majesty.”
Chanton Sheshou replied respectfully.
However, I did not smile.
Instead, I had to try hard not to frown.
‘Suspicious.’
I actually wished Chanton Sheshou would throw a fit, yelling, ‘I absolutely cannot do that, it’s an unfair treatment!’
Even for someone loyal to Perez, if there was a truly significant reason for pressuring the merchant guilds, he might have tried to argue.
But such a compliant attitude…
It was as if…
“Lady Lombardi.”
“…Yes.”
I heard Perez call my name, but I couldn’t easily tear my gaze away from Chanton Sheshou.
Clearly, I was the winner of this Grand Council.
Yet, for some reason, my gut feeling told me that the winner was him.
“…Lady Lombardi, as the owner of both merchant guilds, you should also pay more attention to the security of your trade activities in the future.”
“I will do so.”
It felt unsettling.
I narrowed my eyes, as if someone had played a trick on my back and I was the only one who couldn’t see it.
Chanton Sheshou’s calm face, despite having to pay an enormous amount of compensation, bothered me.
“…Let’s conclude today’s meeting here.”
Perez said briefly and immediately rose from his seat.
Ah, I wanted to talk to him for a bit.
Only then, after glaring at Chanton Sheshou for so long, did I come to my senses and look at Perez, but it was too late.
All I saw were the backs of his aides, following the Emperor in a line.
I had intended to ask him why his expression was like that before the meeting began.
More than anything, that gloomy face bothered me.
I watched the already closed meeting room door for a moment, feeling regret, then stood up.
“As expected of Lady Lombardi.”
“To extract double the compensation from that unpleasant Chanton Sheshou… no, to receive it.”
“Wasn’t it clearly their breach of contract from the beginning?”
“That’s right. In fact, this didn’t even need to come to the Grand Council.”
The pro-Lombardi nobles around me congratulated me in unison, but their words didn’t register.
Then, Clerivan approached and spoke in a low, secretive voice.
“Lady Lombardi, it seems something is a little…”
“You think so too, Clerivan?”
I glanced at Chanton Sheshou’s now empty seat and replied.
“I thought he was a formidable opponent, but…”
A chuckle escaped me unconsciously.
“I’ll have to call Bate to the mansion tomorrow.”
He was completely different from Angenas.
The Angenas family’s intentions were obvious, and they would just make a lot of noise with a little prodding.
Even the clever former Empress, unable to fix her bad temper, always failed to see the forest for the trees.
But Chanton Sheshou was different.
His expressionless face gave no clue as to what he was thinking, and his quiet actions were swift and bold.
Since becoming the family head, I had been caught off guard several times by Chanton Sheshou’s stealthy movements, like a hunting beast.
“Lady Lombardi.”
Just like now.
I turned towards the voice behind me.
“What is it, Lord Sheshou?”
Chanton Sheshou, a head taller than me, approached half a step closer.
His dark hair, his impassive yet unreadable face, and his imposing stature.
He somehow reminded me of a large black bear.
“I came to apologize for this matter.”
Was he suggesting a second round after the Grand Council?
I felt the gazes of the surrounding nobles, who had been about to leave the meeting room, stop one by one and look our way.
“This matter?”
“Regardless of the reason, I was the one who breached the contract first.”
His voice and demeanor were still unvarying, but I could clearly tell.
This black bear was teasing me right now.
“Let’s be clear, Lord Sheshou. You ‘were found to have breached’ it, not ‘breached it’. Do you still not understand what double compensation means?”
“…”
Chanton Sheshou just stared at me for a moment without saying anything.
I met his gaze directly and curled one corner of my mouth upwards.
“And even if you do this, I won’t cut a single penny from the compensation.”
“Oh, dear.”
Chanton Sheshou said in a perfunctory tone, as if reading from someone else’s book.
“Even though I’m apologizing directly like this?”
Suddenly, Lord Berne’s words, comparing Chanton Sheshou to a snake, came to mind.
Not a snake, but a sly old fox.
For a moment, I wanted to break that expressionless mask of his, which seemed to find everything uninteresting.
“Since it’s not a matter of regret for you, it must be an easy apology to give. Why should I…”
Watching Chanton Sheshou’s eyes narrow slightly, I continued.
“You started a fire, but only blew smoke, didn’t you? What apology?”
Then the black bear’s face noticeably hardened.
And with that reaction, I gained certainty.
Chanton Sheshou had deliberately done this, knowing that if he pressured my merchant guilds, I would convene the Grand Council.
As if to distract me from seeing something.
I smiled, approaching half a step closer, just as Chanton Sheshou had.
“Lord Sheshou, I’ll give you two pieces of advice.”
I raised my index finger.
“First, don’t forget that farming is the will of heaven. Who knows what punishment might befall you if you keep being so ill-tempered?”
“What do you mean…”
“Second.”
Cutting off Chanton Sheshou, who was about to retort, I raised two fingers.
“Just as your territory’s residents are important to you, my people are important to me.”
I was well aware of Chanton Sheshou’s devotion to his residents.
Especially his fondness for the farmers, who were the foundation of Sheshou.
So, while I found him annoying, I didn’t dislike him.
However.
“My father, in particular, is one of the most important people among my people. So it would be best not to provoke him. And.”
I completely erased the faint smile I had been wearing and looked directly at Chanton Sheshou.
“This is a warning.”
So stop bothering me.
Curling my lips up again, I said to Clerivan,
“Head of Pellett, please explain the compensation details thoroughly to Lord Sheshou and get a written agreement for the payment date.”
Having said that, I turned around and left the council chamber.
I warned you, you big black bear.
I still didn’t know Chanton Sheshou’s exact intentions, but at least after snapping at him, I felt relieved.
I would call Bate tomorrow and put my head to work, and I’d find the answer soon enough.
My footsteps were light as I walked alone down the Imperial Palace corridor.
“Today’s schedule is a bit more relaxed.”
The Grand Council had ended much more uneventfully than I had expected.
I had brought Clerivan with me, fully intending to roll up my sleeves and have a proper fight.
My face involuntarily scrunched up as I recalled Chanton Sheshou’s face, calmly looking at me from across the council chamber.
“If he’s a bear, he should act like a bear and just eat honey in the warm South… Ugh!”
As I muttered and walked, something from behind grabbed me and pulled me sharply.
Before I could even let out a loud cry, I was already standing in a room, and the door closed in front of me.
And from behind, I felt someone’s firm body.
In the fleeting moment that an familiar scent enveloped me, I blinked and saw a green emerald ring on the fourth finger of the hand that embraced me.
This time, I didn’t even need to turn around to know.
With a small sigh, I patted his hand and said,
“Perez, you startled me.”
Then, his large hand embraced my body more possessively, and I felt his neat forehead rub against my neck and shoulder.
“I missed you, Tia.”