In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Side Story, Chapter 33

“Pregnant…?”

Someone’s muttered words echoed in the quiet dining room.

Hmm.

I thought everyone would be surprised, but the atmosphere was more serious than I expected.

As expected of my family.

I looked next to me, and Perez was sitting there, his face unusually tense.

He was the one who suggested telling the family first.

The young Emperor, who could skillfully sway hundreds of nobles to his will during grand conferences, was now speechless.

“Yes, they said it’s about 8 weeks.”

I deliberately nodded with a light tone.

Clang.

There was the sound of heavy cutlery falling onto a plate.

It was Grandpa, who had sprung up from his seat so quickly that his chair almost toppled over.

His eyes, which had been peaceful ever since he handed over the patriarch’s position to me and enjoyed his retirement, were now blazing with a fierce blue flame for the first time in a long while.

“You scoundrel!”

Grandpa pointed a trembling finger at Perez and shouted.

“Before you’re even married! You, you!”

It seemed the fact that Perez was the Emperor of the Empire, in name, had been completely erased from Grandpa’s mind.

Even if he was my grandson-in-law, wasn’t that a bit much to call the Emperor?

Shouldn’t I stop him?

The thought flashed through my mind, but surprisingly, Perez sat still.

No, he simply lowered his eyes and spoke, as if he would accept any punishment.

“…It came to be, Grandfather.”

“What? ‘It came to be’?”

But Perez’s attitude seemed to ignite Grandpa’s anger even more.

“I knew it from the beginning! I knew it from the moment that fellow started lurking around Tia! This wolf-like fellow!”

This is going to cause trouble.

I subtly moved the wine glass in front of Grandpa towards myself.

I was worried he might, in a fit of rage, splash wine on Perez’s face.

And sure enough.

Grandpa’s eyes quickly scanned the table.

There was still a half-filled water glass in front of him, but it seemed that wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

Just then, his eyes fell upon Ralph, the puppy who was playing alone behind the table.

He wasn’t a full-grown dog yet, but he was a breed specialized in hunting and guarding, in name.

Ralph, who had been lying comfortably and then startled awake by the sudden loud shouts, was pointed at by Grandpa, who commanded him towards Perez.

“Bite him!”

But a gentle, timid dog by nature, regardless of his bloodline, couldn’t possibly do that.

Ralph, who looked back and forth between Grandpa and Perez with round eyes, let out a whimper and instead hid behind Grandpa’s leg.

“Oh, dear.”

Finally, Grandpa clutched his forehead and sat down with a thud.

However, his anger remained, and he was about to shout something else, glaring at Perez.

“You, you scoundrel…!”

“Father, that’s enough.”

It was Shananet’s calm voice.

“The child will be startled.”

“Oh, the child?”

Grandpa’s momentum instantly subsided, his face looking surprised.

Then he cautiously asked me, who was observing the situation with one hand propping up my chin.

“W-were you very surprised, Tia?”

“I’m fine, Grandpa.”

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised.

I had somewhat expected Grandpa’s strong reaction.

Shananet shook her head once, looking at Grandpa, and said.

“It’s not just Tia you should be thinking about, but your great-grandchild in Tia’s belly.”

“Huh? Oh, right…”

Even as he replied, Grandpa still looked bewildered.

He had reacted like lightning to the word ‘pregnant,’ but it seemed the realization that his great-grandchild was growing inside me hadn’t quite sunk in.

“Hah, haha. A great-grandchild…”

A smile slowly spread across Grandpa’s face.

“Yes, our Tia… Haha.”

Good.

One hurdle passed.

“Lombardi has a double blessing. Congratulations, Tia.”

Shananet, Lombardi’s last rational person, smiled and congratulated Perez and me.

“Your Majesty must be very pleased as well.”

“Thank you, Shananet. I still… can’t quite believe it myself.”

“That’s normal. There are no outward changes yet. Please help Tia a lot, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, I will.”

Beyond the place where a warm conversation was taking place, the twins still seemed to be in shock.

“Pregnant…”

“…Nephew?”

Hmm.

This side will take some time.

In fact, there was another place I had been constantly worried about.

I pretended to lightly rinse my mouth with water and discreetly observed my father, who hadn’t said a word yet.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be thinking of throwing cutlery at Perez, as he sat calmly with his hands clasped.

Will he get angry?

He’s not the type to shout like Grandpa, so will he just glare at Perez?

But my prediction was beautifully off the mark.

Father slowly lifted his eyes from the table and looked at me.

He had a smile that put people at ease.

“Congratulations, Tia.”

It wasn’t a forced smile.

It was pure joy, enough to cause small wrinkles around his eyes.

“Th-thank you, Father.”

“I’m a little worried that you won’t have time to enjoy your honeymoon. But I’m sure our daughter will always handle things bravely, just as she always has.”

Father trusted me.

It was then that I, on the contrary, snapped to attention.

I straightened my relaxed posture and replied.

“Yes, I will. Don’t worry.”

He was indeed my father.

A little weak in some aspects, but stronger than anyone when it mattered most.

I should be such a protector to my child too.

As if he had seen through my thoughts, Father smiled again.

“Yes, yes. I’ve finished my meal, so I’ll be leaving first.”

“Oh, already?”

“See you tomorrow morning, Tia.”

“Yes. Good night, Father.”

Is this how it ends?

My chest felt light, as if a huge task had been accomplished.

See, it all ended well.

I was about to whisper that to Perez.

With the light scrape of a chair, Father’s low voice was heard.

“Your Majesty, let’s have a private word.”

Ah, it only ended for me.
***
Perez followed Gallahan into the dimly lit reception room.

Unlike Gallahan’s usual gentle and kind personality, it was a strict space, completely devoid of unnecessary items.

“Would you like a drink?”

Gallahan picked up a bottle of liquor on the table and asked.

The amber liquid, shimmering faintly in the light, was a strong alcohol that Perez sometimes drank.

Does he drink this kind of liquor when he’s alone?

Gallahan always chose sweet and light wine during meals they shared, so Perez was a little surprised and nodded.

Pour.

Without a word exchanged, the liquor filled the crystal glass.

Perez quietly accepted and drank the liquor Gallahan offered.

He couldn’t tell if the burning sensation in his throat was due to the strong alcohol or the tension.

“First, congratulations, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you, Duke Gallahan.”

However, the suffocating tightness in his throat did not disappear.

There was no reason to call him aside just to congratulate him.

And sure enough.

Gallahan swallowed all the liquor in one gulp, then rolled the empty glass in his hand and calmly opened his mouth.

“I sincerely hope the child is not a daughter.”

“Yes…?”

Perez’s mind went blank this time.

Hoping it’s not a daughter.

It was an uncharacteristic remark from Gallahan, who cherished his daughter more than anything in the world.

“What do you mean, Duke Gallahan?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Think about it.”

Gallahan placed the glass on the table.

“A daughter, just like Tia, meets some little brat—no, a child—before she even turns ten, becomes friends with him, and then that boy constantly hovers around her, and as soon as she comes of age, he gets secretly engaged without her father’s permission.”

Gulp.

Perez’s dry swallow echoed particularly loudly.

“And after all that hardship, just when she’s finally established herself and is about to soar, she suddenly gets pregnant before even having a wedding… Such a misfortune shouldn’t happen, should it?”

“D-Duke Gallahan.”

“Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

Perez had nothing to say.

“I apologize.”

There was nothing he could do but bow his head heavily and apologize.

Gallahan looked at Perez with submerged eyes.

But the heavy silence didn’t last long.

Pour.

Gallahan refilled his own glass, then poured more liquor into Perez’s still half-empty glass.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes, Duke Gallahan.”

“Tia was born after a terribly difficult labor.”

Perez’s red eyes, which had been wandering somewhere on the table, turned to Gallahan.

The eyes looking down at the amber liquor were tracing memories from a more distant past.

“My wife, Shan, gave birth after more than two days of labor. And I could do nothing.”

A hollow smile appeared on Gallahan’s lips.

“My wife screamed in pain and risked her life to give birth, and there, as her husband, I was useless except for holding her hand.”

A short sigh followed his words.

“And Shan passed away before Tia’s first birthday, unable to overcome the aftereffects of childbirth.”

“Ah…”

Perez’s face turned pale.

He had put himself and Tia in Gallahan and Shan’s place.

What if Tia was writhing in pain, and I could do nothing?

And what if she were no longer in this world?

“It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it?”

Even at Gallahan’s seemingly calm words, Perez remained silent.

He simply covered his mouth by gripping his chin with his large hand.

That was the best he could do.

“I trust my daughter.”

After emptying his glass once more, Gallahan said.

“My daughter, who has never caused me trouble since birth, my daughter, who has always bravely forged her own path, I believe she will do well this time too. And she must.”

Gallahan’s voice was particularly firm as he finished speaking.

Perez realized that those words were not directed at Tia, but at himself.

“Yes. I understand, Duke Gallahan.”

The eyes of the two men, who cherished Tia more than anything in the world, finally met.

After a silent conversation, Gallahan finally relaxed his stiff face.

“Can you now understand my feelings, Your Majesty, that I cannot simply rejoice even at such good news?”

“I am sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry to me. I know your feelings for Tia well. Besides.”

Gallahan suddenly let out a small laugh.

“If the child resembles Tia and Your Majesty, won’t you have quite a hard time ahead?”

“Hmm.”

Perez finally gulped down the liquor he was holding.

Gallahan’s words were right.

His desire for the child to resemble Tia was immense, but half of his own blood would also flow in the child.

So, inevitably, or if the child resembled him entirely without any resemblance to Tia.

Perez’s face slowly hardened.

At the end of his thoughts, he suddenly realized a very, very important fact.

Perez put down his glass.

“I want to be a good father.”

And he willingly bowed his head and pleaded.

“Please teach me, Father-in-law.”