In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Side Story, Chapter 52

He couldn’t even breathe freely.

His heart sank.

With a dazed mind, Gallahan thought.

‘I should back away.’

But his body didn’t listen.

It felt as if his soul had been stolen by the green eyes right in front of him.

Gallahan also vaguely realized.

She wasn’t avoiding him.

Shan simply sat still, staring blankly at Gallahan, who had approached rudely close.

Blink.

He felt as if he could hear the fluttering sound of her long eyelashes.

Gallahan unconsciously leaned closer.

He wanted to kiss her.

That was the only thought in his mind.

As they got closer, he felt her every breath, inhaled and exhaled, through his heightened senses.

He was being consumed by sweetness.

But Gallahan, who discovered something in her clear eyes, stopped abruptly.

It was the image of himself, a scoundrel approaching a woman without formal permission to court her.

“S-sorry…!”

Gallahan hastily retreated.

“The, the heat of the day suddenly made me dizzy…”

The memory of it being chilly in the shade just moments ago had already vanished.

Only self-reproach remained.

Of course, he desperately wanted to confess his feelings to her.

But he wanted to hit himself hard for harboring such dark intentions, even for a moment, when he hadn’t even gathered the courage to do so yet.

In the end, Gallahan sat as far away as possible and apologized once more.

“I’m sorry, Shan.”

Watching his timid appearance, Shan thought.

‘Was he going to… kiss me?’

It certainly felt like that kind of atmosphere.

It was a shame.

“It’s okay, Gallahan.”

Today wasn’t the only day.

“It happens.”

This man probably isn’t ready yet.

Although it was a very, very slight disappointment, Shan pretended not to know, pretended to worry about Gallahan, and even fanned him with her hand.

“H-how have you been, Shan?”

Gallahan awkwardly tried to change the subject, his voice pitifully strained.

“Just the same every day. Nothing special… Oh!”

Come to think of it, there was one piece of news to tell Gallahan.

“It seems ‘Blue Wave’ is going to change owners.”

“Is Madam Mazie quitting the restaurant and inn?”

“Yes. She’s getting old, you know. It seems she wants to settle things now that someone has appeared to buy it.”

“I see…”

“She said it’s just a change of ownership.”

A bitter smile escaped Shan’s lips.

“Still, I think I’ll miss it quite a lot. She was the first person to readily offer a hand to me when I had nowhere to go after first arriving in Lombardi.”

After parting ways with Gallahan, Shan walked slowly.

She had been wondering if there was anything she could give Madam Mazie as a gift.

When she arrived in front of ‘Blue Wave’, she saw a very large carriage parked there.

“Is it a customer’s carriage?”

But it was an excessively expensive-looking carriage for the commoners who usually frequented ‘Blue Wave’.

The restaurant, quiet after the busy hours, was somehow chaotic, unlike usual.

Shan entered and looked around, her eyes falling on Mazie, the owner.

“…Madam Mazie?”

The always confident owner of ‘Blue Wave’, who never hesitated to raise her voice to customers, was bowing respectfully to someone.

‘…Who is it?’

She saw a man getting up from his seat, having just finished speaking.

He had brown hair and brown eyes, and an ordinary appearance, but his expression was somehow ill-tempered and cold.

However, what drew attention despite that was his attire, which screamed ‘nobleman’ from head to toe, and his arrogant demeanor, as if looking down on everyone.

As the man approached, Shan, who was still standing by the doorway, bowed respectfully, just like Madam Mazie.

It was according to the imperial etiquette she had learned over the past few months.

But she felt a gaze on the back of her head, which was looking down at her feet.

Thump.

The man’s footsteps stopped in front of Shan.

And he remained there for a long time without moving.

‘He must have something to ask me.’

Shan slowly straightened up.

At the same time, the man’s brown eyebrows twitched unpleasantly.

“Ah.”

Shan let out an involuntary gasp.

The man’s face looked familiar somehow.

Viese Lombardi.

It was clearly Viese, Gallahan’s eldest brother.

Shan did not avoid Viese’s gaze.

She absolutely did not want to lose to this man.

“Ptooey!”

The standoff, which had lasted for a moment, finally ended with Viese spitting at Shan’s feet and turning away.

In the spot where Viese had disappeared into his large carriage, only contempt for Shan remained.

“Shan, you’re here.”

“Ah, Madam Mazie.”

Shan forced a smile on her lips, however awkwardly.

As if understanding her feelings, Mazie’s warm hand patted her shoulder.

“Shan, there are no customers, shall we have some tea?”

Having tea together.

It was something that had never happened in the several months Shan had been working at ‘Blue Wave’, where there was always a mountain of things to do.

A moment later, a cup of tea was placed in front of Shan and Mazie.

The cup was crude, but the scent that reached her nose was fragrant.

After swallowing the steaming tea a few times instead of speaking, Mazie finally spoke with difficulty.

“The truth is. I finished the contract today.”

“Ah…”

It was such a shame.

It was something to celebrate together, as Madam Mazie was retiring safely.

Shan couldn’t hide her regret.

“But unlike what was initially said, it seems they’re going to build another building here.”

“…What?”

“They said they’re going to tear down the building entirely.”

Madam Mazie’s wrinkled hands caressed the apron she had taken off and placed on the table.

Looking at her rough hands, Shan realized what the madam was trying to say.

“I’ll have to… find another place then.”

Shan was suddenly left without a place to stay and a job.

“I’m so sorry. They offered a much better price, so… I couldn’t help it… I’m sorry, Shan.”

“No, Madam.”

Shan took Mazie’s hand, which was still resting on the apron.

“You don’t need to be sorry at all.”

It was natural to make a deal that offered better compensation.

“This is a place you’ve poured your whole life into, Madam. You’re receiving money worth that value, so why are you apologizing to me?”

Shan squeezed the hand she was holding even tighter.

“Thank you, Madam.”

“Shan…”

“Thanks to you, I was able to adapt well to Lombardi. It’s all thanks to you, Madam.”

She purposely smiled even brighter to try and put Mazie’s mind at ease.

“I’m sure I’ll find a place to stay and work soon!”

“…Thank you for understanding, Shan.”

Mazie gently stroked the back of Shan’s hand.

“But do I have to vacate the store starting tomorrow?”

“Oh, no! Of course not. We have our regulars to consider. I gave them ten days.”

“Ten days…”

It wasn’t much time to find a new residence and job.
***

“We’ve arrived at the mansion.”

Gallahan, hearing the stableman’s voice, tiredly got out of the carriage.

In addition to the festival preparations, he had been responsible for a portion of the logistics for Crown Prince Jovanes’s wedding for the past few days, leading to continuous, incredibly busy days.

‘I just want to go to bed and sleep.’

Only one thought was in Gallahan’s mind.

As he entered the dark corridor, late at night, there were quiet footsteps approaching him.

“Lord Gallahan, Lord Viese is calling for you.”

“…Brother?”

He was so tired his feet dragged on the floor, but he couldn’t help it.

Ignoring Viese’s summons would clearly lead to more trouble.

“…I’ll go.”

Gallahan headed to Viese’s residence.

“You’re out late.”

As soon as he arrived at the drawing-room, Viese sneered at Gallahan.

Lately, Gallahan’s position had been growing.

That timid Gallahan as Lombardi’s successor?

It was absurd.

Fortunately, Viese knew a way to nip Gallahan’s potential in the bud.

“You seem busy these days?”

“Yes. The trading group’s work is quite…”

“Yes, it would be. In addition to the trading group’s work, which is beyond your station.”

Viese twisted his thin lips.

“And playing at romance with that lowly person you’ve hidden in the inn.”