Chapter 228

"Why...why are you doing this?"

Embarrassed, Claryvan approached Gallahan to stop him.

Gallahan said, smiling comfortably at Claryvan.

"Because Tia wasn't lonely thanks to you, Claryvan."

"Ah..."

"As Tia's father, I wanted to say thank you for being with my daughter."

Claryvan was silent for a moment.

He had so many thoughts that he felt like once he opened his mouth, a mess of tangled words would pour out.

After taking a few breaths, Claryvan carefully opened his mouth.

"Thank you is something that I should say."

He chuckled at the end of his words.

"You don't know how much my life has changed because of meeting Florentia, Lord Gallahan."

Taking care of the Lombardi house and teaching the successors, Claryvan thought that he was withering away.

Day by day, he did what was given to him and didn't have any clear goals.

In addition, he was also greatly disappointed that Rulac's grandchildren, whom he had been taught, were more ordinary.

And then, I met Florentia.

"I feel like I've met someone who recognizes me and values my worth. It's like being reborn."

The succession training room is decorated like a playroom for children.

The room was filled with low desk chairs, colorful cushions, and dainty dolls.

The excitement of the moment when he welcomed Lady Florentia, who showed off with her sharp eyes!

"If it weren't for Florentia, I would be lonely until I die."

Claryvan bowed his head with a big smile at the old memory that was overwhelming even then he thought of it now.

"Thank you, Gallahan."

Claryvan then said, fixing the basket and grabbing it.

"Have a good evening with your family."

That's when Claryvan greeted politely and tried to pass by Gallahan's side.

But

Gallahan's hand grabbed Claryvan's shoulder.

"...Gallahan?"

Claryvan's eyes shook as he looked down at Gallahan's hand holding him.

"Why...?"

"Sir Claryvan."

Gallahan asked with a distinctive grin.

"Where are you going?"

"The dinner is about to begin, so I shall go to my room..."

"Would it be okay to just eat dinner with such food?"

Gallahan said, pointing at the basket.

"No, I'm really good...."

"I'm not okay."

Gallahan was still smiling.

His smiling face was clearly the same, but his green eyes were fierce.

Claryvan somehow got a little scared.

Gallahan's fingertips, holding his shoulder, also dug a little deeper.

"Gall....Lord Gallahan?"

Then, Gallahan asked.

"Are you going to leave Tia alone in front of my father?"

"That's..."

"You two lied together."

Gallahan's fingers squeezed Claryvan's shoulder even tighter.

"You have to take responsibility as well."

"Uhhhh...??"

Claryvan frowned.

I don't want to!

I am also afraid of the Lord!

He wanted to shout that way, but when he looked into Gallahan's eyes, which folded beautifully and wouldn't budge, Claryvan eventually replied with his head down.

"....Okay."

"Haha! That's a good idea! Let's go inside!"

Gallahan patted Claryvan's shoulder and pushed him against his back.

"I told the Chef to cook a lot of seafood that Claryvan likes."

"Yes? How do you know that I'll be attending..."

"It's all going according to schedule! Haha!"

Being pushed by Gallahan, who was trying to gloss over, Claryvan wandered not.

Wasn't it a coincidence that we met in this hallway?

Thinking of Florentia, which is completely different from Gallahan, he has vaguely thought that she probably resembles her late mother.

Well...

'Maybe she looks like Gallahan...'

Claryvan thought so, and was dragged into the restaurant helplessly.

****

(Florentia's POV)

"Claryvan?"

How come you are here?

When I ask him with a glance, Claryvan looks at my father with a somewhat powerless face.

I didn't quite understand, but It seems to be about being dragged to dinner because of my father.

"Oh, I'm hungry."

"It's been a long time since we all gathered together like this."

The twins and Shannanet came in.

"It's been a while, Lord Pellet."

Shannanet gently greeted Claryvan.

Although it was a family gathering, no one seemed to be uncomfortable with Claryvan.

"Yes, it's been a while, Shannanet."

When greetings come and go like that.

"Everyone's here."

My grandfather arrived.

Soon the food came out and the meal began.

When the dessert was served over time, I brought it up.

"Grandfather, I have something to tell you."

"Hmm? What is it, Tia?"

I clenched my fists again, remembering the time I spoke to my father.

Let's take it off at once!

"You know that the West representative became the Brown family at today's conference, right?"

"Since you've stepped up to the plate, I thought it would work from the beginning."

"Eh? How?"

"Because Tia and the Second Prince moved together."

Grandfather drank wine with a smile.

It was a complete trust in me.

My heart became heavier.

Then, my father gave me a look as if to cheer me up.

"You've taken the money that Angenas owed to the Lombardis from Pellet's before, right, Grandpa?"

"I did."

"At that time, the Pellet Corporation lent money to Angenas and secured the land as collateral."

"Oh, you must have taken advantage of that, huh? Very good! Very good! Hahaha..."

My grandfather's laughter grew smaller.

And he tilted his head and asked me.

"By the way, how did Claryvan manage to collateralize without going to the conference?"

"Read this, Grandpa."

I quietly handed out Claryvan's life contract.

"Hmm. Let's see. 'I, the owner of Pellet Corporation, Florentia Lombardi---'...."

The voice stopped reading the contract.

But the most important part has already come out.

That I am the owner of the Pellet Corporation.

Grandfather was still looking through the contract and Shannanet smiled, shook her head and drank wine.

"You..you...you...."

I bowed my head with the thought of being reprimanded.

But the sparks spattered in the wrong place.

"Claryvan, you bastard! You should have told me!"

"...I'm sorry."

Claryvan calmly bowed his head, as if he had expected to some extent.

"That's all right! But, how can you not take me seriously?"

"Grandpa, that's not Claryvan, I---"

"Wait."

My grandfather raised his hand to stop me and asked.

"Then, it was the first business that had been launched after the Lira Diamond Mine's Pellet superiority was established."

The mine was stolen from under Lombardi's eyes.

"....It was what I was doing."

"But wasn't it the time when you were only eleven years old?"

"It is."

"Then, we bought the grain of Sushou and sold it in the East..."

"Yes, that's right too."

"Then the Trivia Wood in the North? Which is holding tightly to Eastern trade now?"

Grandpa asked me again with a voice that I couldn't tell whether he was angry or curious.

"Really... are you really saying that Pellet Trading is Tia's business? You've been raising Pellet since that young age?"

"Yes."

"Without this grandfather's help? Without the help of the family?"

"Sometimes I got Lombardi's help. Grandpa didn't know."

I nodded as I answered.

Grandpa looked at me and Claryvan several times.

And

"Hahahahaha! Hahaha!"

A bigger laughter burst out than ever before.

You're laughing so hard.

He even picked up a napkin and stamped out the tears in his eyes.

"That's what I meant! Haha! A child of only eleven years old! Hahaha!"

Thank God.

I was relieved with a small sigh.

Fortunately, Grandpa didn't look angry.

He sipped his wine and laughed again and again, looking back at the contract.

"I was worried that Tia was young and lacked experience! To think Tia was the boss of a business at top!"

With my grandfather's reaction, I was able to laugh a little comfortably.

"By the way, Tia."

Shannanet called me.

"Wouldn't it be hard to take care of both the Pellet Corporation and the Lombardi family?"

It was a word full of worries.

"I don't want to give up either. I am a little greedy."

I said as I shocked my head.

"And I didn't raise Pellet alone from the beginning. Claryvan and Violet have done all the hard work. I'm going to leave the Pellet business as it is now."

"Of course! Of course! Tia should succeed me and become the Lord of the house of Lombardi!"

"Well, Grandpa. Aren't you mad at me?"

The atmosphere wasn't bad, but I was still worried.

"It's not bad for a person to hide some of their abilities. Good job, Tia."

My grandfather rather praised me.

You're not really angry.

Then

"Grandfather."

"Yes?"

"Give me the contract."

I said, pointing to Claryvan's contract in my grandfather's hand.

"It's a life contract."

"Ah, yes! Keep it safe! To hold Claryvan tight!"

My grandfather again laughed as he hummed and returned the contract to me.

Oh, another handprint.

Now Claryvan was smiling comfortably at my grandfather's words and shaking his head as if he couldn't stop him.

"So, you're done with Angenas?"

Grandfather asked me.

"Uhm, no."

"You mean there's more to do? Perhaps..."

Grandfather said, anxiously narrowing his eyebrows.

"You're not gonna let the Angenas off the hook? Our Tia isn't weak-hearted..."

"I still have a debt to collect. Claryvan, how much was it?"

Claryvan answered my question, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"The first is 2,500 gold, and the second is 4,500 gold. A total of 7,000 gold."

"That is the money that the Patriarch of Angenas borrowed from the Empress secretly from the Henforek estate. Of course, they didn't pay the interest either..."

"If you include the three-month interest plus the penalty for breaching the contract, it is a little over 8,000 gold."

"That's what it says."

I smiled at my family looking at me and Claryvan with a slightly dazed look.

"Oh, and there's more! They destroyed the Pellet Corporation and Claryvan's mansion. So we have to get them to pay us back!"

"We can't forget about Violet too."

"She must have felt uncomfortable in the Knight's building, you need to take a break, Violet, too."

"Didn't you know Violet's personality? You have to return it as you receive it, so that she will forget about it."

"That she is."

I'll pay you back twice as much.

I spoke to Claryvan as If I had a promise.

"I'll make you a nice new house, Claryvan."

"Yes, would you like to raise the superior building to a better building?"

"Oh, that would be great!"

I heard my grandfather laughing and talking while listening to the conversation between me and Claryvan.

"Yes, yes. That's my granddaughter!"

At that time, butler John hastily entered the restaurant.

He wouldn't bother with a family dinner if he could.

My grandfather's face hardened when he saw John coming in with a letter on a tray.

And the rigid atmosphere became heavier when John spoke.

"This is an urgent report from the palace."

Grandfather put down the wine glass and opened the envelope of the letter.

And after reading carefully, he got up right away.

"Yovanes is in critical condition. I should go to the palace right now."

The Emperor is in critical condition?

Didn't he look fine until the conference?

"Tia."

I looked back when grandfather called me.

"You will also go with this grandfather as a successor to the Lombardi family."

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A/N: Gallahan and Claryvan was so funny and cute on the last part of their conversation. Now we will see what happened to Yovanes.