âWhyâŠwhy are you doing this?â Embarrassed, Clerivan approached Gallahan to stop him.
Gallahan said, smiling comfortably at Clerivan. âBecause Tia wasnât alone thanks to you, Clerivan.â
âAhâŠâ
âAs Tiaâs father, I wanted to say thank you for looking after my daughter.â
Clerivan 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, Clerivan carefully opened his mouth.
âThank you is something that I should say.â He chuckled at the end of his words.
âYou donât know how much my life has changed because of meeting Lady Firentia, Lord Gallahan.â
Taking care of the Lombardy house and teaching the heirs, Clerivan thought that he was withering away.
Day by day, he did what was given to him and didnât have any clear goal in mind.
In addition, he was also greatly disappointed that Rulhacâs grandchildren, whom he had been teaching for quite some time, were more ordinary.
And then, Clerivan met Firentia.
âI feel like Iâve met someone who recognizes me and values my worth. Itâs like being reborn.â
The succession training room was decorated like a playroom for children. The room was filled with low desk chairs, colorful cushions, and dainty dolls.
But then the excitement he felt at the moment when he welcomed Lady Firentia, who showed up with sharp eyes!
âIf it werenât for Firentia, I would be lonely until I die.â
Clerivan bowed his head with a big smile at the old memory that was overwhelming even as he thought of it now.
âThank you, Lord Gallahan.â Clerivan said, fixing the basket on his arm.
âHave a good evening with your family.â
Thatâs when Clerivan greeted politely and tried to pass by Gallahanâs side.
However.
Gallahanâs hand grabbed Clerivanâs shoulder.
â⊠Lord Gallahan?â Clerivanâs eyes shook as he looked down at Gallahanâs hand on his shoulder.
âWhat is itâŠ?â
âMr. Clerivan.â Gallahan said and asked with a distinctive grin. âWhere are you going?â
âThe dinner is about to begin, so I shall go to my roomâŠâ
âWould you be fine with just eating dinner with that food?â Gallahan said, pointing at the basket.
âAh, no, Iâm okay with this, reallyâŠ.â
âBut Iâm not okay.â Gallahan was still smiling.
His smiling face was clearly the same, but his green eyes were fierce.
Clerivan somehow got a little scared.
Gallahanâs fingers gripping his shoulder also dug a little deeper.
âGalâŠ.Lord Gallahan?â
Then, Gallahan asked.
âAre you going to leave Tia alone in front of my father?â
âThatâsâŠâ
âYou two lied together.â Gallahanâs fingers squeezed Clerivanâs shoulder even tighter.
âYou have to take responsibility as well.â
âUhhhhâŠ??â Clerivan frowned.
âI donât want to! I am also afraid of the Lord!â
He wanted to shout that way, but when he looked into Gallahanâs eyes, which folded beautifully and wouldnât budge, Clerivan eventually replied with his head down.
ââŠ.Okay.â
âHaha! Thatâs great, then! Letâs go inside!â
Gallahan patted Clerivanâs shoulder and pushed him against his back.
âI told the Chef to cook a lot of seafood that Clerivan likes.â
âYes? How do you know that Iâll be attendingâŠâ
âItâs all going according to plan! Haha!â
Being pushed by Gallahan, who was trying to gloss it over, Clerivan wandered.
âWasnât it a coincidence that we met in this hallway?â
Thinking of Firentia, who is completely different from Gallahan, he has vaguely thought that she probably resembles her late mother.
WellâŠ
âMaybe the one she truly resembles is GallahanâŠâ Clerivan thought so as he was dragged into the dining hall helplessly.
***
âClerivan?â
How come you are here?
When I ask him with a look, Clerivan looks at my father with a somewhat helpless face.
I didnât quite understand, but it seems to be about him being dragged to dinner because of my father.
âOh, Iâm hungry.â
âItâs been a long time since we all gathered together like this.â
The twins and Shannanet came in.
âItâs been a while, Mr. Pellet.â Shannanet gently greeted Clerivan.
Although it was a family gathering, no one seemed to be uncomfortable with Clerivan here.
âYes, itâs been a while, Lady Shannanet.â
When greetings come and go like that.
âEveryoneâs here.â
My grandfather arrived.
Soon the food came out and the meal began.
When the dessert was served over time, I brought it up.
âGrandfather, I have something to tell you.â
âHmm? What is it, Tia?â
I clenched my fists again, remembering the time I spoke to my father.
Letâs take it off at once!
âYou know that the West representative became the Braun family at todayâs meeting, right?â
âSince youâve stepped up to the plate, I thought it would work from the beginning.â
âEh? How?â
âBecause Tia and the Second Prince were working together.â Grandfather drank wine with a smile.
He has complete trust in me. Thinking that he do, my heart became heavier.
Then, my father gave me a look as if to cheer for me.
âYouâve taken the money that Angenas owed to the Lombardys from Pelletâs before, right, Grandpa?â
âI did.â
âAt that time, the Pellet Company lent money to Angenas and secured the land as collateral.â
âOh, you must have taken advantage of that, huh? Very good! Very good! HahahaâŠâ My grandfatherâs laughter grew smaller. Soon, he tilted his head and asked me.
âBy the way, how did you manage to obtain the collateral without Clerivan going to the meeting?â
âRead this, Grandpa.â I quietly handed out Clerivanâs contract.
âHmm. Letâs see. âI, Firentia Lombardy, the owner of Pellet CompanyâââŠ.â The voice stopped reading the contract.
But the most important part has already come out.
That I am the owner of the Pellet Company.
Grandfather was still looking through the contract and Shannanet smiled, shook her head, and drank wine.
âYou..youâŠyouâŠ.â
I bowed my head with the thought of being reprimanded. But the sparks spattered in the wrong place.
âClerivan, you punk! You should have told me!â
ââŠIâm sorry.â Clerivan calmly bowed his head, as if he had expected it to some extent.
âThatâs all right! But, how can you not take me seriously?â
âGrandpa, it is not Clerivan, it is Iââ
âWait.â My grandfather raised his hand to stop me and asked.
âThen, the first business that had been launched after the Pellet Company was established is the famous Lira Diamond Mine.â
The mine that was stolen from under Lombardyâs eyes.
ââŠ.It was what I did.â
âBut wasnât it the time when you were only eleven years old?â
âIt is.â
âThen, the grain at Sousseau that we bought and sold in the EastâŠâ
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âYes, that too.â
âWhat about the Trivia Wood in the North? Which is the base of the Eastern trade now?â Grandpa asked me again with a voice that I couldnât tell whether he was angry or curious.
âReally⊠are you really saying that Pellet Company is Tiaâs business? Youâve been raising Pellet since that young age?â
âYes.â
âWithout this grandfatherâs help? Without the help of the family?â
âSometimes I got Lombardyâs help. Grandpa didnât know.â I nodded as I answered.
Grandpa looked at me and Clerivan alternately several times.
And all of a sudden.
âHahahahaha!â
Bigger laughter burst out than ever before.
Youâre laughing so hard.
He even picked up a napkin and damped the tears from his eyes.
âThatâs what I meant! Haha! A child of only eleven years old! Hahaha!â
Thank God. I was relieved, giving a small sigh.
Fortunately, Grandpa didnât look angry.
He sipped his wine and laughed, again and again, looking back at the contract.
âI was worried that Tia was young and lacked experience! To think Tia was the boss of a merchant guild!â
With my grandfatherâs reaction, I was able to laugh a little comfortably.
âBy the way, Tia.â Shannanet called me.
âWouldnât it be hard to take care of both the Pellet Company and the Lombardy family?â It was a question full of worries.
âI donât want to give them both up. I am a little greedy.â I said as I shook my head.
âAnd I didnât raise Pellet alone from the beginning. Clerivan and Violet have done all the hard work. Iâm going to leave the Pellet business as it is now.â
âOf course! Of course! Tia should succeed me and become the Head of Lombardy!â
âWell, Grandpa. Arenât you mad at me?â
The atmosphere wasnât bad, but I was still worried.
âItâs not bad for a person to hide some of their abilities. Good job, Tia.â My grandfather rather praised me.
Youâre not really angry.
Then
âGrandfather.â
âYes?â
âGive me the contract.â I said, pointing to Clerivanâs contract in my grandfatherâs hand.
âItâs a life contract.â
âAh, yes! Keep it safe! To hold Clerivan tight!â My grandfather laughed again as he hummed and returned the contract to me.
Oh, another fingerprint.
Now Clerivan was smiling comfortably at my grandfatherâs words and shaking his head as if he couldnât stop him.
âSo, youâre done with the Angenas?â Grandfather asked me.
âUhm, no.â
âYou mean thereâs more to do? PerhapsâŠâ Grandfather said, anxiously narrowing his eyebrows.
âYouâre not gonna let the Angenas off the hook? Our Tia isnât weak-heartedâŠâ
âI still have a debt to collect. Clerivan, how much was it?â
Clerivan answered my question, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
âThe first is 2,500 gold, and the second is 4,500 gold. A total of 7,000 gold.â
âThat is the money that the Head of Angenas borrowed from the Empress secretly with the Henforek estate. Of course, they didnât pay the interest eitherâŠâ
âIf you include the three-month interest plus the penalty for breaching the contract, it is a little over 8,000 gold.â
âThatâs what it says.â
I smiled at my family looking at me and Clerivan with a slightly amazed look.
âOh, and thereâs more! They destroyed the Pellet Company and Clerivanâs mansion. So we have to get them to pay us back!â
âWe canât forget about Violet too.â
âShe must have felt anxious in the Knightâs building. Violet needs to take a break, too.â
âDidnât you know Violetâs personality? For you to be forgiven, you have to pay back for what youâve owed.â
âThatâs what she is.â
Iâll pay you back twice as much.
I spoke to Clerivan, making a promise.
âIâll make you a nice new house, Clerivan.â
âYes, would you like to raise the company building to a better building?â
âOh, that would be great!â
I heard my grandfather laughing while listening to the conversation between me and Clerivan.
âYes, yes. Thatâs my granddaughter!â
At that time, butler John hastily entered the dining hall. He wouldnât bother with a family dinner if he could.
Therefore, my grandfatherâs face hardened when he saw John coming in with a letter on a tray. And the rigid atmosphere became heavier when John spoke.
âAn urgent letter has arrived from the palace.â
Grandfather put down the wine glass and opened the envelope of the letter. After reading carefully, he got up right away.
âJovanes is in critical condition. I should go to the palace right now.â
The Emperor is in critical condition?
Didnât he look fine until the conference?
âTia.â
I looked back when grandfather called me.
âYou will also go with this grandfather as the successor to the Lombardy family.â