Chapter 222

(Florentia's POV)

"Claryvan!"

I saw Claryvan get off the horse and run.

And hugged him when I got closer.

Perhaps because of the horse ride, Claryvan smelled like the wind.

"...Florentia."

Claryvan also hugged me.

"Good work, Claryvan, It was scary, wasn't it?"

"It would be a lie to say it wasn't."

He laughed as he said that, but Claryvan's body was trembling and only starting to relax.

"Brother...." Laurel approached Claryvan carefully.

Tears that had just stopped were flowing again from Laurel's already swollen eyes.

"....Laurel."

Claryvan, who was watching the figure, took out his handkerchief from his arms and handed it over.

"Oh, thank you..."

Laurel, seeing the handkerchief handed over with her big eyes, burst into tears again.

It was because the handkerchief that Claryvan carried was the handkerchief she gave him last time.

Even if he didn't express it outwardly, Claryvan was also thinking of Laurel as her younger sister.

Claryvan, who was patting Laurel on the shoulder, said to me.

"The Imperial knights have Violet."

"Violet?"

I turned my head and glanced at the Imperial Knights, who had stopped at the front gate of the mansion.

"They really are.."

I'd like to turn everything upside down.

It's not the time yet.

I need to wait for it to ripen.

"Miss Violet...what do we do, Lady?"

Laurel asked me with frightened eyes.

With one hand clasped at the hem of Claryvan's robe.

"It's okay, everything's gonna be fine. I'm not gonna let that happen."

But the charge... allegations of cooperation in the attempted murder of the emperor.

It's tremendous too.

"Wouldn't it be nice to actively explain that my brother has nothing to do with such a thing?"

Laurel carefully suggested it to me.

But I shook my head.

"No, if so, the Empress will create another suspicion."

"Then what to do..."

"I have to aim at the Empress. I might won't be able to have this kind of thing again."

I said, looking at the Imperial knights still confronting the Lombardi knights.

"I can't believe the knights of the royal court moved like that. It's proof that the Empress was driven at a dead end. So there's nothing to be afraid of."

This side holds the knife anyway.

"It's only a few days left until the conference. All you have to do is hang in there."

And I spoke to Perez.

"About Violet."

"Okay. Don't worry about it."

Perez answered right away.

"I'll move her to the Knights building and protect her."

Fortunately, Perez was responsible for the investigation of the attempted murder.

However, no matter how the Knights were divided, Peez still had the authority to interrogate those involved in the case.

"I'll go now."

Perez said as he got on the horse again.

"Wait a minute."

I grabbed Perez's arm a little hard.

"It shouldn't happen to Violet what happened to Bellesac. Of course, I know you had deliberately loosened your guard on purpose then but--"

I stopped talking.

It was because Perez's lips came suddenly.

I was embarrassed for a moment by that short contact of our lips.

What on earth does this kiss mean?

As if reading my thoughts, Perez said, while laughing low.

"Because I don't think I'll see you for a while."

"I'm not kidding, Perez. I really don't want anything to happen to Violet. Violet is my people."

"I know how much you value your people. So don't worry."

Perez once again said, kissing my forehead.

"I won't let something happen that will make you sad."

Perez, who said so, jumped and boarded the horse.

And when he held the reins of the horse, I approached and said.

"Be careful."

It's a battlefield out there now.

I would be safe in the mansion, but I felt uneasy about sending Perez alone again outside.

Perez nodded with a slight smile without a word.

"Let's go, ha!"

Only after watching the horse carrying Perez run safely past the boundaries of the mansion did I take Claryvan into the mansion.

****

The Patriarch office of the Angenas mansion.

"Claryvan Pellet sneaked into Lombardi's mansion."

Ethan Klaus reported to the Empress.

It was a space for Duigi, the owner of Angenas, but neither the Empress nor Ethan Klaus, the head of the Knights of Angenas, had any second thought on using the room.

"Like a rat..!"

The Empress hit the desk and gritted her teeth.

"You should've been in front of there from the beginning!"

The Empress shouted fiercely at Ethan Klaus.

"I'm sorry."

Lavigne, who once again glared at Ethan Klaus, who apologized silently, asked.

"What about the contract and land mortgage documents?"

"I'm searching through both the Pellet mansion and corporation building. I will find it soon."

"You have to get your hands on it at all costs. Otherwise..."

Lavigne stopped talking.

Now that the Emperor's heart was tied to the side of Angenas, the contract was the only remaining weakness left.

"I don't have a good feeling."

Lavigne muttered nervously, biting her fingernails.

After contemplating for a while, Lavigne rose from her seat.

"Are you going?"

Ethan Klaus lifted the Empress's robe and wrapped it around her shoulder.

"Ethan."

Empress Lavigne looked back at Ethan Klaus and said.

"What's most important is to prevent Claryvan Pellet from attending the conference."

Because the only person who can exercise the rights of the contract is the owner of the Pellet Corporation.

"Guard the front of Lombardi mansion. And when Claryvan Pellet comes out, kill him."

Rather, it wouldn't be bad for the Pellet market to crumble like thin air.

Empress Lavigne smiles beautifully.

****

"Long time no see."

Crenny smiled at the scenery of Lombardi that he missed.

He took a soft, deep breath and even smelled the Lombardi.

"Let's go so I can show off to Tia!"

After Crenny went to the academy, he grew up like a fish in water.

Was it because he read a lot of good books with the recommendation of his sister cousin, Florentia, since he was young, or is his brain good from the beginning?

He never misses the top of his grade.

"If I tell them that I will be skipping for a year this time, my sister will be happy too!"

Now the process that usually takes six years, will be completed in four years.

Now he has only two years left until graduation.

Crenny's face flushed.

Thump!

"Ugh!"

At that time, his carriage made a sudden stop, and Crenny hit his knees in the seat of the carriage.

"What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Sir! The knights are standing in the way!"

"Knights?"

Crenny's face hardened as he tilted his head and looked out of the carriage.

The Imperial Knights were looking at Crenny with hideous faces.

"What's going on?"

Crenny looked surprised at the front door of the mansion.

"Why are the Imperial troops surrounding the mansion?"

Fortunately, the Imperial Knights slowly withdrew and the carriage was able to reach the border of the mansion.

"Let's check."

At that time, the door of the carriage Crenny was riding opened wide.

Crenny, nervously, looked at the Knight who opened the door.

"....Brother Gillieu?"

"What, it was Crenny?

Gillieu, dressed in the Lombardi Knight's clothes, grinned at Crenny.

"Huh? It's Crenny?"

Mairon's face also popped into the carriage.

"You're here for vacation?"

Mairon asked.

"What's the matter? Why in front of the mansion...."

"Go and ask Tia. She'll explain it well. It's not a big deal, so don't worry too much."

Having said that, Gillieu closed the carriage door again and gestured to the Lombardi soldiers.

The doors of the tightly closed mansion slowly opened, and the carriage carrying Crenny began to run again along the path of the mansion.

Meanwhile, Rulac was watching a carriage barely entering the mansion.

"Father."

Gallahan approached Rulac's back and spoke to him.

"Are you going to leave it as it is?"

"What if I do?"

At Rulac's remarks, Gallhan frowned.

"Shouldn't we help Tia solve the situation?"

Shannanet also approached and said carefully.

"There has been a confrontation for several days already, Father."

"Is it really the confrontation between the Imperial family and Lombardi that you are worried about, Gallahan?"

Rulac turned to Gallhan and asked.

"Why don't you tell me what you mean honestly?"

"Then I won't beat around the bush."

Gallhan opened his mouth with a heavy heart.

"The Patriarch of Lombardi is still father, not Tia. If the confrontation continues, it will only put more pressure on Tia."

"Gallalahan is right, Father. It would be better to send a letter of protest to Your Majesty."

Shannanet also helped Gallahan.

However, Rulac shook his head with a stern face.

"Father!"

"Father!"

Gallahan and Shannanet spoke at the same time, but Rulac's intention did not change.

"You're wrong. This is Tia's fight, Gallahan."

Then he stared at the Imperial Knights facing the mansion like a siege.

"Now, Yovanes is trying to overpower Tia before she becomes the Matriarch. He's trying to tame her."

Rulac wanted to intervene right away, but he endured it again and again.

"Tia must go through more than this in the future."

"However..."

"How can she lead Lombardi in the future if she can barely beat a foolish Emperor like Yovanes?"

Rulac said so, concealing his concern.

Nevertheless, after an inevitable sigh, a lowly self-talk followed.

"Tia has to overcome this on her own."

****

(Florentia's POV)

Several days have passed since the Imperial family and Lombardi began to confront each other in front of the mansion.

In the meantime, the Empress has literally devastated Pellet Corporation and Claryvan's mansions.

In Bate's words, all the windows of the mansion were broken, the garden was messed up, and the items in the storehouse were all ruined, to the point that it could not be sold.

No matter how much she searched, she couldn't find what she wanted, so she was livid.

However, Lombardi remained silent with the mansion door closed.

And finally, the day of the conference came.

"I will be back."

"Be careful, Tia."

My father said anxiously to me.

"I will come home soon, please wait for me. Let's have dinner together, Dad."

My words put a faint smile on my father's face.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Deputy Patriarch."

A veteran coachman, who has been driving the carriage of the Patriarch for several decades, replied with a very meaningful expression.

The carriage started and gradually headed in front of the tightly closed iron gate.

I heard Lombardi's soldiers opening the door who checked my carriage.

And, of course.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Without waiting for my answer, the carriage door swung open.

"You're crazy."

I said, staring at the Empress's henchman, Ethan Klaus.

"These bastards are really..!"

Behind the scenes, I heard Lombardi Knights bursting in anger.

However, I told them not to intervene, so there was no fight.

Instead, I spoke to Ethan Klaus.

"Opening the carriage of the Patriarch of Lombardi, I guess there's nothing you fear now, Sir Klaus."

Klaus, who heard my vitriolic remarks, frowned slightly.

It seemed to hurt his pride to hear this from me, a young lady.

But class is more important than age.

What are you going to do?

As I glared with my cold eyes, Ethan Klaus checked inside the carriage without answering.

"Claryvan Pellet is not in this carriage, you can tell without looking at it like that."

"...It's an imperial order to check every carriage coming out of Lombardi."

"It must be the order of the Empress."

I laughed with one corner of my mouth up.

"Did the Empress tell you to stop Claryvan Pellet from leaving the mansion?"

When the order of the Empress came out, the atmosphere of Ethan Klaus became fierce.

But I'm not going to be discouraged by such a thing.

I said, looking more confidently at Ethan Klaus' gray eyes.

"Who are you to dare stand in my way, the Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi?"

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N/A: Who's excited for the conference? Vote for this chapter if you do! Kidding!

So many things happen huh? First Perez's smooth move to Tia before leaving (Kyaaah! >0<), then Lavigne who's being played like a fool(Lol. I'm wondering if the readers here have already forgotten our Tia's biggest secret hehe!), Grandpa's resolve to let Tia fight on her own, and lastly, Crenny's here!