Chapter 223

(Florentia's POV)

"The young Deputy Patriarch is very outspoken."

Ethan Klaus spoke to me in a harsh voice, as if a crackling sound could be heard.

When I mentioned the Empress, he seemed quite upset.

However, even in the midst of that, Ethan Klaus's eyes were searching the inside of the carriage.

It seemed like they were looking through the corners to see if there was a space where Claryvan could possibly hide.

"I, the Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi, have no reason to be wary of what I say in front of the Knight of Angenas."

I added, hitting it without losing, too.

"You'll regret it if you don't get out of the carriage soon, Lord Klaus."

"...."

As soon as I finished speaking, Klaus squeezed his body back while holding the carriage door.

And he quickly pulled out his sword.

Shiiing!

There was a loud sound enough to make my ears ring.

"You dare open the Lombardi's carriage. Do you want to die, Ethan Klaus?"

It was Lambert Lombardi, the commander of Lombardi Knights, who appeared in an instant and swung his sword.

The two men's swords were trembling with tremendous strength and power.

"Move."

"The beggars of Angenas."

From the back, familiar voices were heard along with the sound of horseshoe.

Looking back, I could see Angenas and the Imperial knights, who were close to the carriage, stepping back.

"Tia, no, Deputy Patriarch, are you okay?"

It was Gillieu and Mairon who stood out from the window.

In addition to the two, there are probably a few more Lombardi knights.

I smirked at Ethan Klaus looking at the Knight of Lombardi surrounding the carriage with a stiff face.

I said I was going to the conference, but when did I say I was going alone?

Now Angenas and the Imperial knights must act more carefully, unless they intend to engage in an all-out war with Lombardi.

Of course, what you've done so far is not something to be overlooked.

"Lord Lombardi."

"Yes, Deputy Patriarch."

"Please stop it. I'm fine."

"Okay."

To be precise, my Dad's cousin, Lambert Lombardi, was a man who's on good terms with me.

Before that, it was the relationship between the Deputy Patriarch and the commander of the Knights.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lord Lombardi backed down, bouncing back the sword of Ethan Klaus.

I spoke to Ethan Klaus.

"I'll ask you if you dare open my carriage door later, Lord Klaus."

The eyes staring at me through the closing door were unusual, but I didn't care much.

What can you do by staring like that?

I spoke to the coachman.

"Let's go to the place I mentioned earlier."

"Yes, Deputy Patriarch."

The carriage started moving again.

But this time with the Lombardi's Knights escorting around the carriage.

As we started to run down the avenue, I saw the Lombardi's citizens looking around the carriage with wide eyes.

Soon after, I arrived at my first destination.

"Where in the Pellet Corporation, Deputy Patriarch."

The coachman informed me.

But I didn't get off the carriage.

Instead, the carriage slowed down and slowly passed by, as I looked out of the window to see Pellet.

"Those motherf*ckers..."

(A/N: Sorry for the word. I was shocked too! It was really on the raw English translation. HAHAHA! I want to filter it a little like 'Those asshole...' or 'Those shitheads...' But 'motherf*ckers' seems funnier and much, how do I put it, heart felt? LMAO.)

It was a scene where swearing was bound to come out naturally.

'I told you it was a mess.'

The word 'mess' was an understatement.

There was no Pellet trader that was busily moving in and out with carts.

The surrounding area was still guarded by Imperial soldiers, creating a brutal atmosphere, and only the staff of the upper house were busy moving.

A person who collects broken and scattered luggage in one place, sweeps the floor with a cleaning tool in both hands.

All of them were wearing dark faces.

"Ah!"

At that time, one of the people carrying the luggage screamed.

His hand seemed to be stabbed by a piece of glass that had been mixed in the package.

The red blood flowing through his fingers drips on the Pellet's upper path.

"They're dead."

Anger rose from the inside.

I wanted to immediately get rid of the broom from the staff's hand and get rid of all the Imperial soldiers who were walking around the company with arrogance.

I wanted to yell at them at the top of my lungs!

"From today on, this will be our office."

"But why is my name...?"

"Because this building belongs to Claryvan."

The old memories of setting up the Pellet Corporation for the first time were flooding my mind.

"The first goal of our Pellet Trading is mining."

Claryvan, Violet, and me.

The times when the three people gathered in the office and had meetings passed like a kaleidoscope.

Also, it wasn't just us.

To make Pellet Corporation what it is now, a lot of people have worked hard.

I took my eyes off the Pellet trader and spoke to the coachman.

"Depart for the Imperial palace."

Pellets do not end here.

It will take some time to get it back to normal, but after that, it will start to move actively again.

"I'll get it all."

Of course, after getting all the money that made the company that way.

****

The conference hall of the Imperial Palace.

There was still time until the meeting began, but quite a few nobles were arriving one after another.

The seats in the conference hall were already full.

As such, today's issue was of interest to the Imperial nobles.

Angenas and Brown, who will be the representative of the West.

A battle between Angenas and Lombardi, who produced the Empress and ruled the West for the past 40 years or so, and Brown, the West indigenous owner with the Second Prince on their backs.

This wasn't just a matter.

It was also directly connected to the inevitable appointment of the Crown Prince.

These aristocrats, who sat in groups of twos and threes, were looking at the outcome of the meeting.

Then there was someone who kept glancing and being conscious.

"I can't believe the Empress is here..."

"The fate of Angenas is at stake, of course, she'll be moving herself."

Empress Lavigne was sitting in the leftmost seat, among the three chairs at the top.

It was originally where Astana sat.

There was no sign of displeasure in the Empress's face, although all the aristocrats could be heard whispering.

She was just sitting there with a soft smile as she was holding her place in a laid-back attitude.

There were a lot of people vaguely expecting that today's meeting will end with Angenas' victory in the state of its dignity.

"Empress."

Duigi approached and reported half-whispering.

"It is said that Florentia Lombardi has left the mansion."

"What about the carriage search?"

"That is...it is said that there was only Florentia Lombardi in the room."

"I thought I told you to check the luggage compartment as well."

"The Lombardi also escorted her with their Knights...Lambert Lombardi and Shannanet Lombardi's son also moved with her."

"...They're like a sly fox."

The three were part of the Lombardi's Knights, but they were also a member of the Lombardi family.

If for any reason they were injured, then Lombardi would be given a justification to directly intervene in the conflict.

But confronting Lombardi head-on was very burdensome not only for Angenas but also for the Imperial family.

'If you want to hit me, hit me. If you can.'

That's what Florentia Lombardi is saying.

"It's all that old man's trick."

Empress Lavigne gritted her teeth, recalling Rulac Lombardi.

Like playing chess while hiding in the mansion, they are moving Lombardi's blood relatives one by one.

Probably, being sick is all an excuse.

"How could a man as big as Claryvan Pellet hide in the carriage compartment?"

Duigi asked carefully.

"Foolish. They would do anything to persecute our Angenas family, those Lombardi people."

Empress Lavigne said, looking at the vacant seat where the Deputy Patriarch would soon be seated.

"Tell Ethan to check the luggage compartment at any cost." She said.

"But how..."

"By all means." Lavigne coldly said.

"Tell them to check by any means necessary."

"If Claryvan Pellet is hiding in the luggage compartment, then what should we do?"

"Of course, just kill him. If he's hiding in a small space, then you'll just stab him."

As the Empress looked forward to the nobles who could not hear their conversation, she smiled beautifully and said, as if to make herself clear.

"The dead can't speak, can they, Duigi?"

The Emperor is on the side of Angenas anyway.

All he needs to do anyway is to attend the conference and hand over the rights of the secured land to the Brown family, just as Chanton Sushou did in front of the Emperor.

"...Yes, I understand."

It was just when Duigi, who replied with a dark face, turned around.

A completely unexpected figure stood behind Duigi.

"Croyton?"

It was Croyton Angenas, who ran the top of Durac.

It was Croyton, whose relationship grew estranged after Angenas was abandoned by the Empress while competing with Duigi for the title.

However, the complexion of Croyton Angenas, who suddenly came to the conference hall, was dark.

"Can I talk to you quietly for a moment, Empress?"

"....You can."

Sensing something unusual, the Empress quietly followed Durac's top state outside.

The two stood in a deserted corridor of a courtyard.

"Last night, my father passed away."

Croyton's father was a member of the Angenas family for many years.

"And before my father died, I was able to ask about his work with the Browns."

At that moment, Empress Lavigne's eyes sparkled.

From the day the Brown family reappeared, Lavigne was trying to figure out exactly what happened 40 years ago.

However, no matter how much she searched through the family, she couldn't find any data on what happened at that time.

There was not a single piece of common paper left.

Croyton Angenas' father was one of the few remaining elders who were active at that time.

And the last time Lavigne visited the hospital bed, he didn't open his mouth, saying he knew nothing.

"What did he say?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my father didn't want to mention what happened that day until the end."

"What?"

Lavigne's voice sharpened.

But the grim-faced Croyton Angenas wasn't as daunted in front of Lavigne as before.

It wasn't to be bold.

Rather, he was close to the premiere of a person who gave up everything.

"I'm here today to bring my father's last words to the Empress."

Croyton Angenas, who said so, looked directly at Empress Lavigne.

And with a troubled face, he uttered his father's will.

"Don't trust the Emperor."

In the end, these were the last words left by Angena's departing elder worried about the future of his family.

"Don't trust the Imperial family who abandoned the Brown family."

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A/N: You might get annoyed but you will see more of the 'A/N' in between the story since there will be a lot of things that might be confusing. I apologize in advance. I hope you understand. Although, there's the part that I'm just being too excited. LOL. But I'll try to minimize those as much as possible. Hehe.