In This Life, I Will Become the Head of the Family, Chapter 1
Prologue
‘You must not wager the family’s real estate at gambling tables as you please. This is already the third time…….’
Slap!
With an unpleasant crack, Firentia’s head was violently turned to the side.
‘Who do you think you are, daring to lecture me!’
The man shoved her shoulder with a rough hand and shouted, the stench of alcohol reeking from his body.
‘Now, now. Calm yourself, Astaliu. Go over there. And you…….’
Bellesac gently admonished his drunken, staggering younger cousin, then turned toward Firentia.
And then.
Slap—!
With an even louder sound than before, a large handprint appeared on the other side of her face.
‘After handling the family’s money for a while, did you start thinking it belonged to you?’
Bellesac sneered at Firentia, who was trembling as she held her struck cheek.
‘Do not misunderstand. You and we may share the same surname, but with your lowborn blood mixed in, you can never become a member of this family. All you need to do is live as the servant we command, just as you do now.’
No matter how many times she heard them, the cruel words pierced her heart like a dagger.
‘If you tell Grandfather about what happened today, I will deal with you myself.’
After giving that low warning, Bellesac spat on the ground and turned away. Soon, she heard the carriage she had ridden in growing farther and farther away. Left alone in the dark alley of the entertainment district, Firentia clenched her fists.
A drop of red blood fell from her split lip.
* * *
Clatter.
“Whoa—. Whoa.”
As the carriage swayed lightly along with the coachman’s soothing call to the horses, Firentia awoke from thoughts of the very distant past. Lifting the curtain draped over the window slightly and looking outside, she saw the soldiers of the Imperial Palace.
“We’re here.”
Firentia lowered the curtain again and straightened her back even more as she looked ahead. Once she tidied the hair and clothes that had fallen slightly out of place, she looked like a neat, elegant painting.
In the meantime, the carriage carrying her passed through the main gate of the Imperial Palace and arrived at Lambrew Palace. Bathed in the brilliant afternoon sunlight, the original gold of the large World Tree carving that adorned the carriage flaunted its dazzling sheen along the curves of the sculpture.
“We have arrived.”
When the carriage stopped, the coachman announced respectfully.
“Firentia.”
Soon, the carriage door opened, and a beautiful man greeted her.
“Perez.”
After escorting Firentia down from the carriage, he pressed a long kiss to the back of her hand. It was a deep kiss that did not hide the desire in his heart.
“Perez!”
Firentia called his name as if scolding him, but Perez merely smiled, his long-lashed eyes curving beautifully.
“Let’s go. Everyone must be waiting.”
Pulling her hand from his, she spoke as she headed first toward the grand banquet hall. Seeing the tips of Firentia’s ears turn faintly red, Perez smiled even more deeply before following behind her with his hands clasped behind his back.
“There is no one in this Lambrew Empire who would complain because you made them wait a little, my Tia. We can go a bit more slowly.”
The two of them had come a very long way for this day.
“After all the hardship it took to get here, you should enjoy this moment.”
After painstaking patience and effort, today was the day to take that sweet fruit.
“Yes, we went through absolute hell.”
Firentia acknowledged it plainly.
We really did take the long way around. Far more than you could ever imagine.
She added in a small voice he could not hear.
“But that does not mean we need to be rude.”
It was a resolute answer. From the very first moment he saw her, the woman who had made him fall in love at once had been wonderful in precisely that way. Perez laughed again in delight.
Before long, the two stood before the closed doors of the grand banquet hall.
“Are you ready?”
At Perez’s question, Firentia gave a short nod.
“Then shall we enter, Head of House Lombardi?”
He held out his hand before her.
“Let us go, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
A fair, delicate hand took his.
“Open the doors.”
Perez gave a brief command to the attendant standing before them.
“His Highness the Crown Prince and Firentia Lombardi, Head of House Lombardi, are entering!”
A voice announcing the entrance of the two rang out from beyond the doors. As the sound reached her ears like music sweet as honey, Firentia smiled.
The doors slowly opened as if the crack between them were splitting apart, and through that gap, the bright light of the grand banquet hall poured out.