“What do you mean……”


  I smiled and looked at Clerivan standing next to me.

  "Just in case, I asked Clerivan to join me. That’s a relief."

  Clerivan smiled at me.

  "Lady Florentia always puts everything together as if she could see the future. Now I’m not surprised."

  Dillard looked at me and Clerivan, who were having a friendly conversation, with unknown eyes.

  It’s definitely between a teacher and a student.

  The atmosphere of conversation is the opposite, so it must be very confusing.

  I called him in a calm voice, to end the confusion of the Lord’s Top.

  "Lord Dillard."

  "Yes……?"

  “Do you remember the diamond mining business of the Pellet Corporation?”


  "Of course……"

  Romassie Dillard replied, nodding his head.

  "I know you were at the mine auction at that time. What did you think?"

  "I thought that our Lombardy’s Top, who had been complacent with the new Pellet’s Top, had learned the right lesson. Since then, we’ve regained our original intentions and changed our minds."

  Even though he was answering my question.

  He still looked puzzled because he couldn’t relate me to the business that made the Pellet Corporation what it is today.

  I spoke to such a Lord’s Top.

  "The diamond mining business was my first business."

  "First business……"

  Romassie Dillard shook his head, mumbling blankly after my last words.

  "I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Could you repeat that, please?"

  "You said you can’t trust me because I don’t have any experience. Experience is important. I agree with you to some extent. So let me tell you a secret."

  I spoke in a low voice.

  "The real owner of Pellet Corporation is me, Florentia Lombardy."1

  "The real…… Owner?"

  Romassie’s eyes trembling as if it were an earthquake, headed for Clerivan.

  "Is what she just said true?"

  Clerivan answered immediately.

  "As far as you know I’m teaching Lady Florentia. As a matter of fact, it’s the opposite. Every day I’m learning a lot from Lady Florentia."

  "But, but how can a Young Lady……"

  Perhaps the shock was too big to make Dillard stuttered.

  But Clerivan said firmly enough to sound a little heartless.

  "For Lady Florentia, age is just a number. This Clerivan Pellet, I assure you."

  Clerivan shook his head again at the reasonable suspicion of the Lord’s Top, that he was just assisting her under the ownership of the Pellet Corporation.

  "From the Diamond Mine and the Eastern Great Drought trade that led to Pellet Corporation today, to the Pellet Corporation Academy Scholarship, which began last year. It’s all from Lady Florentia. The Pellet Corporation’s real owner itself."

  "I’m only telling you my true feelings, Lady Florentia."

  Clerivan said so and smiled friendly at me.

  Kya, a handsome person is still handsome no matter how old he is.1

  Beauty doesn’t go anywhere!

  Then I took my eyes off from Clerivan and asked Romassie Dillard that still stunned.

  "How is it, Lord Dillard. I think I also have some experience at this level."

  * * *

  Gallahan’s only daughter, Florentia, resembles her father so much that you can tell by looking at them separately.

  Especially the big green eyes or the shape of the smiling mouth.

  But with her confident eyes and imposing temperament, it was nothing like Gallahan, who was timid.

  "Rather……"

  It was time for Romassie Dillard to casually recall someone resembling Florentia.

  "Lord Lombardy."

  "……Yes?."

  "No matter how much experience you have, it’s hard to trust at once and get into a new business together. But……"

  The green eyes, sparkling with a conviction of success, were charismatic to Romassie Dillard.

  "I’m the one who came up with the idea of delivery service, but it’s Lombardy who leads the business. He is Householder Devon, who has been in charge of Lombardy Transportation, and Herringa, who has nurtured many talents. If you don’t trust me, trust them."

  Romassie Dillard who was listening blankly nodded unknowingly to what Florentia was saying.

  There was not a single word wrong.

  But he was still dazed as if he was dreaming.

  No matter how much you put it in your pocket, the awl always shows. (I can’t find the meaning, it’s look like an idioms.)

  I mean, you didn’t even know you had a person like this right in front of you?

  He was ashamed of himself for being proud of how to see people.

  "I’ll be back soon with a detailed proposal from the Lombardy Top.

  Romassie Dillard greeted politely and saying so.

  It was quite a different attitude from when he entered the drawing-room.

  Clerivan also followed him out.

  Click.

  As soon as the door closed behind his back, Romassie, who looked around and confirmed that no one was there, held Clerivan’s shoulder and led him to the corner.

  "Really, really?"

  It was a very low voice, just in case, he could be heard from inside.

  "You still don’t believe in Lady Florentia?"

  In a very unpleasant way, Clerivan asked back, beating the hand on his shoulder coldly.

  At the first sight of his child, who always thought he was cold, the Lord’s Top of Lombardy lost his words again.

  On top of that, Clerivan took another step and said a warning.

  "Lady Florentia revealed her secret because she believes in the Lord’s Top. Don’t betray her faith."

  Romassie Dillard nodded slowly.

  Gallahan’s daughter, now only 18th y/o, was actually the real owner of Pellet Corporation.

  Who’s going to believe this?

  "For your information. The Lady already knows about my relationship with the Lord’s Top."

  "Did you say it yourself?"

  Romassie Dillard was genuinely surprised.

  The fact that Clerivan was out of wedlock was a tight secret.

  Above all, it was because Clerivan himself wanted it strongly.

  However, his trust in Florentia is high enough to say all of his own privates.

  Dillard nodded silently.

  It was because the strong trust between Clerivan and Florentia was measured.

  Afterward, Clerivan saw off Romassie to the carriage.

  And while some of the mansion’s servants were moving busily, brushing off dirt from the inside of the carriage, he suddenly spoke.

  "The Lord’s Top once told me. It’s about the days when you learned about the abilities and ambitions of the current Lord of Lombardy, who was still competing for succession in his youth."

  At the words of Clerivan, Romassie looked back on him.

  "You said you wanted to go along with him, even if you gave your all."

  "……Yes, it was."

  "The day I found out who Lady Florentia was. I could finally understand what the Lord’s Top was like at that time."

  There was a subtle, deep smile on Clerivan’s face.

  "That’s why I’m so quick to stick with her under the pretext of being a teacher."

  A small smile seemed quite pleasant at the end of the sentence.

  He has never seen Clerivan like that before, so Romassie Dillard opened his eyes wide.

  "From now on, Lady Florentia will make Lombardy greater one by one."5

  Clerivan’s blue eyes, saying so, were as sure as Florentia a moment ago.

  "If Lord Dillard doesn’t want to fall behind, you’d better seize this opportunity."

  Clerivan spoke as if he were advising and took a step back and greeted briefly.

  When Romassie Dillard saw the back of Clerivan walking without any lingering feelings, a smile spread on Romassie Dillard’s lips.

  "Yes, I had that day, too."

  Romassie recalled the memory of that day.

  With the same sparkling eyes, Lulak’s image of Lombardy’s dreams and goals in his heart was still in front of him.

  Yeah, she looks like him.

  Romassie mumbled happily, recalling the granddaughter and grandfather who looked very similar.

  "I think I’ll take this opportunity."

  Clerivan’s enthusiasm seems to have spread to him as well.

  Romassie’s heart no longer bothered as he grew older was pounding pleasantly.

  * * *

  I was spending time with Larane, taking advantage of my time after a long time.

  A place was full of all kinds of strong flowery scents and fresh grassy smells.

  These days, Larane spent most of her time in a small greenhouse on one side of the mansion.

  Because it is located in a corner, it’s rare for people to visit here.

  In addition, it seems that the flowers in full bloom are glossy.

  "Here you go. I’ll give you a lily as a present today, Tia."

  Larane said, handing me a bunch of pretty lilies tied together with yellow ribbons.

  Wow, thanks! Thanks to Larane, the scent of flowers will never go away in my room?"

  "I’m glad I could be of any help."

  Larane laughed prettier than the flowers.

  But it bothers me that the end of the laughter withers away like a bent lily.

  "What’s the matter, Larane?"

  "Huh? Oh, no……"

  However, even that remark quickly hides its tail.

  "If you let it out, wouldn’t it make you feel better?"

  Larane, who blinked her big eyes slowly at my words, said in a small voice.

  "I’m just a little jealous of Tia."

  "Me?"

  Larane smiled helplessly and nodded.

  "I’m ashamed of myself, but I feel stuffy these days. So I think about it sometimes. What if I’m as cool as Tia and I can do something big."

  "If it’s a big deal…… You mean business?"

  "Yeah, I think it’s really cool."

  "Is there any business you want to do?"

  Larane thought a little about my question and shook her head.

  Her thin bangs that came out a little bit, shook shakingly.

  "No, I don’t think so. I just like taking care of flowers like this. But my parents……"

  Ah, Viese and Seral. How did Larane get born between the two?

  It was truly a Lombardy wonder.5

  "My parents, as Tia knows……"

  Larane couldn’t bring herself to speak and laughed bitterly.

  "I think that’s why I thought about it. What if I was someone who knew how to run a business?"

  Larane, who smiles like that, looks so weak today.

  I held Larane’s hand with a little dirt on it.

  "If you want to do anything, tell me, Larane. Let me help you. But not everyone has to do business or something. Larane just needs to find something that makes you happy."

  "……What makes me happy."

  But then there was a slight but truly pleasing smile around Larane’s mouth, muttering like that.

  Then our eyes met.

  Larane said with a slight blush of shame somewhere.

  "……I’ll tell you later."

  Then, in a bit of a hurry, she turns the topic.

  "Now! Is it tomorrow? I’ll be there too, Tia."

  "No one from Larane’s family is coming. Are you going to be okay?"

  Larane nodded at my question.

  "I’ll be back in a minute, and my mother won’t know. It’s okay. It’s Tia’s first business presentation, and I really want to attend."

  "I’d be honored if you could come."

  I said so and took a deep breath of the lilies’s scent that Larane gave me.

  It’s a hot summer day now.

  Lombardy Transportation’s new business briefing session is just one day away.