I’ll Be The Matriarch in This Life [Novel] Chapter 276

After hurriedly washing up and getting ready, I stepped out just as the ship was entering the port.

"It really is Luman."

I murmured, leaning against the deck's railing.

I couldn't believe that Luman, the heart of the East, a place I had only ever read about in reports or heard of through other people's stories, was unfolding right before my eyes.

"It's beautiful."

It looked exactly as Avinox had described it to me once upon a time.

White buildings crowned with blue and red roofs, people dressed in vibrantly patterned clothing, and narrow, web-like alleys all blended together like a picturesque painting.

And there was something else that made the scene absolutely perfect.

It was the cheerful singing of the dockworkers, waiting to unload the cargo from our cruise ship.

Is it the sound of the waves, or the rowing of oars?

Or is it the footsteps of my beloved returning from afar?

It was just as Avinox had said… it was an Eastern tradition to play music and sing on the shore while waiting for family members to return from the sea.

Though it was my first time hearing an Eastern folk song, its upbeat yet faintly sorrowful melody felt deeply familiar and heartwarming.

As I found myself unconsciously humming along to the tune, Perez stepped up beside me and let out a brief sigh of admiration.

"It's completely incomparable to how it was just a few years ago."

"Meaning it’s prospered that much?"

"Yes. If this weren't the designated destination for the cruise, I might have thought we dropped anchor in the wrong city."

I wondered what Luman looked like before the Eastern trade routes opened.

Was it a quiet, quaint, and beautiful little seaside town?

I was suddenly curious.

As if reading my mind, Perez pulled me into a tight embrace from behind, pressing a kiss to my hair as he explained.

"There weren't this many massive breakwaters back then. Just a couple built for trade with the Eastern Continent. That area over there, where all the warehouses are clustered, used to be nothing but a rocky, empty field. It looks like quite a few restaurants have popped up near the harbor, too."

"Then what about that huge building up there? It looks pretty new."

"Hmm. That entire area used to be a residential district. It really has changed a lot."

"Wow, this is so fascinating."

"It seems a lot of eateries and inns have opened up along the port. How about we grab a meal there before we set off, Tia?"

Usually, the best local restaurants were gathered around stations and ports.

I quickly nodded.

"Let's eat, and then we can head to the Pellet Corporation's Luman branch located right here in the harbor. From there, we'll take a carriage and travel for a few more hours."

We had arrived in Luman, but our journey wasn't over yet.

We had a separate, true destination in mind.

Listening quietly to my explanation, Perez smiled and replied,

"Wherever you're going, Tia, I'll follow."

After filling our stomachs at a great restaurant we stumbled into by chance, we headed straight for the Pellet Corporation.

Coincidentally, the large building I had pointed out from the cruise ship earlier was none other than the Pellet Corporation's branch office.

"Welcome! How may I help you today?"

A cheerful voice greeted me the moment we stepped inside.

"Hello. I'm looking for Branch Manager Brady Luke."

With his exceptionally pale skin and striking reddish-brown hair, Brady was an employee who had been working alongside Violet ever since Gallahan's Clothier first opened.

It was roughly a year and a half ago that Brady Luke was appointed as the manager of the Luman branch, one of the most critical regions for the company.

It was a personnel transfer that took place shortly after I became the Matriarch of Lombardi, and Violet became the Head of the Pellet Corporation.

"The Branch Manager is upstairs, however…"

The manager of a Pellet Corporation branch wasn't someone you could meet just because you asked.

"Do you happen to have a prior appointment…"

Just as the employee trailed off cautiously, clearly unsure of how to politely turn us away…

"Matriarch!"

With a loud clatter, a man in his mid-thirties practically threw himself down the stairs.

"Y-You've arrived!"

It seemed Violet had already tipped off Brady Luke.

"It's been a while, Brady. Have you been well?"

"Yes! Of course! Thanks to you, Matriarch, and House Lombardi… Uh! Th-Then, this gentleman must be…"

Brady, finally noticing Perez standing next to me, began to tremble uncontrollably and bowed his head deeply.

"I-It is a profound honor to greet you like this, Your Majesty!"

"Hiiiieek!"

Hearing a bizarre, deflating squeak behind me, I turned around to see the employee who had just greeted us standing there with a face completely drained of blood.

"Lom… bardi… Y-Your Majesty?!"

I hadn't intended to reveal our identities here, but it didn't really matter.

We had already arrived in the East.

Even if Chanton Sershou found out belatedly that I had moved ahead of schedule with Perez, there was nothing he could do about it.

After all, Luman was a territory extremely friendly to Lombardi in many ways.

I offered a small smile to the thunderstruck employee before turning back to Brady.

"I'd love to stay for some tea, but we have someone waiting for us. Could we get a carriage right away, Brady?"

"Of course! I have everything prepared! Please, give me your luggage!"

The manager of a Pellet Corporation branch took the bags directly from Perez's hands like a common porter.

The carriage was waiting right outside the branch's side door.

Knowing that the road ahead would be a bit rough, the carriage was fully equipped and prepared for the journey.

"This carriage will take the two of you directly there. I've also hired a highly experienced coachman."

"Thank you, Brady. I'll see you at the wedding in a few days."

"Yes! Have a safe trip to your destination!"

Brady Luke didn't straighten his deeply bowed back until our carriage was completely out of sight.

I could see pedestrians whispering amongst themselves as they recognized the Pellet branch manager acting so deferential.

I chuckled, shaking my head, and let out a small yawn.

"Are you tired?"

Perez, who had been looking out the window at the streets of Luman, noticed instantly and asked.

"Hmm, a little?"

"Are you feeling sick anywhere, Tia? Your stamina seems to have gotten much weaker lately."

"My stamina isn't weak, I just used too much of it…!"

Seeing me abruptly snap my head away mid-sentence, Perez chuckled.

He was teasing me on purpose, knowing exactly why I was so tired.

Changing my mind about just leaning against the carriage wall, I shamelessly laid down, using Perez's lap as a pillow.

"We have about three hours to go. Wake me up when we get there."

No matter how much of a man of steel Perez was, having someone sleep on his lap for three hours would surely make his legs go numb.

I closed my eyes, feigning ignorance.

Of course, I didn't actually plan on making him suffer for hours.

I was just going to pretend to sleep for a bit and then get up.

A large, gentle hand began to stroke my hair.

I thought about sitting up, but my vision was already starting to blur.

Right before I drifted off completely, I looked up to see Perez gazing down at me with the most peaceful, tender smile I had ever seen on his face.

"Sleep well, Tia."

"…Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes."

"You're really not numb at all?"

How is this humanly possible?

Faced with my continuous questioning, Perez tilted his head, genuinely looking like he didn't understand the problem.

"It was only for a few hours."

"Normally, even one hour is agonizing, Perez."

"Is that so?"

Perez shrugged his shoulders with a relaxed expression.

"I feel like I could easily do another ten hours."

"…For some reason, I feel like I lost."

I had momentarily forgotten that Perez's body, which naturally radiated pure aura, was vastly different from an ordinary person's.

"Are you asking because you're still tired? Do you want to sleep more?"

"No."

I shook my head.

It wasn't because of my pride.

"We're almost there."

"Is this… our destination?"

I was so furious at Chanton Sershou's counterattack that I had hidden my identity and sped up my travel itinerary by several days just to get here.

I suppose it was hard for Perez to understand why such an important destination looked like nothing more than the middle of an empty farmland.

Right on cue, the carriage slowly came to a halt.

I threw the carriage door open first and looked back at Perez.

"Let's go. She's waiting for us."

My steps as I took the lead were a bit faster than usual.

I couldn't help it, because my heart was fluttering with excitement.

"Tia, you're going to trip."

"You worry too much, Perez."

Of course, it was my first time visiting this exact place too.

But the map of this area, which I had studied countless times since the day it was founded, was crystal clear in my mind.

A perfectly straight road cut through a vast plain that stretched as far as the eye could see.

On both sides of the path, golden, fully ripened crops swayed like waves in the wind.

And standing on that path was the person I had wanted to see for so long.

"Larane!"

At my call, Larane, dressed in a flowing dress typical of Luman, turned around.

Wearing a large sun hat to block the rays, she beamed brighter than ever with the golden fields serving as her backdrop.

"Tia!"

Was this really the same fragile Larane who could barely walk back and forth between the mansion and the greenhouse?

She ran to me in one breath and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"It's been so long! Have you been well?"

"Of course! You look incredibly healthy, Larane!"

We spent a long time catching up on how we had been.

"Oh my, look at me. Have you been well, Your Majesty?"

"It has been a long time, Larane."

Perez warmly exchanged greetings with her, though he still didn't look completely satisfied.

After all, this trip to the East was planned specifically to attend Larane and Avinox's wedding.

His face clearly showed that he still didn't understand why I had rushed out of Lombardi days ahead of schedule.

I stepped closer to him and asked.

"You still don't get it?"

I grabbed his hand and led him off the path, right into the fields.

Just then, a long breeze swept across the plains.

Perez casually cast his gaze over the fields.

It was in that moment.

His red eyes trembled violently.

"Do you get it now? The reason I asked you to come with me."

"Tia, this is…"

Looking utterly disbelieving, Perez reached his hand out toward the crops.

But the tickling sensation brushing against his palm was real.

"That's right. It's wheat, Perez."

In the wind that rolled in like the tide, the fully ripened wheat danced in unison.

"The East is now producing its own wheat."