<h4>Chapter 182</h4>


    The outdoor banquet hall, where many people gathered, was noisy with one topic.


    "Isn’t it beautiful?"


    "It’s as if it’s alive!"


    All the people who poured out their exmations were looking at the center of the green garden.


    There was arge wooden sculpted figure of a woman looking at a small tree growing out of branches.


    "I’ve heard about Alpheo Jean’s reputation, but I didn’t expect it to be this much!"


    "I don’t know who that woman is, but doesn’t she seem to be full of her affection for trees?"


    "But why such a small tree, not a grown one?"


    At a time when people are eager to talk about the statue.


    A coachman, who came to Lombardy from the Imperial office with a low-ranking official from the Lombardy schrship, entered the mansion.


    A face with a shabby outfit and a rough beard.


    The only unusual thing about the coachman, which ismon everywhere in the Empire, was that his right-hand sleeve was loosely draped.


    Tak Tak.


    He walked up the stairs without hesitation, looking indifferently at the crowd outside in colorful clothes.


    And he reached one door with a natural step.


    It was Lord of Lombardy’s office.


    For some reason, the door with the fully armed Lombardy’s knights was empty.


    "Whoho."


    The coachman, who let out a low sigh, knocked carefully on the door.


    "Come in."


    The voice of Lk Lombardy, the owner of the office, was heard.


    As soon as he entered the office, the coachman, holding his hat on his chest, bent down deeply and straightened his head.


    "Huh."


    Lk, who was watching,ughed.


    "Did you really be amoner after living as amoner?"


    "I’m sorry."


    The coachman smiled awkwardly.


    Lk Lombardy stood up and tapped the coachman on the shoulder.


    "Long time no see, Gird Brown. No, now that you’ve seeded the family, I’ll have to properly call you Lord of Brown."


    Gird Brownughed bitterly at a name no one else is calling now.


    "Thank you for your time, Lord Lombardy."


    "Sit down."


    Lk personally gave the tea he had prepared.


    And he said, looking closely at Gird Brown.


    "You must have a hard time."


    "...I feel like I’m lucky to be alive."


    Gird Brown’s gaze was cut off and stayed where his right hand was.


    Lk also watched the scene and asked.


    "It must be Angenas. They’ve done a terrible job."


    It was more than 40 years ago that Angenas took all thend of the Brown family.


    Since then, Angenas has dried up the Brown family.


    They forced him out of the estate and killed Gird Brown’s father, the Lord of Brown, who was in charge of a nearby estate.


    <h4>The background has never been rified, but no one didn’t know that there were Angenas behind it.</h4>


    "I’d rather die humanely."


    Lk said with his tongue flicked.


    Despite the harsh words, Gird Brown did not lose his temper.


    Over the past years, there have been many nights when he thought it would have been lucky to die that night together.


    "They take the right hand of the one who lifts the sword."


    The killers sent by Angenas killed only the young Brown family, their first son, and adult men who could seed the family.


    The Lord of Brown’s younger brother, who survived difficult times at that time, had both legs cut off.


    And boys, including Gird, had to lose their right hand.


    They were survivors and witnesses forced to remain silent.


    "But you survived."


    Lk said to Gird Brown.


    "Only those who survive can sharpen the de of revenge."


    Brown’s shoulder was shaken upon the word.


    He was surprised that Lk knew everything even though he hadn’t brought it up yet.


    Lk’s deep brown eyes filled with a strange smile.


    "Say it yourself. Why did you want to see me today?"


    And he added, looking at Gird Brown’s stiffly nervous face.


    "Don’t worry about Angenas. These days, they’re busy putting out my tailed fire. Now that I’ve held a schrship, don’t worry about the leak of your visit to me today."


    "Thank you..."


    Gird Brown bowed his head deep.


    And in that state, he spoke earnestly.


    "Please help the Brown family, elder."


    "How?"


    "...I have found a way to get back thend that was taken away by Angenas, but before that, I must regain my name."


    Angenas eventually seeded in removing the Browns from the aristocratic register ten years ago.


    Strictly speaking, now the Browns are no longer aristocrats.


    "So please help me get my name back to aristocracy?"


    "...I’m ashamed, but I am..."


    Lk stroked the white beard slowly.


    "So what does Lombardy gain?"


    "The Brown family, who seeded in the aristocracy, will be Lombardy’s eternal allies."


    "Hahahaha!"


    Lk burst intoughter.


    "Where else can you find empty promises like that? Now the Brown family, which can’t be found in the aristocratic register, allies."


    At that moment, Lk’s eyes became sharp.


    "Besides, what do I believe in you who have be the Second Prince’s man?"


    Ugh.


    Gird Brown was engulfed in vain.


    "It’s..."


    "Did that wolf say that? You can’t use your power in the aristocracy, so you go to Lombardy and throw an empty promise?"


    "...I’m sorry."


    Gird Brown was unable to speak.


    Because it was as Lk said.


    Meeting the Lord of Lombardy was the idea of the Second Prince, and it was right to use Lombardy’s friendship with the Brown family in the past.


    "Hmm."


    Lk’s lips were quietly twisted while watching Lord of Brown, who seemed guilty at first nce.


    "You’re lucky."


    "Yes?..."


    Gird Brown’s eyes opened wide.


    "Fortunately, I don’t like the way Angenas is doing these days."


    "Elder, then..."


    Lk did not answer for a moment.


    And rang the bell.


    Butler John came into the office.


    Lk looked at him and said.


    "Get Tia here."


    * * *


    "Did you know...?"


    Ramona Brown’s voice trembled.


    "Yes."


    "Since when, no, how..."


    I just smiled instead of answering.


    "Ramona."


    Caitlyn approached and gently touched Ramona’s shoulder.


    It was an act that seemed to soothe the confusion of Ramona, but it wasn’t.


    Now Caitlyn is telling Ramona to stop prying questions.


    "I’m sorry, Lady Florentia."


    I can tell by looking at her apologizing instead of Ramona.


    "No, Caitlyn. And..."


    I looked at Ramona and Caitlyn side by side and said.


    "You two look a lot alike."


    Caitlyn, who has a neat and modest appearance, and Ramona, who is tall with red hair, blue eyes, and a colorful appearance, are very different.


    But the good eyes and the straight atmosphere were very simr.


    In my previous life, Caitlyn asked my grandfather to help the Browns.


    But my grandfather refused and eventually, Caitlyn chose to be Perez’s man entirely.


    It would have been a very difficult and painful decision for Caitlyn, who has a lot of affection and loyalty for Lombardy.


    But eventually, Caitlyn chose the family.


    Ramona became Perez’s official lover, and the Brown family was sessfully reinstated, bing the West’s leading family instead of the Angenas.


    "Then, the Lord of Brown would be meeting my grandfather right now."


    Ramona was surprised at my words once again.


    "I’m not going to tell you how I knew again."


    "Oh?..."


    Ramona blushed quietly.


    She may be angry at me who knows all her secrets and her family but I don’t tell her how I knew it half-teasingly.


    However, Ramona had no sign of it.


    Theke-like blue eyes only deepened her curiosity toward me.


    "Shall we sit down first?"


    I led two people to the drawing-room.


    "But Caitlyn. Can I ask you a question?"


    "Yes, go ahead."


    "Why did you want to introduce Lady Ramona Brown to me?"


    In fact, it was the most iprehensible part.


    It was better for her to take Ramona to my grandfather rather than me and make an impression at least once.


    Caitlyn thought for a moment and answered my question.


    "Because you’re an important person."


    "Important person?"


    Caitlyn nodded.


    "At present, Lady Lombardy is the most powerful person in the Lambrew Empire, except for Lord Lombardy."


    Oh, right.


    Caitlyn was Perez’s maid.


    Of course, Perez would never have told Caitlyn about me.


    But it is Caitlyn who has been assisting Perez right next to him for a long time.


    So, there are a lot of things she naturally knows about.


    Probably there are things she knows about me as well as she can guess.


    Perhaps Caitlyn hadn’t even given details to her nephew, given Ramona’s reaction of alternating between me and Caitlyn with her surprised eyes.


    As a maid of the Royal Family, she fulfilled her duty to keep a close silence on what she learned during her duties.


    That’s Caitlyn.


    I nodded, feeling strangely proud.


    "So?"


    "I think Ramona can learn a lot from such a figure of Lady Florentia."


    I looked at Ramona.


    I already know that Ramona likes Perez.


    You can’t help but notice it at a nce.


    But what’s that Ramona could learn from me?


    "Can I see your hand for a second?"


    I spoke to Ramona.


    Ramona, who hesitated for a while, reached out to me.


    "You didn’t let go of the sword."


    Ramona is a member of the Brown family.


    And with Perez, she learned swordsmanship at the Academy.


    But that’s also a story from years ago.


    As an employee of the Monak Top, she would have lived a busy life moving from ce to ce, but the calluses still remained in Ramona’s hands.


    Caitlyn also trained in swordsmanship, but it was a little different from when she entered the Pce and became a maid of honor.


    "I don’t skip a day of training."


    Ramona shook her head and replied.


    "I’m the daughter of the Brown family."


    I could tell from Ramona’s clear answer.


    The meaning of what Caitlyn said.


    Somehow I thought I was going tough.


    It was then.


    Knock! Knock!


    John the Butler came in with a low knock.


    And said with a polite bow.


    "The Lord is calling for the Lady Florentia."