Edited Novel of IBTMITL (Chapter 201-256)

Chapter 216

(Florentia's POV)

My grandfather opened his eyes wide and stared at me for a long time, surprised.

"How did you know?"

Fortunately, it seemed that he had no intention of hiding it until the end.

"If I tell you, will you be honest with me?"

"I will."

Grandfather grinned as he put down the teacup.

There is nothing I can do.

"The announcement of the succession was too fast."

I sighed softly and began to answer.

"It's a natural process for me to help my grandfather as a Deputy Patriarch and gradually learn things. And it's a process that usually takes several years. But my grandfather did it in just over a month."

"Isn't it possible that I just liked you so much?"

"That's possible. That's what I thought, so I stayed still. However..."

I shook my head.

"I noticed yesterday when you called me to the place where you had gathered the vassals. What happened yesterday, it wasn't just to inform the vassals of my grandfather's decision to take me as his successor, right?"

At my words, a light smile passed over my grandfather's face.

"Then what do you think it was?"

"....Question and Answer. In a short period of time, the lords were prepared to ask questions about me that would convince them."

Due to the nature of the Lombardi family, which has a very high loyalty to the estate, the special affection of the former family members to the state sometimes becomes a problem.

The phenomenon of not accepting and trusting a new state sometimes occurs.

Therefore, it is not only the current Patriarch's authority to decide the next householder, but the vassals must be fully convinced of the decision as well.

That way, when a change of state occurs, the gap in power can be minimized as much as possible without noise.

And this is something that happens naturally through a successor education curriculum that takes place over several years.

The Patriarch entrust big and small things to the Deputy Patriarch or the successor, and naturally creates opportunities to work and collide with the vassals.

Then, when the successor finally becomes the householder, the vassals know what the new Lombardi householder is like, what they do well, and what they need their help in.

"Unless I have to make the vassals my own in a very short period of time, my grandfather is not the kind of person to make such a decision."

I could have even made a slip of the tongue in front of the lords.

Or instead of capturing them, they could have been discouraged.

But my grandfather wanted me to be recognized quickly by the lords, even at the risk of that.

"Am I right?"

"...You can't be fooled."

My grandfather laughed.

It was a very tired laugh.

"How much...is it that bad?"

My voice coming out of my tight throat was terrible.