FULL CHAPTERS : br Firentia Lombardy was supposed to inherit comfort and influence—born an illegitimate daughter of the Empire’s richest house, she imagined a soft life of privilege. Instead, betrayal and ruin arrived like a winter plague: her beloved father died, relatives cast her out, the family fortune collapsed, and a drunken stumble under a carriage should have been her final, devastating end.br br But fate—merciless and generous at once—gave her a second chance. Firentia awakens as her seven-year-old self, armed with the bitter memory of loss and the cold clarity of someone who has already seen the abyss. This time she will not be a discarded child or the family’s shame. This time she will be the one who rebuilds the Lombardy name.br br From the ashes of her past life she forges a plan: learn the politics of the court, outmaneuver greedy relatives, secure alliances, and seize the power no one ever expected an illegitimate daughter to claim. Her path is ruthless because it must be—every whispered slight, every ledger of debt, every conspirator’s smile becomes fuel for a future she will not surrender.br br Yet the rewind brings unexpected complications. The 2nd prince—once the family’s sworn enemy—now follows her like a shadow and, inexplicably, like a loyal dog. Is he a pawn of old vendettas, or a dangerous new ally? As Firentia cultivates influence, marries advantage to strategy, and shapes a carefully controlled public image, she must contend with court intrigue, marriage proposals, revenge plots, and a rising question she never expected: can a woman forged by loss keep her heart closed while building an empire?br br I’ll Be the Matriarch in This Life is a gripping rebirth drama of reincarnation, noble politics, family revenge, and slow-burn romance—perfect for readers who love matriarchal ascents, villainess-turned-protector arcs, and calculated power plays.