I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 113
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#113
Hilltain said nothing. Kalian, with his terrifying aura, opened his mouth once more.
“Is there nothing you’re hiding from me? I asked you, Hilltain.”
Hilltain keeping secrets from Kalian?
The Crowd Knights thought it was absurd.
And rightfully so, since Hilltain would thoroughly report even the most trivial matters to Kalian.
So they thought it was absolutely impossible, but Hilltain’s reaction was strange.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
One knight swallowed hard. The surroundings were so quiet that the sound echoed loudly.
When reproachful glances were inevitably sent from around him, the knight shrank his neck like a turtle.
Though Hilltain and Kalian didn’t pay any attention to it.
“Do you remember what I said when I brought you with me?”
“Yes.”
“Recite it.”
Though it was something said 7 years ago, Hilltain spoke clearly as if he had just heard it moments before.
“You will become my eyes and ears from now on. No matter what happens, do not betray me. Obey my commands absolutely.”
“You remember well.”
Kalian’s fist fiercely cut through the air and struck Hilltain’s abdomen.
“Kugh.”
Hilltain’s body swayed greatly from the tremendous force that instantly struck his abdomen.
Silent screams erupted from the surroundings.
Hilltain, who had stepped back about two paces, soon stood straight at attention as if nothing had happened.
With both hands clenched tightly behind his back.
“Then why didn’t you report what happened in Hutton?”
The materials Noah had investigated contained everything that had happened to Leilah in Hutton.
Including the fact that Leilah had nearly been sexually assaulted by Aldor, and that she had even tried to undergo a divine trial to prove her innocence.
Kalian had received no reports about that incident from Hilltain whatsoever.
Despite ordering him to report everything that happened to Leilah.
“Answer me, Hilltain.”
If it had been a trivial matter, he wouldn’t have been this angry, but it was attempted sexual assault. She had almost had to undergo a divine trial too.
“Why didn’t you report it?”
He was that furious. The fact that Leilah had gone through such a difficult ordeal while he remained ignorantly unaware made him so angry he couldn’t bear it.
“…I received a request.”
“A request?”
“She said she would tell you directly herself, so please keep it secret.”
The blue eyes piercing through Hilltain held doubt and displeasure.
“It seems Leilah’s request takes priority over my orders for you.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why did you prioritize her request over my orders?”
“The highest priority order His Majesty the Emperor gave me was to escort Leilah Aster so she would have no inconvenience in carrying out the diplomatic mission’s schedule.”
Hilltain raised his head and looked at Kalian with unwavering eyes as he continued speaking.
“At that time, if I hadn’t kept my mouth shut, I would have violated that order, so I judged that was the right thing to do.”
Hilltain placed his hand on his chest and bent one knee.
A cold wind blew over his bowed head. His cold silver hair fluttered softly.
“If my wrong judgment has displeased Your Majesty, please punish me. I will gladly accept any punishment.”
Though he was displeased, Hilltain’s words weren’t wrong.
When orders conflicted, the principle was to carry out the prioritized one first.
And Kalian thought he understood why Leilah had asked Hilltain to keep it secret, saying she would tell him directly herself.
‘She must have wanted to prevent rumors from spreading everywhere.’
When men and women got caught up in unseemly scandals, it was always the woman who suffered the greater damage.
No matter how much the man was at fault.
Baron Hutton and Aldor must have known this when they reached their dirty hands toward Leilah.
Even after committing the act and making excuses.
Even after everything was exposed, they could shamelessly demand that Leilah let this matter slide for that reason.
‘They’re looking down on me.’
Otherwise, there was no way they could have done such a thing to Leilah, who was his aide and the Emperor’s representative at the time.
Thinking this way, anger surged to the top of his head. Terrifying murderous intent settled in his blue eyes.
He wanted to go down to Hutton right now and cut off their heads, but if he made a big deal of it, Leilah would suffer.
He didn’t want to cause her any more pain.
‘But I can’t just bury this matter.’
Wasn’t there a way to handle this quietly without causing harm to Leilah?
Kalian, who had been pondering, thought of a good method and smiled.
It was an eerie smile that made observers’ spines tingle. The knights trembled at the chill running down their backs.
Kalian headed straight to the Outer Palace, leaving Hilltain still kneeling.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The Outer Palace was turned upside down by Kalian’s sudden unannounced visit. Everyone turned pale as they greeted Kalian.
Regardless, the place Kalian headed to was the Marshal’s Office that oversaw the military.
Fillen, the head of the Marshal’s Office and the Empire’s supreme commander, was currently on extended leave as a reward for the long war.
Instead, Deputy Commander Count Grace was performing the duties in his place.
“Your Majesty!”
Count Grace, who had been working, was startled to see Kalian and rose from his seat.
Kalian approached Count Grace’s desk and checked the documents he had just been reading.
They were documents about a plan to jointly eliminate pirates who were plundering using Kan as their base with the Kingdom of Natsha.
“Have you decided who will participate in the joint elimination operation?”
“Yes. Here is the list of participants.”
Kalian’s eyebrows rose slightly as he checked the list Count Grace gave him.
“No one from the Hutton Viscount family is participating?”
“Yes. Since Baron Hutton, the naval supreme commander, would have to be away for too long to personally step forward, Count Maxim will step up instead.”
“As I understand it, the Count Maxim family isn’t as skilled in naval combat as the Hutton Viscount family.”
“That’s true, but since it’s a joint operation with the Kingdom of Natsha, Count Maxim stepping up should be sufficient.”
“That’s just your opinion.”
Kalian thought for a moment before continuing.
“I remember Baron Hutton has grown sons.”
“Yes. The eldest son received God’s calling early and became a priest, while the second son is receiving heir training to inherit the family.”
“Right, the second son.”
A bitter smile briefly flickered around Kalian’s lips before disappearing.
“I’m curious how well that second son has been receiving his heir training.”
Count Grace, who caught on to what Kalian wanted from that one sentence, quickly asked.
“Shall we have the Second Son of Duke Heoton participate in this joint elimination operation?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Count Grace added that he would immediately revise and submit the report.
Only then did Kalian turn around with a satisfied smile, then suddenly turned just his head to look at Count Grace as if something had occurred to him.
“What happens when someone dies during the joint elimination operation?”
* * *
Just listening to the butler’s story wasn’t enough, so I went around asking other servants about what happened that day.
What each of them said was slightly different, but the main thread was the same.
That day, Misa had personally prepared and brought Sisly’s snacks for some reason, and not long after that, Sisly’s labor pains began.
The labor continued through the night until early dawn, but what was ultimately born was a stillborn baby.
Shocked by this, Sisly repeatedly fainted and regained consciousness, and the servants were also greatly flustered.
So much so that they didn’t even notice that Misa was nowhere to be seen.
Two days later, when Fillen returned and conducted a major investigation, it was finally revealed that Misa had died.
The truth of the incident, too,
The more they investigated what happened that day, the more it seemed like something Misa had done.
It wasn’t unreasonable for Fillen to be convinced that Misa was the culprit.
‘But I believe in you, Misa.’
That there’s no way you could have done such a thing.
That there’s no way you, who had even left a letter saying you absolutely wanted to give me a birthday present, could have done something so reckless.
So I definitely want to prove your innocence, but… I don’t know.
“I don’t know where to start or how to prove it, Misa…”
All the circumstances pointed to Misa being the culprit.
If I could just prove that Misa was murdered rather than suicide, it seemed like some clue would appear, but even that was difficult.
When Misa died, her room was a perfect locked room.
I wondered if someone might have committed the crime using a master key, but everyone testified that was absolutely not the case.
The master key was kept in the safe in Fillen’s room, and only the butler and Fillen could open that safe.
And when Misa died, the butler was said to have been continuously with the funeral director, preparing the funeral for the stillborn baby.
The butler had no time to kill Misa.
Most importantly, there were no signs of resistance from Misa at all.
So everyone thinks that Misa gave Sisly the abortion drug and then committed suicide.
Since the abortion drug I had was used, I was naturally implicated as well.
I wrote down the stories I heard today on paper and went over them several times, but no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t see any clues.
“Sigh.”
I let out a long sigh and gently pressed my eyelids. My body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. Even moving my arms was burdensome.
It was because I had wandered around investigating when my travel fatigue hadn’t properly cleared.
Reason whispered that it would be better to rest well today and start investigating tomorrow, but my heart and mind wouldn’t allow that.
I wanted to uncover the truth of the case and return as quickly as possible.
To the capital, to my place.
And…
Knock knock-
The sudden knocking sound snapped me to attention. I hastily put away the papers with my investigation notes and answered.
“Come in.”
The one who opened the door and entered was the maid who had taken over as head maid of the manor after Misa’s death.
She was the maid who had worked at the Williot Estate the longest after Misa, and I was quite familiar with her too.
Her name was definitely…
“What is it, Roran?”
After Roran politely bowed in greeting, she stated the reason for her visit.
“The master has asked that you join him for dinner.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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