I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 13

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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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#13

I was curious about how he knew my name when that man hadn’t told him, but the mystery was solved sooner than I thought.

‘He must have seen the crest on the fan.’

Currently, I was the only noble lady who could confidently carry around items bearing the Williot Duchy’s crest.

So it was natural for that man to realize I was Leilah Tebesa.

According to Countess Tebesa, I seemed to be quite famous in high society.

Of course, it wasn’t fame in a good sense.

To disappear without even introducing himself when he knew who I was.

I thought he was a well-mannered man, but perhaps I was wrong.

“Sara, do you happen to know which family’s heir that man we saw earlier belongs to?”

There was no way Sara, who had been working as a maid for less than five years, would know something I didn’t, but I asked just in case. As expected, Sara shook her head, not knowing.

“No. Should I find out?”

“No.”

Doing that would feel like conducting a background investigation, which didn’t sit well with me.

Moreover, judging by that man’s behavior, he was definitely the heir of a family ranked count or higher.

If he was of that level, I would see him at the Emperor’s coronation celebration party, so there was no need to be anxious at all.

I just needed to wait patiently.

While touring the capital, the sky had already turned red.

I should return to the manor now and check my dress and various other things.

Since this banquet would be Fillen’s and my first social debut, there couldn’t be even the slightest mistake. I had to show a perfect appearance.

I should also use this opportunity to establish my position as the future duchess.

…And I need to bring up the topic of marriage too.

“Sigh.”

The word marriage weighed heavily on my heart, making me sigh involuntarily.

Sara, who was following behind, looked at me with concern.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

“I’m fine.”

I wasn’t fine at all, but I couldn’t tell Sara about it.

“The sun will set soon, so let’s hurry back to the manor.”

“I’ll send an errand boy to the manor to call for a carriage.”

“No. Don’t bother with that, let’s just take a public carriage.”

“But public carriages are uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.”

I had ridden even more uncomfortable carriages before, so a public carriage was nothing. We weren’t going a long distance either.

Not wanting to waste time waiting for a carriage to be called, I took a public carriage back to the manor.

The guards who had been keeping a close watch on the public carriage approaching the manor were startled and came running when I got out of it.

“Miss, why did you take a public carriage… You should have called for a carriage.”

“It’s fine.”

How many times had I said “it’s fine” today?

It was getting somewhat annoying and bothersome.

I waved my hand dismissively to signal they should go about their business and entered the manor.

Clatter-

No, I tried to enter, but I couldn’t because a carriage stopped in front of the manor.

A sword entwined with roses. It was the Williot Duchy’s crest.

Could it be Fillen?

At any other time, I would have naturally thought Fillen would be inside, but not since Sisly appeared.

There was a possibility she could be in there too.

“Leilah.”

Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, the person who got out of the carriage was Fillen, not Sisly. Sisly wasn’t there.

“You should call me Princess Tebesa, not Leilah, Your Grace Duke Williot.”

I smiled sweetly as I pointed out his mistake.

Fillen made a displeased face but didn’t say anything in particular.

Since he was the one who had proposed this arrangement first, there was nothing he could say.

“I always think this, but Princess Tebesa seems to lack flexibility.”

…I thought he wouldn’t be able to say anything, but I was wrong.

It was beyond common sense, but it wasn’t surprising.

This wasn’t the first time Fillen had done something beyond common sense.

“Is that so?”

“Is it fun to live life so rigidly?”

“I find it enjoyable.”

When I asked back as if wondering what the problem was, Fillen sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

“Never mind. Talking with the Princess only gives me a headache.”

“Talking with Leilah is really fun.”

I heard an auditory hallucination carried on the wind.

“Leilah knows so much. I’m envious. I want to become as smart as Leilah too.”

The image of past Fillen smiling brightly overlapped with present Fillen’s displeased face.

My heart ached with bittersweet memories. My vision became blurry.

It felt even more sorrowful knowing that I could never return to those times again.

“Are you crying?”

“…Crying? Hardly.”

I wiped the tears that had formed in my eyes with a handkerchief and replied curtly.

“Dust got in my eyes.”

“There has been a lot of dust lately.”

“Oh, really.”

When Fillen believed my words at face value, Sara, who was behind me, sighed as if frustrated.

As if she was speaking for my heart.

“More importantly, Princess Tebesa.”

“Yes.”

“Do women like chocolate cake?”

Why chocolate cake all of a sudden?

“Ah.”

Only then noticing the cake box Fillen was holding, I let out a small exclamation.

“Did you buy chocolate cake?”

“I didn’t know what she’d like, so I asked the shop owner and he recommended this.”

Fillen smiled somewhat shyly, saying it was his first time buying something like this.

From what he was saying, it didn’t seem like it was for him to eat.

And if it wasn’t for me either…

“…Is it for that woman?”

Sisly. I didn’t even want to say that name, so I referred to her vaguely, but Fillen, who was quick-witted at times like this, nodded.

“Sisly said she wanted to eat cake.”

“…What about mine?”

The words came out unconsciously. I was surprised that I had said them, but Fillen also seemed not to have expected me to say such a thing, as he stared at me intently.

A brief silence passed. The air, which had become quite cool as the sun set, brushed against my skin.

“I didn’t know the Princess liked sweet things.”

Fillen was the first to break the silence.

“I thought you didn’t like cake much since you said so before.”

Of course I didn’t particularly like it, but that didn’t mean I disliked it either.

“If you want cake, you don’t need to tell me about it—just go buy it yourself.”

He looked at me as if somewhat incredulous and said.

“You’re not a child, so don’t bother me with such things, Princess Tebesa.”

Then did he buy it directly for Sisly because she’s a child?

I was so dumbfounded that words wouldn’t come out.

Fillen left me standing there in a daze and went into the manor first.

From before until now, Fillen had never once bought me a gift with his own hands.

He was someone who even had the butler prepare my birthday gifts.

He was someone who didn’t even know what the butler had given me.

Yet he personally bought cake for That Woman to eat.

“Ha.”

Left alone, I couldn’t overcome the various emotions of disappointment and anger and sank down.

“Miss…”

Sara hugged me tightly with pity.

* * *

“It’s chocolate cake!”

Sisly’s eyes sparkled unusually as she saw the chocolate cake Fillen had bought.

Fillen smiled contentedly as he personally cut the cake and moved it to a plate.

Sisly’s face was colored with happiness as she took a big bite of cake with her fork.

“It’s delicious! Where did you buy something so tasty?”

“I asked other nobles. Where the cake was good.”

“You went that far for me? I’m so happy!”

Sisly was extremely delighted as she polished off a slice of cake.

He had been worried since she had such a small appetite and didn’t eat well, but this was fortunate. She needed to eat well for the child in her belly to be healthy too.

“Eat more.”

Fillen placed new cake on Sisly’s empty plate.

“Can I just eat it straight from the cake? I’ve always wanted to try that.”

“Do as you like.”

Since Fillen had no intention of eating anyway, he readily agreed.

Sisly, who had been messily digging into the cake and eating deliciously for a while, suddenly made a pained sound while holding her fork.

“What’s wrong?”

“Did Princess Tebesa receive cake too by any chance?”

“Well. I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

“I feel bad eating such delicious cake all by myself.”

“What a thoughtful thing to think.”

Fillen gently stroked Sisly’s lush hair.

“But you don’t need to worry about that. Leilah doesn’t like cake.”

“But wouldn’t she eat at least a bite?”

“She’d eat about a bite.”

At Fillen’s answer, Sisly pondered for a moment, then tore off a small piece of the cake that looked like it had been nibbled by a mouse and moved it to her plate.

“She’d eat about this much, right?”

“You want to give that to Leilah?”

“Yes. Is that not okay?”

“It’s not that it’s not okay, but…”

Her thoughtfulness toward Leilah was sweet, but giving her leftover cake bothered him.

If it at least looked decent it would be one thing, but this clearly looked like leftovers to anyone.

“In our kingdom, there was a custom of sharing good food even if it was something you were eating. Especially among family.”

Sisly looked up at Fillen with a spotlessly clean smile.

“Princess Tebesa is like family to me now, so I want to give it to her. The baby would want that too.”

“…Alright.”

What mattered more than appearance was the heart.

It might look somewhat strange to just look at, but if he conveyed Sisly’s kind heart along with it, Leilah would surely understand.

“Butler.”

Fillen immediately called the butler to put his thoughts into action.

* * *

“Cake?”

I had just stopped crying and returned to my room to shake off the remaining sadness when Sara nodded brightly with a smile.

“Yes! The master sent cake for you, Miss! Even though he said that, he must have been concerned!”

Well. Would that really be the case.

The Fillen I knew wasn’t someone who would care about such things, so I was puzzled, but I accepted it for now.

The butler came with a pretty cake box. It was the box I had seen earlier.

Don’t tell me he’s giving me the same cake as Sisly.

It felt like something I had obtained by throwing a tantrum, so I wasn’t in a very good mood.

Sara quickly set up the tea table. She deliberately didn’t open the cake box. She was waiting for me to open it.

I opened the box as Sara wanted.

And.

“Wh-what is this!”

Sara gasped at the cake that clearly showed signs of being eaten.

I too looked at the cake in bewilderment.

…Could it be that he gave me the cake That Woman was eating?

As I just stared at the cake without saying anything, the butler stammered an explanation.

“Th-that person said in her kingdom there’s a custom of sharing good food even if it’s something you were eating…”

I didn’t listen to the butler’s full explanation and irritably put the cake box back down.

“Take it away and throw it out.”

Fillen, how far do you need to make me miserable before you’re satisfied?

What kind of existence am I to you?

Do you even think of me as your fiancée?

I truly wanted to look inside his heart.

I curled up on the sofa and buried my face between my knees.

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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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