I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 141

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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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#141

 

A week had already passed since I started learning horseback riding.

 

Usually, after learning for this long, people could do a walk and even a little trot, but not me.

 

I still couldn’t even do a proper walk.

 

The riding instructor said that everyone learns at different speeds and I shouldn’t worry, but I was embarrassed.

 

I was also feeling impatient.

 

That was because there would be outdoor events during the New Year festival, just like the orphanage opening ceremony.

 

For this outdoor event, I wanted to ride a horse magnificently and march like the attendants usually do.

 

I couldn’t keep riding in a carriage forever.

 

“I’ll have to practice on weekends too.”

 

Not just weekends, but after work too, when I get home.

 

If I lacked talent, I had to fill that gap with effort.

 

Clatter—

 

The carriage that had been running diligently came to a stop. The small window connected to the coachman Kan opened.

 

“We’ve arrived at the general store, miss.”

 

“I’ll get out.”

 

Hans immediately opened the carriage door for me.

 

Perhaps because it was late, the general store was quiet.

 

An employee who had been cleaning the display cases politely approached and greeted me.

 

“Welcome, miss.”

 

“I came to buy quill pens and ink.”

 

“If you tell me what type you want, I’ll bring them to you.”

 

“Um, the quill pen should be about this long, and for ink, black and…”

 

After hearing my explanation, the employee asked me to wait a moment and disappeared into the back.

 

I looked around the general store while waiting for the employee. True to its name, it sold all kinds of items.

 

“They sell candy too.”

 

I normally didn’t particularly like sweet things.

 

But I couldn’t take my eyes off them because seeing the red candy reminded me of the strawberry candy Kalian had given me.

 

That strawberry candy was delicious.

 

I was staring at the candy in the glass jar when the employee returned.

 

“Miss, I’ve brought the items you mentioned.”

 

The employee laid out the items they had brought on the table.

 

I checked the items and nodded.

 

“I’ll buy everything. Please deliver it all to Baron Aster’s house.”

 

At my words, the employee was startled and bowed deeply.

 

“How dare I address the Baron as ‘miss.’ I apologize for my rudeness.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

They didn’t know who I was, so I had no intention of scolding them.

 

Before paying, I pointed to the candy I had seen earlier.

 

“Is that candy in the glass jar strawberry candy?”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

So it really is strawberry candy.

 

“I’ll buy that too. I’ll take that one with me directly, so please pack it.”

 

“Yes, Baron.”

 

The employee packed the glass jar in a box.

 

After paying for the items, I left the general store carrying the box.

 

Hans, who had been waiting outside, extended his hand.

 

“I’ll take care of the box.”

 

“No. I’ll carry it myself.”

 

After getting into the carriage, I opened the box and took out the glass jar. Clink, the glass jar and candy made a clear sound as they collided.

 

I took out a strawberry candy and put it in my mouth.

 

“It’s too sweet.”

 

It was so sweet that my tongue felt numb. The strawberry candy Kalian gave me wasn’t this sweet.

 

I thought it would taste the same since the shape and color were similar to that strawberry candy, but I was mistaken.

 

Somehow I felt disappointed. A corner of my heart sank coldly.

 

Since I had already eaten it, I tried to finish it somehow, but I couldn’t and eventually spat it out.

 

* * *

 

Leilah, who had been sitting at her desk looking at documents, raised her head when a large shadow fell over the papers.

 

“Working hard, I see.”

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

I didn’t sense any presence at all—when did he arrive?

 

Leilah stood up from her seat, slightly flustered.

 

“You can stay seated.”

 

Kalian gently pressed down on Leilah’s shoulders.

 

Leilah, who had half-risen, sat back down and looked up at Kalian awkwardly.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

“I have something I want to ask.”

 

“You could have summoned me.”

 

“I just stopped by briefly before going to the Outer Palace, so don’t feel burdened.”

 

Kalian placed the report he had brought in front of Leilah.

 

“This is the report you brought before…”

 

Leilah listened to Kalian’s words carefully with a very serious expression.

 

“Ah, there was such a method!”

 

Then when Kalian suggested a brilliant method, she clapped her hands and burst into admiration.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll correct it right away.”

 

When Kalian pointed out mistakes, she became dejected and apologized.

 

Kalian smiled softly, finding it cute how her emotional changes showed clearly on her face.

 

Then Leilah looked at Kalian with a puzzled expression. Her eyes were asking why he was smiling.

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

Kalian couldn’t bring himself to say he was smiling because she was cute, and changed the subject.

 

“Then please finish the parts I mentioned by tomorrow.”

 

“Yes.”

 

As Kalian was about to leave since his business was finished, a glass jar placed in the corner of Leilah’s desk suddenly caught his eye.

 

Inside the glass jar were bright red strawberry candies.

 

“That’s not what I gave you before, is it?”

 

When Kalian, who had recognized it like a ghost, asked, Leilah let out a small exclamation.

 

“Ah, I finished all the ones Your Majesty gave me.”

 

“You ate all of that? I remember giving you quite a lot.”

 

That’s right. If it had been my original self, I wouldn’t have finished them in a lifetime.

 

Even these strawberry candies—it’s been a week since I bought them, but I haven’t touched them except for the one I ate in the carriage that day.

 

“To eat all of that and buy new ones. You must really like strawberry candy.”

 

“Yes, well…”

 

That didn’t seem right, but I answered vaguely.

 

“May I try one?”

 

“Yes.”

 

There was no reason to refuse. Leilah gladly gave Kalian a strawberry candy.

 

After eating one, Kalian slightly frowned.

 

“This is too sweet. If you eat too much sweet stuff like this, your teeth will rot, so I’ll bring you new ones.”

 

If she ate too much of the candy he gave her, her teeth would rot just the same.

 

Leilah smiled faintly, finding his forced reasoning amusing.

 

Leilah was about to refuse but just accepted it instead.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She had secretly wanted to try that strawberry candy Kalian gave her anyway.

 

Kalian looked at her with slight surprise at Leilah’s response.

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

“Ah, sorry.”

 

Kalian smiled awkwardly.

 

“I didn’t think you would accept it right away.”

 

Leilah’s expression changed subtly.

 

“Should I have refused?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

Kalian firmly denied it.

 

“I actually like that you accepted it right away. Keep doing that from now on.”

 

It wasn’t empty words but his true feelings. Kalian was truly very happy that Leilah had accepted it immediately.

 

Though he didn’t know why he was so happy about it.

 

What was certain was that he hoped Leilah wouldn’t refuse what he gave her in the future.

 

Whatever it might be.

 

* * *

 

“Another failure.”

 

Kalian’s lips curved into a crooked line.

 

Kalian stood in front of a flower pot and tilted a small medicine bottle.

 

As the potion inside spilled out, acrid gray smoke rose from the soil.

 

“When will we be able to find it?”

 

“I will try harder.”

 

When Hilltain answered as if ashamed, Kalian shook his head.

 

“It’s not your fault, so you don’t need to do that. You’re already doing well enough.”

 

Hilltain placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head.

 

“You may go now.”

 

Kalian handed the empty medicine bottle to Hilltain and sat at his desk.

 

Hilltain bowed politely once more and was about to leave when Ber entered.

 

“Oh.”

 

Ber, who hadn’t expected Hilltain to be there, looked at him with slight surprise.

 

Ber quickly came to his senses and tried to greet Hilltain, but before he could, Hilltain had already left.

 

“Still as cold as ever.”

 

Ber clicked his tongue and approached Kalian.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

Kalian asked while keeping his gaze fixed on the documents.

 

“Countess Cloud has gathered princesses from count families and above for a tea party.”

 

Only then did Kalian look at Ber. Deep wrinkles formed on his handsome brow.

 

“She’s up to nonsense.”

 

“You already know why she gathered the princesses.”

 

“She told me to hurry up and get married.”

 

Kalian leaned back deep into his chair.

 

“She said the Empire would be stable only if I brought in an Empress as soon as possible to take care of domestic affairs.”

 

“Of course she would say that. Countess Cloud doesn’t know anything.”

 

Ber let out a small sigh.

 

“How about just telling Countess Cloud everything? Given her personality, she would help us rather than hinder us.”

 

“That won’t do.”

 

Kalian refused outright.

 

“The more people who know a secret, the harder it becomes to keep it. And it’s not something that would be good if it got out.”

 

“Then what about Baron Aster?”

 

Kalian’s eyes narrowed at the name that came out of nowhere.

 

“Why are you suddenly bringing up her name?”

 

“Well, Baron Aster is Your Majesty’s aide. I think it would be good to let her know soon, even for future plans.”

 

Kalian fell into thought for a moment at Ber’s words.

 

While it was better to have fewer people know the secret, those who would participate in the plan were an exception.

 

And Leilah was someone who would participate in the plan. Not right now, but they would have to work together in the future.

 

Definitely.

 

Even knowing this, Kalian pondered deeply, somehow not liking the idea.

 

“Fine.”

 

But the result didn’t change.

 

“I’ll find an opportunity soon to tell Leilah.”

 

* * *

 

On a bright afternoon, an administrator from the outer palace came with documents.

 

“Please deliver this to His Majesty.”

 

“Yes.”

 

I received the documents without much thought and skimmed through them, then my face hardened.

 

It was a report about the search for Sisly. I straightened my posture and read the report carefully.

 

The content written in the report was long and detailed, but to summarize it simply:

 

A corpse torn apart by beasts was found in the lower river.

 

The face and body were severely damaged, making identification difficult.

 

But the build was similar to Sisly’s and the hair was blonde.

 

And the torn fabric pieces matched exactly with the clothes Sisly had been wearing, so the search team concluded that the corpse was Sisly, according to the report.

 

If this report was accurate, Sisly was definitely dead.

 

“…That Woman is dead.”

 

Why do I feel so uneasy? It felt like I was missing something important.

 

What was I missing?

 

I read it carefully several times, but no matter how much I looked, there was nothing like that.

 

“Am I being paranoid?”

 

Having been through so much, I might not be able to accept That Woman finding peaceful rest so easily.

 

“Phew.”

 

In any case, I need to take this to His Majesty.

 

I was curious what Kalian would say after seeing it.

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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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