I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 148

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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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#148

 

“What?”

 

Kalian asked Ber with visible confusion.

 

Ber smiled slyly and asked once more.

 

“I asked if I could confess to Baron Aster.”

 

After a moment of silence, Kalian rubbed his face heavily and answered.

 

“…Don’t joke around.”

 

“I may be a frivolous person, but I’m not pathetic enough to joke about something like this.”

 

“You’re serious?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ber wiped the smile from his face for a moment and spoke seriously.

 

“I’m seriously thinking of confessing to Baron Aster.”

 

Seeing him say it that far, it wasn’t a joke.

 

Who would have thought Ber had feelings for Leilah.

 

“Ha.”

 

A hollow laugh escaped at this unexpected turn of events.

 

Kalian lowered his head slightly and pressed his hand to his forehead.

 

Ber was 25 years old this year.

 

He was past the age for marriage.

 

While he himself couldn’t marry, Ber was different.

 

So he had been thinking he should support him with all his might if a woman he liked appeared, but who would have thought that woman would be Leilah.

 

“Leilah won’t do.”

 

At the firm words, Ber tilted his head.

 

“Why won’t she do?”

 

“It hasn’t even been a year since she broke off her engagement. The wounds she received then haven’t healed yet.”

 

“That’s exactly why I want to take care of her more. It’s not right to leave someone wounded like that.”

 

Kalian’s eyebrows shot up.

 

“Sometimes leaving someone alone can be good medicine.”

 

“That’s Your Majesty’s opinion.”

 

Ha, look at this. He keeps talking back.

 

It wasn’t the first or second day Ber acted like this, but today it felt particularly unpleasant.

 

Kalian stood up from his seat, crossed his arms, and looked down at Ber.

 

Ber, who was shorter than Kalian, looked up at him.

 

In that position, the two men stared each other down for quite a while.

 

“Ow, my neck.”

 

Ber was the first to look away.

 

His neck hurt from keeping his head tilted back, so Ber groaned and rubbed his neck.

 

Only then did Kalian smile with satisfaction and pat Ber’s shoulder.

 

“Stop those useless thoughts and focus on work.”

 

Kalian walked past Ber toward the door.

 

Ber looked at Kalian’s back and said.

 

“The reason I’ve been hiding my feelings all this time was because I thought Your Majesty had feelings for Baron Aster.”

 

The hand reaching for the door handle hesitated.

 

Kalian only turned his head to look at Ber.

 

Ber continued with a serious face devoid of any smile.

 

“But since Your Majesty clearly said no, I won’t hide it anymore.”

 

* * *

 

Had I been too meddlesome?

 

Was he very angry because of that?

 

I became certain of this when I met Kalian again.

 

I was trying hard to focus on work when Kalian suddenly came to my study.

 

And he sat on the sofa, saying nothing, just watching me.

 

His gaze was so piercing that the side of my face where his eyes fell felt like it was stinging.

 

It seemed like he had something to say to me, but why was he just staring like that?

 

Was he deliberately tormenting me?

 

I was distracted in various ways and couldn’t concentrate on work.

 

I waited for Kalian to speak first, but there was no word for over an hour.

 

“Do you have something to say to me, Your Majesty?”

 

Finally, tired of waiting, I asked him first.

 

Then Kalian’s lips curved upward slightly. But he didn’t say anything.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

“…What’s your ideal type?”

 

The question that came after a long while was out of the blue.

 

Asking about my ideal type was confusing enough.

 

But it was even more confusing because I had never thought about such things.

 

“Why are you suddenly asking about my ideal type…”

 

“Answer.”

 

I could see his strong will to get an answer no matter what.

 

What should I answer?

 

I stammered and answered with whatever came to mind.

 

“A good person… would be nice. Someone who is kind to their person, steadfast and gentle, someone who doesn’t wander.”

 

After saying it, I realized I seemed to have said the opposite of what Fillen had done to me, so I bit my lips tightly.

 

Foolishly, was I still not free from Fillen’s lingering image?

 

Worried that Kalian might have noticed this, I watched his reaction carefully.

 

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

 

“Is that all you want? Don’t you care about status, wealth, or appearance?”

 

I smiled vaguely and shook my head.

 

“How could someone like me be picky about such things?”

 

“What’s wrong with you?”

 

Kalian said, frowning.

 

“You’re wonderful enough.”

 

“Thank you for seeing me favorably.”

 

“I’m not seeing you favorably, I’m stating a fact. You’re my aide. You need to have more confidence.”

 

Right, I should have confidence.

 

That would help His Majesty too.

 

“Anyway, so that’s your ideal type.”

 

Kalian thought for a moment and asked something else.

 

“What do you think of Ber?”

 

This was another absurd question.

 

By the way, there have been quite a lot of people asking me what I think of someone lately.

 

“I think he’s a good person.”

 

“Again.”

 

The feeling that we’d had a similar conversation before probably wasn’t just my imagination.

 

“Baron Delrond is a kind person.”

 

“Like your ideal type?”

 

So that’s where this conversation was going.

 

“I’m not sure about that.”

 

There were people who seemed kind and good when working, but treated their own families poorly.

 

For example, Count Tebesa and Andante were that type.

 

Fillen was similar too.

 

Of course, that didn’t mean Baron Delrond was like that.

 

There was a good chance he wasn’t, but since it wasn’t something I could assume and speak about, I gave a vague response.

 

Then Kalian asked something else.

 

“Between me and Ber, who do you think is a better person?”

 

Why does he only ask such difficult questions?

 

Could this be punishment for the meddling I did today?

 

“Answer me, Leilah. Who do you think is a better person?”

 

This must be how a child feels when asked “Do you like mommy or daddy better?”

 

It was troubling to be asked to answer about something that couldn’t be ranked.

 

Either choice was difficult, but if I absolutely had to choose…

 

“Of course it’s Your Majesty.”

 

The reason I chose Kalian was simple.

 

Because he was right in front of me.

 

Baron Delrond, who wasn’t here, wouldn’t be offended by my words, but Kalian would be, so I chose him.

 

“Yes, I suppose so.”

 

Kalian, who had no way of knowing this fact, smiled contentedly.

 

My conscience pricked me slightly.

 

“I don’t really want to bring this up suddenly, but.”

 

The smile on Kalian’s lips disappeared.

 

What kind of question was he going to ask with such a serious face?

 

Growing tense as well, I clasped my hands tightly together and looked at Kalian.

 

“Duke Williot came to the outer castle yesterday.”

 

Fillen… to the outer castle?

 

“He said he felt he’d been away from his position too long and wanted to return to duty.”

 

Return to duty.

 

This was the most shocking thing I’d heard all day.

 

My tightly clasped hands went limp without any benefit from being held so firmly.

 

I had told him I never wanted to be involved with Fillen again and wanted him to disappear completely from my life, but I never thought that would be possible.

 

As long as I was the Emperor’s advisor and Fillen was a minister in the Marshal’s Office, we would inevitably be connected.

 

There was even the upcoming New Year’s festival.

 

But I never thought we’d meet again this soon.

 

I thought it would be the New Year’s festival at the earliest, but he was already returning to duty.

 

Even though I hadn’t even seen his face yet, I was already getting nervous, so I placed my hand on my chest and took a deep breath.

 

It felt heavy, as if someone had placed a heavy stone on my heart.

 

Breathing was somewhat difficult.

 

“You don’t need to worry.”

 

As I was catching my breath and trying to calm my mind, Kalian grabbed my shoulder and spoke.

 

“Nothing will happen.”

 

I looked at Kalian and slowly blinked.

 

Kalian smiled faintly and continued.

 

“Whatever happens, I’ll protect you, so you just need to trust me and follow.”

 

It was strange.

 

I had only heard a few words.

 

Nothing had been resolved yet, but my heart felt lighter as if everything had been solved.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Breathing became comfortable again.

 

* * *

 

Kalian finished talking with Leilah and stopped by the library.

 

“Your, Your Majesty!”

 

The librarians who had been resting leisurely turned pale upon seeing Kalian and hurriedly bowed.

 

Kalian barely acknowledged their greetings and went inside.

 

A high-ranking librarian hurriedly followed behind Kalian.

 

“If there’s a book you’re looking for, please let me know. I’ll bring it to you.”

 

“No need. I plan to find it myself, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“However…”

 

“Don’t make me say it twice. Go on now.”

 

At Kalian’s dismissal, the librarian awkwardly withdrew.

 

Finally alone, Kalian leisurely looked around the bookshelves.

 

After looking around the bookshelves for a while, Kalian’s gaze stopped on a particularly striking red book.

 

[Is This Love?]

 

“…”

 

Kalian’s expression became subtle. Kalian started to pull out the book but then shook his head.

 

What would be the point of reading such a book?

 

Thinking he shouldn’t do useless things and should just find the book he wanted, Kalian looked around the bookshelves again.

 

A moment later, Kalian, having found the book he wanted, handed it to the waiting attendant.

 

The attendant, who received the book without much thought, read the title of the red book and made a subtle expression.

 

* * *

 

It had been an eventful day in many ways.

 

It was also hectic.

 

Because of that, I couldn’t finish all the work I was supposed to do today.

 

I gave up riding practice and worked overtime, but there was still plenty of work left.

 

‘It can’t be helped.’

 

I had no choice but to take it home and do it there.

 

I sighed softly and gathered the unfinished documents before leaving work.

 

Even in the carriage returning to the manor, I continued checking documents.

 

My head was still complicated with various thoughts, but once I firmly resolved to finish quickly, I could concentrate.

 

As I was concentrating on work like that, the carriage suddenly stopped with a jolt.

 

Had we arrived at the manor?

 

I looked outside the window. I could definitely see the manor, but we were outside the main gate.

 

Why did we stop here instead of going in?

 

I was about to ask Hanson when I saw a familiar face through the window.

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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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