I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 15

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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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#15

I was so dumbfounded that no words came out. Beyond being speechless, it felt like what little composure I had left was about to disappear.

Who was she to casually talk about replacing me?

If I had asked for it, that would be one thing, but I hadn’t said anything, yet she was making assumptions and stepping forward—it was ridiculous.

I finally erased even the forced smile I had been wearing and looked at Sisly coldly.

Perhaps she wasn’t completely oblivious, as Sisly showed slight panic and tried to read my expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Was she really asking because she didn’t know why I was looking at her that way?

Tension naturally built around my lips. My head was throbbing.

I didn’t want to get into an argument with this woman in front of Fillen if possible, but I felt I needed to say something and was about to speak when—

“Sisly worked hard on her embroidery for the Princess and me, despite not being in the best condition.”

Fillen looked at me with disdainful eyes.

“Yet instead of thanking her, you look at her with such eyes. I’m realizing anew just how wicked the Princess’s nature is.”

My head rang as if I’d been struck by something hard.

My mind became hazy and my vision blurred. It wasn’t because of tears. I wasn’t sentimental enough to cry over something like this.

And I didn’t want to cry in front of Fillen and this woman.

It didn’t take long to regain control of my shaken emotions.

I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them and spoke.

“It’s not that I’m being too much, but rather Your Grace who is being too much.”

“I’m being too much?”

“No matter that this woman carries Your Grace’s child, she’s merely a mistress. She’s someone who can never appear openly with Your Grace at any official occasion, someone who must live hidden in the shadows for life.”

At my words, Sisly’s face turned deathly pale.

Sisly staggered and leaned into Fillen’s embrace. Fillen supported Sisly while glaring at me.

As if I would be intimidated and back down.

I twisted my lips and didn’t stop speaking.

“How dare such a woman infringe upon my rights as the fiancée—am I supposed to overlook that graciously?”

“It wasn’t infringement; she said she did it out of pure intentions for you and me.”

“Unwanted kindness is commonly called meddling.”

“Princess Tebesa!”

His shout echoed loudly through the hallway.

The servants’ gazes focused on us. Even those who hadn’t been here began gathering in small groups.

Fighting over a mere mistress—what an unseemly sight this was.

“It’s Your Grace’s freedom to take that handkerchief to the banquet, but please don’t say that I embroidered it.”

Feeling the need to wrap up the conversation, I delivered my conclusion.

“Because I have absolutely no intention of answering that way.”

While the social circle tacitly allowed aristocrats to keep mistresses, as I said, they couldn’t bring them to official occasions.

Because they too knew such women were shameful existences who couldn’t dare do such things.

But what would happen if Fillen attended a banquet wearing a handkerchief embroidered by his mistress?

Surely other aristocrats would condemn Fillen’s immorality and point fingers at him.

I would also be criticized for failing to control his behavior, but I didn’t care.

Being criticized was a hundred times better than lying and claiming that woman’s embroidered handkerchief was mine.

No matter how ignorant he was about such matters, Fillen was still an aristocrat.

“Princess!”

Since he knew these basics well, Fillen shouted in anger.

His voice was so loud it echoed through the hallway.

But I wasn’t afraid in the least.

Instead, I drew a smile close to mockery on my lips, bowed to Fillen, and left the scene.

“Miss!”

Sara, who had been anxiously watching the situation from behind, hurriedly followed me and called out, but I didn’t look back.

Almost running, I left the manor and got into the waiting carriage.

“Miss?”

The coachman, who had been maintaining the carriage, looked at me in surprise.

“Let’s depart.”

“What? But this carriage belongs to His Grace…”

“The manor doesn’t have just this one carriage, and he can take another one, so leave immediately.”

“Y-yes!”

When I spoke in a suppressed, threatening voice, the coachman hurriedly climbed onto the driver’s seat.

Soon the carriage departed, and when the manor was completely out of sight, I released the tension I had been holding and let out a big breath.

“…”

Then I looked at the handkerchief box in my hands and my left hand that looked like a honeycomb, and smiled bitterly.

What was I doing, skipping meals and staying up all night?

Until my hand became this ruined?

What was I embroidering this handkerchief for?

Today, more than usual, I felt pathetic.

* * *

Fillen had planned to go out, but he had to suddenly postpone his plans slightly.

It was because Sisly had collapsed from shock after hearing Leilah’s harsh words.

She hadn’t lost consciousness, but she couldn’t stand properly on her two legs.

Fillen hurriedly laid Sisly on his bed, then told the butler.

“Bring a physician immediately.”

“I’m fine.”

Sisly said with a pale face.

“You don’t need to call a physician.”

“What are you saying? With such a poor complexion, we need to call a physician. What if something happens to the child?”

“I’m really fine, Fil.”

Sisly grabbed Fillen’s arm with her slightly trembling hand.

“I just need you to stay by my side.”

“Sisly.”

“That’s enough. Honestly, I’d hate it more if a strange man touched my body.”

Since she pleaded not to call one, Fillen had no choice but to accept.

Instead, he completely changed his plans and decided not to go out today, staying by Sisly’s side.

After lying down for a while, perhaps feeling calmer, Sisly groggily sat up and rested her small head on Fillen’s shoulder.

“Did I make a mistake?”

And she murmured in a melancholy tone.

“Should I go find Princess Tebesa later and apologize separately?”

“There’s no need for that. Sisly, you did nothing wrong.”

Fillen answered while gently brushing away the hair that had fallen over Sisly’s face.

“Leilah was the one who was wrong. So if anyone should apologize, it should be her to you.”

At Fillen’s answer, Sisly looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.

“Do you really think so?”

Fillen asked back with a deliberately stern face.

“Do you think I would lie?”

“No, of course not.”

Sisly’s appearance of widening her eyes and shaking her head vigorously was so cute that Fillen laughed lightly.

“I was joking.”

“Fil, really…”

Sisly rolled her eyes and embraced her belly.

“You startled me. The baby was so surprised it started kicking frantically.”

“Oh my, I should apologize to my child.”

Fillen gently caressed Sisly’s slightly swollen belly.

“Little one, I’m sorry.”

Anyone could see he was the image of a loving, gentle father who adored his child.

Sisly’s eyes watching Fillen grew strangely subdued.

Unaware of this fact, Fillen lightly kissed Sisly’s belly, then kissed her lips as well.

“Anyway, don’t worry about this incident. As I said, you did nothing wrong.”

Sisly replied with a gloomy expression.

“But Princess Tebesa looked extremely angry.”

“Leilah has always been like that.”

Leilah had been greedy since childhood, flying into a rage whenever someone invaded her territory.

That applied even to Fillen. So Fillen had suffered her wrath several times.

Still, he thought that with so much time passed and having become an adult, she would have learned mercy and tolerance, but he was mistaken.

Leilah was exactly the same as before. No, she seemed to have become even more vicious.

“Tsk, how does she plan to survive in the Social Circle with that temper?”

Fillen clicked his tongue lightly, genuinely worried about Leilah.

Sisly watched Fillen’s expression before carefully speaking up.

“According to the Princess, the Empire doesn’t recognize the existence of mistresses… is that true?”

“They don’t recognize it, but they don’t openly say anything about it either. So you don’t need to worry about that part.”

Despite saying there was no need to worry, when Sisly’s expression remained troubled, Fillen tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just… if I’m not recognized, I was wondering what would happen to my child.”

“That’s a pointless worry.”

Fillen embraced Sisly’s delicate shoulders from behind as he continued.

“The child you bear will definitely be registered as the family’s heir. Then everyone will recognize it.”

“Will Princess Tebesa recognize it too?”

“Of course. She has a duty as a stepmother to raise the child well. Naturally she must recognize it.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

At the returned question, Fillen’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean? Did she say something about that?”

“No, not that, but seeing Princess Tebesa’s behavior today made me a little worried.”

Sisly murmured while caressing her swollen belly.

“I’m worried that Princess might abuse the child.”

“There’s no need to worry.”

Fillen spoke curtly and definitively.

“If Leilah doesn’t fulfill her duties as a stepmother, that means she’s not fulfilling her duties as the mistress of the ducal house. Then she would have to give up everything and leave the ducal house.”

In other words, it meant divorcing Leilah.

Divorce.

Sisly savored the word secretly while leaning against Fillen’s chest.

Fillen gently stroked Sisly’s swollen belly.

“Your belly isn’t growing as quickly as I expected.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Usually by this point it shows quite a bit, but maybe because you’re thin, it doesn’t show much.”

“Other people say it shows a lot though.”

“Not to my eyes.”

Fillen’s gaze as he looked at Sisly’s swollen belly was infinitely gentle and tender.

“I wish the baby would come out soon.”

“Phil, you seem to particularly love children. Is there a reason?”

“Well.”

Fillen pondered for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

“There’s no particular reason, but if I had to say, it’s because I want to be a good father, unlike my own father.”

“Wasn’t the previous Duke Williot a good father?”

Sisly spoke and then seemed to realize her mistake, hastily covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m sorry. I asked too rude a question.”

“No, it’s natural for you to be curious since I said such a thing.”

Fillen continued matter-of-factly.

“Father was certainly a good person, but he wasn’t a good father. So my dream is to be a good father to my child, unlike my father.”

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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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