I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 150
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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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#150
What did I just hear?
He’s telling me to return to the Williot Estate?
“I refuse.”
Without hesitation, I refused. But Baron Wizard looked at me with a very surprised expression, as if he hadn’t expected this.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
When I asked the reason directly, Baron Wizard smiled awkwardly and fidgeted with his hands.
“I thought you would consider it at least a little… You refused so sharply.”
“Is there anything to consider?”
I picked up my teacup and answered indifferently.
“I decided long ago that I would never return to the Williot Duchy again.”
At my answer, Baron Wizard bit his lips tightly. A troubled emotion clearly appeared on his face.
What could be troubling him?
That there’s no one to take care of the Williot Estate in Fillen’s place?
Or is he troubled because he couldn’t carry out Fillen’s orders?
Baron Wizard said he didn’t come on Fillen’s orders, so it wouldn’t be the latter.
But he might have lied to reassure me, so I couldn’t completely let my guard down.
“Won’t you reconsider that decision once more?”
“No.”
“The situation in the Williot Estate is very bad. The people of the Williot Estate hope for your return.”
Is he trying to evoke sympathy?
It was a good strategy, but my resolve was stronger than that.
“I’m sorry, Baron Wizard.”
“If you’re concerned about His Grace the Duke, I will do my best to prevent him from speaking such harsh words to you again.”
Though I had politely refused, Baron Wizard was persistent.
That meant the estate’s situation was that bad.
That certainly concerned me, but that was all. My determination to never return to the Williot Duchy remained unchanged.
“His Grace the Duke also deeply regrets what he did to you. So for everyone’s sake…”
“Could you say the same if I were Baron Wizard’s family?”
I cut off Baron Wizard’s words and asked firmly.
“If I were Baron Wizard’s own daughter. After suffering all kinds of insults and humiliation from His Grace the Duke and finally leaving the manor.”
Baron Wizard’s eyes shook greatly.
“Could you still tell me to return to the Williot Duchy?”
Baron Wizard pondered, then closed his eyes and bowed his head.
“I misspoke. Knowing what you went through, to bring up such a topic. I’m truly sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
I put down my teacup and extended my hand.
“I listened to your story, so please give me Misa’s belongings as promised.”
I was worried he might pathetically ask me to listen to more, but fortunately that didn’t happen.
I stroked the box of Misa’s belongings that Baron Wizard handed to me.
I finally received Misa’s belongings.
Even though they were just simple belongings and not remains, my heart swelled and my eyes grew warm.
I wanted to hug the box of belongings and cry my heart out, but with Baron Wizard sitting across from me, I couldn’t do that and could only keep stroking the box.
Baron Wizard, who had been watching me quietly, suddenly spoke.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
At his puzzling words, I looked up, and Baron Wizard spoke with a wistful expression.
“You weren’t like this before.”
“You keep making mistakes – it’s not ‘miss’ but ‘Baron.'”
“My apologies, Baron Aster.”
When I corrected the title, Baron Wizard lightly bowed his head in apology.
“It’s fine.”
Having no particular intention to scold him, I immediately accepted his apology.
“But you said I’ve changed a lot?”
“Yes. You’ve really changed a great deal.”
Is that so? I can’t feel that I’ve changed at all.
“You’ve changed for the better, so you don’t need to worry. Though as a retainer of the Williot Duchy, it’s regrettable.”
“Baron Wizard.”
“Ah, don’t worry.”
Baron Wizard laughed cheerfully and waved his hand.
“I have no intention of clinging to you pathetically anymore.”
Well, that’s a relief then…
“Oh my, it’s already gotten this late.”
Baron Wizard, who checked his pocket watch, stood up from his seat.
“I’ll be going now. I’m truly sorry for the late hour.”
I also stood up to see him off, but Baron Wizard waved his hand.
“I can go by myself. I’m somewhat aged, but my body is still healthy.”
“Baron, you’re not old. You’re still young.”
“Haha, but I’m already old enough to have grandchildren born and be called grandfather.”
Baron Wizard scratched his cheek sheepishly, then turned around.
Before leaving the drawing room, Baron Wizard suddenly stopped and looked back at me.
“Baron Aster.”
Does he still have something to say to me?
I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll be good news, so I looked at him with tension.
“You’ve worked very hard all this time.”
But the words that came from Baron Wizard’s mouth were truly unexpected.
At his puzzling words, I stared blankly, and Baron Wizard smiled kindly.
“It may be presumptuous of me to think so, but if the late Duke Williot were alive, I think he would want to say these words to Baron Aster. I feel the same way.”
Baron Wizard respectfully clasped his hands together and bowed to me.
“You’ve worked very hard serving the incompetent Duke Williot all this time. Baron Aster.”
* * *
Since Kalian had already been to the northern black market several times, he could easily infiltrate using his water manipulation abilities.
Kalian pulled up his hood to hide his conspicuous hair and eyes as he looked around the black market.
‘It’s the same.’
Nothing had changed much from when he came before.
The goods being sold were the same, and the sellers were the same.
No, there was one thing different.
Kalian stared down at the purple fruit on the stall.
If his eyes and memory weren’t wrong, that was definitely a mollence fruit, one of the drugs strictly controlled by the Imperial Court.
If you finely ground mollence fruit and burned it to inhale the smoke, you could see hallucinations.
Powerful hallucinations that you absolutely couldn’t wake from until the effect wore off.
Moreover, it was highly addictive, so once someone inhaled it, they would struggle desperately to obtain mollence fruit even at the cost of their lives.
Crimes flourished in that process, so the Imperial Court stepped in to strictly control it.
Thanks to that, it hadn’t appeared even in black markets for several years, but now it’s appeared again.
“Hey, young man. Interested in this?”
As Kalian stared at the mollence fruit, the merchant smiled and picked up the fruit with tongs.
He used tongs like that because if he touched it with his hands and even a bit of powder got on his fingers, it would be serious.
“If you’re interested, buy it. One gold per fruit.”
“It’s more expensive than I thought. I don’t think it was this expensive before.”
When Kalian spoke as if troubled, the merchant waved his hands dismissively.
“Can’t help it. We haven’t been cultivating again for long, so we don’t have much stock.”
So they’ve started cultivating again.
‘This has become troublesome.’
Mollenche fruit was very easy to cultivate despite its danger. You just had to plant seeds in suitable soil and water them moderately, and they would grow well on their own.
Moreover, they had more tenacious vitality than weeds, so they would keep growing unless completely uprooted.
Because of that, controlling them had been very difficult, and thinking about having to do that again already made his head throb.
But it wasn’t impossible. If he went about it strictly like the previous emperor had, control was possible.
Though it would require spilling a lot of blood, he had no choice since he needed to uproot them completely this time.
He should go back immediately and look into it.
Since it seemed he wouldn’t find what he wanted even if he looked around more.
“I understand.”
When Kalian turned around, the merchant panicked and waved his hands.
“Hey, you’re not buying? There’s probably nowhere else you can get this besides us right now.”
So there’s only one group cultivating it for now.
Since drug dealers moved organizationally, there was a high possibility of an organized group around the black market.
He should check it out once on the way back.
Kalian hurried on his way without responding.
* * *
After Wizard Baron left.
I was lost in thought for a moment, then changed into black clothes, gathered Misa’s keepsake box, and left the house.
“Please take me to Aster Orphanage.”
“Yes, Baron.”
On the way to the orphanage by carriage, I checked the items inside the box.
The box contained clothes Misa had worn while alive and a notebook.
What was densely written in the notebook was Misa’s schedule.
Befitting a head maid, it was all schedules related to the Williot Duchy. Among them were quite a few I knew about.
Perhaps that’s why. I missed her terribly.
“Miss.”
I missed those times when I had various conversations with Misa so much that emotions welled up.
“….”
I was wiping away tears that had moistened my eyes with a handkerchief when the carriage stopped.
We had arrived at the orphanage.
“Oh my, Baron.”
When I entered the orphanage, Adrina greeted me with slight surprise.
“What brings you here at this late hour?”
“This.”
I held out Misa’s keepsake box to Adrina.
“These are the keepsakes of someone I thought of as a mother.”
Adrina hesitated as she was about to receive the box.
“I know that Director Adrina has removed her priest robes, but you’re the only person I could think of.”
I pushed the box a little more toward Misa as I spoke.
“Would you hold a memorial service for Misa?”
Misa’s family members would have surely taken care of things well, but I wanted to do something too.
Usually memorial services are held at temples, but after what happened recently, I couldn’t trust the temple.
It would also be difficult to visit at this hour.
So I had shamelessly brought it to Adrina.
“Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
Adrina smiled softly and took the box.
“Then I’ll need to ask others for help to hold the memorial service. Could you wait a moment?”
“Yes.”
Adrina went inside with the box. Left alone, I came outside to soothe my heavy heart.
I also needed a place to quietly ease the sadness in my heart.
I was looking around the yard for such a place when I felt someone’s presence.
Who could it be?
Had Director Adrina already returned?
Tap, tap, the sound of footsteps stopped nearby.
And then.
“Leilah?”
A completely unexpected voice came from behind me.
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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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