I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 157

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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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#157

 

The New Year Festival was three days away.

 

I was going over the New Year Festival schedule again, checking if there were any problems, when servants came looking for me carrying large boxes.

 

“Baron Aster, His Majesty has sent these.”

 

It seemed to be the reward he had mentioned before.

 

But somehow there were so many boxes. At a rough estimate, there appeared to be more than twenty boxes.

 

Even if he had sent dresses and matching accessories, it was too much.

 

As I stared in bewilderment, a servant asked.

 

“Shall we load them in the carriage?”

 

“Ah, yes. Please do that.”

 

I would open them when I got home anyway.

 

“But are all of those really gifts His Majesty is sending to me?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

“Really?”

 

I asked wondering if there might be some mistake, but the servant answered firmly that there wasn’t.

 

What could he have sent so much of?

 

I was extremely curious. As soon as I got off work and returned home, I checked the boxes first without even changing my clothes.

 

“Oh my, His Majesty gave you all of these?”

 

Sara’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the boxes.

 

On the other hand, Nes looked at the boxes as if something didn’t seem right.

 

“This seems excessive for simply a reward for helping choose clothes.”

 

I silently agreed with Nes’s words and opened the nearest box.

 

Inside the box were shoes. The pearls densely embedded in the toe area of the white flat shoes reflected light and sparkled brilliantly.

 

“Wow, what really pretty shoes.”

 

The shoes were so beautiful that even Nes, who had been suspicious, burst into admiration.

 

“They’re really pretty! How can such beautiful shoes exist?”

 

Sara naturally loved them and made a fuss.

 

I opened a box of the same size. This time it was also shoes.

 

All the boxes of this size must be shoes.

 

Then I should open the other boxes.

 

I opened a slightly larger box. Inside was a hat.

 

And in the largest box, there was naturally a dress. There were as many as 4 dresses.

 

‘Why did he send so many?’

 

He said he would send a dress to wear for the New Year Festival?

 

…Come to think of it, he never said just one dress.

 

And thinking about it, there were exactly 4 times I would wear a dress instead of uniform during the New Year Festival events.

 

He must have sent them all. Not just dresses, but also matching shawls, hats, shoes and other accessories.

 

There were also plenty of accessories like necklaces and rings.

 

“There really are so many. When will we organize all of this?”

 

Despite her grumbling words, Sara was grinning broadly.

 

Before I knew it, even Nes was smiling contentedly as she looked at the gifts.

 

“His Imperial Majesty must care for you very much, Baron.”

 

“This isn’t just caring. His feelings run much deeper.”

 

“Is that really the case?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

 

I deliberately spoke stiffly to Sara and Nes who were saying ridiculous things, then stood up from my seat.

 

“Close all the boxes and load them back in the carriage.”

 

“What? You’re not organizing them in the dressroom?”

 

“I received too much.”

 

So I was thinking of returning them to Kalian.

 

* * *

 

“No.”

 

But Kalian firmly refused.

 

“I’ve already given those clothes to you as a gift, so I won’t take them back. If it really bothers you, then throw them away.”

 

There was no way I could dare throw away items bestowed by the Emperor.

 

He wouldn’t be unaware of that, yet saying such things was annoying, so I glared at him.

 

“Why?”

 

Then Kalian asked with a smile.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“Nothing my foot. You’re cursing me with your eyes.”

 

…I was caught.

 

“This is the first time I’ve been cursed at for giving a gift.”

 

“…I apologize.”

 

“If you understand, then wear them all during the New Year Festival. Otherwise, I’ll consider it disrespecting me, so keep that in mind.”

 

It was ridiculous stubbornness, but the only answer I could give was that I would do so.

 

“Then you may go.”

 

I left Kalian’s study and returned to the aide’s office.

 

I tried to set aside the burden of the excessive gifts for a moment and focus on work, when a servant came to see me.

 

“Baron Aster. There’s someone who wishes to meet with you.”

 

“Me? Who is it?”

 

“Someone named Diane Andrian.”

 

Diane Andrian, that means…!

 

My body moved before my thoughts. I jumped up from my seat and immediately went outside.

 

As I exited the Imperial Palace, I saw a familiar silhouette in the distance.

 

“Diane!”

 

“Leilah!”

 

It was indeed Diane.

 

Forgetting my dignity, I hurriedly ran over and firmly grasped Diane’s hands.

 

Diane made her characteristic clear laughing sound and grasped my hands in return.

 

“To welcome me like this. I’m so happy?”

 

“Of course I should welcome you!”

 

She was one of my few friends, after all.

 

“How did you come here?”

 

“What do you mean how? I came as part of a diplomatic mission. I came because I wanted to see Leilah, but did I come for nothing?”

 

“Of course not. You came at the right time, Diane.”

 

I wanted to talk more with Diane, but unfortunately I had a lot of work to do.

 

So even though I knew I had to go back, I couldn’t easily take my leave due to regret.

 

As if understanding my feelings, Diane smiled and patted my shoulder.

 

“Go ahead. We can talk later.”

 

“Would that be okay?”

 

“Of course. You still have to keep your promise to show me around the capital, don’t you?”

 

Right, I had made that promise.

 

“I’ll definitely show you around.”

 

“Oh, you made another promise. You know you have to keep it at this point, right?”

 

“Of course. I’ll definitely keep it, so look forward to it, Diane.”

 

* * *

 

The diplomatic mission from the Holy Kingdom arrived late in the afternoon, the day before the New Year Festival was to begin.

 

Other diplomatic missions had already arrived three days ago, and they’re only showing up now.

 

“I wonder if they’re bold or just shameless.”

 

Kalian sneered, twisting his lips.

 

I silently handed Kalian his coat.

 

“Where are they?”

 

Kalian asked Baron Delrond while putting on his coat.

 

“We’ve escorted them to Lune’s Palace.”

 

“How many are in the diplomatic mission?”

 

“Excluding the guard knights, there are 7 members in the envoy group.”

 

“That’s more than expected. Did royalty come personally?”

 

Usually, diplomatic missions consisted of 4 or 5 members as standard.

 

When royalty came personally like Princess Stella, they needed nobles to attend to that royal, so a few more would come.

 

“I haven’t confirmed that far, but shall I check?”

 

“No, never mind. I’ll go see for myself.”

 

Kalian, having put on his coat, left the study.

 

Baron Delrond and I, along with numerous attendants and guard knights, followed behind him.

 

In front of Lune’s Palace was a carriage presumed to be from the Holy Kingdom.

 

Servants were busily moving luggage, while knights in pure white armor stood guard around them like an iron wall.

 

“Those are the Sacred Knights of the Holy Kingdom.”

 

Baron Delrond, walking alongside me, informed me in a low voice.

 

“They can use sacred power like priests.”

 

Knights who could use sacred power. How fascinating.

 

“They must be incredibly strong.”

 

“They’re certainly strong, but they’re just as insufferable.”

 

Insufferable?

 

“In what sense are they insufferable?”

 

“Hmm, how should I explain this…”

 

Baron Delrond pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

 

“If it were someone else, I’d tell them to experience it firsthand, but I can’t bring myself to say that to you, Baron.”

 

“I wouldn’t mind experiencing it firsthand.”

 

“Absolutely not. Just thinking about those bastards being rude to you makes my blood boil, so please don’t get involved with them.”

 

What exactly do they do to provoke such a reaction? I was curious.

 

“Don’t even be curious.”

 

Baron Delrond, who had uncannily read my mind, spoke sternly.

 

“Please promise me you absolutely, absolutely won’t get involved with those bastards.”

 

“Alright.”

 

With him pleading like that, I couldn’t say no, so I reluctantly agreed.

 

While conversing with Baron Delrond, we arrived at Lune’s Palace.

 

The Holy Kingdom’s diplomatic mission was waiting for us in the garden of Lune’s Palace.

 

Perhaps because they were from the Holy Kingdom, the entire diplomatic mission was draped in pure white robes.

 

The sunlight pouring down over the pure white waves was dazzling.

 

Kalian, who had been striding toward them, stopped.

 

I stopped as well and looked at Kalian.

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

Baron Delrond called to him with a puzzled expression.

 

But Kalian didn’t respond. He only stared at the Holy Kingdom’s diplomatic mission with a frightening expression.

 

“…How surprising.”

 

Then he spoke with a low sneer.

 

“I never expected you to come personally.”

 

Among the diplomatic mission, the shortest figure removed their hood.

 

Silver hair flowed softly over their shoulders. Eyes with lighter pigmentation than their hair were quite mystical.

 

The person appeared to be a boy so young he hadn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet.

 

He looked the youngest among all the diplomatic missions I’d seen so far.

 

“I didn’t particularly want to come either, but everyone around me made such a fuss about how I had to go personally this time.”

 

His voice was as refreshing as dew flowing down a wall.

 

Just listening to it felt purifying to the soul.

 

“So I had no choice but to come. They carried on as if the world would collapse if I didn’t go, and I simply couldn’t stand it anymore.”

 

“Your Holiness, what are you saying…”

 

The man right beside him looked troubled as he tried to stop the boy.

 

But Your Holiness?

 

That meant this boy was the king and pope of the Holy Kingdom.

 

The person seemed too young to think of it that way.

 

The current pope and king of the Holy Kingdom had been on the throne for nearly 20 years now.

 

Even if that boy had a youthful appearance, it didn’t make sense.

 

But that man wouldn’t address someone who wasn’t the king as Your Holiness.

 

Kalian’s attitude was also quite serious.

 

“…Is that boy really the king and pope of the Holy Kingdom?”

 

I quietly asked Baron Delrond to confirm the facts.

 

“I’m not sure either. This is my first time seeing the pope in person.”

 

Baron Delrond also replied quietly, looking bewildered.

 

“So what’s the reason the pope himself came to the Empire?”

 

He really must be the pope.

 

Indeed.

 

Baron Delrond and I conversed through eye contact.

 

It was already surprising that the Holy Kingdom sent a diplomatic mission to participate in the New Year Festival, but for the pope to come personally.

 

It was quite an exceptional occurrence. There were hardly any cases where the pope moved personally to participate in a simple event.

 

“The reason is simple.”

 

I thought it was because the Holy Kingdom was closely watching the corruption committed by the Empire’s temples.

 

“I came to request a royal marriage with His Majesty the Emperor of the Cardin Empire.”

 

But that wasn’t 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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