I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 16

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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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#16

Wanting to go to a quiet place with no people, I asked the coachman to take me to such a place, and he brought me to a low hill on the outskirts of the capital.

It was a beautiful place with a clear view of the capital’s panorama. I liked it even more because there were no people and it was peaceful.

“You may go now. Come back to pick me up in about 2 hours.”

“But miss, leaving you alone without guards or a maid…”

“It’s fine. I want to be alone, so please leave for now.”

At my command, the coachman had no choice but to withdraw.

Left alone, I sat under a tree so large that even several strong men embracing it wouldn’t be enough, and looked out at the capital.

Rather than looking, it was closer to spacing out.

I gave up on thinking altogether, afraid that if I thought about anything, Sisly and Fillen would come to mind.

Yet their words kept coming back to me anyway.

Especially Fillen’s words became sharp daggers that tore my heart to shreds.

I knew that Fillen hadn’t spoken with malicious intent.

I was certain he had no idea what Sisly had done wrong.

That made it even worse. If he had spoken with malice, I could have openly hated him, but since it came from ignorance, I couldn’t.

“Our Fillen is quite oblivious, but please understand him with a generous heart.”

Suddenly, the Dowager Duchess’s words came to mind.

“He doesn’t mean any harm. You just need to guide him well.”

Young me had naively believed those words.

I had no choice but to believe them. Young Fillen would listen well when I guided him, even after being stubborn, just as the Dowager Duchess had said.

So even when I felt frustrated sometimes, even when I was hurt by words he carelessly uttered.

I thought it would be fine to continue like this, that this place was better than being at Tebesa County.

‘It wasn’t.’

It was just as painful as being at Tebesa County. It was so painful that tears flowed down on their own.

Though no one was around, I buried my face between my knees and cried as quietly as possible, afraid someone might hear.

I was crying endlessly, desperately hoping that the wounds in my heart would be washed away with the tears I shed, when I suddenly sensed someone’s presence.

“…?”

When I lifted my head, I saw an elegant handkerchief. When I lifted my head a bit more, I saw a familiar face.

It was that man.

The man who had saved me from the ruffian.

But why was this man here?

“Why are you crying in a place like this?”

Ah, right. I was crying.

Embarrassed to show such an unsightly appearance to someone I wasn’t even close to, I hurriedly wiped away my tears.

“You’ll hurt your eyes that way.”

The man caught my frantic hand.

And gently pressed the handkerchief against my tear-soaked eyes. It was a tender touch.

“…I’ll do it myself.”

Unaccustomed to receiving such kindness from a strange man, I rudely snatched the handkerchief he was holding.

The man looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

“I’m sor…”

“It’s fine.”

When I belatedly realized my mistake and tried to apologize, the man’s lips curved gently.

“More importantly, please wipe your tears.”

I didn’t refuse the man’s consideration and wiped my tears with the handkerchief.

Meanwhile, the man sat casually beside me, looking at the cloudless, clear sky, and asked as if inquiring about my well-being.

“May I ask what made you cry so sadly?”

“…Would you solve it if I told you?”

“If it’s something I can do.”

Though he probably said it casually, it was somewhat comforting.

I smiled faintly and responded to his smile.

“Thank you for just saying that.”

“I was being sincere.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. You missed some tears here.”

The man’s fingertip brushed across my cheek.

His hand looked clean without a single callus, but it was surprisingly firm.

Was it because he practiced swordsmanship?

I glanced sideways at the sword the man wore at his waist. The handle was quite worn.

It didn’t seem to be just for self-defense. Suddenly, I remembered the sword Fillen carried.

His sword handle was also quite worn.

“My lady.”

“Yes…?!”

When something slipped between my parted lips as I answered, I was startled and opened my eyes wide.

Soon, a sweet strawberry scent filled my mouth.

This was… strawberry candy?

“I found that eating strawberry candy when feeling down improves one’s mood.”

The man’s eyes curved beautifully. I learned for the first time that men could also smile so enchantingly with their eyes.

“I hope it works for you too, my lady.”

This man was worrying about me.

My gloomy mood improved greatly thanks to his kind consideration.

Perhaps it was also thanks to the sweet strawberry candy rolling around in my mouth.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. But.”

The man’s gaze suddenly fixed on the handkerchief box beside me.

I hurriedly tried to hide the box, but it was already too late as it had caught the man’s eye.

To make matters worse, my frantic movements caused the box to open, and the handkerchief inside spilled out. The shabby embroidery was fully exposed.

The man’s hand reached the handkerchief before my hastily extended hand.

The man who examined the handkerchief whistled softly.

“It’s a handkerchief. Is it meant to be a kerchief?”

As expected of an aristocratic young master, he recognized it immediately.

I nodded and held out both hands.

“Please return it.”

“Looking at the crest, is it your fiancé’s?”

He gave an irrelevant answer when I asked for it back. I sighed deeply and replied.

“No. It’s something I’m going to throw away. So please return it now.”

“Why would you throw away a perfectly good handkerchief?”

Because it’s a handkerchief I no longer need.

Unable to tell him the truth, I hesitated, and the man’s eyes narrowed. His gaze moved further down.

I wondered what he was looking at so intently, but soon realized he was looking at my left hand, which was full of holes like a honeycomb, and hurriedly covered it.

Hmm. The man made a strange sound and tilted his head, then gripped the handkerchief.

“Let’s do this. I’ll take this handkerchief.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, let me correct that – you’re throwing it away to me.”

What kind of absurd thing was he saying?

I gasped and refuted the man’s words.

“Don’t say such strange things. Why would you want to keep that?”

“Because I want to have it.”

The man answered as if asking why I would question something so obvious. I shook my head and extended my hand again.

Of course, I only extended my right hand that had no wounds. It was rude behavior, but I had no choice since my left hand was covered in injuries.

“It’s an unsightly handkerchief. It’s not something worthy for you to keep. So please return it.”

“It’s not an unsightly handkerchief.”

Unlike his beautifully curved lips, the man’s eyes looking at me were frighteningly serious.

“How could a handkerchief that Princess worked so hard to embroider be unsightly?”

“But the embroidery is strange…”

“It’s not strange. It’s only pretty.”

Pretty? That couldn’t be true. When I looked at him with disbelieving eyes, the man let out a small laugh.

“My eyes are accurate.”

The man suddenly reached out and lightly kissed the back of my wounded left hand.

“Please don’t think of me as the same as those fools who are fooled by flashy appearances and throw away true value without knowing it.”

“I, I don’t think that way.”

Embarrassed about showing my wounded hand, I hastily pulled it back and replied.

Then the man smiled softly and tucked the handkerchief into his chest.

Since it was a handkerchief too embarrassing to show others, I wanted to ask for it back, but it seemed like he wouldn’t listen anyway, so I gave up.

It wasn’t something very important, and I didn’t want to waste energy on unnecessary matters.

I was too exhausted for that.

And that handkerchief would be better off going to someone who needed it rather than being thrown away.

“Come to think of it, seeing Princess made me remember I had a few things I wanted to ask.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about taxes. A troublesome matter has come up and I’d like Princess to help.”

“For something like that, wouldn’t it be faster to ask the person in charge?”

“I already asked. But it’s not easily resolved and I’m racking my brains over it.”

He’s asking me, just a princess, about something that even the managers in charge couldn’t solve?

It was strange. Usually young lords didn’t have such conversations with princesses.

At most, it would be gossip circulating in the social circle, slander about some aristocrat, or useless love stories.

Of course, my advisors asked me about various things like domain welfare and taxation, but that was because I was acting as a substitute for the Duke and Duchess.

“I’m not sure if I can be of help.”

“You don’t need to feel too burdened. I’m just seeking various people’s opinions.”

If that’s the case. I nodded my head to indicate he should go ahead.

After that, we exchanged questions and answers.

When I shared my thoughts on the problems the man presented, he would offer his thoughts, and I would add my thoughts to that.

It was a somewhat bothersome and tiring discussion-style conversation method that might happen in meetings, but strangely it didn’t feel that way at all.

Rather, it was pleasant and interesting. The man and I communicated that well.

When was the last time I met someone I could communicate with this well?

It seemed like the first time since the previous Williot Duke and Duchess.

“Princess and I communicate well.”

Fortunately, the man seemed to think so too.

“Indeed. But I’m sorry I don’t think I was much help.”

“No. It was plenty helpful. Thank you, Princess Tebesa.”

“Not at all. It was an enjoyable conversation for me as well.”

Ah, come to think of it, I still don’t know this man’s name.

“If it’s not rude, may I ask for your name?”

When I asked for his name, having just realized this fact, the man smiled mysteriously.

“Why don’t you try to guess?”

“Pardon?”

“Since I guessed Princess’s name, why don’t you try to guess mine?”

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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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