I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 174

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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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#174

 

The flowers arranged in splendid harmony caught my eye.

 

The giant parasol created by green leaves perfectly blocked the dazzling sunlight.

 

The chirping of birds visible between the leaves echoed like a harmony.

 

The gently blowing wind carried the sweet fragrance of flowers.

 

The Palace Gardens really are different from anything else.

 

I looked around the garden in admiration.

 

“Leilah, over here.”

 

Meanwhile, Kalian, who had spread a mat in the shade, gestured to me.

 

Though it must have been a sudden plan, the picnic preparations were perfectly arranged as if they had been planned from the beginning, complete with a picnic basket and mat.

 

A sudden picnic when we don’t have time to relax leisurely like this.

 

“Your Majesty, your schedule…”

 

“I know I’m busy too.”

 

Kalian answered leisurely as he lay down on the mat.

 

“But no matter how busy we are, we need to take breaks sometimes. If we only work, our minds will get overloaded.”

 

So come quickly, Kalian patted the spot next to him.

 

When I didn’t come and kept hesitating, Kalian spoke with mock sternness.

 

“We’re only going to rest for 30 minutes, so don’t overthink it and come here.”

 

“…Are you really only going to rest for 30 minutes?”

 

“Yes. I don’t say one thing and mean another.”

 

Kalian patted the spot next to him again.

 

Unable to keep defying the Emperor’s words, I had no choice but to approach and stand beside him.

 

“Sit down.”

 

“Standing is sufficient for me.”

 

“Then you’re not properly resting. Sit down.”

 

At his repeated words, I awkwardly placed my bottom at the edge of the mat.

 

“Don’t sit at the edge, come inside.”

 

Kalian grabbed my shoulder and pulled me inward.

 

As the distance between us suddenly closed, I took a deep breath and froze in place.

 

In contrast, Kalian was lying leisurely with his eyes gently closed.

 

Looking at this, it seemed like I was the only one with unrequited feelings for him.

 

“You must be tired, so lie down and get some rest too.”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Kalian frowned slightly.

 

“I don’t want to keep repeating the same words.”

 

“…”

 

“If lying down without a pillow is uncomfortable, should I give you an arm pillow?”

 

When Kalian actually extended his arm as if he would really give me an arm pillow, I shook my head vigorously.

 

“I’m really fine. I’m not particularly sleepy, and sitting is enough, so please don’t worry about it.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes. More importantly, you said you were tired. Please sleep. I’ll wake you up in 30 minutes.”

 

Kalian laughed softly.

 

“I never said I was tired.”

 

Did he… not?

 

“Then may I impose on you for a moment?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then excuse me.”

 

“…!”

 

Suddenly, when Kalian lay down using my lap as a pillow, I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

 

I almost stood up reflexively, but sat back down thinking Kalian might get hurt.

 

“Your Majesty, why suddenly…”

 

“You said I could impose on you for a moment, didn’t you?”

 

Ah, so it wasn’t about asking me to wake him up in 30 minutes, but about this.

 

I hadn’t expected this at all.

 

“Then wake me up in 30 minutes.”

 

As if he really intended to sleep like this, Kalian closed his eyes.

 

Soon, steady breathing sounds echoed softly.

 

Did he really fall asleep?

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

“…”

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

Whether he had fallen into a deep sleep already, Kalian didn’t respond no matter how many times I called.

 

‘What should I do?’

 

Should I just wake him up?

 

No. It’s only 30 minutes, I should let him sleep peacefully.

 

…It’s not like I dislike this situation anyway.

 

I gazed down at Kalian’s sleeping face.

 

His deep blue hair, sharp jawline, straight nose, and thin red lips formed perfect harmony.

 

Not because I liked him, but objectively speaking, Kalian’s appearance was quite handsome.

 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was the most handsome in the Empire.

 

Perhaps that’s why. No matter how much I looked, I never got tired of it.

 

Rather, I wanted to see more. I wanted to know more about him.

 

…I also wanted to accept his feelings.

 

Almost stroking his hair in a moment of desire, I clenched both hands tightly.

 

“…Get a grip.”

 

Don’t covet what isn’t yours, Leilah.

 

If you do, both you and he will become unhappy.

 

So endure it.

 

You must endure.

 

I clasped both hands tightly together, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

 

Meanwhile, desire kept raising its head in one corner of my heart.

 

It would have been nice if he weren’t the Emperor but an ordinary aristocrat.

 

It would have been nice if I weren’t a flawed illegitimate child but an ordinary daughter of ordinary aristocrats.

 

…It would have been nice if I had met him before meeting Fillen.

 

But these were futile desires. They were all things that couldn’t be undone.

 

Even if they could be undone, I felt depressed because they were beyond my control.

 

‘Still, I must endure.’

 

No matter how much Kalian knocked on the door of my heart, I had to firmly lock it and prevent him from entering.

 

That fact made me even sadder.

 

Or perhaps because I was afraid of not knowing how long I could endure, I kept my hands tightly clasped and my eyes closed.

 

* * *

 

Though the New Year Festival had ended, Esramel’s role in organizing it was not yet finished.

 

Therefore, Esramel was still coming and going from the Imperial Palace daily even after the festival had ended.

 

Today was no different. Esramel had something to report to Kalian and stopped by his study.

 

“His Majesty is not in.”

 

“Where did he go?”

 

The Outer Palace? Or where the foreign envoys are staying? Or perhaps a meeting?

 

“They went on a picnic.”

 

“What… what?”

 

Esramel, who had been guessing where Kalian might have gone, widened her eyes in surprise when she heard Rahel’s unexpected words.

 

“Did you just say a picnic?”

 

“Yes.”

 

What on earth did I just hear?

 

A picnic. He never went on even one picnic as a child, saying it was bothersome, and now at nearly 30 years old, a picnic?

 

Of course, there was nothing wrong with going on a picnic at 30, but it was rather unexpected.

 

Kalian had never shown the slightest interest in picnics.

 

More importantly, this was a busy time with work.

 

And yet, a picnic.

 

“Where did he go?”

 

“To the Royal Garden.”

 

At least he didn’t go far.

 

“Baron Aster went with him too.”

 

“…What?”

 

What is this about now?

 

Baron Aster went to the Royal Garden together?

 

The Royal Garden was a garden built for the imperial family to take comfortable rest.

 

And he took Leilah there.

 

I guarantee it wasn’t simply as an aide that he brought her.

 

Esramel smiled mysteriously and grabbed Rahel’s shoulder.

 

“Head Servant, let’s be honest with each other.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Hasn’t something happened between His Majesty and Baron Aster?”

 

Many things had happened, but since she couldn’t carelessly speak about her master’s affairs to outsiders, Rahel feigned ignorance.

 

“I don’t know anything.”

 

“So that’s how you’re going to play it?”

 

Esramel’s eyes narrowed slyly.

 

“Fine. Then I’ll just go find out for myself.”

 

Esramel headed briskly toward the Royal Garden.

 

After all, these kinds of things had to be secretly observed to know for certain.

 

That made it more interesting too.

 

Esramel headed not to the main gate of the Royal Garden, but to the rear entrance.

 

More precisely, it was a hidden door. Only some members of the imperial family knew about this door.

 

Among those imperial family members, Esramel was the only one who had survived.

 

Thanks to this, Esramel secretly infiltrated the Royal Garden without being caught by anyone.

 

Esramel even threw off her heels and tiptoed in stealthily.

 

Using the dense bushes and trees as shields, Esramel went deep inside and discovered two people sitting under the largest tree.

 

It was Kalian and Leilah. Even if the two had been sitting side by side, it would have been surprising.

 

“Good heavens…”

 

Leilah was sleeping with her head on Kalian’s lap.

 

Kalian’s gaze as he looked at Leilah was incredibly warm.

 

Kalian gently brushed away the hair that had fallen across Leilah’s face.

 

“…It’s been a long time.”

 

It had been truly long since ‘that incident’ that she’d seen Kalian like this.

 

Kalian, who had been looking at Leilah with a gentle smile, suddenly turned toward where Esramel was.

 

“…!”

 

Esramel was startled and hid behind the tree.

 

Was she caught?

 

No way, surely not. With the trees this dense, there’s no way she was spotted.

 

Besides, she had been suppressing her presence as much as possible.

 

So there was absolutely no way she was caught, yet her heart pounded with the possibility.

 

Esramel cautiously poked her head out to check on Kalian’s situation.

 

Kalian was still looking in Esramel’s direction.

 

From the slight furrow in his brow, it seemed he had noticed she was there.

 

There’s no choice. I’ll have to go out and apologize.

 

She was about to do so.

 

“…”

 

Kalian quietly brought his index finger to his lips.

 

‘Shh.’

 

It was a gesture telling her to say nothing and quietly withdraw.

 

* * *

 

It took Fillen a full day to prepare what Andant wanted.

 

“Finally got it.”

 

Having obtained what he wanted, Andant grinned and entered a secluded alley.

 

“Please give me just one coin.”

 

A shabby boy in rags reached out his hand toward Andant.

 

Andant took out a silver coin from his pocket and dropped it in front of the boy.

 

The boy hurriedly picked up the silver coin and put it in his worn pouch.

 

“This way.”

 

And he guided Andant inside.

 

The place the boy led Andant to was a rather luxurious room that didn’t match the dilapidated building.

 

There, someone wearing a black robe was waiting for Andant.

 

Seeing the other person, Andant stopped short.

 

“You’re not the guy I usually deal with.”

 

Andant stroked his chin as he looked over Inyeong.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“He had business, so I came to make the deal today instead.”

 

The voice was artificial. Had he used magic to modulate his voice?

 

The way he wore his hood pulled down deep, it seemed he didn’t want his identity revealed…

 

“Sorry, but I don’t deal with people whose identity I don’t know.”

 

As Andant turned to leave, Inyeong stood up from his seat.

 

“Are you really going to leave like this?”

 

Bewilderment seeped through the artificial voice.

 

“Then you won’t get paid, will you?”

 

“I don’t care. There are plenty of people who want to buy it besides you.”

 

“You…!”

 

“If you want to deal with me that badly, then reveal your identity.”

 

When Andant pointed at the hood, Inyeong hesitated. He seemed to be contemplating.

 

How much time passed like that? Just as Andant, growing bored, was about to ignore him and leave.

 

“…Fine.”

 

Finally having made up his mind, Inyeong removed his hood.

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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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