I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 177
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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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#177
“A fire broke out in Leilah’s mansion garden?”
Leilah always came 30 minutes before work hours to prepare various things.
There were many cases when she came even earlier than that.
But today she was running late, and to think something like this had happened.
“What about Leilah? Is she safe? She wasn’t hurt anywhere, was she?”
Rahel hesitated for a moment at the urgent questions pouring out without pause, then reported.
“Baron Aster is safe. There were no casualties either.”
“Really?”
Only then did Kalian breathe a sigh of relief and exhale deeply.
Rahel’s report continued.
“The garden fire occurred about an hour ago, and while the exact cause hasn’t been determined yet, according to the guards’ report…”
“Guards?”
Kalian’s eyebrows rose.
“Why are there guards at Leilah’s mansion?”
Rahel answered somewhat puzzled.
“Well, since there was a fire, they must have gone to investigate the incident.”
“Did they put out the fire themselves?”
Rahel checked the report and shook his head.
“That’s not the case.”
“But in just one hour, they not only went to Leilah’s mansion but also completed the scene investigation and even finished writing the report.”
“Now that you mention it…”
It was definitely strange. It was too fast to have finished all of this in just one hour.
Unless they had been at Leilah’s mansion beforehand, such speed would have been impossible.
“There’s something going on.”
Kalian muttered meaningfully.
Rahel also agreed inwardly and asked Kalian.
“Should I look into it?”
Kalian thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“No, I’ll look into it myself.”
Look into it himself. Didn’t that mean he would go directly to Leilah’s mansion?
“You absolutely cannot leave the palace for such a trivial matter.”
“What do you mean trivial?”
Kalian showed displeasure and stood up from his seat.
Rahel was about to answer that going to Baron Aster’s mansion was trivial, but he read his mood and closed his mouth.
He hadn’t spent his time in the palace carelessly.
There was a reason he had risen to the position of head servant.
“…You have an audience with the Stella Kingdom envoys this morning.”
Still thinking he should stop Kalian from leaving, Rahel mentioned his schedule.
Kalian gave a clean order.
“Tell them to postpone it to Ber. They’ll obviously just ramble on about marriage proposals anyway, so it’s fine to cancel it.”
“That would cause diplomatic problems!”
“I don’t care about that.”
“Your Majesty!”
When Rahel cried out in alarm, Kalian waved his hand dismissively as if annoyed.
“Then postpone it briefly. I’ll be back within an hour, so just delay it by about 30 minutes.”
It meant he would definitely go out.
Rahel groaned inwardly and held his head.
As Kalian walked toward the door, a quick-witted attendant promptly brought a robe.
“See you later then.”
Kalian, who had pulled the hood deep over his head, spoke to Rahel before going outside.
And as always, he used the waterway to escape the palace.
Going out through the entrance would catch the attention of palace soldiers and others, so he always used the waterway when secretly leaving the palace.
Since Rahel and a few attendants knew about it, perhaps it wasn’t really secret.
Ber would breathe fire if he knew that he had abandoned his schedule and gone outside, but it didn’t matter.
Leilah was more precious than such trivial matters.
Thinking that something might have happened to her made his heart pound and his mouth go dry.
I need to go quickly.
Kalian’s steps grew increasingly hurried.
Guards surrounded Leilah’s mansion and blocked outsiders from approaching.
But they couldn’t prevent onlookers from gathering. Onlookers who had gathered in small groups whispered while looking at Leilah’s mansion.
Kalian adjusted his robe and boldly slipped among the onlookers.
“What happened?”
A middle-aged woman who joined late asked an acquaintance.
“There was a fire, they say.”
“Really? It looks fine for that though?”
According to the middle-aged woman, Leilah’s mansion looked fine from the outside.
More precisely, because of the high walls, it was impossible to tell what was happening inside.
Since Rahel wouldn’t have made a false report, the fire must have been real.
I want to go inside. Should I reveal that I’m the Emperor?
Then there would be no point in coming out secretly.
While he was pondering what to do, a luxurious-looking carriage stopped in front of the mansion.
The soaring eagle emblem drawn on the carriage.
It was the Duchy of Cloud’s carriage.
Duke Cloud surely wouldn’t have come, so that meant perhaps…?
“Open the door.”
As expected, the person who got out of the carriage was Esramel.
He didn’t know why Esramel had come here, but it was a good opportunity for Kalian.
Kalian stealthily approached Esramel.
“Open the door immediately!”
Unaware of this fact, Esramel commanded the guards in a loud voice.
The guards’ eyes widened at Esramel’s sudden appearance.
The man with the highest rank among them carefully spoke to Esramel.
“Duchess, I’m sorry, but the captain ordered us to strictly control outsiders’ entry…”
Snap!
Esramel folded her fan with a sound, cutting off the man’s words.
“Who do I look like to you?”
Esramel glared at the man with wide eyes.
The man gulped at the terrifying intimidation.
“Answer me. Who do I look like to you?”
“Y-You are Countess Cloud.”
“Then what is your captain’s status?”
The captain’s status was baron, and Esramel was a duchess.
Moreover, she was the Empire’s one and only princess. A mere baron couldn’t possibly compare.
“I understand what you mean, but this is a crime scene.”
“So?”
Esramel chuckled softly and spread her fan wide to cover her mouth.
“So what? It’s not even a crime scene, just a fire scene, and just because a garden burned a little, is there any reason I can’t enter?”
“Well, that is…”
The man rolled his eyes at the barrage of words. His face showed he was contemplating whether or not to tell the truth.
“If you’re not planning to deceive me, then tell me everything truthfully.”
Esramel pressed the man sharply.
“Hurry!”
Just as the man, flustered by the fierce command, was about to open his mouth, the tightly closed manor gates opened.
The man who opened the door politely addressed Esramel.
“Things are a bit chaotic inside, so we apologize for the delay in receiving you while we tidied up, Duchess.”
It was an invitation to enter. As Esramel folded her fan and was about to go inside, the man called out to her.
“Is this person a servant you brought with you, Duchess?”
A servant? I only brought two maids with me.
Puzzled by the incomprehensible words, Esramel turned around and only then noticed that someone wearing a deeply pulled hood had quietly joined her party.
The maids Esramel had brought also belatedly looked at him.
“You…”
She was about to ask who he was when Inyeong slightly lifted his hood to show Esramel his face.
Esramel’s eyes widened as she confirmed Inyeong’s face.
Why is Kalian here?
It was absurd yet somehow understandable.
The one who had the accident was Leilah. He must have come because he was worried about her.
Esramel smiled mysteriously and nodded.
“That’s right. He’s a guard I brought with me.”
“Then we need to verify his identity…”
As the man looked suspicious and tried to remove Kalian’s hood, Esramel stopped him.
“Are you daring to doubt my words?”
“That’s not it, but we need to check all suspicious people…”
“If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility. Will that suffice?”
Since Esramel went that far, the man had no choice but to back down.
“Come this way.”
Esramel grabbed Kalian’s arm and pulled him along, then asked in a voice small enough for only him to hear.
“What brings you here?”
Before Kalian could answer, Esramel smiled and added.
“You came because you’re worried about Baron Aster, didn’t you?”
“…If you already know, why did you ask?”
“Just to confirm?”
Esramel shrugged with a mysterious smile.
Just as Kalian was about to say something to Esramel, someone appeared before them.
“Welcome, Duchess Cloud.”
It was Britina Baroness, the captain of the estate guards.
Kalian stood straight in proper posture, pretending nothing was amiss.
Esramel covered her mouth with her fan and spoke somewhat sarcastically.
“My, anyone would think Britina Baroness is the owner of this manor.”
Britina Baroness blushed slightly and made excuses.
“I apologize, Duchess Cloud. Baron Aster is currently not in a condition to meet with the Duchess.”
“Why is that?”
Esramel asked urgently.
“Did Baron Aster get injured or something?”
Kalian also perked up his ears and waited for Britina Baroness’s words.
He was ready to rush over immediately if necessary.
“Baron Aster was cultivating mollence in the garden.”
“…Excuse me?”
But the answer that came back was truly absurd.
Not only Esramel but Kalian also looked at Britina Baroness in bewilderment.
“For that reason, Baron Aster cannot be met right now.”
Britina Baroness continued.
“I apologize, Duchess. Please return for now…”
“Evidence.”
Kalian could no longer stay still and stepped forward.
When Kalian removed his robe, Britina Baroness and all the guards were startled and their eyes widened.
Regardless, Kalian looked only at Britina Baroness and asked.
“Is there evidence that Baron Aster was cultivating mollence in the garden?”
“Well, that…”
Britina Baroness rolled her eyes and answered hesitantly.
“There’s no evidence yet, but…”
“So you’re treating Baron Aster like a criminal and confining him without any evidence.”
Kalian scoffed and ran his hand through his hair.
A fierce blue flash appeared in his blue eyes.
Britina Baroness, who received that gaze fully, trembled like an aspen tree.
“Britina Baroness.”
Kalian continued with a cold sneer.
“You’ve already dug your grave in advance, haven’t you?”
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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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