I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 193

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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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#193

Inheriting the position of head of the family meant appointing me as Count Tebesa.

I checked several times, thinking my eyes were deceiving me, but the content didn’t change.

This was definitely succession documents giving me the Tebesa Family.

“How is this possible….”

“It’s the result of tearful maternal love.”

Kalian chuckled and leaned back crookedly in his chair.

“When I said I wouldn’t send Andant Tebesa to Aobis Mine if she transferred the head position to you, she readily agreed.”

I looked away from the documents and stared at him.

“She probably thought it was a title in name only, so it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t have it.”

As he said, Tebesa County was a county, but it lacked the power or wealth to maintain its influence, making it practically a county in name only.

Still, it was a count title, and I couldn’t understand how she would readily give up that position to save Andant.

Well, Countess Tebesa had always cherished Andant dearly, so that was understandable, but Count Tebesa would have opposed it.

“Count Tebesa was quite generous to give his permission.”

“I didn’t get his permission.”

“What? But Count Tebesa’s seal is stamped here.”

“Countess Tebesa stamped that.”

Countess Tebesa stamped the count’s seal instead?

That meant Count Tebesa had delegated authority to the countess, but as far as I knew, Count Tebesa wasn’t someone who would readily hand over what he possessed.

“Did something happen to Count Tebesa?”

“Yes. He’s caught a terrible disease and is hovering between life and death. So it seems Countess Tebesa has taken over all authority.”

That makes sense. There was no way Count Tebesa would have transferred authority to the countess without such a reason.

In other words, transferring the head position to me was purely Countess Tebesa’s decision.

Count Tebesa will be furious when he finds out later.

He’ll rage and try to undo everything, but nothing would change.

Since the count’s seal was stamped, these documents were valid.

If I signed here and submitted the documents to the court, then I would become Count Tebesa.

I hadn’t even been a baron for half a year, and now I was becoming Count Tebesa.

It was absurd and unbelievable. It was also quite burdensome.

“Should I really become a count?”

I muttered in a half-dazed state.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. You’re also of Tebesa bloodline.”

“But I’m a woman. In the Empire’s history, no woman has ever taken the position of family head.”

“There’s no precedent, but it’s not legally forbidden, is it?”

That’s true, but….

“You’ve already become the first female administrator and first female baron, so what are you so worried about?”

Well, baron and count were on different scales.

Those who stayed quiet when Kalian gave me the baron title might rebel and rise up this time.

And also….

“It seems you have another reason for not wanting to inherit the head position.”

Kalian read my mind like a ghost and asked.

“What is it?”

What should I do. Should I tell him or not.

After a moment’s consideration, I chose to speak.

“I don’t want to use the Tebesa surname again.”

I had just escaped from the shackles of Tebesa County, and I didn’t want to enter those shackles again.

“Besides, if I inherit the head position, I’d have to take responsibility for Count Tebesa and the household members…. I don’t want to do that.”

“Who said you have to take responsibility?”

“What?”

“You don’t have to take responsibility for anything.”

I don’t have to take responsibility for anything? Is that possible?

“The moment you inherit the head position, Tebesa County will change to Aster County.”

As I stared at him blankly at these incomprehensible words, a large title at the top of the documents caught my eye.

[Family Name Change Application.]

I never expected you to prepare even this.

But how does this relate to me not having to take responsibility for them?

As I still didn’t understand and just blinked, Kalian smiled and rested his chin on his hand.

“At times like this, I’m really glad you’re a woman.”

“Ah…!”

I see. Because I’m a woman, even direct family members can’t take my surname without my permission!

If I were a man, when my surname as head changed, the surnames of direct family members would automatically change too.

But that wasn’t the case when the head was a woman. They couldn’t change their surname unless I permitted it.

In other words, even blood relatives couldn’t belong to my family, which meant I had no reason to take responsibility for them.

I could also organize the family register once I became head.

If I did that, I would legally become complete strangers with them.

“What will you do, Leilah?”

Instead of answering, I read the documents in my hand again.

I read them thoroughly several times as if to drill them into my eyes.

Though I must have seemed frustratingly slow, Kalian said nothing and silently waited for me.

Only after reading them so many times that the paper edges became wrinkled did I put the documents down on the desk.

Then Kalian immediately offered me a quill pen and ink as if he had been waiting.

“…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The sound of low laughter quietly echoed through the study.

I held the soft quill pen and dipped it in ink, but didn’t write immediately.

I stared blankly at the documents until the ink I had dipped dried up.

Then I let out a big sigh and wrote my name in the signature section.

The name Leilah Aster.

* * *

Andant’s punishment changed from exile to Aobis Coal Mine to exile to an island located at the eastern edge.

It was a small village that mainly engaged in fishing, and naturally it was a place where one could live more humanely than Aobis Coal Mine.

As long as he didn’t cause trouble, he could live peacefully until the day his lifespan ended.

It was regrettable that Andant wouldn’t fully pay for his crimes.

But anyway, removing him from my sight was the same, so I consoled myself with that.

With the sudden change in exile location, new preparations had to be made procedurally, so Andant’s exile was postponed by several days.

Various things happened during that time, and the most absurd news was that Fillen was voluntarily going to Casiwood.

As Casiwood was a border region, various conflicts occurred constantly. They said the lord didn’t know what to do and had given up.

So I thought someone capable should go and sort things out, but I never imagined that someone would be Fillen.

“Did Duke Williot really say he was going to Casiwood?”

Unable to believe it, I asked Baron Delrond.

Baron Delrond also nodded in bewilderment.

“That’s correct. His application was approved long ago, and the departure date has been set.”

“Huh.”

That meant he had been planning this for at least a week….

Could it be that when he came to me on the day of Sisly’s execution and said he would be leaving soon, he meant this?

I thought he was simply returning to Williot Estate.

“Everyone is confused because of this. Especially at the Marshal’s Office.”

Of course. It hadn’t been long since he returned, and suddenly saying he was going somewhere else would naturally cause confusion.

Moreover, it wasn’t just any ordinary administrator, but a minister and the Empire’s supreme commander saying he was going, so everyone being bewildered was only natural.

Kalian must have been flustered too, so it was puzzling that he readily approved his application.

No, more than that, if he goes to Casiwood, what will happen to the Williot Estate?

Will he appoint a proxy lord from among his aides?

Various questions arose, but at the same time, what was reassuring was that if Fillen went to Casiwood, I wouldn’t have to see him anymore.

Following Sisly and Andant, even Fillen was disappearing.

Was a shower of flower petals finally about to fall on my future?

“When will Duke Williot depart for Casiwood?”

“Early March. He says he’ll leave together with the Stella Kingdom delegation.”

Ah, come to think of it, if you went a little further west from Casiwood, you’d reach the Kingdom of Stella.

“He’s stubbornly spending the winter in the Empire before leaving. I’m not saying anything because it might become an issue between nations, but the Stella Kingdom delegation seems truly persistent.”

They’re complete leeches, I tell you.

Baron Delrond, who had been grumbling quietly, suddenly held out a small box to me.

“What is this?”

“I heard you’ll soon inherit the count title?”

Had he already heard the news even though the succession documents hadn’t passed through the Ministry of Justice yet?

Well, Baron Delrond was His Majesty the Emperor’s closest confidant, so that was possible.

“Congratulations, Baron Aster. No, I should call you Count Aster now.”

Count Aster. Just hearing it was an embarrassing and awkward title.

“Not yet, so you don’t need to call me that.”

“Not yet, but you will be soon. I should start practicing calling you Count from now on.”

“Please don’t do that and treat me as usual.”

I had absolutely no desire to receive such treatment from Baron Delrond of all people.

“I suppose I could use the title Lord Aster.”

“If that’s what the future Count wishes.”

Baron Delrond placed his hand on his chest and spoke playfully.

“I would be grateful if you would do so, Baron Delrond.”

I also playfully responded to his words.

While we were exchanging various conversations in such a harmonious atmosphere, a visitor came.

“Congratulations, Baron Aster.”

It was Duchess Cloud.

Although the weather had warmed considerably as spring approached, it wasn’t yet the season for flowers to bloom.

Yet somehow, Duchess Cloud was holding an armful of bright yellow freesia bouquet.

That bouquet soon moved into my arms. The sudden waft of flower fragrance made my head dizzy for a moment.

“I heard you’ll become a count soon? Amazing!”

The flower language of freesia was ‘I support your new beginning.’

“Th-thank you.”

I felt good yet bewildered by the pure encouragement.

On the other hand, what worried me was that if Duchess Cloud knew about this, it meant other people knew too.

“Do other people also know that I’m inheriting the count title?”

“Of course! Everyone knows!”

I had suspected as much, and it turned out to be true.

I wondered what kind of reaction the nobles who heard this news would show. There would surely be an uproar.

Thinking about that made my head throb and all sorts of worries came rushing in.

‘But I won’t back down.’

There were absolutely no legal issues with me inheriting the count title.

There was no reason whatsoever to worry about their opinions.

So no matter what anyone said, I firmly resolved to become a count and buried my face in the freesia bouquet.

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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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