I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 195

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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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#195

My voice wouldn’t come out as if I had honey stuck in my throat.

Though Kalian waited patiently for me, in the end I couldn’t answer anything.

Not even an apology.

Though I must have seemed detestable, Kalian didn’t get angry or ask again.

He simply patted my shoulder and once more congratulated me on becoming a count.

Many other people also offered me congratulations, but only Kalian’s words kept circling in my head.

Those words asking me to tell him how he could win my heart.

‘You don’t need to ask such things…’

Because you’ve already taken my heart.

That’s why his words bothered me even more and made my chest ache.

I was also sad about my situation where I couldn’t honestly say I liked him.

…No, wouldn’t it be fine to say it?

It’s not like I’d immediately become his lover or anything.

I’d just be honestly telling him my feelings, so if it’s just that much…

‘I don’t know.’

I don’t know what would be best.

I spent all day thinking about it, so I couldn’t focus on work.

I’m not getting any work done today.

“I’ll be leaving first.”

Since I didn’t think I’d be able to focus on work if I kept sitting there, I left right on time.

While I sat in a daze, mulling over Kalian’s words, the carriage had arrived at the manor before I knew it.

Normally I would have opened the door and gone straight in, but instead Hanson hesitated.

Usually when this happened, someone was waiting in front of the main gate.

The most typical example was Fillen.

Surely it’s not him again.

I checked outside through the window.

Fortunately it wasn’t Fillen, but someone I disliked meeting just as much was standing in front of the main gate.

Countess Tebesa.

No wait, since I inherited the title, I should call her Countess Tebesa now.

She surely didn’t come to congratulate me on inheriting the title.

Did she come to ask me to save Andante?

But that should already be a finished matter.

“What should we do, Count?”

“…I’ll get out.”

Because I was curious about what business brought her here.

When I got out of the carriage, Countess Tebesa held her head high and glared at me.

“You came late.”

“I came earlier than usual. What’s the matter?”

“Let me stay with you for a while.”

Stay with me? Only then did I notice the luggage bag placed next to Countess Tebesa and chuckled.

“Don’t tell me you came to stay at my manor?”

“That’s right. Since Andante ended up like that, I have nowhere to go. So I’m going to stay at your house for a while.”

For someone asking a favor, she sure was brazen.

“Why should I let you into my house?”

“Because I’m your mother, aren’t I?”

“You were my mother.”

When I corrected my words, Countess Tebesa frowned. She seemed not to understand what I meant.

Of course she wouldn’t know since notification about the arranged family register wouldn’t have reached her yet.

Then I’ll kindly inform her.

I took out only the documents related to the family register from the document envelope and held them out to her.

“These are things I arranged today when I inherited the count title.”

Countess Tebesa took the documents with a somewhat annoyed expression.

“…!”

Soon after checking the contents of the documents, Countess Tebesa’s eyes widened to their limit in disbelief.

“As you can see, only I remain in the Asteria County family register. You are no longer my mother.”

The hand holding the documents trembled violently.

“You, how could you do such a thing…!”

“Why? Wasn’t this what you wanted? You’ve wanted to remove me from the family register for a long time.”

Countess Tebesa bit her lips tightly then shouted.

“That was in the past! Not now!”

“You may not think so, but I do. That’s why I arranged the family register.”

I crossed my arms and tilted my head sideways.

“Now you and I are complete strangers, so don’t ever come to me again claiming to be my parent and forcing strange obligations on me.”

I snatched the documents from Countess Tebesa’s hands and turned around.

As I was about to enter the manor, Countess Tebesa screamed behind me as if possessed by rage.

“Do you think doing this will sever the blood relationship that heaven ordained?!”

I only turned my head to look at Countess Tebesa.

“Of course it won’t be severed. But you don’t have the right to say such things to me.”

“What?”

“You’re not my birth mother.”

“…!”

Her shocked expression looked fake and disgusting.

“So save that nonsense for your precious sons, not for me – a stranger who doesn’t share a drop of blood with you.”

Having said everything I wanted to say, I was about to enter the manor when I remembered something I hadn’t said yet and stopped again.

And unlike before, I turned around completely to look at Countess Tebesa.

“Oh, next time you come, make sure to use respectful language with me, Countess Tebesa.”

“What, what? Why should I…!”

“Because I’m a count, and you’re just the wife of a man with no title, aren’t you?”

Only then seeming to recall that fact, Countess Tebesa made a deeply shocked face and opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

“My treating you with respect as an elder ends today. So be careful from now on.”

I entered the manor without even glancing at Countess Tebesa as she collapsed to the ground.

* * *

“Do you have time this evening?”

We were having a meal together with Baron Delrond for the first time in a while when Kalian asked.

I swallowed the salad I was chewing and answered.

“I don’t have any special plans.”

“Good. Then free up some time this evening.”

When Kalian lifted his wine glass, an attendant approached and poured wine.

“I’m planning to have dinner with Hes.”

“Understood.”

“Should I come too?”

Baron Delrond suddenly interjected into the conversation.

Kalian took a sip of wine and shook his head.

“No. You don’t need to come.”

“Are you excluding just me? That’s too much.”

“For someone complaining, you look quite happy.”

Right. The moment I said he didn’t need to come, Baron Delrond’s expression brightened like a full moon.

Baron Delrond answered as if asking why I would ask something so obvious.

“Well, it’s because whenever Prince Hes sees me, he torments me by asking about this and that.”

“Hes has tremendous passion for studying.”

“It would be fortunate if it were only passion for studying.”

Baron Delrond said this while glancing at me sideways.

Why is he looking at me?

“Then let’s meet in the evening, and about what you reported this morning…”

Discussing work made our lunch time longer than usual.

If we continued like this, there could be problems with the next schedule, so we quickly wrapped up and went our separate ways to do our respective tasks.

My next task was to understand the future schedules of the foreign diplomatic missions still in the Empire.

Other envoys aside, Princess Stella is a bit awkward to meet.

Still, I should go and ask.

I was sighing inwardly and heading to the palace where the envoys were staying.

I saw Duke Giltian walking from the opposite direction.

Duke Giltian also spotted me and stopped.

“Count Aster.”

It meant for me to come closer.

I didn’t have any particular problems with Duke Giltian, but it was still awkward to face him.

Still, I couldn’t ignore the Duke’s call and leave, so I reluctantly approached and greeted him.

“I greet Your Grace.”

“Indeed.”

Duke Giltian looked me up and down, then smiled.

“I heard you had some troubles, but you look well. Is it because you became a count?”

There were thorns in his words. I was about to answer no, but changed my words.

“It seems that way.”

I remembered that Duke Giltian was the leader of the conservative faction opposing my becoming a count.

So I deliberately answered provocatively, but Duke Giltian’s expression didn’t waver at all.

Having been in this world for a long time, he’s skilled at hiding his emotions. This was something I wanted to learn.

“His Majesty the Emperor praised Count Aster greatly. He said you were truly wise.”

“His Majesty looks upon me favorably.”

When I answered courteously and humbly, Duke Giltian’s eyes flashed sharply. It was a probing gaze.

I was very nervous, but I calmly met his eyes, pretending otherwise.

Then Duke Giltian looked at me with interest and asked.

“Is your loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor, or to the Empire?”

It was a sudden yet profound question. It was also full of traps.

Whatever answer I gave would be attacked, but I gave the safest answer that would receive the least criticism.

“I am His Majesty the Emperor’s aide, so naturally I am loyal to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“I see.”

Duke Giltian tilted his lips at an angle.

“Then let me test your loyalty once.”

Duke Giltian left after saying these cryptic words.

* * *

That evening.

As promised, I visited the separate palace where Prince Hes was staying with Kalian.

“Baron Aster!”

As soon as I entered the separate palace, Prince Hes welcomed me with a bright smile.

“Now that you’re here, I’m completely like cold soup.”

Kalian grumbled discontentedly beside me.

Whether he didn’t hear that or not, Hes ran up to me and asked worriedly.

“Baron Aster, I heard you were injured. Are you okay?”

“She’s fine.”

Kalian answered instead.

“And it’s not Baron but Count.”

“Ah, that’s right. Right.”

As if just realizing, Prince Hes nodded and grabbed my arm.

“Are you hungry? Dinner is all ready. Let’s go inside quickly.”

Following Prince Hes into the dining hall, a splendid cake immediately caught my eye.

On top of the splendid cake was clumsily written ‘Congratulations, Count’.

At first glance, it wasn’t professional work.

Could it be?

“Did Your Highness write this yourself?”

I asked just in case, and Prince Hes nodded shyly.

“I wanted to congratulate Count Aster, so I tried writing it. Is it strange?”

“No, it’s pretty.”

“Pretty? It’s strange.”

Kalian bluntly spat out his words.

Hes drooped his shoulders dejectedly.

“The food will get cold. Let’s sit down quickly.”

I spoke more brightly than usual to change the atmosphere.

We sat around the circular dining table.

Kalian took the seat to my right, and Hes to my left.

Once we sat down, attendants brought warm appetizer soup. Warm appetizer bread also came out.

“Eat.”

Kalian placed a piece of bread on my plate.

“Rose jam is better than strawberry jam, right?”

“Yes.”

He also placed rose jam beside my plate.

“What to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

“Won’t you have wine?”

“Maybe just one glass…”

Prince Hes, who had been quietly watching us converse while sipping juice, suddenly asked.

“Are you two dating?”

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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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