I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 244

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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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#244

After the bombshell announcement, the nobles couldn’t leave their seats even after the meeting ended.

Leaving those nobles behind, there was one figure desperately following Kalian as he left the meeting room alone.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Elder Brother!”

It was Hes.

Though Hes called out desperately, Kalian didn’t stop.

To catch up with him, Hes ran and ran until he was out of breath.

Thanks to that, Hes barely managed to get ahead of him and spread his arms to block Kalian’s path.

Finally coming to a stop, Kalian chuckled and tilted his head.

“I did say I would abdicate to you, but I’m still the Emperor for now.”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”

Hes looked up at Kalian with an extremely serious face and spoke.

“Why did you say such a thing?”

“What?”

Kalian pretended not to know what Hes was talking about, even though he understood perfectly.

“The abdication! The abdication!”

Naturally, Hes’s voice rose slightly at this.

“Wasn’t that plan scrapped when Nobert Giltian died?”

“Just because the other party died doesn’t mean I should break my promise.”

“You can!”

Hes clenched his fists and shouted.

“Nobert Giltian made that contract with you for his own ambitions. Don’t you know that!”

“You’re saying the same thing you said in the meeting room. So should I repeat the same answer?”

He was referring to how he said he would abdicate purely by his own will, regardless of the contract.

Hes knew well that Kalian had wanted to pass the throne to him from long ago.

But recently, seeing different behavior like having Leilah educated in imperial etiquette and other duties of past empresses, he thought Kalian had given up on that idea.

Nobert Giltian’s death had also played a part.

But to make such a bombshell announcement without any warning was bewildering.

Was he really serious?

Had someone instigated this?

All sorts of thoughts swirled in Hes’s mind, but he hesitated, not knowing what to say first.

Then Kalian smiled and gently patted Hes’s head.

“You don’t need to be so scared or worried. You just need to do as you’re doing now.”

He’s serious.

His words about abdicating purely by his own will – they were true.

Though he didn’t understand why Kalian was making such moves now, that wasn’t what was important at the moment.

What mattered was that he would become Emperor in as little as six months, or at most within a year.

‘I’m going to become Emperor.’

The vague thought that it would happen someday was now right before him, making it hard to breathe.

It was also because of the terrifying weight and pressure that came with the position of Emperor.

He had often told himself that if it was an unavoidable fate, he should enjoy it and study hard to become a good emperor, but now that it was actually happening, he was scared.

“It’s still, it’s still too early, Elder Brother.”

Needing more time, Hes grabbed Kalian’s arm and spoke pleadingly.

“You promised to wait until I came of age, so how can you suddenly do this?”

“I was planning to do that too, but the situation has changed too much for me to help it.”

“The situation has changed? Is it because Count Aster is having a child?”

Kalian didn’t answer, but silence was affirmation.

“Make Count Aster your Empress. Wouldn’t that work?”

“That would make things difficult.”

Kalian removed Hes’s hand that was gripping his collar tightly.

“If Leilah becomes Empress, the child she bears will become first in line for succession. Then it becomes difficult to abdicate to you.”

While abdication was the Emperor’s prerogative, there were still succession laws in place.

Even an Emperor couldn’t completely ignore those and do whatever he pleased.

“That’s why I want to abdicate to you quickly. I need to step down from the Emperor’s position to take her as my wife.”

“Elder Brother…”

“I can’t leave her alone forever when she’s carrying my child, so please understand, Hes.”

Though Hes understood Kalian’s earnest feelings well enough, he still couldn’t readily accept this situation and shook his head while stepping back.

“I don’t… know.”

Hes gripped his clothes tightly and muttered.

“Mother was also against me becoming Emperor… I don’t know if I can do well.”

“The late Empress was against you becoming Emperor? Who told you such nonsense?”

When Kalian asked back incredulously, Hes blinked.

“Isn’t that right?”

“No.”

“But the reason Mother took poison herself was to prevent me from becoming Emperor…”

Finally understanding why Hes had such a misconception, Kalian chuckled softly and pulled out a letter envelope from his jacket.

It was the last letter left by Empress Solia.

“Read this.”

Hes took it hesitantly and pulled out the letter to read.

The letter contained the well-known events between Nobert Giltian and Empress Solia.

The pressed handwriting showed how much Empress Solia had agonized over this.

Hes’s eyes reddened as he read through the letter, then stopped at a certain point.

[I too would like to see my child wear a magnificent crown, but I’m concerned about his father.]

A magnificent crown. That meant the Emperor’s crown.

“As written in the letter, the late Empress wanted to see you become Emperor.”

“…”

“She simply couldn’t express those feelings outwardly because of Nobert Giltian.”

If Kalian had just said such words, Hes wouldn’t have believed them, but with clear evidence right before his eyes, he couldn’t help but believe.

Mother had truly wanted him to become Emperor.

Hes’s grip on the letter tightened.

Finally, tears he couldn’t hold back poured down like a waterfall, soaking his face.

“It’s troublesome for someone who will become Emperor to cry so much.”

Kalian spoke jokingly while embracing Hes tightly.

“Waaah.”

Hes cried like a child in Kalian’s arms, tears streaming down his face.

* * *

“Did the Count also approve of this?”

Countess Cloud had suddenly visited without notice, so I was worried something had happened, but fortunately that wasn’t the case.

Though it was a brief question without any explanation, I understood what she was referring to and answered directly without asking back.

“What is there for me to approve? The decision to abdicate belongs to His Majesty.”

“But if he abdicates, you won’t be able to become Empress. That child will also have difficulty becoming Emperor. Are you okay with that?”

“Of course. I never wanted that in the first place.”

“Hah.”

Countess Cloud clicked her tongue as if dumbfounded and plopped down on the sofa.

“How can a person have so little ambition? If I were the Count, I would have aimed not only for the Empress position but also the next Empress Dowager position. It’s the highest position a woman can reach.”

“That’s true, but there’s also a lot of responsibility that comes with it.”

I smiled and picked up my teacup.

“I’m not suited for such a role.”

“Oh my, if someone like the Count isn’t suited for it, then no one could ever become Empress.”

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

Once again, Countess Cloud clicked her tongue, seemingly displeased with my answer.

Still, perhaps my sincerity got through to her, as she didn’t bring up the topic again.

We chatted about various other trivial matters, and before we knew it, the sun was setting.

“If you don’t have any special plans, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Of course. If you hadn’t suggested it, I was going to ask if I could stay for dinner myself. How fortunate.”

As I always felt, Countess Cloud was truly a delightful person.

The dinner with her was just as enjoyable.

Since Kalian had become increasingly busy, I’d been eating dinner alone, so having someone to eat with after so long made it feel even more pleasant.

After the Duchess left, I reviewed documents about the Imperial Court’s annual events.

Originally this was the Empress’s duty, but since there was no Empress, I was filling that role.

The administrators brought the documents to me as if it were natural.

‘I should start declining appropriately now.’

Since Kalian had declared he would abdicate to Prince Hes, people would find it strange if I continued performing the Empress’s duties.

So I should stop here and hand it back over.

I worried whether there would be anyone else to handle this work besides me, but I had no intention of stepping forward.

I shouldn’t either.

Since this was the last time, I was reviewing more carefully when I sensed someone’s presence. It was Kalian.

Was it already dawn? I checked the time.

9 PM. It was late, but early for Kalian to arrive.

With the intensified workload ahead of the war, he always came home at dawn.

“I’m tired.”

Kalian strode over, sat down, and lay his head on my lap.

Exhaustion was written all over his face.

I wanted to tell him not to overwork himself and to take it easy, but knowing I couldn’t, I silently ran my fingers through his hair.

“What were you doing?”

Kalian asked while brushing his lips against the inside of my palm.

“I was reviewing documents about the Imperial Court’s annual events. Even during wartime, we need to maintain the ceremonies, even if modestly.”

“For events during wartime, there would be the New Year festival.”

The lips that had been exploring the inside of my hand gradually moved upward to reach my wrist.

Meanwhile, his other hand caressed the inside of my thigh while sending me a suggestive look filled with deep longing.

“It’s good that you’re carrying my child, but at times like this, I feel regretful.”

…How naughty of him.

But I felt the same way.

That feeling had grown even stronger knowing we’d soon be separated for a long time.

Since I was the one who said we couldn’t because I was pregnant, I should be the one to suggest going further.

I was too embarrassed to speak first, but my desire for him was stronger than my embarrassment.

“Rather than holding back too much… doing it gently should be fine.”

When I mustered the courage to tentatively broach the subject, Kalian’s eyes widened.

Not having the courage to look directly into those eyes, I averted my gaze slightly and finished my words.

“When the mother and father are happy, the child is happy too.”

“That’s true.”

Kalian immediately stood up and swept me into his arms.

Slightly startled by his sudden action, I looked up at him, and Kalian smiled deeply before kissing my forehead.

“Then shall we go find some happiness?”

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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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