I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 245

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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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#245

As the departure day approached just one day away, the Imperial Palace was in chaos like a stirred beehive.

While everyone was busily moving about for final preparations, Hes came looking for Kalian with a determined expression.

Surely he’s not going to say he can’t become Emperor at this point.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s about Count Aster.”

I asked with slight concern, but fortunately it wasn’t that.

Still, something about Leilah.

This also didn’t seem trivial, so Kalian put down the documents he was reading and looked at Hes.

“I heard the Count is no longer handling the major and minor affairs within the Imperial Palace. Is that correct?”

“Yes. She said she would do so to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings from people.”

“But there’s no one else to take on that work besides the Count.”

“Ask Esramel to do it. She’s also an Imperial Princess, so she should be able to do it well.”

“She won’t do it as well as Count Aster though.”

It was true, and it meant that Leilah’s abilities were recognized, so Kalian smiled proudly.

“Brother, you’re not planning to keep Count Aster confined to the house after marriage, are you?”

“Of course not. If she wants to, I’ll help her so she can work.”

“That’s quite a relief.”

Kalian was displeased with Hes, who seemed to breathe out in relief only now.

“If you’re thinking of working her to the bone, stop it.”

“Working her to the bone? I’m just saying this because it would be a waste for the Count’s abilities to rot away. You think the same way, which is why you appointed Count Aster as your aide.”

Once Hes started talking, he spoke his thoughts without restraint.

That was quite fortunate, but at times like this it was bothersome, so Kalian waved his hand dismissively.

“Enough with the pointless talk, and since you’re here anyway, take a look at this before you go.”

He smoothly changed the subject of conversation, but Hes seemed to have no intention of stopping and asked again.

“Then what will you do, Brother? After you abdicate, you’ll leave the Imperial Palace, right?”

“I suppose so.”

Just as there cannot be two suns under the sky, it was the principle that after abdication, the Former Emperor should leave the Imperial Palace and spend his remaining years in a separate palace prepared in the Southern Territories.

If desired, he could go to other territories, but he must not remain in the capital.

It wasn’t legally prohibited, but considering public attention and various circumstances, it was proper etiquette to leave the capital.

“Then are you going down to the separate palace all by yourself, Brother?”

“Why would I be alone? Leilah will be there too.”

“Count Aster will continue working, so she’ll have to stay in the capital.”

Come to think of it, that’s right.

Kalian, who only now realized this fact, frowned and pondered.

Telling Leilah not to work seemed like a waste of her abilities, and above all, Leilah wouldn’t want that.

But staying together in the capital would certainly draw harsh stares from people, which was concerning.

“Brother, I have a good solution.”

Hes smiled brightly and leaned his upper body toward Kalian, placing his hands on the desk.

“You should also become an administrator of the Empire.”

“…What?”

When Kalian looked at him in bewilderment at the unexpected words, Hes clapped his hands and continued.

“You’ve always said so, Brother. That it’s a waste to let capable people rot away.”

That’s true.

“And you’re also a very capable person, Brother. It would be a waste for you to rot away in the southern separate palace for life.”

Hes smiled slyly, his eyes crinkling prettily.

“So please also become an administrator of the Empire and work hard for the Empire.”

“A Former Emperor becoming an administrator of the Empire is unprecedented.”

“Then you can be the first, Brother. Just like Count Aster.”

Kalian wanted to scold him for talking nonsense, but since he had already done such things himself, he couldn’t and just frowned.

“With your abilities, Brother, you’d suit any position well, wouldn’t you?”

“You seem to have a lot of free time, considering you’re having such pointless thoughts.”

Kalian handed Hes the pile of documents that had been stacked beside him.

“If you’re free, go and process those.”

Hes’s face turned pale at the enormous amount that was too much to carry all at once.

Only then did Kalian smile with satisfaction and personally saw Hes off.

* * *

“…So that’s why I’m asking, what do you want to do?”

Late afternoon.

Perhaps because tomorrow’s dawn was the departure, Kalian came to find me earlier than usual and told me about his conversation with Prince Hes, asking what I wanted to do.

I was surprised that Kalian was asking if I would continue working after marriage.

It was also curious that Prince Hes wanted me to continue working.

Regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners, women usually quit their jobs after marriage to focus on household affairs and childcare.

That’s why Fillen had said such things to me.

Ah, let me stop thinking about Fillen.

“Why are you suddenly shaking your head?”

“It’s nothing. I just had a strange thought.”

I vaguely brushed it off since he would be upset if he knew I had thought about Fillen, even briefly.

“If His Majesty permits it, I’d like to continue working.”

“What do you need my permission for? If you want to do it, then do it.”

“Then I’ll do it.”

When I quickly changed my words, Kalian smiled and asked.

“Do you like working that much?”

“Rather than liking work, it’s better than doing nothing at all.”

“Your thoughts are opposite to mine. I want to do nothing and just stay still.”

Like this, he said, as Kalian lazily lay down on the sofa.

Even though he was clearly in a relaxed state, even that looked magnificent and cool like a well-built predator.

I really do like him.

No, this is love.

The kind of feeling that makes me happy just looking at him.

But the thought that I’d have to be apart from him for at least half a year once tomorrow comes made me so sad and regretful.

To the point where I wanted to hold onto him even now.

“You must return before I give birth to our child.”

But since I shouldn’t do that, I said something else instead.

“Of course.”

Kalian, who stood up again, held me tightly.

“I promise.”

I knew it was nearly impossible, but since he promised me like this, my disappointed feelings subsided a little.

Still, I didn’t want to let him go, so I stayed quietly in his embrace.

“I’m telling you this out of concern, but work in moderation.”

Kalian said this while gently stroking my head.

“Just because I’m not there to watch doesn’t mean you should take on a lot of work like a fish in water. Always remember that you’re a pregnant woman carrying a child.”

“I will.”

“And returning to official duties will be one year after you give birth. For one year, don’t do anything and rest well.”

Rest for a whole year?

“It’s not long.”

I was about to say that seemed too long, but Kalian beat me to it.

“Are you perhaps worried about raising the child?”

A wet nurse would be assigned, but still, a newborn baby needed a mother’s touch.

I would also need to breastfeed.

Sometimes they would hire a separate wet nurse for nursing, but I didn’t want to do that.

It was my child, and I wanted to feed it myself.

So while the child was nursing, it was right for me to focus on childcare without doing anything else.

Kalian seemed to have that in mind when he said one year, so I asked.

Then Kalian looked at me as if it was absurd.

“Why would you think about doing childcare?”

“Pardon?”

“Since it’s our child, we should naturally raise it together, but that’s for later. I clearly said to rest and do nothing for one year.”

So he was telling me to leave the child to the wet nurse for a year and do nothing?

“That’s not possible.”

I was truly grateful for Kalian’s consideration for my body, but it was an unacceptable proposal.

“As Your Majesty said, it’s our child, so I can’t just leave it entirely to the wet nurse and rest.”

“Who said anything about leaving it entirely to the wet nurse?”

Then?

“I’ll take care of our child.”

“Your Majesty will do it directly?”

It was the most surprising and bewildering thing I’d heard today.

When I asked back in shock, Kalian furrowed his brow.

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

“It’s not that, I just never thought Your Majesty would do childcare directly…”

“Since it’s yours and my child, naturally I should take care of it.”

It was certainly the right thing to say, but it sounded strange because I’d never met anyone with the same way of thinking as Kalian.

No matter how much a devoted husband loved his wife, if they hired a wet nurse, they hired one – they didn’t do childcare directly.

If the family circumstances were difficult and they couldn’t afford a wet nurse, the wife would handle childcare while recovering.

That was also the natural thing to do.

But for Kalian to say he would do childcare directly was bewildering in many ways.

“If you’re worried I can’t take care of the child, put that aside.”

Kalian said while pulling me into his arms around my waist.

“I’m better at watching kids than you think.”

“Have you done it before?”

“Of course. I took care of Hes too.”

“…There was always a wet nurse by his side, wasn’t there?”

There was no way Prince Hes, born of the Empress, wouldn’t have had a wet nurse by his side.

Moreover, Kalian wasn’t even an adult at the time, so they would have definitely assigned a wet nurse.

It must have hit the mark because Kalian smiled sheepishly and kissed my head.

“This time too, I’ll always keep a wet nurse nearby, so don’t worry and just rest well.”

“Will you really be alright?”

“Of course. For you who suffered carrying and giving birth to the child for ten months, I should at least do that much.”

Even if it were just empty words to please me for now, I would have been moved.

Knowing it was sincere made me even more touched and grateful.

“Then I’ll be counting on you for one year.”

“I’m just doing what’s natural, so there’s no need to ask.”

Kalian lightly kissed my lips.

“Even after one year when you return to work, I’ll take full charge of childcare, so you can focus on your work.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Of course. By then I’ll be an idle man with nothing to do, so I should at least do that much.”

His lips, which had traveled from my hair to my forehead, eyelids, and nose bridge, gently settled on my lips.

“So don’t worry about anything and just safely give birth to a healthy child. I’ll take care of everything else.”

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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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