I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 248

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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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#248

The prolonged and painful labor was resolved as easily as a lie once Kalian arrived.

Kalian, who had won the argument with the court physician, stayed by her side until the end and even cut the umbilical cord himself.

Only the midwife and the maid saw the tears glistening in Kalian’s eyes at that moment.

The moment Kalian cut the baby’s umbilical cord, thunder and lightning struck from a clear sky and rain poured down like a torrent.

There wasn’t a single dark cloud in the sky, yet rain was pouring and thunder and lightning were striking.

Everyone thought it strange, but Kalian remained calm.

Kalian held the child in his arms first as promised to Leilah, but it was truly brief.

He immediately handed the baby to the midwife and stayed by Leilah’s side, who was exhausted from the difficult birth.

Not only that, but he personally wiped Leilah’s body and fed her medicine directly.

His touch was infinitely caring and gentle. People looked at Kalian and whispered that he would become an unprecedented devoted husband.

Leilah was expected to be moved by Kalian’s devoted care, but surprisingly, the first thing she did when she came to her senses was to snap her eyes open and glare at Kalian.

“You promised not to use your abilities.”

Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming, making her sharp rebuke even more frightening.

Kalian smiled awkwardly and tried to play dumb, but Leilah wasn’t one to let that slide.

“Your Majesty.”

“….”

“It seems you don’t even want to talk to me now.”

“That can’t be.”

When Leilah sighed and spoke as if complaining, Kalian quickly answered as if nothing had happened.

Leilah narrowed her eyes demurely and glanced at Kalian sideways.

“Why did you use your abilities?”

“I had no choice because I was trying to keep my promise to you to return before the child was born.”

“So you keep this promise but not the other one.”

When Leilah spoke resentfully, Kalian smiled awkwardly.

The people watching the two argue also burst into silent laughter.

“Everything in the world has something called priorities.”

Kalian made excuses while watching Leilah’s reaction.

“The promise to return before the child was born had higher priority than the promise not to use my abilities, and was more important. I had no choice.”

“What if you fall into a coma again?”

“I calculated everything before moving so that wouldn’t happen, so you don’t need to worry.”

“But….”

“Don’t you want to see our child?”

Kalian subtly changed the subject.

Because such a Kalian was cute and she also wanted to see the child, Leilah smiled as if giving in.

“I want to see the baby.”

The wet nurse tactfully brought over the child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

This was a wet nurse that Kalian had carefully chosen after much deliberation even while busy with war preparations.

Leilah, supported by Kalian as she sat up, received the child from the wet nurse.

The newborn baby couldn’t even open its eyes properly.

The skin was wrinkled and the hands and feet were so incredibly small that one wouldn’t dare touch them.

“The baby looks just like Your Majesty.”

“Are you saying I’m this wrinkled and ugly?”

When Kalian replied grumpily, Leilah burst into quiet laughter.

“The skin will become smooth soon.”

“The court physician said the same thing.”

“The nose and lips are exactly like Your Majesty too.”

“I hope the eyes resemble yours.”

Kalian lightly kissed near Leilah’s eyes.

“I really like your eyes.”

“Only my eyes?”

When Leilah asked playfully, the smile on Kalian’s lips deepened.

“How could that be? Of course I like everything about you. It’s just that I like your eyes the most.”

“I like Your Majesty’s eyes the most too.”

Especially when her own reflection was captured in those beautiful pupils.

“Have you decided on the child’s name?”

“Not yet. More than that, aren’t you curious whether it’s a daughter or son?”

“I know it’s a son.”

Because she had seen the child grown up magnificently in her dream.

Kalian, who had no way of knowing this fact, answered with slight surprise.

“Amazing that you can tell just by looking at the face. I couldn’t tell until I unwrapped the baby.”

“Un-unwrapped?”

“That’s the right word, isn’t it?”

Kalian answered shamelessly, then took the child from Leilah.

The wet nurse waiting behind reached out her hands, but Kalian didn’t hand over the child.

“Have you decided on the child’s name?”

“Not yet. I was going to decide together when you woke up. Do you have a name in mind?”

“Well.”

Since fathers usually name children, she didn’t have any particular name in mind, but there was a name she wanted to suggest.

“I think the name Leopold would be good.”

“Leopold. That means brave lion in the ancient language.”

Kalian repeated the name like a cow chewing cud, then nodded.

“Good, let’s go with that name. Leopold Aster. Interpreted, it means a brave lion that shines like a star, which is perfect.”

“Leopold Aster?”

Usually, princes received new surnames and titles when one of their brothers became emperor and they left the palace.

They became quasi-royalty who were still royal but couldn’t exercise royal privileges.

But the Former Emperor was different. Even after abdicating and leaving the palace, he received royal treatment, so he didn’t receive a new surname or title.

So it couldn’t be that he was saying this because a newly granted surname hadn’t been decided yet.

“Why are you giving him my surname instead of Your Majesty’s?”

When the puzzled Leilah asked, Kalian asked her back as if it was strange.

“Why do you think he would take my surname?”

“Well, because Your Majesty is the Emperor….”

“I won’t be soon.”

“But you’ll still be the Former Emperor.”

“And I’m your husband.”

When Leilah just blinked, not understanding his words, Kalian smiled and kindly explained.

“When I marry you, I plan to be registered in your family registry.”

Good heavens, what was he saying?

Leilah looked at Kalian with even more surprise.

The other people who had unintentionally overheard their conversation had the same reaction.

“I won’t be registered in Your Majesty’s family registry, but Your Majesty will enter mine?”

“Yes. Ah, if you want to be treated as the Former Emperor’s consort, it’s fine for you to be registered in my family registry instead.”

“No. I have no such thoughts at all.”

Leilah had not the slightest intention of receiving royal treatment.

She had never dared to harbor such thoughts.

Similarly, she had never thought about Kalian entering her family registry, so she was bewildered.

“Are you sure that’s alright? Abandoning your surname and being registered in my family registry means giving up royal privileges.”

“When Esramel married Duke Cloud and became Duchess Cloud, was there anyone who didn’t know she was a princess?”

Of course not. When Leilah shook her head, Kalian smiled and continued.

“It’s the same. Even if I become Kalian Aster, there’s no one who doesn’t know I was the Former Emperor.”

“Well, that’s true, but….”

“I never intended to exercise imperial rights from the moment I put down the crown, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Kalian added, as if he knew exactly what Leilah was worried about.

Only then did Leilah smile faintly.

“You’re giving up so much because of me.”

“I’ve gained much more than I’ve given up, so it’s fine.”

It was all useless anyway.

Kalian muttered to himself, handed the child to the wet nurse, and took something out of his pocket.

“I will never leave again.”

A square velvet box. Anyone could see it was a ring box.

As expected, inside the box was a ring set with a large diamond.

Blue gems densely set around it sparkled brilliantly.

“Let’s spend our whole lives together.”

Kalian slipped the ring onto Leilah’s left ring finger and whispered tenderly.

Tears welled up in Leilah’s eyes as she looked at the ring.

“I’ll always be by your side, in joy and in sorrow.”

Eventually tears flowed down her cheeks, but her lips held the happiest smile ever.

Kalian lightly kissed the back of her ringed hand and asked.

“Will you marry me, Leilah?”

It wasn’t flashy, but it was a proposal filled with sincerity.

Her heart swelled with that much joy and happiness. Leilah clasped the hand with the ring and nodded vigorously.

“Yes.”

* * *

I only found out then that before leaving, Kalian had already asked Countess Cloud to prepare for our wedding.

No wonder I thought it was strange that she said I needed to get fitted for a dress for the victory celebration banquet, but then asked for my old measurements. There was a reason for everything.

“I’ve gained so much weight, I don’t know if I can fit into a wedding dress in my old size.”

“Don’t worry.”

Hearing me muttering worriedly to myself, Countess Cloud smiled brightly and said.

“The Count didn’t gain as much weight as expected, and the wedding is in June, so you can lose the little weight you gained by then.”

“June. So we’re having a summer wedding.”

Usually weddings aren’t held in summer.

“I wanted to do it in May too, but the Count said we needed to give you enough time to recover properly, so we had no choice but to set it for June.”

Countess Cloud crossed her arms and snorted.

“Plus, there’s the abdication to handle, so we set a generous timeframe.”

Ah, the abdication. That was still left to do.

I already knew Kalian would abdicate to Prince Hes, but now that the time was approaching, I felt strange.

I wondered what reaction the aristocrats would show.

Since it had already been announced, there probably wouldn’t be major opposition, but there would still be talk.

If problems arose, it could interfere with the June wedding, so I hoped it would pass without major issues.

“Count Aster, I have something I’m curious about. May I ask?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Well, that is….”

Countess Cloud leaned toward me and asked in a small voice.

“Did His Majesty propose to you?”

When I stared silently at this sudden question with unclear intent, the Duchess smiled awkwardly and added.

“Oh, well, it’s not that I have any particular meaning, I’m just curious about what kind of proposal His Majesty made. You did receive a proposal, right?”

Instead of answering, I gently covered my mouth with my left hand.

The large diamond and the blue gems surrounding it reflected light and sparkled brilliantly.

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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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