I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 250

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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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Side Story EP 1. Repaying a Debt of Gratitude.

#1

The bluish dawn atmosphere filled the bedroom.

On the large bed that could easily accommodate several grown men, Leilah and Kalian were deep in sleep.

Two pillows had been prepared, but one had gone unused for a long time.

Leilah was sleeping deeply, using Kalian’s arm as her pillow.

Kalian held her tightly as if he would never let her go.

Their merged shadow rarely separated from when the moon set until the morning sun rose.

“Mmph.”

Today was one of those rare occasions.

The air, quietly settled with night dew, trembled slightly before a small life form’s vigorous crying pierced through.

“Waaaah!”

“…”

As Leilah woke up and tried to get up, a large hand gently pressed down on her shoulder. It was Kalian.

“I’ll go.”

“But…”

“It’s fine. You must be tired, so sleep a little more.”

Kalian kissed Leilah’s forehead and got out of bed.

Leilah was about to follow him when she belatedly realized she wasn’t wearing anything, and pulled the blanket that had fallen below her chest up to her shoulders.

Then she watched Kalian, who was already examining the baby this way and that.

Ever since Kalian learned that Leilah was pregnant, he had said like a habit that he would handle the childcare.

Though Leilah had agreed to let him do so, she hadn’t really expected much.

She thought he would mostly leave it to a wet nurse and only occasionally show his face and pretend to care, as most nobles and royals did.

However, her expectations were pleasantly wrong.

Kalian personally did what wet nurses usually did – feeding, bathing, and putting the baby to sleep.

He didn’t use a separate bedroom either, bringing the baby’s crib into the couple’s bedroom to personally care for the baby at night.

A member of the Imperial Family, and a Former Emperor at that, personally doing childcare.

That alone was surprising, but what was even more surprising was that Kalian was extremely skilled at childcare.

Leilah knew almost nothing and had to receive education from the wet nurse several times, but Kalian needed no education at all.

“The diaper was the problem. His bottom is quite dirty, so I need to wash him.”

“Shall I do it?”

“No, I’ll do it.”

Kalian skillfully picked up the baby and went outside. He was going to the bathroom to wash the baby.

Leilah tried to wait until Kalian returned, but couldn’t overcome the overwhelming sleepiness and dozed off while sitting.

“!”

Then she felt someone touching her shoulder and opened her eyes in startled surprise.

“Ah, sorry.”

It was Kalian. He raised both hands to shoulder height and apologized.

“You were sleeping uncomfortably, so I was just trying to help you lie down… I didn’t know you’d be this startled.”

“It’s fine. More importantly, when did you come back? How’s Leo?”

“Just now. Leo seemed pleased with being washed clean and fluffy, so he fell back asleep.”

“I see.”

Hearing that her son was sleeping, Leilah lowered her voice even more.

“It must have been difficult. Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s fine.”

Though he smiled and said it was fine, Kalian’s face was covered with fatigue.

It was because he couldn’t sleep properly due to their son crying and fussing day and night.

Leilah looked at Kalian with pity and smoothed his slightly disheveled hair.

Kalian closed his eyes gently like a puppy and entrusted his head to Leilah’s hand.

“If it’s difficult, don’t push yourself and leave it to the wet nurse.”

At those words, Kalian opened his eyes and looked at Leilah.

“If you were me, would you have done that?”

“Of course…”

“No lying.”

“…No.”

Leilah, who was about to answer “of course,” hesitated for a moment at Kalian’s sharp observation and told the truth.

Then Kalian laughed out loud.

Embarrassed that she had tried to lie even though it was for Kalian’s sake, Leilah blushed and rattled off excuses.

“I… I had decided to love and cherish my child and care for them personally, adding even the love I never received.”

Leilah’s mother had been a maid at the Tebesa County.

No, she had only heard she was a maid, but didn’t know if it was true. Leilah had never seen her birth mother even once.

When her sense of self was formed, the only person Leilah could call ‘mother’ was Countess Tebesa.

Of course, she couldn’t call her that freely. Leilah could only call Countess Tebesa mother in front of other nobles.

Countess Tebesa only treated Leilah kindly during those times too.

When they returned to the manor, cold contempt and neglect, and occasional beatings would come.

It was the same with other family members. There were countless days when she went hungry and shivered in the cold, curled up in thorough neglect and indifference.

Though Andante did treat her warmly, it wasn’t because he truly thought of Leilah as family, but because he had some scheme in mind.

At first, Leilah didn’t understand why Countess Tebesa and the other family members acted that way.

She didn’t know why people around her pointed fingers and called her a worthless bug who should never have been born.

When she grew older and could understand her situation and what they were saying, she felt resentful.

It felt so unfair and heartbreaking to be treated this way when she hadn’t chosen to be born as an illegitimate child.

So she had made a resolution. If she ever formed a family and had a child, she would never let that child feel such heartbreak.

She had resolved deep in her heart, again and again, to let them receive plenty of even the love she never received.

When Leilah’s expression darkened at the suddenly surfacing remnants of the past, Kalian lightly pinched the cheek of Leilah, whose smile had disappeared.

“You’re having strange thoughts.”

Only then did Leilah, awakening from the remnants of the past, smile faintly.

“I’m sorry. I suddenly remembered old times and…”

Old times. Kalian also recalled Leilah’s past and frowned.

“Why think of bad things? There wouldn’t be enough time even if you only thought of good things.”

“You’re right. I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”

When Leilah apologized, Kalian let out a deep sigh.

“Why do you keep apologizing? The one who should really apologize is me.”

“What? Why would you apologize to me?”

“It’s because I’m lacking.”

It was a series of incomprehensible words. When Leilah blinked as if she didn’t understand, Kalian lightly kissed her lips.

“I should have filled your head with good memories so you wouldn’t have time to think of such things, but I failed to do so, which is why bad memories surfaced.”

“Ah.”

Finally understanding what Kalian was trying to say, Leilah shook her head.

“That’s not your fault.”

“No, it is my fault.”

Kalian answered firmly and intertwined his fingers with Leilah’s.

“So give me a chance to atone.”

“Atone?”

“Yes. I’ll work hard by your side so you can only think of joyful and good things, so keep me by your side for life.”

His dark blue eyes sparkled playfully. Reading the mischief in them, Leilah smiled more brightly than before.

“That’s not giving me a chance to atone, that’s giving me a reward, isn’t it?”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No.”

Leilah also wanted to escape forever from the remnants of that terrible past.

Leilah brought her forehead to touch Kalian’s forehead.

“I’ll be looking forward to it, so please make sure you do.”

“Then I should put it into practice right now to meet your expectations.”

Their lips touched lightly and then parted. Leilah’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s at the sudden physical contact.

“You’ve even had a child together, yet you still haven’t gotten used to physical intimacy?”

“It’s not that I haven’t gotten used to it… it was just too sudden.”

“Then what about this?”

Kalian leaned his face close and stopped at a distance where their breaths could touch.

“May I kiss you?”

Every time he spoke, his hot breath tickled around her lips.

In this even more embarrassing situation than before, Leilah’s face turned as red as a ripe apple.

Leilah couldn’t look directly at Kalian’s face and lowered her gaze. Her heart pounded pleasantly.

“Why no answer?”

“…Don’t tease me.”

“Teasing? I’m always serious.”

His voice was full of playfulness, yet he claimed to be serious.

Leilah was about to scold him asking if this wasn’t also teasing, but before she could speak, their lips touched again.

Large, firm arms wrapped around her slender waist and pulled her closer.

A shower of kisses poured down. It was ticklish enough to make her fingertips curl, but she didn’t dislike it.

Rather, she felt so good that she didn’t know how to express this feeling.

Leilah reached out with the hand that had been awkwardly gripping the blanket and wrapped it around Kalian’s neck.

Taking this as permission to go further, Kalian began to explore Leilah in earnest.

What started sweet and soft like biting into cotton candy gradually became rougher.

Hot heat spread from where their lips met, warming her entire body.

“Mm.”

Their lips glistened with saliva of unknown origin. Their disheveled breathing disappeared as soon as it was exhaled.

Though Leilah had kissed Kalian countless times and done even more than this, she still wasn’t used to it.

Every time felt dizzying and embarrassing like the first experience, and it felt good too.

As the kiss deepened intimately, her body became hot and languid as if suffering from a terrible fever.

Her head spun dizzily as if stirred by a large whisk. Her consciousness gradually became hazy.

The blanket Leilah had been wearing instead of clothes slipped down below her shoulders.

Just as Kalian’s lips were about to touch her exposed pale shoulder.

“Waaaah!”

“…”

A loud voice poured cold water over the heated atmosphere.

Kalian furrowed his brow deeply and clicked his tongue.

“Who on earth did he take after to have such poor timing…”

“Waaaah!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Though grumbling, his touch as he picked up the child was infinitely gentle and tender.

Kalian even sang a lullaby while soothing the fussy child.

That sight was beautiful like a painting. Just watching made a smile naturally form on her lips.

‘I’m happy.’

An overwhelming emotion that even those words couldn’t fully explain surged up from her toes.

Leilah vowed again and again that she would never let go of this happiness gained after a long struggle.

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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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