I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 251

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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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#2

Leopold de Chepel Aster.

The reason Leo, the heir of the Aster Count family, had a middle name that only royalty used was because his father Kalian was the former emperor.

In other words, Leo was also royalty and had succession rights to the throne.

That alone was burdensome for Leilah, but what was even more burdensome was that since the current emperor Hes had no heir, Leo was first in line for succession.

Moreover, since Hes adored and loved his nephew Leo terribly, people whispered that Leo would become the next emperor.

That much attention was focused on Leo. There were even nobles who lined up early to get on Leo’s good side.

Finding all of this burdensome and uncomfortable, Leilah left the Imperial Palace and returned to the Count’s estate on Leo’s hundredth day.

Hes was very disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.

She thought the rumors would die down once she left the Imperial Palace, but her expectations were spectacularly wrong.

“Our precious Leo!”

This was because Hes’s love for Leo remained unchanged even after leaving the Imperial Palace.

Hes came to visit the Aster Count’s estate at all hours just to see Leo.

Even when Kalian scolded him that an emperor shouldn’t leave the Imperial Palace so frequently, it was useless.

That wasn’t all. Every time Leilah went to report to Hes, he would press gifts for Leo into her hands.

“Here, this.”

Today was no different. Hes smiled brightly as he held out a golden birdcage. Inside the golden cage sat a toy bird on a perch.

“What is this?”

“It’s a toy from the Eastern Continent that can sing as many as 17 songs!”

“What an interesting toy.”

“Right? And it’s pretty too, so I thought Leo would like it.”

He would certainly seem to like it, but the problem was that there were already dozens more toys of this kind at home.

They were all gifts from Hes and Esramel.

Hes was a nephew fool, but Esramel, who was Duchess Cloud and Kalian’s half-sister, was also a serious nephew fool.

At least Esramel had some sense and moderated herself while reading Leilah’s mood, but Hes didn’t. He was aggressive like an unbridled horse.

It wasn’t that she disliked Leo – she cherished and loved him completely, so Leilah couldn’t bring herself to refuse and accepted the gifts.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“It’s too early to thank me. This isn’t all the gifts I’ve prepared.”

Hes laughed triumphantly as he placed his hands on his hips.

“I’ve decided to grant the Count a domain and a new manor.”

A domain and a new manor. At these unexpected words, Leilah blinked her eyes wide.

“You seem flustered.”

“I am a bit surprised. It’s so sudden.”

“It’s not sudden. I’ve been thinking about it all along.”

Hes leaned against the desk. Warm autumn sunlight poured down behind his back.

“The Count is the chancellor of this empire, yet you have no domain. So for the empire’s dignity, I’ve been constantly thinking that I should give you a domain.”

“I see. I understand.”

It was a perfectly reasonable statement. Moreover, since he said it was for the empire’s dignity, Leilah nodded.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept the domain, but I’ll decline the new manor.”

“Huh? Why? Isn’t the manor you’re living in now too small for three people?”

“It’s sufficient.”

“That’s a lie. It was incredibly cramped.”

Well, it might look small to Hes who lived in the spacious Imperial Palace, but from Leilah’s perspective, it was sufficient.

“Elder Brother probably thinks that manor is cramped too.”

So when Leilah was about to refuse again, she closed her mouth as Hes brought up Kalian.

“Think about it, Count. Elder Brother spent his entire life in the Imperial Palace as a prince and then as emperor.”

When Leilah hesitated, Hes didn’t miss the opportunity and pressed on.

“But suddenly he has to live in such a small manor – how suffocating must that be?”

“He hasn’t said anything like that…”

“Of course he couldn’t say it because he’s being considerate of you. Elder Brother loves you terribly. How could he say your manor is small or uncomfortable?”

Since it was certainly a reasonable point, Leilah couldn’t say anything.

At the same time, she felt uncomfortable. What if Kalian really found the manor cramped and uncomfortable but was enduring it because of her?

“So move to a more spacious and better manor.”

“…”

“Well, the best thing would be to come back to the Imperial Palace, but since you dislike that, I won’t recommend it that far.”

As Hes continued to persuade her, saying this was all for Kalian’s sake, Leilah’s firm resolve swayed like a reed.

After thinking for a moment, Leilah nodded.

“I understand.”

Hes’s face brightened like a full moon.

“Really? You’re really going to move to a new manor?”

“Yes. But not right now. I’ll move after Leo’s first birthday at the earliest.”

“Why? If you’re going to do it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to go right now?”

“Leo is still very young, and I think frequent changes in his environment wouldn’t be good for the child’s emotional state.”

“Ah, I see. Alright. Then we’ll do it then.”

This time, since Leilah used Leo as a shield, Hes was disappointed but had no choice but to accept.

“Now, back to the domain issue – is there a domain you’d like to receive?”

“Haven’t you already decided?”

“I haven’t decided yet because I don’t know which domain would be good to give you. So think it over and tell me. I’ll give you any land that doesn’t have a lord yet.”

* * *

Having left work early for once, Leilah arrived at the Aster Count’s estate but didn’t go inside, instead gazing up at the manor thoughtfully.

Until now, she had never once thought this manor was small, but after Hes pointed it out, it felt small.

Kalian probably felt that way from the moment he first came to this manor.

And thinking about it, when Kalian was emperor, he had subtly brought up topics like whether this manor wasn’t too small, or whether a bigger manor wasn’t needed.

“…”

She had thought he was simply trying to give her something nice, but thinking that it might have been because he was uncomfortable made her feel uneasy.

She also felt foolish for stubbornly refusing, being so oblivious.

“Count?”

As Leilah stood there blankly without entering the manor, Hans the coachman asked with curiosity.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

If she kept standing here, not only Hans but others would think it strange, so Leilah went inside the manor.

“Welcome home, Count.”

The butler and servants who had been waiting in the foyer bowed politely to Leilah.

After giving birth to Leo and deciding to return to the manor, the first thing Leilah did was repair the manor and hire new servants.

When she was alone, having few servants didn’t matter much, but now it was different.

With Kalian there and Leo too, she hired several more servants including a butler.

Leilah handed her coat to the butler and looked around the foyer broadly.

“His Grace is currently bathing the young master in the bathroom.”

Without her having to ask, the butler who noticed whom Leilah was looking for spoke up.

Since Kalian was now the former emperor and Grand Duke, people called him Your Grace or Your Former Majesty.

She had been worried that something might have happened since Kalian wasn’t visible, but fortunately that wasn’t the case.

Indeed, if something had happened to Kalian, the servants wouldn’t have greeted her so calmly but would have reported the news first.

Only then did Leilah feel relieved and headed toward the bathroom where Kalian and Leo were.

“You need to stay still.”

“Buu buu.”

“I know.”

When she opened the bathroom door and entered, she heard Kalian and Leo’s voices along with the misty steam.

Going a bit further inside, she could see Leo naked in a baby bathtub and Kalian struggling to wash him.

Leilah didn’t go any closer and stood at a distance, watching them.

“Who did he take after to be such a troublemaker?”

Kalian, completely unaware that Leilah was watching, grumbled to Leo.

“He doesn’t seem to take after me or Leilah.”

“Then who does he take after?”

Only then did Kalian notice Leilah’s arrival and turn to look at her.

“When did you get here?”

“Just a moment ago.”

“You should have made some noise when you arrived.”

Leilah smiled and approached Kalian’s side. Then Kalian waved his soapy hands.

“Don’t come close or you’ll get wet. So don’t come over.”

“It’s okay if I get wet.”

Leilah rolled up her sleeves and crouched down next to Kalian.

Spotting Leilah, Leo made dolphin-like sounds and reached his hands toward her.

“My son.”

Leilah smiled brightly and hugged Leo tightly. Her clothes got completely soaked, but Leilah didn’t mind.

“Can I give Leo a bath?”

“You must be tired from work.”

“It’s fine. I don’t often get the chance to wash Leo, so I’d like to try.”

With her eyes sparkling and showing such determination, how could he say no?

“Go ahead. I’ll watch from beside you.”

Leilah washed Leo clumsily but with all her effort.

Though her awkward technique should have been uncomfortable, Leo seemed to know his mother was doing her best and stayed quiet without fussing once.

Seeing this, Kalian clicked his tongue as if utterly amazed.

“He’s completely different from when I bathe him. When I do it, it’s like going to war.”

“Leo must be good and know that mommy is having a hard time.”

“I wish he’d also realize when daddy is having a hard time.”

Leilah laughed out loud at Kalian’s complaint.

Though Leo had stayed still, after finishing his bath, she was soaked all over like a drowned mouse.

“Since I’m already wet, I should wash up.”

She meant for him to take Leo and leave, but either not understanding or pretending not to, Kalian just stared blankly at Leilah.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just.”

Kalian lifted the corners of his lips in a mischievous smile.

“Since you washed Leo, I was thinking I could wash you.”

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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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