I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 255
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
#6
To choose the 17th domain as the Aster domain.
In other words, it meant asking Leilah to become the lord of the 17th domain.
To become the lord of that domain that was once the Williot estate!
She had thought it would be some kind of request like asking for a job, but at this completely unexpected request, Leilah’s eyes shook greatly.
Tail Wizard clasped his hands together, placed his head on them, and spoke as if making a confession.
“I know. I know well that asking such a favor when you suffered such terrible things from that person is troublesome.”
The person Tail Wizard was referring to was Fillen.
Since it was taboo to speak the name of one who committed treason, he spoke indirectly.
Of course, usually people would use harsh expressions like ‘that bastard’ or ‘that son of a bitch,’ but since he was someone he had served wholeheartedly, he couldn’t bring himself to do so and softened it to ‘that person.’
“But Count. Please think of those two who cherished you so much.”
‘Leilah.’
‘You are our treasure.’
The moment the voices of the late Duke and Duchess Williot echoed in her head like an echo, Leilah was startled and covered both her ears.
Still, she could continue to hear their voices.
‘Please fill in what my foolish son lacks as his wife, as the duchess. I entrust Fillen and the Williot Duchy to you, Leilah.’
‘Yes, Your Grace!’
She could clearly hear her own voice that had answered so vigorously that she would certainly do so.
‘But… I couldn’t keep it.’
Not only did she fail to keep the promise, but she had completely broken it instead.
The Williot Duchy, which had been called the sword of the empire and had been triumphant, was completely ruined overnight, and the family members were either beheaded or reduced to slavery.
Fillen’s corpse was torn to pieces and thrown as food for wild beasts.
Moreover, the beautiful and prosperous domain had become a ghost town as people fled like an ebbing tide.
‘It’s not my fault.’
Everything was because of Fillen. It was a catastrophe that occurred because Fillen made the foolish choice of treason.
So while she thought she didn’t need to worry about it, she kept worrying because she had promised the late Duke and Duchess Williot countless times.
She had promised to endure even if Fillen did foolish things and guide him to the right path, to fill in his lacking parts herself.
In return, she had received overwhelming love and affection.
But far from keeping her promise, she had let Fillen make the worst choice of treason, and that fact kept pricking her conscience.
“If you think of those two who cherished you like a daughter, if you think of the grace you received from them, you must not abandon the 17th domain.”
Seeing Leilah’s face becoming colored with guilt, Tail Wizard kept pressing that point.
Leilah removed her hands that had been covering her ears and looked at Tail Wizard.
“Those two really cherished and loved the domain, but now that the domain has become a ghost town, they must be very sad in heaven.”
“…”
“And everything is that person’s fault, not the fault of the 17th domain or the people living there, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t wrong. Although Fillen had committed treason, that was his independent choice, not the will of the Williot Duchy.
For the people and retainers of the Williot Duchy, and the domain residents, Fillen’s treason was like a bolt from the blue.
So Tail Wizard’s words had sufficient validity, but still Leilah couldn’t readily answer that she would do it.
The pressure that Fillen gave was that great. Just thinking of Fillen made her breath catch and her chest churn.
“…If you know it’s a terrible thing to ask of me, why do you go so far as to ask me to take charge of the 17th domain?”
At the same time, curious, Leilah asked Tail Wizard.
Baron Tail Wizard let out a deep sigh and said.
“Because that’s the only way to bring back the people who fled in anxiety.”
“…”
“If you take charge of the 17th domain, Count, everyone will return with peace of mind.”
Tail Wizard suddenly stood up and bowed deeply toward Leilah.
“So I beg you. Please choose the 17th domain, Count Aster.”
* * *
Leilah knew she had to work quickly to take a vacation when Diane came, but she couldn’t do so.
It was because of what Tail Wizard had stirred up before leaving.
She had already been worrying a lot about which domain to choose, but the bomb that Tail Wizard had dropped made her worries multiply.
Excluding only the fact that it had been Fillen Williot’s land, the 17th domain, that is, the former Williot estate, was a perfect domain in many aspects.
Although it had now become a ghost town with people leaving, that part would be resolved once people returned, so it wasn’t something to consider.
Even if she searched through all the other domains owned by the imperial court, it would be hard to find a domain with better conditions than the 17th domain.
Still, just in case, Leilah checked the materials she had received from Ber on the way back to the duchy mansion by carriage.
But no matter how much she looked, there was no domain with better conditions than the 17th domain.
“Huh?”
But there was no data about the 17th domain in the materials Ber had given her.
Wondering if she had missed it and just passed over it, Leilah checked carefully from the beginning, but the 17th domain was definitely not there.
‘Haven’t they organized the 17th domain yet?’
Since it was the most recently returned domain to the imperial court, that could be possible.
Just a while ago, she had promised Kalian not to recall dark pasts, but now she would have to break that promise with him.
“I need to steel my heart more…”
When she abandoned Fillen, she should have thrown away everything related to him, but the grace she received from the late Duke and Duchess Williot was too great to throw away even that.
Even now, when she thought of what happened with the late Duke and Duchess Williot, she was happy enough that a smile would naturally form on her lips.
Though her happiness would be shattered when Fillen naturally came to mind afterward.
Moreover, Leilah had received a similar request from Tail Wizard before, but she had refused sharply then.
Because Fillen was alive then. She could refuse firmly because her desire not to go to Fillen’s side was stronger than the thought of repaying her debt to the late Duke and Duchess Williot.
But now Fillen was gone. All that remained was the domain and domain residents who, like her, suffered because of Fillen.
“What should I do.”
Leilah let out a deep sigh and leaned her head against the window.
While Leilah was pondering, the carriage ran smoothly and arrived at the Aster estate.
“Welcome back. You worked hard today too.”
As always, Kalian came out to greet her personally. Kalian also personally received the coat that Leilah took off.
“It’s late, you should have just gone to sleep.”
“How could I sleep when my wife hasn’t returned yet.”
Kalian handed Leilah’s coat to Sara, her personal maid, and led Leilah to the bathroom.
“The bath water is all ready, so wash up and come out. I’ll dry your hair.”
Kalian lightly kissed Leilah’s forehead and turned around.
Leilah touched the spot where his lips had touched and watched Kalian moving away, then opened her mouth.
“Um, Kal!”
Her words were cut off in staccato as if she was nervous. Kalian, who had moved a few steps away, turned to look at Leilah.
Leilah hesitated for a moment, then said carefully.
“I’m, I’m quite tired today so… would you… wash me?”
When she actually tried to say it, embarrassment rushed over her like a tide and her words trailed off.
Leilah’s earlobes turned red and she hung her head low.
Kalian returned to Leilah and said playfully.
“When my wife is seducing me, I should naturally respond.”
“I wasn’t seducing you.”
“I know.”
“I really wasn’t. So if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
“How could I dislike anything related to you. Let’s go in quickly.”
Kalian’s expression was quite dark as he gently embraced Leilah’s shoulders and led her into the bathroom.
Because when Leilah acted unlike herself, it meant she had something weighing on her mind.
Did Hes cause trouble again? It didn’t seem like that was it.
Kalian was very curious about what was bothering Leilah, but he didn’t ask.
“Today Leo, you know.”
He told stories that Leilah would enjoy, waiting patiently and leisurely for her mood to lift and for her to speak first.
“This is about someone I know.”
Whether Kalian’s efforts worked, Leilah opened up as the bath was nearly finished.
“This person received a tremendous favor from a couple, one so great they could never repay it in their lifetime. So this person decided to repay that debt by taking good care of the couple’s son.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. The couple also wanted this person to take good care of their son. But… because their son did strange things, this person couldn’t repay the favor and ended up running away instead.”
Kalian listened silently to the story while pouring warm water over Leilah’s small, pale shoulders.
“This person kept that incident in their heart, and one day, though in a slightly different form, another opportunity came to repay the debt to the couple.”
Leilah hugged her knees and continued as if murmuring.
“If you receive a favor, you should naturally repay it. But this person is reluctant to take that opportunity because of their son, and doesn’t know what to do… Oh, let me say again, this isn’t my story. It’s about someone I know.”
“I know.”
That it’s your story. That the couple is the Williot Duke and Duchess, and that their son is Fillen Williot – he knew it all, but Kalian pretended not to know and asked.
“So what did you tell this person to do?”
“I couldn’t give an answer. I don’t know what should be done either.”
“I think I know.”
“Really?”
Leilah looked up at Kalian with sparkling eyes, like someone who had seen a ray of hope.
“What should be done?”
“Before that, there’s something I want to ask.”
“Yes.”
“This person you know, did they do their best to repay the debt to the couple?”
At the question that came back, Leilah’s expression became serious.
‘Did I really do my best to repay the debt I owed to those two?’
Leilah gazed quietly at the bubbling foam rising up and thought for a moment before answering.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————