I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 258

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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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#9

Wizard Baron came to see Leilah again exactly one week after meeting her, on a sunny afternoon.

Leilah called Wizard Baron to the chancellor’s office located in the administrative building.

“Welcome, Wizard Baron.”

Leilah, who was working at her desk in the well-lit room, greeted Wizard Baron warmly.

Seeing Leilah’s bright expression, Wizard Baron smiled confidently, certain she would accept his proposal.

“Have you been well, Count?”

“Yes, I’ve been well. Ah, please sit over here.”

As Wizard Baron took his seat, an attendant brought tea and cookies.

The attendants who had been standing beside Leilah’s desk making various reports all filed out, leaving only Leilah and Wizard Baron in the large chancellor’s office.

Leilah finished reviewing the documents she had been reading and sat across from Wizard Baron.

“This is tea from a foreign country. It has a lovely fragrance and I use it often, so please try some.”

“Thank you.”

After taking a sip, the fragrant scent of chrysanthemum filled his mouth.

Since it wasn’t to his taste as someone who preferred sweet tea, Wizard Baron only took one sip before setting down his teacup.

Then he looked at Leilah, hoping she would give him an answer quickly.

But Leilah said nothing and only drank her tea.

As the silence lengthened, the increasingly anxious Wizard Baron spoke first.

“Um, Count. About the proposal I made before…”

“Ah, that.”

Leilah set her teacup down on her lap and smiled brightly.

Seeing her pure, bright smile, his anxious heart settled.

“I must decline.”

But the answer that came from Leilah’s mouth was completely beyond his expectations.

Wizard Baron doubted his own ears and asked Leilah again.

“Are you… saying you’re declining, Count?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you really declining?”

“Yes, I’m declining.”

What on earth was happening? At this completely unexpected answer, Wizard Baron’s lips trembled as he spoke.

“Th-this cannot be.”

His heart pounded and his voice naturally rose.

“If you think of those two who passed away, you shouldn’t do this, Count! How much they cherished and loved you…!”

Clack-

The sound of the teacup hitting its saucer rang out rather loudly.

“Wizard Baron, do you remember?”

As Wizard Baron hesitated at this, Leilah took control of the conversation.

“You came to me before with Misa’s belongings and made a similar request.”

Wizard Baron nodded. Of course he remembered. What conversation they had then, and what conclusion they reached – everything.

“Then I won’t speak at length. For the same reason as then, I cannot take charge of that domain.”

“The reason you said you couldn’t take charge of the domain then was because of that person. But now that person isn’t here. There’s no element to torment you, Count.”

“No. There is.”

Leilah firmly denied it.

“As you said, that person isn’t here, but what that person did remains vividly in my memory and still torments me.”

The wounded injury had healed, but the scar hadn’t disappeared.

In the future, this scar might become hidden by good memories and invisible, but it would never truly disappear.

“Moreover, just as I received kindness from those two who passed away, I have also received great kindness from Kalian de Chepel Asther, the former Emperor and currently my husband.”

If someone asked whether she had received greater kindness from the Dowager Duke and Duchess Williot or from Kalian, she couldn’t answer, but one thing was certain.

“Since I don’t want to see His Majesty sad and struggling because of me, I will not choose the 17th Domain as the Aster Domain.”

Having made up her mind like this, she understood what Kalian had said.

His words that that person would already know the answer.

Kalian probably knew that the person Leilah was referring to was herself, and that she valued Kalian more preciously than the Dowager Duke and Duchess Williot.

“I see…”

At Leilah’s answer, Wizard Baron laughed as if feeling futile and hung his head low.

“So the 17th Domain is abandoned again. It will continue to crumble like this and eventually become ruins where no one lives…”

“That won’t happen.”

Leilah smiled softly and stood up, then brought something from her desk and held it out to Wizard Baron.

It was a document file. Wizard Baron, who received the document file unexpectedly, blinked and asked.

“What is this, Count?”

“Documents stating that taxes imposed on the 17th Domain will be reduced by half for the next year.”

“What?”

“Not only that, but for one year, the Imperial Court will provide subsidies and various benefits to domain residents who settle in the 17th Domain.”

Wizard Baron checked the documents while listening to Leilah’s words.

Everything Leilah had mentioned was written in the documents.

“With this much, we can show people that there’s no problem living in the 17th Domain, and since there are actually more benefits, more people will gather than before. Even without me becoming the lord of the 17th Domain.”

Wizard Baron had thought Leilah had abandoned the 17th Domain, the former Williot Domain.

He thought she had been immersed in her happy life and completely forgotten the kindness the Dowager Duke and Duchess Williot had shown, but that wasn’t the case.

Tears welled up in Wizard Baron’s eyes. The hand holding the document file trembled.

“…Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?”

Wizard Baron whimpered in a way that didn’t suit his age.

“If you had told me from the beginning… that you had prepared all this, that I shouldn’t worry, I wouldn’t have resented you and said such things…”

“To be honest, I hid it because I wanted to confirm whether Wizard Baron truly cherished and loved the 17th Domain.”

Leilah said with a slightly embarrassed face.

“As you know, this is an unprecedented benefit. If such benefits were granted but the administrator had bad intentions and intercepted the benefits, it would be terrible.”

“I would never do that!”

“I know. That’s why I’m giving it to you with peace of mind.”

Leilah smiled genuinely and extended her hand toward Wizard Baron.

“Please take good care of the 17th Domain from now on, Wizard Baron.”

Even though she had spoken harshly, there wasn’t a trace of hatred in Leilah’s eyes as she looked at Wizard Baron.

That fact stabbed Wizard Baron’s conscience even more painfully. His legs gave out weakly.

“I’m sorry.”

Wizard Baron hugged the documents tightly and bowed his head toward Leilah.

Thick tears fell mercilessly down his cheeks marked by the traces of time.

“I’m truly sorry, Count. And… thank you so much.”

Flustered by the sudden apology and thanks, Leilah hesitated for a moment, then smiled even more brightly and patted Wizard Baron’s back.

* * *

Knowing that Leilah and Wizard Baron were meeting today, Kalian couldn’t sit still like someone with emotional instability and paced around.

He worried whether something might go wrong, whether Wizard Baron might say something strange to Leilah and hurt her.

‘I should go now.’

Rather than spend time regretting, it would be better to go and see how things were going.

“Watch Leo for a moment.”

Thinking it would be good to go to the Imperial Palace right now, Kalian was entrusting Leo to the wet nurse and quickly preparing to go out.

“Your Majesty, Count Aster has returned.”

Unexpected news came. Leilah had returned when the sun was still high in the sky.

Things must not have gone well after all.

Thinking she had returned because she was sad or angry, Kalian hurried down to the foyer.

Shortly after, Leilah entered the manor.

“Leilah.”

“….”

Leilah’s eyes shook greatly upon discovering Kalian. Soon tears welled up.

“Kal….”

Leilah walked almost at a run, closing the distance in an instant, then stretched out both arms and tightly embraced Kalian’s neck.

It was extremely rare for Leilah to hug like this in a place where many people could see.

Since it meant she needed emotional comfort that much, Kalian organized the words he would say to her in his mind while gently patting Leilah’s back.

“It’s okay.”

“…Yes, everything’s fine.”

Kalian, reading the laughter contained in her tear-dampened voice, felt something was strange and checked Leilah’s face.

Leilah’s eyes were moistly wet, but her lips were smiling.

“Why are you making such a strange expression?”

“Because of you. Thanks to you, too.”

“What do you mean?”

When Kalian asked back in bewilderment, Leilah whispered in a small voice.

“The documents, thank you.”

“!”

Only then understanding what Leilah was talking about, Kalian’s eyes widened for a moment then narrowed again.

“Did Ber tell you?”

“No. I figured it out from looking at the documents. That you made forged documents for my sake.”

Of course, reducing the 17th Domain’s taxes by half and giving various benefits including support funds to the landfolk who settled there was real.

The false part was ‘supported by the Imperial Court.’ It wasn’t the Imperial Court but Kalian supporting it with his own money.

He had readily offered such a large sum solely for Leilah’s sake.

“Thank you so much. I will definitely repay this debt.”

“I did it for my beloved wife. So you don’t need to think of it as a debt.”

“No. I definitely want to repay it. Please let me do that.”

At Leilah’s stubbornness, Kalian shook his head as if he couldn’t stop her.

“So do you have a way to repay it?”

“Of course, I just need to reap as much as was sown.”

“Reap again? Is that even possible? Wouldn’t that harm the landfolk?”

“There’s a way to reap it without harming the landfolk. Please don’t forget that I managed that domain for 10 years.”

Seeing her tear-dampened eyes sparkling brilliantly, Kalian chuckled.

“So that’s why you overlooked it even after knowing the truth.”

Given her personality, he thought she would definitely throw a fit saying it wasn’t right if she knew the truth, so he had proceeded in secret, but it was needless worry.

“But Leilah. I’d prefer if you repaid the debt in a different way rather than reaping it back.”

Kalian’s deep blue eyes held heat.

Leilah, immediately catching on to what he wanted, instead of scolding him as usual, blushed and tightly embraced Kalian’s neck.

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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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