I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 263

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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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#5

When I received Diane’s letter, this was exactly the part that had been weighing on my mind.

The situation where Count Delonde would reject Diane’s letter.

If Count Delonde had any intention of things working out well with Diane, he should have come to see her long ago.

But he hadn’t come to see her even once, despite three whole days having passed since Diane arrived in the Empire.

If he was too busy, he could have at least sent a letter, but he hadn’t even done that.

So I had been worried, and now it had become reality.

That said, Count Delonde didn’t seem to have no interest in Diane.

He seemed tremendously interested, but appeared to be suppressing that interest because of his background.

That fact was deeply regrettable, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it.

“I think it would be better for Count Delonde to tell Diane directly himself.”

So I pressed the letter back into Count Delonde’s hands and spoke firmly.

“I don’t know what the Count’s feelings are, but Diane is sincere. So if you care about Diane, Count Delonde should handle this directly himself.”

Count Delonde’s expression grew even darker.

He fidgeted with Diane’s letter paper, thought for a moment, then soon nodded his head.

“I understand. I will speak to Viscount Andrian directly myself.”

* * *

Starting today, a night market would be open in the town square for four days.

Thinking it would be nice to show Diane around the night market, I headed to the night market with her as soon as I got off work.

Kalian was going to come along too, but he declined, saying he had to look after Leo.

Of course, that wasn’t true. The reason he declined was purely out of consideration, worried that Diane might feel uncomfortable.

I’ve felt this way for a while, but he is…

“So very considerate.”

“Pardon?”

Oops, I accidentally said out loud what I meant to think in my head.

“Suddenly saying he’s very considerate. What do you mean by that?”

I wanted to take it back, but since Diane had heard it clearly, I couldn’t.

Actually, there was no reason to take it back. It was true that Kalian was very considerate.

“I meant that His Majesty is very considerate.”

“What?”

But Diane didn’t seem to think so, as she exclaimed in surprise.

“How can you think that? No wait, no. His Majesty is good to Leilah, so I suppose you could think that.”

Diane asked and answered herself with a serious face, then spoke firmly.

“You might get criticized for it, so absolutely don’t say things like that anywhere else.”

“Should I be criticized for stating a fact?”

“Oh, Leilah.”

Diane sighed deeply and grasped my hand tightly.

“You’re really wearing rose-colored glasses. Well yes, of course you would since he’s the person you love.”

That’s not it – Kalian really is considerate and a good person.

I was about to explain Kalian’s kindness in more detail, but feeling that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t get through to Diane, I closed my mouth.

It was also because our carriage had just arrived at the town square.

As we got out of the carriage, I could see magical light bulbs hung in wave patterns. Thanks to the bulbs, the street was as bright as broad daylight.

“Come buy! Come take a look!”

“Delicious sweets here!”

And street vendors had set up in a circle around the circular fountain.

“If there’s anything you want to do, just say anything.”

“Will you do everything for me?”

“Anything I can do for you.”

Diane was very pleased and busily looked around, then pointed somewhere.

“What’s that?”

What Diane was pointing at was a large tent in the corner of the square. Only that area was dark, as if night curtains had been drawn.

“Well, from the looks of it, it seems like a circus tent.”

“Ah, a circus. That sounds fun. Leilah, have you ever seen a circus?”

“No. I’ve never seen one.”

When I was young, I was at the Tebesa County so naturally I couldn’t see one, and when I entered the Williot Duchy, the previous Duke and Duchess wouldn’t allow it.

They said circuses were things only commoners watched. As someone who would become the Duchess Williot, I should cultivate myself by watching operas.

After the two of them passed away, I was too busy taking responsibility for the duchy in place of Fillen to watch any.

It was the same even after I left the Williot Duchy.

I didn’t particularly think about going to see one, and I was too busy to go see one anyway.

“I’ve never seen one either. Since the Kingdom of Natsha is an isolated island nation, troupes like that don’t come very often.”

“Then let’s watch one together this time.”

The tent was dark, but the temporary ticket booth next to it was brightly lit. It seemed they were taking advance reservations.

The performance would run for two days starting the day after tomorrow, and I booked tickets for the first day’s show.

“I’ve always wanted to see a walking lion, so I’m glad to have this opportunity.”

“A walking lion?”

“Yes. In circuses, lions walk around and monkeys ride bicycles!”

“Hmm, really?”

Diane smiled somewhat awkwardly.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Right?”

I looked around the night market while talking about the circus with Diane.

Since it wasn’t a night market during a festival, the scale was small, but there were plenty of things to see. There were many interesting things too.

We finished looking around the night market and returned to the manor happily, but…

“…”

Something that would ruin her mood was waiting for Diane.

It was a letter from Baron Delrond.

Her expression, which had been bright when she received the letter, gradually hardened as she read it.

In the end, she sank into gloom as if she might shed tears at any moment.

I hadn’t seen the contents of the letter, but I could roughly guess what Count Delonde had written.

So I felt sorry for Diane and somewhat resentful toward Count Delonde.

Even if he had met her in person and gently consoled her while talking, Diane would have been hurt, but did he really have to send a letter like this, as if making an announcement?

Seeing Diane’s shoulders trembling finely with her head hung low, my resentment toward Count Delonde grew even more.

I generally didn’t want to interfere in their relationship, but I couldn’t leave this alone.

When I see Count Delonde tomorrow, I’ll have to give him a sharp word or two.

“Are you okay, Diane?”

Comforting Diane came first before that.

The moment I grasped her shoulder, Diane’s finely trembling shoulders stopped. Her hand holding the letter tensed up.

“…Does he think I’ll back down like this?”

Diane raised her head again, her eyes flashing ominously.

With a frightening look as if she might cause a major incident, I unconsciously stepped back.

“Leilah!”

Diane grasped my hand tightly and spoke forcefully.

“You’re going to work tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then take me with you too.”

Surely she doesn’t mean to come to work with me to help with my duties…

“To meet Count Delonde?”

“That’s right. I even asked him to come see me, but he mocked me with such a letter, so I’m going to meet him in person and give him a piece of my mind.”

My goodness, to think such thoughts.

If I were Diane, I would have been so depressed that I’d do nothing but cry my eyes out, but Diane was truly remarkable.

However, I couldn’t readily grant her request.

“But, Diane. As you probably already know, Count Delonde is the Emperor’s direct aide. He works in the Imperial Palace, specifically in the Emperor’s Palace.”

Thanks to marrying Kalian and becoming the Former Emperor’s consort, I had free access to the Imperial Palace, but Diane did not.

Of course, I could use my authority to get her into the Imperial Palace, but the Emperor’s Palace was beyond my jurisdiction, so I couldn’t do that.

“So even if you come with me, it’ll be difficult to meet Count Delonde. Well, I could bring him out to the Outer Palace, but…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Diane shook her head.

“Count Delonde won’t come anyway if he knows I’m waiting. And I don’t want to make Leilah lie either.”

“Diane…”

“So just take me with you. I’ll handle everything else myself.”

Her will was too strong for me to refuse by saying no.

But I was worried that if I allowed it, Diane might cause trouble.

From the way her eyes blazed with fighting spirit, it seemed like she wouldn’t just talk with Count Delonde but might actually hit him.

“I won’t do anything, just talk.”

As if sensing my concern, Diane added.

“I won’t cause any trouble. So please help me just this once, Leilah.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. I promise.”

Diane held out her pinky finger.

How could I refuse when she went this far?

I had no choice but to hook my pinky finger with hers.

“I’ll trust you, Diane.”

* * *

“The Empire really is different.”

This was my second time coming to the Imperial Capital, but I was amazed every time I saw it.

Diane looked around the Imperial Capital with continuous admiration.

Natsha’s Royal Palace was quite beautiful too, but it was nothing compared to the Empire’s Imperial Capital.

“By the way, where should I wait to meet Count Delonde right away?”

Ber worked in the Imperial Palace, not the Outer Palace, but due to the nature of his work, he would come out to the Outer Palace at least once.

That was exactly what Diane was aiming for.

Diane slipped small bribes to the court officials and asked them to inform her when Ber came to the Outer Palace.

Then she paced around the corridor between the Outer Palace and Imperial Palace, waiting for Ber to pass by.

However, Diane couldn’t find even a strand of Ber’s hair until the sun was high in the sky.

Wondering if she had somehow missed him, she asked the court officials she had bribed, but they all answered that they hadn’t seen Ber either.

‘Why isn’t he coming?’

Could he be avoiding me?

Or perhaps today he specifically had no reason to come to the Outer Palace.

Somehow it felt like the former, which made her feel bad.

Since it had come to this, Diane thought she needed to forcibly let him know she had come, so she asked a court official from the Imperial Palace to call Ber.

However, Ber did not appear.

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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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