I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 276

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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

Usually, underwear was something intimate that couldn’t be shown to others, so it was common to make them at home or place custom orders at boutiques.

But to openly display underwear on mannequins, and even have a store that specialized in selling underwear—it was fascinating.

Leilah’s eyes, who had entered the underwear store with Diane, rolled around busily without rest for even a moment.

Diane grabbed Leilah’s arm and pulled her along.

“Let’s go over there, Leilah.”

Leilah obediently followed where Diane led her.

While the outside displayed relatively modest underwear like chemises, the inside had underwear so provocative it was embarrassing to look at with open eyes.

‘There are more customers than I thought.’

What was surprising was that most of the customers were noble ladies or princesses.

Usually noble ladies and princesses were shy about choosing underwear and tried not to show it to anyone except their servants.

“The Kingdom of Natsha is more open-minded than I thought.”

When Leilah muttered as if talking to herself, Diane shrugged her shoulders.

“I think the Empire is too closed-minded. Especially when it comes to women.”

That’s true.

While Leilah inwardly agreed with Diane’s words, she defended the Empire.

“Still, things have changed a lot recently. There are many women who have become administrators or received titles.”

“Hmm, I wonder about that.”

Diane placed her palm against her cheek and tilted her head slightly.

“From what I can see, that was possible not because the Empire’s people changed their thinking, but because they’re being mindful of Leilah, who holds terrifying power in her hands.”

“What? What power do I hold in my hands…”

“Being modest is good, but you should acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged, Leilah.”

Diane explained in a clear voice.

“Leilah is the wife of the Former Emperor and sister-in-law of the current Emperor. You’re the first female administrator and the current Prime Minister.”

“…”

“On top of that, you’re the mother of Prince Leopold, who is currently first in line for the throne, so it’s natural that people are mindful of you.”

Since she hit all the key points, Leilah had no choice but to acknowledge it even if she didn’t want to.

Leilah smiled awkwardly, then made a serious face and said,

“I should work harder so that their thinking itself changes, not just being mindful of me.”

“Leilah, you’re already doing well enough.”

It was just that customs and stereotypes deeply embedded in people’s bones were harder to change than laws, which was why this phenomenon appeared.

“Let’s stop the depressing talk.”

Diane looked over the displayed products and picked up a black camisole with lace.

“How about this?”

Usually when choosing clothes or accessories, Leilah would imagine how the person would look wearing them and gauge whether it suited them well.

“Hmm, it seems fine.”

But she couldn’t do that with underwear, and since this kind of provocative underwear wasn’t Leilah’s taste either, she answered ambiguously.

“Do you really think it seems fine?”

“Yes.”

“Is that so.”

Diane smiled somewhat meaningfully, then called an employee and quickly paid for it.

Then she placed the box containing the camisole into Leilah’s arms.

Why are you giving this to me?

When Leilah looked at her in bewilderment, Diane winked.

“It’s a gift.”

“A gift…?”

“Yes. You can wear it later when you seduce His Majesty.”

“…!”

Leilah was startled and shouted.

“Wh-what are you saying! Wasn’t this something you bought to wear yourself, Diane?”

“Of course not. I came here to pick out underwear for you to wear in the first place.”

That’s what she meant! I never expected that at all.

“I-I’m fine! I don’t need something like this…”

“Come on, it’s good to have at least one.”

Diane whispered in a secretive voice near Leilah’s ear.

“I made Amy that way too, so trust the advice of someone with experience and try following it once.”

* * *

Leilah tried to return the underwear to Diane, but she refused to accept it until the end.

“Does the Empire have etiquette about returning gifts?”

“I already gave it to Leilah, so throw it away if you don’t need it.”

Since she said that much, Leilah had no choice but to bring the gift.

Having returned to Viscount Andrian’s house like that, Leilah glared at the underwear box she had placed on the table with a terrifying expression.

“How should I handle this?”

She had received many gifts from Diane so far, but this was the first gift that was this troublesome.

“I should hide it for now.”

She absolutely couldn’t let Kalian find out that she had this kind of underwear.

Where would be a good place to hide it?

Knock knock-

“…!”

Leilah, who had been seriously pondering, was startled when she heard the knocking sound and looked at the door.

“May I come in?”

When Kalian’s voice followed, her heart sank.

“J-just a moment!”

There was no time to think.

Leilah hastily shoved the underwear box under the bed and answered.

“Come in!”

Kalian entered along with the maid that Diane had assigned.

The maid placed the indoor clothes she had brought on the table and spoke politely to Leilah.

“The bath is ready, Count.”

“I’ll go right away.”

Kalian asked with a smile.

“Shall we bathe together?”

“Your Majesty.”

When Leilah called him meaning not to say strange things, Kalian shrugged his shoulders.

“We bathed together at the manor.”

“This isn’t the count’s manor. If we do such things, other people will gossip.”

“Who would dare gossip about you?”

Kalian widened his eyes as if he would scold anyone who dared to do so.

Really, he’s incorrigible.

Leilah shook her head and turned around.

“Then I’ll go bathe and come back.”

Before going to the bathroom attached to the bedroom, Leilah glanced toward the bed.

‘He won’t find it, right?’

There would be no reason for Kalian to look under the bed.

So it would be fine, nothing would happen—she tried to soothe her anxious heart and headed to the bathroom.

* * *

Why do the things you desperately hope won’t happen always end up happening?

“….”

Leilah, who had finished bathing and returned to her room, froze when she saw Kalian holding the box of underwear she had hidden under the bed.

The lid of the box was even wide open.

It was clearly a situation where anyone could see he had looked at the underwear.

I need to explain before Kalian gets strange ideas.

“….”

Though Leilah thought this in her head, no voice came out and only her lips moved slightly.

Seeing her face with trembling eyes and earlobes flushed red, Kalian let out a small “hmm” through his nose.

“I hoped it wasn’t the case, but it really was yours after all.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Leilah, as if cold water had been poured on her, snap back to her senses and speak.

“It’s, it’s not mine… No, since I received it as a gift it is mine now, but I didn’t want to have it…”

But because her startled heart hadn’t calmed down, the words didn’t come out properly.

She didn’t even know what she was saying.

“….”

In the end, Leilah gave up trying to explain and hung her head low.

Kalian, who had put down the box and approached her, gently stroked her head with his large hand.

“It’s okay. I understood everything you said, so you don’t need to be so embarrassed.”

Only then did Leilah lift her head.

“…Really?”

“Yes. I never thought you were keeping it because you wanted it in the first place. No matter how I look at it, that camisole isn’t your taste.”

Kalian added with a smile.

“Well, I did briefly think maybe you prepared it specially since it’s our honeymoon.”

“N-no!”

When Leilah cried out in shock, Kalian laughed out loud.

At his behavior that was clearly teasing her, Leilah glared at him.

Really, sometimes his playfulness goes too far.

Still, she felt more at ease than before.

“But why did Viscount Andrian give you something like that?”

“….”

Though she quickly became anxious again.

‘What should I do?’

Should she tell him the truth?

Or should she deflect by saying it’s difficult to talk about?

As Leilah pondered, Kalian muttered as if talking to himself.

“We promised not to keep secrets from each other.”

“…That doesn’t seem like something His Majesty should be saying.”

“Is that so.”

Kalian smiled shamelessly.

“….”

Leilah looked at Kalian with incredulous eyes, then soon let out a sigh.

She was both annoyed that Kalian had deceived her and strongly wanted to hide it because the truth was embarrassing to tell.

“Fine. I’ll tell you everything.”

But since she had said with her own mouth that they shouldn’t keep secrets, it didn’t seem right to do so, so Leilah honestly confessed.

Everything from her conversation with Diane about having a second child to receiving the camisole gift because of it.

“…That’s how it happened.”

“….”

Kalian’s face hardened subtly after hearing the entire story.

As expected, he doesn’t want a second child.

She had secretly hoped after hearing Diane’s story, but it was a vain expectation.

Though disappointment welled up in Leilah, she spoke while trying not to show it as much as possible.

“Don’t worry. Since His Majesty doesn’t want one, I have no intention of having a second child.”

“That’s not it.”

At the sudden answer, Leilah looked up at him with confusion.

“I want one too.”

“What…?”

“I said I want a second child too.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Leilah’s feet were lifted off the ground.

“Ah!”

Leilah let out a short exclamation and wrapped her arms around Kalian’s neck.

Leilah’s feet touched the ground again only after she was lying on the bed.

Kalian, who had climbed on top of her, smiled while unbuttoning his fully buttoned shirt almost as if tearing it off.

“Then shall we try our best to have the second child we both want?”

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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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