I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 37

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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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#37

What was that sound? I looked around in confusion.

Soon I noticed the curtained window outside flashing loudly. I could also hear the sound of heavy rain.

“No way…”

Had the rainy season already arrived? That couldn’t be. There was still a week left before the rainy season was supposed to start.

I hurriedly opened the window and looked outside.

Raindrops poured down relentlessly, hitting the window frame and splashing onto my face.

The dark clouds made it impossible to tell whether it was morning or night.

This wasn’t ordinary rainfall. It didn’t look like it would stop easily.

Rumble, crash—!

“Eek!”

At the fierce thunder that struck my ears, I covered my ears and crouched down.

My body trembled violently and my vision became hazy. My hands covering my ears kept slipping down.

“Miss!”

Misa burst through the door and ran over to embrace me as I trembled like a fool.

“It’s okay, Miss.”

“Hic, hiccup.”

“It’s just thunder. You don’t need to be afraid.”

I know that too. But, but what can I do when it’s scary?

Though Misa comforted me, I couldn’t calm down like a fool and shed tears endlessly.

* * *

The early rainy season had begun. It was a whole week earlier than expected.

Since I had already prepared for the rainy season, it wasn’t a big problem, but the issue was me.

The pouring rain made carriage travel impossible.

“Is it really impossible?”

“I’m truly sorry.”

The coachman bowed his already bent back further as he apologized.

“You don’t need to apologize like that. It’s not your fault.”

Everything was because of the rain. The thunder and lightning had stopped, but the rain was still pouring down like a downpour.

Even to me, who knew little about horses or carriages, driving a carriage in this weather would be suicidal.

Nine years ago, the reason the Dowager Duke and Duchess Williot died so futilely was also because their carriage slipped on a rainy road.

Thinking of that incident gave me a headache.

When I frowned and held my head with my hand, Sara asked worriedly.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

“I’m fine.”

I smiled with effort and looked at the coachman.

“Then when do you think carriage travel will be possible?”

“I can’t give you a definite answer, but I think it’ll take about 4 days.”

There were about 12 days left until the exam. Excluding the travel time to the capital, only 8 days remained.

It was a shame to waste 4 of those days, but there was no other choice.

I couldn’t possibly break through this rainy road to get to the capital.

“I understand. I’ll wait for now, but I’ll always be ready to leave, so let me know whenever carriage travel becomes possible.”

“Yes, Miss.”

So what should I do to pass the time now?

If I had known this would happen, I would have brought more books.

I sighed involuntarily at the unexpected situation.

I was anxiously looking out the window, hoping the rain would stop soon, when I heard footsteps.

I thought it was just someone passing by, but the footsteps stopped behind me.

Who could it be? When I turned my head, I saw Countess Tebesa, dressed up glamorously despite the early hour.

“It’s raining heavily. Come to think of it, this place was in its rainy season.”

“…You won’t be able to return to the manor today.”

Just as I was planning to leave for the capital today, Countess Tebesa was also planning to return to Tebesa County.

Though the wedding preparations weren’t finished, she had said she would briefly visit for some business.

“It can’t be helped. I heard from a servant that the rain should calm down in about 4 days, so I’ll have to impose on this place until then.”

That meant I would have to see this annoying woman’s face for the entire time.

Sisly and now Countess Tebesa too.

It was truly one mountain after another. It felt like disasters were striking all at once.

“I heard something strange while talking with the Duke yesterday.”

Countess Tebesa said, waving her feathered fan.

“That you’re planning to take the management exam?”

Did Fillen tell her about that too?

“Yes, that’s right.”

I could predict Countess Tebesa’s response.

She would surely click her tongue and ask what management exam a woman could take.

“What management exam is a woman going to take?”

Just as I expected.

Countess Tebesa wasn’t doing this because she particularly disliked me. This was the typical reaction of people.

Even Sara, who follows me, was very surprised when I said I would take the management exam.

My answer was always the same in such cases.

“There’s no law saying women can’t take the management exam.”

“That may be true, but there has never been a single woman who became a manager.”

The response that came back was also always the same.

“Just because there haven’t been any until now doesn’t mean there won’t be any in the future.”

“Really, who did you take after to be so stubborn?”

Countess Tebesa frowned and snapped her fan shut loudly.

“A woman’s happiness comes from her family’s happiness. So don’t do useless things, just please the Duke, support him well, and stay quietly attached to the ducal family.”

“Ha.”

When I let out a small laugh, Countess Tebesa’s eyes narrowed thinly.

“My words seem to sound ridiculous to you.”

“How could I not laugh when you’re saying such things?”

“What?”

“So are you happy, Countess?”

I looked at Countess Tebesa with my lips full of mockery.

“Count Tebesa seems happy with his numerous mistresses, and Tebesa Youngshik seems happy with gambling, but do you feel happiness watching them like that?”

I deliberately touched on Countess Tebesa’s weakness.

Countess Tebesa couldn’t say anything and turned bright red.

The hand holding her fan trembled. Her extended eyelashes did the same.

“You’ve gone mad! You think there’s nothing to fear because you’re about to become a duchess?!”

“I think it’s you who has nothing to fear, not me, Countess.”

“What?!”

“You don’t think this is Tebesa County, do you?”

This was the Williot Duchy. It wasn’t a place where Countess Tebesa could act as she pleased.

When I made this fact clear, the Countess looked around in confusion.

Though it was early, there were quite a few servants in the hallway.

When one of them ran off somewhere, Countess Tebesa’s face turned pale.

“…Just you wait, Leilah!”

Countess Tebesa glared at me once with venomous eyes and quickly disappeared.

When I was young, such words and actions were terrifying, but not anymore.

Only laughter came out. Not because it was pleasant or enjoyable, but laughter born from sheer absurdity.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

A maid approached and asked.

“I’m fine.”

I answered briefly, then looked outside the window.

Rain was still pouring down. I couldn’t see anything outside the window.

It was natural for rain to fall during the rainy season, but this time it seemed particularly severe.

This rainy season might achieve record rainfall.

“I’m worried.”

Would I really be able to go take the management exam?

It was a hard-won opportunity that I didn’t want to miss. I desperately hoped and prayed that the rain would stop in four days.

* * *

The third day since the rainy season began.

Nine days remaining until the management exam.

It was time for the rainfall to gradually weaken, but instead of weakening, it was getting heavier.

The coachman who had said we could probably depart tomorrow now said we should wait at least two more days.

Two days. If we spent two more days here, only seven days would remain.

Though there would still be three days of leeway, there was no guarantee that a schedule delayed once wouldn’t be delayed again.

Something might happen on the way to the capital too.

I became anxious that I might really not be able to take the management exam. My mouth went completely dry.

I was anxiously staring outside the window when.

Click, bang-!

The door burst open violently without even a knock.

It was a servant who entered through the door. Having apparently run quite urgently, the servant was breathing heavily.

“M-Miss! Something terrible has happened!”

Above the shouting voice, shadows of the past flickered.

An old memory from over nine years ago.

The prelude announcing the tragedy of the Dowager Duke and Duchess Williot.

“Ugh.”

“Miss!”

When I collapsed to the floor, the servant hurriedly ran over and supported me.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

I wanted to calmly answer that I was fine, but I couldn’t because the words wouldn’t come out.

My head was throbbing. The image of the dead Dowager Duke and Duchess Williot was drawn on the floor like a mirage.

“Head maid! Head maid!”

When the servant called urgently, Misa came rushing into the room.

“Miss!”

Misa also ran to me and supported me.

“My goodness, look at this cold sweat.”

Misa didn’t care about dirtying her sleeves and wiped the cold sweat flowing down my forehead.

I was held in Misa’s arms, eyes tightly shut, gasping for breath.

Fortunately, the terrible shadows of the past soon disappeared.

Though not completely stable, having regained enough composure to speak, I turned to the servant.

“What… happened?”

“Ah, s-something terrible has happened, Miss!”

The servant stamped his feet and shouted.

“They say the riverbank at the lower river has burst!”

“…What?”

What was he talking about? The riverbank burst?

“The riverbank repair work should have been completed perfectly already. Why did the riverbank burst?”

“I-I don’t know that much either…”

Right, he wouldn’t know. It wasn’t a problem a mere servant would understand.

“I need to see His Grace immediately.”

Hearing that Fillen was in the study, I was heading to the study when I spotted Wizard Baron running urgently from the opposite direction.

“Wizard Baron!”

“Miss!”

Wizard Baron ran to me, almost at a sprint.

“Have you heard the news?”

“If it’s the news about the riverbank at the lower river bursting, I’ve already heard. How extensive is the damage?”

“All the rice paddies and fields are flooded, and people living nearby were swept away by the burst river water.”

Flooding of rice paddies and fields was one thing, but for people to be harmed too.

We needed to establish countermeasures immediately. For that purpose, I entered the study where Fillen was, together with Wizard Baron.

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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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