I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 40

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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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#40

“Princess Tebesa is pitiful.”

Fillen, who had been looking outside the window with a sullen expression, turned to look at Sisly sitting across from him.

Sisly spoke in a mumbling tone with a gloomy face.

“She really wanted to take the management exam, but she can’t go to the capital because there’s no carriage.”

“There’s no need to feel sorry for her. It’s all her fault.”

Who was it that thoughtlessly told her to use all the manor’s carriages?

The carriage Fillen was currently riding in was a historic carriage that had been used by generations of Duke Williot.

It was safe only because the servants couldn’t bring themselves to use even this one and left it behind.

“Besides, she wouldn’t pass the management exam anyway, so it’s better that she doesn’t go. If she went and failed, that would be even more humiliating.”

“How thoughtful. Even in this situation, Fil is thinking of Princess Tebesa.”

When Sisly looked at him as if genuinely impressed, Fillen puffed up with pride and shrugged his shoulders.

“No matter how much I dislike her, she’s the woman who will become my wife. I have to look after her.”

My wife.

Sisly’s smoothly raised lips stiffened slightly, but Fillen didn’t notice.

“You’re truly kind. You’ll take care of our child that will be born soon in the same way, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

Fillen nodded as if wondering why she would ask something so obvious.

“What about me?”

As the conversation flowed in the direction she wanted, Sisly carefully asked what she was most curious about.

Then Fillen erased the smile from his lips and looked at Sisly intently.

It was a look as if he was gauging what intention she had in saying such things.

‘It’s not time yet.’

Well, that woman is still holding on beside him, so there’s no way he’d give me any leeway.

Having quickly finished calculating in her head, Sisly quickly backed down.

“I’m satisfied just being able to see my child often.”

‘My’ child, not ‘our’ child.

Even while backing down, Sisly didn’t let go of her possessiveness over the child, and Fillen acknowledged it.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be able to see the child often.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I promise.”

“I’m happy.”

Sisly smiled brightly and threw herself into Fillen’s arms.

“I wish our child would be born as soon as possible.”

“I feel the same way.”

Fillen answered while gently stroking Sisly’s back.

“I hope it’s born quickly.”

* * *

One hour before the management exam began.

“Out of about two hundred applicants, exactly 171 have entered the exam hall so far.”

Ber reported to Kalian with a sullen expression.

Kalian smiled as he looked at Ber.

“You seem to have complaints about me.”

“Of course I have complaints about not being sent home! Thanks to that, I’m dying here!”

“For someone dying, your skin is quite glossy. Your complexion looks good too.”

Well, that was naturally the case.

With a soft bed and continuous supply of delicious food, there was no way his complexion would be bad.

Still, it was the Imperial Palace. It couldn’t be as comfortable as home.

“I can go home once the management exam is over, right?”

“Yes. Even if you say you don’t want to go then, I’ll push you out, so don’t worry.”

Only then did Ber smile brightly.

Was he that happy? This made me feel like I’d become a terrible boss, which felt strange.

Kalian chuckled and received the list from Ber.

Just by skimming through it, he could tell who the 7 people Ber mentioned were.

They were that famous. There were people whose faces came to mind as soon as he saw their names.

But.

Flip, flip-

Why.

Flip, flip-

“…Leilah Tebesa’s name isn’t here?”

“Leilah Tebesa, you mean Duke Williot’s fiancée?”

Everyone said that when Leilah Tebesa was mentioned.

Ber wasn’t being special or strange.

But why did this make him feel so bad?

Kalian stroked his chin and thought for a moment, but couldn’t find the cause.

“Why are you suddenly looking for that Princess?”

“Just because. I heard she applied for the exam, but I don’t see her.”

“Ah, I remember seeing her on the applicant list too.”

Ber checked the list Kalian had handed back to him and nodded.

“Indeed, that Princess’s name isn’t here.”

“Why would she apply and then not come?”

Ber wanted to ask why he was curious about that, but instead offered his opinion.

“Well, I can’t be certain since I’m not the person involved, but if I dare to guess, maybe she got scared and ran away?”

“…Got scared?”

“Many famous people from various fields applied. Even I would have been scared.”

Ber stuck out his tongue in disgust.

“I see.”

Kalian answered indifferently and leaned against the window, looking outside.

His face looked thoughtful. Dissatisfaction and worry were also visible.

Ber asked directly.

“You seem dissatisfied and worried that the Princess didn’t come to take the exam.”

Kalian looked back at Ber with a slightly embarrassed smile.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Very much so. And didn’t you deliberately show it because you wanted me to notice?”

“…You know me too well.”

“It’s already been 5 years since I’ve shared joys and sorrows with Your Majesty.”

Ber shuddered while carelessly spouting the impudent words that this was tiresome.

“So shall I find out? Why Princess Tebesa didn’t take the exam.”

“Never mind.”

Kalian waved his hand indifferently.

“It’s not something we can find out right now by investigating, and we’ll only know after the exam is over, so what’s the point?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Ber nodded in agreement with Kalian’s words.

“Then since there are only 30 minutes left until the exam starts, I’ll go to the exam hall now.”

Ber was the chief supervisor for this exam. This was also something Kalian had assigned him to do.

He couldn’t trust other people, or something like that.

It wasn’t enough that he created the exam questions, now he had to supervise the exam too.

Being an aide was a harsh profession in many ways.

Mocking those who applied for the exam dreaming of a hopeful future without knowing this, Ber greeted Kalian.

“Wait.”

Kalian straightened his body that had been leaning back.

“I’m going too.”

“Are you cra… Ahem.”

Ber, who almost blurted out his true feelings asking if Kalian was crazy, hastily swallowed his words.

Ber was an aide who had assisted Kalian since he was a prince.

He was one of the loyal retainers who stayed by his side without leaving even during Kalian’s most difficult times.

Kalian showed Ber much consideration in light of this.

Thanks to this, Ber could express his opinions more freely than others, but everything had its limits.

He knew well enough not to carelessly ask if someone was crazy.

At least not in this situation.

“Surely you’re not thinking of personally supervising the exam?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but if Your Majesty personally evaluates them, everyone will be too nervous to take the exam properly.”

“If they don’t have that much courage, they shouldn’t apply to be an aide.”

…Where on earth did that standard come from.

Even if he asked, it would surely be Kalian’s own standard.

Ber clicked his tongue inwardly and shook his head.

He didn’t want to bring Kalian along for the sake of the poor people who were already nervous enough about the exam.

“This way.”

Unfortunately, Ber had neither the justification nor the power to stop him.

Ber headed to the exam hall with Kalian.

“Eek.”

“Your, Your Majesty!”

“We greet His Imperial Majesty!”

As expected, people panicked and bowed as soon as they saw Kalian’s face.

The commoners who were seeing the Emperor for the first time in their lives prostrated themselves flat on the floor.

Kalian swept his indifferent gaze across the exam hall.

As he had expected when checking the list, they were all men.

Including the supervisor and scholars assigned for grading, there wasn’t a single woman.

Even though it was written prominently in the official document that women could also apply, Leilah was the only woman who applied for the exam.

Countless commoners, even some riffraff who had recently been freed from slavery to become commoners, had applied for the exam, yet there wasn’t a single woman.

‘Well, I suppose it’s natural.’

In the Empire’s history, there had never been a case of a woman becoming an official.

Women had often become administrators of domains, but had never once become officials of the Empire.

It was ironic.

It wasn’t as if the Empire’s laws explicitly stated that women couldn’t become imperial officials.

It was strange and ironic that in the Empire’s long 700-year history, no woman had ever become an imperial official.

He could understand why people took it for granted.

‘So that’s why you ran away, Leilah Tebesa.’

Because the stares from those around you became too burdensome when you actually tried to take the management exam.

Did you run away because Fillen scolded you, asking what kind of official a woman could be?

Breaking your promise with me?

Even as he thought he would no longer harbor any lingering feelings for her if that were the case.

He kept feeling reluctant to let go, his gaze turning toward the door.

He felt as if Leilah might enter even now.

“10 minutes remaining until the exam begins.”

But feelings were just feelings, different from reality.

She didn’t come in.

Had she given up on the exam after all.

Kalian’s eyes darkened.

“Everyone, please take your seats.”

Following the supervisor’s instructions, people sat down in unison.

The supervisor waited a bit longer, then looked back at Kalian when 5 minutes remained.

Kalian was still looking at the door.

“May we close the door now, Your Majesty.”

Though the supervisor asked respectfully, Kalian didn’t respond.

It was the same no matter how many times he called.

As the supervisor looked troubled, Ber let out a deep sigh and stood directly in front of Kalian.

“Your Majesty.”

Only then did Kalian show a reaction.

“May we close the door.”

“…How much time is left?”

“1 minute remaining.”

Only 1 minute left.

The fact that she hadn’t come until now meant it was safe to assume she wouldn’t come.

Then he should abandon his lingering feelings.

The disappointment that washed over him was as great as his inner expectations had been.

Kalian turned around with a gloomy expression.

“Close the door.”

Creak, just as the massive stone door was about to close with a loud noise.

“Wait a moment!”

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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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