I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 43

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#43

The coolly settled cold voice devoured the clamorous voices of the people all at once.

When Fillen appeared, the servants including Sara all shut their mouths in unison and stepped aside to both sides.

Fillen crossed between the people and approached me.

“Congratulations, Princess.”

Fillen’s eyes curved.

“You finally did it. I never thought you would pass the exam with top honors.”

It was clearly a smiling face, but the eyes looking at me were frighteningly cold.

He seems to be in a very bad mood.

Well, he had done something he disliked, and even lost a bet, so there was no way he could be in a good mood.

Since I received congratulations, I felt I should respond, so I lightly bowed my head.

“It’s all thanks to Duke’s support.”

“Support, you say.”

Fillen chuckled softly and crossed his arms. His head tilted crookedly.

“So what are you planning to do from now on? Are you thinking of becoming an administrator?”

I hadn’t made a decision yet, but I nodded to test Fillen’s intentions.

“Yes. I’ve decided to do that.”

At my answer, the smile disappeared from Fillen’s face.

Where the fake smile had vanished, a chilling coldness circulated.

“Did you already make a decision without getting permission from me?”

“Was I supposed to get Duke’s permission to become an administrator?”

“Did you forget that you are my fiancée?”

It was amusing that Fillen said exactly what I had said to the Emperor.

Did the Emperor feel this way when he looked at me? It’s a bit embarrassing.

“Let me ask you in return. Duke, when you do something, do you ask me or get my permission?”

Fillen scoffed and tilted his head crookedly.

“Why should I get permission from you for that?”

“Well, because I’m Duke’s fiancée.”

I hoped Fillen would realize what I had realized after listening to Kalian, but seeing his face stiffen, it seemed I had unfortunately failed.

“You seem to have forgotten that I am a duke.”

Now he’s making excuses about status.

“I understand that the previous Duke Williot always sought understanding from the Duchess when he did something.”

When I calmly countered, Fillen’s face contorted sharply.

“Are you protesting now?”

“Protesting?”

“Aren’t you protesting to me because you’re upset that I don’t look after you, that I only care for Sisly?”

“I don’t know why you think that, but no. Why would I protest about something like that?”

“Do you think I would believe such nonsense?”

I had already expected that Fillen wouldn’t believe it, so it wasn’t surprising.

I was just annoyed and irritated that I had to continue this pointless argument with him.

I earned that position with my own strength, so why do I have to hear this from him?

“Do you want to do advisor work that badly?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I oppose it?”

I hesitated for a moment but finally nodded.

Then Fillen twisted his lips and pointed to the main gate with his index finger.

“Leave.”

“Pardon?”

“I told you to leave my manor.”

At those words, not only I but everyone in the foyer looked at Fillen in surprise.

“I clearly warned you. If you ignore my words one more time and act on your own, I won’t stay still then.”

But Fillen looked only at me and continued speaking.

“So pack your things right now and leave the manor, Princess Leilah Tebesa.”

He’s telling me to leave the manor.

“Are you serious?”

“Do you think I would say such things as a joke?”

No, it didn’t seem that way.

That’s why I was flustered. I couldn’t believe he would try to kick me out over something like this.

To him, was my existence only worth this much?

Could he kick me out this easily?

“Miss.”

Misa called me worriedly and approached my side.

“You should immediately apologize to Duke…”

“What did I do wrong?”

My emotions surged. I turned to Misa and asked.

“Is it wrong that I became an advisor without getting Duke’s permission?”

I deliberately spoke loudly so Fillen could hear.

As Fillen’s expression hardened even more, Misa grabbed my arm while watching his reaction.

“Miss.”

“I won’t apologize. I have no reason to apologize when I did nothing wrong.”

At some point, I could see Sisly behind Misa.

She was holding her even more swollen belly and looking at me with a pitiful expression.

Could she be pitying me? I laughed.

It wasn’t that I was mocking her behavior, but I laughed because I felt sorry for my situation of receiving pity from Sisly.

But even that was ending now. Since I would be leaving the manor.

Fillen didn’t clearly say annulment, but telling me to leave the duchy mansion was no different from an implicit declaration of annulment.

Still, it would be better to cut things off clearly.

Given his personality, he might say something different later.

He might have left room for that reason now.

So let’s tie up loose ends clearly with this opportunity.

“Duke Fillen Williot.”

I was the one who declined to be swayed by him any further.

“Let’s break off our engagement.”

* * *

From when Fillen brought Sisly, I had expected that our engagement might end in annulment rather than marriage.

…Though I never thought I would be the first to suggest breaking off the engagement.

‘It’s thanks to becoming an advisor.’

If I hadn’t become an advisor, I would still be unable to let go of my attachment to the position of duchess.

Even when Fillen poured out such insults, I would have swallowed my anger like a fool and endured it while gritting my teeth.

I wouldn’t have been able to see such a dumbfounded expression on Fillen’s face either.

I thought it was good that I became an advisor after all.

I was sincerely grateful to Kalian for giving me this opportunity.

I should do my best to assist him accordingly.

“Miss, what should we do with this?”

A maid held out a box containing a pretty dress and asked.

It was a birthday gift Fillen had given me before he went to war.

He gave it as a gift for me to wear when I debuted in social circles, but I never got to wear it because war broke out.

“Throw it away.”

I had no intention of taking even a single pebble of the gifts Fillen had given me.

“This too?”

This time, what the maid held out was a hairpin I had received from the Dowager Duchess Williot.

She had personally placed it in my hair and told me I looked beautiful.

She had smiled brightly, saying it suited my black hair so well.

Just thinking about it made me feel like tears would burst forth.

I hesitated, unable to answer as readily as before.

I wanted to take it with me, but… I should throw it away.

Having abandoned the position of duchess, I had no right to keep this.

“Leilah, you must become Fillen’s mind.”

The words the Dowager Duchess Williot had spoken echoed in my ears.

“Fill in what my foolish son cannot do, as his wife, as the duchess. I entrust Fillen and the Williot Duchy to you, Leilah.”

I’m sorry, Duchess.

It seems my patience only lasted this long.

While I felt no remorse toward Fillen, I felt deeply sorry toward those two.

I squeezed my eyes shut and put all the items the Dowager Duchess had given me into a box, handing it to the maid.

“Throw them all away.”

“Yes, miss.”

As I looked for other things worth discarding, my eyes fell on the potion Countess Tebesa had given me.

Come to think of it, had Countess Tebesa returned to her domain?

I should tell her there’s no need to prepare for the wedding… But Fillen would handle that, right?

“Throw this away too.”

Worried it might catch someone else’s eye, I carefully wrapped it in cloth before handing it to the maid.

“Are you really leaving, miss?”

Sara asked me with tears welling in her eyes.

“Can’t you stay?”

I wiped away the tears gathering at Sara’s eyes and smiled gently.

“I’m sorry, Sara.”

“Sob.”

She shed more tears than I could wipe away.

What am I to do with this tearful child?

I held Sara in my arms and patted her back.

After crying in my embrace for a long while, soaking my shoulder, Sara looked at me with a determined expression.

“I’ve decided! I’ll follow you, miss!”

…Huh?

“But you’re a maid of the Williot Duchy. How can you follow me?”

“As I told you before, I’m not a slave. I can choose my workplace as I please!”

Sara clenched her fists tightly.

“So I’ll quit this place and follow you, miss!”

“Don’t do that, Sara. I can’t pay you as much as the Williot Duchy does.”

“I’m not here for the money! I stayed here because I wanted to repay my debt to you, miss!”

Repay her debt?

“Five years ago, during the famine, thanks to you opening the storehouse and distributing food, my siblings and I didn’t starve to death.”

Sara clasped her hands together at her chest and smiled brightly.

“I really want to repay that kindness. So please, give me a chance to repay my debt.”

How could I firmly refuse when she spoke so earnestly?

“If that’s the case… Alright, I understand.”

I would need at least one maid to help me when I went up to the capital anyway.

Since Sara would fill that role, it was actually something I was grateful for, so I hugged Sara tightly again.

“Thank you, Sara.”

* * *

Fillen truly had no intention of throwing Leilah out.

He had only wanted to scold her a little because she acted so brazenly without knowing her own faults.

He thought she would realize what she had done wrong and beg for forgiveness, but his expectations were spectacularly wrong.

Instead, Leilah had boldly declared she wanted to break off the engagement and actually left the manor.

Fillen found this fact so absurd that he let out a hollow laugh.

She seems to be getting cocky just because she became an advisor.

‘Let’s see how long you can keep that up, Leilah.’

You’re bound to come back to me anyway.

When that day comes, I won’t forgive you as easily as I would now.

With those thoughts, Fillen burned with anger toward Leilah.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————