I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 5

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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

Misa paced restlessly, staring out the window where rain was pouring down.

Every time thunder and lightning struck, her complexion grew as pale as someone who hadn’t managed to get even a bowl of soup.

It was all because she was worried about Leilah.

After stamping her feet anxiously and not knowing what to do, Misa finally approached Fillen, who was having a sweet conversation with Sisly.

“Master.”

Fillen, whose pleasant time had been interrupted, looked at Misa with an annoyed expression.

“What is it?”

Misa glanced at Sisly and cautiously spoke to Fillen.

“There’s thunder and lightning.”

At this sudden remark, Fillen’s gaze turned toward the window. Just then, thunder rumbled loudly with a crash.

“Eek!”

Sisly let out a cute scream and threw herself into Fillen’s arms.

Fillen embraced her tightly as if he found such a Sisly adorable.

“Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?”

“A little.”

“Oh my. You’re a scaredy-cat.”

Fillen laughed and kissed Sisly’s head.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll have to stay by your side tonight.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

As if they had forgotten about Misa standing before them, the two were busy devouring each other’s lips.

Misa’s cheeks reddened. It wasn’t from embarrassment but from shame.

She had planned to speak again when they separated, but the two showed no signs of parting.

“Master.”

When the tired Misa called out again, Fillen, who had been exploring Sisly’s lips, frowned deeply and glared at her.

“Were you still standing there?”

“May I withdraw?”

“Yes, withdraw.”

At Fillen’s answer, Misa tried to hide her joy and bowed.

Sisly stared intently at such a Misa.

Misa thought she should hurry and go comfort Leilah, who must be crying pitifully, and turned around.

“Wait a moment.”

But Sisly called Misa to a halt.

Misa turned around, but Sisly wasn’t looking at her but at Fillen instead.

“Phil, my legs and back hurt a little. I think riding the horse for so long was too much.”

“Shall I prepare some medicine?”

“Mmm. Not that, I think it would be fine if someone massaged them.”

Sisly said this while glancing at Misa.

Fillen, who immediately understood what Sisly wanted, gestured to Misa.

“Misa, massage her legs and back.”

Misa bowed and answered politely.

“There’s someone who does that better than I do.”

“I want to receive it from you.”

“So she says.”

Misa’s complexion instantly darkened.

In her mind, the image of Leilah, who must be suffering terribly, flickered.

“What are you doing? Hurry up.”

Misa was about to tell Fillen that Leilah was extremely afraid of thunder and lightning, but she closed her mouth.

It was because of Sisly beside him. She didn’t want to reveal Leilah’s weakness to her.

Leilah wouldn’t want that either.

“…I understand.”

Misa, who had been wondering what to do, finally decided to follow Fillen’s order.

She had no other choice. Quickly carrying out the order and rushing to Leilah was the only way.

She tried to do that, but Sisly made all sorts of excuses and reasons, hardly letting Misa go.

Because of this, Misa could only go to Leilah around dawn when the rain stopped.

* * *

When the rain stopped and Misa came to find me around dawn, she held onto me and cried, saying she was sorry.

I held onto such a Misa and wailed.

Then I fell asleep from exhaustion, and when I woke up again, Misa was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there was a box containing sleeping pills on the bedside table. Misa must have left it.

I put the box in the drawer and came out of bed.

When I rang the bell, Sara came in with washing water.

While I washed briefly and changed clothes, Sara, who was attending to me, asked worriedly.

“You don’t look well. Are you sick somewhere?”

“No. I’m fine, so you may go.”

“Yes, please call me anytime if you need anything.”

The perceptive Sara left immediately without bothering me further.

Today I had no one else to meet and planned to quietly stay holed up in my room looking at documents.

“Miss, His Grace the Duke is looking for you.”

But then a servant brought unwelcome news.

“What for?”

“I don’t know. He just said to bring you quickly.”

That meant there was something very urgent.

I tried to think of recent events in the domain or manor that would make him urgently seek me, but nothing came to mind.

He had just returned to the manor yesterday, so it couldn’t be about such matters.

‘Could it be about That Woman?’

If it was that, I didn’t want to go, but I would have to.

I let out a deep sigh and stood up.

The servant walked ahead, saying he would guide me.

I thought he would be in his room, but unexpectedly, Fillen was in his study.

And uncharacteristically, he was sitting at his desk, intently looking at something.

“You called for me?”

“Look at this.”

When I approached him, Fillen showed me what he had been looking at.

It was a letter. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be about That Woman.

Relieved by this fact, I received the letter from Fillen.

The luxurious stationery was proof that this was no ordinary matter.

As I casually skimmed through it and checked the bottom, I widened my eyes at the imperial seal stamped next to the signature.

A letter from the Imperial Court. This was not a letter to be taken lightly.

I stood there and read the letter thoroughly, not missing a single period.

Though there were many words written on the stationery, they wanted only one thing.

To participate in the new Emperor’s coronation ceremony in a month.

“A month from now. That’s cutting it close.”

If it was a ceremony, there would surely be a party.

There were plenty of things to prepare, starting with attire and accessories.

On top of that, I had to calculate the travel time from here to the Capital.

It takes about 4 days to get from here to the capital, so I have about 3 weeks left.

I’ll need to call a dress designer as soon as I go out.

I’ll call the accessory craftsman and shoe craftsman too.

Once I go up to the capital, I’ll be there for at least a month, so I need to handle my tasks in advance.

If nothing else, I need to prepare for the rainy season before I go.

What I can’t finish, I can handle through messenger birds or discuss via magical communication devices.

“Leilah.”

While I was calculating what I needed to do in my head, Fillen called me.

“What?”

“From now on, use formal speech when talking to me.”

“…What? What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“We’ll be appearing together frequently in high society from now on, and using casual speech would look bad to others.”

Every word he said was right. I also had no intention of speaking casually to Fillen in high society like I do now.

It was just startling that Fillen suddenly pointed this out.

“Don’t you want to?”

When I stared at him silently, Fillen frowned slightly and asked.

“You don’t want me to be embarrassed in front of others, do you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then use formal speech in front of others. That’s how it should be anyway.”

Yes, that’s right.

The problem is why Fillen, who never said anything about this before, is suddenly demanding it now….

Did seeing the letter from the Imperial Court remind him that he should do this?

Or… could it be that That Woman pointed it out?

The latter was more likely than the former.

There were similar situations in the past, but he never demanded formal speech from me then.

Rather, Fillen used to laugh cheerfully and say there was no need to worry about others’ opinions.

For him to suddenly change his attitude must be because of That Woman.

“Fine.”

If that’s the case, I had no intention of just taking it lying down either.

“From now on, I’ll call you Duke Your Grace in front of others and use formal speech.”

“Then from now on….”

“However.”

I looked straight at Fillen’s face as he stared at me with puzzled eyes and continued.

“You should also address me as Lady Tebessa, not Leilah, and speak formally in front of others.”

* * *

Since Fillen’s return, there hadn’t been a single quiet day at the Williot Duchy.

“Did you see? The young master and the young lady speaking formally to each other.”

“Yes, I saw. What’s going on all of a sudden?”

A maid tilted her head and continued.

“The two of them have always been comfortable with each other until now.”

“Could it be because of that woman? The woman carrying the young master’s child.”

“I think it’s because of that too.”

Another maid suddenly joined the conversation.

“Otherwise, there’s no reason for them to suddenly use formal speech and create distance….”

The maids who had been chattering while cleaning the windows all closed their mouths at once because I had appeared.

It wasn’t that I wanted to appear in front of them tactlessly either.

I had to pass through this hallway to get to my study, so I had no choice.

An awkward silence flowed. Everyone kept their mouths shut like mutes and watched me nervously.

I didn’t want to hesitate and make the atmosphere even more uncomfortable, so I walked quickly.

“G-good afternoon, Miss.”

I was about to pass through the hallway when one of the maids cautiously offered a greeting.

A greeting she would have been better off not giving.

“You don’t need to give greetings you don’t mean.”

I hadn’t intended to answer coldly, but remembering what they had said earlier, my words came out cold without me realizing it.

My mood having been consistently low and depressed for the past few days was also one of the causes.

“Miss, we…!”

“It’s fine.”

I passed by the flustered maids with a calm smile as if nothing was wrong.

“It’s not like you’re saying things that aren’t true, so feel free to keep talking.”

“M-Miss!”

The maids called out to me desperately, flustered by my words, but I didn’t look back.

It wasn’t because I found them unpleasant to look at.

It was because the smiling mask I had been forcing myself to wear was crumbling.

So I didn’t want to show the maids my distorted expression.

The only pride I had left, having nothing else, wouldn’t allow it.

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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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