I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 96

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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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Chapter 5. Trash belongs in the trash can.

 

#96

 

After lunch ended, I went to find Viscount Valdir to tell him about the changed matters.

 

Count Hiltain was also present at that meeting.

 

Viscount Valdir kept glancing at Count Hiltain while listening to my story.

 

“…That’s how it is. Would that be acceptable?”

 

“As you wish.”

 

“Thank you. Then I’ll see you in a little while.”

 

I needed to move quickly to inform the other nobles about this matter, so I was about to leave immediately when the Viscount called me.

 

“Princess Tebesa.”

 

When I looked back at him, Viscount Valdir asked me with a subtle expression.

 

“Why do you think His Majesty the Emperor assigned that man as your guard?”

 

“Well, it must be because His Majesty was concerned about my safety.”

 

“If that were the case, he could have assigned him officially, so why did he do it secretly? And not just any ordinary knight, but the Knight Commander?”

 

Come to think of it, that’s something I found questionable too.

 

“Do you know the reason, Your Grace?”

 

“Why are you asking me that? You would know better, Princess.”

 

I’m asking because I don’t know either.

 

When I quietly stared at him, Viscount Valdir chuckled and brushed past me.

 

“Perhaps the day will come soon when I’ll have to bow respectfully before you, Princess.”

 

* * *

 

Finally, the time for us to depart had arrived.

 

In place of Baron Hutton who was absent, the manor’s butler and advisors saw us off.

 

Aldor was still nowhere to be seen.

 

Count Hiltain and I were riding together in the carriage.

 

While it wasn’t proper for a man and woman to ride in the same carriage, there were always exceptions, and guard knights were among those exceptions.

 

I gazed at the constantly changing scenery while reflecting on what Viscount Valdir had said.

 

At first I didn’t understand what he meant, but now I did.

 

He meant that I might become the Imperial Consort.

 

There was no other reason for someone as high-ranking as a Viscount to bow respectfully before me.

 

‘Viscount Valdir still thinks I’m His Majesty the Emperor’s mistress.’

 

It was an absurd misunderstanding, but I couldn’t entirely blame the Viscount because I too thought this situation was strange.

 

It was too extreme a decision to have been made purely out of concern for me.

 

“Count Hiltain, when His Majesty ordered you to guard me, did he say anything else?”

 

If there had been something, I might have understood his thoughts, but unfortunately there wasn’t, as Count Hiltain shook his head.

 

“…I see.”

 

My doubts deepened and I felt confused.

 

Could it be that he’s interested in me, as the rumors suggest….

 

‘What am I thinking right now!’

 

How could I have such ridiculous thoughts.

 

I wasn’t just crazy, I was completely insane. I shook my head vigorously to dispel the delusions that were arising.

 

Then I noticed Count Hiltain looking at me strangely and smiled awkwardly.

 

“…Are you alright?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Oh, I’m a bit hungry. Aren’t you hungry, Count? I have cookies, would you like some?”

 

I wasn’t hungry at all, but to change the subject, I took out a box of cookies and offered it to Count Hiltain.

 

These were cookies that Eria had packed for me to eat on the way.

 

Count Hiltain silently picked up a cookie.

 

Relieved that he didn’t ask any more questions, I thought it would be good for the atmosphere if I ate one too, so I picked up a cookie to eat.

 

Smack-

 

“…!”

 

Count Hiltain struck down my hand holding the cookie forcefully.

 

What in the world….

 

I looked at Count Hiltain in bewilderment.

 

Regardless of my reaction, Count Hiltain took the entire cookie box I had been holding and examined the cookies inside carefully.

 

“Why are you doing that?”

 

“There’s poison in the cookies.”

 

What did I just hear?

 

Poison?

 

I was even more shocked than when Count Hiltain had struck my hand, and stared at the cookie box.

 

There’s poison in there….

 

“Who would do such a thing… No, more importantly, are you alright, Count Hiltain?”

 

Thanks to Count Hiltain stopping me, I hadn’t eaten the cookie, but Count Hiltain had already finished eating one.

 

I moved to sit next to Hiltain, took his hand, and examined his face.

 

At least there were no areas where his skin had turned purple. His eyes and lip color also looked normal.

 

Still, you never know. I needed to detoxify him immediately.

 

“I’ll tell the coachman right away to head to the nearest temple. Let’s go there and get you treated.”

 

As I tried to open the window connected to the coachman, Count Hiltain grabbed my arm.

 

“It’s just a paralysis poison that won’t threaten my life. This amount won’t cause me any problems at all.”

 

“But….”

 

“Really. I’ve been trained against poisons since childhood, so you can trust me.”

 

A body trained against poisons. Is that even possible?

 

No matter how I thought about it, going to a temple seemed like the right thing to do, but Count Hiltain stubbornly refused.

 

“Alright.”

 

Since he was being so insistent, I had no choice.

 

“But if you feel even the slightest discomfort anywhere, tell me immediately.”

 

“Yes.”

 

So that was settled, but what remained was the fact that the cookies were poisoned….

 

I looked at the cookie box Count Hiltain was holding.

 

While Eria was the one who gave me the cookie box, I didn’t think she had put poison in it.

 

Someone else must have tampered with it along the way.

 

I had no idea who it could be.

 

No, rather there were too many people I could suspect, so I couldn’t make a definitive judgment.

 

From Viscount Valdir to Marquis Malpen, other nobles, and even Baron Hutton and Aldor.

 

I have quite a lot of enemies, surprisingly.

 

I don’t think I’ve done anything to earn anyone’s resentment, so how did it come to this.

 

It was bitter. I smiled bitterly and clenched my fists tightly.

 

“Since we can’t determine who the enemy is, it would be best to be cautious at all times.”

 

“You’re right.”

 

“That’s why I’m saying this – from now on, I’ll taste all the food you eat first.”

 

“That’s not possible.”

 

What if something happens to Count Hiltain because of that?

 

“I’ll just be careful myself.”

 

“Poison isn’t something you can avoid just by being careful.”

 

That’s true, but….

 

“Even so, I can’t let you sacrifice yourself.”

 

“That’s my job.”

 

Count Hiltain spoke firmly.

 

“Please don’t take my work away from me anymore.”

 

“It’s not that, I’m just worried about you…”

 

“As I said, my body has been trained against poison. Most poisons can’t harm my body at all.”

 

Count Hiltain paused for half a beat before continuing.

 

“And if something happens to you, His Majesty the Emperor will hold me accountable for it. So it’s right for me to eat first.”

 

Since every word was correct, I had no choice but to accept it even though I didn’t like it.

 

“Alright. Do as you wish, Count Hiltain.”

 

Please let nothing happen.

 

I earnestly hoped and hoped again in my heart.

 

* * *

 

After Leilah joined the diplomatic mission and left for Hutton.

 

Kalian’s daily routine ended with receiving reports from Hiltain through magical messenger birds.

 

She was the Emperor’s representative, and with Hiltain by her side, the possibility of something happening to Leilah was extremely low.

 

However, he couldn’t feel at ease unless he heard from Hiltain that Leilah was safe today as well.

 

There was exactly one time during the schedule when he couldn’t hear from him because they were recharging the messenger bird.

 

Kalian worried all day the next day about whether something had happened to Leilah until he heard from Hiltain.

 

That wasn’t all. He worried when contact came later than the scheduled time, and he worried when it came early too.

 

Ber, who was watching this behavior from closer than anyone, clicked his tongue.

 

“Are you that worried about Count Tebesa?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Kalian answered immediately as if it were obvious.

 

Ber looked at Kalian as if he found it absurd.

 

“Isn’t your worry a bit excessive?”

 

Kalian, who had been looking at documents, looked at Ber.

 

“I’m being excessive?”

 

“Yes. When I went to other cities for work before, you didn’t worry like this.”

 

That wasn’t all. He didn’t assign a separate guard like he did for Leilah.

 

He didn’t receive daily reports on activities either.

 

When asked why he worried so much about Leilah, Kalian answered plainly.

 

“Well, you’re a man and Leilah is a woman.”

 

“What does that matter?”

 

When Ber asked back, not understanding his words, Kalian added an explanation.

 

“Leilah is the only woman in the diplomatic mission. They’re all men. I threw Leilah alone into a den crawling with wolves, so isn’t it natural to worry?”

 

That’s… true.

 

He had intended to mock him if he gave an absurd reason, but since this was also a sufficiently convincing reason, Ber nodded silently.

 

“Moreover, the members of the diplomatic mission all view Leilah unfavorably. If things go wrong, they might try to do something strange to Leilah.”

 

“Surely not. They have brains too, would they really do such a thing?”

 

“Can you say that after seeing Duke Williot?”

 

At the additional question, Ber, who had nothing to say, closed his mouth.

 

Ber also knew that Fillen kept visiting Leilah’s house at all hours, even knowing she was away.

 

Fillen’s behavior was definitely wrong, but Ber knew the reason and couldn’t just curse him outright.

 

“Did Count Tebesa… really do such a terrible thing?”

 

Kalian, who also knew the reason, immediately answered no.

 

“How can you be so certain?”

 

“Because the Leilah I know isn’t someone who would do such a thing.”

 

What kind of reason is that. It was an absurd and ridiculous reason, but somehow Ber was also convinced and nodded.

 

“That’s right. Count Tebesa isn’t someone who would do such a thing.”

 

“If you understand, then investigate the truth. Someone definitely set a trap.”

 

Though his tasks increased again in an instant, Ber answered that he would do so without complaint.

 

Kalian finished checking the remaining documents and stood up from his seat.

 

Ber, who had been helping him, raised his eyebrows slightly and asked.

 

“There’s still work left to do, where are you going?”

 

“I need to eat dinner.”

 

He was about to scold him for leisurely eating dinner when there was so much work to do.

 

“Today I’ll eat dinner at the separate palace. Ber, you get ready too.”

 

At the additional words, Ber closed his mouth.

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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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