If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 35

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

Chapter 36

 

Even while Leonhardt was lost in thought, Lionel’s nagging seemed to continue.

 

“No, I wasn’t the one pestering you to do sword training! The Prince asked me to teach him first! Right? Your Highness?”

 

Lester turned halfway toward Leonhardt with an aggrieved expression and asked.

 

“…That’s right.”

 

Leonhardt, who belatedly grasped the context, answered Lester’s words a beat late.

 

Lionel’s attitude, which had been closer to watching children bicker, became a little more serious.

 

He interpreted the pause before the answer as hesitation.

 

“It’s fine if you find it boring now that you’ve tried it.”

 

It was indifferent but thoughtful consideration.

 

“It’s fun, so you don’t need to worry.”

 

“That’s a relief then. Please let me know if you change your mind later. You’re still at an age where you don’t have to do things you don’t want to do.”

 

Lionel smiled gently and emphasized again.

 

“I will.”

 

‘Being weak to children must be a trait of House Roderick.’

 

Even if it was thoughtfulness born from a sense of responsibility toward the child staying at their home, it was an unexpected gain.

 

Leonhardt chuckled softly, recalling the Lionel from the first round who had only treated him as an honored guest.

 

‘I thought the person I needed to impress most was Lady Roderick, but the hardest to win over would be Lionel.’

 

People generally thought Lionel resembled the Duke greatly.

 

Not only in appearance, but they said he was exactly like him in personality – cool and rational, yet kind to those within his circle.

 

Leonhardt generally agreed with that assessment.

 

But if you knew him well, Lionel had stronger likes and dislikes than the Duke and didn’t easily let people into his circle.

 

So unlike how the people of the ducal house reluctantly accepted Leonhardt when he married Miela in the first round, despite their displeasure, Lionel and Leonhardt remained distant until the end.

 

‘I suppose you could say I felt his determination to never accept me as family.’

 

Leonhardt looked down at his soft, small hands and chuckled.

 

‘It’s uncomfortable, but the regression itself isn’t bad.’

 

It felt like he had been given a chance to rebuild from the beginning the tower of relationships he had unknowingly built wrong.

 

From a much more advantageous position.

 

‘God hasn’t been particularly kind to me… But either way, I must make the best use of this situation. This time I’ll succeed.’

 

Leonhardt, who had been sneering with twisted lips, shook his head lightly to dispel idle thoughts and clenched his fist in determination.

 

But just then, his eyes met with Miela, who was chewing a piece of steak.

 

“Why are you suddenly acting like that?”

 

Miela widened her eyes and whispered, seeing Leonhardt suddenly shake his head.

 

Leonhardt’s face turned red as he belatedly realized what he had done.

 

“My hair was sticking to my cheek.”

 

When he stammered out a hastily made excuse, Miela smiled mischievously.

 

“You could just brush it away with your hand?”

 

It was a teasing question implying whether his thinking had become simple now that his body had become younger.

 

Leonhardt’s cheeks grew redder.

 

Even he thought it made sense to just brush it away with his hand.

 

The excuse about hair sticking to his cheek was definitely rather flimsy.

 

Unable to argue back, he kept his mouth shut and pretended to focus on his meal again, while Miela mouthed silently:

 

‘You really have become a baby rabbit.’

 

But Miela herself was also sneakily picking out broccoli to one side.

 

Leonhardt’s first target was the Duchess.

 

However, his plan hit a snag from the start.

 

‘But how does one become friends with a noblewoman?’

 

He had regressed and resolved to live a different life from the first round, but sociability he never had didn’t suddenly appear.

 

Leonhardt hugged a rabbit doll larger than himself and fell into contemplation.

 

The Duchess was fundamentally kind and good-natured, and she pitied his circumstances.

 

Thanks to that, even in the first round, he had gotten along best with the Duchess after Miela.

 

But getting along well wasn’t enough.

 

Leonhardt evaluated his own social skills quite objectively.

 

“I’m not the type who easily wins others’ favor like Miela. Can I do it?”

 

Leonhardt sighed to himself.

 

While doing so, he hugged the rabbit doll tighter to soothe his confused emotions.

 

His chubby cheeks pressed against the doll and the corners of his eyes drooped sadly.

 

A maid cleaning the corridor glimpsed this scene through the open door crack and smiled warmly, but he was too absorbed in serious contemplation to notice.

 

The conclusion of his contemplation was ultimately a frontal assault.

 

‘I just have to do my best.’

 

Very fortunately for him, the people of House Roderick were generous to those within their circle.

 

Since he was living together at House Roderick, Leonhardt had secured quite an advantageous position.

 

“Alright, first I need to meet as often and as long as possible to become familiar.”

 

Leonhardt began thinking of ways to spend time with the Duchess.

 

Since the only noblewoman he had formed any real relationship with was Miela, his thoughts naturally flowed to how he had spent time with Miela.

 

“Accompanying her as a partner to official events.”

 

This was the first method that came to mind, but it wasn’t even worth considering.

 

‘This won’t work.’

 

Leonhardt quickly discarded the first option.

 

“But having tea together or shopping should be possible, shouldn’t it?”

 

This seemed like a pretty good idea, so Leonhardt carefully stored those thoughts in a corner of his mind.

 

“And…”

 

He looked down at his tiny hands and carefully continued his thoughts.

 

“Maybe I can use being younger to win favor more easily.”

 

Since the people of House Roderick were weak to children.

 

This was definitely a good idea.

 

Having completed his strategy, Leonhardt subtly hovered around the Duchess, looking for opportunities.

 

Fortunately, the opportunity he was waiting for came sooner than expected.

 

“I’ve been neglectful for a while with such an honored guest staying with us, haven’t I?”

 

The Duchess had called for him.

 

It was to check if there were any inconveniences.

 

The moment Leonhardt noticed the subtle worry in the Duchess’s eyes, he flinched.

 

‘I must have acted too obviously.’

 

She seemed to think he had been hovering around her because he had something to say but was hesitating.

 

Leonhardt thought he should act more naturally next time and opened his mouth to say something to reassure the Duchess.

 

“Everyone’s kind and it’s better than when I was at the Separate Palace, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

 

…Me?

 

‘Oh no.’

 

The beginning wasn’t bad, but the ending was a bit prickly.

 

He felt like he could hear Miela’s voice nagging in his ears, ‘Your way of speaking is the problem.’

 

Fortunately, the Duchess seemed to find Leonhardt’s way of speaking amusing and just covered her mouth and laughed.

 

“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.”

 

Her smile and gaze were affectionate, as if her words of relief were sincere.

 

Leonhardt, who was weak to such things, awkwardly looked away and took a bite of the crepe cake that was placed in front of him.

 

Was it because he was in a hurry?

 

Cream got on the corner of his mouth.

 

Leonhardt’s brow furrowed in embarrassment.

 

“Oh my. Let me wipe that for you.”

 

The Duchess, who had been watching him, took out her handkerchief.

 

“I’ll do it myself!”

 

Leonhardt, who had said he would take advantage of being treated like a child but was flustered when actually treated like one, quickly pulled his body back and said.

 

Belatedly wondering if he had overreacted, he glanced around nervously when the Duchess offered him a handkerchief with a smiling face.

 

“Would you like to?”

 

As Leonhardt took the handkerchief and was wiping around his mouth, the Duchess’s words reached his ears.

 

“Our children also said they would do everything themselves at exactly this age. Especially Lionel.”

 

The Duchess had eyes lost in memories, as if recalling her children’s early years.

 

“Mothers call this the ‘me me me syndrome.'”

 

Leonhardt, having been acknowledged as normally developing by a mother of three children, felt strangely bitter for no reason.

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