If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 41

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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 42

On the day of the riding gathering that had arrived before they knew it, Lester grumbled while dressed in his newly tailored riding outfit.

“You’re all going out to have fun without me!”

While Lester was away at the Imperial Palace responding to the Prince’s invitation, the rest of the family planned to go out.

Under the pretext of buying Lester’s birthday present, which was still a month away.

It was an action meant to show off their relationship with Leonhardt to the nobles.

‘For now, it means we won’t abandon our friendly relationship with the Prince, but we also won’t let ourselves be manipulated as he wishes.’

It was a way to get back at the Prince who interfered with everything, and it was also beneficial for Leonhardt, who had virtually no standing as a prince.

Thanks to this, while going to throw a stone that would cause ripples in noble society, the family was nothing but harmonious.

Except for Lester.

“We’re going to buy your present.”

Lionel consoled Lester, whose lips were pouting, even making a pinky promise that he would pick something wonderful.

“I’d really like a proper sword if possible!”

Lester muttered to himself as if for others to hear, since he was still using a practice sword with a dulled blade because it was considered dangerous.

“Since you’ll be twelve soon, it is about time for Lester to start using a real sword.”

Perhaps as compensation for Lester having to attend a gathering he didn’t want to go to, Father, who had always said it was too early, surprisingly gave a positive response.

“Really?”

Lester’s face, which had been sullen all along, brightened completely.

Mother smiled gently, perhaps finding Lester cute in his honesty that bordered on simplicity.

“If we want to have a proper sword made, even if we start production today, it would only be finished around your actual birthday, wouldn’t it?”

“I can wait about a month.”

Lester, who was completely excited, began chattering about whether he’d need to go in person to measure his arm length, what material would be good for the handle, and so on.

“We already have your arm measurements from when we fitted your riding clothes, and we already know your sword preferences well, so don’t worry and go ahead.”

Mother smiled and cut off the increasingly lengthy chatter.

It had already become a precarious time where they might be late for the gathering if they didn’t leave immediately.

“I’ll be back!”

Lester still seemed to have much more to say about his first real sword, but he obediently got into the carriage.

‘He’s excited.’

It felt like she could see his non-existent tail wagging vigorously.

Lester’s mood remained good until they arrived at the Prince’s stables.

If they weren’t outside, he might have even jumped around restlessly and sung songs.

It was fortunate that he hadn’t forgotten the fact that he needed to behave properly.

Lester’s expression stiffened a bit as he tried to suppress his urge to grin foolishly.

While at home he was just the cheerful second son, he was still a Roderick, and their characteristically cold appearance didn’t disappear, so when he stiffened his expression, he gave off a reasonably composed atmosphere.

Thanks to this, the Prince’s followers, who had thought it would be easy to teach a lesson to the arrogant Roderick who dared to walk a tightrope between the Prince and the ‘cursed prince’, were already intimidated.

“It’s been a while, Young Master.”

Only Tierren Lombran, who had been close since childhood, greeted Lester while watching the others’ reactions.

Seeing the only welcome person in a place full of people he didn’t want to be around, Lester smiled brightly to boast about getting a real sword soon, then hurriedly stiffened his expression again in surprise.

“Ahem. Indeed. The last time was when we briefly met at the previous gathering.”

When Lester, who usually only pretended to be formal, unusually gave a proper greeting, Tierren lowered his voice considerably and asked.

“Did you eat something bad?”

It was an attitude of seriously suspecting whether Lester, who was none other than a duke’s son, had eaten spoiled food, but that wasn’t enough to affect Lester’s mood.

Rather, he launched into his bragging as if he’d been waiting for it.

“No! I’m just like this because something really good happened!”

He had tried to keep his voice down, but in his excitement, it came out quite loud.

Lester’s words were heard by all of the Prince’s followers who were absorbed in the thought ‘We won’t let that arrogant Roderick be!’

As people deeply immersed in one thought tend to do, the Prince’s followers interpreted Lester’s bragging in their own convenient way.

That is, they assumed the good thing Lester mentioned was Leonhardt coming to the Duke’s Residence.

At the same time, a logical leap occurred in the followers’ minds that House Roderick had decided to side with the prince.

Among the Emperor’s faction noble houses, Roderick was the most powerful.

The followers, thinking that the power dynamics might change rapidly, whispered among themselves with stern faces.

“Duke Roderick is His Majesty the Emperor’s closest aide. Could there have been some hint?”

“That can’t be! The Crown Prince is here.”

Though they were children of distinguished families, they were still just kids around ten years old.

They didn’t even realize there was a logical leap in their thinking, and even if it were true, they didn’t know it would be wise not to voice it.

The atmosphere gradually became chaotic, but Lester, who was only thinking about what kind of sword his family would choose, didn’t notice.

And then, as if to break the unfavorable flow, the Prince appeared.

The Prince passed by his followers with a smiling face and approached Lester directly.

“How have you been?”

It was a casual greeting as if to a close friend.

While Lester inwardly wondered why he was acting friendly, he still responded to the greeting pleasantly.

He knew that more than half the reason his parents had allowed him a real sword was their intention for him to handle today’s gathering well.

“Yes, I’ve been well. Your Highness the Crown Prince seems to have been doing very well too. You look healthy!”

He even added some clumsy flattery, but the Prince’s face momentarily stiffened.

“It’s fortunate that I look healthy.”

The Prince began his characteristic sarcastic remarks with his usual smiling face.

‘Oh, why again.’

Though Lester had a straightforward personality, through several meetings, he at least knew that when the Prince acted this way, he was in a bad mood.

Normally he would have just glossed over it with vacant eyes, but today he couldn’t do that.

He could see a vision of his precious real sword flying away.

‘Oh, no.’

Though not as much as the Prince, the son of Duke Roderick wasn’t of a status to be ignored anywhere.

Lester, who had almost no experience accommodating others’ moods, rambled on in his troubled state of mind.

“Ah, thank you for inviting me to the riding gathering. Did you know that His Majesty the Emperor granted us southern estates as a gift because my father became Prince’s guardian? Those estates are incredibly famous for livestock, so I also received a horse as a gift, but I haven’t had a chance to ride it until now, so I’ll finally get to try it this time. Hahaha.”

Lester went on and on explaining how fertile the southern estates were and how excellent the horses from there were.

Then, after finishing his praise for His Majesty the Emperor’s generosity, he concluded with a satisfied expression.

Tierren, who was standing behind the Prince, shook his head with an ‘oh no’ expression.

‘This isn’t right, is it?’

Panicked, Lester looked at Tierren with desperate eyes, seeking help.

Since Tierren was from the Lombran family, which had served as chamberlains to the imperial family for generations, he had good situational management skills.

Pretending to fix his hair blowing in the wind, Tierren covered his mouth with his hand to block others’ view and mouthed words with just his lips.

‘Don’t talk about Prince.’

However, Lester, whose attention had dropped slightly from being excited and then panicked repeatedly, only caught about half of Tierren’s lip movements.

Only up to ‘talk about Prince.’

Lester, uncertain if this was right but faithfully following what he saw, continued.

“Next time, may I invite Your Highness the Crown Prince? So while you’re there, you could see how Prince, your younger brother, is doing, and also… ”

Despite Lester’s utmost efforts, the Prince’s mood only got worse and worse.

“If there’s an opportunity.”

The Prince’s face, which others called angelic, looked demonic.

Because of the Prince, who didn’t hide his bad mood at all throughout, the riding gathering ended with just going through the motions.

It was a secret that no one knew that Tierren clicked his tongue, saying there was no winning against a kid whose head was full of flowers.

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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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