If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 72

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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 72

‘Are we really just going to hold hands and sleep?’

It’s not like I was expecting anything.

Rather, if Leonhardt had reached out to me in this situation, I would have refused.

I’m someone who values romantic atmosphere quite a bit, after all.

But that didn’t mean I wanted my husband to spend our wedding night stiff as a wooden log, staying awake all night in tension.

‘Anyone would think I’m some kind of pervert.’

In the suffocating awkwardness, I squeezed my eyes shut and pretended to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come at all.

Having both stayed awake all night, we got up from bed as soon as the sun rose, as if we’d made a promise.

“It’s about time to depart.”

Leonhardt spoke in an awkward voice, his throat slightly hoarse.

“I suppose so…”

I saw off Leonhardt, whose dark circles had deepened and expression had grown darker than a few hours ago.

“Take care. Let’s meet again in two days!”

I deliberately bid farewell in a bright voice, but Leonhardt’s expression didn’t improve at all.

As if something was weighing on his mind, he hesitated and looked back dozens of times before finally departing after the sun had fully risen.

‘If you have something to say, just say it.’

I let out a big sigh watching Leonhardt’s retreating figure as he left in silence without even saying ‘take care.’

‘What on earth was he trying to say that made him clam up like that?’

A belated guess occurred to me.

Could it be he felt sorry?

The point when Leonhardt’s expression, which had been responding well to me despite being shy and flustered, suddenly darkened was then.

“Just sleep and go. Do you know how awkward it was for me when you said you were going to war right after the wedding?”

That’s when I had scolded Leonhardt out of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.”

Thinking back, Leonhardt’s expression when he apologized was quite troubled.

‘But why now?’

Of course, I had spent the wedding night alone in the bridal chamber, venting about Leonhardt, but that was already three months ago.

After going through cycles of anger and disappointment alone, I had long since accepted it with resignation, thinking Leonhardt couldn’t help it.

Well, if he apologizes, I’ll accept it, but for me, that was already a closed matter.

Still, feeling sorry was better than acting shameless.

I chuckled softly and stood by the window for a long time.

Really, so dishonest.

‘You should be grateful to have such a generous wife who understands because it’s me.’

A wife who understands when her husband goes to war right after marriage, doesn’t write a single letter for three months, comes back acting like a wooden log, then leaves after just a few hours?

I guarantee there wouldn’t be many even if you searched the entire Empire.

‘Ha, I’m totally amazing.’

I gave myself infinite praise.

But for the sake of the future, I shouldn’t have just endured and let it pass.

I only realized years later that I wasn’t someone who could be endlessly generous.

After officially returning to the Imperial Palace, Leonhardt was incredibly busy again for a while.

I understood that work must have piled up since he’d been away for months.

Still, hearing he was too busy to even have a cup of tea together, my anger that I thought had cooled flared up again.

However, my pride was too strong to show hurt feelings in front of others.

“Is that so? His Majesty must be very busy. It can’t be helped.”

I gracefully dismissed the maids who had returned from errands to the Imperial Palace, then began venting my anger by seriously pummeling my pillow.

I had called him to rest even briefly since he wasn’t sleeping properly while working, but was immediately refused.

“I know you’re busy. But that busy?”

I pounded the pillow vigorously for a long time until I was exhausted, then just lay down.

After rolling around on the bed, I roughly arranged my disheveled hair with my hands and muttered to myself.

“Fine. Yeah. Let’s see if I ever ask you to have tea together again!”

Even I thought this behavior was childish, but I wasn’t originally someone with good patience.

After badmouthing Leonhardt a few more times, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

A deep sigh escaped without me realizing it.

“This isn’t the kind of married life I imagined.”

I had grown up watching my exceptionally harmonious parents.

Thanks to that, I had some romantic notions about married life.

Observing the married lives of people around me, I had learned that cases like my parents were quite rare…

Still, I thought Leonhardt and my married life would be somewhat better than those of my acquaintances.

‘You can’t say it’s not a political marriage, but it’s not a simple political marriage, right?’

About four months into marriage.

I was gradually accepting that our married life was closer to my acquaintances’ rather than my parents’.

Rudrick, the youngest in the Emperor’s aide office, added another pile of documents on top of the already stacked papers.

“Once you finish processing these, you’re done!”

His face, gaunt from overwork, looked quite weary as he smiled, but neither Leonhardt nor Rudrick himself paid it any mind.

The end of the long, long overtime work was approaching.

It had been almost a month since Leonhardt’s return to the palace.

They had been desperately short-handed, dealing with the backlog from his absence while handling the new work that kept pouring in.

“Phew.”

Even Leonhardt, who had good stamina and rarely showed signs of difficulty due to his minimal emotional expression, let out a sigh of relief at the news that the end was in sight.

“How are the travel preparations?”

Leonhardt asked while processing documents in the final sprint.

“We’re at the final inspection stage!”

Rudrick answered with great enthusiasm.

“There must be no problems.”

Leonhardt repeated the instruction he had given many times before.

“Yes! I’ll do my best.”

Rudrick answered spiritedly as if hearing it for the first time, then left the study.

Leonhardt continued processing documents for a while longer, then briefly closed his tired eyes before opening them and muttering quietly.

“Miela will be happy, right? She’s wanted to go to Clavien Estate since she was little.”

Clavien Estate was the location of the largest natural habitat of Nocphilia, a rare flower that sparkles with a mysterious light under moonlight.

When she was nine, a close young lady had visited Clavien Estate to meet relatives and boasted about the beautiful sight of Nocphilia under the moonlight, after which Miela had wanted to go too.

Duke Roderick and his wife, won over by their daughter’s charm and pleading, had planned a family trip by squeezing time from their busy schedule.

Miela had been excited just from the decision to travel.

However, just a few days before departing for Clavien Estate, a large forest fire broke out and the Nocphilia habitat was completely burned.

Naturally, the Roderick ducal family’s trip was cancelled.

‘Miela was dejected for quite a while.’

It was a memory he had forgotten until now.

While Leonhardt was contemplating a honeymoon destination as both an apology and belated trip, he received a report that the restoration of the Nocphilia habitat was somewhat complete.

Leonhardt immediately selected Clavien Estate as the travel destination.

Since it was far enough to require six days by carriage, considering the time to stay there, he would need to be away from the Imperial Palace for nearly twenty days.

There was much to prepare, but he persevered thinking of how happy Miela would be.

‘The aides said women like surprise gifts.’

So Leonhardt kept the travel plans secret from Miela.

Being too busy, he had spent almost no time with Miela recently, and those days when he couldn’t even explain the reason were finally over.

Leonhardt smiled faintly as he signed the last document.

Just as he was about to call Rudrick to take away the finished documents, Julian, the senior aide, cautiously entered.

“What’s the matter?”

When he asked with curiosity, Julian began his report with a heavy expression.

“About the Noar Estate matter I reported before.”

“I heard there’s been a succession dispute between Kroitz and Assenbar?”

“Yes, that’s correct. We’ve received word that they’re on the verge of an estate war.”

Both Kroitz and Assenbar were great noble houses.

With the civil war having just ended, they couldn’t allow an estate war to break out.

“Mediation will be necessary. Since Noir is conveniently close to the Clavien Estate, I’ll take some time to handle it.”

Julian glanced around nervously before asking Leonhardt, who had given the order based purely on efficiency.

“Will you be alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, nothing. I’ll make the preparations.”

Leonhardt regretted that he should have stopped Julian right then and pressed him about what his question meant.

But regret, no matter how quickly it comes, is always too late.

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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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