If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 73

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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 73

I was drinking deeply brewed black tea and writing replies to salon party invitations when Leonhardt came to visit without any notice.

“What brings you here?”

Since it was just yesterday that he declined when I suggested having tea together, I asked curtly without even greeting him.

Leonhardt, whose lips seemed a bit more relaxed than usual as if something good had happened, asked while gauging my mood.

“Should I come back later if you’re busy?”

Only then did I put down my quill pen and turn toward Leonhardt.

“I suppose it depends on what your business is?”

When I smiled slightly by just raising the corners of my mouth, Leonhardt cautiously opened his mouth.

“…Well, I was going to ask if you have time.”

Was yesterday’s incident bothering him?

With my heart softening slightly, I calculated my schedule in my head while responding to Leonhardt’s words, albeit curtly.

“How much?”

I had to attend an exhibition in the evening for the performance presentation of artists sponsored by the Imperial Court, but I thought I could spare about three or four hours.

However, the time Leonhardt mentioned was much longer than I had expected.

“Three weeks?”

“…Three weeks?”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

Or maybe Leonhardt had misspoken.

“Yeah, let’s go on a trip together.”

But I had heard correctly.

When no particular response came from me, Leonhardt added cautiously, looking slightly intimidated.

“I’ve been bothered that we couldn’t go on a honeymoon…”

‘A honeymoon.’

Though I hadn’t been able to go many times due to living the busy life of a Young Lady, I was someone who liked traveling.

But I had never expected a honeymoon.

Even aside from the civil war issue, Leonhardt, who had just ascended to the throne as Emperor, was a busy person.

Since it wasn’t a situation where we could leisurely go on a trip, I had given up on it in advance.

I tried not to show that my mood had instantly improved and asked.

“Where to?”

“Clavien.”

From what I learned in geography class, it was just a small estate southeast of the capital, but strangely, that name sounded familiar.

Why?

As I was tracing back the traces of this strange sense of déjà vu, Leonhardt provided the answer instead.

“I remembered how you wanted to go see the natural habitat of Noctifilia when you were about nine years old.”

Only then did I realize why the name Clavien felt familiar.

“That’s right! Back then there was a forest fire so the trip got canceled!”

I had been tremendously disappointed and gave up when they said it would take at least 10 years to restore it to its pre-fire state.

To a ten-year-old child, 10 years was an unimaginably distant future.

The memory that had been neatly pushed to one corner unfolded vividly in an instant.

“Now that I’m twenty, the habitat restoration must be finished!”

When I sparkled with excitement like I had become a child again, a smile appeared on Leonhardt’s lips.

“Yeah.”

Just moments ago I had forgotten where Clavien even was, but now it felt like receiving a surprise gift.

“Great, let’s go!”

Only after giving my answer first did I remember that I, as Empress, was also quite a busy person.

“But when is the trip?”

“Next week.”

That seemed manageable somehow, though it would be tight.

“Still, I think I should at least prepare the Imperial quarterly budget and harvest festival preparations before going…”

As I was pondering how to handle the things I needed to do in advance, Leonhardt answered as if he had been waiting for this.

“I’ve already checked the quarterly budget documents, and I asked the Empress Dowager to handle the harvest festival preparations.”

When did this guy who had been busy all along manage to do all that?

…Don’t tell me?

“Were you so busy all this time because you were preparing for the trip?”

Leonhardt, who had been answering my questions smoothly, avoided my gaze and fell silent.

But even without hearing an answer, I already felt like I knew.

A chuckle escaped me.

It seemed I would have to cancel my decision to never have tea with Leonhardt again.

‘I should say what needs to be said.’

I cupped Leonhardt’s cheeks with both hands, turned his head to meet my eyes, and said.

“Surprise gifts aren’t bad, but even with the same average of 90 points, I prefer a husband who consistently scores 90 points over one who usually does poorly but occasionally does well for an average of 90 points.”

“Yeah.”

With his cheeks slightly pressed, Leonhardt nodded.

Back then, I hadn’t properly recognized that having a low standard deviation was extremely important as a condition for my ideal husband, so I was satisfied with just that and let Leonhardt go.

After Leonhardt, who still had some work left, returned, I immediately called the maids to give instructions for travel preparations.

“Oh my, is this a honeymoon?”

“A bit late, but yes.”

When I confirmed Tiana’s words, the maids began squealing and making a fuss.

“Clavien is that estate famous for Noctifilia, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I have an acquaintance who went there before, and she said the Noctifilia flower fields viewed on a moonlit night were breathtakingly beautiful.”

“How romantic! Come to think of it…”

Adel, who was particularly interested in flowers, made a fuss as if she had just remembered something, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Do you all know this? The flower language of Noctifilia is ‘please accept my love’!”

“Kyaa!”

The maids were making a commotion as if Leonhardt were some great romanticist, but I could only chuckle.

‘Does Leonhardt even know any flowers other than roses?’

Still, it wasn’t unpleasant to hear, so I didn’t stop the maids.

“Since it’s a honeymoon, should we pack some sexy negligees?”

“…What are you!”

I soon regretted not stopping them.

A week passed quickly, and before I knew it, the day of departure had arrived.

“How do I look? Pretty?”

I asked after spinning around once in front of Leonhardt, who had come to the Empress Palace to escort me, making my skirt spread out in a circle.

“Yeah, you’re pretty.”

The maids had made embarrassingly effusive compliments about how Her Majesty the Empress’s beauty was a blessing, and how they should immediately call a court painter to create a portrait, but Leonhardt just ended with “You’re pretty.”

I was about to say ‘I know very well that I’m pretty, so be more specific!’ but held back for the sake of starting our enjoyable trip on a good note.

“Let’s go.”

Instead, I urged Leonhardt with a slightly less bright face than before.

“Yeah.”

As Leonhardt guided me toward the garden where the carriage was waiting, he briefly explained the travel itinerary.

It was mostly about which estates we would stop at on the way there and back to eat, sleep, and briefly sightsee, but there was one thing that bothered me.

“… And on the way back, we need to briefly stop at Noar Estate. There’s an inheritance dispute between Kroitz and Assenbar, and they’re on the verge of territorial war.”

His tone was as casual as if he were saying tonight’s dinner would be lamb chop steak.

“Noar?”

“Yeah, it should only take a day.”

At first I thought ‘What is he talking about?’ but soon it became ‘Well, of course.’

Though it seemed absurd to go work during a honeymoon, it was typical of Leonhardt, who was extremely serious about efficiency.

‘But I don’t want to pursue efficiency even during our honeymoon.’

I suppressed a deep sigh and got into the carriage.

The only reason I tried not to show that I was upset was because I didn’t want to ruin the trip any further.

However, the oblivious Leonhardt even pulled out work as soon as he sat down in the carriage.

“You’re going to work here too?”

Now I was feeling somewhat deflated.

Is this a honeymoon or an imperial couple’s official tour?

“I have some remaining work to do.”

Leonhardt was completely oblivious to the subtle pressure I was sending his way.

‘Sigh, forget it.’

I decided to view this situation as positively as possible.

‘He must be incredibly busy.’

That had to be it.

If he wasn’t busy and was treating me this coldly, I wouldn’t let it slide.

‘Go ahead and get motion sick to your heart’s content.’

Since I tend to get motion sickness, reading something in a moving carriage like Leonhardt was doing would be too much for me.

I just crossed my arms and glared out the window.

Today’s refreshing sky and the unfamiliar scenery outside gradually improved my mood bit by bit.

‘You should be grateful the weather is nice.’

After staring out the window for a while, I gradually became bored and drowsy.

Leonhardt, who had been looking at documents, somehow noticed my small yawn and asked.

“Want to sleep a bit?”

“Yeah.”

Leonhardt gestured toward his thigh with his eyes, but I just lay down using a cushion as a pillow.

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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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