If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 93

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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 93

News of the drought in the South was gradually beginning to reach even the capital.

At first, only those with connections to the South or those engaged in related industries were concerned, but now the situation had reached the point where even ordinary citizens of the Empire were worrying about the great drought in the South.

Finally, the situation had become so serious that even children were being affected by the adults’ worries.

Around that time, Angela’s seventh birthday party was held.

“Happy birthday, Angela.”

I gave Angela, who was still dreaming of ‘romance with a handsome man from a foreign country,’ a travel book written by a famous adventurer as a gift.

“Thank you, Miela. It’s a gift I absolutely love!”

Angela hugged the well-wrapped book tightly and greeted me with a bright smile.

“This is my gift.”

Leonhardt, who had become acquainted with Angela after meeting her several times at social gatherings of Imperial Faction families, also presented his gift.

“Thank you, Prince.”

Angela still seemed to think Leonhardt was handsome, but she appeared to have lost considerable interest, seemingly more attracted to unknown handsome men.

After greeting him with only proper courtesy, she quickly disappeared.

‘Indeed, what remains after attraction fades is the embarrassment of wondering why I acted that way.’

Perhaps embarrassed by the memory of being rejected by Leonhardt three years ago and crying her heart out (?), Angela acted coldly toward Leonhardt.

She subtly avoided him whenever they met, and being still young, it was quite obvious.

Leonhardt, accustomed to Angela’s attitude, remained indifferent, and I secretly smiled behind Angela’s back.

‘She’s so cute, really.’

However, I was aware that this composure came from Angela losing interest in Leonhardt.

‘Before, I hoped Leonhardt would become lovers with the person he loved.’

…Back then, I was young and foolish.

I defended myself, ignoring the age I had lived in my first life.

I realized it not too late. So now I just need to become that person he loves!

I secretly clenched my fist and made a resolution without Leonhardt noticing.

Lost in other thoughts, I had fallen slightly behind, so I hurriedly caught up and stood side by side with Leonhardt.

Leonhardt naturally took my hand and guided me to our seats.

Once again, the seats prepared for me and Leonhardt were at the same table.

At parties for children like this, tables were usually arranged based on friendship rather than family status or political considerations.

‘And Leonhardt and I are always at the same table.’

All that sticking close to him had paid off.

My strategy of staying by his side like this, making my very existence familiar to him, and then succeeding in marriage was proceeding very successfully.

“Hello, Lady Roderick. Prince.”

Rudrick, who often shared the same table with us at events we were invited to since Leonhardt treated him relatively comfortably, greeted us warmly.

“It’s been a while.”

After exchanging light greetings and sitting down, I immediately spotted unwelcome faces at a nearby table.

‘The Crown Prince’s followers.’

The Crown Prince didn’t have an independent faction yet.

As a result, most of the families supporting the Crown Prince overlapped with the Imperial Faction families.

‘So situations like this often occur.’

Both Leonhardt and I briefly hardened our expressions at the thought of the troublesome events about to unfold, then relaxed them.

And sure enough.

“Ahem, I heard His Majesty the Emperor has recently begun entrusting His Highness the Crown Prince with governmental affairs bit by bit.”

The followers, noticing our presence, began praising the Crown Prince as if wanting us to hear.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is truly the rightful heir to the Empire!”

They emphasized every single word so strongly that it seemed they’d cry if we pretended not to hear.

‘Go ahead and cry then.’

I pretended not to hear the followers’ words and warmly exchanged greetings with those seated at our table.

Still being youngsters who easily became emotional, the followers raised their voices even higher.

“There’s been a serious drought in the South! I heard His Majesty asked His Highness the Crown Prince to solve that too?”

Still, what they were saying now was worth listening to.

Despite the situation changing quite a bit, it was the same development as in my first life.

‘This drought was definitely one of the very important turning points in my first life.’

It was from this time that the Crown Prince’s position truly began to solidify.

That made sense since the Crown Prince was now fourteen years old.

‘Soon it’ll be time for him to seriously start handling work.’

Just as fourteen-year-old Lionel had done.

The Emperor seemed to think similarly.

So in my first life, the Emperor had ordered the Crown Prince to solve the great drought in the South, intending to elevate the Crown Prince’s standing.

‘Of course, it was a rigged game.’

The Crown Prince managed to solve it just enough to boast about his success and praise himself.

With the Emperor’s full support, he had water transported from other territories bordering the South, supported food by emptying private coffers, and revived the land through Caspian.

Although the neighboring regional lords were also suffering more than usual due to lack of rain, they were forced to mobilize their territory’s people to provide water because it was an imperial command.

The private coffers the Crown Prince supposedly emptied came from House of Perington, which had quickly hoarded barley upon hearing news of the great drought to make enormous profits.

And there was the behind-the-scenes story that the evil version of Caspian from my first life had taken enormous bribes in exchange for fertilizing the land.

‘Anyway, thanks to that, the Crown Prince’s favorability rose greatly, so it was a huge benefit for them.’

But since everything they provided were stopgap measures, it only slightly reduced the scale of damage.

Even being the Crown Prince couldn’t make rain fall when it wouldn’t come, so tens of thousands of imperial citizens starved to death.

‘Most of them could have been saved if only Viscount Perington hadn’t hoarded the barley.’

Each one was a precious imperial citizen who had family, friends, and their own life.

Back then I was too young to even think of doing something, but this time is different.

The solution our side prepared was much more fundamental.

Leonhardt seemed to have heard what the Crown Prince’s followers were saying too, as he had a similar expression to mine.

A face that was calm enough that they couldn’t find fault with us for eavesdropping on words meant to be heard, but also carried the confidence of ‘go ahead and try if you want to.’

The Crown Prince’s followers, who had properly fallen for such simple provocation, began praising the Crown Prince even more loudly.

The content was generally about how the Crown Prince was a very kind and gentle person who also possessed dignity, making him sufficient to become Emperor.

Unlike my first life, due to Leonhardt’s existence being highlighted a bit earlier, the Crown Prince, who originally would have started revealing his cruel nature around this time, was wearing his mask well.

‘Not that it matters.’

I snorted.

The loud voices, so noisy that you could barely hear someone sitting directly across from you, were cut off by the arrival of a very late guest.

It was Emilian Noyen, Angela’s cousin.

“Brother!”

Angela called out to Emilian with sharp eyes, then became conscious of the surrounding gazes and forced herself to make a smiling face.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Emilian offered a half-hearted apology.

‘It seems he returned home for this vacation?’

Since we were from the same Imperial Faction family and House of Marquis Noyen was one of the very few families that could match House of Duke Roderick, we had frequently interacted since childhood.

‘I don’t want to admit it, but he is quite a close friend.’

Emilian Noyen was an incredible eccentric, but his sense of humor matched quite well with mine.

Emilian Noyen, who had been a magical engineering fanatic since childhood, had enrolled in a distant foreign academy that took a month just to travel to and from, simply because it was supposedly the most advanced place for magical engineering, so there were hardly any opportunities to see his face during this period.

In my first life, he only returned home once the year after next, but this time it seemed the situation had changed and he had come back once more.

‘But when we exchanged letters just last month, he didn’t mention returning home?’

Even after returning home, there wasn’t a single letter.

‘He has so few friends that there are hardly any people worth notifying about his return?’

A mixture of disappointment and resentment made my eyes sharp too.

But Emilian Noyen of this period, who was still just a magical engineering fanatic with only slightly developed social skills as he grew up, was approaching our table with a blank expression, regardless of whether I was glaring at him or not.

‘That guy?’

My expression hardened at his shameless attitude.

…And so did Leonhardt’s expression.

Ah?

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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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