Rewriting the Trash Ending - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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34.

The Count of Mobert suppressed his unease and spoke.
“Your Highness, forgive me, but what do you mean by that……?”
“Starting this month, I shall suspend all support to House of Mobert.”
“……!”
The count’s mouth worked as though he were about to cry out, but he dared not raise his voice so freely before the Grand Duke.
“Your Highness, might I ask what has prompted this sudden withdrawal of support……?”
“Is it not sufficient reason that your wife has been careless with her tongue?”
This was a matter Axid had decided in his mind when he received word that the Count of Mobert’s wife had cancelled her Audience Ceremony.
He had merely been postponing it.
But after witnessing what the countess had done today, and with the opportunity the rain had granted him, he resolved to reclaim the benefits she and her family had enjoyed.
“This cannot be……”
The count’s mind raced furiously.
He was not unaware of his wife’s usual speech and conduct.
Cursed blood, he supposed; there was no warmth in her.
Orphaned, she regarded even her aunt’s authority with contempt.
Of late, she had even publicly announced within the household that she would thoroughly reform the Grand Duchess’s habits.
“Your Highness, whatever may have occurred, I shall chastise my wife severely, so I beseech you—show mercy.”
The count fell to his knees.
House of Mobert possessed narrow lands and no noteworthy exports; the previous count’s business failures had brought the family to the brink of ruin.
Moreover, the expenses required to maintain the dignity of the count and his wife derived almost entirely from subsidies granted by House of Grand Duke.
Should those subsidies cease, everything they had enjoyed would vanish.
Born the second son of a poor house, he had lived grandly as a son-in-law to House of Mobert—now it was as though a thunderbolt had struck from a clear sky.
“To speak of chastisement as though it were extraordinary, yet beg for mercy in the same breath,” Axid remarked coldly.
The Grand Duke gazed down at the count’s frozen face without a flicker of emotion.
Considering what the Countess of Mobert had done, even this was mercy.
The only reason he held back further was that he did not wish to reek of blood before the Empress.
“Should you trouble the Empress’s peace of mind again, matters will not end so lightly.”
Axid passed the count by, his expression coldly resolute.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, I beg you……!”
The count scrambled after him on his knees, his pleas growing frantic, but the heavy door closed without mercy, cutting short his cries in an instant.
The firmly shut door seemed to declare that the doors of Grand Duke’s Palace would open to House of Mobert no more.

***

Several days had passed since the Royal Banquet.
In that time, a strange tension had settled over Grand Duke’s Palace.
The night the Grand Duke and Duchess returned from their visit to House of Oswald.
Rumors spread that the Count of Mobert had been summoned to the palace and hastily expelled.
As word of what had transpired that day filtered through the halls, everyone took care to conduct themselves with greater discretion than usual.
‘I never expected the count to be summoned at dawn that very day……’
While I slept, Terra had recounted what had happened in the early morning hours, and I could hardly believe it.
I had not expected House of Mobert to escape unscathed, but I had never imagined matters would be resolved so swiftly.
‘He must have been furious.’
Yet despite that anger, the fact that Axid had shown me nothing but gentleness touched my heart.
“Your Empress, letters and gifts have arrived in abundance again today.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Hanna set down a silver tray heavy with letters, and Kaiden placed gift boxes beneath it.
Few letters had arrived immediately after the State Wedding, but they had been streaming in steadily these past few days.
It was clear that word had spread quite widely that the Grand Duke had attended the Royal Banquet with me.
The commotion of that day must have circulated elsewhere as well, but what was done could not be undone.
“When shall you open the gifts?”
I answered while examining the letter envelopes, noting Kaiden’s curious gaze.
“Mm, I’ll read through the letters first to get a sense of them.”
In truth, I wanted to open the gifts first, but one had to maintain propriety—I should check the letters first.
But as I helped Kaiden sort the gift boxes, I noticed that Hanna’s expression seemed darker than usual.
“Hanna, is something the matter? Your face seems clouded today.”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve just noticed the letters have been arriving much more frequently since the Royal Banquet.”
Lumiere understood why Hanna’s expression had grown so dark.
The cards tucked between the gift boxes bore the family crests of those who had refused to attend the Audience Ceremony alongside Magda.
They must have taken offense.
She let out a soft laugh.
“There’s no need to concern yourself with it.”
“Your Highness is not displeased?”
When Hanna asked carefully, Lumiere chuckled quietly.
“Well, truthfully, I don’t give it much thought.”
Compared to what she had endured in the Empire, this petty territorial resentment was nothing.
And beyond that, she couldn’t really fault them without acknowledging that the House of Grand Duke bore some responsibility for having stood by while Magda caused all this trouble.
“Hanna, I should send them replies along with gifts.”
“Gifts, Your Highness?”
“Bring me a pen and some cards, would you.”
It was rather galling that they were trying to change sides now, but a Grand Duchess could hardly afford to harbor grudges.
She would need to embrace them with a generous heart if she hoped to be accepted quickly into Northern society.
“Kaiden, come here for a moment.”
Lumiere opened the box she had left beside her vanity.
Dozens of bottles of Moisturizer were stacked neatly inside.
“Isn’t this the Moisturizer you bought from the boutique back then?”
Lumiere nodded.
She had originally intended to give them to the ladies and young women at the Audience Ceremony.
She would have distributed them to the servants and knights first, but she had worried that the order of recipients might cause talk, so she had decided against it.
The ladies had not attended the Audience Ceremony, and by the time of the young women’s turn, the atmosphere had not been right to give them.
But now that the ladies had been the first to act improperly, there was no longer any reason to worry about the order.
She began carefully placing the Moisturizer into a smaller box as she spoke.
“Go and distribute them one to each of the knights.”
Kaiden hesitated for a moment.
“Sir, are we truly fit to receive something like this?”
“Why would you think otherwise?”
“Well, it just seems like such an expensive thing for the likes of us to use.”
Their bodies were constantly soiled with sweat and blood—what purpose could such a costly, precious thing serve them?
“Is that so? I see it differently.”
“Your Highness…?”
“It’s not I who have need of it—I’ve never had to soil my hands with water. Don’t you think it matters more to you?”
What could she possibly begrudge those who stood on the front lines, risking their lives to defend this land?
“I’ve already given some to the Grand Duke, so go and distribute the rest among the knights.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Kaiden looked at her for a long moment—something unreadable in his gaze—before bowing and withdrawing.
Alone again, Lumiere sighed softly and gazed out the window.
Was it because of what the Countess of House of Mobert had said that night?
‘The atmosphere seemed fine then, didn’t it…’
From the next morning onward, the space between Axid and herself had grown distant.
He disappeared before she even woke, and returned to their bedchamber late at night, well past midnight.
The pattern was the same as before, but the feeling was different.
Where once it had felt like he was avoiding her out of shyness, now it seemed deliberate—as though he had resolved something and was keeping his distance on purpose.
And she quickly realized her instinct had not deceived her.
Around midday.
Axid entered with a cold, rigid expression.
After a brief silence, he spoke.
“There’s been an incident at the Fortress.”
“When do you think you’ll return?”
“This time it will take considerably longer.”
Her face clouded with concern.
When he used the word “longer,” it meant either that a Large Beast had appeared or that the situation was grave.
“When I return, I intend to use separate chambers.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He continued in that same rigid tone.
“I’ll have the servants prepare a room for you—choose whichever pleases you.”
Separate chambers, suddenly.
She regarded her husband with a bewildered gaze.

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