That Piece Of Trash Was Me - Chapter 129
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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 129
“This is, this is ridiculous! Absolutely not! Why should I?!”
It seemed like a verdict she absolutely could not accept.
Unlike Sandra, Belladonna, who had been trying to maintain some dignity somehow, shot up to her feet.
Well, I had said it knowing she would react like this from the start.
“If you think it’s ridiculous, then you can write a pledge to completely cut ties with Uncle Nigella.”
“I’ll write that damn pledge! How could I become that woman’s maid or something…!”
“But if I hear about any meetings with Uncle Nigella after that.”
I’m not finished talking yet.
“I’ll use all of the Grand Ducal House’s resources to mess up your life, ah. My mistake.”
“…”
“Grandfather will personally step in for the crime of disrespecting the Grand Ducal House’s name, so keep that in mind. Countess Orquin.”
“…!”
“For reference, I’ve seen many ways to ruin the lives of ‘lowly things’ through Aunt Aubrey?”
“…”
Would Aubrey, who had been Lilius’s wife, have been kind to Belladonna?
‘Not at all. Not at all.’
With that personality, she would have looked down on her subtly or openly as a mistress.
Moreover, birds of a feather flock together. The sharp-witted Belladonna would already know well about Aubrey’s particularly cruel methods.
So she would know that my words weren’t just at the level of threats.
Because no one in could be as nasty as Tulia when she was ‘determined’!
“Bread that’s about to go bad is quite edible too. I’ve eaten a lot of it, you see. Thanks to that.”
“…”
She was someone who had already had all her wealth taken away.
Moreover, from yesterday until this morning, I had shown the thoroughness of periodically sending people to search through Belladonna’s belongings and residence.
At the warning that even foretold a life worse than a beggar’s, Belladonna’s expression completely crumbled.
She collapsed as if the strength had left her legs.
* * *
“So Nigella sold everything he had.”
“Yes, Your Grace. He sold everything – not only his house but also his collections, treasured items, livestock, bonds, and even the fields and ranch he owned as private property.”
“I see.”
Grand Duke Assis Frazier continued while looking out the window.
“Make sure to monitor closely so he can’t embezzle even a single penny. I won’t tolerate any creative accounting or double bookkeeping.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”
“Since I’ve been educating my child wrong all this time, I need to discipline him properly now.”
There wasn’t even a trace of bitterness left in Assis’s voice.
He was originally someone called the tiger of the Grand Duchy. He had the side of cutting things off cleanly when he judged them to be wrong.
He had given countless chances only because Nigella was his child.
But his son had not only betrayed his expectations but committed countless vicious acts.
As if shaking off unpleasant thoughts, the Grand Duke asked a different question.
“Are the preparations for the founding festival going well?”
“Yes. The preparations are proceeding without incident.”
Grand Duke Assis nodded and then turned around.
“That’s what they say, so why aren’t you going and still dawdling around in the Grand Duchy?”
Marquis Aster, who had a tall stature and large build like the Grand Duke, answered while examining documents at the guest desk.
“Isn’t this the founding festival my daughter is preparing? Of course I have to attend before leaving.”
“Hmph. When have you ever attended the founding festival?”
“I plan to participate faithfully from this year on. How worried would my daughter be? Her father should stand by her side and support her reliably.”
Originally it had been an event prepared by Aubrey and Lilius, but now Tulia had become the host and taken charge of all the preparations.
“This grandfather would be much more reliable for Tulia, so just take a quick look and get going.”
Grand Duke Assis added just in case.
“Don’t even think about taking Tulia with you.”
“It’s the border, Your Grace. How could I take a child to such a dangerous place?”
“That sounds like you’d take her if it weren’t the border.”
“She’s my child, so of course. If it were a safe place, I’d love to go on a sightseeing trip with my daughter, but I’m dying of regret that I can’t.”
“Is Tulia only your child? She’s my granddaughter too.”
“Don’t you know that the relationship between daughter and father is closer than grandfather and granddaughter?”
“I’m sure Tulia would like me more than you, whom she’s barely seen a few times?”
“You shouldn’t say such things.”
“You shouldn’t say such things.”
Hmph.
Hmph.
If Tulia had seen them, she would have thought ‘Are they 10 years old combined?’ – Assis and Aster stood side by side turning away from each other.
“But what’s that empty space on the desk?”
Grand Duke Assis’s desk was very large and wide.
But with all sorts of documents piled up like mountains, it never felt spacious.
Since Aster was a little kid, his father the Grand Duke’s desk had always been like that.
But the desk he saw this time strangely had just enough space cleared where one could place both hands.
Just the right width for displaying something.
“It’s a space I cleared because Tulia said she’d give me a gift for the founding festival.”
“My daughter?”
“Yes. My granddaughter.”
“Why is she only giving it to Your Grace?”
“Are you going to be the head of the family?”
“Aren’t I the next head of the family?”
“Who said I’d pass the position to you? I’m going to give it to our Tulia.”
The Grand Duke said something that would make the entire Empire buzz as if it were nothing. Of course, Aster, who was listening, also just wrinkled his forehead as if it were nothing.
“She’s at an age where she’d prefer to play more. She should play more at her prime. Don’t push difficult work onto a child.”
But he was curious.
“But what did Tulia say she’d give you?”
“She said she’d make something with plum fruit.”
“…Plum fruit?”
Aster reflexively looked beyond the office window. The plum blossoms had long since fallen.
And Aster was one of the very few people who knew what the plum tree meant to his father, Grand Duke Assis.
Aster, who had been picturing his dead mother who always overflowed with strong energy like summer sunlight, looked at the Grand Duke’s back and asked again.
“Will you be alright?”
“What’s there to be alright or not about?”
Grand Duke Assis looked at the empty branches that Tulia had completely stripped and unconsciously let out a hearty laugh.
“The living are more important than the dead.”
“If Mother were alive, she would have cherished Tulia greatly.”
“She was particularly close with my daughter-in-law, so she would have.”
“That’s right.”
“Yes.”
A silence of reflecting on their respective memories gently enveloped the office like a spring breeze.
* * *
Some time later.
On the square spot on the desk that the Grand Duke had kept empty for several months, a pretty crystal jar was placed.
The crystal jar, beautifully tied with a red velvet ribbon wishing for the recipient’s health, was filled to the brim with shimmering liquid.
* * *
‘Hehe. This time he won’t eat it and throw up.’
That apple jam made with my trashy Skill Stat that had always remained as guilt in a corner of my heart…
‘I felt so sorry when I heard that Grandfather later tasted it and threw up.’
But this gift was made with a whopping Stat 5!
In other words, it was ‘beyond Tulia level’!
I felt proud.
And so, at the founding festival commemorative banquet held after dealing with all the villain relatives, I was in a more joyful state than ever.
The place that had been a harsh winter location where I had to survive somehow had now truly become a stable home for me.
Didn’t they say that a bird with a nest can fly farther?
Since I had somewhat reset the basic conditions that had been blocking Tulia, I planned to focus seriously on my true duty from now on.
Namely, the Main Quest.
I glanced at the shit star flying leisurely around and made a resolution.
‘I’ll definitely make you A-grade.’
“Tulia.”
It was then that Grandfather spoke to me.
“That gift called plum extract, I received it well, but what is it? It’s not alcohol and it was very sweet. Did you add dried plum blossoms to honey water?”
“No, no. It’s plum fruit pickled in sugar, and it’s really good for digestion.”
“No wonder my stomach feels comfortable.”
Grandfather muttered while fiddling with the glass containing plum extract juice.
“Such a sweet and healthy result comes from those plums.”
Good. This should be enough to make up for that trash, no, no.
The humiliation of that rotten apple jam, right?
“Of course. I’ll take responsibility for Grandfather’s digestion for life, you know?”
Grandfather had plum extract juice on the dining table instead of wine.
‘When I was Han Ina, I lived on this stuff since middle school.’
I had a body that strangely didn’t digest well despite my young age.
I would get indigestion frequently, so I always drank plum beverages or digestives sold at convenience stores.
“Grandfather.”
I whispered to Grandfather.
“But since the plum juice is quite sweet, don’t drink too much of it. Just about one glass a day diluted with water. You can also drink it whenever you have indigestion.”
Grandfather, who had been looking at me intently, smiled a little.
“Yes. It has a happy sweetness. Thank you, Tulia.”
‘What?’
Just now it seemed like he was looking at something beyond me and saying thank you, but I didn’t know what that was.
Grandfather ate his meal steadily.
His straight, upright posture.
An appropriate amount of food.
The dignified voice he occasionally let out.
‘Having to always show a strong appearance at occasions like this. Being a family head has many difficulties too.’
I glanced down below while cutting my steak garnished with cheese and spinach.
At today’s banquet, not only the Grand Duchy’s retainers but also influential retainers sent from ducal and marquis families attended to celebrate Frazier’s founding festival.
‘Even the Imperial Palace sent an incredible shower of gifts in the Emperor’s name, saying they were celebrating.’
I could feel Frazier’s power.
Grandfather, as the family head, had to show a healthy appearance in front of all these people without fail.
‘It’s fortunate that he seems to be eating better, perhaps thanks to the plum extract.’
I could feel the well-dressed nobles constantly glancing our way.
Well, even I didn’t expect that Grandfather, who always sat alone at the head table, would seat me next to him instead of Father or the twins.
Looking at the nobles who were clearly making calculations in their heads with a smiling face, I sipped the sweet plum juice.
Was it because Grandfather was making a joyful expression, unlike usual?
Somehow I felt like my digestion was much better than usual too.
* * *
Late that night.
A lively banquet continued.
Assis Grand Duke had already left the Grand Banquet Hall early, using his age as an excuse.
After all, parties are more fun when it’s just young people together.
“Ten bolts of light blue silk, a box of gold brooches, mahogany furniture, tapestry imported from the Summer Continent. Plus this and that and that over there, send them all to Lady Tulia…”
At Ruk Kelfosher’s words, the advisors busily sorted the gifts.
Among the mountain of piled gifts, all the unique and good ones were destined for Tulia.
Assis Grand Duke was enjoying the gently blowing spring breeze in a rarely peaceful mood.
He suddenly thought it would have been nice if plum blossoms bloomed in spring too.
Knock knock.
It was then that an uninvited guest came calling.
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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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Hangry
Wow. This chapter was even more satisfying