Don’t Pick Up The Trash Once Thrown Away - Chapter 121

I left the mansion with the luggage I had packed in advance.

 

The butler suggested taking a carriage, but I refused. Now that I had erased Philen from my life, I didn’t want to get even a grain of help from the Duke of Williot.

 

I wanted to stay a little longer and see how Cecily would end up, but the desire to return to the capital was greater than that because I was sure everyone was worried. I wanted to return quickly and say ‘I’m okay and everything has been resolved.’

 

But before that, I have to go there.

 

After stopping by a flower shop to buy a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, I visited the Duke of Williot’s cemetery on the outskirts of the estate.

 

The predecessor Duke and Duchess of Williot were buried here. And also Philen’s parents, who were the previous Duke and Duchess Williot.

 

I put down the bouquet I brought in front of the relatively recently built cemetery.

 

“Long time no see.”

 

When I was in the Duke of Williot, I used to visit this place at least once a month unless there was something special, but now I couldn’t.

 

“This could be my last visit.”

 

Because I am leaving this place completely now. And as I have nothing to do with Philen anymore, I won’t visit here again.

 

So… can you forgive me?

 

“…of course, you can’t.”

 

They already realized Philen’s stupidity beforehand, that’s why they asked me to take good care of him. But I threw it away with my own hands, so they must have been very angry with me.

 

“But I did my best.”

 

It might sound like a lame excuse to them, but it was true. I really did my best to keep myself going for the last 10 years. But it was their son, Philen, who ruined it.

 

“That’s why if you see me later, please don’t hate me too much.”

 

Gradually, my vision became hazy.

 

I tried to wipe away my tears with a handkerchief, but unfortunately, I didn’t have one.

 

When I was about to wipe it with the back of my hand, a handkerchief suddenly popped out over my shoulder.

 

I turned around and saw a familiar face. Someone who should never be here.

 

“Your Majesty!”

 

It was Kalian.

 

I looked at him in surprise. I was so surprised that my tears went back into my eyes.

 

“How can you be here…”

 

Kalian winked as he brought his long index finger to his mouth.

 

“I used my ability.”

 

Ability? Ah, he’s talking about the ability to move in the water.

 

“It’s possible to go this far, huh?”

 

“It takes some time, but it is possible. I’ve been to the Williot estate once.”

 

“You have been here?”

 

“Yeah. I came here about 10 years ago.”

 

That’s when I had just joined the Duke of Williot.

 

I never saw him, so maybe it’s in the spring, right?

 

“They were good people.”

 

Kalian said as he looked at the tombstone of the previous Duke and Duchess Williot.

 

I also looked at the tombstone and nodded.

 

“Yes, they were good people.”

 

“That’s why they will understand your situation because you have done your best than anyone else. If they have consciences, they wouldn’t ask for more than this.”

 

What… Ah, did he hear me talking to myself?

 

That made me blush. I lowered my head as I couldn’t look directly at Kalian.

 

“If, if you are here, you should have shown up right away…”

 

“I did, but you didn’t notice.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously and held out his hand at me.

 

“Shall we go back?”

 

I blinked bigly and looked at him.

 

His hair, which was against the sun, was shining brightly.

 

“Let’s go back to the capital together.”

 

My heart was pounding.

 

Is the word ‘together’ supposed to make your heart flutter like this?

 

I smiled brightly and took Kalian’s outstretched hand.

 

“Yes!”

 

*****

 

Traveling by water was fast and convenient, but there were limitations.

 

First, he could only go to places he had been to at least once.

 

Second, the distance that could be traveled at one time was about the outskirts of the capital from the Imperial Palace, and the distance decreased if there was a companion.

 

Third, once the ability was used, he had to take a break from at least 5 minutes to up to 4 hours before using the ability again.

 

The ability to handle water was important to protect Kalian.

 

There was nothing good about these weaknesses being known to others, so Kalian didn’t tell people around him like Ver.

 

It was the same for Leila, but he had to explain why he was taking a break in the middle.

 

Contemplating what to say, Kalian made excuses as soon as he thought of them.

 

“I’m getting motion sickness, so let’s take a break.”

 

“I’m hungry. Shall we eat?”

 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this town. Shall we take a look around?”

 

All of them were sloppy excuses, but Leila never questioned them. If it was Ver, he would have asked if he had something in his mind.

 

It means that Leila trusts me, and so she follows me. But it can also be that she doesn’t care about whatever I’m doing.

 

Which one is it?

 

I’m curious. I wish it was the former.

 

“Leila.”

 

Wanting to know for sure, Kalian asked.

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

Hmm, the question is kind of odd?

 

Perhaps Leila thought so too, she looked at Kalian, a little bewildered. Soon she stood upright and bowed her head politely.

 

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

 

It was definitely the answer he wanted, but he didn’t know why he felt this way. It felt like he was missing something very important.

 

After thinking for a moment about what the problem was, Kalian found the problem and corrected his question.

 

“Do you trust me as an emperor, or do you trust me as a person?”

 

Leila was more bewildered than before and began to ponder seriously, unable to respond readily.

 

He liked people who thought carefully rather than people who said things without thinking, but this time was an exception.

 

He wanted to hear the answer quickly. But he was afraid he couldn’t hear her sincerity if he rushed her, so he waited patiently.

 

At least on the surface, he looked like that. The inside was rather chaotic, all kinds of miscellaneous thoughts came into his mind. He couldn’t even smile properly.

 

After about an hour’s break, it was time to move again.

 

Leila looked at Kalian seriously, and as if she had finally made her decision, she said.

 

“I trust Your Majesty even if you are not an emperor.”

 

There was not even a single shake in her black eyes looking at Kalian. Only straight faith and belief were visible.

 

“Okay.”

 

Only then could Kalian smile with peace of mind. The feeling of uncertainty had completely disappeared without leaving a single speck.

 

*****

 

It was almost time to arrive at the capital.

 

“Have you cleaned up everything in the Williot estate?”

 

Leila paused for a moment when he asked her out of the blue, then answered in a small voice, “Yes.”

 

Kalian glanced at Leila in his arms and asked with an indifferent voice.

 

“You seemed to have no energy. Do you have any lingering feelings for Duke Williot?”

 

“No. There are no lingering feelings left for the Duke.”

 

It wasn’t empty words, it was the truth. From the moment she broke up with Philen and left the duchy, Leila put down all her lingering feelings for him.

 

What remained so far was the feeling of regret for the previous Duke and Duchess Williot and the longing for the servants, including Misa, and the Williot estate.

 

“Then why are you so down?”

 

“I have some questions.”

 

“What questions?”

 

“I wonder if it can end like this.”

 

If that isn’t a lingering feeling, what is a lingering feeling then?

 

There was a clear difference between being good and being stupid. And Leila’s behavior now was stupid.

 

He was about to say something, but Leila murmured quietly as if to herself.

 

“I should have rebuked him a little more…”

 

It was true that she still had lingering feelings, but if it was from this side, it was always welcome.

 

Kalian said with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? You should have hit him as hard as you could.”

 

If it was the normal Leila, she would have said how dare she do that to a duke, or she would have told him that he said something nonsense. But today’s Leila was not like that.

 

“I should have.”

 

She nodded with a very serious face. At the same time, she clenched her fist tightly as if she were going to hit Philen right away if there was him in front of her.

 

“Haha.”

 

Her look was so serious that Kalian laughed out loud, then he stroked Leila’s head.

 

“If I ever meet Duke Williot, I’ll give him his share.”

 

Kalian said it sincerely, but Leila took it as a joke and nodded.

 

“Please do so.”

 

Even though they talked about the same topic, the two people had very different thoughts.

 

*****

 

“Your Majesty!”

 

As soon as they arrived at the Imperial Palace, Ver ran to Kalian with an angry look.

 

“If you keep disappearing without a word… Ah, Baron Aster?”

 

Ver, who belatedly noticed Leila, stopped in surprise.

 

“How can you be here… No, more than that, why are you with His Majesty…?”

 

“His Majesty came to meet me.”

 

At Leila’s answer, Ver ran his hand through his hair.

 

“Did you go that far without telling me anything?”

 

“Did you come secretly?”

 

When Leila asked in bewilderment, Kalian turned his head and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

 

It was a tacit affirmation.

 

Oh my God.

 

Leila flustered and added.

 

“Why did you…”

 

“I want to give you this today.”

 

Kalian took something out of his pocket and hung it around Leila’s neck.

 

It was a necklace with a large blue jewel on a silver string.

 

“As I told you before, I’ll give you a necklace that’s better than that necklace as soon as you come back, right?”

 

Leila blinked her eyes bigly and looked down at the necklace.

 

“Happy Birthday, Leila.”

 

It was the same congratulations as Philen, but the feeling was completely different.

 

Philen’s congratulations were uncomfortable, but Kalian’s congratulations permeated her heart like dew wetting the grass leaf at dawn.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Shaaaa-

 

Before she knew it, the cool autumn wind brushed past the hem of her dress.

 

The hem of her dress had dried out, but what permeated her heart still hadn’t dried out and moistened her unusually dry heart.