Don’t Pick Up The Trash Once Thrown Away - Chapter 133

Exactly one week after Adrina took over as Director, the long-awaited childcare building was completed.

 

There was no signboard as the opening ceremony had not yet been held, but since the building was completed, the children, who were staying in the temporarily designated building, were moved to this place.

 

A few more days passed, and the day of the opening ceremony arrived. As it was a special day, I wore my uniform.

 

Ness, who saw me in uniform for the first time, clasped her hands tightly and said fussily.

 

“Baron, you look so good!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes! I would have fallen for the Baron if you were a man!”

 

I think I also heard that from Sarah.

 

Sometimes, Sarah and Ness were like real sisters. Well, that’s how close the two were.

 

I put on my coat over my uniform and looked in the mirror. After finishing up, I left the room.

 

Ness followed me with my luggage. Sarah came out, too.

 

As I left the mansion, the cold wind blew over my thick coat.

 

It’s really winter now. 

 

I fixed my overcoat coat and took my luggage from Ness.

 

“Then, I’ll get going. I’m going to be a little late because there’s a banquet tonight.”

 

“Yes, I understand! We’ll watch the house well, so don’t worry, My Lady!”

 

“I told you! It’s ‘Baron’, not ‘My Lady’!”

 

“Oops, my mistake.”

 

Ness covered her mouth in panic, and Sarah shook her head, looking at her.

 

“What on earth are you…”

 

Soon an earful of nagging poured out.

 

If those two were real sisters, Sarah would be the older sister and Ness the younger one. Well, their age was right, too.

 

I got into the carriage with a funny thought. Soon the carriage gently took off down the street of the mansion.

 

All the way to the Imperial palace, I checked the document regarding today’s opening ceremony.

 

As the building was completed, the name of the childcare institution was also decided, but the name column was still empty. It was because Kalian didn’t tell me what it was.

 

When I asked him to tell me, with a mischievous smile, he said, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to know this on that day?”

 

As a result, the ridiculous situation of attending the opening ceremony without knowing the name of the childcare institution occurred.

 

Well, I already have a guess of the name though.

 

While thinking about this and that, the carriage arrived in front of the palace.

 

Before, I had to show my pass every time I went in and out of the palace, but now I could enter just by showing my face.

 

“Good morning, Baron Aster.”

 

“Yes, good morning.”

 

After a brief greeting with the guards, I entered the Imperial palace.

 

Passing through the outer palace that was busy preparing for the opening ceremony, I was on my way to the inner palace when I saw a familiar face in the distance. It was Duke Giltian.

 

I knew much about Duke Giltian in many ways.

 

I didn’t look into him privately. I knew because I was in charge of the Duke of Williot’s work in the past. I also knew that Duke Giltian was the one who opposed the most when Kalian tried to give me the baron title.

 

It was also Duke Giltian, who proposed that I should participate in the diplomatic mission. I didn’t think Duke Giltian proposed that to give me a chance. He must have thought I couldn’t do it. But I did it, and so I got the baron title.

 

Does Duke Giltian see me well after those things? I’m sure he doesn’t.

 

It was uncomfortable to bump into someone who saw me like that.

 

Should I go back? 

 

Thinking that it would be better to go back even though it was a little far, I decided to turn around, but…

 

“Baron Aster?”

 

Duke Giltian found me and called me.

 

His eyes are unnecessarily good.

 

I turned to look at him, swallowing annoyance inside.

 

“I see the Duke.”

 

“Are you coming to work already? You are diligent.”

 

“No. It’s just that today is a special day.”

 

I always came to work at this hour, but I hid the fact and answered. I didn’t mean to pretend to be modest. It was just because I didn’t want Duke Giltian to know my little things.

 

“I’m sorry about Duke Williot.”

 

Duke Giltian then dug up something that I had been so hard to bury without hesitation. A bitter laugh came out of my mouth.

 

“If something like that happened to you, why didn’t you ask me for help? I would have done my best to help you.”

 

“Thank you, but this issue has already been resolved. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Duke Giltian thought for a moment and then nodded, saying he understood.

 

“Then I’ll get going…”

 

“You did a great job, didn’t you?”

 

I was trying to get away before more useless conversation came out, but Duke Giltian caught my ankle again.

 

Huu. 

 

A sigh came from deep within. I put my half-open foot back and looked at him.

 

“I heard it was the Baron who exposed the dirty secrets of the temple to the public and brought their authority to the bottom. Is that right?”

 

“I didn’t do it alone. Thanks to the hard work of His Majesty and Baron Delrond, I was able to make it possible.”

 

“Anyway, it’s you who did it.”

 

A strange smile was drawn on Duke Giltian’s lips. What was he trying to say with a smile like that? I didn’t mind if he swore, so I hoped he could say it quickly, but Duke Giltian hardly spoke.

 

When I was getting frustrated by waiting and was about to ask, Duke Giltian finally spoke.

 

“Good job.”

 

Of course, I thought he would say I had done something useless, but a compliment? It was definitely a good thing, but I was dumbfounded as the opponent was someone who was in front of me.

 

“You didn’t seem happy with my compliment.”

 

“No. I’m happy. Thank you for your kind compliment, Duke.”

 

Duke Giltian hurriedly added, in case I misunderstood.

 

“Of course, I have to look at it in a good light. As a matter of fact, the temple side was really troublesome because they kept being rude.”

 

To be precise, it was not the temple, but the Holy See that was being rude.

 

The Empire was a country that worshipped the Blue Dragon, not God, and although there were temples, their power here was not that strong compared to theirs in other countries.

 

The Holy See, dissatisfied with this, tried to somehow increase the temple’s power. But there was no way the nobles and the Imperial family would be pleased with it.

 

“That’s why I’m very happy that the Baron did a great job.”

 

Duke Giltian smiled contentedly.

 

It wasn’t my intention to please him, but it was better than offending him.

 

“Thank you for your kind compliment.”

 

I bowed my head, repeating the same words like a parrot.

 

Duke Giltian then tapped my shoulder.

 

“Please keep doing as you do now.”

 

Does this mean he recognizes me as an official?

 

I looked at him in amazement.

 

Duke Giltian, who met my eyes, smiled as he closed his wrinkled eyes.

 

“Even though there are only a few years left, I hope you’ll work hard in the meantime.”

 

Only a few years left? What does he mean by that?

 

“Then, I’ll get going now.”

 

I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but before I could do it, Duke Giltian had gone too far.

 

*****

 

From early in the morning, the front of the orphanage was crowded with people.

 

Many people simply came to watch the opening ceremony, but there were also many reporters.

 

With pens and notebooks in both hands, the reporters continued to look around like hawks preying on their prey. Their eyes flashed fiercely as if they wouldn’t miss a single scoop.

 

“But is the rumor true?”

 

The reporters’ heads turned all at once at the sudden remark someone had brought up from among the onlookers.

 

The man, who seemed unaware that the reporters were looking at him, said to his acquaintances.

 

“I heard that the person who revealed this incident was the baron who recently became an aide to the emperor.”

 

“If it’s the baron who recently became an aide to the emperor, is it the lady who just broke her engagement with Duke Williot because of a mistress?”

 

“Ah, that’s right. It was that lady.”

 

The reporters’ ears pricked up. They quickly began to write down what they had heard.

 

The man and his acquaintances, who had no way of knowing that truth, kept talking about what they knew.

 

“I also heard that the lady had successfully led the diplomatic meeting with the Natsha Kingdom in the past. That’s why she became a baron.”

 

“Wow, what an amazing lady. It wouldn’t have been easy to be an official with a woman’s body, but she was able to be one.”

 

“What’s the point though? She couldn’t even control her fiancé that she got cheated on and her engagement was broken off.”

 

In the midst of admiration, someone entered the conversation.

 

“And wasn’t she being fooled by a princess of a fallen kingdom?”

 

Although he was new to them, the man spoke as if he had been in this group from the beginning.

 

“Can such a woman really be smart? It seems to me that there’s someone behind the scenes helping her.”

 

The man told a very interesting thing, and so everyone began to pay attention to his neat appearance.

 

The clothes he was wearing were luxurious. Judging by his looks, he didn’t seem like a man of ordinary status.

 

“Who on earth is helping her?”

 

“Of course, His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

The man grinned and shouted loudly.

 

“Don’t you all remember the rumor circulating when the lady first became the emperor’s aide?”

 

“Of course, I remember. She was rumored to be His Majesty’s mistress.”

 

“That’s it.”

 

The man smiled cheerfully as he flicked his index finger.

 

“If he didn’t want his mistress to get insulted, it’s good for her to look competent, that’s why he put on a show like this.”

 

“No way. Why would the emperor do such a troublesome thing?”

 

“That’s the thought of high-ranking people, so how could I know?”

 

The man shrugged and added.

 

“But it is certain that His Majesty helped her. Otherwise, there would be no way for a noble lady, who grew up beautifully, to be able to do such a great job.”

 

“That makes sense.”

 

“Well, I actually thought it was strange when I heard that the lady passed the official test as the top even though she didn’t receive a proper education.”

 

The stone thrown by the mysterious man spread widely in waves on the calm lake.

 

The man’s words were strange at times, but everyone nodded without showing such a sign.

 

The reason was simple. Because Leila was a woman. Because they had never seen a woman do something that incredible before. So it wouldn’t have been something she did by herself.

 

Everyone thought that Kalian, who was the emperor, had helped her from behind.