Don’t Pick Up The Trash Once Thrown Away - Chapter 141

It had been a week since I started learning horseback riding.

 

I was told that, usually, if someone had learned this long, they could at least ride it even a little bit, but I couldn’t. I still hadn’t been able to ride it properly.

 

The riding instructor said each individual had a different learning speed, so I didn’t need to worry, but I was ashamed. I also became impatient.

 

Like the orphanage’s opening ceremony, there was also an external event during New Year’s Day. At that time, as aides usually do, I wanted to parade around on horseback in this external event. Because I couldn’t ride a carriage forever.

 

“I should practice on the weekend too.”

 

Not only on weekends but also after work when I get home. 

 

If I didn’t have the talent, I had to fill the void with hard work.

 

Rattle-

 

The diligently running carriage stopped. Then, the small window connected to the coachman was opened.

 

“We have arrived at the general store, My Lady.”

 

“I’ll get off.”

 

Hans immediately opened the carriage door.

 

The general store was quiet, perhaps because it was late. The staff who was cleaning the shelves came up to me and greeted me politely.

 

“Welcome, My Lady.”

 

“I’m here to buy quills and ink.”

 

“If you tell me what kind you want, I will bring it.”

 

“Well, the length of the quill is about this long, and the ink is black, and…”

 

After listening to my explanation, the staff asked me to wait for a while and then disappeared inside.

 

I looked around the general store while waiting for the staff.

 

As it was a general store, they sold all sorts of things.

 

“They also sell candy, huh?”

 

I actually didn’t really like sweets. But the reason I couldn’t take my eyes off of it was because when I saw the red candy, I thought of the strawberry candy that Kalian gave me.

 

That strawberry candy… was delicious.

 

While I was looking at the candy in the glass bottle, the staff came back.

 

“My Lady, I brought the items you mentioned.”

 

The staff laid out the items he had brought to the table.

 

After checking the items, I nodded.

 

“I’ll buy them all. Bring them all to the Baron of Aster.”

 

The staff was startled at my words and bowed.

 

“How dare I call the Baron ‘My Lady’. I apologize.”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

He didn’t know who I was, and I had no intention of saying anything.

 

I then pointed to the candy I saw earlier before paying.

 

“Is the candy in that glass bottle strawberry candy?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

It really is strawberry candy.

 

“I’ll buy that too. I’ll take that with me, so pack that.”

 

“Yes, Baron.”

 

The staff put the glass bottle in a box.

 

After paying for the items, I took the box and left the general store.

 

Hans, who was waiting outside, reached out.

 

“I’ll take the box.”

 

“No. I’ll carry it myself.”

 

I climbed into the carriage and opened the box, taking out the glass bottle.

 

Clang-

 

There was a clear sound as the glass bottle and the candy bumped into each other.

 

I took out a strawberry candy and put it in my mouth.

 

“Too sweet.”

 

It was so sweet that my tongue was tingling. The strawberry candy that Kalian gave me wasn’t this sweet though.

 

I thought it would taste the same because it was similar in shape and color to that strawberry candy, but I was mistaken.

 

I felt somewhat sad. The corner of my heart sank stingingly.

 

I tried to eat it all, but I couldn’t, so I ended up spitting it out.

 

*****

 

Leila, who sat at her desk looking at the documents, raised her head as a large shadow fell over the documents.

 

“You’re working hard.”

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

I didn’t notice him at all. When did he come?

 

Leila got up from her seat, a little bewildered.

 

“You can just sit down.”

 

Kalian lightly pressed Leila’s shoulder.

 

Leila, who sat back down again, looked up at Kalian awkwardly.

 

“How can I help you?”

 

“I have something I want to tell you.”

 

“You should have called me.”

 

“No pressure, I’m just stopping by before going to the outer palace anyway.”

 

Kalian put the report he had brought in front of Leila.

 

“This is the report you brought me earlier…”

 

Leila listened carefully to Kalian with a very serious face.

 

“Ah, so there’s that way!”

 

When Kalian suggested an ingenious method, she clapped her hands together and burst out in admiration.

 

“I’m sorry. I’ll fix it right away.”

 

And when Kalian pointed out the wrong part, she became sullen and apologized.

 

Kalian smiled a little because he found her cute as he saw the emotional changes on her face. Then, Leila looked at Kalian as if wondering. She asked him why he was smiling with his eyes.

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

Kalian couldn’t say he smiled because she was cute, so he changed the subject.

 

“Then, do the part I said by tomorrow.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Now that the business was over, Kalian was going to leave, but then a glass bottle on the corner of Leila’s desk caught his eye. Inside the glass bottle were bright red strawberry candies.

 

“That’s not what I gave you before, right?”

 

When Kalian, who recognized it like a ghost, asked, Leila exclaimed lightly.

 

“Ah, I had eaten everything Your Majesty gave me.”

 

“You ate it all? I remember I gave you quite a lot though.”

 

Right. If it was her usual self, she would have never been able to finish it.

 

It’s been a week since she bought this strawberry candy, and she never touched it again except when she ate one in the carriage.

 

“I can’t believe you bought a new one after eating it all. You seem to like strawberry candy, too, huh?”

 

“Yes, well…”

 

She didn’t think so, but she answered roughly.

 

“Can I try one?”

 

“Yes.”

 

There was no reason not to, so Leila gladly gave Kalian the strawberry candy.

 

Kalian, who ate one, frowned slightly.

 

“This is too sweet. If you eat a lot of sweets like this, your teeth will rot. I’ll bring you a new one later.”

 

If I eat a lot of the candy you gave me, won’t my teeth rot the same way? 

 

Leila smiled a little as she found the unreasonable reason funny.

 

Leila was thinking of refusing it, but she accepted it.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Because she wanted to eat the strawberry candy that Kalian gave her.

 

At Leila’s reply, Kalian looked at her, slightly surprised.

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

“Ah, sorry.”

 

Kalian smiled awkwardly.

 

“I didn’t expect you to accept it right away.”

 

Leila’s expression changed subtly.

 

“Was I supposed to refuse it?”

 

“No way.”

 

Kalian flatly denied it.

 

“Rather, I like it because you accepted it right away. You should keep doing that.”

 

It wasn’t empty words, he meant it. Kalian was really happy that Leila accepted it right away. Though he didn’t know why he felt this way.

 

What was certain was that he didn’t want Leila to refuse what he gave her in the future.

 

Whatever it was.

 

*****

 

“It’s not it again, huh?”

 

Kalian’s lips were slanted.

 

Kalian stood in front of a flower pot and tilted a small vial. As the potion inside poured out, thick gray smoke rose from there.

 

“I wonder when I’ll be able to find it.”

 

“I will try harder.”

 

When Hiltine replied as if he was ashamed, Kalian shook his head.

 

“It’s not your fault, so you don’t have to. Even now, you’re doing well enough.”

 

Hiltine placed his hand on his chest, bowing his head.

 

“You can go out now.”

 

Kalian handed the empty vial to Hiltine and sat down at the desk.

 

When Hiltine bowed politely again and was about to leave, Ver came in.

 

“Ah.”

 

Ver, who had never expected that there would be Hiltine, looked at him, slightly surprised. He was going to greet Hiltine, but before he could do that, Hiltine went out.

 

“He’s still cold, huh?”

 

Ver clicked his tongue and approached Kalian.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

Kalian asked with his gaze fixed on the documents.

 

“They said Duchess Cloud held a tea party with ladies of count rank and above.”

 

Only then did Kalian look at Ver. Deep wrinkles formed on his fine forehead.

 

“She did something useless, huh?”

 

“You seem to already know why she gathered those ladies together.”

 

“She told me to get married quickly.”

 

Kalian leaned deep into the backrest.

 

“She said that the Empire would be stabilized only when the empress was brought in as soon as possible to take care of the housekeeping.”

 

“Of course, she would say that. Because the Duchess knows nothing.”

 

Ver sighed softly.

 

“Why don’t you just tell the Duchess everything? Seeing the Duchess’s character, if she could help you, she would help you, and I don’t think she will interfere.”

 

“No.”

 

Kalian flatly refused.

 

“The more people know the secret, the harder it is to keep. It’s also something that’s not good to be known.”

 

“Then, what about Baron Aster?”

 

Kalian’s eyes narrowed at the sudden name.

 

“Why is her name suddenly coming out?”

 

“Well, that’s because Baron Aster is Your Majesty’s aide. I think it would be better to let her know sooner rather than later for her future plans.”

 

At Ver’s words, Kalian was troubled for a moment.

 

The fewer people knew the secret, the better, but the one who would join the plan was the exception. And Leila was the one who would join the plan.

 

Not right now, but they had to work together in the future. Certainly.

 

Even though he knew that, he somehow didn’t like it, so Kalian agonized deeply.

 

“Yeah.”

 

But the result did not change.

 

“I’ll look for a chance to let Leila know.”

 

*****

 

On a sunny afternoon, an official from the outer palace came with a document.

 

“Please give it to His Majesty.”

 

“Okay.”

 

As I took the document without thinking and looked at it, I stiffened. It was a report about Cecily’s search.

 

I fixed my posture and read the report carefully.

 

The report’s content was lengthy, but in short, it was like this.

 

Her body, which had been bitten by animals, was found downstream of the river. It was difficult to recognize because her face and body were severely damaged, but her body was similar to Cecily, and her hair was blonde. And since the torn pieces of cloth were identical to the clothes Cecily wore, the search party determined that the body was Cecily. That was what the report said.

 

According to this report, it was certain that Cecily was dead.

 

“…that woman is dead.”

 

Why am I feeling so uneasy? I feel like I’m missing something important.

 

What am I missing?

 

I re-read it over and over again, but no matter how much I read it, I couldn’t find it.

 

“Is it just a useless worry?”

 

It might be because I still couldn’t accept it as I had suffered so much, and yet she could easily rest in peace.

 

“Huu.”

 

Either way, I’ll have to bring this to His Majesty.

 

I wonder what Kalian will say when he sees it.