I Won’t Pick Up The Trash I Threw Away Again

Ver living in the palace was an excuse to keep Leila stay in the palace.

Now that Leila was not there, he could go home, but there were so many things he had to do, so he voluntarily stayed more.

From early in the morning, Ver had been checking emergency documents at the office in the outer palace.

“If these are urgent, of course, they should be put up as an emergency.”

But it's not really that urgent.

He wanted to turn it down, but it wasn't something he could do.

After barely organizing the documents, Ver chewed his irritation and went to the emperor's office with the documents. 

“Ah, Mr. Head attendant.”

Ver met Rahel by chance on the way to the office.

As soon as Rahel saw Ver, he hurriedly approached him and asked.

“Have you seen His Majesty?” 

What an absurd question.

“His Majesty? Why all of a sudden… Did he disappear again?”

"Yes. I haven't seen him since this morning."

Hoo, I thought it was quiet lately, but his bad habit is coming back again, huh? 

"Haa."

Ver let out a deep sigh. Rahel's expression also darkened.

He didn't really like Rahel, but at times like this, he felt a deep sense of kinship.

“Where can I find His Majesty?”

“He's probably not in the palace.”

Because he must have gone looking for poison again.

He had told him countless times to stop and forget it because it's been a long time, but Kalian seemed to never be able to forget it.

Although it was frustrating to see Kalian's behavior, Ver understood his feelings. Because if it were him, he would have done the same. 

“If His Majesty’s action reached the ears of other nobles, it wouldn't be good. At this rate, what he was doing…”

Rahel sighed and shook his head.

“Isn’t this our job to prevent it?”

They didn't have the talent to bring Kalian, who was constantly on the move, back right away, so they had to somehow prevent it from entering the ears of other nobles.

“Let’s try our best.”

“…yes, let's.” 

Ver and Rahel looked at each other and quietly united.

I couldn't sleep all night because I was thinking about various things, but I felt better than ever.

Today was the day to prove my and Misa's innocence.

I thought it would take a month at the most, but I never thought that I could prove it so quickly.

I was prepared to live my life under false accusation in my heart though. 

But it was fortunate that I got the opportunity so quickly.

Misa is taking care of me from heaven.

Misa, please watch what I do today. I'll make sure to clear your name.

My will burned as I watched the warm sunlight shining through the window.

The key figures in today's plan were two, Philen and Sir Rohen.

So last night, I went to the two of them and asked them different requests, and they both said they would gladly do it.

They should do well.

It was a simple request to Philen, so it didn't matter, but the important one was Sir Rohen. 

Hoping he would carry it out properly, I sat down at my desk and wrote down my plans for the day.

Tok tok-

How long has it been? 

Knocks were heard.

“My Lady, it’s time to get ready. May I come in?"

Ah, is it already lunchtime?

I let the paper I had written down the plans burn without a trace in the fire and then let her in.

Ness and the maids came in, holding dresses and boxes of accessories. 

Last night, I asked Philen to join me for lunch today. Philen, me, and Cecily, the three of us.

When I made this offer, Philen was astonished and delighted at the same time.

What did he say? He said I finally came to my senses, something that wasn't even funny. 

Well, though he was right about me coming to my senses.

“Should I make you as elegant as always, My Lady?” 

"No."

I sat down in front of the dressing table and answered.

“Today, I want to be fancy. Can you make me stand out just like at a party?"

They were a little bewildered by my unusual request, but they meekly did what I wanted.

As time passed by, the woman in the mirror became more and more glamorous. And soon, the plain woman disappeared out of nowhere.

When I was almost done, I put the spirit stone necklace in my reticule.  

“My Lady, why did you put the necklace in your bag…?”

“I have to wear it in a little while.” 

Ness stared at me as if she found it strange that I was going to wear the necklace while eating.

I smiled faintly at Ness, and then put the result of my request from the Abeldan Pharmacy yesterday and Misa's letter in the reticule.

At last, after I finished, I left the room.

When I arrived at the dining room, Philen and Cecily were already there.

“Welcome, Leila.”

Philen, who knew nothing, greeted me with a bright smile.

“You're especially beautiful today.”

“It’s because today is a special day.”

“Haha, right. It's your birthday."

It's more special than my birthday.

I answered inwardly and sat to Philen's left.

Cecily just glanced at me and didn't say anything.

After a while, the servants brought food.

Unlike dinner, lunch's food was mostly fresh and light.

Maybe that's why I was able to eat without burden unlike before. And the fact that I almost reached the truth which made my mind lighter also played a part. 

But that didn't mean I would lead the conversation with a smile. It was Philen who played the role.

“It’s nice to eat together like this. I wish we could be like this more often.”

Saying things that weren't even funny. 

Instead of answering, I drank water and watched Cecily's reaction.

"I know, right?"

She smiled gently and responded moderately to Philen's words.

Such a good mind. If it were me, I could never be like that.

Well, she didn't really lose a child, so she could do that.

It's time for Sir Rohen to come.

I had asked Sir Rohen a few things yesterday and asked him to bring them to the dining room by 1 o'clock. But by 1 o'clock, I heard nothing from Sir Rohen.

Don't tell me… he can't come?

“Lady Thebesa.”

I was glancing at the door anxiously, waiting for Sir Rohen, when Cecily called me for the first time.

“It’s not Lady Thebesa, but Baron Aster.”

I put down the glass of water and corrected Cecily's mistake.

“I was given a surname and title recently by His Majesty the Emperor, you know?”

“Did you not return it?”

Philen's voice, which had been gentle all the time, suddenly became sharp.

“Didn't I tell you to clean everything up and come?”

“Stop it, Phil.”

Cecily kindly stopped Philen.

“Lady Thebesa, no, Baron Aster got the surname and title from His Majesty after a great effort, so there's no way she could return it that easily.”

“That baron title or surname, all of them are not needed if she becomes a duchess.”

At that moment, I seemed to be the only one who saw Cecily's eyes shake slightly. And as expected, I was upset as well. I couldn't have felt good when things that were precious to me were considered insignificant to others and were trampled ruthlessly.

Cecily, who had been comforting Philen, looked back at me.

It wasn't a staring gaze like before, but a gaze full of affection.

“I’m sorry, Baron Aster. I'll apologize on Phil's behalf.”

Hearing what she said, she looked like a real wife, not a mistress. Well, where she was seated was also the seat for the wife. 

Usually, the owner's family sat on the right side of the owner, and the guest sat on the left side. And now I was sitting to Philen's left and Cecily to Philen's right.

It's true that Cecily, the mistress, was more closely related to Philen than I, his ex-fiancée, but it's still funny to put the mistress in that position openly.

“Anyway, what I was trying to say earlier is I'm sorry."

Sorry? 

“I'm sorry for before.”

Cecily clasped her hands tightly as if she meant it.

“At that time, the shock of losing my child was not gone yet, so I went out on a rampage without realizing it. I'm really sorry."

It was a completely different attitude to the point that I doubted whether she was the same person I met a while ago.

“We're going to live together in the same house from now on, so let's get along without being angry with each other.”

“Miss Cecily is nice, isn't she?”

"Yes?"

“If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to forgive the person who killed my child or the people who were precious to me for the rest of my life.”

At my words, Cecily opened her eyes wide as if startled, then burst into tears. She looked wounded.

“LEILA!”

Philen got mad at me. 

“Cecily is trying to forget your fault and get along with you, do you really have to say that?”

“She's trying to forget my fault? What fault do I have?”

“Are you still not admitting your fault?!” 

"Stop it!"

Cecily's thin voice interrupted the heated conversation.

“I’m fine, so stop, Phil.”

Contrary to what she said, tears fell down Cecily's cheeks. Her big eyes like a deer were all wet.

Philen sighed and wiped Cecily's tears with his handkerchief.

“Stop crying.”

“Ah, I want to too, but my tears keep…”

Cecily sniffed, covering her eyes with the back of her hand.

Smiling at her as if he felt sorry or because she was cute, Philen continued to wipe Cecily's tears.

“It's because you're so soft-hearted.”  

She's soft-hearted?

A laugh came out. I wondered how Philen would react after all the truth was revealed.

To do that, Sir Rohen must come, so why hasn't there been any news yet?

I was worried that he might not be able to come. If Sir Rohen didn't come, nothing could prove my innocence.  

I was seriously contemplating whether I should go out by myself, but the door creaked open with a knocking sound.