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

"Yeees? We're going to treat His Majesty to dinner on the weekend?"

When Sarah heard it, she freaked out. While Ness's face turned white.

“I mean… Why do we suddenly have to treat His Majesty to dinner?” 

“It’s because I have something to repay His Majesty.”

It was okay to repay him for teaching me horseback riding. Of course, I also thought I had to repay him. But, if the repayment was to invite him to the mansion and treat him to dinner, it was a different story.

From decorating the mansion to food, there were too many things to take care of.

I could invite Baron Delrond lightly because he was a baron, same as me, and was a relatively comfortable partner. But I never expected Kalian would take his place instead. I never even thought Kalian would teach me horseback riding.

I sighed as much as the worry I felt inside.

Sarah and Ness then said anxiously. 

“What should we prepare for dinner? It's His Majesty the Emperor, not anyone else, so it shouldn't be a common dish, right?"

“Ah, it's not just cooking. We need to clean up as well. Because we cannot let His Majesty into a shabby place.”

What Sarah and Ness were worried about was what I was worried about too.

“Tomorrow, go to the grocery store first. Also, all ingredients must be of the highest quality.”

“Yes, Baron.”

“And cleaning…”

I stopped talking and looked around the mansion.

A total of four workers were residing in the mansion, and among them, Sarah and Ness were the only maids in charge of cleaning the mansion. Hans was in charge of managing the carriages and horses, while Paul was mainly in charge of cleaning the garden and firewood.

Sarah and Ness, can the two of them clean up this big mansion?

No matter how much I thought about it, it was impossible. Even if Hans and Paul helped, it seemed too much.

Then I need to hire people.

Having organized my thoughts in my head, I turned to Ness.

“Ness, call the head of the Manpower office right now.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“1 gold per day?”

Perhaps because it was a work for the noble, the pay was several times better than in other places. It was also a simple house cleaning, not a difficult task.

The head of the Manpower office said it could be difficult because it was a mansion cleaning, but it was okay. Because cleaning was her specialty. She could do it no matter how many times. 

What should I do when I get 1 gold?

First, I'll buy Mom's medicine. And then, I'm going to buy some bread for Sister.

"Hehe."

Just thinking about it made her feel good. The girl's cheeks were blushing.

If I cleaned well and the noble saw it, I might be able to work as a maid in that house.

Becoming a maid in a noble's mansion was a dream job for commoner girls. Salaries were high, and there were also bonuses. 

If I get a job as a maid, I can earn money for Mom's medicine and food.  

“Good, I'll have to work hard.”

The girl went home with a burning will.

As she passed through a crowded street and entered a secluded residential area, someone stood in her way.

“…!”

The girl looked at the other person in surprise.

Her face was invisible because her hood was pressed so tightly that it completely covered her face. But she seemed to be a woman as she could see her bright blonde hair through her deeply pressed hood. Also, her small stature and thin fingers. 

"Who are you?"

The girl looked closely at the figure and said,

“I have nothing! I'm telling you the truth!"

“You don’t have to be so nervous.”

Her voice was high and thin. As expected, she was a woman. 

“I'm not here to steal what's yours. I'm here to give you something instead.”

“What will you give me?”

“I’ll give you this.”

The figure, the woman, held out 10 gold.

I could buy Mom's medicine for a month or so with that money.

The girl swallowed dry saliva and looked at the money that the figure held out.

"What… do you want from me?”

From my experience, no one has given me anything without wanting anything to return. Especially if it's a large amount of money. The bigger the amount, the bigger the price must be.

With that in mind, the girl asked the woman without losing her vigilance.

“You're smart even though you're still young, huh?”

The woman smiled slightly and continued.  

"Right. There's a price.” 

As expected.  

The girl was about to say no, but before she could even say that, the woman added. 

“It's not a difficult task. Just plant this seed in the garden of the noble’s mansion you're going to clean tomorrow.”

With her other hand, she held out a small pocket. The woman opened it and showed the seed to the girl.

“What kind of seed is it?” 

“It’s just a seed that blooms pretty flowers.”

She’s giving me 10 gold only to plant something like that? Nonsense. It's definitely not a normal seed. 

If I plant something like that in that noble's house and get caught, I will surely go to jail immediately. If that happens, no one will take care of my sick mother and younger sister then.

But, even though she thought she should refuse, the temptation of 10 gold was so strong that the girl couldn't readily do that.

Noticing the girl was hesitating, the woman smiled and offered more money.

“It’s 20 gold in total. This would be enough, right?”

The hesitation ended there.

“I'll do it.” 

The girl took the money and seed from the woman.

The girl was thinking of running with only the money if she had to, but the woman who read the girl's mind said, 

“If you don’t do what I asked you and run away with the money, just know that your sister's and your mother’s lives will not be safe.”

The girl's eyes shook.

This woman… She knows about Mom and Sister. 

Well, she's giving me such a large amount of money for it, so there's no way she didn't investigate in advance.

“I won’t do that.”

I guess I'll have to give up working as a maid in that house. It would be too shameless of me if I worked there after doing such a bad thing.

The girl crumpled the dream she had been holding and clutched the seed pocket tightly.

For someone like her who struggled to live in the present, thinking about a future like that was a luxury.

The mansion cleanup was left to the men brought in by the head of the Manpower office. So, Sarah and Ness were left with dinner preparation for Kalian.

There were still two days left until that day, but it was better to prepare in advance as it was an important matter. 

I was worried if they would do well because they were brought from outside, but they cleaned it so well that I didn't need to feel so. I even thought about whether to hire some of them as my workers.

Well, it's not urgent, so I should think about it slowly.

I looked around the cleaned mansion with a happy smile.

All ingredients for dinner were prepared with the highest quality, as mentioned. Ness and Sarah did their best to prepare a sumptuous dinner. They even read cookbooks, etc. Hans helped Paul in managing the garden, turning it into the same as a new one. As we were preparing all the time, the weekend came before we knew it.

As promised, I visited the palace a little after lunch. 

The palace, which had thermal insulation magic, was warm like spring even in the cold winter. Green trees and flowers that seemed like they forgot the seasons were spread all over. 

I took off my coat and headed to the riding practice field. 

Kalian was already there.

“You're here.”

“I see Your Majesty.”

After a brief greeting, Kalian beckoned me to come over.

As I approached and stood next to him, Kalian pointed to the white horse in front of him.

“It's the horse you're riding today. She's the gentlest female horse I've ever owned."

White and female horse. 

I didn't know much about horses, but I knew this horse was a good one. Well, the horses owned by His Majesty couldn't be of a lower level. 

I can't believe I'm riding such a good horse.

I'm really lucky.

I approached the white horse carefully.

‘To ride a horse, you must first become familiar with it.'

It's what the riding instructor said several times.

“What is the name of this horse?”

“Ilena.” 

“Hello, Ilena.”

I called out the horse's name and patted her head. Her hair was soft as silk. This showed that this horse was taken care of well.

When horses were patted by someone they saw for the first time, they usually showed signs of rebellion or dislike. It was like that when I first touched the training horse I had been riding. However, Ilena wasn't like that. She left her head being patted by me.

“She’s really a gentle horse.” 

Kalian smiled contentedly as I exclaimed softly in admiration.  

“Then, let’s get on it right away.”

When Kalian beckoned, the grooms came over, installing a harness and saddle for Ilena. In the meantime, another groom brought a horse for Kalian to ride.

It was a black horse bigger than Ilena.

“It’s my favorite horse, Nero.”

Nero. It meant water in the ancient language.

I was going to say hello to Nero too, but Nero turned his head, grunting roughly.

Does he… dislike me?

“He doesn't dislike you.” 

Kalian said, stroking Nero's head.

“Nero is particularly picky about people. Because of that, the grooms are troubled too.”

The groom nodded violently, agreeing with Kalian.

“Then, let’s start riding now. You know how to get on a horse, right?”

"Yes."

I was confident if it was that. So, I confidently climbed onto Ilena's back.

“You're good at it, huh?”

Kalian smiled lightly and climbed onto Nero.

“Then let’s start with walking.” 

He had already heard that Leila's riding skill didn't make any progress, but he didn't expect it to be this much.

Kalian looked absurdly at Leila, who was clinging to Ilena's back.

At first, he thought about walking a little bit, but as the speed increased slightly, she didn't know what to do, so she lowered her posture. 

How could she be like that when she had been learning horseback riding for over a week? If she had said today was her first time riding a horse, I would have believed it.

No, more than that, if she stays like that, she might fall off the horse.

Worried, Kalian got off Nero and approached Leila.

“Leila, raise your head and straighten your back.”

Even with Kalian's words, Leila didn't know how to get off Ilena's back.

“Leila.”

The moment Kalian put his hand on her bent back.

“…!”

Leila rose in surprise and kicked the horse hard on the side without realizing it.

Neighh-

Surprised by this, Ilena shook violently, and Leila's body shook as well.

"Ah!"

“Leila!”

Kalian hurriedly stretched out his arms and embraced Leila, who had fallen off the horse.

Their bodies that fell to the ground pressed together so tightly that even a single piece of paper couldn't fit in. A distance where one could feel each other's breath.

Kalian's eyes widened at the soft, gentle touch on his lips.