I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 362
Added 2025-04-22 07:48:11 +0000 UTCChapter 362: Project Yggdrasil (2)
“Could we… step outside for a moment? I need some air.”
Harnie needed time to process everything.
Carsein readily agreed.
-Crunch. Crunch.
Harnie stepped outside, breathing in the crisp winter air.
She walked through the falling snow, lost in thought.
Carsein had faced countless hardships.
Ostracized and scorned by the nobles, burdened by his low birth and false accusations, he had struggled to overcome the prejudices of their society.
It had been a difficult path.
The sharp thorns of noble society, fueled by his commoner status and sudden appearance, must have dug deep into his skin.
And yet, he had handled everything perfectly.
That was difficult to ignore.
Carsein’s knowledge was different from the knowledge of this world. No, it was fundamentally different.
While many lacked knowledge of noble etiquette, customs, and culture, Carsein's lack of knowledge extended to the Pesselus Empire itself.
This lack of knowledge stemmed from the fact that he wasn't from this world.
He had been transported here, an outsider in a foreign land.
But then, how had he managed to navigate the complexities of their society so flawlessly?
It wasn't just his perfect responses.
It was as if he had anticipated the events, as if he had been prepared.
Such results were impossible for someone with his limited knowledge.
After realizing this discrepancy, she had started paying closer attention to his actions.
That was when she had noticed him looking at something others couldn't see. That was when she had realized he was hiding something, even before he had admitted it.
She had been certain he was hiding something important, a secret he wouldn’t reveal to anyone, not even her, the one who had been by his side the most.
‘…That’s why I brought it up.’
But her certainty had shattered.
He had simply revealed the existence of the invisible window, dismissing it as the source of his knowledge.
Carsein had never revealed his secrets before.
He always solved his problems alone, refusing to be indebted to anyone.
She, as a merchant, understood that philosophy. In a world where everyone saw you as an enemy, relying on others was a dangerous gamble.
And yet, he had confided in her.
He hadn’t closed himself off. He had opened up, revealing the truth he had been hiding.
He had shared his deepest secret.
There was no other explanation.
‘…He really… trusts me…’
Her heart swelled with emotion.
She understood what this meant.
This cold, distant man had finally opened up to her.
He had finally spoken, breaking his silence, abandoning his solitary path.
The door to his heart, which had seemed impenetrable, had finally opened.
And she was overjoyed that she was the reason.
-Drape.
A coat was draped over her shoulders.
The lingering warmth enveloped her.
Harnie turned around, startled.
‘…Ah.’
She realized.
“So that’s why you told me. You did it on purpose. You thought I would return to my world after hearing that, didn’t you? How sly.”
He had seen through her act.
Carsein sighed softly and said,
“Well, since you’ve figured it out, I might as well make sure you’re absolutely certain.”
“…What?”
She tilted her head, confused, and then…
He dropped a bombshell.
“I said you were the reason I stayed. That’s why I’m still here.”
“…!”
“Even if I could return to my world, I didn’t want to leave you here alone.”
Wait.
“I knew I would regret it if I left, Harnie. I don’t want to be separated from you.”
Wait, wait, wait!
“I don’t care about my world anymore. I’m going to stay here with you, until the very end.”
Wait a minute…!
“From now on, I…”
“Stop!”
-Slap!
Overwhelmed by his words, Harnie covered his mouth with her hand.
She had to stop him.
Her face felt like it was about to explode.
“S-stop… I get it, so please stop.”
But Carsein wouldn’t stop. He continued his relentless advance.
“From now on, I will make you the happiest…”
Harnie couldn’t handle his straightforward confession.
“I told you to stop…!”
“Ow!”
A sharp slap echoed through the air.
Once again, Carsein’s back bore the imprint of her hand.
Harnie fled.
Not because she was angry.
“H-he really…!”
Her face was flushed, her ears burning.
Her heart pounded in her chest, as if trying to escape and reach him.
She was embarrassed. She had to escape before he saw her like this.
“How… how can he say such things with a straight face…!”
His words had been like a bomb.
Her beauty, which had earned her the labels of "fox" and "gold digger" in high society, attracting the attention of countless men…
She had endured countless flirtations and advances, from cheesy pick-up lines to veiled invitations, from smooth talkers to those who whispered their desires like serpents.
She had become immune to their advances.
Years of experience had given her a strong defense.
But… she had no defense against this.
His straightforward confession, his sincere gaze, devoid of any hidden motives…
Ironically, she had no experience with this type of approach.
No man had ever acted like this before.
This was a first.
There was no one like Carsein.
She was completely flustered, overwhelmed by this unfamiliar experience.
-Thump. Thump.
“What am I going to do…”
Her heart couldn’t handle it.
***
A while later, Carsein returned, rubbing the back of his head, still feeling the sting of her hand.
“Ugh… did I do something wrong…?”
“Well…!”
Her lips twitched.
She blushed, embarrassed.
She couldn’t forget the kiss, or the bombshell he had dropped earlier.
But she had finally regained her composure.
“…Let’s talk.”
It was time for a serious conversation.
Carsein’s playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
“I made some coffee.”
“Thank you.”
He had brought her coffee.
He knew she enjoyed a warm cup of coffee during the cold winter months.
-Sip.
The warm liquid soothed her, calming her racing heart.
Her mind became clearer.
They were fugitives, living a life on the run.
There was no guarantee of safety, no promise of tomorrow.
Harnie set down her cup and asked,
“First, I’ll ask again. What’s your plan?”
Now that he had chosen to stay, they had to survive, avoid capture.
But that was a condition, not a goal. A plan required a purpose.
“Like I said, I’m going to eliminate the one who orchestrated all of this.”
“Speaking of which… you said someone orchestrated this…”
“Let me explain.”
He removed the sheet covering the table.
Harnie stared at the contents, speechless.
“What… what is all this?”
“I’ve been investigating the reason I’m being pursued. And trying to figure out who would do such a thing. So, I gathered information, analyzed the soldiers’ movements, and compiled everything.”
A large map of the Empire.
Covered in symbols and markings.
And stacks of documents beside it.
It was the result of meticulous analysis.
“This is 8th Street. A shady place where black market merchants gather, dealing in dangerous goods. It’s a good place to find information brokers.”
“…!”
“Food, clothing, daily necessities, even garbage… seemingly trivial information, but if you analyze it carefully, you can uncover hidden motives, secret instructions, hierarchies… everything. The flow of money reveals a lot, doesn’t it?”
Of course it did.
She, as a merchant, knew that better than anyone.
Carsein pointed at the map, explaining his findings.
“The soldiers pursuing me are divided into four groups. The first group, moving along this arrow, are bounty hunters. They’re easy to read, as they’re only motivated by money. The second group consists of assassins and mercenaries hired by noble families. They seem to be focusing their search on Shatrain and Lusmire, places where I have connections. The third group is the Bagrand Duchy. Their movements are systematic, their forces divided into smaller units. However…”
-Tap.
“This group is an exception. They appear to belong to one of the three groups, but they’re actually… mixed in.”
He pointed to a specific group of soldiers.
Their movements were marked with a dark green arrow.
They weren’t bounty hunters, randomly searching for their target.
They weren’t hired by a noble family, or following a specific route.
They weren’t part of the Bagrand Duchy’s forces.
“Their movements suggest they’re… observing, monitoring. They’re not actively trying to capture me, nor are they guarding a specific area. It’s strange, isn’t it? Everyone else is desperately searching for me, but they’re acting differently. And what’s even stranger is that they’ve been exhibiting this behavior long before the warrant was issued. That means they have a different objective, doesn’t it?”
Harnie wasn't a fool.
She could easily deduce his conclusion.
“…”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“…”
“You already know the answer.”
Carsein stated the conclusion for her, as she remained silent.
“Their target… is you, Harnie. There’s no denying it.”
They weren’t after him.
They were after her.
Harnie’s voice trembled as she asked,
“B-but… that doesn’t make sense. Why me, and not you…?”
“I don’t have all the answers yet, but… I have a theory.”
-Erase.
He erased his name from the diagram of the demonic World Tree, Yggdrasil.
“According to Rossel Bagrand’s message, they need the frozen soul of a man who has turned his back on the world. It might seem like he was referring to me, but that’s not necessarily the case.”
“What do you…”
“The soul required for Project Yggdrasil is likely the result of their deliberate attempts to break someone. It’s a tedious and difficult process. Why would they limit themselves to a single candidate?”
There was no guarantee that there was only one target.
In fact, it made more sense for them to have multiple candidates.
Yes.
Carsein wasn’t the only one who had turned his back on the world.
“They probably chose someone closer to home. Someone they could easily observe and manipulate.”
Someone like her.
“Their target… or rather, Belian Theresia’s target… is you, Harnie.”
***
The room was dark.
Night had fallen, but Harnie couldn’t sleep.
She should be resting.
Tomorrow would be a difficult day.
But after hearing that, sleep was impossible.
‘I… I was supposed to become Yggdrasil.’
Her broken family.
The stigma of being a bastard, the false accusations against her mother…
It had all been planned.
She felt disgusted, violated.
The thought that her life, her struggles, had been orchestrated by someone else made her shudder.
The fear of becoming a tree, a monster consuming the world…
But…
-Embrace.
“…W-what are you doing?!”
“I can’t sleep. Let me hold you.”
“What are you talking about?! Wait…!”
“Excuse me. I’m tired.”
“Ugh… really…”
He was here.
His warmth chased away her fear.
