I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 318

Chapter 318: Alone (1)

The biting wind that had been cutting through me was gone.

The snowflakes that had been stinging my skin were no longer there.

Instead, a comforting warmth enveloped me, radiating from something pressed against my back.

Perhaps the cold had addled my mind.

For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.

Until I heard that voice.

I turned around, my heart pounding with a strange mixture of hope and dread.

And I saw it. The familiar violet hair.

It really was Harnie.

She was holding me close, her arms wrapped tightly around me.

“How… how did you find me…?”

“Is that really what you should be asking right now?”

-Thwack.

“…Ow.”

“You idiot.”

She whispered, her voice soft, but her words sharp.

“Were you planning on sleeping out here in the cold?”

Her familiar nagging, a sound I was starting to get used to.

“Tell me. Were you really planning on sleeping on the streets?”

“…”

“You’re such a liar. You promised you wouldn’t hurt yourself.”

I couldn’t deny it.

It was true.

And that made me feel even more guilty.

Harnie could have punished me at any time, using the Oath Orb.

But she hadn’t.

…She had respected my wishes.

“You can’t enter any buildings because of the wanted poster, but if we disguise ourselves, it should be fine. I’ve already rented a room. Come on, let’s get you warmed up.”

Just like now.

…I had thought I was alone.

That there would be no one to help me.

That it would be the same as in my past life.

I had thought I could handle everything on my own.

I had no allies.

Perhaps there would be those who would pretend to be friendly, hiding their true intentions behind a mask of kindness.

Those who would offer a helping hand, only to take advantage of me.

They were everywhere in my world.

So, of course, there wouldn't be anyone here,

Who would genuinely help me.

Who would care about me.

And I had been certain,

That no one would worry about me.

Not even my family.

But…

It seemed I was wrong.

There was.

Someone who cared.

Someone who genuinely worried about me.

***

-Ding!

▶ Status Ailment: Frostbite Level 3 slowly recovering. ◀

▶ Status Ailment: Chill Level 3 slowly recovering. ◀

▶ Status Ailment: Hypothermia improving. ◀

[Time Remaining: 5 minutes]

…

…

Inside the building, sheltered from the biting wind and snow,

My status ailments began to fade as I followed Harnie, my stats slowly returning to normal.

And my numb senses returned as well.

But…

There was only one room.

“…”

“…”

Harnie, realizing this, began to fidget.

“I-I didn’t plan for this to happen! I just… wanted to get you warmed up…”

She was flustered.

Her usual clumsiness was showing.

“And… and it’s safer to be in the same room! It’s… it’s better this way!”

Her excuses…

She was so easy to read.

After a moment of frantic rambling, Harnie calmed down and asked,

“Now, will you tell me? Why were you out there like that?”

The same question she had asked before, when she had found me in the snow.

It was a question I shouldn’t answer.

I had no allies in this world.

And revealing my plans could easily backfire.

There were many reasons.

They could report me to the Duchy, or try to claim the bounty on my head. Or perhaps they would simply want to eliminate me themselves.

Either way, it was dangerous.

And considering my future plans, it would make me even more vulnerable.

But, while I would never reveal this to anyone else, I could tell her.

“I was trying to leave Illeor without being noticed. At night, most people stay indoors because of the cold, so there aren’t many people on the streets… I was planning to slip away through the alleyways…”

“…If I hadn’t found you, you would have stayed hidden out there for hours?”

“Yes. I didn’t think there would be another opportunity…”

“Idiot.”

Harnie sighed at my reluctant reply.

A heavy silence descended upon the room.

I waited nervously for her to speak.

And then,

-Flicker.

The mana stone that had been illuminating the room suddenly went out.

“Wh-what? Why…?”

Harnie went over to the lamp and tried to reactivate the runes, but it wouldn’t light up.

“It’s no use. It won’t work today.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a common occurrence in Illeor during the winter. The mana stones that power the lights freeze and malfunction because of the extreme cold. They won’t work until a specialist comes to repair them.”

It was another one of Illeor’s charming quirks.

It was like a leaky basement with faulty wiring in my past life.

I needed to find a light source. I rummaged through my belongings and found something usable.

▶ You have repaired a small lantern. ◀

▶ Repair Level: 38% ◀

“Fortunately, this small lantern still works.”

“Is there anything else…?”

“No, everything else is frozen.”

“S-so… this is the only light source we have…?”

“…It seems so.”

It was too dark to even have a proper conversation.

And the darkness made me nervous. What if there were rats…?

-Squeak!

“Kyaa!”

“Whoa!”

“W-was that a rat? Ugh…”

-Squish.

…I knew it.

“Harnie? Perhaps you could… move away…?”

“N-no! I’m scared!”

“Harnie, please, calm down…”

“No!”

Harnie clung to me even tighter.

It was a good thing the rat had been startled and run away. If she hadn’t let go, I might have suffocated.

Once she had calmed down, I examined the room, looking for anything that still worked.

It wasn’t a promising situation. The only things that still functioned were the small lantern and the cooking stove.

“Fortunately, the food supplies are well-preserved. Let’s cook something. You must be hungry.”

Harnie pulled out some cooking utensils.

She was right.

I needed to eat something.

Having experienced hunger countless times, I knew how debilitating it could be, especially combined with the cold.

But…

“You can just sit and relax. I’ll cook.”

“…”

-Clatter!

“I-it was an accident!”

Her confident demeanor as she gathered the cooking utensils, then promptly dropping them, felt strangely familiar.

-You can just relax on the sofa. I’ll cook and bring it to you.

-I-it was an accident!

‘I have a bad feeling about this…’

Harnie was a noble lady.

She wouldn’t know how to cook…

And Jieun, too, had never cooked before…

“…Have you… ever cooked before?”

“O-of course!”

“Then what kind of dishes…?”

“Wh-why are you asking?! I told you I can cook! Are you doubting me?”

She avoided my gaze, and my unease grew.

“Are you… sure about this?”

“Just trust me!”

Harnie pushed me towards the sofa.

…Would it be okay?

***

-Ta-da!

What… was that?

I couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be.

The color, the shape, the texture…

And the smell…

I couldn’t even imagine what it would taste like.

It looked and smelled suspicious.

“It… it might look strange, but it tastes good!”

Looked strange?

So she knew.

Then why was she trying to hide the smell…?

“Try it! It tastes different from how it looks! Don’t be prejudiced!”

The taste…

Well, it could taste good, despite its appearance.

Like fermented soybeans, which smelled terrible but tasted delicious.

Or blood sausage, which could be quite tasty if you overcame your aversion to blood.

I cautiously took a bite.

“So… how is it?”

“…”

How was it?

It was… indescribable.

“…Harnie.”

“Yes…”

Harnie’s shoulders slumped. She seemed to have anticipated my reaction.

“I’ll… I’ll cook…”

…

…

…

It had been a while since I had cooked.

I had been eating the chef’s meals every day…

But my body, my hands, they remembered.

“…Wow.”

There was no need for a review.

“By the way, Carsein, where did you learn to cook?”

“What?”

“You’ve been staying at the Duchy. The chefs and cooks usually handle the meals. You don’t usually cook for yourself, do you?”

That was a sharp question.

I scratched my cheek and replied evasively,

“I… I had to cook for myself sometimes. There aren’t any chefs in my territories.”

“Hmm. That’s true. But Camilla can cook, can’t she? I heard from Mina that she’s quite skilled.”

“Well… Camilla is… quite busy…”

“Busy… I suppose that’s possible.”

She seemed to accept my explanation, but her shoulders slumped again.

Her gaze kept returning to her creation.

Jieun had made the same expression when her cooking had failed.

I had to comfort her.

“It’s… not completely inedible.”

“…Really?”

“It just needs a few adjustments.”

I took her dish and started cooking again.

Adding a few ingredients,

Removing a few others,

And soon, it was edible.

Harnie, after tasting the revised dish, looked at me sheepishly.

“…Could you… teach me how to cook sometime?”

“Sure.”

Practice makes perfect.

***

Night had fallen.

It was getting cold.

While it would have been freezing outside, the inn was much warmer.

But not by much.

The heating and insulation mana stones were still malfunctioning.

But Harnie wasn’t cold.

“You should have done this from the start. I told you it would be better this way.”

“You should be more cautious.”

“Yes, yes. Like you’re one to talk.”

Because Carsein was by her side.

And that made her reluctant to leave.

She had been avoiding him, trying to distance herself, to suppress her feelings.

‘Should I… should I not go back…? Carsein…’

Harnie’s resolve wavered.

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