I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Before He Leaves (2)

Thanks to Harnie’s appearance, I had legitimately gained some time away from my family.

To be honest, it had been incredibly boring.

While I had pretended to be interested, I hadn’t enjoyed it at all.

There were plenty of sights to see, exciting attractions, and games to play, but none of it had held my attention.

I had been too preoccupied with checking my affinity levels,

Analyzing their reactions, looking for potential problems,

And meticulously recording my expenses in my notebook.

And ironically, this Founding Festival, which should have been a lively event, had felt slow and tedious.

Time had crawled by.

Just like in my past life.

…And then,

“The moon is beautiful tonight.”

Suddenly, it was night.

I hadn’t done anything.

I had simply followed Harnie around, letting her lead the way.

The only thing I remembered was Harnie being… more affectionate than usual?

Her casual touches had flustered me.

‘…But how did time pass so quickly?’

Perhaps she had noticed my bewildered expression.

Harnie, seizing the opportunity, decided to play a prank.

“Gotcha!”

“…Huh?”

“Hee hee. You weren’t paying attention.”

“…”

Something sticky and sweet landed on my face.

Cake. It was probably meant to be smeared on my face.

The shop that sold the cake had a special offer for women: if they managed to smear cake on a man’s face, they would receive a special prize. But I had always managed to avoid it, and Harnie had failed miserably every time.

“You’re not going to get that prize again, are you?”

“No, but I wanted to try it at least once.”

Harnie puffed out her cheeks slightly.

“Honestly, I didn't care about the prize. It was just… I was getting frustrated. You never gave me an opening.”

“…”

What a strange reason.

…But I couldn't just let her get away with it, could I?

-Smirk.

“So you finally managed to get me. Are you satis—”

“Haha. You weren’t paying attention!”

Right. Right.

I couldn’t just stand there and take it.

“You… you want to play that game?”

“I’m afraid I won’t be fooled twice.”

“No fair using your hands! Stop it!”

“There’s no such rule, Harnie.”

And so, a cake-smearing battle began.

…And it triggered a familiar memory.

-Hey! No fair using your hands! Stop it!

It wasn’t anyone’s birthday.

Nor was it a special occasion.

But I had spent time with her that day as well.

…On this exact date.

Harnie, exhausted, finally stopped her attack.

“Ugh… You’re not even giving me a chance. That’s not fair.”

“I can’t just let you win, can I?”

“Fine, fine. I give up. Let’s clean up and go.”

Right. It was getting late.

I glanced at my watch. It was almost midnight.

We called a truce, and I cleaned up the mess, the remnants of the cake smeared across the table. I wiped the cake from my face and hands.

But there was still one spot she had missed.

Honestly, she could be so clumsy sometimes.

“Harnie, hold still.”

“What?”

“You forgot this.”

-Wipe.

I gently wiped the cake from her cheek, then licked my finger.

“Y-you…”

Harnie’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked down, her face flushed.

Her trembling shoulders made me nervous. This looked like the prelude to a backhand spike.

…But I hadn’t done anything wrong, had I?

I had just wiped the cake from her face.

What was the problem?

…Well, even so, I was already resigned to my fate.

It was best to just take the hit and be done with it…

“…It would have been better if it was wine.”

“What? What did you just say…?”

“N-nothing!”

“Whoa!”

Startled by her sudden movement, I lost my balance as she jumped on me, her arms wrapping around my neck.

“Hey! That’s dangerous! What if I had fallen?”

“Dangerous? You caught me perfectly!”

She tightened her grip.

“Carry me back to the carriage.”

“…A-alright.”

So, no beating then.

I didn’t know what I had done wrong, but, I guess she had forgiven me?

-Carry me on your back.

Jieun had made the same request back then.

It was past midnight.

And the status window appeared.

-Ding!

▶ Episode IX: The Founding Festival, Restarted cleared. ◀

▶ Sufficient time spent together. ◀

The episode was cleared.

So, the clear condition for this episode was spending time together?

…But somehow,

I felt like I was missing something important.

***

While I had arrived late due to my contemplation, the Founding Festival had been fruitful.

“…”

Harnie looked up at the sky.

Judging from the position of the moon, it was well past midnight.

While she had arrived late, she had still spent a considerable amount of time at the Founding Festival.

At least half a day.

But it had felt so short.

Why was time passing so quickly?

Even the carriage ride had felt like a fleeting moment.

…No,

It hadn’t been a short time.

It had felt short because she had enjoyed every moment with Carsein.

She had felt a pang of regret as he boarded the carriage, leaving her behind.

Every small gesture, every shared laugh, had filled her with joy.

The warmth of his touch, a memory she would cherish.

And those memories, replaying endlessly in her mind, fueled a growing desire.

A desire that wouldn’t be quenched.

“…Do we really have to be apart?”

The time she had spent with Carsein had felt so fleeting.

The hours at the Founding Festival had flown by.

Being separated from him felt like a waste.

“It’s not like I can’t be of use to him…”

Carsein was currently working in his territories, earning money.

To escape the Bagrand Duchy.

And she could help him.

She could assist him with his business ventures.

She could protect him from being swindled, and help him navigate the complexities of taxes and finances.

And as his fiancée, she could even shield him from his family.

“Right. There’s no reason for us to be apart. I’m his fiancée.”

She would take the carriage and go to him.

To spend more time with him, to cherish these precious moments.

But then, a question arose, stopping her in her tracks.

-If your feelings continue to grow, will you be able to let him go?

“…!”

It was…

A painful question.

Could she truly let him go, when she loved him so much?

-If you fall deeper in love with him, will you ask him to stay?

The question pierced her heart like a dagger.

Carsein’s goal wasn’t just to escape the Bagrand Duchy.

He wanted to return to his world, the world he belonged to.

And if she spent more time with him…

She wouldn’t be able to let him go.

“This is… cruel… so cruel…”

The answer was clear.

If she allowed herself to fall deeper in love with him,

She might try to hold him back.

She had to draw a line, a boundary she wouldn’t cross.

She could cherish their memories, but she couldn't hinder his goal.

***

After spending time with Harnie at the Founding Festival,

I sent a message to my family, saying I would be staying in my territories to manage my businesses, just like I had done before.

I created a grace period.

Extended it.

And then extended it again, spending my hard-earned cash to postpone my return for as long as possible.

And as always, I reached the limit.

-Ding!

▶ The grace period cannot be extended any further. ◀

▶ Episode X: Isabella’s Birthday has begun. ◀

While I had thought the cycle of birthday episodes was over, having attended all three sisters’ birthdays, there was still one final hurdle.

Isabella’s birthday, the Duchess of Bagrand.

The final episode in the birthday celebration cycle.

However, Isabella’s birthday was different.

‘Well, it’s just another way to waste time and money.’

The premise of this episode was simple.

Arina, Claire, and Flora, wanting Carsein, who rarely visited the Duchy, to attend their mother’s birthday party, would actively try to persuade him.

‘In that sense… it’s not that different from my past life.’

Before I left home,

I had prepared for my mother’s birthday as well.

Anyway, the most significant event, the Founding Festival, was over, so while this episode could still impose penalties and drain my funds, the remaining obstacles were relatively minor.

And the clear conditions were simple.

There were three main factors to consider during the Duchess’s birthday celebration:

Flora’s affinity.

Claire’s affinity.

And Arina’s affinity.

Since I was solely responsible for the preparations, all I had to do was cater to their preferences, and this episode would be one of the easiest in the entire game.

So,

“Harnie, I need to return to the Duchy.”

I told her I would be going back.

After the Founding Festival,

Harnie had been visiting me regularly.

She would accompany me everywhere,

And even when it was time for her to leave, she would stay.

It had been over a month.

I felt guilty.

She had been helping me with my work, even sharing her mana to suppress the Depeshan Syndrome.

I couldn’t keep accepting her help without giving anything in return.

“What’s the occasion?”

“It’s the Duchess’s birthday. I’ll be… helping with the preparations.”

Or rather, I would be handling everything.

Anyway,

“Hmm… in that case…”

-Click.

“I’ll come with you. You’ve never organized something like this before, have you?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“You should leave it to the professionals. Don’t you think?”

She had a point.

I had no experience in event planning, and neither did Carsein.

I couldn’t argue with that, but…

‘Is it just me?’

She winked, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and took my arm, her touch bolder than before.

…For some reason, her physical affection seemed more pronounced.

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