I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 294

Chapter 294: The Prophet of Wederos (13)

-Ding!

▶ Evasion trigger activated. ◀

▶ Conversation with Arina nullified. Choices deactivated. ◀

I had encountered Flora due to my carelessness, my being lost in thought and not returning on time. But thanks to Harnie’s intervention, the situation hadn't escalated.

With the choices deactivated, there was nothing to worry about.

Once Flora informed Arina that I was fine, the episode clear message would appear, regardless of the timing.

So, I could finally relax and escort her back…

-Drip. Drip.

“Hmm? Raindrops…?”

-Pitter-patter.

“…Is… is it raining?”

“It seems so…”

A late autumn rain began to fall.

“Harnie, let’s run!”

“O-okay!”

We ran, seeking shelter from the increasingly heavy rain.

We didn’t have umbrellas, and the streets were deserted.

We finally reached the entrance of a building, a small haven from the downpour.

“I can’t escort you back in this rain. Your maid will come looking for you soon. You can return with her.”

“Ah…”

…Why did she sigh?

I felt a sense of unease.

“That’s… the thing…”

Harnie hesitated, then began to explain.

Her words made my heart sink.

“I told them not to look for me… when I got out of the carriage…”

“…”

She blinked rapidly and nodded.

With such a large festival taking place, they wouldn’t expect her to be waiting for them.

They would assume she was enjoying the festivities and would return later.

…In other words, no one would be coming to look for her, even in this rain.

“What about… the carriage?”

She shook her head.

It seemed too far to walk.

‘This is bad.’

Everything was going wrong.

The weather? How could I have known?

After the episode ended, the scene had simply transitioned. I hadn't even realized it was raining.

And the location…

I had simply assumed there would be a carriage waiting for her nearby.

I hadn’t told anyone to come looking for me, and I couldn’t now… We were stuck.

“…”

“…”

We both stared at the sky, speechless, caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events.

I sighed as the rain intensified, and Harnie tugged on my sleeve.

“Perhaps… we should go inside? The rain doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop anytime soon…”

I stared at her in disbelief.

‘Go inside? Here?’

I glanced at the sign above the entrance.

Harnie, noticing my gaze, blushed and quickly explained,

“W-well, we have to get out of the rain! And this is the only place…”

Logically, it made sense.

We couldn’t just stand here in the rain, waiting for it to stop.

But the words on the sign made me want to facepalm.

[Comfortable Beds Available!]

[Soundproof Rooms! Enjoy Yourselves!]

[Couples’ Toys Available for Rent!]

Seriously? Every single phrase was suggestive.

It was clearly that kind of establishment.

‘Hah. That damn developer.’

Why would they even include this in the game?

Just because it was a skipped scene in an all-ages game didn’t mean they could get away with this.

…But complaining wouldn't change anything.

I had no money, and there was no way to escape the rain.

What choice did I have?

This was my last resort…!

“…Harnie, let’s get separate rooms.”

***

“There aren’t many people around, so there should be rooms available.”

This establishment also offered lodging. The soundproof rooms were a clear indication of that.

If we emphasized that we were simply here to sleep, there wouldn’t be any awkwardness!

Even in the worst-case scenario, we could just ask for a two-bed room, right?

…That’s what I had thought.

Until I spoke to the owner.

“I only have one room left! And it’s a single bed!”

Apparently, the festival had drawn a large crowd, and all the other rooms were occupied.

And while the price was reasonable, not inflated like I had feared…

Right. That could happen. We could just share the room, right?

So I asked,

“A two-bed room? We don’t have any of those! All our rooms have single beds!”

And to make matters worse, there weren't even any adjoining rooms.

…So we were stuck in a single room, with a single bed.

How awkward.

“Enjoy your stay. Heh heh.”

-Creak.

Seriously? That sly grin…

He knew.

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence descended.

I looked at the single bed and said,

“Since there’s only one bed, I’ll sleep on the floor. You can take the bed, Harnie.”

I picked up a pillow, but Harnie immediately protested.

“Why are you doing that? I’m fine.”

She sat on the bed and patted the mattress.

“Well, the situation is a bit… unusual, but… it’s not like we’ve never shared a bed before.”

“Hmm…”

That was true.

I had fallen asleep in her lap several times.

And we had leaned against each other, and even shared a bed before.

I hesitated for a moment, then decided not to make a fuss.

“Alright.”

I agreed to share the bed.

She didn’t seem to mind.

-Slide.

“…”

“…”

Lying on the bed, I realized how small it was.

We would have to be practically glued to each other to fit.

“This isn’t going to work. This bed is too…”

-Scoot.

“H-Harnie?”

“We can just… get closer.”

“But…”

“It’s fine. It’s fine, so just… stay still.”

She pulled me closer, her arms wrapping around me, preventing me from leaving the bed.

Pressed against her, our bodies touching, her breath against my skin…

Harnie whispered,

“I’m… cold. I got wet in the rain.”

“…”

“Perhaps… if you held me… I would feel warmer…”

Her request made me flinch, but then I understood.

While we had run for cover, it was impossible to avoid getting wet in that downpour.

I was fine, but the autumn rain might have chilled her.

‘Her body temperature seems normal, though…’

But it was better to be safe than sorry.

I gently put my arms around her.

“Is this better?”

“…No.”

Harnie snuggled closer.

“Now it’s fine.”

It felt a bit too close, but…

I didn’t push her away.

She had said she was tired. It was just a small request.

Time passed in comfortable silence.

And then, Harnie fell asleep.

“…”

I looked at her sleeping face, her soft breaths tickling my skin, and a question arose.

As the episode title indicated, this was the Bagrand Family Trip.

Not many people knew I was here.

And even if they did, they wouldn’t know where we were.

The Duchy’s itinerary, their destination, the duration of their stay…

It wasn’t public knowledge.

And with the festival drawing large crowds,

Finding me would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

And yet, Harnie had appeared before me.

As if she had known all along.

“…Now that I think about it, it’s not impossible.”

The Oath Orb.

It revealed my location.

I had been working late into the night for several days, neglecting my sleep, and the orb would have notified Harnie.

She could have used it to track me down.

But, had she really used the Oath Orb?

My intuition told me otherwise.

One possibility.

A recent experience had opened up a new avenue of speculation.

If she had received a prophecy from the Prophet of Wederos, just like Pollux, then she could have pinpointed my location.

That’s why I hadn't asked her how she had found me.

‘I hope I’m wrong, but if this is true… then…’

-Whoosh.

The rain intensified.

The sound of rain was a comforting white noise, conducive to sleep.

And my eyelids grew heavy.

- Snore.

Her breath against my skin, her soft snores in my ear.

And the warmth of her body, seeping into mine.

Harnie’s body was always warm.

That warmth triggered a distant memory.

‘It was raining that day, too, wasn’t it?’

-I’m cold. I got wet in the rain.

-If you… held me… I would feel better.

I had been caught in the rain with Jieun.

We had ended up in a motel…

And just like now, we had held each other close, her words almost identical to Harnie’s.

“Why… why are you so much like Jieun…?”

-Whoosh.

And just like that day, I fell asleep to the sound of rain.

***

-Splash.

Someone dismounted their horse, their boots sinking into the mud, the rain pouring down.

“…You’re back. Did you see Carsein?”

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

Pollux grinned at Talfon’s question.

“I didn’t tell him.”

“…I see.”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“I was expecting it.”

Talfon grinned as well.

“So, what did he say?”

“You’re not going to scold him?”

“Why would I? I would have done the same thing.”

Normally, he would have been angry.

Pollux had returned without relaying Veneris’ prophecy to Carsein.

But Talfon, knowing that Carsein was an outsider, understood.

“He said he had a world he belonged to. That he had been dragged here against his will. And that his goal was to return home.”

“Well, that makes his decision even more understandable.”

Talfon frowned.

Considering the prophecy that had been revealed to them, it was a natural reaction.

There was no reason for him, someone from another world, to risk his life for this one.

“What was his name, in his original world? I’m curious.”

“…Kim Min-hyeok. That’s his real name.”

“How do you write it?”

“It’s not in our language.”

“Right. I’ll pray for him, in the Lilpeton way.”

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