I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Recurring Discomfort (1)

-Chirp, chirp.

“Hmm…?”

Harnie woke up to the sound of chirping sparrows.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes, then suddenly felt a sense of unease, her eyes snapping open.

It had been nighttime.

Arina’s birthday party hadn’t even started during the day, and when she had chased after Carsein, the sun had already set.

And when the Oath Orb had glowed, it had been well past midnight.

And yet, bright sunlight was streaming through the window.

It could only mean one thing: morning had arrived.

To wake up in a completely different place…

It was a strangely familiar experience.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Just as she turned her head towards the sound of approaching footsteps,

The door opened.

“You’re awake.”

“Ah…”

A soft sigh escaped her lips, a subtle sense of unease washing over her.

She looked at Carsein, who had just entered the room, a flicker of hope in her eyes.

“Could you… explain why I’m here…?”

She prayed that it wasn't what she thought it was…

“You fell asleep outside, so I carried you here.”

Ugh! Of course!

She had known, deep down.

The fact that she was lying in this bed was undeniable proof.

At night, the view from where she had been sitting had been of the outside, but now, she was inside.

She had simply fallen asleep.

And Carsein, finding her like that, had carried her here and put her to bed.

She had vowed not to leave him alone, and yet, she had fallen asleep. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of self-loathing.

And look what he was holding.

Drinks and snacks.

‘You idiot! I should have been the one bringing those to you!’

Shame washed over her, and she covered her face with her hands.

Meanwhile, Carsein placed the breakfast tray on the table and said,

“Don’t be so careless next time.”

“…What?”

“You shouldn’t fall asleep outside like that.”

It had been an accident.

And she had clearly inconvenienced him.

‘But those words…’

Just moments ago, she had been a mixture of shame, self-loathing, and regret.

But Carsein's words swept away those feelings, replaced by a different kind of warmth.

“It’s a good thing this is the West, and there are people who know you. If it had been somewhere else, it could have been dangerous. And what if you caught a cold? Honestly… Be more careful.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

She had been worried about him, causing a scene outside.

She had asked if he needed anything, then leaned against the door and fallen asleep herself.

And in the end, she had inconvenienced him, forcing him to carry her. That’s why he was scolding her.

But it wasn’t just a scolding.

His voice, while not exactly gentle, lacked any real heat. It was…

-Thump-thump.

Her heart raced again.

Harnie smiled slyly and leaned against Carsein.

“Instead of breakfast… I’d rather just… stay like this for a while.”

While it was a scolding, it made her happy.

She needed time to think, to figure out what she could do for him.

***

They finished breakfast together.

And left the room together.

Four hands tidied up.

Four legs walked towards their destination.

She took his hand and boarded the carriage, returning together.

How had this happened?

She had come alone, but now, they were leaving together.

‘It’s fine. That’s not what I should be focusing on right now.’

-Ding!

▶ Episode IV: The One Who Proves Their Worth has begun. ◀

▶ Noblesse Points will be awarded based on your conduct and performance during the martial arts tournament. ◀

▶ Warning! Public opinion is currently unfavorable! ◀

“There they are.”

“The Lady’s birthday has passed… Since he didn’t bring his family, does that mean he didn’t prepare a gift?”

“She’s his sister, either way. He seems rather heartless.”

Just a while ago, they had been whispering about his abilities and his potential as a successor. But now, that topic had been replaced by yesterday’s incident.

The situation was predictable.

-Ding!

▶ Nobles are criticizing your actions. ◀

▶ Choose an appropriate option to respond. ◀

Right. Here come the choices.

Just like always.

Surprisingly, the correct approach in this situation was to choose an option and respond to the nobles.

Since I was participating in the tournament, I could file a formal complaint against anyone who slandered a participant.

But not now.

Unlike the game, I had to clear Chapter 3 differently.

While there would be times when I had to take action, now wasn’t one of them.

I had to ignore them.

But while I tried to ignore them, it seemed she couldn’t.

-Shuffle.

Harnie moved closer, pressing against my side.

She glared at those who dared to speak ill of me, as if warning them not to go too far.

And then, some of the noblewomen who had been gossiping cleared their throats and opened their fans. In social circles, that was considered a sign of retreat.

‘…That’s surprising.’

If they had continued, I would have chosen an option to make an example of them.

▶ Those who attempted to incite others with gossip have fallen silent. ◀

▶ Choices have disappeared. ◀

But with that single action, with Harnie’s single glare, the choices had disappeared completely.

“I won’t let what happened yesterday happen again. I’ll be by your side, always.”

“…”

She urged me forward, her arm linked through mine, and I couldn’t say anything.

It would be alright.

I followed Harnie, trying to reassure myself.

***

From dawn till morning,

I had spent every moment with Harnie, but now, it was time to part ways.

I gently said,

“You should probably go back now, Harnie.”

I had to manage my condition, check and maintain my equipment, warm up… I couldn’t be disturbed during my preparations, not even by my fiancée, let alone my family.

That was my excuse.

But contrary to my expectations, she clung to my arm.

“…Harnie?”

“There’s still some time left. It’s not a bad thing to spend a little more time together. Is it strange for lovers to act like this?”

…Well, that was true, but…

Wasn’t our performance as lovers convincing enough?

If the goal was to deceive others, then we had already been seen together by countless people. Was there really a need for more?

Well, perhaps she had her own reasons.

Just as I was about to accept it…

“I’m sorry. I’m being unreasonable. I’m just… feeling a bit… uneasy.”

“Is that so?”

“B-but I’ll do what I have to do. So… close your eyes for a moment.”

“My eyes?”

“Hurry up! And don’t ask…”

…What was she planning?

I closed my eyes, as she requested.

If she was planning a prank, I would just have to—

-Kiss.

‘…Hmm?’

Something soft touched my cheek.

Something warm and moist, leaving a faint sound that only I could hear.

“G-good luck with your match, Carsein!”

And with that, Harnie, clutching her dress, turned and ran.

She ran so quickly that she was out of sight in an instant.

“…”

I touched my cheek, the spot where she had kissed me.

The lingering warmth, the soft touch…

If I had to guess…

It had been…

“Her… lips…”

I froze, a wave of awkwardness washing over me.

Was this some kind of custom?

A way to show support during the martial arts tournament?

Or perhaps she was trying to dispel any suspicions by openly displaying affection?

Countless thoughts raced through my mind, but…

All that remained was a lingering awkwardness.

“Well, well. Getting cozy before the match, are we?”

As I stood there, frozen, touching my cheek, a sarcastic voice came from beside me. It was the pink-haired demon.

Her affinity must have dropped.

If she started something, a choice would appear, and I would just have to—

…Wait.

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

[Claire Bagrand]

[Affinity: 80%]

Why hadn’t it decreased?

***

July 1st.

Arina’s birthday had passed.

Which meant it was time to return to the martial arts tournament. I entered the arena, thinking about how to complete this episode.

But when I checked my status, my affinity levels hadn’t decreased as much as I had expected.

Claire’s affinity was unchanged.

Even little Flora’s affinity was normal.

And the vassals I had encountered, Count Ptoah, who should have suffered a reputational blow as my sponsor, and even a considerable number of other nobles, their affinity hadn’t plummeted.

And most importantly,

[Noblesse Points: -180]

My Noblesse Points were stable.

Which meant…

-Ding!

▶ Providing missing information. ◀

▶ Revealing the Noblesse Point and affinity decrease offset values from the Perfect Clear reward of Episode III. ◀

[Noblesse Point Decrease Offset: 100%]

[Affinity Decrease Offset: 100%]

…That was surprising.

My actions, based on my experiences in the real world, had resulted in a Perfect Clear, and even after witnessing that, people still viewed me favorably.

“But there’s an exception.”

[Exception: Arina Bagrand]

▶ You will inflict greater damage on Arina when acting against her. ◀

Well, that was to be expected.

It was what I had wanted, anyway.

But despite receiving such a generous reward, I had nothing to do.

“This means that most of the sub-episodes I was supposed to deal with have disappeared.”

Sub-episodes usually appeared as obstacles, triggered by rumors spread by the nobles.

And if those overlapped with the Another Plan-related sub-episodes, my Noblesse Points would steadily decrease.

To prevent that, I would have to actively resolve those sub-episodes, which would consume a significant amount of time, reducing my preparation time.

But now, with all that free time…

“…It’s time to visit Marquis Magnuel.”

He was the one who had started it all.

I needed to make it absolutely clear to him,

That I wasn't interested in the Bagrand successor position.

***

Claire, having heard that Carsein had arrived at the tournament grounds, had rushed over.

After yesterday’s incident, she had a lot of questions for him.

But the questions she had prepared were forgotten the moment she saw them.

“Some people were worried sick, while he’s busy having a lovey-dovey moment with his fiancée! Honestly!”

Her words were filled with feigned annoyance.

Her tone, sarcastic.

But inwardly, she was relieved.

‘…At least he’s okay.’

Carsein wasn’t a child.

He wouldn't lie or make excuses to avoid blame.

There had to be a reason why he had acted the way he did at his sister’s birthday party. She had been on her way to inform Flora and their mother, believing that.

───────.

──────.

‘Hmm? That voice…’

It was Carsein.

When had he arrived? And who was he talking to?

“Are you truly saying that you have absolutely no interest in becoming the next head of the Bagrand Duchy?”

…What? What were they talking about?

“Yes. I’m supposed to be leaving the Duchy, anyway.”

In that instant,

Claire snapped.

-Ding!

Next Chapter

Index

Previous Chapter