I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 265

Chapter 265: July 1st (5)

The time alone after leaving the party was sweet.

No need to worry about someone's birthday.

No need to be mindful of my family.

They would probably gossip about me, but I couldn't hear them.

This moment, bathed in the moonlight, a gentle breeze against my skin, was incredibly peaceful.

I could let my thoughts wander freely, the cool night air clearing my head.

“An inferiority complex.”

How ironic.

Arina, of all people.

Arina, who had everything, lineage, legitimacy, a position Carsein could never hope to achieve.

Arina, who was praised and admired, while Carsein was still mocked and ridiculed as a lowborn, a commoner in noble society.

Arina, who had always been treated with respect, while Carsein had been mistreated and humiliated by the servants in the Duchy.

She, who had everything,

Felt inferior to him.

It was a mirror image of my older sister.

“How could I not have noticed? I’ve already experienced this in my past life.”

My older sister, having taken on responsibilities at the company from a young age, was the most likely candidate to inherit it.

She had been helping with company matters since she was a child.

She was praised and admired by everyone.

She had even taken on solo projects, securing her position as a full-time employee. The situation was almost identical.

And she had felt threatened by me, an adopted child, an outsider.

So I wouldn't make the same mistake this time.

“I won’t be held back by you again. Not after experiencing this twice.”

Finally, the solution to this episode, no, the solution to the entire enigmatic Chapter 3, had become clear. I no longer had to rely on choices.

All thanks to Arina.

-Slide.

I pulled out my notebook.

I crossed out all my previous plans.

From now on, my actions would be simple.

I would ruin my reputation.

I would become a disgrace, ensuring that no one would ever consider me as a potential successor.

If Arina didn’t feel threatened, then all the danger would disappear.

Of course, it would lower my Noblesse Points and slow down the Another Plan, but at least I wouldn’t trigger any death flags.

I would cause trouble, create chaos, and then disappear without a trace.

[July 1st]

I chuckled, seeing the date written in my notebook.

“The date is perfect.”

July 1st.

Arina’s birthday, and my older sister’s birthday.

It was a fitting date to begin.

Starting on Arina’s birthday.

Starting on my older sister’s birthday.

I would carry out this plan before the end of the year.

-Hum.

“…”

The Oath Orb in my pocket began to glow.

This meant that the orb’s power was imposing a restriction on me.

Normally, the orb’s power rarely activated. I usually kept my promises to Harnie.

But not now.

It was past midnight, and I was still working. I had broken my promise to maintain a regular sleep schedule.

“So this is it… restricting my actions.”

She must have added a clause that would restrict my actions if I broke a promise.

It was understandable, from Harnie's perspective.

She had to take precautions. What if I suddenly decided to take advantage of her?

There were several ways to enforce such a restriction. Physical pain, magical restraints, verbal commands, even forced confinement. It was dangerous, but…

I didn’t feel anything yet.

Which meant she hadn’t activated that function.

“Just a faint glow… This reveals… my location.”

She would likely find out where I was and come looking for me.

I decided to wait.

I had something to tell her as well.

***

The light from the Oath Orb began to fade.

The orb, which only had a tracking function, was losing its power…

Which meant she was close.

She must have guessed that I was at the Lilpeton estate, with Talfon's help, as it hadn’t taken her long to arrive.

──────.

Enhancing my hearing with mana, I could hear the sound of a horse approaching.

But Harnie couldn’t ride.

Which meant she had brought someone with her.

-Neigh!

“Young Master!”

“Carsein!”

…It was Radiel.

Then there shouldn’t be any problems.

Harnie, dismounting with Radiel’s assistance, walked towards me, her dress swaying gently.

What would she say?

Would she ask why I had done that?

Would she scold me for causing a scene at the birthday party without warning?

Or would she be angry that I had come all this way and wasn’t even resting?

…I wasn't sure.

-Hug.

She pushed Radiel aside and stared at me in silence for a moment, then took my hand in hers and asked,

“Now that we’re alone, tell me. What happened? Why did you do that? Why are you hurting yourself again?”

…That was unexpected.

I had expected her to be angry or at least scold me.

But I had already decided what to say.

I gently released her hand and replied,

“Because someone wanted me to.”

“What?”

“The symposium, and now the martial arts tournament. My performance has been… exceptional. And rumors have started spreading. But there’s someone who doesn’t like that.”

Harnie’s violet eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in understanding.

Right. She was intelligent. She would understand.

Harnie blinked, then cautiously asked,

“D-don’t tell me… Lady Arina?”

She knew who my plan was targeting.

She was the only one who remembered our conversation about the rumors and my attempt to quell them.

And she was the one who had warned me about the rumors in the first place.

There was no need for confirmation.

“How… how could she…”

There was no need for further explanation.

I decided to be direct.

“That’s why… I’m asking you not to tell me to rest or maintain a regular sleep schedule.”

“Carsein…”

Normally, she would have scolded me. But this time, she didn’t object.

This was enough.

I took a deep breath and said what I had been meaning to say.

“The Oath Orb will continue to activate. Because I’ll be breaking my promises. If you have any requests regarding this, I’ll fulfill them. What do you want?”

“…No, it’s fine.”

She replied immediately.

“I understand why you made that decision. Why you’re in such a hurry. If that’s the reason… then I understand. I won’t stop you.”

Was this it?

It would be easy to relinquish the successor position I wasn’t interested in.

However, my plan to accumulate wealth would have to be adjusted.

I couldn’t ignore this deviation, so I would have to revise my entire plan.

My approach to managing the territories, my target demographics, my product strategy, everything would have to change.

I would have to work through the night to figure it out.

I had a lot to do.

“Carsein.”

Just as I was about to leave,

Harnie’s hand reached out and grabbed my arm again.

She wasn’t trying to restrain me.

But…

It felt strangely familiar.

“Can you… grant me this one request?”

“What is it?”

“Just… don’t hurt yourself too much.”

…Even now, she was worried about me.

But I couldn’t promise her that.

“I’ll try.”

I had been worried about this, but…

She was too kind.

Just like Seo Jieun.

***

Carsein was about to destroy himself again.

He would likely be working late into the night, surviving on little sleep.

He would sacrifice his rest, his health, to pore over documents and plans.

It was a predictable future.

But Harnie couldn’t bring herself to stop him.

‘How… how could I?’

She, of all people, knew what it felt like to desperately want to escape the Theresia Marquisate.

She had been obsessed with her business, sacrificing sleep and rest to find a way out.

She had been willing to do anything to break free from the shackles of her family.

Just like Carsein.

She understood.

She shared his experience.

She knew what he was going through, better than anyone else.

She couldn’t stop him.

She had to respect his decision.

But…

She didn’t want him to get hurt.

-Knock, knock.

“If you’re hungry, just tell me! I’ll bring you something to eat!”

She couldn’t enter his room.

But she could at least stay close.

“And if you need anything, just ask! I can help with documents, too!”

She hadn’t known before she met him, but she understood now.

Trying to carry everything alone would only lead to collapse.

No one was that strong.

She had fallen, too.

And she had almost fallen again.

But she had been able to get back on her feet because of Carsein.

‘You caught me when I fell, so now it’s my turn to catch you, right?’

Just wait and see.

I’ll always be by your side.

Harnie resolved to stay close, waiting for the moment he emerged from his room, waiting for the moment he needed her.

Hours passed.

And finally, the moment she had been waiting for arrived.

-Click.

The door opened.

Carsein stepped out.

He must be hungry by now.

And after all that mental exertion, he would be even more exhausted.

It was time to give him the sandwich she had made.

And the small cookies she had learned to bake from the Lilpeton children.

She could even feed him herself…

“Mmm…”

Unfortunately,

Harnie had fallen asleep.

But her feelings must have reached him.

“…Hah…”

-Slide.

He sighed softly and gently lifted her, carrying her to the bed so as not to wake her.

-Ding!

▶ ??? has increased. ◀

[Current level: 76%]

***

“Hah…”

Arina, the birthday girl, sat on the sofa, massaging her temples.

It was already dawn.

Even though she had quickly wrapped up the party after the incident and moved on to her usual schedule, it was already this late.

Just thinking about her birthday made her head ache.

It was always like this. Carsein would always cause trouble during family birthday celebrations, ruining the mood.

But today, he had been particularly irritating.

“You never change, do you?”

He had ripped her gift from her, then tossed a cheap replacement at her before leaving.

He had single-handedly turned the festive atmosphere into a disaster.

News of his actions had spread like wildfire.

Everyone was talking about Carsein, criticizing his behavior, questioning his status as a noble.

Some even declared that he lacked the qualities of a successor.

While she had managed to smooth things over, the unpleasant aftertaste lingered.

“You’ve made your move, so I won’t just stand by and do nothing, Carsein.”

She would fix his rotten attitude during the remaining two days of the tournament.

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