I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Sponsor Designation (4)

The three sisters entered the room first.

Carsein, after a brief conversation with his fiancée outside, entered last.

Arina, as if ready for this, crossed her arms and began her interrogation.

"I thought you were starting to show some improvement. But you’re still the same, aren't you?"

“...!”

"Sister!"

"Both of you, be quiet. He's the one who said he was leaving because he had business to attend to rather than cause a commotion in front of Mother."

Flora flinched, and Claire, having a different opinion, tried to stop Arina.

However, Arina brought up the earlier incident again, rebuking Carsein.

"You promised you wouldn't cause this kind of commotion. You disobeyed the order to stay with family because problems could arise, went off alone, and now have you forgotten your promise to us?"

Arina pressed him, her voice low and threatening.

Carsein accepted what was coming and calmly replied.

Yes. I promised. But even so, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

"What?"

"Let me ask you something. Arina, do you remember what happened at last year's martial arts tournament social gathering?"

"How could I forget that?"

Arina scoffed.

"That was the day you caused trouble, Carsein. Yes, just like today, you beat someone up."

"You remember well. Then do you also remember what I said that day?"

"Of course I do."

Just like always, he had lied, saying someone had been badmouthing him.

Arina answered.

"Then you should also remember what state I was in. Do you remember?"

"...What?"

"You said I came back after fighting. Do you remember what state I was in?"

That…

She didn't remember.

What state had Carsein been in?

"...He came back with several cuts, as if made by something sharp."

Claire's voice came from beside her, and Arina whipped her head around.

"The clothes he was wearing that day were made by me. That's how I know."

"What are you saying..."

"I saw it too, eldest sister. He was bleeding a lot... Carsein collapsed that day."

Flora's testimony followed. With her two younger sisters' words, Arina finally recalled Carsein's appearance that day.

Even though he had beaten someone up, Carsein had returned with many injuries.

His clothes were torn and cut in many places.

His body was covered in blood.

And when he was about to be scolded.

He had collapsed, and they had to urgently call for Shaiden.

"..."

Recalling the past, she turned her gaze back to Carsein.

"What, are you interested now? In what happened that day, and why I acted the way I did?"

"If something like that happened, you should have explained—"

"I couldn't. Because of you."

Carsein cut her off, his voice filled with a cold chill.

"You've always been like this, Arina. No matter what happened, whenever I tried to explain anything, you always said I was lying."

"…!"

"So this time, I won't say anything. So, think whatever you want."

-Rustle.

Something fell from Carsein's pocket as he stood up.

In that instant, Claire and Flora's hearts dropped.

That object was…

A pair of tailor's shears.

‘This… C-could it be that Carsein was…’

‘That he was stabbed with something sharp and came back bleeding…!’

Blood, once warm, was now dried and caked on the surface of the shears.

Frayed threads were also caught on the handle.

It was clear evidence of what had happened that day.

Anyone could understand the implications.

-Click.

Carsein chuckled and left the room, leaving behind the bloodied tailor's shears.

Despite being midsummer, a cold chill lingered in the space he left behind.

"Hah. He's trying to manipulate us again with this… Fine. I'll just have to report this to Mother."

"Sister, wait. Something feels off about this."

“…Claire?”

"What if it wasn't Carsein's fault?"

"I-I also! I also think so!"

Arina was puzzled, but her two younger sisters had realized something.

-Ding!

▶ Sub-episode: The Conspiracy at the Social Gathering has been cleared. ◀

▶ Penalties have been removed. ◀

***

Being falsely accused was a daily occurrence.

Conversations that started with accusations instead of questions.

Punishments without a chance for explanation.

I was used to it.

Whenever something happened, I would always be blamed, and the investigation process was more like an interrogation.

It was unpleasant that the same thing had happened here.

But this time, it was different.

Perhaps it could have been resolved more easily. Really.

The people of Lusmire and Shatrain openly supported me.

The people of the West, Lilpeton and Ipheros, gave their accounts.

Because of them, the atmosphere in the gathering hall was shifting.

So, while it wouldn't have worked in the game, I could have at least tried to explain myself this time. I could have told them that the guy had dared to insult my fiancée.

Well. I might have even been able to prove my innocence.

But I didn't.

I knew it would be pointless, even if I told them.

That was my conclusion, based on my experience.

They wouldn't listen, even if I tried to explain my distress.

Even if I claimed to have a reason, their stubborn ears would never open.

So I won't tell them.

I'll keep it bottled up, buried deep inside, never to be revealed. That would be the perfect ending.

And I especially didn't want any help from this family. We would be strangers soon enough, wouldn't we?

As I thought this, I reached into my pocket, only to find it empty.

"...Did I drop it somewhere?"

I was going to throw it away.

Oh well. It didn't matter if I lost it. I could just consider it discarded.

Meanwhile.

Some noble ladies who spotted me coming out crowded around.

It looked like I was going to have to deal with them.

I was getting tired of this.

But then.

"Young Master, do you have a moment?"

Unexpectedly, the ladies spoke to me differently.

"There's a small ball being held upstairs. We were wondering if you would join us..."

"You don't have a partner, do you?"

"Could you perhaps spare us each a dance?"

…What was this?

Some kind of new hazing event?

No. Forget it.

I'll just turn them down.

"Dancing or whatever, I—"

"Carsein!"

Just then, Harnie came towards me, walking briskly.

…She seemed to be smiling more brightly than usual.

Ah. I could see what was coming.

If she approached me with that expression…

-Shuffle.

“I was wondering where you were. So you were here? Surrounded. By. Ladies.”

“…”

“We have something to discuss, don’t we?”

“Y-yes…”

Damn it.

If I made a mistake now, I was in for a beating.

***

Following Claire and Flora's opinion that it might not be Carsein's fault, they decided to investigate this incident further in that room.

There were plenty of witnesses.

"We heard everything! That bastard dared to say such things about our lord's future wife!"

"How could we not know when he openly said she was just an illegitimate child?!"

"He even said she was a freeloader who couldn't even get proper treatment in her own house!"

"He said she had no skills or talent, and he called our lord a commoner of the Bagrand Duchy...! He not only insulted the lady, but he also insulted the young master. It was truly justified for the young master to punch him!"

The people of Lusmire.

And Shatrain.

Carsein's territories all gave consistent testimonies, insisting that their lord's actions were justified.

"Hmph. As those treated as barbarians rather than nobles, we know that feeling all too well."

"If it were us, we would have ripped his mouth off."

In addition, the allied Ipheros and Lilpeton were much the same, and

"Isn't it normal to be upset when your fiancée is being insulted?

A few of the nobles offered testimonies in support of Carsein.

Thus, a full-scale investigation began.

Mark and Radiel, who had been assigned to Carsein's security, found damning evidence while following the man who had insulted him.

"We followed the man who insulted the young master and the lady, and found him scheming with these."

"This is an item that Young Master Carsein carries. It was confirmed that he was applying Kelbia fruit juice to it."

The testimonies of the fiercely loyal people of his territories.

The testimonies of the Westerners, who had formed a strong bond of trust and cooperation with Carsein.

The unbiased testimonies of the nobles in the gathering hall.

Finally, the discovery of decisive evidence.

It was now beyond a doubt.

Arina, contrary to her expectations, confirmed that Carsein was not at fault and was taken aback. She then instructed the two to take action against those who had insulted Carsein.

Belatedly, Carsein was cleared of the false accusations thanks to the help of those around him.

But Claire was still dissatisfied.

It was because of Arina's methods.

Claire, who had been holding back, finally spoke up.

"Sister, don't you think this is a bit much?"

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"Just listening to the witnesses' testimony should have been enough. You could have started investigating after hearing just one or two people say the Bagrands were insulted. Was there any need for the investigation to drag on this late?"

That was the part she couldn't understand.

"His fiancée was insulted right in front of him. Anyone would react the same way. If I had a fiancé and that fiancé was being subjected to all sorts of insults right in front of me, I would have stepped up immediately. That's natural whether as a noble or as a member of the Bagrand Duchy."

"Haa. Claire. We also have to consider the possibility that Carsein might have lied."

"Sister!"

Claire immediately retorted.

"Yes, there's a possibility that Carsein might have lied. But there's also a possibility that he wasn't at fault, isn't there?"

"..."

"You can tell just by looking at those two! They're close enough to have secret meetings. And they were together the whole time during the school trip. Does that sound like a lie to you!"

"...If that brat's usual behavior had been different, I wouldn't have doubted him."

"Sister!"

"You know what happened last year. He beat another young lord, claiming that he had been insulted, and he suffered a penalty because of it. He tarnished the honor of the nobility and the reputation of the Bagrand family."

As soon as last year was mentioned, Claire bit her lip and sharply retorted to Arina.

"Did you know that he didn't do anything wrong last year, either?"

"Claire, I told you, last year Carsein—"

-Clatter!

"These! Shaiden examined them, and it's Carsein's blood! It means he was stabbed with a tailor's shears!"

"...What?"

"Those torn clothes were likely to have been caused by another tool, not by hand. Because I personally worked on the fabric of those clothes! In other words, isn't it likely that he punched the guy because he cut his clothes with scissors while insulting him?"

"..."

"Sister, you're really strange. This is really hard to accept. In my opinion, both last year and this year, it doesn't seem like Carsein did anything wrong! But why do you keep framing it like Carsein was at fault from the start?"

-Bang!

Claire, furious, slammed the door shut with her hand.

Flora, who had been watching, also carefully spoke up.

"Um, eldest sister. This time... I also think that younger sister is right. Knowing about the Kelbia fruit... it seems like they were deliberately trying to provoke him."

The door opened once more.

And Flora left the room.

Alone, Arina let out a deep sigh.

"...I didn't know something like that was hidden."

Since they must be upset, perhaps I should give them proper compensation.

-Ding!

▶ Hidden Episode: The Truth of Last Year's Social Gathering has been cleared. ◀

▶ The public opinion that Carsein should be punished has disappeared. ◀

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