I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 244

Chapter 244: I Need to Make Money (1)

“…”

Harnie, having disembarked from the carriage, stood silently.

The coachman was surprised, to say the least.

Her expression was unlike anything he had seen before.

He wondered if something good had happened during the trip.

Harnie walked towards the building, her steps light, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

It wasn't hard to understand why. The memories of the school trip were still fresh in her mind.

-Of course.

“Ah.”

Carsein’s voice echoed in her thoughts, causing her to flinch.

Her face flushed, a warmth spreading through her. She couldn’t help but fidget, her body betraying her nervousness.

She had repeatedly buried her face in her hands while riding in the carriage, trying to cool down her burning cheeks.

And a part of her was disappointed.

“It… it should have been longer.”

There hadn’t been a single problem during their time together.

She had given Carsein her gift, repaying the debt she owed him.

She had extended their contract, ensuring they would spend more time together.

And… there had been that other thing.

Everything had gone perfectly on the school trip.

It had been the best trip she had ever taken, and the memory of her first experience at the beach was unforgettable.

But it had been too short.

That was the only flaw.

-Click.

As she entered the Plesia Trading Company building, Mina greeted her, as always.

“Welcome back, Lady Harnie. How was the school trip—”

Mina’s eyes widened.

‘Oh my?’

Harnie usually arrived at the trading company with a troubled expression.

Sometimes, she wore a mask of stoic indifference.

Other times, she would grit her teeth in frustration.

And on the days she visited the Theresia estate, she would sigh deeply.

Occasionally, she would appear slightly more cheerful, either sighing with relief or expressing enthusiasm for an upcoming project.

But this… this was different.

She had her hand over her mouth.

Her beautiful face was frozen in a moment of… something.

Then, she smiled softly.

This was truly remarkable.

‘She seems happier than I’ve ever seen her. My lady?’

Mina smiled knowingly.

It was time to inquire about the details.

She decided to start with a simple question.

“My lady, was the swimsuit effective?”

Harnie visibly flinched.

Seeing her startled reaction, Mina knew she had struck a nerve.

“Effective? Th-the swimsuit was too much… I-it wasn’t an appropriate gift…!”

Harnie fanned herself, flustered, stammering about the swimsuit's design, its revealing nature.

‘Oh, my dear lady. You’re not very good at lying.’

Mina knew her mistress well.

This was a positive sign.

The gift had been a success!

‘But her reaction… it’s different. More intense.’

She was more flustered.

More tongue-tied.

Mina couldn’t resist probing further.

She casually tossed out another bait.

“Oh? I meant, was it effective as a product?”

“Huh?”

“It’s a swimsuit, a product. You’re in the clothing business, too. Perhaps this is an opportunity to expand into swimwear. I simply meant, you were testing the product yourself, to see if it was viable. What’s wrong with that?”

“Ah… um… y-yes. About that… as a swimsuit…”

Harnie, unable to escape Mina’s carefully worded trap, was at a loss for words.

‘Yes. This is it.’

Her gift to Carsein had clearly been a success.

There was no need to beat around the bush.

Why agonize over something so obvious, when the young master had clearly captured her heart?

Mina decided to be direct.

“Lady Harnie. How did the young master react?”

“Wh-what?”

“The swimsuit you gave him. He must have had a reaction, right?”

“Th-there was nothing special!”

Mina refused to let Harnie’s denial go unchallenged.

“Are you sure you even showed it to him? After everything? You didn't just throw away that perfect chance, did you? To give him such a special gift, as his fiancée? And you can't even tell me his reaction? Really?”

Mina leaned in closer with each question, her voice teasing but persistent.

Harnie, her ears burning red, finally relented.

“He… he said I looked pretty… We had a moment alone on the beach… and I showed it to him then.”

Yes! Spill it all, my lady!

“And that’s all?”

“…He said it suited me.”

“Is that really it? Didn’t he do anything? Make any gestures?”

“…”

Prodded by Mina, Harnie hesitated, then…

She confessed everything.

“He… he held me. He said he didn’t want anyone else to see me like that… And…”

Oh my.

This was a major development.

Mina covered her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise.

***

“And then he said he’d extend our contract… That’s… that’s it…”

Mina’s mouth, which had been covered, now hung open.

The story was more surprising than she could have imagined.

It was like something out of a romance novel.

It was passionate.

And sweet.

And she realized it was time.

“My lady. You have feelings for the young master, don’t you?”

“Wh-wh-what are you talking about?!”

“Hah. My lady. Do you know how happy you look whenever you’re with him?”

“Huh…?”

“You make expressions you’ve never shown us before. When you’re discussing work, and his name comes up, you light up like a flower in bloom. Sometimes, when you’re looking at paperwork, you’ll suddenly start smiling to yourself. All of this… it’s all changed since you met him.”

Harnie’s shoulders trembled. She hadn't realized how obvious she had been.

Mina gently took Harnie’s hands in hers, and delivered the final blow.

“You’re always thinking about him, aren’t you? You’re constantly reminded of him. You have feelings for him, don’t you? Don’t you?”

“I… I…”

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you? With young master Carsein.”

Young love was a beautiful thing.

But it was time for her to be more proactive, to stop simply admiring from afar.

Mina decided to give her a little push.

“If you don’t express your feelings, you might lose him to another woman.”

“…What?”

“Young master Carsein is a handsome man. He has a good title, and he’s not lacking in ability. He’s young, tall, and well-built. In a way, he’s the perfect man. Do you honestly think other women won't notice that?”

“…”

It seemed Harnie had already experienced this firsthand.

Good. That would make things easier.

“There are plenty of women who are actively pursuing the men they want. If you don’t act, you might lose him, my lady.”

Mina huffed, urging Harnie on, and Harnie swallowed hard.

“Wh-what should I do…?”

“You need to capture his heart, my lady!”

The upcoming Golden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament.

It would be the perfect opportunity to bring them closer together.

***

-Thud.

I sighed and closed the document.

My head was still pounding.

I had failed to save someone in the past, and that person had died.

Just like the message about my choices determining someone’s fate, this was full of unanswered questions.

“No. More importantly, this entire situation is strange.”

The traces of the Wederos Kingdom, the special reward, this cryptic message… what did it all mean?

Was it really related to clearing the game?

I was starting to doubt it.

“Enough. I need to focus on the episode.”

The Prophet had disappeared without a trace, and there was nothing more to learn about the Wederos Kingdom.

On the other hand, I had a task at hand.

▶ You have chosen <Territory> as your method of acquiring funds for <Another Plan>. ◀

▶ Stage 1 objective: Acquire 100,000 Pesel. ◀

I needed to make money.

Enough to repay my debt to the Duchy.

-Neigh!

“Young Master, we’ve arrived at the Duchy.”

-Ding!

▶ Your return to the Duchy has been delayed. ◀

▶ Penalty for late return applied. ◀

“Tsk.”

I hadn’t learned anything new.

And now, a penalty.

It was frustrating, but there was nothing I could do.

I had a general idea of what this episode entailed, so it should be fine.

▶ Isabella has come to greet you. ◀

The penalty this time was handled by Isabella.

Depending on the situation, she could be the most difficult, or the easiest, to deal with.

I would have to choose my words carefully.

I dismounted the carriage, my expression carefully neutral.

[Isabella Bagrand]

[Affinity: 75%]

The Duchess was standing there, watching me.

Her affinity hadn’t dropped yet.

However…

“Hah. You’re finally back.”

Damn it. Of all the times for Arina to show up. This was a predetermined event.

“What took you so long?”

-Ding!

▶ You must answer Arina’s question. ◀

[ 1. I was with my fiancée. ]

[ 2. Why? Is it wrong to meet with people from the West? ]

[ 3. Does it matter that I was managing my territory? ]

Any of these choices would lower her affinity.

Isabella had been waiting for hours, so no matter what I said, it wouldn't justify my tardiness.

And the three sisters were the same.

Arina, Claire, and Flora had all arrived much earlier, and I hadn't contacted them. This was a clear penalty.

‘Well, it’s better to deal with one of them than all three.’

I decided to choose option 1.

▶ Choices have been deactivated. ◀

“Enough, Arina.”

“But, Mother!”

“He might have simply wanted to enjoy himself a little longer. Don’t be so harsh.”

Arina tried to reprimand me, but Isabella intervened.

This was unexpected.

It seemed the choices had been deactivated because of this.

Let’s test it.

“I apologize. I had some matters to attend to in the territory.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s understandable, considering your responsibilities.”

I was testing the waters, but Isabella seemed genuinely unbothered.

This was a good sign.

“Everyone’s gathered, so let’s have dinner. I had it prepared in advance.”

Since the entire family was present, Isabella, as usual, suggested we have dinner together.

-Ding!

[ 1. Have dinner together. ]

[ 2. Decline and eat alone. ]

To maintain affinity, it would be best to accept.

But I prioritized time over affinity.

“I’ll pass. I already ate.”

“…I see.”

Isabella’s voice was tinged with disappointment.

Arina frowned, and as expected, her affinity decreased.

▶ Arina’s affinity has decreased. ◀

[Current level: 28%]

Oh well. I could always raise it later.

The problem was the other two…

‘Hmm?’

[Claire Bagrand]

[Affinity: 80%]

[Flora Bagrand]

[Affinity: 70%]

Normally, their affinity would have dropped as well, but…

Were they in a good mood? Did they not care?

‘Whatever. I don’t need to worry about them right now.’

I didn’t have to eat with them. If I was hungry later, I could always ask Camilla to bring me something.

“I’ll retire to my room.”

“Alright. You must be tired after your trip. Get some rest.”

I returned to my room and pretended to work, writing with a pen and paper.

I was ‘pretending’ because I had a visitor coming.

-Knock, knock.

“Young Master, you have a guest.”

There it was.

If I had gone to dinner, I would have received this message there. But since I had declined, the message was delivered to my room instead.

‘It’s probably about the Golden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament.’

The visitor was random.

Depending on my affinity, it could be easy or difficult, but it was completely luck-based.

“Tell them to come in.”

The door opened, and Arina entered.

Of course. The most troublesome one.

I put down my pen and asked,

“What is it?”

“Here.”

-Thud.

“We would have discussed this at dinner, but Mother insisted on restoring your privileges, since you performed well in the symposium. However, I can’t simply overlook your past behavior.”

A familiar line.

“So, I will be observing your conduct during the upcoming Golden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament.”

-Ding!

▶ Arina has presented you with a contract regarding your participation in the Golden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament. Signing it will automatically trigger Episode II: Proving Your Worth. ◀

[ 1. Sign ]

[ 2. Refuse ]

“Signing this will confirm your participation in the tournament. If you can demonstrate your worthiness and maintain proper conduct, I will return all the privileges I previously revoked—”

-Scribble, scribble.

I picked up my pen, not even bothering to listen to the rest of her explanation.

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