I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 241

Chapter 241: School Trip (4)

Arsienne’s first game, mana dodgeball, had ended.

She smiled inwardly, clapping her hands in silent glee.

‘What a magnificent comeback.’

When Carsein had foolishly saved that other noblewoman, she had clicked her tongue, anticipating a frosty conclusion. But things hadn’t turned out that way.

Having witnessed that scene, Harnie had become a force of nature, her power amplified by a surge of jealousy. The scorned woman’s fury had swept across the playing field, eliminating her opponents one by one.

The unexpected turning point had been triggered by none other than the oblivious Carsein.

‘And what a dramatic finish. You truly are something else.’

The moment of danger, the near elimination due to his carelessness.

The man, shielding the woman with his own body.

Countless women had gasped, their hearts fluttering at the sight.

He had captured their hearts, and she couldn't help but wonder how the woman he had saved felt. This incident would surely become the talk of the social circles.

Arsienne glanced at the two of them as she explained the next game.

The man, exhausted after protecting the woman, his head resting in her lap.

While the man remained oblivious, the woman’s ears were tinged with pink.

Arsienne grinned.

‘Hmm. Perhaps I should adjust the schedule slightly.’

It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity.

“Don’t be discouraged if your scores are low. There are still plenty of games left. So, for the next game, let’s play volleyball!”

While she had originally planned for a series of individual competitions, she decided to change things up.

***

▶ Emergency Mission I: Mana Dodgeball has ended. ◀

▶ Awarding victory points. ◀

▶ Awarding bonus points for highest defense score and survival time. ◀

The first game concluded.

▶ Emergency Mission II: Mana Volleyball has ended. ◀

▶ Awarding victory points. ◀

▶ Ranked first in contribution. Awarding bonus points. ◀

The next game was volleyball.

It was volleyball played with mana, so it was slightly different from what I was used to, but I quickly adapted.

I ended up on the same team as Harnie, and we worked together, coordinating our attacks. I recalled the volleyball strategies I had learned in gym class, and applied them to the game.

▶ Emergency Mission III: Mana Tail Tag has ended. ◀

▶ Emergency Mission IV: Mana Sandcastle Battle has ended. ◀

▶ Emergency Mission V: Mana — has ended. ◀

…

…

The next game.

And the next.

The games continued.

While I had initially intended to just go through the motions, being on the same team as Harnie every time made that impossible.

She was far too enthusiastic.

In any case, the nobles, regardless of gender, weren’t particularly athletic. The knight trainees and active knights were somewhat different, and individuals like Claire, Arina, and Flora, who possessed considerable strength and magic, were simply annoying to deal with.

After a series of victories and defeats, the final game concluded.

And I finally understood the reason for this series of seemingly random games.

‘These are rigged.’

-The next game will be played in pairs!

-Pairs?

-You mean… male and female?

-Yes. You must form male-female pairs to participate.

I had started to feel something was off after the volleyball game.

The tournament format had suddenly shifted to male-female pairs.

Well, I suppose that could have been the original format.

Team composition could significantly affect the outcome of a game, couldn’t it? And the maximum number of players per team was relatively small, so it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

But then…

-Male-male and female-female pairs are prohibited in Tail Tag due to balance issues.

They arbitrarily changed the rules.

-Teams with multiple players, or individual participants, are allowed, but I suggest you consider how the Mana Sandcastles will react to your mana.

They had clearly rigged the games to favor male-female pairs.

‘Alright, fine. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume these rules were implemented for balance purposes.’

But the last few games were ridiculous.

A three-legged race with obstacles flying at you?

Having to support each other on a slippery slope?

Having the man carry the woman up a mountain?

These games were clearly not designed for pairs. Not originally.

This was a blatant attempt to force me and Harnie together.

“Oh ho! Carsein is in first place. Well, he’s been consistently earning high scores. Not surprising.”

Seriously? Your Highness?

You rigged the games, and you’re surprised by the outcome?

“Hmm, yes. He won every two-person game, regardless of the team composition. A predictable result.”

Excuse me, Prince Florence?

You changed the rules mid-tournament to force us into pairs, didn't you?

-Smirk.

Seriously, these two…

I sighed, looking at Arsienne and Florence, who were exchanging knowing glances.

‘…Well, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.’

While I hadn’t had fond memories of school trips, this one wasn’t so bad.

While the nobles who hadn’t performed well were still glaring at me, it didn’t bother me.

-That was fun, wasn’t it?

Somehow, ending up on the same team as Jieun had made it… a unique experience.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?”

And once again, I found myself giving the same response.

“Yes. It was.”

-Ding!

▶ All Emergency Missions completed. ◀

▶ Distributing rewards based on ranking. ◀

***

Several nobles, displeased with the outcome, glared at me.

Just like back then.

I could hear them, loud and clear. Even though they were only looking at me, I could hear their thoughts.

‘But what can you do about it?’

This was an Imperial event.

I hadn’t cheated, I hadn’t done anything wrong.

If you’re so jealous, why don’t you get isekai’d into a Korean novel?!

“Are you… alright?”

“Oh, yes.”

As they glared, Harnie leaned against me.

And their expressions twisted in disgust.

“Tsk!”

“Ugh, disgusting.”

“They’re practically glued to each other.”

“Some people come to a competition to flirt. Tsk.”

…Wait a minute.

Was that… not the intention?

Had I misunderstood something?

I scratched my head and looked away.

“But there are two winners, Your Highness.”

One of the nobles raised his hand.

“You said the prizes would be different based on our ranking in the school trip… so… what happens now?”

The other nobles murmured in agreement.

“That’s right. There are two participants with the same score… so there are two winners?”

“No! First and second place are different. Unless they achieved the highest possible score, they should both be ranked second.”

“Then there’s no winner? Who gets the grand prize?”

“They can just split the first and second place prizes.”

“Split the prizes? That’s ridiculous!”

Seriously? I was already annoyed by the Imperial Family’s meddling.

And now they were arguing about the rankings? What a mess.

-Clap!

Arsienne clapped her hands, drawing the nobles’ attention.

“I understand your concerns. Yes, having two first-place winners, or two second-place winners, is problematic. And the prizes cannot be divided.”

One faction nodded in agreement.

A clear and logical conclusion. But what made this so frustrating…

Was the fact that this, too, was part of Arsienne and Florence’s plan.

…Because they were smiling.

Glancing back and forth between me and Harnie.

‘I can’t let them keep doing this.’

If I kept playing along, they would never stop.

“Then why not decide the winner here and now?”

“That would be the ideal solution, but…”

“How? Are they going to compete again?”

“That would be problematic. The competition can’t be too one-sided.”

There was no need for another competition.

“I’ll take second place.”

***

The first and second place commotion ended just like that.

While things hadn't gone exactly as planned for Arsienne and Florence, they seemed satisfied with my decision, their smiles indicating approval. They concluded the day's events.

And the prizes… were a joke.

“Um… a campfire pass?”

“A hotel resort pass and a spa pass…?”

“A camping tent and lighting pass? Seriously…?”

Items that were clearly meant to be shared.

That’s what the prizes were.

The first and second place prizes were a barbecue party pass and various ingredients, things that were essential for this type of event.

Essentially, there were no real prizes.

“Are you disappointed? I believe the opportunity to enjoy yourselves together is the true prize. My brother and I share that sentiment.”

She delivered a heartfelt speech about how these young nobles, despite the competitive nature of the symposium, were essentially friends, and that this trip was a chance for them to bond.

The student council president and vice president had said something similar to avoid giving out proper prizes back then as well.

…I decided to just let it slide.

In any case, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and we were finally given some free time.

Bright red meat sizzled on the grills.

The barbecue party was accompanied by a crackling campfire.

Fireworks. Relaxation. Small recreational activities.

The school trip night unfolded, following a familiar pattern.

The sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and red.

The ocean and the sand, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, were beautiful.

As I listened to the gentle lapping of waves against the shore, I finally felt a sense of peace.

“Ahem! Carsein. There you are.”

I turned around to see Harnie, her fist pressed against her lips, feigning a cough.

But the way she looked…

“May I sit next to you?”

“Of course.”

No, this wasn’t right.

I had been momentarily captivated by her appearance. I quickly composed myself and changed the subject.

“I was just lost in thought.”

“…Is that so?”

-Whoosh.

“Shall we take a walk? I have something to discuss with you.”

“Alright.”

So we began our stroll along the beach.

“Why haven’t you asked?” Harnie asked.

“Asked what?”

“You have something to ask me.”

Something to ask her?

Me?

‘Ah, right.’

She had mentioned giving me a gift, to repay the debt she owed me.

Right. I had completely forgotten.

“Did you… forget? I said I would give you a present.”

“Um…”

How did she know?

Harnie’s eyes narrowed.

I had to say something.

I didn’t want to be subjected to another backhand spike, especially not after narrowly avoiding one earlier today.

What should I say?

My mind, in its infinite wisdom, came up with a brilliant response.

“Sh-should I… give you swimming lessons?”

Ugh. Idiot.

Why would I say that now?!

Just as I was about to backpedal, trying to salvage the situation, Harnie grabbed my arm.

“Yes. Teach me.”

And then, she started walking towards the ocean, as if she was actually going to take swimming lessons.

…Wait.

Seriously? That worked?

I was relieved.

But… this wasn’t right.

“Wait a minute, Harnie. You’re wearing a dress, not a swimsuit.”

I realized, a bit too late, that she couldn’t possibly learn to swim in that. We stopped just as the hem of her dress grazed the water.

And then…

My body tilted sideways.

“Gotcha!”

“Whoa!”

-Splash!

Salty seawater filled my mouth.

I sputtered, spitting out the seawater, and looked up to see Harnie, equally drenched, grinning mischievously.

“You forgot. That’s your punishment. Hmph.”

…But this wasn’t right.

I quickly pulled her into an embrace, shielding her from view.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Shh. Let’s go.”

Seriously? Where was I supposed to look?

I had been worried about her wearing a dress, but I hadn’t expected this.

The wet fabric clung to her body, outlining her undergarments.

“Let’s go somewhere where you can change. I’ll lend you some of my clothes. They’re… less revealing.”

I explained, and Harnie smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Oh, so that’s the problem? My clothes?”

“…!”

She pushed me back into the shallow water, then straddled me, pinning me down.

…Up until this point, her actions had been confusing, her intentions unclear.

But then, she did something even more unexpected.

“Wh-what are you doing?! Why are you taking that off?!”

“Why? Don’t you like it? We’re engaged. It’s normal to see each other like this.”

“That’s not the same thing!”

You’re not really my fiancée, we’re just contractually obligated!

I protested, but Harnie simply shrugged and pulled her dress over her head.

I had nowhere to look.

The delicate curve of her collarbone, visible beneath the loosened choker, the thin black straps of something peeking out.

The ample swell of her breasts, no longer confined by the loose fabric of her dress, was now clearly visible.

And below…

The straps of something pressed against the smooth skin of her thighs.

A thin, barely-there strip of fabric covered the most essential parts.

It was barely clothing.

And yet, Harnie continued to smile, as if this was perfectly normal.

And then, I realized.

That wasn’t lingerie.

“Did you figure it out?”

“Hah… So that’s why you were so confident. That’s what it was.”

“Ahaha. Too bad. I don’t get to see that flustered expression of yours very often. You figured out what a ‘swimsuit’ is a little too quickly.”

…Right. This, too, was considered a swimsuit in my world.

While the swimsuits in this world were completely different, bikinis were a perfectly acceptable form of swimwear where I came from.

But this was rather daring. A bit reckless, even.

The mischievous glint in her eyes faded, replaced by a shy blush.

…But then.

“Th-this is your present.”

Harnie’s hands, which had been covering her chest, moved.

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