I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 199

Chapter 199: One Step Away (15)

Carsein’s words, sharp as thorns, were laced with a chilling indifference.

Goosebumps erupted across Flora’s skin.

Despite the warmth of spring, a sudden chill ran down her spine.

And as she watched him walk away, unable to utter a single word…

Flora froze, rooted to the spot.

“Oh my… He just… left? On his sister’s birthday?”

“That’s outrageous. Even commoners celebrate their family’s birthdays.”

“I heard something about a missing birthday present. Did he really leave because he didn't bring a gift?”

“Judging by the way he ran off, it seems likely.”

As the nobles began to gossip, their whispers echoing through the hall, Flora snapped out of her daze.

‘No, I can’t cry… If I cry, it’ll be true.’

It wouldn’t just be gossip.

They would accuse Carsein of humiliating the youngest daughter of the Bagrand Duchy, of making her cry. They would call him a commoner, a disgrace.

And her family…

Especially Arina and Isabella, would punish him severely.

She had to defend him, to prevent him from being further ostracized.

Flora forced back her tears and turned to face the crowd, her expression carefully neutral.

But she didn't know what to say.

‘How… How can I defend him?’

Should she say that Carsein had a reason for leaving? But this was a birthday party. What kind of excuse could she possibly offer?

Should she say that he had already celebrated her birthday? No, that wouldn't work. Leaving the party early contradicted the idea of having celebrated her birthday.

And the birthday present? He hadn’t given her one. He was already being suspected of not bringing a gift. Saying that he had already celebrated her birthday would only make things worse for him.

‘What should I do?’

Flora didn't know.

She had no idea how to navigate this situation. She lacked the knowledge, the experience, to prevent a repeat of the past.

As she stood there, her heart pounding with anxiety, a flash of pink caught her eye.

“Are you sure you should be saying those things?”

…Sister?

“Carsein hasn’t received a single reprimand from Princess Arsienne or Prince Florence during this entire symposium. He’s been working very hard. So is it really that wrong for him to leave because he’s tired?”

The nobles, who had been gleefully gossiping about Carsein, fell silent.

Flora, hidden behind her sister, looked up at Claire. Claire nodded reassuringly.

‘That’s it! I’ll go after him! I’ll escort him out!’

If she wanted to support Carsein’s excuse, she had to go after him. She had to show everyone that she, the birthday girl, had given him permission to leave.

“Excuse me, everyone. I’ll be right back!”

She called out cheerfully, and then turned to Claire, her voice filled with gratitude.

“Thank you, Sister.”

And then, she ran after Carsein.

-Tap, tap, tap.

Flora clutched the hem of her dress as she ran, her heart pounding.

Her sister had given her an opportunity, a chance to tell Carsein the truth.

About the past.

About her mistakes.

***

A long time ago…

I had done the same thing.

I had foolishly tried to give them gifts, hoping to earn their affection, to be accepted as a member of their family.

But after I came to my senses, I found myself being ostracized, ridiculed at my youngest sister’s birthday party, held at a resort.

It might have seemed different on the surface, but it was essentially the same.

Both Carsein and I had our time wasted at a birthday party.

And even if he had brought a gift, the only thing that would have made Flora happy was seeing him suffer, being scolded, and ultimately, disappearing from the party.

The similarities were uncanny.

The two birthday parties Carsein had endured, and my own experience…

And the way they were resolved…

It was all so eerily similar.

The only difference was that, unlike my youngest sister, Flora hadn't framed him twice.

That was a small consolation.

When I had watched the Memorial, it had been like reliving my own painful past, a bitter reminder of my foolishness. But now, having drawn a clear line and escaped the party, I felt a sense of relief.

I didn't care about their disapproval.

It was expected, anyway.

My mind raced, my thoughts sharp and clear.

Yes, I had to escape. I couldn’t stay here.

I had to minimize the time spent in that house and find a way out.

And to do that… I had to start with Shatrain. Just like when I had increased my income by taking on multiple part-time jobs, I had to gain complete control of both Lusmire and Shatrain.

As I walked away, I felt a presence behind me, arms wrapping around my body.

Could it be…? One of my family members?

“Carsein.”

I recognized the voice.

It wasn’t one of the Bagrands.

It was Harnie.

My fiancée.

“I… I saw everything.”

What?

“What happened to you at this party. So… I have a question.”

Harnie, her arms still wrapped around me, whispered in my ear,

“Why do you seem so indifferent?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I was already here. I saw everything. Everything you did. And I don’t understand. Why aren’t you upset? Why aren’t you angry? Why aren’t you crying? Why…”

-Squeeze.

“Why do you look so calm…?”

She tightened her embrace, her voice filled with concern.

Why did I look so calm?

It was obvious, wasn’t it?

“Because I am calm.”

Harnie released her hold on me.

She turned to face me, her expression a mixture of confusion and… concern?

She didn’t understand.

What was so strange about being calm?

“Oh my god… you… you’ve been like this… all this time…?”

Harnie’s hands reached out. Not to hit him, like his family would, but to gently caress his cheeks.

Her eyes were filled with tenderness.

“I’ve… I’ve experienced something similar, though not to the same extent. At a family birthday party, I was treated like a nuisance, like I didn’t belong. So… I understand. It should be painful. It should hurt. It should be agonizing!”

“It’s not painful. It doesn’t hurt.”

Pain?

This was pain?

“Being hit by my family is normal. If it hurt this much, I would have collapsed a long time ago.”

Harnie’s eyes widened, and then she shouted,

“That means you don’t even feel the pain anymore! You’ve become numb to it! Don’t you understand?!”

“…”

I didn’t understand.

I couldn't understand what was so strange about becoming numb to pain.

-Pull.

Suddenly, Harnie stood on her tiptoes and pulled my head down.

Her body pressed against mine, her warmth seeping through the fabric of her dress.

The chilling coldness that had enveloped me seemed to recede slightly.

“Harnie? What…”

“Don’t… hide your pain, Carsein. Don’t keep it bottled up.”

If something is wrong, you have to say it.

If you’re hurting, you have to express it.

Don’t endure it in silence. You have to speak up.

Harnie’s words, her tone… They were filled with a strange urgency.

I still didn’t understand.

I knew she wasn't the type to joke about this, but I couldn't comprehend what she was trying to say.

I thought about it, as she held me close, but…

I couldn't understand.

Why should I feel pain?

There were far worse things to endure.

Why should I feel hurt?

I had experienced far greater pain.

I didn’t understand.

***

“…”

I found him.

After searching for a while, Flora finally found Carsein.

He wasn’t far from the mansion.

But she couldn't bring herself to speak to him.

It wasn’t because she was afraid.

It wasn’t because she didn’t want to admit her mistake.

It wasn’t because she wanted to avoid the truth.

“Don’t… hide your pain, Carsein. Don’t keep it bottled up.”

It was because she had seen him, held in Harnie’s embrace.

And…

She remembered.

Her older sister’s words, spoken as she carried Flora on her back.

-…We shouldn’t do that, Flora.

-It might… hurt him even more.

She had to agree.

Her actions had only brought him pain, accusations, false accusations. She had never been able to prove his innocence. And it was the same now.

But…

Harnie… she could heal him.

Even the deepest, ugliest wounds. She could heal him with her warmth, her embrace.

Her sister had told her.

One step away.

-Tap, tap.

Flora watched them for a moment, and then turned and walked away.

She returned to the party and, with Claire’s help, managed to smooth things over.

The gossip and accusations directed at Carsein subsided, and the party continued.

But Flora couldn't enjoy herself anymore.

She forced a smile, but she was exhausted. She excused herself, claiming she was tired, and went to find a quiet place to be alone.

And then…

-Knock, knock.

She heard a knock and turned, hoping it wasn't anyone she knew.

But it was Claire, her sister, the one who had helped her earlier.

“Sob…”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Flora.”

If it had been anyone else, she would have asked them to leave.

But Claire was different.

“Um… What happened with… Carsein’s missing belongings…?”

She had been pretending to be okay, but there was one thing she couldn’t stop thinking about.

The incident with Carsein’s stolen items.

She had wanted to ask Arina, but had decided against it.

Claire, as if reading her mind, handed her something.

“…They found this in Carsein’s room. Flora.”

“This is…”

It was a trampled teddy bear.

“It was in his closet. Judging by its condition… it must be the one he tried to give you last year, for your birthday.”

“Gasp…!”

She saw the footprint in the center of the teddy bear.

She knew who had done it.

It was a gift.

A gift Carsein had tried to give someone.

And she knew who that someone was.

This cafe was the same place she had celebrated her birthday last year.

So… she had sold his belongings, mocked him, accused him of not bringing a gift… on his sister's birthday?

“Sob… Sob…”

Claire, seeing Flora’s tears, wrapped her arms around her younger sister, offering a silent embrace.

Flora, finally finding comfort in her sister’s arms, began to cry uncontrollably.

“I… I did it again… Sob… I did something bad… I hurt him… again…”

I did it again. I did something bad. I hurt Carsein.

She repeated those words, over and over again.

Each confession, a painful admission of her past sins.

-Ding!

▶ Additional condition met. ◀

[ 4. Flora discovers the trampled teddy bear in Carsein's closet. ] ☑

▶ Changes applied due to meeting the additional condition. ◀

▶ Achieved an outcome beyond the given choices! ◀

[ Attention Level locked at 0%. ]

[ Completion Rate locked at 100%. ]

[ Due to the changes in the gauges, the Attention Level penalty has been removed. ]

[ False accusations have been cleared, and the affinity of a specific character has increased. ]

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