I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 186

Chapter 186: One Step Away (2)

The two men were sweating.

They had missed hitting him with the pottery shard, but seeing Carsein enter the seed warehouse, they thought they had found an opportunity.

Carsein already had a terrible reputation.

They could use this opportunity to discredit him, to weaken his authority, to expel him from the territory.

“You can’t just take those seeds! Even if you’re the temporary lord! That’s stealing!”

“That’s right! Put them back! You’re a thief!”

But the moment they voiced their accusations…

Carsein’s response left them speechless.

“Shatrain strawberries and Shatrain grapes require regular thinning because their seeds absorb mana. And you have to remove some of the seeds during that process. Is that wrong?”

“…!”

They had assumed Carsein wouldn’t know anything about Shatrain, that he wouldn't even understand the purpose of the warehouse.

But his words, his explanation, were irrefutable.

The act of thinning the seeds was a legitimate practice, and the removal of some seeds was necessary due to their mana absorption.

Only those who lived in Shatrain, those who had experience cultivating these specialties, would know this.

How could they possibly accuse him of stealing?

The two men exchanged glances.

‘Hey!’

‘Yeah, this isn’t working!’

They had to retreat.

Whether he had studied, or obtained the information elsewhere, their plan had failed.

But they couldn’t escape.

“Ha. What the hell is going on here?”

Bright pink bangs framed a pair of cold, piercing blue eyes.

“Gasp!”

“L-Lady Claire…”

The Second Daughter of the Bagrand Duchy.

They had been overheard.

***

‘I knew it.’

They had dared to accuse the temporary lord of stealing.

And not just stealing, but stealing seeds that needed to be thinned due to their mana absorption. A perfectly legitimate practice.

The tables had turned.

I could have pressed further, escalated the situation, and demanded compensation, just like when they had accused me of mismanaging the fields.

I could have even used this opportunity to expand my authority within the territory, using my Agent’s skills.

But things didn't go as planned.

-Ding!

▶ Character intrusion event triggered! ◀

▶ Target: Claire! ◀

▶ Choose an option. ◀

A character intrusion event had occurred.

If it had been a familiar event, I could have chosen the correct option and proceeded accordingly. But this wasn’t a scripted event.

The recruitment of the second Agent had been significantly accelerated, and this location, this scene… it wasn't supposed to happen. I had only come here because Trisha had told me about the improved seeds.

And now, a character intrusion event? With Claire, no less? This added another layer of complexity, another set of variables.

There were too many unknowns. And with a choice attached to the event, it was likely a trap, a potential death flag. I had to be careful.

‘First, I need to assess the situation. It’s Claire, isn’t it?’

Knowing her temper, she would probably jump straight to accusing me of wrongdoing.

I had to choose an option that would minimize the damage.

[ 3. I admit, it looks bad. Considering my past actions, it’s understandable for them to suspect me of stealing. ] ☑

“I admit, it looks bad. Considering my past actions, it’s understandable for them to suspect me of stealing.”

They were going to accuse me anyway.

So I might as well preemptively admit my fault, to minimize the damage.

“Who in Shatrain would have expected this? They probably thought I was stealing, just like at the Duchy.”

I didn’t care about their insults anymore. They couldn't hurt me. But I had to draw a line.

“If you want to scold me, do it at the Duchy. This is the symposium.”

I was the temporary lord of Shatrain, and anything that happened here was my responsibility.

This would probably lower Claire’s affinity, but she could yell at me later, back at the Duchy.

But…

“Scold you? Ha. What the hell are you talking about?”

Claire glared at me, her eyes blazing.

“Or is there something else going on? Tell me. I’m listening.”

“You…”

What? This wasn’t like her.

She always looked down on me, criticized my every action, and yet, she was silent.

“Damn it, I’ll deal with these bastards myself!”

I stepped in front of Claire, blocking her path.

“What are you doing? Move.”

“Like I said, anything that happens in this territory is my responsibility. You have no authority here, Claire.”

“You idiot!”

Claire, unable to contain her anger any longer, cursed.

“I’m not here to accuse you of stealing! These bastards are trying to frame you!”

Ha. This idiot, knowing the truth, was still acting like this… No, wait. She was targeting them, wasn’t she?

“Hey, you two.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Get out of here.”

“Hey, Carsein!”

“Eek!”

“I said get out. Or do you want to be arrested?”

The two men, their faces pale, quickly scurried away. I had successfully separated them.

“Ha, Carsein, you…!”

Claire, her fury reignited, grabbed me by the collar.

“Are you insane?! You’re just letting them go?!”

“Do you want me to rip their tongues out? Is that what you want?”

“Of course! You’re a Bagrand! They have no right to accuse you of anything!”

Her words made my blood run cold.

“I can’t just ignore this. I’m going after them. Move.”

This was absurd.

I laughed, my gaze fixed on the choice window.

-Ding!

[ 1. I’m the temporary lord of this territory. ]

[ 2. I’ll handle this. You go back. ]

[ 3. Can’t you just let it go? ]

I didn't know which option was the correct one, but I knew what I had to say.

[ 1. I’m the temporary lord of this territory. ] ☑

“I’m the temporary lord of Shatrain. Have you even considered the consequences of your actions?”

“Those commoners have no right to accuse a noble, a Bagrand, of stealing! They’re trying to frame you!”

“Of course they are. And I can’t just let that go.”

She really had no idea.

She hadn’t even considered the consequences of her actions.

“If the temporary lord of Shatrain can’t even handle a simple incident like this and has to rely on another lord for help… what do you think will happen? They’ll think I’m incompetent, that I can’t even manage my own territory. They’ll ask her to take over!”

“…!”

“If you want to spread rumors about my incompetence, about the Bagrand Duchy’s shame, go ahead. Arina will be thrilled.”

I left, my blood running cold.

It seemed like Claire was always the one blocking my path.

She always looked down on me, and this reminded me of my past, of my second eldest sister.

-Hey, you idiot! I heard them talking about you! Why didn’t you say anything?!

What would have happened if I had confronted them, reported them to the higher-ups? The other interns, the junior employees, even the laborers… They would have ostracized me. I would have been labeled a troublemaker, a snitch.

And I would have been alone.

She had told me to report them, to tell the higher-ups.

This situation, this conflict with the villagers, it was the same. Just a different setting, different characters.

I was used to being criticized, being blamed, but Claire… she always made things worse.

-Ding!

A few moments later, the event clear message appeared. I glanced back, but no one was following me.

“Sigh… Some things never change. You always have to spell it out for them.”

***

Claire had come to Shatrain to deliver a letter from her mother. A letter of congratulations, written with a cheerful smile.

She had seen Carsein enter the warehouse and had followed him, her heart filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

But her excitement faded quickly. She had overheard his conversation with the two villagers, their accusations of theft, and her blood had boiled.

How dare they accuse their lord, a Bagrand, her younger brother, of stealing?

She had been ready to intervene, to punish them, to make an example of them, to ensure that this never happened again.

But that would have been a mistake.

Claire gritted her teeth.

“Ha… Damn it. Why am I so stupid?”

How could she be so foolish?

Nothing had changed.

She was still reacting impulsively, her emotions clouding her judgment.

Just like when she had sent that warning letter to Count Lilpet.

And she called herself his older sister? A member of his family?

-Clench.

Unable to bear the weight of her guilt, her regret, she grabbed her hair, twisting it, pulling at it. She hated it when her hair was messed up, but she couldn't stop herself.

“…I can’t do this. Not like this. If I really want to help him…”

One step away.

Not directly involved, but observing from a distance.

She had to find a different way to help him, a way that wouldn’t make things worse.

-Ding!

▶ Clear Condition 2 for Claire’s exclusive Hidden Episode: Unfading Discomfort met. ◀

[ Condition 2: Claire realizes that directly interfering in Carsein’s affairs will only make things worse. ☑ ]

▶ Unfading Discomfort cleared! ◀

▶ Achieved an outcome beyond the given choices! ◀

▶ Settings revealed without changes. ◀

[ I wanted to… protect him… always… ]

[ Current Affinity: 83% ]

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