I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 183

Chapter 183: The Second Agent (4)

Harnie, regaining consciousness, was startled to see Carsein asleep before her.

An arm pillow.

Not just lying next to him, but actually using his arm as a pillow…!

And that wasn’t all.

‘D-Did I… Did I sleep while hugging him?’

The warmth she felt against her head and arms was the same warmth she had felt when she woke up. So, it must be true.

Her eyes, adjusted to the darkness, focused on Carsein’s face, so close to her own.

Her face flushed as she glanced at his sleeping face, his chest lightly pressed against her.

They looked like lovers.

Real lovers, embracing each other, their love a tangible warmth.

But they were fake.

Bound by a contract, their engagement a pretense, a means to an end.

Normally, she would have pushed him away, screamed, but…

She couldn't bring herself to do it.

She had fallen asleep leaning against the headboard, but now she was lying in bed.

He had given her the only bed, moved the pillow aside for her, even turned off the light.

And, he had removed her shoes. Just like in her dream.

Screaming? She should be thanking him, not screaming.

Her heart pounded in her chest.

‘I had that dream… and now, he’s done this for me…’

He was a bad man.

Both in her dream, and in reality.

‘This… This makes me… I don’t know what to do…’

He kept doing these things for her.

Kind, selfless things.

She couldn't just thank him. It wasn’t enough.

She reached for his hand, and her fingers brushed against something hard and cold.

‘This is…’

The ring. The Wederos Kingdom ring they had both received as a prize, the one they wore as a symbol of their fake engagement.

“…”

The ring was a prop, a tool to deceive others.

But looking at it now, it made her uncomfortable.

This ring would have to be removed eventually.

When their fake engagement ended, when she found a real fiancé.

After all, they were bound by a contract.

Once their goals were achieved, they would part ways.

She would have to let him go.

‘Why… Why am I feeling like this?’

Why did the thought of their separation make her chest ache?

Why didn’t she want to remove the ring?

Why was she feeling like this?

“…”

Harnie placed her hand over her heart, its rapid beating a constant reminder of her turmoil.

She searched for an answer, a reason for this strange, unfamiliar feeling.

And then, she reached a conclusion.

She didn’t want to lose him.

She wanted to stay with him, and the thought of their separation filled her with regret.

He was a good man.

Too good to let go.

And just like when she had first arrived in Lusmire…

She found herself thinking the same thought.

‘…Can’t we… stay together, a little longer?’

Her plan was to escape the Theresia Marquisate before winter arrived. And that meant… their separation was inevitable.

Was there a way to avoid it?

Perhaps.

She had her trading company, her resources, her influence.

Once she was free from the Marquisate, she could help him, directly or indirectly.

“Or maybe…”

Maybe she could change her plans.

Yes, maybe that was possible.

-Thump, thump.

Her heart pounded in her chest as her fingers gently brushed against his arm.

The distance between them closed, the warmth of his body enveloping her.

Harnie closed her eyes, her heart racing.

Both her dream, and reality…

These moments, these memories, she wouldn't forget them.

So, for now, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep, nestled in his arms.

***

When I woke up, the sunlight streaming through the window made me squint. I had overslept.

And on the table, a handwritten note from Harnie lay unfolded.

“Haha…”

The first sentence alone made me speechless.

『 Don’t give me that excuse about insomnia again! You were sleeping just fine! I was just away for a bit! I’ll be watching you from now on! 』

Even though she wasn’t here, I could picture her perfectly.

Her hands on her hips, her voice a familiar scolding tone. If I had said the wrong thing, she would have probably brought up the Oath Orb.

Thankfully, it seemed like she hadn't misunderstood my actions, hadn't thought I had deliberately held her while she slept.

“Hmm. No accusations of cuddling, I see.”

『 …Thank you… for moving me to the bed. And for the blanket and pillow… and your arm… A-Anyway! I slept well! 』

She had thanked me, which made me feel awkward and embarrassed.

“But… what does she mean about my arm…? And why is her handwriting so messy here?”

Harnie’s handwriting was usually very neat… Was something wrong?

The rest of the note was normal, so I assumed it was just a fluke.

She explained why she had returned to her territory.

『 I received a message from Mina. There’s an inspection happening in my territory, so I have to go back for a bit. I think the Marquis is trying to interfere… 』

It was supposedly an inspection, but it was clearly the Marquis trying to control her.

She reassured me that she had handled the situation thanks to my help and would return soon.

And she warned me not to overwork myself while she was gone.

That was the end of the note.

“…I’ll get nagged if I pull another all-nighter.”

There was no helping it.

She hadn’t told me when she would return… I had to be careful.

Next to Harnie’s note, there was another one.

This one was from Ferdi.

『 It’s just like you said, Brother. They’re using all their money to buy food, so they can plant Shatrain strawberries and grapes on every available field. 』

▶ Information obtained from Agent. ◀

[ The Shatrain villagers have converted all available fields to strawberry and grape fields. ]

“I expected this.”

They had refused to change their ways, even when I had taken control of a portion of their fields. So this time, I had divided the ownership of the land, but… it hadn't made a difference. They were still obsessed with cultivating strawberries and grapes.

And so, a new window appeared.

▶ Crop management is now available. ◀

▶ Enter a field to access the UI. You can plant crops if you have management authority. ◀

▶ Designate which crops will be planted in each field. ◀

I could now directly control which crops were planted in Shatrain.

This meant direct intervention was possible. But it also meant that any negative consequences would directly affect my score.

I had to carefully manage the situation, to resolve the problems in Shatrain one by one.

For example, the villagers would soon face another food shortage. They had expanded the strawberry and grape fields, forcing them to use the Duchy’s support to purchase food. And the routes they used to transport the food were infested with bandits and monsters.

I couldn't clear out all the traps. It had been impossible in the game, and it was impossible now.

“But planting the right crops will increase their affinity.”

So, my task for today was to visit the fields under my control and instruct the villagers to plant food crops.

But there was something that bothered me.

“The sub-episode to recruit Dyke. The main episode that triggers after all Agents are recruited. The field UI, the score window… Everything else is working fine… So why isn’t that window appearing?”

That missing window.

It wasn't particularly important, but it was unsettling.

…Should I wait a little longer?

-Knock, knock.

“Carsein! There are people here to see you!”

▶ Villagers from the territory under your control have arrived. ◀

Ferdi’s voice, followed by the system notification, snapped me out of my thoughts.

I had overslept.

It was time for the villagers to ask about crop assignments.

“I’ll be right there.”

***

Several days passed.

It was peak season for Shatrain strawberries.

Dyke was confident he would be able to buy some this time.

He heard the familiar footsteps of his colleagues returning from the marketplace.

He stood up, his heart pounding with anticipation.

-Gulp.

‘Please… Please…!’

He swallowed nervously, hoping they had succeeded.

“Look!”

“They’re carrying something!”

“Strawberries! Shatrain strawberries!”

As they emerged from the crowd, he saw it.

Strawberries. They had actually managed to buy some.

‘Finally!’

He could finally cure his sister.

He had been waiting for so long, enduring countless hardships, and his patience had finally paid off.

But…

Dyke’s face hardened as he saw the strawberries.

“Wait… Aren’t they… a bit small?”

“So what? We got some!”

“That’s right! Give them to Dyke first! Here you go!”

“You can finally cure your sister!”

No. These were low-grade strawberries.

They wouldn’t be strong enough for Helketa I.

“…Frikt.”

“Hmm?”

“You’ve been waiting the longest after me, haven’t you?”

“I guess so… Why?”

Dyke offered the strawberries to Frikt.

“What’s wrong?”

“…These won’t work. Helketa I requires at least D-grade strawberries.”

“What?! How…!”

“You take them. You said someone in your family has the early symptoms, didn’t you? These E-grade strawberries might be enough for that.”

Dyke handed the strawberries to Frikt and turned away, his shoulders slumping.

“Dyke, try using these!”

“Yeah! You never know!”

“We all chipped in! And you contributed the most!”

“If these don’t work, there’s another harvest in two days! We don’t know the grade, but… maybe if you use several…?”

Dyke shook his head.

He knew these wouldn’t be enough. It was better to give them to someone who could use them.

And he had received another letter today.

His sister’s condition had worsened.

He needed higher-grade strawberries. D+ grade, at least.

But the price had gone up.

The price he had expected to decrease, had risen again.

‘Damn it…！ How did we even manage to save that much?! We scraped together every last penny…！ And all we got were E-grade…!’

Despair washed over Dyke.

Was he really going to lose his sister?

And then, he remembered Carsein’s words.

-I’ll give you a few days. Observe the market, see for himself if the price goes down. But… if you change your mind, come to the location marked on this.

“…”

He had been right.

Dyke had been certain the price would go down, but Carsein had predicted it would rise, that the purchase intervals would shorten. The notebook he had given him contained detailed statistics, charts, graphs… undeniable proof.

He had accurately predicted the outcome. He had conducted thorough research. Which meant…

-Gulp.

…Maybe there was a way.

He had to find Carsein Bagrand.

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