I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Diverging Paths (3)

‘Harnie… is asking me for help?’

Until just a moment ago, we were talking about why Flora had sought her out. I wasn't particularly interested in what the little brat had said, but this was different.

Harnie is a meticulous woman.

She meticulously planned how to escape the Theresia Marquisate. She chose me as her fiancé to avoid being sacrificed in a political marriage, and she even established a trading company to operate outside the Marquisate's watchful eye.

She considers every possible angle, every potential threat, and carefully plans her actions to deceive them.

That's how meticulous she is.

She absorbs knowledge like a sponge, meticulously executes her plans, and anticipates problems with prepared solutions.

Occasionally, she can be a bit scatterbrained, overlooking minor details, but she's undoubtedly the person who's helped me the most in gaining knowledge about this world.

So, for her to suddenly ask me for help…?

It meant something was wrong. Something serious.

As I looked at her, questioning her intentions, she quickly pulled her hand away, her eyes filled with a fleeting panic before she quickly composed herself.

“Ah… No, it’s nothing. Forget I said anything.”

And then, she pretended nothing had happened.

Wearing her usual expression, a faint smile playing on her lips.

It was as if she had blurted something out accidentally and was trying to cover it up.

“It was… a bit out of the blue, wasn’t it? I must be overthinking things. Don’t worry about it.”

“…”

Typical Harnie.

She said she was fine, but… was it really just an accidental slip of the tongue?

‘No. That’s impossible.’

I knew Harnie well enough to know she wouldn’t say such a thing lightly, not after our contract.

“I should get going. Sorry for interrupting…”

“Wait.”

“C-Carsein…?”

As I grasped her arm, preventing her from leaving, she flinched, a tremor running through her body.

Yes. This tremor.

The slight trembling in her hand, the one I was holding.

I had felt this before.

‘It was at the Snowflake Festival, when we encountered those noblewomen.’

That situation, when she was about to be cornered, her secret almost exposed.

Her hand had trembled like this back then.

And she had asked me, her voice barely a whisper, to pretend to be her lover.

Yes. This wasn’t something I could ignore.

I was the one who wore that expression, that mask of indifference, most of the time. And she, Harnie, had seen through it.

This wasn’t just a casual slip of the tongue. This was a carefully concealed plea for help.

‘There’s a limit to how kind a person can be.’

She could have demanded my help.

She could have used our contract as leverage.

She could have explained the situation, the potential consequences.

But she hadn't.

She had tried to hide it, to protect me from the burden, even though it was clearly a serious matter, judging by the tremor in her hand.

‘A person can be too kind for their own good.’

This situation might even be related to me.

She should have been more assertive, more demanding.

She could have used our agreement, our contract, to her advantage.

But she hadn't.

And her reluctance, her hesitation… it was because of her kindness. I couldn’t just pretend I hadn’t noticed.

‘And the timing isn’t bad.’

There were no episode notifications, no system messages, no restrictions.

A skippable scene.

It was a moment where my choices wouldn't have a significant impact on the storyline.

I tightened my grip on her arm, refusing to let go.

“Tell me more.”

“There’s nothing to tell… Really, it was just a slip of the tongue. Forget I said anything.”

She insisted she was fine, trying to pull away.

If I used more force, it would hurt her. And if I let go, she might just pretend nothing was wrong and disappear.

I couldn't allow that.

I had to use force.

“Eeek! C-Carsein! What are you doing?!”

Just like I had done at the party, I lifted her into my arms, ignoring her protests.

“I’m not letting you go until you tell me everything.”

“What… What do you want me to tell you?”

“You said you wanted my help, didn’t you? We agreed to help each other when we’re in trouble. It’s not fair to keep secrets.”

“It’s really not that big of a deal! I was just overthinking things! Honestly, you don’t have to worry…”

Right. Keep insisting you’re fine.

“Whoa!”

“Careful! You’ll fall!”

I shifted my grip, pulling her closer, preventing her from struggling.

Yes, she needed to be held like this.

That way, she couldn’t escape, no matter how much she squirmed.

I had blocked her escape route.

Now it was time to persuade her.

“Well, well. My fiancée came all this way to see me, and I can’t just let her leave empty-handed. Right?”

“C-Carsein! Are you even listening?! Put me down!”

“Let’s go inside. We can enjoy a nice cup of tea and chat. Hahaha.”

“You’re… You’re being unreasonable! Using force like this…!”

She knew it was pointless to argue, so she simply punched my shoulder lightly, her protests half-hearted.

***

I thought I had successfully resolved the Flora situation.

I still didn’t know why Flora had sought me out, but seeing Claire carrying her away, I assumed everything was fine.

But that wasn't all, what truly satisfied her was the fact that Carsein had seen through her facade, her pretense of being fine.

He had noticed her exhaustion, her sleep deprivation.

She had been momentarily flustered when he had suddenly lifted her into his arms, but…

She had managed to get him to promise he would sleep properly. And she had even added a clause to their agreement, a small act of revenge for his sudden outburst.

But it should have ended there.

“So… tell me, why did you come here?”

That question.

She should have stopped herself.

She shouldn’t have asked him, shouldn’t have mentioned Flora, shouldn’t have hinted at her predicament.

She should have been firm, decisive, rejecting his offer of help.

But…

“Actually… I… I wanted to ask for your help.”

The words carelessly tumbled out, a confession she couldn't take back.

Driven by a selfish desire, a desperate hope that he could help.

Her carefully constructed facade crumbled, and the truth, raw and vulnerable, was exposed.

She tried to retract her words, to pretend she hadn’t meant it, but…

“Wait a minute.”

But Carsein was too perceptive.

“Tell me more.”

“There’s really nothing to tell… Honestly, you don’t have to worry about it. It was just a slip of the tongue…”

Upon feeling his grip on her hand, she jumped up, fearing the potential burden she might place on him. She should have assured him she'd resolved her purpose and left.

She insisted she was fine, trying to escape his grasp.

But even that was useless.

Instead of loosening his grip, he lifted her off the ground.

Moreover, he was a thoroughly resolute man.

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me everything."

"W-What did you say?"

“You said we would help each other when we’re in trouble, didn’t you? And you’re keeping secrets from me? That’s not fair.”

“It’s really not that big of a deal! Honestly, I just…”

She tried to explain, but…

“Whoa!”

“Careful! You’ll fall!”

He shifted his grip, pulling her closer, preventing her from escaping.

Yes, she had to be held like this.

That way, she couldn’t escape.

He had blocked her escape route.

And now…

‘What do I do…?’

She was trapped, both physically and emotionally.

She shouldn’t have said anything.

She shouldn’t have given him this opportunity.

She had been foolish, naive, to believe that he could help.

This was her problem, her burden. She couldn't drag him into this.

She tried to escape, to wriggle free, but his grip was firm.

And then, he said the one thing she couldn't refuse.

“My fiancée came all this way to see me. I can’t just let her leave without offering her some tea and a listening ear, can I?”

“…!”

“Let’s go inside. We can enjoy a nice chat and a cup of tea. Hahaha.”

“You… You’re cheating! Using force like this…!”

She knew it was pointless to protest, so she simply punched his shoulder playfully, her resistance half-hearted.

She had reached a point where she couldn't help but hope, against her better judgment, that he might actually be able to help.

She hadn't expected him to be this perceptive, this insightful.

And then, he said the words that made her heart skip a beat.

“So… you’re in trouble because of the Theresia Marquisate, right?”

“…!”

“Well, I kind of expected that. There aren’t many things that could trouble you, Harnie.”

“…How did you know?”

“You know me as well as I know you. You’re not the type to struggle with territory management, so it had to be something related to your family. And considering your situation, the Marquisate’s pressure was the most likely culprit. Am I right?”

“…”

She was speechless.

His deduction, his analysis of the situation, was flawless.

There was no need for further explanation. He had already figured it out.

“Seriously… You’re… You’re unbelievable…”

Harnie sighed, a mixture of exasperation and admiration in her voice.

She had lost.

From the moment she had shown him a sliver of vulnerability, he had seen through her facade.

“The Marquisate is pressuring me to find a new fiancé. They want me to break off our engagement.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“They’re using my performance at the symposium as an excuse. They want me to surpass Belian’s score, or they’ll annul our engagement.”

She pointed at the map, at the two darts marking her and Belian’s territories.

Carsein studied the map, his brow furrowing.

“You could easily surpass Belian’s score if you used the Plesia Trading Company’s influence. But that would expose your secret, wouldn't it? And the Marquisate has assigned Belian a territory right next to yours, a territory with a clear line of sight. And he’s receiving their full support, which means you’ll be facing unimaginable penalties. Am I right?”

“How did you… figure that out…?”

“It’s not that difficult. Your reasons for seeking me out are also quite clear. If we collaborate during the symposium, we can both prove our abilities, silencing the Marquisate’s doubts. Right?”

“…”

She was speechless.

His deduction, his analysis, was flawless.

There was no denying it. He had figured everything out.

“So, I'm asking you to pretend you didn't hear any of this, Carsein.”

“Why would I do that?”

“You’re already struggling with Shatrain… I can’t burden you with my problems as well. And besides, I’m being watched, so there’s not much I can do to help. You would have to manage both territories, practically on your own.”

She explained her predicament, hoping he would understand, hoping he would refuse. This was her last chance to prevent him from making a terrible mistake.

But…

Carsein simply smiled, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Who said managing two territories is impossible?”

“…What?”

“It’s actually a much better option than managing Shatrain alone.”

Wait, what?

That’s… That’s absurd!

“It’s too late to back out. We’re collaborating. Let’s sign the agreement, right here, right now.”

“Are you even listening?! If we sign the agreement now, there’s no turning back! And besides, it would be a huge burden on you! It’s not fair!”

“Don’t think of it as a burden. This is my choice. My way of upholding our engagement.”

Again… He was saying those ridiculous things again…

Their engagement was a contract, an agreement to protect each other’s interests. He would be the one suffering, taking on the responsibility of two territories.

…And yet, he was willing to help her? To take on this burden, to risk his own success, for her?

“Why are you hesitating? Sign the agreement, Harnie.”

You’re… You’re truly…

-Thump!

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