I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 170

Chapter 170: Diverging Paths (2)

At first, she had been nervous.

She had made it to Shatrain, but she didn't know what to say, how to start the conversation.

Should she mention that their sister might come looking for him? Should she ask if he was prepared?

Or should she ask about Flora, her whereabouts, her unexpected journey?

The questions, countless and unvoiced, swirled in her mind, a jumbled mess of anxieties and regrets. And when Carsein had finally arrived, all she could manage was a curt, “Knock next time,” a pathetic attempt to mask her true feelings.

But she knew…

That wasn’t what she wanted to say.

Was it because Arina might scold him, might punish him for leaving the Duchy?

No.

Was it because Flora had disappeared, had traveled to Shatrain without telling anyone?

No.

Was she worried about what Flora might have said, about their conversation?

No.

“…I wanted to apologize.”

She hadn’t realized it before, but now, the truth was undeniable.

Carsein had tried to save Shatrain, he had seen the problem, and he had devised a solution. And she, Claire Bagrand, had interfered, destroyed his plan, and condemned him.

And now, he was paying the price for her actions.

She knew.

That’s why she had come here.

To apologize, to tell him she was sorry.

But the words wouldn't come.

“…I shouldn't have slapped him.”

She clenched and unclenched her fists, her anger at herself simmering.

It hadn’t been a hard slap, but she had reacted impulsively, her emotions overwhelming her reason.

Perhaps it was for the best, that she hadn’t been able to apologize.

If she had tried to intervene, to convince him to accept her help, to explain the situation to the villagers…

She would have probably made things worse, just like she had done before.

“It’s better this way. Knowing my temper, I’m just glad I didn’t cause a scene.”

She paused, turning around, her gaze fixed on the empty street.

The answer, the solution, was clear.

“Hmm, you’re not following our agreement, are you?”

“…Ah.”

“Are you serious? We made a promise!”

“L-Listen, there were… complications. I couldn’t… I…”

“I don’t want to hear it! You broke your promise! This time… Wait, where are you going?! Get back here!”

“If I let you catch me, you’ll just lecture me again!”

“Carsein, you…! Just wait until I catch you!”

He wasn’t alone.

There were others who cared about him, who worried about him, who would scold him when he made mistakes.

Claire watched them, a faint smile playing on her lips, and then, she turned away, her footsteps carrying her back to the Duchy.

“Hmm… Where am I?”

“You’re awake, Flora?”

“…Sister Claire? Where… Where am I? And… have you seen Carsein?”

“Flora.”

Claire, cutting her off, her voice gentle, spoke her name softly.

“You’re here because you feel guilty, aren’t you? Because of Carsein?”

“….”

Flora’s frantic energy vanished, replaced by a sullen silence.

Her sister’s words had struck a nerve. She was here because of her guilt, because of the pain she had caused him.

“Tell me what you did, Flora. You can talk to me.”

Claire’s voice was reassuring, calming.

“I told the Shatrain villagers… I told them that it was all Carsein’s fault… that he was the one who ruined the territory… I spread rumors… I even… I even sold some of his things and pretended to… to help them…”

Flora’s voice trembled as she confessed, her words a jumble of guilt and regret.

Claire listened, her heart aching, her stomach churning.

Each confession, each detail, revealed the extent of Carsein’s suffering, the consequences of her actions.

His funds had been depleted, his plans sabotaged.

She had cut him off from his allies, and his last hope, that desperate attempt to redeem himself, had been destroyed, just like those rotten Lohea seeds.

She forced herself to speak, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.

“So, you came here because you realized… that Carsein was suffering because of you?”

“…Yes.”

“And you sought out Lady Harnie… why?”

“Sister Arina said that if she couldn’t gain the trust of the villagers, her plans for the symposium would be ruined. So… I looked for someone who could help.”

“And you chose Lady Harnie.”

“…Yes.”

“I see.”

Claire smiled sadly.

She had been thinking the same thing, searching for a solution, a way to help Carsein.

But that was the wrong approach.

“…We can’t do that, Flora.”

“Sister…”

“It might make things worse for Carsein.”

Flora, who would have usually protested, her voice rising in anger, simply sniffled, her tears flowing freely.

Her sister’s words, the warning that they might be hurting him, made her heart ache.

She was the one who had brought him to that tea party, the one who had insisted on his presence, oblivious to the Kelbia Fruit, the carefully laid trap.

“But what should I do? I hurt him… We need to find someone who can help! We need to bring someone…”

“I understand your feelings, Flora, but we have to be careful. If Carsein collaborates with a stranger during the symposium, his score will be affected. It will hurt him, not help him.”

Claire, too, had been searching for someone, someone who could persuade Carsein, who could earn his trust and offer their support.

Harnie, his fiancée, seemed like the right choice, but she couldn’t solve all of his problems. Shatrain was a different beast.

They couldn’t offer direct assistance, not like this.

They had to be discreet, to find a different approach, an indirect solution.

They had to take a detour, a longer, more winding path, if they truly wanted to help him.

“Don’t worry, just stay with Arina. Until I call for you.”

“…Okay.”

Claire soothed her, offering words of comfort, and then, she watched as Flora, her tears subsiding, followed their eldest sister.

***

Silence.

But not really. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, a chaotic symphony of emotions.

I lay there, my head resting on her lap, surrounded by warmth and softness, but…

The warmth was a distraction, a constant reminder of her presence.

The softness felt like a trap, my body held captive.

And the peace… There was no peace. This situation, this strange intimacy, was unsettling.

This… sleeping on her lap…

It was a bad idea.

“Harnie…”

I had to get out of this.

“Could you… just close your eyes and go to sleep?”

But her voice, sharp and unwavering, silenced my protests.

She was determined to keep me here, to ensure I slept.

‘…How did this even happen?’

The reason was obvious.

My lie.

The lie about getting enough sleep had landed me in this predicament, my face buried in her lap.

‘Why doesn’t she believe me? Not even once?’

The others couldn’t tell, not from my appearance, not from my behavior. But she, Harnie, had seen through my facade every time.

I hadn’t given her any clues.

She had visited because of Flora, and her attention had been on Claire. She couldn't have possibly known…

…And yet, she had known.

How?

‘This isn’t the time to be thinking about this.’

I had to escape, to find a way out of this.

“Harnie, you should really let me—”

“You’re so careless, Carsein.”

-Thud.

“…!”

“Look, I can easily overpower you. You’re helpless.”

She pushed me back, pinning me against the sofa, her movements swift and decisive.

And then…

Her face was inches from mine, her breath warm against my cheek.

I could feel my heart racing, my pulse quickening.

‘She’ll let me go now, won’t she? She understands the danger, the… the intimacy of this position.’

…At least, that’s what I had thought.

“Sleep. And be more careful next ti—”

-Slap!

“Ugh!”

“W-What are you doing?!”

Another red handprint on my back.

***

“Ugh, you didn’t have to hit me that hard…”

“Hmph, you deserved it. Don’t… Don’t surprise me like that! My heart… It’s still… See, it’s racing! Hmph.”

I rubbed my back, wincing at the sting of her slap, and she turned away, muttering something under her breath.

“I told you I wasn’t worried about you… taking advantage of me.”

“…Were you being honest?”

“Of course! Do you think I would lie about something like that? I… I mean… Anyway! Just… don’t do that again!”

“Yes…”

It wasn’t ideal, but at least I had escaped the lap pillow.

It was time to address the elephant in the room.

“So, why are you here?”

“What?”

“You didn’t come here just to check if I was sleeping.”

Harnie’s eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on me.

“Your sleep is important! Don't dismiss my concern!”

“Well, it’s not really that…”

“Car. Sein.”

“…Yes. I’ll sleep. I promise.”

Gulp.

That staccato rhythm, her voice cold and sharp… It was a threat, a warning that my back was about to receive another slap.

I would never again claim that my sleep schedule was insignificant, not in front of her.

“S-So, why are you here?”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping.

“Lady Flora asked me to help you.”

“…What?”

Flora? Asking for help? For me?

“Not today, but a few days ago. She just said she needed my help, and that you would need someone to take care of you because of her. She didn’t really explain.”

So that was why she had come here.

Because of Flora.

“From the look on your face, it seems like you have an idea of what’s going on?”

“Yes, but I don’t think there’s anything you can do. It’s a waste of your time.”

“Really?”

“She was probably just spouting nonsense. My scores will be fine.”

“…To be honest, I’m not worried about your scores. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. But…”

She reached for my hand, her fingers intertwining with mine.

“This time… I need your help.”

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