I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: A Tiny Sprout (2)

"W-What did you just...?"
"Bars... the world...?"

A wave of shock washed over the party venue as those cheesy lines left my mouth.

Some cringed, their fingers curling inward.
Others, overwhelmed by the secondhand embarrassment, guzzled their wine to quench a sudden thirst.
And some let out muffled groans, trying to remain inconspicuous.

Well, how could anyone endure such lines spoken out loud?
Damn it, even I hate myself for saying them.

Still, no one dared to speak up.
Some even stammered, suggesting we needed some time alone after that cheesy display of affection.

Taking advantage of the opening, Harnie excused herself and quickly made her way to the terrace, faster than ever before.

With my hand firmly clasped in hers.

"Ugh!"

Covered in goosebumps from the cringeworthy lines, Harnie shuddered, as if trying to shake off a sticky residue.

As we stepped onto the terrace, the suppressed awkwardness came crashing down on me.

"I know I'm the one who said those cheesy lines, but isn't your reaction a bit much, Harnie?"
"I never knew you were the type to say such cheesy things..."
"And whose fault is that?"

As if she knew exactly what I was going to say, Harnie bit her lip and avoided my gaze.

All I could do was sigh.

"...Sigh. Why did you deceive me like this?"
"D-Deceive? We were supposed to help each other out."
"And helping each other involves destroying my image?"
"D-Did you specifically say help? T-There's nothing wrong with this."
"Saying that while avoiding my gaze isn't very convincing."

Right, I know.
I also thought it would be more efficient to cooperate and proceed with our plans smoothly.

But this is different.

"I think the trade-off is a bit off. This completely changed my image."

Harnie shrugged nonchalantly, feigning ignorance.

"Off, you say? I helped you too, you know?"

This woman?
She's going with that?

"I helped you during the trial. I personally visited you during the knight training... I-I stepped up for the common good! Hmph."

Harnie turned away with a haughty air.

She knew she had crossed a line because her eyes were still trembling.

And yet she's still acting like this?

I boldly grabbed Harnie's chin and forced her to look at me.
Caught off guard, she struggled to maintain her composure.

"...!"
"Since you made me out to be a lovesick fool who can't live without you, should I steal a kiss as compensation?"
"W-W-W-What are you talking about?!"
"You're the one who brought up the concept of fair compensation. So, in return, I believe I'm entitled to legally steal a kiss from you."
"N-No! That's not...!"

Harnie's face flushed crimson.
Her reaction was quite cute. Should I tease her a little more?

"To be honest, I welcome a kiss from a beautiful woman like you. It might even spark some unexpected love."
"Ugh... Can you stop with the cheesy lines...? W-Wait a minute! Don't come closer! I said, don't come closer!"
"I told you, I welcome it if it's you."
"T-This is my first kiss, you know? You can't just steal it like that!"
"It's alright. It's my first kiss too. But thanks to you, I'm now a legendary lover, so I should at least know how to kiss, right?"
"S-Stop saying ridiculous things and let go of me!"

Unfortunately for her, with me pressing her against the wall, she couldn't resist.

Now then. Choose wisely instead of panicking.

Will you let your precious first kiss be taken like this?
Or will you make a proper deal?

Harnie reluctantly lowered her head, admitting defeat.

"I-I'm sorry for deceiving you. So please stop..."
"No take-backs, okay? If you try to back out later..."
"Just...! Fine, fine, I get it!"

With a flushed face, she lightly pushed my shoulder, urging me to move away.

As I withdrew my arm, she frantically fanned herself.

"S-So... what do you want?"

Is it my turn to make a specific demand?

Hmm, well.
I hadn't planned this far ahead, so I didn't have anything specific in mind.

But, this time, I'm the one who's been wronged, right?

"You know, I've been slapped quite a bit lately for no reason. Twice on the back, leaving handprints, if I recall correctly."
"...Don't tell me... You...?"

Harnie's voice trembled with disbelief.

Why don't you experience it yourself?
I smirked.

***

"Are you saying... you're going to hit me?!"
"Do you know how it feels to be hit for no reason? It's incredibly frustrating."
"That's because you're incredibly clueless...!"
"What was that?"
"..."

As Carsein urged her to repeat herself, Harnie immediately clamped her mouth shut.
She knew that talking back would only make him angrier.

But her previous words had backfired spectacularly.

"Ah, just like you said, I'm incredibly clueless. I don't know the meaning of mercy."

Oh no!
Why did she say that?!

Harnie inwardly cringed, wanting to bury her face in her hands.

'Seriously, that was not the right thing to say, was it?'

He's not really going to hit her, is he?
He may not be the most physically imposing man, but he wouldn't resort to violence against a woman for revenge, would he?

He must be joking.
This has to be a joke.

Harnie gulped and cautiously asked,

"B-But you're not really going to hit me... are you?"

Carsein took a step closer, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

"What makes you think I wouldn't?"
"Because it's ungentlemanly... right?"
"No problem there. I was originally a commoner, remember? Not a gentleman."
"But...! Carsein, you have a good heart, don't you? You're kind and forgiving enough to overlook something like this..."
"Actually, I'm quite petty. Remember how long it took me to pay back the money I borrowed from you?"
"W-What?! No way. The Carsein I know is a compassionate person who understands and helps a maid in need─"
"Wouldn't it be better to get this over with instead of making excuses, Harnie?"

Despite her desperate attempts to appease him, Carsein remained unmoved.
Neither praising him nor sugarcoating his actions worked.

He had no intention of letting this go.

"..."

He was standing right in front of her now, blowing on his fist.

Harnie squeaked,

"P-Please, go easy on me..."

Carsein stared at her for a moment before sighing softly.
And then, he raised his fist, still warm from his breath.

It's going to hurt, isn't it? Harnie thought, squeezing her eyes shut.
She instinctively flinched, trying to brace herself for the impending pain, but her body trembled uncontrollably.

Then, a tap.
A finger lightly poked her forehead.

"Huh?"

Harnie opened her eyes in confusion.

Reflected in her violet eyes was Carsein's amused face, colored with mischief.

"As if I would actually punch my fiancée. Heh."
"..."
"That was just a little prank for putting me in such a difficult situation without any explanation. I wouldn't hit you."

He clarified that the finger poke was the extent of his revenge.
However, he would be keeping this debt in mind.

Harnie slumped onto a chair, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sigh. Honestly... why are you so mischievous?"
"After the cheesy lines you made me say, I think I'm entitled to at least this much teasing."
"But I thought you were really going to hit me! I was so scared after hearing how you knocked those knights down."
"Eh. The only people I hit are those who mess with me. Why would I hold a grudge against you, Harnie?"

Yes, that's the kind of person he was.

Hadn't she already experienced it in the carriage?
He was the type to throw himself in harm's way to protect someone, not hurt them.

If only she had thought about it a little more, she would have known it was a prank.

'Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning? What's with the teasing?'

Even so, she couldn't help but puff out her cheeks in annoyance.

"Anyway, let's hear how the situation escalated. We need to come up with a plan, don't we?"
"Ugh, just thinking about it gives me a headache... but yes, we do."
"Organize your thoughts while I get us some drinks. We need an excuse for coming out here anyway."

With that, Carsein turned and left the terrace.

Harnie, left alone, finally had some time to catch her breath.
It was time to use her brain and figure out how to handle the situation back in the party venue, just like Carsein had said.

However, for some reason, a different thought popped into her head before she could start formulating a plan.

"...How many times has this happened now?"

Her contract with Carsein was supposed to be mutually beneficial, a means to achieve their respective goals while serving the common good.
However, as time passed, she realized that she hadn't actually done much to help Carsein.

"I've been handling most things on my own... Why am I the only one benefiting from this arrangement?"

She had given him a handkerchief, but that was hardly a favor considering she had used the excuse of meeting her fiancé.

She had loaned him a small sum of money, but that had already been repaid.

She had used up another handkerchief to tend to his wounds, that was hardly a significant contribution.

She had assisted him during the trial, but he probably would have managed just fine without her. As for the etiquette lessons, they were practically useless.

On the other hand...

He had shielded her from injury twice, once in the carriage.
And and now here on the terrace.

This was the second time he had saved her from potential harm.

And how many times had he helped her escape from threats?

He had defended her from the social torment at the Snowflake Festival by using the Bagrand name to pressure the other noblewomen.

He had provided her with refuge at the Bagrand Ducal Manor, giving her a much-needed break from the pressure of her own house.

And now, he had stood by her side even after she had taken a risk and fabricated a fiancé to avoid suspicion.

"...This isn't right, Harnie."

She needed to be ruthless in pursuing her goals, but she had no intention of taking advantage of him.

He may have been labeled a troublemaker with no manners, but the truth was far from it.

He simply hadn't had the opportunity to learn proper etiquette. He had the will to abide by social customs, but he lacked the knowledge.
The rumors about him causing trouble were nothing but groundless slander.

The crucial point was that he wasn't a bad person.
He was someone capable of showing immense kindness and forgiveness even to those who tormented him the most.

She had initially misjudged him, treating him like any other man.
It was an embarrassing mistake.

"Yes, I need to repay him."

Harnie nodded resolutely.
She decided that she would definitely repay Carsein for everything he had done for her.

Of course...

"...But what am I supposed to say to those people outside when they start asking questions...?"

First, she needed to figure out how to handle the immediate situation.

***

Harnie needed time to formulate a plan.
Meanwhile, I slipped away from the terrace, making up an excuse about getting drinks.

▶ There are no episodes currently in progress!◀

Looking at the notification, I realized I needed to test something.

'There are no active episodes right now... but could I change the order and proceed with a different episode?'

In Chapter 1, I hadn't even considered the possibility of completing tasks ahead of schedule.

However, after arriving here earlier than intended with Harnie, I realized that I was supposed to visit this place much later. Seeing how a sub-episode had been triggered, I wondered if it was possible to deal with it in advance.

What's the harm in trying?

'The problem is... I'm not exactly inconspicuous in this place.'

I was currently attracting a lot of attention from the nobles.

I could excuse myself by saying I was getting drinks, but it would be difficult to discreetly progress through a sub-episode under these circumstances.

Especially since the character involved in this sub-episode was right here.

Well, I guess there's no other choice.

-Clang!

"You! Where are your eyes? Can't you even carry drinks properly?"

Time to embrace my inner troublemaker.