I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Breakfast, Again (2)

“You want to eat here? where I should be sitting?”

I was dumbfounded by the sheer absurdity of the situation. Harnie, equally baffled, glanced at me, her eyes asking if I had any clue what was going on.

‘Like I know...’

The fact that Flora, who loathed Carsein with a passion, wanted to eat right next to me was a mystery even I couldn’t solve.

“Go back to your seat, Flora. You’re leaving Lady Harnie with nowhere to sit.”
“...”

Flora, after briefly locking eyes with Harnie, shook her head and curled up on the chair, hugging her knees as if ready to camp out.

“No! I’m eating here.”
“Flora...?”
“Don't be difficult. Come eat with me.”
“No way!”

Nobody at the table could comprehend Flora’s stubborn defiance.

However, I had a hunch. Or rather, Kim Min-hyeok, the soul trapped within Carsein, had a hunch.

‘Honestly, every little thing this family does pisses me off.’

Beyond the two expected in-game changes, a third one had manifested.

The third change stemmed from the youngest sibling who had cried herself to sleep on my bedroom floor just last night.

According to Heron, Flora had been hovering outside my door for the past three days, not just yesterday. Each time, Isabella, Arina, and Claire had coaxed her back. This was the first time she actually entered my room.

I’d dismissed it as impossible, but now I was certain.

‘Like mother, like daughter.’

“I’m alright. Carsein. I’ll sit next to Lady Claire.”
“I’m afraid I’m not alright with that, Lady Harnie.”
“Ex-excuse me?”

Ignoring Harnie’s flustered reaction, I pulled out a chair for her, then nonchalantly retrieved another from across the table.

“It defeats the purpose of a meal with my fiancée if we’re seated apart.”
“Ca-Carsein?”

Harnie was aghast, questioning my intentions, but I calmly placed the chair beside her and sat down.

My actions threw the seating arrangement into disarray.

Isabella, who had planned to have the recovered Carsein at the head of the table, now had her plans foiled. Arina and Claire, too, were ready to pounce, their expressions suggesting an imminent breach of etiquette.

“Flora. Come sit next to me.”

Claire, as anticipated, was the first to speak. However, instead of scolding me, she opted to relocate Flora.

“Today, Carsein should be at the head of the table. You can’t sit there, okay?”
“...No.”
“Flora?”
“A-anywhere but there is fine, right?”

Flora reluctantly rose from her seat and claimed the spot next to the head, the seat originally intended for Harnie – right beside me.

“Then... I’ll sit here.”

Flora, who usually obeyed Claire without a fuss, now clung stubbornly to her own will.

‘So that's how you want to play it?’

Well, there's no better excuse than the fiancée card.

I inched closer to Harnie, just like I had in the past, putting on a show for the noble ladies. Only this time, it was for the benefit of my own family. I boldly pulled her closer by the shoulder.

“Oh my!”
“I don't mind where I sit, but if it's not next to Harnie, I’d rather not sit at all.”
“Ca-Carsein...! What are you…!”
“We haven't had much time together lately due to certain circumstances. Don't you think we should make up for it?”

Clatter

“Cough, cough!”

Claire dropped her cutlery mid-sentence, while Arina choked on her water, setting the glass down with a thud.

As for Flora...

“…”

Her lips were pursed into a thin, displeased line.

“... I must order two-seater arrangements to be placed throughout the house from now on.”
“Du-Duchess…?”
“To think I was unaware of how close you two are. My apologies.”
“Well… that’s…”

Before Harnie could stumble through an explanation, two sharp claps echoed through the room. Isabella, reclaiming control, steered the conversation back to breakfast.

No one dared to protest.

Harnie’s gaze felt like a brand, but… it was a small price to pay considering our agreement of mutual benefit.

With that, the seating debacle was settled.

Flora, head bowed, returned to her original position, but I couldn’t care less.

As the real breakfast commenced, Isabella summoned the newly hired staff, parading them into the dining room.

It was as if she was declaring, ‘Carsein, this will never happen again.’

The organized presentation of each group, with their contracts presented for my approval, made it clear that anyone involved with Emma's schemes had been purged. The list of new knights further solidified this.

“Lastly, the new Head Maid is a former noble. From now on, there will be no more disruptions to the hierarchy.”

My ears perked up at the mention of the new Head Maid’s noble background.

‘Wait a minute. Deol, Deol... where have I heard that name before?’

Turning my head, I met Tasha’s warm smile.

‘So that's it.’

Now I understood why she expressed such gratitude.

“Say, Carsein?”
“Yes, Lady Harnie?”
“I don't know if it’s just me, but the demeanor and etiquette of that maid, Camilla, and the new Head Maid, Tasha, seem quite similar. Do you think they’re related?”

Harnie’s perceptiveness was impressive. To pick up on such a subtle resemblance…

“They are mother and daughter.”
“Mother… and daughter?”
“Indeed. Considering the mention of mana exhaustion illness, I’m certain of it.”

Harnie, piecing together their noble lineage, covered her mouth with her hand in realization.

“Deol... now it makes sense. I found the name vaguely familiar when I first heard it, but I couldn’t place it. It must be the family name of a former noble house.”

It was pure coincidence, but I recalled seeing it when Arina presented the maids’ profiles earlier.

Camilla Deol.

Her full name.

Tasha Deol, a crucial ally to Carsein in Chapter 2, was her mother. This turn of events felt strangely serendipitous.

“Is that so? The new Head Maid being the mother of your personal maid... How reassuring, wouldn't you say?”

Reassuring indeed. In Chapter 2, Tasha was one of Carsein’s most valuable allies. A quick glance at the Affinity box confirmed it.

[ Tasha Deol ]
[ Affinity: 52% ]

She had already surpassed 50% affinity. Compared to Isabella, whose affinity only recently reached a similar level after this incident, Tasha's high score was a testament to her loyalty.

The reason for her dedication was obvious.

Breakfast concluded.

With their objectives met, the family seemed content. They had introduced the new staff, confirmed my recovery, and even inquired about my relationship with Harnie.

However…

‘There's one person whose purpose remains unfulfilled.’

I could guarantee it: she would come looking for me, even if the progress window remained silent.

“Harnie, I apologize, but would you mind excusing yourself with a pretense of needing to freshen up? I'm expecting a visitor.”
“An excuse?”
“Let’s just say there’s someone who might be looking for me.”
“I see… You need time, right?”

Harnie, catching on, graciously retreated to the room she had been given for the night. She didn't mind postponing her errands, as she intended to help me once breakfast was over.

After about five minutes of pretending to read an etiquette book, a soft knock sounded.

Knock, knock.

“Carsein, can I come in?”

Flora’s timid voice accompanied the gentle rapping on my door.

‘She didn't waste any time, did she?’

I had expected her to strategize, but she came directly.

With a bored sigh, I granted her permission to enter.

Click.

The door creaked open, revealing… something. At first glance, she seemed bigger, but then I realized she was clutching the teddy bear I had gifted her during the Snowflake Festival to lower her affinity.

“….!”

As soon as our eyes met, Flora hid her face behind the bear.

Unfazed, I kept my gaze fixed on my book, flipping a page as I questioned her.

“What is it?”

She peeked out from behind the bear.

“... I… I didn’t throw this away.”
“And?”
“Th-that’s… that’s all…”

After what seemed like an eternity of internal debate, that was all she could muster? This child never changed.

“If that’s all you came to tell me, you can leave.”
“…”
“Or are you disappointed that you can’t bully me anymore? Now that Emma, Theo, and all those maids are gone?”

Thud.

The teddy bear tumbled to the floor.

“That’s not true! I just… I just wanted to see if you were okay...”

Her excuses were flimsy at best. As if she hadn't seen for herself in the dining room that I was perfectly fine.

“Then we’re done here. No more Kelbia berries being slipped into my meals, no more problems, right?”
“No. I… I still have things to say.”

Flip.

I turned another page, having finished the previous one during Flora's rambling.

I knew why she was here.

This time, instead of dancing around the subject, I addressed it head-on.

“You don't have to worry about me. Harnie’s got my back, especially with no one trustworthy in this entire mansion. Ah, and don't worry about my meals either. She’ll even bring them to me. Having a fiancée who takes care of everything is quite convenient, isn’t it?”
“…”
“So, you don't have to lift a finger. Harnie will take care of it all.”

Flora pouted, her eyes boring into me.

Silence.
She simply stared at me, unblinking.

Flip.

“Go on, then. I won’t be bringing up your involvement anyway.”
“What?”
“Isn't that what you’re worried about? That I might tell the family about your role in Emma's schemes? That they’ll punish you for it?”

Her golden curls trembled.

Of course, she would hate that. As if being the center of attention wasn’t bad enough, being punished for it would be even worse.

“I told you before. To you, I'm nothing but a thorn in your side. From now on, I’ll stay silent and out of your way.”
“I never said I wanted that…!”
“Really? Don't you want everything to just go back to how it was? Don’t you wish the memory of your actions would vanish from my mind? That you could pretend you never tormented me, just like you claimed?”

Flip.

“I’ll take that to my grave. I won’t utter a word about what you did.”

I wouldn’t feel the need to, and I wouldn’t ask for her help either.

Carsein’s naive words would surely pop up as dialogue options, but I wouldn’t fall for it.

“Because I don’t need your help either.”

At that, Flora's face crumpled, and she burst into tears.

“Idiot! You big, stupid idiot! You don’t understand anything!”

That was the end of that. Our forced reunion at the breakfast table had brought our relationship back to square one.

Now that she had vented her frustration, she would storm off any minute. Then, just like in Chapter 2, she would trigger the second branch of the story.

Closing the book, I decided it was time to head out.

‘Hm?’

But something felt off. It was as if something foreign was stuck to my hand.

Then I noticed it: a sharp stinging at my fingertips. Crimson bloomed, staining my skin.

‘Damn it. Now I understand why Harnie had that cut on her finger.’

It wasn’t my first time getting a paper cut. It had happened countless times while flipping through textbooks during my school days.

But this world’s paper… it was different. Sharper.

Perhaps due to lacking technology or simply lazy game design, the paper here was poorly cut, its edges rough and uneven. As the blood welled up, I figured I’d have to deal with the annoyance of applying medicine for a while.

But then...

Ding!

Flora, who had been standing frozen in front of me, suddenly grabbed my hand.

[ Flora Bagrand ]
[ ???: 65% ]

▶Flora Bagrand’s Affinity box is changing!◀
▶Stop the bleeding from your finger!◀
▶You cannot leave until the bleeding stops!◀

A new notification, simple yet perplexing, popped up, instructing me to stop the bleeding. It was a message I had never encountered before.

But what truly surprised me was…

“D-don’t cry… please don’t cry…!”

Flora, her voice trembling with fear, pressed her handkerchief against my bleeding finger, her eyes welling up with tears.