I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: CHAPTER 1 (6)

“Wasn't Carsein supposed to come with you?”

Isabella greeted Arina, her voice heavy with worry, as her daughter returned from the training grounds.

“He said he needed to catch up on training.”

“There’s so much we need to discuss. Couldn’t you persuade him?”

“It would have been impossible, Mother. He’s still furious about the trial.”
“…I see.”
Isabella sighed, her shoulders slumping with disappointment.
It seemed they would have to wait until Carsein had calmed down before addressing the issue of Flora being barred from the courtroom.
They could only wait for him to come to them, to seek them out.
“Where’s Claire?”
“She stormed off, determined to petition the Imperial Family for harsher punishments against those who wronged Carsein.”
“That sounds like Claire.”
“But Arina…”
Isabella lowered her voice, her gaze fixed on her daughter.
“You… You were also unaware of any of this, weren't you?”
“…”
Arina remained silent.
She hadn’t simply been unaware; she had struggled to even grasp the full extent of what had transpired during the trial.
Emma’s plot to expel Carsein from the Duchy.
Theo Ramstear’s fabricated accusations.
The attack on Radiel in the Shapel Forest, a direct consequence of those accusations.
Carsein’s ban from the training grounds and Emma’s embezzlement.
And woven throughout this web of deceit… Carsein’s tarnished reputation, used as justification for their actions.
The sheer scale of it all, the darkness lurking beneath the surface of their seemingly peaceful lives… It was overwhelming.
“Yes… I suppose you were… I apologize for asking.”
Isabella, mirroring Arina’s thoughts, decided that they should give Carsein space, time to process everything.
‘Of course, the entire staff of the Ducal Manor needs to be replaced.’
She had a list of names, but there were bound to be more.
Using Claire’s method, they could identify those who had accepted bribes from Emma, those who had willingly participated in Carsein’s torment.
The same applied to the knights.
While those directly involved in the incident at the wash area had been apprehended, many more remained within the Knight Squadron.
They couldn’t allow Emma’s influence to linger within the Duchy. And those who had stood up for Carsein, those who had fought for his innocence, deserved to be rewarded.
‘There’s so much to do…’
Arina retreated to her office, picking up her pen and starting her investigation.
.
.
.
Arina’s pen, gliding across the parchment, came to a sudden halt.
Dusk had settled, the sun disappearing below the horizon, replaced by a full moon shining brightly in the night sky.
Arina, her gaze fixed on the moon, murmured:
“…Has it been that long?”
Lost in her investigation, she hadn’t noticed the passage of time.
She glanced at the clock on her desk.
“It’s time to call him back.”
Carsein would have finished catching up on his training by now.
It was time for him to return to the Manor, to discuss everything with his family. Arina intended to follow Claire’s lead and petition the Imperial Family for harsher punishments, providing detailed accounts of the incidents and Emma’s crimes.
And most importantly… She had to mend the rift between him and Flora.
Arina pushed back her chair, grabbing her cloak and preparing to leave her office.
Just then…
“Lady Arina, are you here?”
A maid’s voice called out, urgency lacing her tone.
Arina opened the door to find a new maid, one of those assigned to Flora, standing before her, her face etched with anxiety.
“What is it?”
The maid’s words sent a chill down Arina’s spine, prompting her to act.

***

“D-Do you think… Do you think I can help? I know the housekeeper better than anyone.”
My youngest sister, with a smug expression, offered her assistance.
The housekeeper, caught red-handed stealing from my allowance, had approached me, hoping to minimize the damage.
But it was my sister who had put her up to it.
“Come on, Min-hyeok, you don’t want things to escalate, do you? Just let her go, and I’ll—”
Shut up and get lost, you little brat.
That’s what I would have said.
But that naive little fool ran to my eldest sister, complaining that I had been mean to her, and I ended up being the one getting scolded, my missing allowance completely ignored.
I hated that family. They never listened to me, never considered my perspective.
And so, I had to protect her, to conceal her actions, even if it meant sacrificing my own well-being.
Even when my body couldn’t take it anymore, and I ended up in the emergency room.
“…Ha… Damn it. Another stupid dream.”
I woke up, cursing under my breath.
Why was I being haunted by those horrible memories?
They tormented me even in my sleep.
And even after waking, those painful memories lingered.
“What happened after that…?”
The housekeeper faced legal repercussions. She had fallen into the trap I had set, and she lost everything: her stolen funds, her salary, her dignity. She had begged for forgiveness, tears streaming down her face.
But her pleas hadn’t been directed at me.
Just like Emma, who had never once acknowledged Carsein’s suffering, she had only apologized to my eldest sister and my adoptive mother.
It turned out the housekeeper was the older sister of one of my classmates, and when word of the incident spread, they both disappeared, leaving the town behind.
It wasn't difficult to find out what happened to them. My high school was prestigious, and my classmates were all children of influential families.
The younger sister was forced to transfer, while the housekeeper, after the trial, struggled to find employment, her reputation in tatters.
It served them right. The younger sister was a spoiled brat who would steal food from my lunch tray, her perfectly curled bangs bouncing with each bite.
It might have seemed like a major turning point in my life, but the real change… That happened within me.
“That’s when I started working part-time.”
I gave up on receiving an allowance, accepting that I couldn’t rely on their financial support. I started saving every penny I earned, hiding it away in a drawer, refusing to let them touch it.
It was only after being robbed that I understood.
The money they gave me wasn’t mine.
I was determined to escape, to build a life for myself, without their help.
It wouldn't be easy.
My first part-time job was exhausting.
I hadn't fully recovered from my hospital visit, and I would often sleep through my days, my body craving rest.
But I pushed myself, juggling school and work, sacrificing sleep and leisure.
“Come to think of it… I fainted once, right after starting my part-time job. And she saw everything…”
Her expression… That little brat’s expression… It had been…
-Knock, knock, knock!
“Carsein! Are you in there?”
Arina.
It was time to snap out of it.
I didn’t want to open the door.
So, I spoke through the closed door.
“What is it?”
“Has Flora come to see you?”
“Why would she come here?”
It was absurd.
She was probably running to Isabella, complaining about how I had excluded her, spewing venomous lies about me.
Arina’s next words shattered my assumptions.
“No, Flora felt incredibly guilty after the trial. I told you, didn’t I? She wanted to help you. It’s safe to assume she went looking for you!”
“Don’t be ridiculous…”
-Ding!
The status window popped up, forcing its way into my reality.
“You’re saying… You’re saying you don’t know where she is…?”
Arina’s voice, laced with worry, echoed in my ears as I stared at the status window, my eyes wide with disbelief.
▶Error!◀
▶It is not possible to intervene in this branch at this time.◀
▶Searching for alternatives…◀
…
…
‘What the hell?! What is this?!’
I cursed inwardly, staring at the familiar yet terrifying error message.
Episode VI was supposed to end with Emma and Theo’s downfall.
It was the easiest episode for me, the one with the least variables, as long as I prepared properly.
This… This wasn’t supposed to happen!
▶Confirmation: Episode VI is not complete!◀
▶Confirmation: The conditions for a hidden episode have been met!◀
▶The clear conditions for Episode VI have been altered.◀
▶Two episodes will be merged!◀
▶Calculating results…◀
‘But I cleared it! I heard the alert sound…!’
…Wait a minute.
‘Did I… Did I actually check?’
No.
Exhausted, I had simply chosen to retreat to the training grounds, using my family’s dwindling affinity as an excuse to escape.
And unlike with Radiel’s case, there had been no clear confirmation, no system announcement declaring that Episode VI was complete.
“If you don’t know… Then where… Where could she be…?!”
As Arina voiced her concern, the system responded.
▶Episode VI: Missing, initiated!◀
▶This episode is both a hidden episode and a main episode!◀
▶Find Flora.◀
[ Time Limit: 30 minutes ]
[ Failure to locate Flora within the time limit will result in death! ]
[ If the timer runs out, the episode will automatically fail, and you will die! ]
I knew then that I had to act.
I flung the door open.
“Tell me everything. When did you last see her? Where? What was she doing?!”

***

▶Find Flora.◀
[ Time Limit: 25 minutes 31 seconds ]
[ Failure to locate Flora within the time limit will result in death! ]
[ If the timer runs out, the episode will automatically fail, and you will die! ]
I was clueless.
This wasn’t in the game.
This scenario… I had never seen it before.
But if I wasted time panicking, I would die.
As much as I loathed that little brat, I had to find her.
“Lady Harnie!”
“Carsein?”
“Have you seen a blonde girl, about waist-height? ”
“No, I haven’t seen anyone like…”
Damn it! I had instructed Arina to have everyone search the Manor, but with the time limit ticking down, it felt hopeless.
The biggest problem was the lack of clues.
No one had seen Flora since she left the courtroom.
“Wait a moment. If you’re talking about Lady Flora… I believe I saw her… briefly…”
“…!”
“Where was it? I definitely saw her leaving the courtroom…”
Harnie closed her eyes, trying to recall her memory.
I knew I had to give her time; I took a deep breath and waited patiently.
“Over there. She went down that path.”
Harnie pointed a finger.
That direction… That was the garden!
“To be more precise… I didn’t see her enter the courtroom. I took a detour, exploring the Manor, and that’s when I saw her.”
That meant…
‘Harnie’s sighting might be the last time anyone saw Flora.’
I had a lead.
Without hesitation, I sprinted towards the garden.
I had to find something, anything, that could lead me to her.
Where? Where could she be?
What had happened?!
“W-Wait! I-I’m coming with you…”
“Harnie? Why are you following me?”
“I noticed it the moment I entered the garden… There’s a faint scent.”
“A scent?”
“I’m not entirely sure… but it smells like sleeping draught. The gemstone on my dress is reacting; I’m certain of it.”
“Sleeping draught…? You don’t mean…”
Harnie narrowed her eyes.
“Someone kidnapped her. And they were thorough about it.”
-Ding!
▶Clue discovered!◀
◆A faint scent of sleeping draught in the garden.
Flora had been drugged and kidnapped.
That was the most likely scenario.
Harnie, after confirming the gemstone’s reaction, explained the type of sleeping draught used.
“This type is usually applied to a handkerchief. It’s too potent to be inhaled directly; it’s meant for single-use.”
“Which means… They couldn’t have used a large quantity. They must have had specialized equipment.”
“That’s right. She would have struggled, at least for a few seconds.”
“There might be traces left behind…”
We immediately began searching the garden, meticulously examining every inch.
And then… we found it.
-Ding!
▶Clue discovered!◀
◆An orange scarf.
A clue left behind by the kidnapper.
“A scarf… It’s not something a young lady would wear…”
“…You’re right.”
I knew that scarf.
It wasn’t a woman’s scarf; it was a man’s. The type often gifted by a lady to her beloved.
And that narrowed down the suspects significantly.
He wasn’t afraid.
He had been waiting… waiting for the perfect opportunity.
-Swipe.
‘Blood… It’s not splattered; it dripped down…’
▶Clue discovered!◀
◆Blood droplets.
[ Location: Garden ]
He had evaded the Judgment Orb’s mark.
His transport to the Thulea Mines wouldn’t happen until the following day.
He had nothing to lose, and he was determined to fulfill his twisted desires.
There was only one reason why he would kidnap Flora.
-Ding!
▶Choose the culprit's motive!
[ 1. Revenge against Carsein Bagrand. ]
[ 2. Flora’s ──── ]
[ 3. The Bagrand Duchy’s ──── ]
…
…
It was revenge.
Revenge against me.

***

-Drip. Drip.
The sound of water dripping, a slow, rhythmic torture to her ears.
And mingled with the dripping… a faint metallic tang, a coppery scent that forced her eyelids open despite the heavy weight of the drug.
Flora, her vision blurry, struggled against her restraints.
Her arms were bound tightly to a wooden chair, her mouth gagged, her legs secured with rope.
Her eyes, adjusting to the darkness, focused on a figure emerging from the shadows.
A man’s voice, cold and menacing, slithered into her ears.
“Good evening, Lady Flora.”
“…!”
She recognized the voice, even in the darkness.
The memories, hazy at first, sharpened, flooding her mind with fear.
Theo Ramstear.
Her kidnapper.