I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Probation Period (1)

“You requested it…? This… This strenuous training?”

“Yes.”

Isabella blinked, her eyes filled with disbelief, then looked at his clothes.

He looked a mess.

His training uniform was dirty, and his face was covered in grime.

He looked nothing like the noble young master she knew.

“Why are you pushing yourself so hard? You don’t have to do this.”

“…”

“I didn’t send you here to endure this kind of training. This is practically punishment.”

She seemed to be waiting for a response, but he remained silent.

“Let me clean your face, and then we’ll go home, Carsein.”

She pulled out a handkerchief and tried to wipe the dirt off his cheeks.

But he dodged her hand.

His body trembled as he stood up.

And then, he walked to where he belonged.

He joined the apprentice knights, standing in formation.

“Salute, Duchess.”

Isabella, her hand frozen mid-air, watched him, her eyes filled with concern.

“Carsein…”

“I’m a trainee at the training grounds now, not the young master of the Bagrand family.”

“I understand you want to learn swordsmanship. But this is too much. I’ll punish those who subjected you to such inappropriate training, then I’ll find you a proper teacher. So please, stop this training. Okay?”

—Ding!

Here it comes.

This would end the choice.

“So you’re going to punish my excellent teachers now?”

“Carsein…?”

“Who decides what’s inappropriate? Me? Or the Duchess of Bagrand?”

“Well…”

It was Isabella’s standard, of course.

“I never complained about the training. Ask them yourself if you don’t believe me.”

And of course, they wouldn't say he had complained.

He hadn’t.

“You’re trying to take away my right to train here.”

“What?! No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you call this? You’re punishing those who are showing me what proper training is like. How else would you describe it?”

“…”

Isabella was speechless.

“You said I could ask for anything.”

“Carsein, don’t tell me…!”

“Don’t worry about how I look. I’ll decide what’s too much. Just… stay out of my training. Let me be a knight here, at the training grounds. That’s what I want, as my birthday present.”

He pressed on, and Isabella, unable to refute his words, finally yielded.

“If that’s what you want… I won’t interfere.”

But she still seemed reluctant to give up. She tried to wipe the dirt off his face with her handkerchief.

He turned his head, avoiding her touch, and her hand fell to her side.

“I’ll be going now. Please take care of Carsein.”

““Yes, Duchess!””

Isabella turned to leave, but she stopped several times, glancing back at him.

The status window displayed the results.

▶Reputation within the first knight squadron has greatly improved!◀
▶The punishment Isabella was about to inflict has been averted. The knights are relieved!◀
▶The knights’ affinity has increased!◀

The knights sighed in relief.

Some even patted their chests, their anxiety fading.

The gray boxes had become lighter, the stripes less prominent. Some had even lost more than half their stripes.

‘So far, so good.’

It had been triggered by his high affinity, but he had gained powerful allies.

Isabella Bagrand.

One word from her was enough to silence the knights.

They had subjected him to rigorous training, some even deliberately trying to harm him.

He could easily use Isabella’s power to punish them.

But there was a trap, as always, in this game.

It was too obvious.

If he reported them to Isabella, the knights’ hostility would skyrocket, triggering an unavoidable death flag.

He also wouldn’t be able to deactivate the hidden death trigger in Episode V.

He had a feeling…

This was similar to the beginning of Episode V.

The clue was the same.

He couldn't accept any rewards.

‘Time to move on.’

He turned to Mark.

“I’ve finished today’s training, but I’m not feeling well enough for the next session. Can I head back now?”

“…Yes, young master.”

Mark agreed without hesitation.

What else could he say, after Isabella’s intervention?

The other knights were also silent.

They couldn’t touch him now, not after seeing Isabella’s reaction.

But some of them seemed disappointed.

They were probably the ones who had been bribed by Emma. They must have thought they could easily get rid of him by reporting his every move to her.

‘I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this isn’t a one-time thing. You won’t be able to get rid of me for the next four days.’

He smirked inwardly, then left the training grounds.

***

Isabella's steps were heavy.

She hadn’t felt this burdened even when she had gone to search for him.

She had received Claire’s message and hurried back to the mansion, hoping to mediate the conflict between Arina and Carsein, but she was too late.

Carsein had already left for the training grounds.

“Mother.”

“Mother.”

Her three daughters greeted her as she returned to the mansion.

They wanted to know about Carsein.

What had happened to him?

Isabella sighed, closing her eyes.

“Carsein is training with the first knight squadron. As a trainee.”

“…A trainee?”

“Yes. He’s been there for three days.”

Claire frowned, running her fingers through her hair.

“I should have opened the annex… Why is he sleeping in the knights’ quarters?”

She wasn’t insulting the knights. Their quarters were considered quite luxurious, especially compared to other places in the empire. They were, after all, knights who served the Bagrand family.

But Carsein was a noble.

A member of the Bagrand family.

The thought of him staying in the same quarters as the knights was enough for Claire to regret not opening the annex.

Isabella reassured her, saying it wouldn’t have made a difference.

She still remembered Carsein’s reaction, the way he had dodged her touch, refusing to let her clean his face.

He was clearly upset.

She sighed, trying to push aside the pain in her heart, then turned to Arina.

“What about the culprit?”

“We’re still investigating. Based on Heron’s testimony, we believe it’s one of the maids who work in the utility room near Carsein’s room.”

“Mom, it’s obviously Emma!”

“Claire, we don’t have enough evidence.”

Arina tried to stop her, but Claire insisted.

“What do you mean there’s not enough evidence? I saw her picking on Carsein the day he went out!”

“Carsein was at fault. His house arrest hadn’t been lifted yet.”

“Even if he was wrong, how can the head maid criticize her master and tell him to ask for my permission? She was doing it because she hates him!”

“There are plenty of people in the duchy who dislike Carsein. You shouldn’t let your emotions cloud your judgment.”

“But Emma is the one who spends the most time in the utility room! She’s definitely a suspect!”

Isabella intervened, silencing her daughters.

“I understand what you’re saying, but… We need to reach an agreement on Emma’s punishment.”

“How?”

“Heron suggested we keep her in solitary confinement for a while longer. After all, it’s her responsibility as head maid to manage the maids in the utility room.”

“…I agree with that.”

“Ugh, it’s obviously her!”

Arina was somewhat satisfied, but Claire was still uneasy.

They couldn’t reach a better solution.

“Anyway, Mother, you said Carsein was training with the knights? How was he today?”

“…He was lying on the ground, covered in dirt.”

“Was he… training?”

“Yes. It seemed like he had been pushing himself too hard.”

“Just as I thought.”

Arina sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Mother, it’s not just a matter of training too hard. It’s a kind of initiation ritual for new recruits. I’ve seen it myself, and… We should bring him back to the mansion.”

“But he wants to stay at the training grounds, Arina.”

“He needs proper guidance. A noble shouldn’t be subjected to that kind of—”

“I tried to persuade him.”

Isabella interrupted her.

“I told him everything you said, Arina… but he refused.”

Carsein didn’t want to return to the mansion.

He wanted to stay at the training grounds, to train with the knights.

He had said that he would decide what was too much, that he wanted to be treated like a knight, even if it meant enduring harsh training.

Isabella relayed his words to Arina.

“Ha… He’s still so stubborn. He’s digging his own grave. It’s a tradition for knights, but he won't be able to handle it.”

“How bad is it?”

“It’s a terrible ritual, Claire.”

Arina explained the details, and Isabella and Claire’s faces darkened. They were worried about Carsein.

“…I’ll go see him tomorrow.”

“You? But you said he didn't want to come back.”

“Yes, I can’t bring him back. But they wouldn’t dare do anything to him while I’m there.”

“Oh, you’re right!”

“You can go the day after tomorrow. It’s the perfect opportunity to give him his birthday present. Maybe you could buy him a new training uniform.”

“Aha, as a birthday present?”

“That’s a wonderful idea.”

Claire and Isabella smiled.

They could prevent the hazing and protect Carsein. They also knew he was interested in training, so they could give him a birthday present related to it.

And maybe… they could talk to him and change his mind.

Their anxieties eased, and they started planning their visits.

They discussed how to appease Carsein, what time to visit, their voices growing louder as their conversation turned into a full-blown meeting.

Then, their gazes fell on Flora.

“Mom, Sister, let’s send Flora on the last day.”

“W-What? Me?”

“Yes, Flora hasn’t given Carsein his birthday present yet. This is the perfect opportunity to make amends.”

Flora flinched.

She hadn't given him a gift, she had tried to harm him.

But she was thinking about something else.

She was still struggling with her doubts.

‘I don’t know… I don’t know what’s right…!’

She couldn't hear anything they were saying.

She just wanted to get rid of this unpleasant feeling.

***

—Crack! Crack!

Her thumb nail broke, followed  by another, her teeth biting into the fragile edges. They were raw and bleeding.

She bit down again, a sharp pain shooting through her finger.

“Ow.”

Blood welled up, staining her skin.

She tried to stop the bleeding with a tissue, but it was no use. The blood seeped through the paper, turning it red.

She couldn’t stop it.

“…He’ll know what to do.”

Flora, who had been struggling with her emotions since the family meeting, left her room silently.

.
.
.

“Why is no one here?”

She looked around the empty training grounds, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Oh… Maybe they’re having an outdoor training session today?”

They usually trained outside when the grounds were empty.

She almost turned back, but it was time for them to return.

She decided to change her destination.

And she found him.

“Lady Flora?”

“Sir Theo!”

She smiled brightly and rushed towards him.