I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: A Faded Gift (3)

It had all been a lie.

His claims of feeling ostracized…

His warnings about the dangers of the outside world…

Even the things he had said in the carriage…

They were all tricks to manipulate and divide their family.

He was trying to deceive them again, with empty words and hollow promises.

Flora was determined to punish him.

She didn’t know how he had managed to win over Arina, but she knew how to break their bond.

She had torn the document Arina had sent him and left it in front of her room.

Their relationship had shattered.

She imagined Arina’s fury, her wrath unleashed upon Carsein.

She had watched Arina clutch the shredded pieces of paper, her eyes burning with rage, then storm out of the room.

She was eager to see Carsein’s punishment.

What would happen to him this time?

How would his attempts to gain their favor be crushed?

She couldn’t imagine.

But she wanted to witness his downfall.

To see the consequences of his audacity, his attempt to infiltrate their family.

She followed Arina with a smug smile.

But it took some time.

He wasn’t in his room, much to her disappointment.

He wasn’t in Mother’s room either.

She followed Arina, asking the servants about his whereabouts, until…

She found him.

“Carsein, there you are.”

Arina glared at him, her voice laced with fury.

Flora didn’t need to see what happened next, but she was eager to see him suffer.

She hid behind a railing and watched.

Arina raised her hand.

Flora felt a surge of exhilaration, imagining Carsein’s pain.

—Slap!

Arina’s hand connected with Carsein’s cheek.

The sound echoed through the hallway.

Flora smiled, her heart filled with glee.

‘But I can’t be careless! He might try to deceive her again with sweet words!’

She nodded to herself, then peeked over the railing.

“No matter how upset you are, this is going too far. You’ve completely disregarded my feelings, Carsein.”

“What the hell do you want?”

“Ha. Still playing dumb? Your pathetic excuses haven’t changed.”

The shredded pieces of paper fluttered in the air.

The document, torn by her own hand, was now evidence of Carsein’s wrongdoing.

“I admitted my mistake. But you’ve insulted me by destroying my gift. Why? Did you hate the permit I gave you? Or are you going to lie again, saying you never received it?”

Flora covered her mouth, surprised by Arina’s icy tone.

Her older sister, who had never lost her composure, was now trembling with rage.

She was a bit scared, but she also wanted to see Carsein’s reaction.

‘He must be angry, right? He’ll shout any second now!’

But he remained silent.

He didn’t express any anger, didn’t protest.

‘What…? Why? Why isn’t he reacting?’

He was calm, his gaze unwavering.

More than that…

He seemed indifferent, as if nothing had happened.

“You still don’t trust me. You always suspect me, no matter what.”

“All the evidence points to you! How can you deny it?”

Flora, confused, moved closer to hear the conversation.

And then…

“When did you send it?”

“What?”

“When did you send the permit?”

“This morning. I told Heron to deliver it to your room.”

“Then ask Heron if it ever arrived.”

A shiver ran down her spine.

“…!”

Carsein glanced at her for a fleeting moment, and she met his gaze.

His eyes were cold, mocking.

It was the same look he had given her in the dining room.

As if he knew everything.

She couldn't bear it.

Flora ducked behind the railing and hurried away.

‘What… What was that? What was that look?’

He was smirking, as though he was enjoying this.

Her heart pounded in her chest.

“Flora? What are you doing here?”

“B-Big Sister…”

Claire, who had just arrived, knelt beside her.

“Are those Sister and Carsein’s voices…?”

Claire, confused, rushed down the stairs.

And she saw them.

“What’s going on? Why are you…”

Carsein, his cheek red from Arina’s slap.

Arina, her eyes blazing with anger.

“Someone! Go get Shaiden and Mother!”

Claire’s intervention led to another family meeting.

***

Arina’s slap had drawn everyone’s attention.

The commotion in the hallway had reached the ears of the maids and servants, and the crowd grew larger with each passing moment.

‘How did this happen…?’

Claire sighed, her heart heavy.

She knew.

She had tried to contain the situation, ushering them into a room and dismissing the onlookers, but it was only a temporary solution.

They would start arguing again the moment she let her guard down.

But Isabella wasn’t here.

She had left the mansion to manage the estate.

‘Mother, please, please come back soon…! This is going to be a disaster!’

She had sent a servant to inform her mother, but it was unclear when she would return.

She had never imagined that she would be the one mediating a fight between her older and younger siblings.

Claire paced anxiously.

Then, the door opened.

Her heart leaped with hope, but…

It wasn’t Isabella who entered.

“I was told you needed me.”

Shaiden, the family physician, arrived, his medical bag in hand.

She wasn’t completely disappointed. Carsein’s cheek still had traces of blood.

She turned to Shaiden.

“Carsein is the one who’s hurt. He was bleeding from his mouth when I arrived. I don’t know what happened, but… I think Sister hit him.”

“Hmm… I don’t see any external injuries, so he must have been cut inside his mouth. Alright.”

But Carsein refused treatment.

“I don’t need it.”

“Carsein, don’t be stubborn.”

“It’s just a cut in my mouth. It’s not a big deal.”

He didn’t need a doctor. He needed someone to prove his innocence.

He looked at the door.

Isabella hadn’t arrived yet, but there was someone else present.

The old butler of the Bagrand family.

Carsein ignored Shaiden and confronted Arina.

“Heron’s here. Let’s talk.”

“Carsein, just stop. Please? Why are you fighting with Sister?!”

“Stop? Why should I stop? She came here and accused me for no reason. What’s wrong with defending myself?”

Claire couldn’t refute his point.

She had experienced this herself.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hit you.”

“Don’t be so insolent. Wait for Mother to arrive.”

“Why wait? We can settle this now.”

“Ha.”

Carsein scoffed at Arina.

She was outraged.

He was being defiant, so she would meet his challenge.

“Heron, I’m going to ask you a few questions. You just need to answer truthfully. Alright?”

“…My lady.”

“He’s being like this, so I can’t just stand by.”

A clash of opposing claims, a family feud brewing…

Arina wanted to end this now.

There was no turning back.

“Ask your questions, my lady.”

Heron’s voice was low, his heart heavy.

He could see the inevitable outcome.

***

“I’ll go first. It’s only fair that I explain why I’m here.”

Arina, eager to state her case, requested to speak first.

Carsein remained silent, and she continued.

“Heron, I gave you a document this morning. Do you remember?”

“Yes, my lady. I remember.”

“What were my instructions?”

“You told me to deliver it to Young Master Carsein.”

That was all.

Arina had given Heron a document this morning, with instructions to deliver it to Carsein.

She turned to him.

“Are you still going to deny it, Carsein? You disregarded my gesture, my attempt to make amends. And that document…”

She pointed to the permit Carsein was holding.

“That’s Mother’s permit for the training grounds. You must have received the certificate lifting the ban from Heron, so why did you go to Mother and ask for a permit? You deliberately tried to undermine me. I could tolerate that. But…”

—Thud. Thud.

Shredded pieces of paper fell from her hand.

“You destroyed my gift! You tore it to shreds! You crossed the line, Carsein! Don’t you think so?”

Her blue eyes blazed with anger.

Her breaths were ragged, her fury evident.

“Apologize now, and I’ll let it slide, Carsein.”

This was her last offer.

She would punish him if he didn’t apologize now, even if it meant being harsh.

But Carsein remained defiant.

“I’ve told you, I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Ha. You’re still not showing any remorse.”

She had thought he had matured after yesterday's events.

He had been well-behaved both at the mansion and outside.

But he hadn’t changed.

Arina decided to set him straight.

“Then prove it. Explain why you tore my document. Justify your actions.”

She had thought he had grown up, that he was more responsible now.

But he hadn’t.

She would guide him back to the right path.

Even if it meant being harsh, even if they couldn’t reach an agreement.

“Are you done?”

Carsein scoffed, his arms crossed.

“You’ve said your piece. Now it’s my turn to ask questions.”

She knew what would happen next.

He would turn to Heron, his eyes filled with sympathy, and plead for his support.

‘I gave you a chance, Carsein. You’re the one who rejected it.’

But he didn’t.

“I’m going to verify your claims, Arina. You say you sent me a document, and I used the incident at the Snowflake Festival as an excuse to insult you and destroy your gift. I then went to Mother and asked for a permit for the training grounds. There’s circumstantial evidence. Is that right?”

He looked at her, his gaze unwavering.

“…Yes.”

She had to agree.

She didn’t understand why he was stating her case so clearly, but her claims were accurate.

Then, he asked a strange question.

“Have you ever seen me receive a letter at the mansion?”

“What?”

The question was strange.

It didn’t seem relevant to the current topic.

“This has nothing to do with the matter at hand. You’re going off-topic.”

“No, I’m not. It’s about something that was supposed to be delivered to me, but wasn’t.”

“…What are you talking about, Carsein?”

“Heron, I order you to tell them the truth.”

His words, “the truth,” made everyone turn their heads.

Heron’s eyes fluttered open and closed.

“Young Master Carsein has not been receiving his letters.”

“What… What do you mean? He hasn’t been receiving his letters?”

Arina asked, wondering if she had misheard.

“That’s correct. The letters addressed to Young Master Carsein… They’ve been disappearing somewhere in the duchy.”

“That’s impossible!”

Arina slammed her hand on the table.

“Who would dare do such a thing?! To disrespect the Bagrand family?!”

But she stopped mid-sentence.

She remembered the recent incidents involving Carsein.

The cold bathwater. The Stimulating and Awakening Potions. The sand in the teapot.

And…

The Kelbia allergy.

Suspicious incidents.

They all came rushing back to her.

Arina gulped and asked,

“Heron, did you deliver my document directly to Carsein?”

There was a brief silence.

Then, Heron spoke hesitantly.

“The young master was asleep, so I couldn’t deliver it directly.”

“Then… what about the document? What happened to it? You wouldn’t have torn it like that!”

Claire asked about the document’s whereabouts, but the answer shocked them.

“I instructed the maids in the utility room to give it to him when he woke up.”

“…What?”

A wave of nausea washed over Arina.