I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: A Faded Gift (1)

“Carsein is back?”

“Yes. We just received word from the mansion. The young master has returned safely…”

“I see. You’ve all worked hard.”

“Lady Arina!”

Arina immediately turned her horse and headed for the mansion.

She had given the knights their orders, but she had to return now.

It was late.

She had searched for him for hours, and the memory of that day kept haunting her.

How could she forget?

Her younger brother, abandoned on the streets, returning bruised and battered, clinging to her gift with a smile… it was a traumatic experience.

It had been a foolish, reckless act.

She hadn’t realized how dangerous the outside world was. Her naive desire to see him gone had resulted in Carsein being bedridden for days.

And that image… it still haunted her.

Every time she saw the hair tie…

The gift he had desperately protected from the thugs…

The gift he had won for his older sister who always wore her hair in a ponytail…

“…Ha… Calm down, Arina Bagrand. That was a foolish mistake I made when I was young.”

She told herself to calm down, but her grip on the reins tightened.

She arrived at the mansion and headed straight for Carsein’s room.

But when she reached his door…

She couldn’t bring herself to knock.

Even though she had been told he was inside.

“…”

Should she go to the night market and buy him something he would like?

Would he be happy if she told him she had punished those thugs?

Or would he need a bigger gesture, something to erase the past?

Countless choices raced through her mind.

But she didn’t know what he wanted.

All she knew was that he had been abandoned by her when he was fourteen, beaten up, and that he had tried to give her a hair tie at that cairn.

It was the same with the birthday gift.

She didn’t know anything about him.

His likes and dislikes.

His interests and hobbies.

His preferences.

She had never asked.

But… there was one thing she knew.

‘He liked going to the training grounds…’

He loved it so much that he would spend days there.

‘But this isn’t something I can decide on my own…’

She stepped back from his door, her hand on her forehead.

Carsein had caused a major incident at the training grounds.

He had tried to harm not only a member of the Bagrand family but also a guest who was staying at the mansion.

She couldn’t make this decision lightly.

It could lead to another disaster.

But the scales tipped in his favor.

She remembered her mother’s words.

—He’s maturing.

It might be true.

Claire had said he had handled himself well during the incident at the ballroom.

Carsein was more mature now.

He had forgiven Camilla, and he wasn’t throwing tantrums or yelling. He had even remained calm during the Kelbia allergy incident, when he would have normally flipped the table.

‘Yes, Carsein… he’s become more responsible.’

He could control his emotions.

He wasn’t acting recklessly anymore.

So…

Maybe it was okay to lift his ban from the training grounds.

Maybe this would also help him… forget about the past.

‘The hair tie…’

Arina looked at the hair tie, then raised her hand.

Her red hair, wet from the rain as she rushed back from the festival, was a mess.

She untied the band, her hair cascading down her back.

And then, she tied it back.

The gift she had been avoiding, the one that reminded her of the day she had left Carsein behind, the one that pained her heart…

The gift Carsein had given her with a smile, saying he was glad he had been able to protect it…

She tied her hair into a ponytail.

Normally, she would have chosen something more extravagant, to reflect the family’s status and her own.

But she wanted to wear this simple hair tie.

It was a gift from her younger brother.

She ran her fingers over the hair tie, then hurried away.

She rushed through the corridors and arrived at her room. She rummaged through her desk drawers.

“…This should be a sufficient birthday gift.”

[Carsein Bagrand's Training Grounds Ban]

She took out another piece of paper and started writing.

***

He woke up to sunlight streaming through the window.

It meant that a day had passed… He must have fallen asleep as soon as he returned to his room.

“Well, it’s understandable.”

Carsein’s poor stamina played a role, but he had also been exhausted from the events of Episode IV, the Snowflake Festival.

But he had to get up now.

“I need to get permission from Arina to use the training grounds.”

He had missed Arina yesterday, because he had been asleep.

But he wasn’t worried. Her criticism wouldn't change, even after a day.

And in the game, it didn’t matter if he was a day late. The only difference was that his stats would be a bit lower.

He could just prepare and go see her now.

“I should wash up first…”

—Knock, knock.

“Young Master, it’s Heron. I have something urgent to tell you.”

Heron?

He wasn’t sure what it was about, but Heron was usually harmless. He let him in.

Heron bowed respectfully, then handed him something.

“Young Master, this is for you.”

“A letter?”

“No. It’s from Lady Arina.”

“Arina?”

He racked his brain.

Had there been a scene where Arina sent him something?

‘No, I don’t think so. Not after Episode IV.’

There weren’t any mentions of gifts or anything until the next episode.

He wouldn’t know until he opened it.

He opened the box.

‘What…?’

This shouldn’t be happening now…

—Ding!

▶Certain areas have been reclassified!◀
[Area: Training Grounds]
[Danger level: Normal]

This message shouldn’t be appearing now.

He was supposed to request access to the training grounds from Arina or Isabella, navigate the choices, and then receive this notification as a reward.

But Arina had sent him…

A certificate lifting his ban from the training grounds.

‘What? What’s going on?’

He couldn’t make sense of it.

But then, the pieces started to fall into place.

‘Like mother, like daughter. They always try to solve problems with gifts.’

Isabella had tried to make amends for forgetting his birthday by showering him with gifts.

And Arina was no different.

She would surely use the Bagrand family’s power to get what she wanted.

It also explained why the status window had displayed the message about a result beyond the choices.

He had wounded Arina deeply with his words during the hidden episode, A Precarious Cairn.

And if she was like his eldest sister in his past life, always trying to compensate with material things…

The puzzle was complete.

“So that’s what happened.”

“Young Master?”

He felt a surge of disgust.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, no problem.”

But this was actually a good thing.

He didn’t have to go see Arina or Isabella now.

And he didn't have to calculate the risks and rewards of confronting either one.

The training grounds were now classified as a normal zone, completely safe.

‘But… I don’t like this.’

They had ruined his mood, so he would return the favor.

He remembered a certain incident that could be used to his advantage during the branching point for Episode V.

Claire probably didn’t know about this yet.

And Flora… well, she wasn’t worth dealing with right now.

Arina was the perfect target.

“Heron, I’m sorry to ask this so early in the morning, but I need you to do something for me.”

“As your butler, it is my duty to serve you, young master.”

Heron readily agreed.

“Really? Then…”

He smiled and gave Heron his instructions.

Heron’s face paled, but he didn’t refuse.

***

The Bagrand family.

A name that silenced even the most arrogant nobles.

They were at the top of the hierarchy, second only to the Imperial family.

The most powerful and prestigious family in the empire.

The servants, though obligated to serve their masters, also took pride in serving a powerful house.

Emma was the head maid of the Bagrand duchy.

She had enjoyed her work.

The long hours and demanding tasks… they were nothing compared to the pride she felt serving such a prestigious family.

She was one of the most respected maids in the empire.

But now…

Her days were filled with frustration.

She had been reprimanded by the second young lady.

She had been warned not to touch that peasant.

‘It’s all because of him!’

She had been humiliated, forced to bow her head to that commoner, not once but twice. And now, the second young lady was completely enamored with him.

The noble Bagrand family was being tainted by that boy.

She had to do something.

“Lady Flora, it’s Emma. May I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

She entered the room, and Flora was hugging a teddy bear that was almost as big as her.

‘I’ve never seen that in her room before…’

Emma tilted her head, and Flora said proudly,

“I won this at the Snowflake Festival. It’s a rare prize.”

“You must like it very much.”

“Yes.”

“That’s wonderful. Did your sisters give it to you?”

“My sisters…”

Flora hesitated.

“They didn’t give it to me.”

“Then did your mother?”

She shook her head.

“Carsein got it for me.”

“What?”

“He hates me… so why did he get this for me?”

A thought struck Emma.

‘This is it.’

She couldn’t harm Carsein directly, not after Claire’s threat.

But there was another way.

She had a powerful ally.

The third young lady, Flora Bagrand.

“Oh my, that boy is trying to manipulate our Lady Flora…!”

Emma exaggerated her expression, her voice full of concern.

“What do you mean?”

“My lady, this could be a trap. You’ve seen it before, haven't you? Even the Duchess was fooled by him.”

“So… this is…”

Flora looked at the teddy bear, her eyes filled with suspicion.

Emma, hiding her smirk, said,

“…I’ll investigate. I’ll go talk to him myself.”

“Do you really have to go alone?”

“Yes, I can handle this myself.”

“Alright… Please be careful.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Emma left, hiding her satisfaction.

“So it was all a lie. He’s trying to deceive our family again…”

Flora’s hand trembled.

She had been enjoying the teddy bear moments ago, but now she felt betrayed.

She walked towards Carsein’s room.

“────.”
“────.”

She heard voices coming from a nearby room.

The maids’ utility room.

She heard Carsein’s name, so she instinctively eavesdropped.

“The young master is sleeping, so I’ll leave this with you. It’s an important document, so make sure you give it to him when he wakes up.”

—Yes, butler.

“The best place to keep it would be… the second cabinet on the right. It’s a document, so it needs to be stored properly.”

It was Heron, talking to the maids.

An important document? Suspicious, indeed.

Flora pretended to be busy with other tasks, waiting for Heron and the maids to leave.

Heron left quickly, and the maids followed, heading for the laundry area.

Flora seized the opportunity and entered the empty utility room.

And then…

She saw the “important document” and realized that Emma had been right.

“So that’s what he was after. He’s trying to win over my older sister?”

Her hand trembled.

It was a document lifting Carsein’s ban from the training grounds, signed and sealed by Arina.

So there was a motive behind his actions.

Flora clutched the document, her mind racing.

She would tear that teddy bear to shreds and leave it in front of Carsein’s room when she returned.

“No, this comes first.”

—Rip. Rip.

She tore the document into tiny pieces, destroying the elegant handwriting and the seal.

She put the pieces in a basket and left the utility room.

One of the pieces fell to the floor.

She didn’t notice.

An old man, watching the scene unfold, picked up the piece and muttered,

“Everything went according to the young master’s plan.”

Heron, initially shocked by Carsein’s request, finally understood the bigger picture.

But he wasn't comfortable with it.

This would surely cause a major uproar.

The maids would gossip, and Carsein’s reputation within the duchy would improve.

But… he felt uneasy.

“Young Master… Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?”

A boy of eighteen, battered by the world…

And yet, he was deliberately reopening his wounds.

It was a disturbing sight.