I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Snowflake Festival (6)

“It’s been like this since the ballroom. You suspected I was going to cause trouble, no matter what. And during the festival, you couldn’t take your eyes off me. What else could you call it but surveillance?”

Arina’s jaw dropped.

The decision to lift his house arrest based on his behavior at the festival…

The outcome of their family meeting…

It was supposed to be about confirming whether he had earned that right.

But his single word, “surveillance,” shattered her carefully constructed facade.

She hastily tried to justify their actions.

“Carsein, you know it’s not the first time. Our suspicions are based on your past behavior.”

“Well, of course. You only care about whether I cause trouble or not, not about whether I enjoy the festival.”

“Don’t twist my words. I sincerely hoped you would enjoy the festival…!”

He didn’t want to hear her excuses.

Carsein cut her off sharply.

“You must have had a miserable time watching me, huh? I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Carsein!”

Slap!

Arina tried to grab his wrist, but he swatted her hand away.

“I’ll stay out of your way, so go and enjoy yourselves. You're free to do whatever you want now.”

Arina, unable to reach out to him again, clenched her fists, her body trembling.

He knew.

He knew he was being watched, and she couldn't criticize his defiant attitude now.

She tried one last tactic.

“Do you even know how much Mother was looking forward to this?”

A festival with the entire family.

Isabella had longed for this.

“She skipped the festival several times because of you. She stayed at the mansion because she wanted you to feel included.”

So if he had even a shred of conscience…

If he didn’t want to hurt their mother’s feelings…

He wouldn't ruin their family outing.

“Just bear with it for a little longer. I promise you a bigger reward if you behave. Just humor Mother today.”

Family bonds.

That was her last attempt to control him.

“Bullshit.”

Carsein scoffed, turning his back on her.

He walked away, not even glancing back.

She wanted to grab him, to stop him from leaving, but she couldn’t.

She was the one who had tried to evaluate him based on this "surveillance.”

While Arina was struggling with her emotions, Isabella returned with her two daughters.

“What’s wrong, Arina?”

“Sister? What happened?”

Isabella, her eyes filled with concern, looked around. Carsein wasn’t there.

“He said he needed to use the restroom. Don’t worry.”

There was no other choice.

She couldn’t burden their mother with this.

Her priority was to find Carsein and bring him back.

Fortunately, his dark hair hadn’t disappeared from sight yet, so she knew which direction he had gone. She could catch him if she hurried.

But at that moment…

A crowd surged from a nearby street.

“Fire! Fire!!”

—Whoosh!

Flames erupted, engulfing the festival in chaos.

***

The sudden inferno plunged the festival into pandemonium.

Arina shouted to the panicked crowd.

“Get a hold of yourselves! Do you want to be burned alive?!”

“That crest… Bagrand?!”

“Bagrand? Then she’s Lady Arina?!”

“We’re saved! We’re saved!”

“Lady Arina! Please give us orders!”

The crowd recognized her.

Not just the civilians, but the soldiers as well. They were all relieved to find someone who could give them orders.

And they noticed that it wasn’t just Arina. The entire Bagrand family was there.

They cheered, eager to receive their commands.

“Everyone, maintain order! Don’t panic! Leave the left side to the soldiers, where the fire is closest. Move to the right side!”

“Yes, ma'am!”

Her instructions restored order, the crowd moving in unison.

The power of the Bagrand name was evident.

Now that the crowd was under control, they could focus on extinguishing the flames.

“We need to contain the fire before it spreads. Does anyone know where it started?”

“We do!”

Three soldiers stepped forward.

Their uniforms were scorched, a sign that they had been the first to discover the fire.

“The flames didn’t start in one place. They erupted in multiple locations simultaneously.”

“Simultaneously?”

“I was stationed on the west side. My friend was on the east side, near the ballroom.”

“I was on the south side, and the flames erupted there too. That’s why the north side wasn’t affected.”

Arina narrowed her eyes. Claire, sensing something amiss, asked,

“Sister, could this be…?”

“Yes, it’s similar to what happened at the Snowflake Festival two years ago.”

It had happened before.

The Snowflake Festival was an annual event hosted by the Imperial family. It wasn’t impossible.

“Do you remember the color of the flames?”

“Blue.”

“You too?”

“We all saw blue flames.”

“I see. This isn’t an ordinary fire.”

Arina, her suspicions confirmed, turned to Isabella.

“Mother, Claire and I will take care of the flames. Can you calm the crowd?”

“Are you saying it’s the same as before?”

“Yes. The witnesses’ accounts match.”

“Alright, do what you need to do.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

Arina, leading the soldiers, marched towards the source of the smoke.

Isabella, after her two daughters had left, addressed the crowd.

“Listen! This fire is nothing more than a distraction. It’s not meant to harm you!”

“Duchess?”

“What are you talking about? How can fire not harm us?”

“This happened two years ago. No one knew at the time, but it turned out the flames were fake. They were created with magic stones.”

The crowd murmured at the mention of “fake flames.”

Isabella pointed to a nearby house. Soon, they realized the truth.

The flames weren’t real. They were fueled by magic stones, designed to burn only objects imbued with magic.

The crowd finally calmed down.

‘They’re at it again.’

The official reason for the festival was to bring joy during the harsh winter months, to celebrate the previous year’s harvest and wish for a prosperous new year.

But there were those who believed the festival was nothing more than a political tool, designed to gauge public sentiment. It wasn’t an unfounded suspicion.

There were often attempts to disrupt the festival, even if they couldn't prove who was behind them.

“Mom, does this mean the festival is over? Will it end like last time?”

“No, darling. We can enjoy the festival again once your sisters put out the fire.”

Isabella soothed Flora, who was worried the festival would be cancelled.

A short while later…

The flames in three locations were extinguished.

Arina and Claire returned, and the crowd cheered, praising the Bagrand family.

But…

There was someone they had forgotten.

“Wait, where’s Carsein?”

Isabella’s question made the two sisters realize their mistake.

They had used the excuse of a bathroom break to buy some time, but that wouldn’t work for long. He should have been back by now.

Isabella would soon realize that Arina had lied.

“Summon the knights! Now!”

The fire had been extinguished, but a new blaze had erupted.

▶CHAPTER 1 - Episode IV. Snowflake Festival cleared!◀
▶You successfully navigated the festival with your family.◀
▶You have successfully triggered a result that goes beyond the simple selection of choices.◀
…
…

The status window displayed a series of pleasant messages.

Episode cleared.

Successful festival.

And a result that went beyond the choices.

The perfect foundation for clearing the game.

But those messages couldn’t erase the memories that kept surfacing, burying any sense of accomplishment.

“Why can’t I get rid of these memories?”

I was angry.

Not at Carsein, but at myself.

I had escaped that house, that family I wanted to forget…

But those memories kept haunting me, reminding me of my past.

“Damn it.”

—Crash!

I kicked an empty wine barrel, my frustration growing. It rolled away, spilling the remaining drops of wine.

I was panting, my heart racing.

“This… This can’t be happening.”

I kicked another barrel, then stopped.

This wasn't helping.

These emotions were pointless.

Carsein might have felt a glimmer of hope, a flicker of expectation, but… those were just fleeting emotions.

Even if I remembered the crushing disappointment of a broken promise, a childhood dream shattered… it was meaningless now.

This wasn’t my life, this wasn’t my family.

It was just a game, a character, a backdrop.

…But I couldn’t shake the feeling.

“Poor kid.”

I muttered those words without realizing it.

I wandered aimlessly.

I didn't even remember where the carriage was.

I walked, trying to clear my mind, until…

I saw a bright light.

In the darkening streets, such a bright light had to be artificial.

But there was something even brighter.

A familiar object.

A Memorial.

A relic of Carsein’s past.

“A… cairn?”

A pile of stones, carefully stacked, stood tall.

It looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch.

But I didn’t hesitate.

I reached out and touched it.

—Flash!

The scene shifted to another Snowflake Festival.

And snow was falling from the sky.

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