I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Belated Birthday Gift (8)

Carsein wasn’t at fault, not this time.

His reason for leaving the mansion was legitimate, and they should have at least listened to him.

But she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Well, you have caused a lot of trouble, so it's understandable for her to be suspicious. It's your own fault."

He had caused a lot of trouble.

So, it was understandable for them to be suspicious.

It was his fault that they were questioning him, so he shouldn't complain.

She had stupidly reacted that way.

It was a slip of the tongue.

A foolish judgment, a clear mistake.

She knew she shouldn't be quick to judge, remembering the Kelbia allergy incident, yet she had made a grave error.

If that was all, Carsein might have just been upset.

But it wasn't just that.

She had hurt him.

Deeply.

Leaving a gaping wound in his heart.

‘It’s not too late…!’

Claire, after scolding Emma, hurried towards Carsein's room.

She would make it up to him. She would buy him extravagant gifts, shower him with affection, tell her family and throw a grand party for him.

It was late, but…

She would do everything she could, as his sister.

She would make sure Carsein was happy.

—Knock, knock.

“Carsein, are you asleep? Can you open the door for a second?”

Claire knocked, hoping to make amends.

There was no answer. The room was silent, and Claire knocked again, more urgently.

“Open the door, Carsein. I know you’re upset. Let’s talk, okay?”

But there was no response.

—Knock, knock!

Claire, her anxiety growing, pounded on the door.

“Carsein! Open the door!”

After several attempts, the door finally opened.

Claire, relieved, thought she could finally talk to him, but the one who appeared wasn’t Carsein, but his maid.

Camilla, bowing respectfully, relayed Carsein’s message.

“The young master said he doesn’t wish to speak to you, Lady Claire.”

“What…?”

“He said you know why.”

Claire had been thinking about what to say, how to apologize, how to offer him anything he wanted without a hint of suspicion, how to plan the best birthday party for him…

But Camilla’s words extinguished her hope.

She was speechless.

He didn’t want to talk.

Claire hesitated, then asked Camilla timidly,

“…Is he… really angry?”

As Camilla had said, Claire knew the reason.

He must have been hurt. His birthday had been ignored, he hadn’t received any gifts, and he had even been suspected, despite receiving a meager “gift” of permission to leave the mansion.

And it was his family who had done this, the ones who should have celebrated his birthday.

Camilla didn't answer. She couldn’t. She could tell that Claire was upset.

“Okay… I’ll… I’ll come back later.”

Claire’s shoulders slumped. It was a rare sight.

—Ding!

***

“Phew…”

Isabella sighed, rubbing her temples.

She had always been busy, working tirelessly to ensure her children's comfort and happiness, their life of affluence and abundance.

But she couldn’t focus.

She had a mountain of work, duties as the acting head of the duchy, but…

—Slide.

“…”

—Tap.

Isabella’s pen rested on the table. She stared at the empty sofa, unable to focus.

She remembered Carsein, who would always come to her office around this time. He would use his morning greetings as an excuse to talk, always claiming he had something important to say.

She had always treated it as another chore, another one of his childish complaints, not something worth worrying about.

But his absence felt strangely unsettling.

“I won’t be visiting you for my morning greetings anymore.”

He had declared that he wouldn’t be coming to see her anymore.

She hadn’t thought much of it.

She had assumed he was lying, or that he would find another reason to visit.

She had expected him to return, pestering her like he always did.

But contrary to her expectations, Carsein hadn’t returned. Not for his morning greetings, not for anything.

She had been sure he would come to see her, at least after the Kelbia allergy incident, but… he hadn't.

—Slide.

“…Why aren’t you coming, Carsein?”

Isabella, her heart aching, traced her finger across December 31st on last year’s calendar.

Yes, it was because of Carsein that she couldn’t focus.

She had forgotten his birthday, and even though she had sent him a gift, she wasn’t at peace. She had wanted to shower him with lavish gifts…

“The young master doesn’t want any more birthday gifts, madam.”

Heron, after delivering the gifts, had advised her not to mention it again.

So all she could do was wait. Wait for Carsein to come to her.

She had been sure he would, especially after this incident. But… Carsein hadn’t returned.

It had been three days since he had left the mansion.

“I need to talk to him. About the fiancée… and the birthday gift.”

She couldn’t let this go on, not with her work piling up and Carsein's situation unresolved. She had to address both the engagement and the birthday incident.

Breakfast.

That would be the perfect time to summon him.

Isabella reached for the bell to summon Heron.

“Mom, can I come in?”

Her hand stopped. It was Claire, her second daughter.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

But Claire didn’t look happy. Isabella immediately asked,

“What’s wrong? You rarely visit me at this hour.”

“Well… Mom, I… I made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“Yes, a… a pretty big one…”

Claire hesitated, then blurted out,

“The reason why Carsein’s been holed up in his room for three days… I think it’s because I… I forgot his birthday and… and I accused him of lying about his outing…”

“So…” Claire trailed off, massaging her neck, her voice strained,

“It turned out… it wasn’t a big deal, right? He went out that day, but there wasn’t any trouble. So… about Carsein’s house arrest… Can’t we lift it? I talked to Arina about it…”

“Sorry, Mom. It’s my fault… I don’t know what to do… That’s why I came to ask for your help.”

Claire’s plea for help was met with silence. Isabella had also faltered upon hearing about Carsein’s birthday. She couldn’t offer any help.

“I’m sorry, Claire. I also… found out about Carsein’s birthday… late. I can’t help you with that.”

“You too, Mom?”

—Nod.

She had also forgotten his birthday.

And Heron had pointed out that her birthday gift had been inappropriate.

She was in no position to judge.

But she was intrigued by Claire’s suggestion to lift Carsein’s house arrest.

“Can you summon Arina and Flora?”

It was time for a family meeting.

***

“You summoned us, Mother?”

Arina and Flora entered the office together. Arina's expression was already sour, having been told it was a family meeting.

As she sat down, she asked directly,

“I assume Carsein has done something again.”

Family meetings were usually about Carsein’s problems. She had expected this.

“It’s true that I’ve summoned you because of Carsein, but it’s not because he’s done something wrong.”

“What do you mean, Mother?”

Claire fidgeted, her face flushed, and Flora’s expression darkened at the mention of Carsein’s name. Isabella, seeing this, addressed the issue.

“I’m considering lifting Carsein’s house arrest.”

“What?!”

“M-mom?”

Arina and Flora were shocked.

They immediately protested.

“That’s unacceptable, Mother! You’re saying you’ll let him roam free, causing trouble everywhere?!”

“That’s right, Mom! He even brought back something scary from outside and threatened me with it!”

“I was worried sick yesterday. Do you have any idea how much effort I put into finding out where he went?”

It wasn’t a one-time occurrence. It was understandable for them to be sensitive about Carsein’s outings.

But Isabella couldn’t keep him confined forever. She had a valid reason, a reason that pained her to say out loud.

“It’s his birthday gift.”

“What?”

“That outing… I gave him permission to leave because it was his birthday.”

Silence fell upon the room.

Isabella broke the silence.

“December 31st. I completely forgot. It was his birthday. So I allowed him to go out.”

“….”

“Arina, Flora. What birthday gifts did you give Carsein?”

They both remained silent.

They didn’t even know when his birthday was, let alone buy him gifts.

Claire, seeing an opportunity, spoke up carefully.

“Well, allowing him to go out for a day… That’s not much of a birthday gift, is it? So… I’m saying we should lift the house arrest. Nothing happened yesterday anyway.”

“I agree.”

Isabella agreed.

They were one step away from lifting the house arrest.

“I know what you’re thinking, sis, and Flora. But Carsein is refusing all gifts. This is the only thing we can give him.”

“…Ha…”

Arina sighed deeply.

This was like asking a cat to guard a fish.

If they let Carsein roam free, he would surely cause trouble all over the empire.

But she couldn’t object. She was also at fault, and Carsein’s refusal to accept gifts had left them with no other option.

Arina finally agreed.

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do. We need to confirm if he’s earned the right to have the house arrest lifted. So we’ll keep an eye on him and decide.”

“Keep an eye on him?”

“Yes. There’s something coming up, right? Claire, you know what I’m talking about.”

“Ah, that. The Snowflake Festival.”

Festivals were common throughout the year, but winter, with its harsh weather, often dampened people’s spirits.

But when it snowed, children would laugh and play, their smiles undimmed by the cold, throwing snowballs at each other.

The Emperor, observing this, had designated a period for a festival, hoping to bring life to the winter streets. It was called the Snowflake Festival.

It was an annual event, inspired by the sight of children playing in the snow during early January.

“I hear this year’s Snowflake Festival is going to be even bigger. Last fall’s harvest was bountiful, so the crowds will be massive. Even the nobles are looking forward to it.”

“…So you’re suggesting we test him? See if he causes trouble at the festival.”

“Yes. We can lift the house arrest after that.”

This was the best compromise.

Isabella, accepting Arina’s suggestion, decided to prepare for the family outing.

Meanwhile, Carsein, who had been confined to his room for three days, was staring at the status window.

▶Episode IV. The Snowflake Festival begins!◀
▶Enjoy a normal festival with your family!◀
[If you clear this episode, Arina’s house arrest order will be lifted completely!]

“Finally.”

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