I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Belated Birthday Gift (7)

He had tried not to repeat the mistakes of the past, remembering the warning I had received three years ago.

He had arrived late to avoid conflict with the nobles.

He had worn a servant’s uniform to avoid causing a scene and getting into a fight.

In conclusion, he had disguised himself as a servant to avoid causing trouble at the coming-of-age ceremony. It was the best way to prevent a repeat of the past.

That was Carsein’s intention, according to her older sister, on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony.

But Claire didn’t believe it.

She had a gut feeling that there was more to it, that he was hiding something.

And there was a strange sense of unease.

She had wanted to ask him about it, right after he returned.

But then, she had overheard something strange during the conversation between Carsein and the head maid.

“──────, you’re saying he should apologize to Arina for that?”

She hadn’t heard the beginning, but it didn’t matter. The last part was more important.

“Carsein, why should you apologize to sister?”

“L-Lady Claire.”

Had he done something wrong to her sister?

What was this about permission?

She listened further, and it didn’t seem like a major issue.

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

“So… you’re telling him to apologize to Arina?”

“No, not really. I think it’ll be fine if you just explain why you left. If you caused any trouble, we’ll receive a letter by tomorrow.”

It seemed like a reasonable course of action. Carsein’s outings were always viewed with suspicion, so it was understandable for Emma to be concerned, especially if he didn’t have a valid reason.

Emma wanted to say something, but Claire, impatient, interrupted.

“So? What were you doing outside?”

Carsein answered calmly,

“Birthday gift.”

“What?”

“Mother granted me permission to go out as my birthday gift.”

A wave of unease washed over her. The word "birthday" echoed in her mind.

No…

It couldn’t be…

Surely, it wasn’t that day, was it?

But then…

“My birthday is December 31st.”

Carsein said it so casually, words that should never be spoken with such indifference.

Her doubts, her unease, turned to ashes.

All that remained was a throbbing pain in her head, a constant ringing in her ears.

‘He spent… his birthday…’

His birthday had been miserable, unlike her own.

No one had celebrated it.

No gifts, no acknowledgment, just a forgotten day.

And the belated gift he received was… permission to leave the house.

And she… his sister…

She had yelled at him for not attending her birthday…

She had only realized it now.

‘I… I have to say something…’

Her hands trembled.

She covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.

She had to say something, even if it was just an excuse, a meaningless apology.

But…

“…!”

His cold eyes said it all.

He had revealed this painful truth, but his expression remained unchanged.

Carsein was still eerily calm, as if he had expected nothing.

“…Go back to your room. I understand.”

Claire mumbled, her head lowered, her voice defeated.

“Just… go back to my room? But someone just told me to go apologize to Arina.”

“To sister?!”

She felt a lump in her throat, the words stuck, refusing to come out.

But Claire forced them out, her voice strained.

“I’ll… I’ll talk to her. So… just go…”

Carsein walked past Claire without another word. His footsteps, as he returned to the mansion, seemed unusually loud today.

The sound faded away.

Claire pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to soothe the throbbing pain.

But there was someone else present who disapproved of Carsein’s behavior.

“Lady Claire, the young master might have gotten into trouble outside.”

“Just let him go.”

“What? Lady Claire, but this is—“

“I said, let him go. Don't you understand me?!”

Claire snapped, glaring at Emma.

“Damn it, you’re just a head maid! Why are you making such a fuss over an outing? Are you trying to defy me?”

Her gaze was sharp, her voice laced with authority. Emma, speechless, could only bow her head.

“I-I apologize! I made a mistake. Please forgive me…!”

“A mistake? Ha… Even if my sister placed him under house arrest, you know this is overstepping, right?”

“L-Lady Claire…”

“Try anything like this again… and I won’t let you off so easily, even if you are Flora’s nanny.”

“Y-yes! I’ll be careful…!”

Claire, still fuming, turned to leave, but then she paused and added,

“I’m warning you. If I hear anyone talking about this in the duchy, you’ll be the first one I punish. Watch your step.”

Emma had been marked.

***

▶Episode IV, outing branch successfully cleared!◀
▶You have successfully triggered a result that goes beyond the simple selection of choices.◀
▶Claire’s affinity has increased significantly, and the harassment within the mansion will decrease.◀

[Claire Bagrand]
[Affinity level: 13%]

■Reward
[Arina’s house arrest order has been relaxed.]
[You can now leave the duchy without asking for permission.]

The outcome was exactly as I had planned.

The moment Claire overheard the conversation, Emma had been silenced. And then I had revealed my birthday, as instructed by the choice.

Claire’s shock had allowed me to escape the situation.

‘Emma will be targeted by Claire. She'll try to punish Carsein and end up making a mistake, offending Claire.’

I didn’t care what they said to each other. The important thing was that Claire’s affinity had increased, and the house arrest order had been lifted.

I had more freedom now.

There were still countless dangers, but being able to leave the duchy freely was a huge advantage.

I could prepare for other death triggers. That alone was enough. Of course, I needed to gather more information.

‘And… it’s time to deactivate another death trigger.’

Camilla, Carsein’s personal maid.

This was my chance to sever our complicated relationship.

But I couldn't be careless.

She had been acting strangely.

Paying for my items, trying to get me to leave before we encountered Emma… These were unexpected actions, not part of the game.

I had to get to the bottom of it before the death trigger was deactivated.

I asked directly,

“You know you owe me an explanation, right, Camilla?”

“…Yes, Master.”

And then, when we arrived at my room… I finally questioned her.

—Thud!

A loud thud echoed through the room.

Camilla, standing frozen, suddenly knelt and slammed her forehead against the floor.

“I’m sorry, Master!”

She apologized profusely.

***

Camilla was not only kneeling, but she had prostrated herself, her head touching the floor.

‘What’s this?’

She was being excessively subservient. There had to be a reason for her to go this far.

Like… her sick mother’s medical bills.

“Do you need money?”

I had overheard the conversation between Heron and Isabella, and her actions made sense. She had been carrying a lot of cash, and she had even paid for my items. It was likely that she was in need of money.

“If you need money, take one of my clothes tomorrow and sell it. Even a discarded noble’s garment should be enough to cover the amount you paid. If you need permission, I’ll give you proof that I authorized it.”

“I… that’s not it, Master. I don’t need money.”

She wanted more? Fine.

“I can even give you interest. Take a few more garments and get double the amount. And if that’s not enough, you can sell the gifts I received when I was younger. There should be a few gold coins in there. That should be enough to satisfy you.”

I didn’t mind the 200 Pessel she had paid for me. It was a small price to pay for my survival.

And no one in the duchy would care if I sold the gifts I had received as a child.

“No, Master! I don’t want gold or jewels! I didn’t give you that money because I wanted something in return!”

Camilla shook her head frantically, refusing my generous offer.

“You expect me to believe that? I know you’re working here for double the salary to pay for your mother’s illness.”

“Th-that’s…”

Camilla, her secret exposed, gasped. She was working as my maid because of her financial situation.

Arina knew that Camilla was struggling financially, so there was no way she wasn't working here for the money.

So to say she didn’t need money was a blatant contradiction.

Camilla, her lips trembling, her face pale, seemed to remember something and finally spoke.

But then…

“It’s… it’s about the money!”

“Hmm?”

“The money we used for the purchase… it was an advance from the head maid!”

This was even more shocking than her previous statement.

‘What? This is practically a confession!’

She was admitting that the 200 Pessel had come from Emma, that it was an advance payment.

This implied that she had received a request from Emma, a task she, as his personal maid, was supposed to carry out.

This wasn’t something she should be revealing so casually. It was a secret, a serious matter that would cause shock and outrage in the duchy.

“When you said you needed to go somewhere, Master… that’s when Emma approached me.”

“Are you still willing to work for the duchy?”

“She said this as she handed me the money. Emma said she would prepare the groundwork for me. After it was over, she expected me to report what you did, and she would settle the remaining payment. Of course, now that things haven’t gone as planned, she will probably be scolding me...”

Emma had asked her to report on my activities. And she had just mentioned that she wouldn't be fulfilling that task.

Her story made sense, from the advance payment to the task, even the timing.

But one question remained.

Why had she tried to get me to leave before we encountered Emma? It was contradictory.

I couldn’t understand, so I narrowed my eyes and asked,

“Why are you telling me this?”

Camilla, after a long silence, wiped her tears and pulled something out of her pocket.

“This… this is a weight-loss potion. I was going to drink it in solitary confinement and die… I hoped my mother would at least receive some compensation… They would think I died from overwork… I thought… I thought my mother would get more money…”

She was confessing, revealing her suicidal thoughts, her desperation.

It was a painful sight.

But that wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

“Camilla, that’s not what I asked.”

Her entire body was trembling now. Her breath hitched, and her voice shook.

Tears welled up in her eyes, trickling down her cheeks and landing on her skirt.

Camilla finally spoke again.

“I… I failed, didn’t I?!”

“What?”

“I’m so ashamed of my actions, the way I tormented you, the cowardly, deceitful things I did… But you… you forgave me, didn’t you?!”

Forgiveness. That was the answer.

It was hard to believe, even after I reached this conclusion, I kept questioning it…

But there was no other explanation.

‘Camilla… she’s showing me kindness.’

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just this. She had said she didn’t want me to be mistreated, she had gone out of her way to get me a new outfit for the ceremony…

There were probably more examples if I thought about it carefully.

And the fact that she was prostrating herself like this…

“You knew, didn’t you? That I was going to have you expelled.”

Camilla, her lips pressed together, nodded.

■Items in possession■
▶[Shuhuppep Tree Root]
[Effect 1: When brewed and consumed, it cures mana hysteria and reduces the chance of recurrence to 0%.]
…
…

This herb could cure Camilla's mother’s mana hysteria and allow her to live a normal life.

It could only be found in a place like this, a dark, shady market, so it was unlikely that a former noble lady would ever venture here.

But she had realized. She knew what I had been trying to get, and she knew I would give it to her.

I handed her the Shuhuppep tree root and asked,

“Just answer honestly. Is there another reason why you’re staying in the duchy? You don’t need to stay here for the money anymore, not after your mother is cured.”

“…Because I’ve wronged you so much, Master.”

“You’re trying to atone for your guilt?”

“It’s pathetic, but… it’s true.”

I had always seen Camilla as a simple extra character.

A money-grubbing servant.

A character who tormented Carsein and triggered his death flags.

And a character who, in certain episodes, provided Carsein with a chance to turn things around.

She had been nothing more than a game character, a tool to be used to deactivate the death trigger.

So I had thought this was the end.

I had achieved my objective, and the death triggers related to Camilla would be deactivated, her role in the story finished.

But what about reality?

It would be more difficult for a former noble lady to bow her head than for a commoner, especially to a beggar from the slums.

Her difficult circumstances, her desperation to save her mother… it must have weighed heavily on her.

And yet, she had chosen to apologize, to humble herself.

I could at least hear her out.

“Tell me what you want, Camilla.”

Camilla, realizing her opportunity, wiped away her tears and sat up straight.

“I want to repay the kindness you have shown me, Master!”

And then…

—Ding!

▶Will you accept Camilla as your maid again?◀
[1. Accept.]
[2. Do not accept.]

The choice window appeared.

A choice I had never seen in the game.

If this was still a game, I would have rejected her without a second thought. I wouldn’t have wanted to take any risks, and I would have avoided any potential death triggers.

But her eyes, filled with sincerity, with desperation… those weren't just empty words.

“Logically, you’d be better off serving Emma.”

“I’ve abandoned logic. Think of me as crazy if you want, but I’m not going to follow her orders anymore.”

“I can’t offer you much money. Unlike Emma’s bribes, you’ll only receive the standard duchy salary. Your life might become difficult.”

“That’s my burden to bear. I realized too late that I shouldn’t have used my problems to justify harming you, Master.”

She might have been a villain to Carsein, and even to me, she would have been no different if I had seized the opportunity to have her imprisoned.

But right now, she was the only person in the duchy who was loyal to me. I wouldn't miss this chance.

“You only get one chance. Keep that in mind.”

“Thank you, Master! I’ll never forget your kindness, and I’ll serve you with all my heart!”

▶Hidden Episode. The Maid’s Earnest Apology cleared!◀
▶You have accepted Camilla as your maid, eliminating some of the watchful eyes in the duchy!◀
▶Your reputation within the Bagrand duchy has greatly improved!◀
▶As a result, several dangerous areas have been downgraded!◀
…
…

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