I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Claire’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony (8)

Affinity generally served two purposes.

First, to unlock certain episodes. By building up a certain level of affinity with a character, you could unlock side episodes and access additional actions.

Second, to receive indirect help in clearing episodes. For example, hints about the location of Memorials, the correct choices, or clues about the story would be revealed.

In other words, affinity could help alleviate the difficulties the player faced while progressing through the story.

That’s why it was always good to increase affinity with as many characters as possible. That’s how I had played the game, trying to choose the best options and maximize affinity.

However, Heron was a difficult case.

Even though he had an affinity box, it rarely increased, no matter what I did. He was the most difficult character to deal with because of this trait.

He seemed to know a lot, but I couldn’t win him over using only the game’s systems. Countless trials and errors, and he remained unchanged.

Completely neutral.

Never taking sides.

A man as unyielding as stone.

Affinity had almost no effect on him.

That’s why I expected him to object to my request.

My declaration that I wouldn’t cause any trouble at the ceremony and my demand for information about Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony were contradictory.

It was more likely that I would create a massive scene if he readily gave me the information, so Heron would feel obligated to stop me.

‘I know that. That’s why I thought an exchange would be the best option.’

That’s why I hadn’t pressed him about his reason for helping me.

To dispel his suspicion, to create a balance. Each of us had a question we didn’t want to answer.

“Please wait a moment.”

However, contrary to my expectations, Heron didn’t object. He simply left the room after a brief hesitation. And then, he returned shortly after, bringing everything I had requested.

‘What?’

Nothing was missing.

The ceremony program, the detailed schedule, the map of the venue, the security arrangements… everything was exactly the same as in the game.

“Is there anything else you need, Master?”

“This is enough.”

Heron, having completed his task, didn't overstep his boundaries. Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t even asked the question he could have.

He had given me no reason to find fault with him.

‘He’s not easy to deal with, as expected.’

But he still had a question, a lingering curiosity.

“Master, may this old man ask you one question?”

“What is it?”

“Do… do you hate the Bagrand duchy?”

Hate the Bagrand duchy?

I wasn’t sure what had triggered this question, but it was easy to answer.

What would happen if I answered honestly?

How would it affect the main storyline?

I didn’t know.

But my own feelings, Kim Min-hyeok’s feelings, were taking precedence. I didn’t want to give these people even a shred of my sympathy.

***

After my conversation with Heron, the familiar game scene finally appeared.

Carsein, waiting in his room, the sun slowly setting.

The coming-of-age ceremony would start soon.

I looked at the choice window again.

▶[Will you attend Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony?]
[1. Attend.]
[2. Do not attend.]

“Ha… I can’t avoid it, can I?”

The third option, “Wait a little longer,” had disappeared. I couldn’t delay any further.

I had hoped that the choices would disappear if I acted on my own, but this window was stubbornly sticking to the game’s predetermined scene.

“Well, I expected this.”

After talking to Heron, I had done some calculations.

Claire, like the second oldest sister from my past life, had a fiery temper. If I didn’t attend the ceremony, especially on her birthday, she wouldn’t let it slide.

And even if I could get away with it, it would significantly decrease her affinity. In the worst case, it could even trigger a hidden death flag.

Attending the ceremony was inevitable.

But I wasn’t going in without a plan.

—Cling.

I summoned Camilla to inform her of my decision to attend. She looked surprised when she saw me.

“Master, you’re not going like that, are you?”

“Why? What’s wrong with it?”

“No, the clothes are fine, but… considering it’s a banquet for the Bagrand duchy…”

I understood what she was trying to say.

But…

“I don’t have any other clothes, do I?”

It was obvious. Because of the Kelbia allergy incident, these were the only clothes I could wear.

“The ladies will surely comment on it.”

“I know. If I go dressed like this, I’ll only bring shame to the duchy.”

Camilla’s eyes widened.

“So… you’re going to change into something else at the ballroom?”

“Why would I?”

“W-what? But Master, you just said…”

“I’m going dressed like this. But of course, I’ll be careful not to cause any trouble for the duchy, as I said.”

It was strange. I had said I would be a disgrace to the duchy, but I wasn’t going to change clothes.

Camilla, confused, covered her mouth with her hand, speechless.

But she couldn’t stop me. The outfit for the ceremony was ruined, and I wouldn’t allow her to summon the designer again.

It normally took hours to get dressed and ready, so time should have been tight. But I was only wearing a simple uniform.

I was basically declaring that I would use that extra time to slack off.

“Do you have any other work to do?”

“Well… about that…”

Camilla hesitated, then decided to stay quiet, her silence indicating that she wanted to stay a little longer.

***

It was a special day.

Claire, the second daughter of the Bagrand duchy, was turning nineteen, celebrating her coming-of-age ceremony on this blessed New Year’s Eve.

Guests from all over the Pesselus Empire would be arriving to congratulate her, exchanging pleasantries and gifts.

However, despite the anticipation, Claire’s face was clouded with gloom.

It should have been the happiest day of her life.

She should have been enjoying her time as the star of the show.

But a strange sensation lingered on her palm, haunting her thoughts.

“…”

Claire stared at her right hand, the hand that had struck Carsein at breakfast.

“This is so unfair. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

She had thought he was finally behaving, but then he had started tearing into the meat like a wild animal, completely disregarding the table manners he had been taught.

She had shouted at him, trying to stop him, but he had shamelessly insisted he had done nothing wrong, and she had lashed out.

But Carsein wasn’t the one who had caused the real commotion.

“I apologize for being vulgar and filthy. I guess it’s better if I don’t attend the ceremony.”

“This disgusting sight will excuse himself. Enjoy your meal.”

Carsein’s voice, the blood trickling down his cheek from her slap, echoed in her mind.

“...”

“Lady Claire? Lady Claire?”

A guest tried to get her attention, but Claire, her head lowered, seemed lost in thought. Arina, seeing this, intervened.

“Claire.”

“Ah.”

Arina placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder, gently calling her name, and she finally came to her senses. The room was filled with guests, all waiting for her.

“These are guests who have come to congratulate you. You need to focus.”

She hadn’t even realized that the coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin.

“…I apologize.”

“Haha, it’s alright. I hear that’s a common reaction for young people who have just become adults. It’s endearing to see that Lady Claire is no different.”

“My child was also worrying about what to do. Don’t worry too much about it.”

They laughed it off, pretending it was a minor mistake.

It had been a serious breach of etiquette. She had been lost in thought while the guests waited, an act deserving of a scolding.

But they had overlooked it, pretending it wasn’t a big deal.

They weren’t even close.

They were children of other noble families, acquaintances from social circles. Except for a few close friends, most were people she had only met briefly or whose names she had heard from her family.

And there were even more who were complete strangers, hoping to use this opportunity to connect with the Bagrand duchy.

Claire felt even more troubled, watching them all try to downplay her actions.

She should have intervened, but she hadn’t. She had lost her temper and lashed out. The memory of that moment, the sensation on her palm, haunted her.

‘Did… did Carsein come?’

She hadn’t seen him. Her hand still throbbed, and the ceremony was about to begin, but she hadn’t seen him. Could he be absent?

‘No, that’s impossible. Mother said she would bring him.’

She decided to trust her mother and wait. She continued to chat with the guests.

***

As I left the mansion, an unexpected window popped up.

▶Cleanup complete.◀
▶Reward granted.◀

■Reward
[Awareness +10]
[Certain restrictions on areas within the Bagrand duchy have been downgraded, increasing your freedom of movement.]

‘What’s this?’

This was the kind of message I usually saw after clearing side episodes.

Cleanup?

What cleanup?

I had simply left the mansion at the right time.

—Hahaha!

The sound of laughter from the ballroom snapped me out of my confusion.

“Phew, right. This isn’t the time to be worrying about this.”

▶CHAPTER 1 - Episode III. Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony is in progress!◀
▶Proceed to the ballroom!◀

If I was distracted by these things during the main episode, I could easily get a game over.

It was best to avoid the choices that appeared in this episode. The reason was obvious.

Carsein wasn’t a true noble.

He was an outcast, brought from the slums, a stain on the gathering of nobles from all over the empire.

The sight of a peasant standing among those of noble blood would offend them.

It would be best not to attend at all, but skipping the ceremony would result in an immediate death, so I had to at least show up.

And once I entered the ballroom, the episode would begin…

“Look at him, trying to act like a noble.”

“Even if the maids scrubbed you clean, they couldn’t wash away your filthy blood, you fool!”

As soon as Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony ended, the noble children would flock to Carsein, provoking him and taunting him.

‘And then Carsein, unable to control his anger, would lash out. Even if he added a few convincing lies, it wouldn’t change the outcome.’

That would be the worst-case scenario. Public opinion would never be in Carsein’s favor.

▶You have entered the ballroom.◀
▶Will you go and meet your family?◀
[1. Go and meet them.]
[2. Do not meet them.]

‘I can’t. Not now.’

The first time I had encountered this episode, I had thought of sticking to another family member, from the ceremony to the banquet.

I had hoped that the nobles wouldn’t dare insult Carsein if it meant insulting another Bagrand.

It had worked, and it was the most effective choice in the game.

But now, I couldn’t choose that path.

The Kelbia incident had created a tense atmosphere, despite being a good defense. I had offended one of them, so I couldn’t be sure of their reactions.

And most importantly, I didn’t know the extent of the hidden episode’s influence.

I didn’t know how the story had changed because of this unseen episode, an element that didn’t exist in the game. I had to be careful if I wanted to navigate the branches and return to the route I knew.

So, for now, I had to choose the less conspicuous option, to avoid attracting attention.

“Wait, you… who are you?”

▶[A guard is blocking your entry. How will you respond?]
[1. (Pointing at the guard) How dare you speak to a noble like that!]
[2. (Pounding your chest) Who am I? You don’t recognize me? I’m Carsein Bagrand! You stupid guard, you can’t even recognize your own master!]
…
…

Oh, these choices…

Those two would surely worsen Carsein’s already bad reputation.

I waited, scanning the other choices. I had to be sure which branch I was on.

Options 3 and 4 were no better. Option 5 gave me a clue.

“I apologize for being late. I was called here urgently.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Oh, I know. He said he was called urgently, maybe he’s one of those people investigating the embezzlement case.”

“Ah, I see. So he’s one of them, huh?”

“That’s right. He wouldn’t be here at this hour if he was a regular… must be a new hire, right? He looks a bit frail, though.”

“I may look frail, but I get the job done.”

“Really? Well, the duchy doesn’t hire incompetent people.”

They didn’t even know what Carsein looked like. That was a good thing. I just had to play along and blend in.

“Alright, no need for inspection then. Ahem. Be careful tonight, there are a lot of VIPs.”

“Especially watch out for that kid, Carsein! If you get caught in the crossfire, you’re in big trouble, alright?”

“Yes.”

The guards let me through without a second thought.

‘They didn’t even notice, even though they saw me face-to-face? Perfect.’

I was wearing a simple uniform, more fitting for a servant than a noble. No one would suspect a thing.

And I hadn’t entered at the beginning of the ceremony, but during the transition to the after-party and banquet. This would help me avoid attracting attention and any potential conflicts.

I stepped into the ballroom and moved freely.

‘I just need to show up right before the end and trigger the right conversation to avoid the death flag. The question is, where should I hide…? ’

The place where Carsein had spent the entire duration of the banquet was obvious. It was the same in the game, a place that was easy to spot.

A place to hide in this vast space…

A place where I could avoid the eyes of both the nobles and the servants…

I had a feeling I knew where it was.

I opened the door confidently.

And then…

—Crash!

“...?!”

“Ouch!”

I bumped into someone. A woman.

Next Chapter

Index

Previous Chapter