I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Claire’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony (7)

Again, this scene didn’t exist in the game.

As the title of Episode III suggested, the story focused on events before and after Claire's coming-of-age ceremony.

There was no scene where Claire sent maids to my room or where I was summoned to breakfast.

There wasn’t even a scene where Flora visited my room like this.

▶Hidden Episode - Kelbia Allergy in progress.◀

The status window displayed the ongoing episode but didn’t offer any additional information. It was a hidden episode, and I had to deal with it the same way I had dealt with the others.

Information was scarce.

I knew Flora Bagrand's character well, but I had no idea how to handle this situation.

However, I could easily guess why she was here.

“You said you have something to tell me? To me?”

“…You glared at me at breakfast.”

It was because of my actions at breakfast.

I had suspected Flora of adding the Kelbia fruit to my food and had stared at her to gauge her reaction.

If she had come here because of that, then my attempt to pressure her had worked.

“What’s wrong with glaring at you?”

I pretended not to know, and Flora responded immediately, her voice laced with frustration.

“You’re suspecting me! Aren’t you?!”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Of course! Because I’m not the culprit!”

A little bit of provocation, and her true feelings spilled out.

Little kids were easy to manipulate. Now that she had revealed her intentions, it was my turn to counter.

“Really? Do you have any proof that you’re not the culprit?”

“Wh-what?”

“From my perspective, you’re the most likely suspect. It’s only natural for me to be suspicious. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve tampered with my food.”

“That’s not true! I’ve never…!”

“There was a Rigomos reaction in my food just recently. Are you going to say that wasn’t you either?”

“That wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”

She immediately denied it.

Children were like this. Prideful, deceitful, prone to tantrums. Just like my youngest sister.

I had endured it all, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

“You’re the only one who knew about my Kelbia allergy.”

“That’s…!”

“Mother, Arina, and Claire didn’t know. But you already tried to frame me by putting something in my food! Are you going to deny that too?”

“N-no! This time…! I really…!”

“You’re the one who knows about Kelbia fruit, about how to tamper with food… and you’re saying this isn’t your doing?”

I stated the obvious, and Flora jumped up.

“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me! Really, really… I didn’t know you were that sensitive to Kelbia fruit…”

I lowered myself to meet her gaze.

Her eyes were filled with tears. She looked genuinely upset.

“Do you feel wronged?”

—Nod. Nod.

She nodded vigorously, confirming her distress.

It was because she was innocent. I knew that much.

But did I need to sympathize?

“I felt that way all the time.”

“Wh-what…?”

“I felt that way every single day. Every time you tried to get rid of me.”

She had never listened to Carsein’s pleas, she had never stopped when he asked her to, this girl who was now acting wronged because it was happening to her.

No mercy.

“You just wanted to get rid of me because you didn't like me. But do you even know what being expelled from this duchy means to me?”

The world was harsh for a child who was cast out with nothing.

“Expensive clothes attract attention. And what happens when you have no protection? You get robbed. You get attacked by thugs who steal everything you have."

If you had something of value, people turned into wolves, ready to tear you apart and take it.

“And when you’ve lost everything, you end up on the streets. You’re left alone, beaten and bruised. Then, in a cold, dark, scary place, someone reaches out to you.”

When you had nowhere to go, you craved support, and you mistook that hand for kindness.

“They tell you they’ll give you food and shelter. All you have to do is obey their orders. That’s how people end up in the slums.”

And once you fell into that trap, it was over. You were stuck in an inescapable abyss.

“Because those who rob you and those who offer you a hand are all part of the same group. They prey on those who have nothing left but their bodies. They exploit you, forcing you to work, or they won’t even give you a drop of water. And when you’re no longer useful, they sell you off.”

In the end, you lost everything and were discarded after being exploited.

The only difference was whether you realized it before it happened or after.

The world was cruel to young children.

“You… you’re lying! There’s no such thing! It’s not in any of the books, and the teachers never told me anything like that! You’re… you’re just making this up…!”

Yes. It probably sounded like a lie.

How could a pampered noble lady understand the harsh realities of the outside world?

And I wasn’t sure if my knowledge applied to this world.

But would Carsein think the same way?

“You’ve forgotten where I came from, haven’t you?”

“...!”

He knew the slums better than anyone.

He had faced the harsh realities of the world, encountered countless villains.

That’s why I could confidently say that Carsein had lived a far more painful life than I had.

“So… you’re saying… there are things like that… outside?”

“Kelbia fruit is nothing compared to what’s out there. Compared to what you’ve put me through. Being kicked hurts more than an allergic reaction, and cold showers are easy when you don’t have any wounds. Maids? I can do everything myself. That’s why I’m washing clothes in freezing water.”

“That’s… that’s impossible! That can’t be…”

I had exposed the dark side of the world she had been shielded from, and Flora, tears streaming down her face, began to sob.

“I-I don’t believe you! I won’t! There’s no way such things exist in the world!”

—Clatter.

Something slipped from Flora's hand and fell to the floor.

"Ah…"

“What’s that?”

“My sister told me to give it to you. She said she’d be angry if you skipped the ceremony. I did what I had to do. I’m leaving!”

—Bang!

Flora, after a sigh, slammed the door shut.

The sound of her footsteps faded away.

At the same time, the status window appeared before me.

▶Hidden episode - Kelbia Allergy cleared.◀

■Reward
[You have acquired a high-grade ointment.]

■Items in possession■
▶[High-grade Ointment]
[Unlike regular ointments, this ointment significantly reduces pain, speeds up healing, and conceals wounds effectively, making them less noticeable.]

It seemed the message was telling me to attend the ceremony, now that I had the ointment.

Shaiden’s explanation of the Kelbia allergy seemed to have worked, and Arina hadn’t visited me, so it seemed like the episode was over.

But I wasn’t happy.

I was irritated, disgusted. Flora’s childish actions, mirroring those of my youngest sister, filled me with frustration.

"You want me to attend the ceremony? Don’t make me laugh.”

—Cling.

“You summoned me, Master?”

I rang the bell to call a maid, and Camilla arrived promptly.

“Call Heron to my room. Now.”

***

Time flew by. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the Bagrand duchy. It was just a few hours before Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony began.

The ceremony itself would be held in the evening, and the banquet would continue past midnight. It was time to make a decision.

“It’s Heron, Master Carsein.”

The elderly butler’s polite voice came from behind the door, followed by a knock. I immediately told him to enter.

“I heard you summoned me. What can I do for you?”

It was Heron, after all.

Unlike the other characters I had encountered in the Bagrand duchy, his gaze held no judgment.

He was a man of impeccable punctuality and unwavering neutrality. He had been one of the most difficult characters to deal with in the game.

But it was precisely because of that, because he was always neutral, a man of unwavering principles, that I had summoned him.

Now, before the main events of Claire’s coming-of-age episode began.

“What can I do for you? Shouldn’t that be my question?”

Heron was silent for a moment.

“Everyone should be aware of the Kelbia allergy by now. The Duchess, the ladies—“

“No, that’s not what I want to talk about.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean, Master?”

“You were the one who brought Shaiden, weren’t you, Heron?”

“….”

Yes.

This unresolved piece of the episode was still lingering.

The maids wouldn’t have listened to me; they only obeyed Arina.

I would have discovered this later in the game, after I built up my reputation and unlocked the information through a side quest. But there was no harm in revealing it now.

“The maids wouldn’t have listened to me. They know my position in the duchy. So, who else could have summoned Shaiden?”

“While the eldest lady’s orders are important, you’re still a child of the Bagrand duchy, Master Carsein. Someone must have felt compelled to act.”

“For example, Camilla, my personal maid?”

Heron flinched at my answer.

I had hit a nerve.

“Camilla was cleaning my room. Even if she left to get Shaiden, my room wouldn’t be this clean.”

“…”

Two events, impossible to achieve given the time and physical limitations, had overlapped.

Heron, lacking the information, wouldn’t be able to refute this.

He finally yielded.

“Your logic is impeccable. I can’t deny it. Yes, you are correct. I was the one who brought the physician.”

I could press him further, asking him why he had done it.

It was a simple question, but it carried weight.

How many people in the duchy were genuinely kind to Carsein?

He could count them on one hand, so Heron’s actions were perplexing.

It was strange.

A character who was supposed to remain neutral had taken a side.

But I didn’t ask. I had my reasons.

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

“…Is that why you called me?”

“Of course not. I summoned you because I have a favor to ask.”

He seemed surprised, expecting me to ask why he had helped me.

I ignored his unspoken question and changed the subject.

“A favor, you say…?”

“Heron, you remember the incident that happened at Arina’s coming-of-age ceremony, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“And Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony is in a few hours. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake.”

This was my true intention.

I was making it clear that I wouldn’t cause any trouble at the ceremony. That’s why I had summoned Heron.

“So, I want to know everything. The ceremony schedule, a map of the ballroom, the security arrangements, everything.”

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

The choice window had appeared a while ago.

I had to decide whether to go now or later.

So I needed to be prepared.

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