The Damn Family Is Back Again

183. The Second Agent (4)

Regaining her senses, Harunie couldn’t help but be startled by the sight of Karsein sleeping before her.

An arm pillow, of all things.

It wasn’t just that she was laid down; she had fallen asleep against his body…!

And that’s not all.

‘Surely… I didn’t sleep holding this person, did I?’

When she opened her eyes, the warmth she felt in her arms and head was still there, so it must have been true.

Her eyes, adjusted to the darkness, were now showing Carcine’s face right in front of her…

As she alternated her gaze between his sleeping face and chest, which were slightly pressing against her body, her face involuntarily flushed red.

It was almost like the image of devoted lovers.

The kind of real lovers who embrace each other with love and fall asleep together.

But the two of them were fake lovers.

They were only connected by a contract, pretending to be lovers for their own purposes.

For that reason, she should have screamed and pushed Carcine away immediately…

But right now, Harunie had no such thoughts.

She was sure she had fallen asleep leaning against the headboard, but her body was laid out on the bed.

He had given up the only bed so she could sleep comfortably, and not just that, he had even pushed the pillow to one side for her.

The blanket was the same, and the lights that had been on were now turned off to make it easier to sleep.

And… her shoes were neatly taken off. By his hands, just like in her dream.

What scream? She couldn’t be more grateful for his consideration.

Thanks to him, her heart was pounding.

‘After having such a dream. And to wake up to him doing this…’

What a bad person.

Just like the time she recalled in her dream.

And even now.

‘At this rate… I have no idea what to do.’

No matter how much she receives, he endlessly gives her this feeling.

To the point where a simple thank you is no longer enough to endure it.

As she placed her finger on Carcine’s hand, she felt a texture different from skin.

‘This is…’

It was the ring of the Kingdom of Wederos, which Harunie knew well, received as a prize and shared between them.

“…”

Currently, this ring is just the right thing for pretending to be lovers. Acquired somehow, but merely a couple ring to deceive the eyes of others.

Watching it… I felt a slight discomfort in my heart.

When the time comes, this ring must come off.

Bound by a fake engagement, it will have to be removed when I meet a true lover.

After all, it’s just a contract.

We help each other, and when we’ve achieved our goals, we must part ways.

Then, when that time comes, I should be able to let go.

‘Why… am I feeling this way?’

Why does my heart feel so constricted when I think about that time?

Why don’t I want to take off the ring?

Why. Why do I feel this way?

“…”

Harunie placed her hand over her racing heart, lost in thought.

From noble mtl dot come

Listening to the sound of her own heartbeat, she reached a vague conclusion.

It’s because I cherish this person.

Isn’t that why I feel this reluctance at the thought of wanting to be together?

In reality, Karsein was a good person.

Too precious to lose… No, to the point of dislike.

So, I came to the same conclusion as when I first arrived here.

‘…Can’t we stay together a little longer?’

Harunie’s escape plan is scheduled to be completed before winter comes. That means… the time to part ways is approaching.

A way not to part?

Perhaps there is one if I look for it.

Leading the Plesia merchant group, I could be of more help in many ways.

After settling the affairs of the Count’s family, there might be a way to lend a direct or indirect hand to Karsein.

“No. Maybe…”

If I change the direction completely…

Yes. That might be possible too.

-Thump, thump.

In sync with the vigorous beating of her heart, her white fingers gently brushed Karsein’s arm.

The distance that had grown was narrowed again. Warmth and comfort enveloped her, as body heat was once again shared.

With a racing heart, Harunie closes her eyes once more.

Dreams and reality alike.

These moments seemed unforgettable.

So for now, she decides to close her eyes a little longer, pondering within Karsein’s embrace.

***

When she woke up, squinting from the morning sun that wasn’t the dawn’s light, she realized with a grimace that she had overslept.

And there.

Spread out on the table was a handwritten letter from Harunie.

“Ha, really…”

She was at a loss for words from the very first sentence.

“Don’t make such strange excuses next time, okay? You sleep so soundly. Today, I had to visit my territory briefly, but from now on, I’ll be watching over you!”

Though she wasn’t here, it was as if I could see her.

She must have said it in her usual nagging tone, hands on her hips, repeating the same old speech. And if I misspoke, she’d surely bring up the tale of the Oath Jewel.

Fortunately, when I woke up from the bed, I was relieved that my deep sleep hadn’t caused any misunderstandings.

“Hmm, seems like there was no misunderstanding about being held.”

“I… appreciate you laying me down on the bed. The blanket, the pillow… and even your arm… Ah, anyway! Thanks to you, I slept well!”

Of course, instead of getting angry, she expressed gratitude, which once again made me feel awkward and embarrassed.

“But what does she mean by ‘arm’…? And why is the handwriting particularly messy here?”

Harunie’s writing is usually quite beautiful… was it not like her usual self?

Reading on, the rest seemed normal, so I guessed it was just my imagination.

The letter went on to explain why she had to return to her territory for a while.

“A letter came from Mina. A situation has arisen in my territory that requires my presence, so I must leave for a bit. It seems the Count is trying to intervene─”

It was ostensibly about the internal affairs, but in reality, it was the Count’s interference.

Thanks to me, she had safely navigated any danger, so there was no need to worry; she would return when the time came.

But she warned that if I overexerted myself again before then, she would be angry.

The note ended there.

“…I’ll get scolded if I secretly stay up all night again.”

There was nothing I could do.

She hadn’t given any indication of when she would return… so for now, I had to be careful.

Next to Harunie’s handwritten letter was another note.

This one was written by Ferdi.

“As you said, brother, people have bought up all the food with their money, insisting that they must plant Chatren strawberries and grapes on the remaining land.”

▶Information obtained from the agent.◀

[ The Chatren vassals, whose lands had shrunk, converted all their fields, previously used for other crops, into Chatren strawberry and grape farms. ]

“Well, this was expected.”

Chatren had been unyielding even when they lost land rights before. So this time, I tried dividing the ownership of the land… but it wasn’t much different. They were solely focused on producing strawberries and grapes.

And so, this window pops up.

▶Crop management is now available.◀

▶When you enter the field, a UI appears, and if you have management rights, you can plant crops.◀

▶Please specify which crops to plant on each map.◀

From the moment crop management became possible in the domain, one could directly plant and change the desired crops.

This means direct intervention is possible, and if there’s a negative impact, it directly affects my performance.

Now, I must address the issues arising in Chatren one by one.

For example, the residents will soon face a secondary food shortage. Due to the indiscriminate expansion of strawberry and grape fields, they have to buy grain with the subsidies received from the Bagrand ducal family, but in the process, they pass through areas with traps.

These traps, spread throughout Chatren, belong to bands of thieves and beasts. As a result, partial grain loss occurs, leading to food shortages.

There were too many to remove. It was the same in the game, and when I dealt with it myself.

“So, planting crops now can secure a certain level of intimacy.”

In other words, today’s task is to go to the manageable fields and order the residents to grow agricultural products for consumption in the Chatren domain.

However, there’s something troubling me.

“The sub-episode of accepting Dyke as an agent. The main episode that proceeds only after employing all agents. The field UI, the report card window… all the other things are popping up just fine…? But why isn’t that one showing up?”

That window, which has yet to appear.

It’s not that useful, but the absence of a window I’ve seen every time is somewhat unsettling.

…Should I wait a little longer?

-Knock knock.

“Karsein, brother! People are looking for you!”

▶Residents of the manageable domain have come to visit.◀

I snapped back to reality with Ferdi’s voice followed by the system message.

Oh dear. I overslept.

At this time, the residents of the domain I manage come to ask what to plant.

First, I must resolve this.

“I’ll be out soon.”

***

Days passed.

It’s about time for the Chatren strawberries to be harvested from other fields this season.

As the peak season approached, Daik was confident that by now, he could get his hands on the Chatren strawberries.

The footsteps of colleagues who went to the dealer to buy Chatren strawberries and grapes are drawing near.

Daik instinctively stood up from his seat, desperately hoping.

-Gulp.

“Please. Please…!”

Swallowing hard, he hoped that this time, they would have strawberries in their hands.

“Look over there!”

“What’s that in their hand?!”

“It’s strawberries. Chatren strawberries!!”

When the figure appeared.

Strawberries were clenched in the colleague’s hand. They had succeeded in the purchase.

“Finally!”

Finally, he could cure his sister’s illness.

Having spent a long time in Chatren, Daik had no doubt that his turn had come.

But…

Daik’s complexion turned rigid the moment he saw the strawberries.

“Wait… Aren’t they a bit small?”

“So what if they’re small? We got them, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. Let’s give them to Daik’s guys first! Here, take them!”

“Your sister can finally be cured!”

No. These were lower-grade strawberries.

Not suitable for the medicine needed for Helketa I disease.

“…Frikte.”

“Huh?”

“You were the one who waited the longest in this territory after me, right?”

“Really? But… why?”

Daik pushed a strawberry forward to Frik.

“Hey. What’s with that?”

“…I can’t use this. Helketa I disease… requires at least a Grade D strawberry.”

“What? How can that be…!”

“You use it. Someone in your family is showing early symptoms, right? Even this Grade E should have some effect.”

After handing the strawberry to Frik, Daik turned away wearily.

“Hey, Daik! Try using this at least.”

“Yeah! You never know!”

“It’s all the money we’ve saved together…! And most of it is yours!”

“If it really doesn’t work, you know. There are strawberries being harvested in two days. I don’t know their grade…! But using several might just work. Don’t you think?”

Still, Daik shook his head.

He knew best that this wouldn’t work, so passing the strawberry to someone who needed it was the best course of action.

And today, another letter had arrived.

Urging the immediate creation of a medicine.

It was a letter stating the need for a higher grade of strawberries than before.

It’s true that I felt uncertain, but if what they said was right, we might need a Grade D+ strawberry now.

But I heard the price has gone up.

The price of strawberries, which I expected to fall, had risen again.

“Damn it…! How did we even gather that money! It’s the guards’ hard-earned savings!! And it’s only for a Grade E-…!”

Despair dawned on Daik.

Really, was there no way to save his brother without any other options?

Then. Suddenly, a man’s voice brushed past.

-I’ll give you a few days. Whether the price goes up or not, you can see for yourself. But. If you change your mind, come to the place written there anytime.

“…”

Come to think of it.

He wasn’t wrong.

Unlike me, who never doubted that the strawberry prices would fall, he was certain they would rise, and he also said the buying time would decrease. There were charts and graphs in the notebook, detailed statistics drawn up. That was, indeed, solid evidence supporting his claims.

That he had accurately predicted the outcome of this event through such research…

-Gulp.

Yes. Perhaps, perhaps there might be a way.

Karsein Bargrand.

I had to seek him out.