The Damn Family Is Back Again

196 – 196. A Step Away (12)

Under the brightly shining chandelier.

The birthday party officially began with Flora, today’s star, stepping into the upscale cafe.

The nobles cheered, each in their own way. The dress from Claire, who personally oversees a famous boutique, blended with the spring scenery, fitting Flora, fresh and vivacious, like a glove.

“Is that dress a new release from Lady Claire?”

“Yes. My older sister designed it. Isn’t it lovely?”

“It suits you perfectly.”

“It would be even better to preserve this look in a portrait.”

“I’ve already arranged for someone to do just that!”

Flora, the birthday girl, finished her brief greetings and was thoroughly enjoying her party.

Amidst all this.

One person was conspicuously absent.

“Speaking of which, where is that commoner?”

“I thought he’d crawl up like a weed and take his place here.”

“What happened, I wonder? Did Lady Flora have a hand in this?”

“Not at all… Hehe. What does it matter if he’s not here? It’s all for the best.”

“True, isn’t it? His presence wouldn’t have been of any help now, anyway.”

“Exactly. It’s better that the commoner isn’t here. It’s only right that he knows his place and stays away, though he didn’t, which was worrisome.”

“It’s a relief he’s not here from the start, lest he ruins Lady Flora’s birthday party.”

Karsein.

He still had not shown himself.

And for that reason, the two sisters were quite incensed.

Although he is an adopted child, he is still undeniably a member of the Bagrand Ducal Family. As such, he must attend his sibling’s birthday party and show his face, but for some reason, Karsein is nowhere to be found.

“Where has this rascal gone off to and not returned yet?”

“I’m going to lose my mind. Does this child ever stop causing trouble? Even on such an important day…!”

For several minutes now, I’ve been searching the party hall, occasionally excusing myself to check the drawing room, then stealthily opening a few doors along the corridor.

Yet, there’s no sign of Karsein.

With a click of her tongue, Arina made a decision.

“Claire. We have no choice. If we only search a room or two discreetly, things will only escalate. We must find him ourselves.”

“Sister? What are you planning? If we just wander around, won’t all the guests see us?”

“We need to buy time. Even if it means creating a fake schedule.”

“…Ah.”

“It’s come to this. We’ll have to ask Mother to give a speech and the two of us will have to go find him. And if we’re running out of time, I’ll join in to stall. You must find him as quickly as possible.”

“I will. Sister. Just wait until I get my hands on that brat. After the birthday party, I’ll make sure he gets what’s coming to him.”

Upon conveying this to the stern-faced Isabella, she readily nodded in agreement.

“First off, are we certain he hasn’t gone outside?”

From noble mtl dot come

“Yes, Mother. There’s been no change in the number of carriages or horses.”

“The guards haven’t reported seeing anyone leave either.”

“Then follow Arina’s suggestion. I happen to have a business to introduce which should buy us some time, so you two try to find Karsein as quickly as possible.”

The two nodded.

No longer just cracking doors open slightly, they began a thorough search and soon found Karsein’s location.

“Ah, damn. In the last place I would have thought. What are you doing tucked away in such a corner? Are you out of your mind?”

“That’s enough, Claire. Hurry up and follow me. I will not forgive anyone for ruining Flora’s birthday.”

Arina warned him, wanting to punish him severely, but since the birthday party was still underway, she held back.

It would have been better if he hadn’t been found. Karsein had no choice but to bite his lip and follow.

What he saw, what he heard, and what the truth was.

Now that he knew everything, he realized that at this birthday party, he was nothing but a nuisance, yet he had no choice but to follow.

And so time passed.

Finally, it was time for presents.

Flora received her gifts amidst the enthusiastic cheers of all the nobles.

“Congratulations, Flora.”

“Our youngest, you must grow up strong, okay?”

Even her family was not an exception.

At the celebration in her honor, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t bring a gift.

Except for one.

“What are you saying, Karsein? You don’t have a gift prepared?”

“Have I really heard such nonsense?”

Karsein bit his lip and replied,

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t prepare one.”

There couldn’t possibly be a gift.

The Mielr magic doll, which had sold out while he failed to gather enough money, couldn’t be bought, and the only gift he had intended to give was now a broken mess, tucked away in a closet.

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant.

While everyone stepped forward to celebrate Flora’s birthday with gifts, the fact that Karsein, a family member, did not, was nothing short of a contradiction.

Under the scrutiny of many eyes, Karsein felt like a trembling mouse.

Right after the birthday party ended.

Karsein was almost dragged away by Clare.

“Damn it. I’ve been holding back, and I’m furious. You better answer me straight. Got it?”

“…”

“Speak up. You’ve been hiding in some strange corner, not showing your face, and now you haven’t even got a gift for your sister’s birthday. What’s the reason?”

But Karsein couldn’t answer.

What should he say?

Should he admit that he had a gift, but it wasn’t really a gift?

Should he say that the gift he truly wanted to give was something else?

‘…It’s pointless.’

He would only hear lies or harsh criticism anyway.

So Karsein just clamped his mouth shut.

“You idiot. Why have you become mute? Answer me!”

“…”

“Ha, right. As if you could think. Flora might defend you, saying you’re capable, but it seems I have an overly generous sister!”

…Defend?

…Overly generous sister?

-Squeeze.

“Where do you think you’re looking?”

Overwhelmed with sorrow, Karsein inadvertently let his true feelings show.

As a result.

-Swish!

Clare’s hand, which had been restrained until now, swung out roughly.

“Hey, you trashy brat. Try moving your lips one more time. What? What did you just spew out?”

“…”

“Miss! You must control yourself!”

“There are still eyes watching outside!”

Clare’s eyes flipped furiously.

Her pupils, burning like blue flames, were not easily quenched of anger, but Heron and Shayden rushed in to intervene, finally putting some distance between the two.

However, Karsein had only faced one person so far.

“Truly a disgustingly selfish creature. Even if it was trivial, had you prepared anything, you wouldn’t have become a laughingstock among the nobles.”

After Clare, it was Arina’s turn.

“I can’t fathom how far you intend to drag down the prestige of the Bagrand ducal family. On such an important day, to see you causing such a scandal, it’s suffocating.”

Arina, expecting an excuse nonetheless, challenged him to even try to open his mouth.

Karsein, swallowing his frustration, broke the silence with a word towards Arina.

“I… did nothing wrong.”

“What did you say.”

“There’s nothing I did wrong!”

-Thump!

“Ugh…!”

Unable to hold back, Arina finally raised her voice and struck Karsein’s face with her fist.

The punch, filled with not just emotion but also strength and mana, tore through tender flesh, causing blood to stream down.

“Foolish one. Even now, I see no hint of remorse in your eyes. Know the shame. Do you think it’s honorable not to acknowledge your own faults?”

“…”

“Enough. Beating you won’t ease Flora’s mood anyway. It’s pitiful that Flora has to deal with someone like you, who causes trouble instead of celebrating on her birthday, as her brother.”

Having been hit again, Karsein might have expected his cheek to ache.

But he felt no such pain.

At this moment, there was something else that hurt far more.

Family.

It was the word that had begun to fill him with skepticism.

Inside Karsein’s chest, something was slowly breaking and shattering, creating a hollow rift.

If it had ended with just the two of them, who knows what might have been.

Perhaps the fissure in Karsein’s heart could have healed over time, somehow.

But then, a blunt wedge was driven into Karsein.

“Did you call for me?”

“…You’ve come.”

After being thoroughly scolded by his two sisters, the last person Karsein met was Isabella.

The birthday party was gradually coming to an end.

In just a little while, the ceremony to light the beacon and set off fireworks was scheduled to begin.

However, Karsein had taken the time for a private audience with Isabella before that.

Isabella looked at Karsein with a locked gaze and sighed first.

“No matter that our blood does not connect us, I have accepted you as my son. I’ve even completed the formalities. But today’s events are truly disappointing.”

Isabella’s first words.

They were a lamentation of disappointment.

“I thought you would at least bring a gift. Perhaps you could have asked one of the other servants to fetch something. Even if it were something insignificant. But… this isn’t right, is it?”

His intended words were cut short.

Though he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, the sentiment was the same.

It was a voice chiding Karsein for coming empty-handed.

“Don’t worry about my birthday. But from next time, bring something, anything. If it’s too difficult, you can ask your two sisters to prepare it.”

Isabella adds, insisting on one thing.

“Just don’t do anything to hurt your sister. Karsein.”

Although Isabella was indeed more gentle than Claire or Arina, he hadn’t expected to hear kind words from the start.

But upon hearing Isabella’s plea, which was close to a lamentation, Karsein couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.

‘Hurt her? Did I hurt Flora?’

The real wound was mine.

Did I hurt Flora?

Having just seen his face, she must have realized that he had been hit by Claire and then Arina.

Of course, he had been treated by Shayden, but despite the swelling still on his cheek, Isabella made no mention of it.

That was the decisive blow that created a gaping hole in the already fractured heart.

-Clang.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“…Heron. Please take this child back to her room.”

Isabella, thinking that any further conversation would be too much for the tearful Karsein, sends her away.

Karsein, who had been silently holding back, shouted at Isabella with a voice filled with resentment.

“A birthday present… I already tried to give it.”

“…You tried to give it?”

“What she likes most is…”

Being absent from the party, getting scolded by the family, being pointed at by the nobles!

Unable to continue, Karsein.

He ran out before Heron could even follow.

Karsein’s broken heart could no longer be mended. The tears that flowed shattered even the tiny wish to become a family.

Afterward, Karsein was confined for ruining Flora’s birthday party.

From then on, Karsein began to dry up emotionally, as if she had become a doll.

***

▶The Trampled Teddy Bear Memorial has ended.◀

▶A timer is set.◀

“Ha, hahaha.”

As the memorial ended and I returned to reality with the timer, I laughed in despair.

How could predictions never go astray?

I knew that teddy bear had been trampled on by someone.

And I vaguely noticed it was carelessly put inside this wardrobe.

But I hoped it wouldn’t be like this.

-Bang!

“Damn it. Why does it have to overlap in such an unpleasant way?”

Just like I foolishly harbored hope that I could become family with those people, I hoped Karsein wouldn’t make the same mistake…

But it was all the same, identical.

A cold blood courses through my head.

The blood flowing through my body chills and shakes me as if it’s frozen.

Thanks to you, I’ve come to my senses.

“Ugh, right. It must have been from this moment. The moment I decided I had to leave that house as soon as possible. Maybe, in a way, it was beneficial since it made me fully commit?”

It seems this guy has finally come to his senses too.

It’s better to have clear lines drawn than to be lost in such delusions.

▶The timer has ended.◀

▶Episode VII. Flora’s Birthday resumes.◀

▶Choices may occur in the corridor.◀

“Flora’s birthday party. Just perfect.”

This time, I’ll show both my true feelings and his.

-Thump.

“Such a teddy bear, obviously, isn’t a birthday gift, right?”

-Squeak, squeak!

Today, I’ll create the best birthday gift for you.

Flora.