The Damn Family Is Back Again

200 – 200. A Step Away (16)

-Click, clack.

“…”

Harnie gazed blankly down from inside the carriage.

Just like before, Karsein’s head was resting on her thigh.

“Sigh. How did it end up like this again?”

With a hand over her startled heart, she briefly recalled the recent events.

.

.

.

Where could Karsein be?

What should she ask him when they meet?

Would it be better to inquire if he had eaten properly or if he had slept well?

It was a concern.

As Mina had told her, Harnie attended the birthday party with a somewhat heavy heart.

But the moment she found Karsein and saw what was happening there, a pain started throbbing in her chest.

Karsein was there not to celebrate his own birthday, but his sibling’s.

He was the family member who had come to brighten the occasion.

Simply to offer congratulations, he had put aside the busy schedule of the Eastern Nobility Council to be there.

But then.

She witnessed a cruel truth at that place.

Karsein was under the absurd suspicion of running away because he hadn’t prepared a gift, even for his family.

It was known that he wasn’t on good terms with his family.

From noble mtl dot come

She had heard his stories a few times. But what she saw was far different.

In the past, Harnie had a similar experience.

At a birthday party quite unlike that of the eldest son, Belian, she became the subject of ridicule among the high society and nobility—a most unpleasant experience.

Therefore, after the party, she intended to find him and ask if he was alright. After all, he must be going through a lot of emotional turmoil as well.

But.

That reaction… I just couldn’t get over it.

How could someone be so nonchalant?

Humans are supposed to have emotions. But at that time, a ridiculous sneer was plastered across Karsein’s face.

Yes. He was laughing as if he had turned cold.

Laughing in that situation is definitely not normal.

Karsein, who walked away from that place without a change in expression as if nothing was wrong, was clearly, unmistakably broken.

That’s why I tried to stop Karsein, who was about to return to Chatren alone, and embraced him to persuade him.

If you’re in pain, you have to say you’re in pain.

If it’s tough, you have to express it’s tough.

To manipulate emotions like that… it’s wrong.

I said so, pouring my voice into him as he kept trying to break down.

But then.

-Swish.

“Ka, Karsein?”

Suddenly, Karsein’s body, which had been buried in my chest, leaned towards me.

“Wait, just a moment. If you lean like this, it’s heavy…!”

My arms, which I had clenched not to lose him, became heavy, and Karsein was now completely leaning on me.

Our bodies pressed together.

Skin touched, and the contoured parts of each other pressed against one another.

It was quite an embarrassing situation.

If the man before me had been one to lust after women, I would have immediately drawn upon the power of the jewels I wear every day to cast a spell. But that would never happen. Because he is Karsein.

The real problem was something else.

The feelings for Karsein that had developed sometime ago were still unresolved.

Harunie, suddenly approached by him in this way, didn’t know how to react and tried to push Karsein away.

As she hesitated and took a step back to start speaking.

Harunie noticed something and was suddenly scared.

‘Why is it so… cold?’

What was emanating from Karsein was not a playful action to avoid the situation or a forceful push to escape, but a chilling coldness.

Could it be…

“Karsein, Karsein?”

“…”

I shook his shoulders, trying to rouse the heavy weight of his body, but he does not awaken.

There was no trace of his usual playful antics.

Not a single word of his typically teasing banter, nor did he seem to muster any strength to break free.

That meant…

Something was wrong with his body.

Releasing the grip I had been holding onto so tightly, I looked at his face, his eyes were closed.

“Wake up! Karsein!”

“…”

“You can’t fall asleep here!”

Even filled with worry, I knew exactly what needed to be done.

Karsein’s body had suddenly turned cold before.

Pollux had said it was a constitution that gets suddenly covered in chill upon awakening mana. He was a patient of Defician Syndrome.

Though I didn’t know why, the disease had relapsed.

This chilling body left me no choice but to conclude that.

There was only one thing to do here.

Somehow raise the dropping body temperature.

“The location is…”

But the place where we were was far outside, not even within a building.

I had to choose a place where we could maintain the lost body heat.

Harnie, looking around, spotted a carriage and immediately moved.

‘From there…!’

There was no blanket, but I could cover his body with a dress.

And transfer my body heat to him directly, just like before.

“Ugh…!”

She grunted, supporting Karsein’s body.

It was too much for the slender arms of a delicate woman to bring a robust man to the carriage, but the thought that he might die clenched her teeth and moved her, and she managed to reach the front of the carriage.

And then…

“You really are…!”

-Swish.

With her face flushed, she lowered her collar.

As the time sharing each other’s warmth passed, Karsein’s once bitterly cold temperature returned to normal.

Just then, Mina returned and asked, “Miss, have you come back?” Startled, she hurriedly dressed and, resting his head on her thigh, replied that it was time to return to Chatren.

And back to the present.

Remembering everything that had happened, Harnie’s face turned red again.

“Really. How many times will you make me go through such embarrassing experiences? Huh?”

-Pinch.

Annoyed for no reason, she pinched the cheek of the soundly sleeping Karsein and complained.

But still, her startled heart had not calmed down.

To make someone worry this much.

Because of that, her heart was still pounding wildly.

“…Please, stop making me worry. Why do you make me so anxious?”

Harnie, with a voice full of concern, overlapped her fingers on the back of Karsein’s hand.

Pollux was right.

From now on, she would have to stick to him like glue and keep watch.

If she hadn’t been there while he kept fainting… It was something she didn’t even want to imagine.

“Brace yourself. I’m going to nag a lot.”

A slight strength was felt in Harnie’s white hand that covered the back of his hand.

***

“…”

At that moment, when Karsein had completely left the birthday party venue.

A man silently watched the departing carriage.

The man withdrew the magic from the artifact.

His appearance, which had seemed like a well-dressed nobleman in a neat suit, suddenly changed to a burly physique.

He was unmistakably a Westerner.

Given that it was a birthday party attended by nobles of the Fesselos Empire, he clearly did not belong here.

If anyone had been watching, they might have hurried over to shout at him to leave the place.

However, he was someone who had been formally invited.

By none other than Claire.

After heeding the earnest plea of a lady and the persistent persuasion of a close friend, Talphon found himself here, gleaning a piece of information.

“…Was he a child that was cast aside?”

Even a cursory observation of the events made it clear.

Karsein, the eldest daughter of the Vagrant Duke’s family, was under suspicion by Arina.

This meant that within their circle, Karsein was not considered an equal.

Had they thought of him as family, they wouldn’t harbor suspicions over a missed birthday gift, would they?

Thus, a forsaken child.

A child not bound by blood.

Only in such circumstances would this situation arise.

As if to prove this conjecture correct, the nobles vehemently slandered Karsein as he left the gathering.

Starting with being called a commoner, to being deemed an unworthy half-noble, to being labeled a stain on the Vagrant Duke’s family. A barrage of criticism and finger-pointing was directed at him.

Not a single person came to his defense.

Even his family did not shield him, instead, they cast doubts upon him.

At this place.

At this birthday party.

Karsein was a guest who, regardless of his actions, was never meant to be invited.

Considering this…

“Really, just as that woman said, Karsein might have been falsely accused.”

“Hm? Chief, what did you just say?”

“Nothing at all. Let’s head back.”

Silently watching the carriage pass by, he altered his thoughts and turned his steps.

With the sound of footsteps, Talphon’s conversation with Claire echoed in his mind.

-So it’s not Karsein, your brother, but your own fault?

-…Yes. All of it, problems that arose because of me.

-How amusing. A brother so caring, yet rumors say he disciplines by striking. Have those rumors reached the west too?

When he scoffed at that.

Claire did not deny it.

-You’re not denying it?

-…Because it’s my sin. It’s the truth. So…

And with that, she, a Westerner, bowed her head and pleaded earnestly.

-Please, just this once, won’t you meet with Karsein and see for yourself?

Thud.

“Chief?”

“Before returning to Lilpeton, let’s make a quick stop. You go on ahead.”

-Ding!

▶A certain character’s affinity has increased.◀

[ Talphon ]

[ Affinity: -15% ]

***

“Heave-ho.”

“Careful, careful. This way!”

“Got it. Sir!”

Bags of grain pile up high.

Simultaneously, well-maintained farm tools are transferred from the cart to the wagon.

The ones handing over the goods are the merchants of Rusmayer.

The receivers are the wagons of the Chatren estate.

“I’m truly grateful. How can I ever thank you…!”

The residents of the Chatren estate join hands in gratitude.

Currently, Chatren had somehow managed to solve its food issues, but most of the farm tools were problematic.

Chatren strawberries and Chatren grapes were as luxurious as they were demanding crops.

In ordinary soil, a slight change in the environment or vegetation could prevent these crops from even sprouting, and the farm tools were easily worn out, especially during this harvest season when they were particularly prone to breaking.

No one imagined needing more farm tools.

And with funds depleted from buying fertilizer, there was no way to afford better-quality tools.

Then, like a ray of light, support came from Rusmayer.

“That lord, oblivious to our plight, went off to a birthday party, did he?”

“Hey, you. Why bring that up here?”

“What difference does it make to talk about it? It was Rusmayer who helped us right before our estate fell apart.”

Sneering, the action leader Maf shrugged his shoulders.

He continued to criticize Karsein.

“Just recently, he restricted our farming methods, claiming they were wrong. And now, he’s off playing around, not even aware that we’re short on farm tools. How can we not curse him?”

“Right, right.”

“We’re on the brink of starvation.”

“You’re nobility, that’s why. Tsk!”

The villagers chimed in with Maf’s words.

At that sight, Kian, who had come from Rusmayer, gritted his teeth, ready to step forward.

-Swish.

“…Uncle Barak?”

Barak shook his head in silence.

He whispered quietly into Kian’s ear.

“If we step in, it will only trouble Lord Karsein. Kian.”

“…But.”

“We must endure. It’s true that we’ve misunderstood the lord. The same goes for these people.”

Emphasizing that they must endure until the misunderstanding is cleared, Kian was finally able to suppress his anger a bit.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Thank you!”

“Really, thank you.”

“When the time comes, we’ll repay this debt in full!”

With Chatren’s fervent support, the Rusmayer party left the scene.

However, their mood was subdued.

‘Aren’t they being too disrespectful to our lord over there?’

‘This is actually something Lord Karsein had anticipated and instructed beforehand.’

‘It’s only because Village Chief Brem apologized at the end that we’re holding back, but what we really feel… Tsk.’

Karsein was nothing short of a savior to Rusmayer.

For Rusmayer, enduring such insults to him was difficult.

Had Karsein not ordered them not to respond, anyone might have stood up and shouted.

“Everyone, calm down. Let’s simply unwind today with a feast. Understood?”

“Yes, Chief Barak.”

▶A condition has been met, and a trigger has been activated.◀

▶Soon, the residents of Rusmayer will realize the true state of Chatren!◀