The Damn Family Is Back Again

Chapter 201

201 – The Wrathful Ones (1)

Harnie, with hands on her hips, looks down at me.

Her glare is fierce, enough to make cold sweat trickle down.

“Kar. Se. In? What time is it now?”

“…It’s 2 PM.”

“So, what should we be doing?”

Suppressing a groan, I managed to answer.

“Lunch… Yes. We should eat.”

“Right. Shall we go eat quickly?”

Reluctantly rising from my seat, I found myself walking, arm in arm with Harnie, who was still glaring at me.

Such an arm lock could easily be shrugged off… but due to a grave mistake I made in the past, I couldn’t shake her off.

‘Sigh… Why did that have to happen.’

What a pathetic guy. A sigh comes out naturally.

Even now, thinking about it only brings a sigh.

‘I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw that status window.’

If I recall correctly, at that time, I definitely met Harnie at Flora’s birthday party. After that, I heard some incomprehensible stories and thought I should slowly start to pull away.

But just then.

That window appeared.

▶Due to certain conditions, ??? recurs!◀

▶Status Ailment: Chronic Fatigue Level 4 occurs.◀

▶Status Ailment: Sleep Deprivation Level 4 occurs.◀

▶Status Ailment: Power Drain Level 5─◀

▶Status Ailment: Body Temperature Drop Level 5─◀

…

▶Due to various status ailments, your eyes close.◀

▶You cannot resist. You are forced to sleep. If exposed to danger, death may occur.◀

Something sudden and inexplicable caused a sudden onset of status ailments, and I collapsed.

I realized this the next day.

When I opened my eyes, I saw something familiar… no, something so large it could be mistaken for the ceiling, right before my eyes.

I lifted my upper body without thinking.

-Splish.

“What’s this?”

I thought it was the ceiling at first, a warm and soft material with a peculiar tactile sensation. I buried my head in it and confirmed it was real before my hand moved instinctively.

I was curious and touched it a few more times…

But that was a huge mistake.

“Ka, Karsen…?”

“Yes.”

As I was still exploring the strange sensation, the real ceiling suddenly appeared, lit up, and Harine’s worried eyes stared at me, not mine.

It was a familiar and eerie scene.

I was looking down at her, and she was looking down at me.

There was something on my head, her thigh.

What was hidden behind the ceiling was a large, unnoticeable meat on the desk.

Only then did I realize I had made a mistake.

What’s next… is obvious.

“…”

“That’s… I didn’t do that on purpose? Because the light didn’t come in, I thought it was the ceiling─”

-Ugh!

Yeah, that’s right.

I had gotten a very red handprint again this time.

That’s why this is happening.

I’ve made a huge mistake, and now I’m stuck with my fiancée.

…sigh…

‘It seems like this has happened before.’

As I scratched my head and thought about it, I remembered the time I got hit by Ji-eun.

-Minhyuk, you…

-What? Ji-eun, is that you? I didn’t do it on purpose? Really, really?!

Hmm. And after that, I got another very red handprint on my body.

…funny, isn’t it? I lifted my upper body without thinking, thinking it was the ceiling, and it turned out to be Ji-eun’s chest.

Ah, I’m lying down, and that’s why I thought it was the ceiling and got into trouble again.

“No. Isn’t that the only similarity?”

This whole situation isn’t much different from when Ji-eun was involved.

-How can that be okay? It’s not, not okay at all! But how can you make such a face…

Just like Harunie, Ji-eun did the same. She hugged my face and said the same thing.

You have to say it hurts when it hurts.

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

You should never be okay with that, she seemed to have said.

And now that I think about it, I feel terribly sorry, but there was a time when Ji-eun suddenly collapsed, and I had to take her and put her to bed.

And…

“…”

“What are you thinking about? You’re not planning to skip a meal, are you? I won’t let that slide. Do you remember when you suddenly collapsed?”

Just like that time. She had been wide-eyed, taking care of my health for days.

I have no memory of what happened after I collapsed.

What happened, what problems I had, only she knows. Just like Ji-eun.

Harunie said she had to drag me here when I suddenly collapsed. Ji-eun also seemed surprised when I fell and tried to hold me, but I just wouldn’t get up, so she took me to her room.

Strangely, I felt an overlap between Ji-eun and Harunie.

I couldn’t help but wonder…

“Harunie. Do you by any chance know what the national anthem is?”

“Huh?”

Hmm. That reaction convinced me it wasn’t so.

‘Right. That can’t be. No matter how you look at it, Harunie is a person from here.’

She must be living her life diligently.

“Ka. Re. Se. In?”

She narrows her eyes at me, lost in thought. I’m going to hear even more nagging at this rate.

“It’s not that. Let’s go eat.”

***

-Clatter. Clatter.

An ordinary mealtime, no different from usual. The sound of the utensils always echoed with my movements, but now there’s another set of utensils chiming in.

-Click.

A pea rolls from in front of me into my dish.

“…”

“Hmm, you’ve collapsed, so you should eat more of the nutritious stuff, right?”

That’s right. Seeing someone suddenly collapse, it’s not unreasonable to think there might be a nutritional issue.

So, you need to eat more. It’s correct to say that you should take in more nutrients.

But the thing is…

This looks like…

‘Picky eating, isn’t it?’

And then, under the guise of a non-excuse, passing me the peas.

“Why are you suddenly laughing? Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Cute.

I always feel this, but Harunie has this aspect.

Even though she seems meticulous, she’s clumsy and misses things one by one.

I just turn a blind eye to such things.

‘Besides… It’s about time to get moving.’

▶Episode VIII. The Third Agent is in progress.◀

▶Move to the western empire, to the Count of Lilpeton’s estate, and meet with the count.◀

Buried under Flora’s birthday, but the next episode’s progress requires meeting the Count of Lilpeton and persuading him to become an agent.

“The meal is over, so let’s get up.”

“Are you going to work already? Why not rest a bit more with some dessert?”

Harunie narrows her eyes again, trying to extend the break.

“Don’t look at me with those eyes. I’m not going to work.”

“What?”

“My next plan is to reveal to them specifically how the farming methods are flawed. That means not just planting a few dozen crops with my own hands, but using an entire field.”

“…So you’re securing labor from outside the territory. The residents still deeply distrust you, so they won’t be cooperative in solving the problems of Chatren.”

“That’s right.”

Being a smart woman, she quickly catches on to my intentions.

“But the residents will strongly oppose… Are you sure it’s okay? They’ll certainly dislike the idea of outside labor on their land.”

“Well, I have a card up my sleeve to counter that. The residents of Chatren have been continuing their trade with the outside through loopholes.”

“They’re defying the lord’s orders. You plan to argue with that.”

“Yes, the fact that we’ve purchased more high-grade fertilizer and sourced provisions from external territories should leave them speechless.”

There was one more thing, actually.

But there’s no need to mention that.

“Anyway, for that reason, I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”

The timing seemed perfect as I had just finished my meal.

But then.

“Just a moment.”

Harunie, who had sprung up suddenly, grabbed my arm and linked hers through it.

“If you’re going, I’m coming with you. Who knows if you’ll suddenly faint again? Hmph.”

“…No, that was just a coincidence─”

“A coincidence?”

Harunie’s voice trailed off.

Her gaze then struck me like a bolt of lightning.

“After collapsing like that. What? A coincidence? Do you really think it was just a coincidence?”

“Of course, it was a coincidence…”

Harunie pressed her index finger to my lips, silencing me.

“I heard it all from Camilla. You haven’t been eating properly!”

…Ah.

Camilla. Betrayal at such a time.

“Eating barely a mouse’s portion or just tearing into a few strips of jerky won’t stave off hunger. Camilla told me you’ve often worked without proper rest, barely sleeping. She even wrote me a letter about it!”

And yet, was it really a coincidence?

That you collapsed because you were so engrossed in work you didn’t notice your body breaking down.

I had to endure another round of Harunie’s nagging.

So, what’s the conclusion?

“Absolutely not. I won’t allow it unless I come with you.”

She wouldn’t permit it unless she accompanied me.

Because we were heading west. I tried to explain that it would be troublesome if an imperial like you showed up, but that only made things worse.

“Who in the west doesn’t know the Plescia Trading Company?”

The Plescia Trading Company had always maintained a relationship with Polux.

Realizing that Harunie might be the most welcomed imperial in the west, her arm became even less likely to let go.

No, it’s not just that.

“Surely you don’t want to leave your fiancée here and go back alone, causing our relationship to be doubted? The Theresia Duchy has all its lights on! Are you really going to leave me here all alone?”

…He comes up with all sorts of reasons.

At this point, there’s no other way but to go together.

“…Alright. Let’s go together.”

Only then did Harnie’s sharp gaze soften again.

“But you see, it won’t work right now.”

“What?”

▶You have used mana for auditory enhancement.◀

-Click, click, click.

“It seems a prior engagement has arisen.”

As Harnie tilted her head in confusion again, the guests promptly arrived.

“We can’t stand it any longer!”

“How can you call yourself a lord?!”

▶The dissatisfaction level of the residents has reached 80%.◀

▶It’s a figure that requires action even if you avoid the situation.◀

▶The Clue and Prove event will proceed forcibly.◀

***

Well, I thought the time had come.

It might be overshadowed by Flora’s birthday, the most crucial episode of the third week, but I’m still in the middle of the symposium.

I raised their dissatisfaction this week by issuing a closure order, so it was only natural for them to come at some point.

And then.

“Must have been nice to enjoy the birthday party?”

“While we work under the scorching sun every day to save this land, you, as a noble, think it’s alright?!”

“And then you go on to restrict our farming methods, leading us into deficit again! What are we supposed to live on?!”

As expected. They took issue with the birthday party.

I had a great time, and in the meantime, the domain was ruined.

What are the plans for recovery, and what meaning do the restrictions imposed on us hold?

These are the questions flying at me.

In the form of a Clue and Prove event.

And the main question is,

“Even if it’s the least you can do, show some evidence that this farming method is correct. Don’t you think you should explain how it differs from our way of farming?”

▶The topic to be proven has been set.◀

[ You must present a basis for overturning the existing farming method and adopting the player’s designed farming method. ]

This is it.

‘There’s really only one way to refute this.’

If I prove it in the Clue and Prove event provided by the system, then it’s done.

The trigger for this event will activate about 3 days after Flora’s birthday.

I have to directly inform them what was wrong with that farming method and what problems it had.

A full 3 days.

It may seem tight, but in reality, it’s even shorter.

If we assume that the time spent returning, sleeping, trading, and attending lectures is all consumed, the grace period is halved.

Due to this tight schedule, I’ve experienced the bad ending of being stripped of my lordship in Chatren in the game more than once because I couldn’t refute it.

However, I’ve already prepared for even that situation.

■Owned Items■

◆Data Scroll ver. 1

[ A magical scroll that can store and carry data. When used, it unfolds to create direct charts, graphs, etc. ]

▶Use the item!◀

“Data Scroll…?”

“It has various field names written on it.”

“It seems to be divided into sections with detailed numbers?”

Large charts and graphs are organized like an Excel program.

The residents aren’t too surprised by the Data Scroll itself, perhaps because they’ve seen it before.

But,

“What is this…?”