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I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 200
🕑 Added 2024-11-24 16:27:22 +0000 UTCChapter 200: One Step Away (16)
-Clip-clop, clip-clop.
“…”
Harnie gazed down from the carriage window, lost in thought.
Carsein’s head rested on her lap, just like before.
“Sigh… How did this happen again…?”
She placed a hand on her racing heart, replaying the events in her mind.
…
She had been wondering where Carsein was.
What would she ask him when she saw him?
Should she ask if he had eaten properly, if he had gotten enough sleep?
She was lost in thought as she walked through the party, her heart heavy with a mix of emotions.
She had come here, to Flora’s birthday party, as Mina had suggested.
But the moment she saw Carsein, the moment she witnessed what was happening… Her heart ached.
Carsein was here to celebrate his sister’s birthday, not his own.
He had come to support his family, putting aside his busy schedule at the symposium.
And yet…
She had witnessed a cruel truth.
Carsein was being accused of not bringing a present, of making excuses to leave early. Suspicions, directed at him by his own family.
She had heard that their relationship was strained.
She knew bits and pieces of his story. But what she had witnessed was far worse than anything she had imagined.
Harnie, too, had experienced something similar in the past.
She had been ridiculed, mocked at Belian’s lavish birthday party, ostracized by the nobles and the socialites.
So, she had planned on finding Carsein after the party, to check on him, to offer him some comfort.
But…
She couldn’t ignore his reaction.
How could he be so calm? So indifferent?
Humans were supposed to have emotions. But Carsein’s face was devoid of any expression. A strange, almost unsettling smile played on his lips.
He had laughed. Coldly, distantly.
He had left the party, his face a mask of indifference, his emotions seemingly frozen. He was clearly broken.
So, she had stopped him, her arms wrapping around him, her voice filled with a desperate plea.
If you’re hurting, you have to express it.
If you’re in pain, you have to let it out.
Don’t bottle up your emotions. It’s not healthy.
She had tried to reach him, to make him understand.
But then…
-Lean.
“C-Carsein?”
Carsein, who had been buried in her embrace, suddenly shifted his weight, leaning against her.
“W-Wait! You’re too heavy…!”
Her arms, which had been holding him tightly, felt the full weight of his body as he leaned against her.
They were pressed together, their bodies touching, the curves and contours of their forms molded against each other.
It was an awkward, intimate position.
If he had been any other man, she would have used the magic embedded in her jewelry to push him away. But this was Carsein.
And the feelings she had developed for him, the confusing, unfamiliar emotions… they made the situation even more awkward.
Harnie, flustered, tried to push him away.
She had been about to take a step back, to create some distance, when…
She realized something was wrong.
‘Why is he so cold?’
Carsein’s body wasn’t pushing against hers playfully, wasn’t struggling to escape her embrace. It was radiating a chilling coldness.
Could it be…?
“Carsein! Carsein!”
“…”
She shook him gently, calling his name, but he didn’t wake up.
He wasn’t playing a prank.
He wasn't teasing her, wasn't trying to escape.
There was something wrong with him.
She loosened her grip on him and looked at his face. His eyes were closed.
“Wake up, Carsein!”
“…”
“You can’t fall asleep here!”
Despite her worry, her panic, she knew what she had to do.
Carsein’s body had become alarmingly cold before.
Pollux had told her about it. A sudden drop in body temperature, a side effect of mana awakening. He had called it Depeshan Syndrome.
For some reason, the illness had returned.
There was no other explanation for his body becoming so cold.
She had to do something.
She had to raise his body temperature.
“Where…”
But they were outside, far from any buildings.
She had to find a place where she could keep him warm.
Harnie scanned her surroundings, and then her eyes landed on a carriage.
‘That’s it…!’
There weren’t any blankets, but she could use her dress to cover him.
And she could share her body heat, just like before.
“Ugh…!”
Harnie struggled to lift Carsein’s heavy body.
It was a difficult task for a woman as slender as her, but the thought of him dying spurred her on. She gritted her teeth, and somehow, she managed to carry him to the carriage.
And then…
“You really are…!”
-Slide.
Her face flushed, she lowered the neckline of her dress.
As their bodies touched, as she shared her warmth with him, Carsein’s chilling coldness began to recede.
Mina returned, asking, “My Lady, are you back?” Startled by her maid’s voice, Harnie quickly adjusted her dress, placing Carsein’s head on her lap. She told Mina that they could return to Shatrain now.
And now, back in the present…
Harnie, remembering everything that had happened, blushed.
“Seriously! How many times are you going to embarrass me like this?!”
-Pinch.
She playfully pinched Carsein’s cheek, unable to contain her annoyance.
But her heart was still racing, her worry lingering.
He had made her so worried.
“…Don’t scare me like that. Why do you always make me worry so much…?”
Her voice filled with concern, Harnie placed her hand on Carsein's, her fingers intertwining with his.
Pollux had been right.
She had to stay close to him, to keep an eye on him.
The thought of him collapsing like that, alone and helpless was unbearable.
“Just wait. I’m going to give you an earful when you wake up.”
Harnie’s grip on his hand tightened slightly.
***
“…”
As Carsein left the party, a man watched him from the shadows.
He deactivated the artifact he had been using.
His appearance shifted, his elegant noble attire replaced by rough, Western garb. His physique, once slender and refined, now appeared burly and imposing.
He was clearly a Westerner.
He didn't belong at a birthday party for a noble of the Pesselus Empire.
If anyone had noticed him, they would have surely ordered him to leave.
But he had been formally invited.
By Claire, no less.
He had come here at the request of a desperate woman and the urging of a close friend. And now, Talfon had learned something.
“…An abandoned child…?”
He had only observed the events from a distance, but it had been enough.
Carsein was being questioned by Arina, the eldest daughter of the Bagrand Duchy.
It meant that he wasn't treated as an equal.
If they had considered him family, they wouldn’t have suspected him of making excuses for not bringing a birthday present.
So, he was an abandoned child.
Not a true member of their family.
That was the only explanation for their behavior.
And the nobles’ reactions, their harsh words and accusations directed at Carsein after he left, confirmed his suspicions.
Commoner. Half-breed. Disgrace. Stain.
They heaped insults and scorn upon him.
No one defended him.
Not even his family. They had questioned him, suspected him.
At this party, no matter what he did…
Carsein was an unwelcome guest.
And if that was the case…
“Maybe… that woman was right. Maybe Carsein was falsely accused.”
“Hmm? What did you say, Chief?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
He watched the carriage disappear down the road, his thoughts shifting.
He remembered his conversation with Claire.
-You’re saying it wasn’t Carsein’s fault, but yours?
-…Yes. It was all my fault. Everything that happened… was because of me.
-That’s ridiculous. You’re saying you care so much about your brother, and yet, you beat him? I've heard rumors of that even here in the West.
He had scoffed, but…
Claire hadn't denied it.
-You’re not denying it?
-…Because it’s true. I did it. So…
And then, she had bowed her head, her voice filled with a desperate plea.
-Please. Just this once… meet with Carsein. And judge for yourself.
-Thump.
“Chief?”
“I need to make a stop before we return to Lilpet. You can go ahead.”
-Ding!
▶ Affinity for a specific character has increased. ◀
[ Talfon ]
[ Affinity: -15% ]
***
“Heave-ho!”
“Careful! This way!”
“Got it!”
Bags of grain piled up.
Well-maintained farming tools were transferred from the carriage to the cart.
The merchants from Lusmire were delivering supplies to Shatrain.
“Thank you so much! We don’t know how to repay your kindness…!”
The Shatrain villagers expressed their gratitude.
They had managed to solve their food shortage, but most of their farming tools were broken.
Shatrain strawberries and Shatrain grapes were delicate, demanding crops.
They were sensitive to even the slightest changes in environment and soil conditions, and their cultivation required specialized tools. This year, for some reason, their tools had been breaking more frequently than usual.
They hadn't anticipated needing so many replacements.
And the funds they had saved for fertilizer weren't enough to buy new, high-quality tools.
So, the support from Lusmire had been a godsend.
“That lord of ours doesn’t even care. He’s off at a birthday party, oblivious to our struggles.”
“Hey, don’t talk about that here.”
“What difference does it make? It’s the truth. And it was Lusmire who helped us, not him.”
Map, their faces sneering, continued to criticize Carsein.
“He restricted our farming methods, claiming they were flawed. And now, he’s off enjoying himself at a party, while we’re struggling to find tools. He doesn't even care!”
“That’s right!”
“We’re on the verge of starvation!”
“He’s just a noble, living in luxury! Tsk!”
The villagers echoed Map’s sentiments.
Kiyan, from Lusmire, gritted his teeth, wanting to defend Carsein.
-Step.
“…Uncle Barak?”
Barak, who had remained silent, shook his head, stopping Kiyan.
He leaned closer and whispered in his ear,
“If we interfere, it will only make things worse for Lord Carsein.”
“…But…”
“We have to be patient. We misunderstood him before. They’re doing the same thing now.”
He reminded Kiyan that they had to wait, that the villagers would eventually understand the truth. Kiyan, his anger subsiding, nodded.
“We’ll be going now.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank you so much!”
“We’ll repay your kindness soon!”
The merchants from Lusmire left, their hearts heavy despite the villagers’ enthusiastic farewell.
‘They’re being too harsh on our lord.’
‘He’s the one who planned all of this.’
‘If it wasn’t for Village Head Brem’s apology, I would have said something.’
Carsein was Lusmire’s savior.
They couldn't stand hearing him being insulted.
If Carsein hadn’t ordered them to remain silent, they would have surely defended him.
“Calm down, everyone. Let’s celebrate later. Alright?”
““Yes, Village Head Barak.””
▶ Trigger activated! ◀
▶ The villagers of Lusmire will soon realize the truth about Shatrain. ◀
Comments
That one with the boobs
Ah. Caresin is me for real for real. I hope it goes better for him.
Chuck Wiles
Great work as always. Looking like we’re getting close to the end of this arc, and I’m dying to see people have to give Carsein respect
