Chapter 129

Arshien came back and pointed directly at her.

She had expected it to some degree.

She expected that the topic would be related to Carsein.

She had already had a conversation with Carsein once, so it might have come up then, but regardless, Arshien always tended to cover for Carsein whenever he caused an incident.

-Isn’t it better to find out what happened first?

-Clare, hold it. Your voice is too loud.

-Don’t blame Carsein too much. He’s your younger brother.

She always said things like this.

So she thought this time would be no exception.

She thought she might hear something like “Take better care of your younger sister.”

But.

When it came from Arshien’s mouth, it was a heavy rebuke.

“Shatren was ruined because of you, Clare, not Carsein.”

Clare’s eyes widened as she looked at Arshien, her lips slightly parting.

Shatren… ruined because of her, not Carsein?

“But Arshien, isn’t that a bit strange? How did the territory I was in charge of get ruined because of me?”

It didn’t make sense logically.

At that time, Shatren Territory was producing two specialty products well, thanks to its fertile land.

Since the harvest decreased and the quality of the specialty products deteriorated, it couldn’t recover, but it clearly wasn’t her fault.

Yes. It was definitely a wrong statement.

No matter which way she looked at it, she hadn’t done anything wrong.

If anything, Carsein was the one who did something wrong.

However, Arshien did not retract her claim.

“Right. If you think that way, let’s change our approach a bit.”

“What?”

Arshien raised her fist and extended one finger.

“I explained the incident that occurred at the Marquis House of Aiferos today first in the restaurant. Along with the good news that essential gravel was supplied to the west, I also mentioned that someone brought a new method for repairing the city walls.”

Clare narrowed her eyes slightly.

That was the story she heard in the restaurant.

As soon as she finished speaking, the next finger was extended.

“Then, your older sister raised doubts, and I followed up by telling another piece of news from the empire. I mentioned that there was someone who broke down the trading barrier on Mount Waglew and created a passage through the mountain by making a hole.”

Another finger was extended.

“Lastly, based on the continuity of events and the temporal consistency, I informed that one person accomplished both of these tasks and connected another incident.”

The incident where Carsein received severe neglect and even blatant hostility from the Gelgetten Viscount’s villa.

Arshien neatly connected all of this.

“Why is this being brought up now! There’s no connection!”

Clare shouted angrily.

Even if the opponent was Arshien, hearing such talk repeatedly could only lead to frustration.

…No.

Maybe it wasn’t because of that.

It was because of this suffocating feeling inside, this irritation and discomfort.

“Let’s ask a counter-question.”

This time, Arshien folded her fourth finger.

Unlike before, the situation was reversed.

“Clare, you focused on the fact that Carsein came back beaten and found out that he visited the House of Rilfetten in the west. You immediately told Isabella and Arina about it. You said Carsein returned from the west without saying a word, beaten and possibly sick.”

“…!”

She didn’t ask.

Thus, silence ensued.

Arshien then folded her third finger.

“Afterwards, you took revenge on the House of Rilfetten, and then made it impossible for the nobles to trade with them again. Since you heard that Carsein had traded with the House of Rilfetten, did you try to find out why he wanted to trade?”

She didn’t try to find out.

Silence continued.

Only one of Arshien’s index fingers remained folded.

“Shatren was completely ruined after that. The production of the two specialty products almost ceased, and when the House of Rilfetten turned their backs, Carsein couldn’t trade with any other noble either. You scolded Carsein, who was branded with the stigma of being the disgrace of Shatren, despite knowing everything. Don’t you understand?”

“…”

Clare clenched her lips and remained silent.

But this time, it wasn’t because she didn’t understand.

There was an overwhelming intersection.

Rusmaier. Shatren.

Aiferos. Rilfetten.

Rusmaier, which became the center of trade as the creator of the new method.

And Carsein, who became the worst lord and the disgrace of Shatren.

The results of the past and present were too different.

No, they were completely opposite.

Arshien’s actions and her own actions as well.

“Could it really be… that it was my fault…?”

Clare asked with a trembling voice.

She couldn’t miss the meaning behind each point Arshien made.

To Clare, Arshien revealed the truth with a bitter tone.

“Carsein tried to change the soil properties of Shatren Territory by utilizing the characteristic of Rohia seeds that grow by emitting mana. That’s why he went to the west, where the House of Rilfetten is located.”

“…Then, what about the trade?”

Her neatly arranged pink hair got messed up.

“The Rohia seeds can only be cultivated by the House of Rilfetten. No one else knows how to cultivate them. There were no other people in this empire who could cultivate them.”

Her lips tightened, and a little blood trickled out.

“I just thought that bad things would happen if Carsein met the nobles, so I stopped him…”

“Clare.”

Arshien shook her head and grabbed Clare’s hand.

“That was wrong. Didn’t I tell you that at the Snow Festival?”

“…”

“You should have believed him once. You should have asked instead of assuming. Instead of pointing out his mistakes, you should have questioned your own prejudices.”

She had doubted until the end.

She had doubted her own brother so much.

“You kept a negative attitude towards Carsein, who wanted to prove himself by growing the rotten seed, even if it meant accepting it.”

Everything that stood out was wrong. Everything praiseworthy was hidden.

Due to her anger-driven actions, her hasty behavior, and her narrow-minded perspective.

Nothing came to light.

Not Carsein’s intentions, goals, or emotional state.

Every word Arshien said was correct.

The one who branded Carsein with the stigma of being the disgrace of Shatren was Clare herself.

-Drip.

A drop of liquid fell from Clare’s lowered face.

“If you had ever questioned yourself instead of Carsein, the disgrace of Shatren could have been avoided. This is the only difference between the two incidents.”

After giving her final advice, Arshien left to give Clare some time alone.

At the same time,

-Clink.

The hairpin hanging precariously on her pink hair fell to the floor.

***

When she got a new younger brother,

At first, she didn’t feel particularly happy about it.

He was a complete stranger.

Just a child picked up from the slums.

Karn, who had disappeared along with their father, was gone, and a completely different child was brought into her mother’s arms.

Although it was due to her mother’s mental illness, accepting a complete stranger as family was beyond common sense.

Worse, because of this child, her sister even got slapped by their mother.

Wasn’t it all because of this child?

Their first meeting with Carsein was that terrible.

Did it get better after that?

No, it didn’t.

She yelled at Flora and scolded the maid for her mistake.

She even tried to blame others for her own mistakes.

It was truly an unbearable situation.

Why does this non-family member dare to act like a master?

She was immediately reprimanded by her mother.

That day, she was scolded all day long.

No matter how much she disliked it, her mother always protected this child.

She called him her son and asked who else could be Karn if not this child. She insisted on defending Carsein no matter what happened.

Why was this complete stranger considered part of the family?

The longer the time passed, the more it felt like her blood was boiling.

Then one day,

Her mother’s mental illness recovered.

On a good day like this, the child caused an accident, and her mother gave him the name Carsein, so she wouldn’t confuse him with Karn anymore.

From the next day onwards, her mother’s care for Carsein wasn’t constant.

Her mother had regained her sanity.

Now, everything seemed to be getting back on track.

It felt like the gears of the machine were turning in the right direction.

But, would this mean Carsein would be expelled?

No, instead, he became a troublemaker.

-It’s not me, it’s you!

-I didn’t do anything wrong! It’s this kid’s fault!

-This kid told me to get lost because I’m not fit to be a noble!

He was a commoner, a child from the slums.

Seeing him act so presumptuously, her blood boiled.

Not only that,

-She deliberately did this to me!

Sometimes, she even blamed Flora for her own issues.

It wasn’t just once or twice; she did it habitually.

Naturally, harsh words came out, and her hands rose.

She hated Carsein, who was always involved in incidents.

But, on the other side, she had to control her mana and power.

Gradually, she developed feelings for her younger brother, despite his troublesome nature.

Regardless of whether she liked it or not, he was still her younger brother.

Though they weren’t blood-related, he was still her younger brother.

She couldn’t deny the fact that she had a younger brother.

Actually, she had started accepting him as a younger brother.

When she hit him, she tried to hold back and not use mana.

Seeing her sister get hit hard didn’t feel satisfying either.

Moreover, seeing him get hurt outside and come back made her heart ache.

She didn’t want to see him get involved with the nobles.

She had to protect him from the nobles, even if it meant fighting.

She hoped that one day he would realize his mistakes and change for the better.

Even if she had to argue, fight, or raise her voice.

Because he was her younger brother.

She didn’t want to see him get hurt.

When he came back bruised and battered from the west, her eyes widened.

She decided to cut off all contact with the nobles, including the House of Rilfetten.

How dare they beat her younger brother!

She responded thoroughly.

She thought this would remove any threat to Carsein.

…But.

Reality proved that this was the worst action.

Instead of protecting him, she had interfered.

She should have asked for the reason instead of criticizing him hastily.

She should have investigated thoroughly instead of being biased.

She should have understood Carsein’s judgment instead of doubting him.

Now, she finally understood the reason for this oppressive feeling.

Arshien had illuminated everything positively.

While she did nothing but criticize negatively.

It was because of this comparison that she felt this way.

-Drip. Drip.

The hairpins, hit by falling tears, clinked.

Naturally, Clare’s gaze shifted towards them.

The memory of Carsein’s voice when he gave her the hairpin pierced her heart.

-“Last time, I could only bring Arina’s pin… This one is for Clare.”

Her lips tightened.

He had returned with bruises all over his body just to get her a small hairpin.

Instead of helping, she nagged him.

If he was going to get hurt, she would rather he stay home.

She didn’t even try to understand why he gave it to her.

Did she ever appreciate it when he gave her something?

Crazy woman.

Stupid bitch.

Incompetent moron.

What kind of sister are you? You’re just a nuisance!

In the quiet stillness, Clare poured out her self-loathing.

Yet,

“…Car, sein…”

She never let go of the hairpin in her hand.

-Tingle!

▶Hidden Episode. Target cleared!◀

▶Clare’s affinity has increased!◀

[ Affinity: 67% → 75% ]

▶Affinity with a specific character has exceeded 70%!◀

▶Player increased affinity by their own efforts. This change cannot be achieved through this branch!◀

▶Successfully triggered a result beyond the choice options. Additional rewards will be given!◀

■Rewards

▶This information will not be disclosed to the player.

[ From now on, Clare will help in certain episodes. ]

[ Unlocks Clare-exclusive episode.]