Chapter 127

“Hmm. There’s no way Flora and young Carsein wouldn’t know about this. It seems that Claire arriving late at that villa is the limit.”

Arshien sighed inwardly after confirming the response of the Bargrand family.

The situation within the Bargrand family is something Arshien is aware of.

Carsein, raised by Isabel after being found in a poor village, is not the real son of the missing Bargrand family. The family’s internal strife was predictable, given he wasn’t a true blood relative.

He was never meant to be part of the family, coming from a completely different background than them, unlike a legitimate son. He didn’t even have the blood ties they did.

This must have been the biggest point of contention.

“But I didn’t expect it to be this serious. It’s worse than I anticipated.”

Even though other families were showing obvious hostility towards Carsein, no news of it had reached him. This was why the name of the Bargrand family couldn’t be mentioned.

In fact, he probably couldn’t even say it. Whenever Carsein casually used the family name, he was manipulated by the nobility’s subtle schemes because he lacked understanding of their culture. No one protected him from such manipulation.

Criticism always fell on Carsein, who often caused incidents and accidents. Justified protests against the nobility were buried in public opinion.

If this pattern continued, a person might end up thinking they were at fault without realizing it.

That is, Carsein was not even allowed to use the name of his own family, the Bargrand family.

Arshien felt more acutely the severity of the situation after knowing all these details.

And also, how wrong Claire was in her actions.

“This guy needs to be scolded hard so we can separate him from the nobles. Otherwise, he’ll just keep getting beaten up. This is the best way.”

This was an issue that needed to be addressed right away.

“Yes. Such news shouldn’t be swept under the rug.”

Arshien slowly moved the conversation from food to the western fortress walls.

Very slowly.

Starting from how they received external news.

Soon, the entire Bargrand family listened intently, but Carsein alone remained silent.

Arshien continued the conversation with a faint smile.

“New construction technique?”

“Yeah. They made new walls with a completely different mix than the old ones. Thanks to this, they predict the strength will increase several times over, and the maintenance period will be longer.”

“Oh my.”

“…Impressive.”

The efficiency increased as well, reducing the consumption of raw materials. This alone led to significant market fluctuations, which everyone marveled at.

Meanwhile, Arshien glanced at Carsein, who showed no interest.

Even though it was about his own work, he was so indifferent.

This should have been something to boast about to his family members.

But he was so indifferent. It was almost pitiful.

Not speaking about this matter implied that Carsein wasn’t even hoping for anything.

So, Arshien decided to reveal everything here.

“If you do the right thing, you should be recognized. Waiting to be criticized without hope is not what I believe in.”

At least, that was Arshien’s motto.

“However, it’s strange. If rubble was transported to the west in such a short time… it would surely take a long time.”

Without saying it out loud, Arshien smiled at Ariana’s question.

“Yes. It would take time unless you move a whole mountain. But there’s another big change in the empire.”

“…”

Claire flinched, sensing something.

“But that’s not enough, Claire.”

To understand what you did wrong, you need to dig deeper.

“The Wagluru Mountain was a huge barrier for the Peselros Empire. You had to go around it, and even that path wasn’t smooth. There were beasts, and bandits liked to appear in safe-looking places. Both ways were risky.”

However, the west managed to complete repairs perfectly in a short time.

Everyone had the same question in their minds.

How?

Arshien cut the steak into two pieces with a knife and placed it in the center, like opening a clear road.

“Could it be? Is there a road now through Wagluru Mountain?”

Ariana asked first, noticing it.

Arshien nodded with a smile.

“I was surprised too. They dug a hole through the mountain to create a passage. At first, I thought it was a tunnel, but it turned out to be a huge road. With this, the path to the west became straight.”

Arshien took out a map.

The new map showed paths crossing through Wagluru Mountain.

“This is the current map. Not only to the west, but paths to other directions have also been interconnected. This place has become the largest transportation hub in the empire.”

“It’s amazing. To make a road through the solid Wagluru Mountain…”

“Did the imperial princess oversee this project?”

“Huh? Flora. That’s impossible. Even I couldn’t think of what to do with this rocky mountain. It’s a completely different approach.”

“Wow!”

“Hehe. What a remarkable person, isn’t she?”

“Yes!”

Looking at the new map and the crossroads of Wagluru Mountain, Arshien smiled contentedly at the family’s praise.

The man with a different perspective was still indifferent, while Claire remained silent unlike the others.

“Now is the time to drive the point home.”

This was the final phase.

It was time to talk about the man with a different perspective.

“However, there’s a guess that those two people are actually the same.”

“Same person?”

“Yes. Isn’t it strange? Compare the time when the passage was created and when the rubble was taken from the Aiferos family. Doesn’t it feel like there’s continuity?”

“Indeed… that’s true.”

“Such timing suggests that both events happened simultaneously.”

“That’s because with another layer of time, we can guess who the person is.”

Arshien picked up a piece of pomegranate with a fork and asked.

“Isabel, do you remember? When I was little, I really hated pomegranates.”

“I know. Both you and Claire hated pomegranates when you were young.”

“There was a time I wanted to remove them. Now I realize it was a bad habit.”

As if recalling memories, Arshien quickly put the pomegranate in his mouth.

“But sometimes, there are people who show allergic reactions to certain foods. Those people would see the world differently, wouldn’t they?”

Flora seemed to recall something and glanced at Carsein. He was just eating silently, not paying much attention.

So, Flora’s eyes began to tremble.

Arshien continued as if waiting for this moment.

“In my opinion, it’s not just about taste. It’s uncomfortable to know there are foods you can’t eat. No matter how delicious, if you can’t eat it, it won’t make you happy.”

“Hmm. That’s true. Everyone has different tastes.”

“I’ve eaten most foods. As a guest, I haven’t encountered any I couldn’t eat. But in the royal family and among nobles, it’s essential to serve proper meals to guests. Don’t you think so?”

The rest of the family nodded in agreement.

Serving a properly set table is crucial in hospitality.

“However, I recently heard a peculiar story. A renowned household in the food industry didn’t know they had an allergy patient and served dishes containing allergens.”

Click.

The fork split the steak in half.

“A person who experienced this was said to have stayed in a territory due to the emotional impact. The name of the territory is─”

“…Rusmaier.”

“Right. Claire.”

Claire answered with a trembling voice, and Arshien smiled.

Then, everyone’s gaze shifted to one person.

“Isn’t it ironic? The tea party was attended by those attending the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting. A guest who didn’t receive proper treatment went to Rusmaier. So, from here, it’s my speculation. Young Master.”

Arshien turned his head towards Carsein, clasping his hands together.

“The lord of Rusmaier, whose mood was ruined, ordered the villagers to dig tunnels and create a safe and perfect passage. Then, he supplied rubble to the Aiferos family and informed them of the new technique on schedule. That’s my guess. What do you think?”

Those who hadn’t noticed the previous news now understood. These events were indeed continuous as Arshien described.

And the person at the center of this was.

“If we consider the continuity of events, aren’t you the person I thought of? Can you confirm this?”

It was Carsein.

In the focused gaze, Carsein sighed lightly and put down his utensils.

“Yes. You’re correct.”

He acknowledged that he was the target.

In the restaurant, a solemn silence filled the air.

-Ding!

▶ Arshien’s protection canceled all penalties! ◀

Carsein lost any grounds for criticism.

***

▶ All penalties have been eliminated! ◀

The atmosphere in the restaurant changed instantly.

After Arshien explained the situation, the urge to cause a commotion disappeared.

Though someone might have wanted to ask which family did this, they held back seeing it was Arshien.

But she kept talking.

“Truly remarkable. Rusmaier was a territory all nobles avoided. Not only did you save it, but you also utilized the advantage of being a village of sculptors to create a useful passage.”

“…”

“The princess is right, Carsein.”

“You shouldn’t hide this. It’s something to boast about.”

“Right! I wondered why you didn’t mention this when I came.”

Her intention was clear.

She was revealing all the facts the family didn’t know.

The hidden aspects, the things I didn’t want to mention and intended to gloss over, were all brought up.

Like highlighting the strengths and hiding the weaknesses.

She was creating the ideal situation for Carsein.

Ariana, who should have pointed out the incident, didn’t.

Isabella, who would have scolded him for staying out without notice, asked if he was hurt.

Claire, who would have reprimanded him, exclaimed that Sheiden had checked and found nothing wrong.

Flora, instead of mocking me, remained silent.

Everything was twisted.

While it was clear who was responsible, my plan seemed to have worked out fine.

During dinner, Isabel hinted at something.

“Carsein, could you stay a bit after the princess leaves? We have family matters to discuss.”

It was about having another talk later.

Ariana nodded in agreement.

But…

I don’t need it from my standpoint.

“No. I have another appointment immediately after this dinner.”

“Don’t you want to spare some time?”

“I’m sorry, but it’s urgent.”

“Carsein.”

When I firmly refused Isabel’s request, I felt Ariana giving me a look despite not calling me by name.

What should I do then?

“The purpose of the princess visiting the Marquis Aiferos house was related to me.”

“…”

“Isn’t that so?”

Although the timing was slightly off, the visit to the Marquis Aiferos house was due to me.

Yet, leaving the princess aside to continue the conversation with the family?

This was something unimaginable within their common sense.

“You are truly…”

Arshien also noticed this and sighed softly.

Didn’t I start the conversation cleverly?

“I’m sorry for disrupting your family time.”

“Well, it’s not really a disruption. After all, I returned from an unauthorized trip.”

“…Carsein. In front of the princess.”

“Why? It’s not incorrect.”

When I responded sarcastically, Ariana’s eyebrows twitched.

“Try not to cause trouble, Carsein.”

Yes. That’s how I should respond.

Even if my mistake is temporarily covered up this way, it’s only temporary.

The dinner ended somewhat abruptly.

Arshien, who brought Ariana and me here, complained immediately after moving to a new spot.

“It was quite a good atmosphere. Why bring up unnecessary topics? If we had continued, your mistake might have been forgotten quietly.”

-Ding!

[1. (Scratching head) Eh?! Really?!]

[2. (Playfully) Well, Ariana wouldn’t let me get away with it, would she? Absolutely not.]

[3. (Jokingly) Claire must have said something, right?]

[4. (Angrily) If it were like that, I wouldn’t be in this state! Stop with the nonsense!]

…

…

‘As expected.’

I thought about why Arshien visited the Marquis Aiferos house, and confirmed my prediction based on the choices.

Arshien naturally visits the Marquis Aiferos house after reviving Rusmaier.

The problem was that the aristocrats who despised the Yarikin were controlling the economy, even though the Aiferos family was providing money and rubble. However, one person dramatically altered the market, leading to Arshien’s visit for rewards.

‘That timing was precisely when Carsein returned to the Marquis Aiferos mansion.’

Ironically, the fact that he completed his deal with the Marquis Aiferos was revealed, allowing Carsein to attend the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting without issues.

Thus, she is seen as a supporter.

‘The choice content is slightly different, but it doesn’t matter much.’

I follow the content of the Memorial.

[6. Well, maybe facing punishment is better to prevent bigger problems.] ☑

“Well, maybe facing punishment is better to prevent bigger problems.”

“…What do you mean?”

-Ding!

Arshien narrowed her eyes immediately, and a second choice appeared.

[2. In the past, I hid this fact, which only made the situation worse.]

“In the past, I hid this fact, which only made the situation worse. Especially since it was discovered by my own family.”

“…”