Chapter 135

Isabella had been taking a rest time, and it seemed that more than 30 minutes had already passed since she mentioned it.

By now, they should have started drawing the family portrait again.

But no matter how long she waited, no child came.

Arina, Claire, Flora,

All of them had arrived early to draw the portrait.

She thought maybe the child was hurt by what Flora said, so she hoped the child’s mood would improve even if she had to give her pocket money.

But the child she wanted to see did not appear.

With an anxious heart, Isabella asked her daughters.

“Has anyone seen where Carsein is?”

The three sisters all shook their heads.

Even if they knew, they wouldn’t readily tell her, but this time, they truly didn’t know where Carsein had gone.

‘Could it be…’

A sudden fear gripped her.

After finally finding her son, could he disappear somewhere again?

She was about to urgently gather people to search for her son when—

“Lady. Look over there!”

Heron pointed at a place with his finger.

There, Carsein, who had returned with a wrecked body, was walking over.

“What in the world is this…!”

Isabella rushed over and examined Carsein’s body.

“What kind of children are these? Who did this to him!”

It was an unanswerable question.

Carsein, who couldn’t even distinguish the family crest, couldn’t possibly identify who was who by looking at faces.

“Lady, I’m sorry, but it seems the Young Master’s treatment should come first. Should we take him in a carriage for treatment?”

“Go ahead. Use as much medicine as you need, but make sure it doesn’t leave a scar.”

Sheiden agreed that treatment should come first.

He nodded positively, and they first covered up the wounds and waited for him to return.

The medicine could be applied quickly, and despite the beating, the portrait could still be drawn without issue.

However, the problem was the clothes.

“What? You mean Carsein’s spare clothes aren’t here?”

“…Yes.”

While the other three sisters’ clothes were fine, Carsein’s clothes were nowhere to be found.

In such a desperate situation, they needed to change clothes right away, but…

There was no time.

It was getting dark, and they couldn’t draw the portrait without changing clothes.

The painter also expressed reluctance about this part.

“…Only one family portrait for five people.”

Isabella looked at the single family portrait with regretful eyes.

She came here to replace the portrait in the Main Hall, but hanging this picture in the Duke’s Mansion’s Main Hall was out of the question.

“Mother, there’s no choice but to finish drawing it among ourselves.”

“What?”

“We need to fill the remaining frames. While Carsein can’t be helped, we can at least fill the individual portraits.”

“Yeah, I think it’s best to draw our four portraits right away.”

“I do too!”

“…”

Though reluctant, they couldn’t hang something like this.

They had to put up another portrait to change the atmosphere of the Duke’s house, and they had to paint the remaining ones.

Despite her reluctance, Isabella glanced at Carsein.

“It’s okay. We’ve made one, and there’ll be another chance.”

“…Are you really okay?”

“Yes!”

Even though Carsein wasn’t included in the portrait, he answered nonchalantly.

“I’m fine too, Mother.”

“There’s still more to draw, Mom. Otherwise, the frame will be empty.”

“I hate empty frames!”

“…”

Seeing her daughters’ urging, Isabella reluctantly agreed.

With rapid brushstrokes, more portraits were made with distinct expressions compared to the previous ones.

Before long, the sun began to set, and they finished drawing the portraits.

“Ah, right… This…”

When the carriage carrying Carsein finally arrived at the Duke’s house.

Carsein suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.

Without looking back, he saw the three sisters laughing and going away. He hurriedly ran after one person.

That person was Claire.

“Hold on, Claire!”

“What is it?”

“I have something to say.”

“You want to talk alone with me?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Claire immediately frowned, but gestured for Arina and Flora to go first.

As soon as they were alone, Carsein held out something.

It was a cherry blossom hairpin that matched Claire’s pink hair.

“I couldn’t get one for you last time… This is for you, Claire.”

He was sure she’d like it.

He had worked hard to keep this gift.

But instead of being happy, Claire shouted angrily.

“Idiot! Did you come back like this to get this?”

“…What?”

“Damn it. If you’re going to get hurt like this, why don’t you just stay outside!”

Claire turned away in anger, leaving Carsein looking sad.

Was it because it didn’t suit her taste?

But even though he felt sad, there was nothing he could do.

The next day, he was scolded by his mother in front of everyone.

She told them to say everything they knew, but he couldn’t. He was afraid it would lower the dignity of a noble.

He could only apologize and move on.

Claire sighed deeply.

After that day.

Soon, a new family portrait was hung in the Duke’s mansion’s Main Hall.

The existing frames were replaced with new family portraits, and for a while, the family portraits would remain like this.

But Carsein’s portrait was nowhere to be found.

There was clearly a family portrait.

Even if it wasn’t great, surely one could be delivered, right?

Just as he was thinking this.

Carsein received only one frame from Emma.

“This… What is this?”

It was cracked.

Not the glass on the outside, but the inside where the portrait was.

The cracked portrait was inside.

Looking puzzled, Emma replied as if mocking him.

“I heard Carsein only has this one portrait. Well, even this is a blessing.”

-Thunk!

After Emma left, Carsein stared blankly at the frame, biting his lip.

This couldn’t be called a family portrait.

There was a line.

It divided people precisely.

The boundary was entirely between Carsein and the rest of the family.

It felt as if he was alone, separated.

Feeling hurt, Carsein ran into the hallway.

How could he be the only one with a line drawn around him?

Even if he was missing, wasn’t this too much?

But nothing changed.

The four people’s portraits remained the same, and no additional person was added.

Carsein eventually shoved the frame into a gap in the hallway and never retrieved it again.

***

▶The damaged frame memorial has ended.◀

▶In 10 seconds, the timer will end and time will resume.◀

Time stopped, and my hand reached out towards the frame.

The condition of the frame stuck in the gap hadn’t changed much.

One of the five people, specifically Carsein, was cut off like a separate portrait, preserved as it was.

For a spring outing, a family photo, a broken frame.

“Damn it. There’s nothing to leave out.”

Why does this dirty memory keep popping up whenever I try to forget it?

It was a beautiful day when the cherry blossoms were scattered.

How sunny the weather was.

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the wind didn’t blow, making it the perfect day for a picnic.

That day, the woman suggested having a family picnic and taking photos.

She had even contacted a photographer to take family pictures.

Back then, I, a foolish young boy, held a tiny hope.

I believed that if we took a new family photo, I could become part of their family.

But then.

It felt like all three of them treated me like I wasn’t part of the family.

Just like the torn photo delivered to my room by the housekeeper, the same thing happened.

In short, the actions shown in the memorial were almost the same.

“Ha, ha. But am I lucky for not giving the second sister a hairpin like this?”

Should I feel relieved or not?

I don’t understand why I had to experience such crap twice.

But the message this memorial conveyed wasn’t complicated.

Carsein was a non-entity who wasn’t recognized as part of the family.

And today, the events of the past would unfold again.

It was something only the two of them needed to remember.

As cold blood circulated deep within my body.

▶The given time has elapsed.◀

As the timer in front of my eyes disappeared and time resumed, I pulled the frame out from the gap.

“It’s well-preserved.”

“Young Master…! That, that is a wrong frame. I will dispose of it. May I have it?”

Heron jumped to take the frame.

“No, it’s not wrong. This is normal.”

“…!”

“Oh, right. Is this wrong?”

I separated the frame and removed one of the two portraits inside.

Naturally, it was the smaller one.

The part with Carsein smiling was removed.

“This is how it should be. This is the correct family portrait, isn’t it?”

-Gurgle.

I crumpled the paper and dropped it to the floor, causing Heron’s face to contort in frustration. He looked helpless, unsure of what to do.

I naturally handed the frame to Heron.

“Dispose of it yourself. I’ll be going now.”

“Young Master…”

With a pained look, Heron closed his eyes tightly, and I walked past him.

-Ding!

Did my affinity drop because of this action?

Well, I don’t care.

Since Heron’s affinity isn’t applicable in this episode, it didn’t matter.

I’ll just listen to whatever those damn family members want.

***

Thirty minutes after Carsein disappeared into the hallway.

Heron closed his eyes and lamented.

Picking up the pieces of the torn portrait, he blamed himself for his powerlessness and sighed deeply.

Just then, Sheiden passed by.

“Why are you sighing so heavily?”

“…”

He had no choice but to sigh.

Heron carefully unfolded the portrait pieces and showed them to Sheiden.

“This…!”

Even without saying a word, Sheiden quickly realized what it was.

“Someone did this…!”

“The Young Master found it. There was a frame stuck in this gap.”

“In this gap? Oh dear.”

If only he had noticed it sooner.

Sheiden rubbed his face with his palm and muttered.

Both of them remembered that day clearly.

They couldn’t help but remember.

Heron and Sheiden had tried hard to win back the ladies’ hearts.

Though the lady’s intention to draw a new family portrait was good, the sisters’ reaction of not wanting to recognize Carsein as family was too harsh.

They tried to ease the atmosphere and create bridges so that no one would get hurt.

But they failed, and failed again.

The result was these torn pieces of the portrait.

“Can you fix this?”

“Hmm. There’s adhesive here.”

“That should be enough.”

Silently, Heron carefully unfolded the pieces and reattached the two families’ frames so that the cracks weren’t visible.

Although the frame was already cracked, he hoped it wouldn’t worsen.

“Another spring outing, another family portrait… Shouldn’t we follow?”

“…I think so too.”

There was no order for the butler to follow.

Also, the carriage had left the Duke’s mansion over 25 minutes ago.

“Give me that.”

“What are you planning?”

“Claiming I’m worried and following as a doctor’s excuse might work.”

“If so, let’s go together.”

“! Heron, don’t you realize that could cause trouble?”

“I know, but I can’t stand idly by and let the Young Master get hurt.”

In the past, all he could do was watch helplessly, but this time, he would definitely convey it, even if it meant risking danger.

▶Heron and Sheiden’s affinity has changed!◀

[??? : 70%]