Chapter 19

“Why did I forget this?”

“At first thought, hints were given even within the game.”

“The banquet hall had designated spaces for taking a breather or resting. Even if the party didn’t tire out, it was a thoughtful arrangement to not play endlessly.”

“Most often, the terrace was used for these breaks. It was a corner spot inside the large hall where one could rest.”

“Since the start of the coming-of-age ceremony episode, Carsein could enter this terrace anytime and anywhere to pass time. He remembered this spot as a way to avoid being seen by family or guests for extended periods.”

“But strangely, not all terraces were available.”

“[The curtain is drawn.]”

“There were places where such notes were occasionally seen, but oddly enough, when entering the terrace right next to it, which had no note, nothing would appear.”

“Just a difference of a drawn curtain, why show such variation? I couldn’t understand back then.”

“I thought maybe there was a helpful Memorial hidden somewhere, so I waited for an opportunity to try again, but every time, that note appeared.”

“After the banquet ended, upon inspection, there wasn’t much difference inside. To be frank, there was absolutely no difference.”

“No Memorial or special item showed up as expected, and despite searching thoroughly, I found nothing.”

“An ordinary terrace with nearly identical surroundings. Just because a curtain was drawn, Carsein couldn’t enter. That’s what it meant.”

“But if I had thought a bit deeper about this hint.”

“If I had pondered why Carsein didn’t want to go into the curtained terrace.”

“If I had realized earlier that a drawn curtain was a sign someone else was using it.”

“Maybe, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Oh my.”

The woman rubbed her forehead where she bumped into me.

I also felt pain from the collision, and I, like her, landed on my behind painfully.

But now is not the time to cry out in pain.

“What a blunder!”

This beautiful woman with purple hair and dignified eyes, though sharp, had a graceful appearance. Her attire was also luxurious.

She is a noble.

One whom Carsein must never meet.

First, I need to hide my appearance.

So she doesn’t recognize me at all.

“I’m sorry. I was in a rush and careless, so I unintentionally offended your ladyship.”

Fortunately, my mind worked quickly, and I didn’t forget that I was a servant. I also swiftly recalled how to address nobles.

By bowing my head, I can hide my face, thus preventing any commotion caused by Carsein from escalating.

It’s too late to undo what’s done.

I must ensure that Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony episode proceeds without any disturbance.

If even a minor friction occurs with the nobles, Carsein will be criticized by anyone in his family.

But.

At least the worst case should be avoided.

This seems like the worst-case scenario…

“Oh… The dress.”

The cup she held when bumping into me soaked her dress.

Due to the fallen cup, real water spilled.

Seeing this, my head went blank, and I felt chills.

There’s no turning back now. It’s all or nothing.

“I’m truly sorry! Please tell me the compensation amount and your family name, and I’ll send it as soon as the day breaks!”

I grabbed a towel from the shelf, offered it, and bowed deeply again.

I hate borrowing money, but I have no choice but to borrow from the Duke’s house to solve this.

Though I detest it, it’s better than not borrowing and facing certain death.

If this doesn’t work, it’s a bad ending straight away. Game over!

Then the noble woman sighed. The sigh was so loud that I heard it clearly.

Just when I thought it was over. A soft something brushed my cheek, and a sharp pain followed.

“Why are you apologizing so much? You’re bleeding, and yet you’re apologizing as if it’s your fault?”

A handkerchief in her white hand already covered the opened wound.

“You don’t have to bow so low, Carsein.”

My heart sank.

Surely, she couldn’t see my face. She hadn’t confirmed it since I fell a moment ago.

That’s why I bowed my head.

But, why did she mention his name here?

Dangerous.

“You haven’t changed a bit. Really.”

In her brief moment, she recognized Carsein’s appearance, despite him acting as a servant and going unnoticed.

***

As the woman with purple hair wiped my bleeding cheek with a handkerchief, revealing my identity.

I immediately thought, “This is going to be troublesome.”

Being acquainted with him isn’t something I’d look forward to. Me, ‘Kim Min-hyuk’, being acquainted with ‘Carsein’ is not a good thing.

Vaguely, I remembered seeing her once while playing the game.

So, this woman is also a character in the story.

But, I can’t tell.

Even after gathering information through intimacy and retries, I still don’t know who she is.

I swallowed my saliva and glanced at her.

“The dress got wet. It’s for the best. Carsein, judging by your presence here, you don’t have any scheduled plans, do you?”

Seeing her use informal speech, I responded with a puzzled expression.

“…Yes, yes.”

“Then, stay here for a bit. I hate airing laundry. If people say we were together, it could serve as an alibi and prevent nagging.”

Stay here? Because of airing laundry?

If we’re together, it could serve as an alibi and prevent nagging?

“…Two pieces of information came out, but I still can’t figure it out.”

I really can’t tell.

What kind of relationship does she have with Carsein?

She narrowed her eyes and asked bluntly.

“Why do you look so uneasy? Do you not want to be with me?”

“Not really… I don’t dislike it.”

If she keeps holding me back, time will naturally pass, and the goal of this episode will be achieved.

“Why do you look so uneasy! If you don’t like it, just say so!”

But, I can’t get used to this.

Carsein has always received hateful, contemptuous, and hostile looks.

But this reaction is different. How should I react to this lack of goodwill?

I can’t get used to it.

Just in case, I peeked above her purple hair, but there was no white box.

“Without any information, it’s frustrating…”

By process of elimination, all characters from the Duke’s house and other nobles who disliked Carsein were ruled out.

Even after narrowing down, I still couldn’t figure out who she was.

A character without an intimacy box, affecting choices and vice versa. It’s frustrating for players.

While lost in deep thought trying to recall who she was, the conversation started again.

“About my proposal. Have you thought about it?”

“What proposal?”

“I sent a letter… Did it not reach you?”

Facing the woman’s puzzlement, I nodded immediately.

It’s inevitable that the letter wouldn’t reach Carsein. All letters are managed by the Duke’s house and filtered out before reaching servants.

“It’s strange. I wrote Harinier’s name, and I received confirmation that it was properly delivered by your servants…”

Well, they wouldn’t know the ins and outs of this house.

This is fortunate for me. It gives me a chance to learn more about her, and if the news spreads upwards, it might prompt servants to deliver my letters properly.

Her name is Harinier, right?

“Does Lady Harinier not know anything about me?”

When mentioning Carsein Bargrand among nobles, countless rumors could fill a whole sheet of paper.

She is also a noble, so she must have heard of him at least once.

“This is because I’ve caused many accidents. Letters rarely reach me. They usually end up discarded by other family members. They are filled with criticism.”

“Hmm, is that so? I didn’t think that far.”

“Then, let me tell you the content of the letter. What was it about?”

Harinier sighed lightly and became serious.

It seems like the content is significant.

“It was a request for a one-year engagement.”

“…Excuse me?”

But the content was shocking, to say the least.

For various reasons.

***

-Cough, cough!

Carsein seemed flustered and started coughing.

Why does he start coughing right after mentioning the engagement proposal?

“What’s wrong? Is the engagement proposal that unappealing?”

Now, it’s because the dress got wet, but I was well-prepared. Other coming-of-age ceremonies noticed me and approached, some already harboring ill intentions.

Harinier herself has pride in her appearance.

But, the moment the engagement was mentioned, Carsein’s reaction was like this, scratching her pride slightly.

“I don’t think you’re unattractive. This is extremely rude!”

“What? No… That’s not it… Cough!”

“It’s because my taste doesn’t match yours? I feel the same way about you? Don’t you feel the same about me? Got it?”

After making somewhat rude remarks, Harinier turned her head away haughtily.

Only then did Carsein fully grasp the situation and get to the point.

“So, the engagement has a purpose?”

“Yes! I didn’t propose out of affection, but rather to make a deal!”

Harinier pointed with her finger and spoke frankly, then grabbed the water glass thirstily.

But, there was no water in the glass. Carsein carefully fetched a teapot from the shelf and poured water into the glass.

“Clink.”

“To avoid misunderstanding, it’s not because your appearance doesn’t suit my taste.”

“Really?”

“Imagine if someone suddenly proposed an engagement. Wouldn’t you be surprised?”

“Yes…”

“Of course, you’d be surprised.”

With that understanding, Harinier’s wounded pride began to heal.

“It’s not because I dislike it, but it’s unusual, right? If you had stated your purpose from the beginning, there would be no misunderstanding.”

Harinier rolled her eyes uncomfortably and drank the water. When she placed the cup back on the table, she continued to clear her throat.

“She’s easy to understand.”

Carsein smiled and apologized.

“Well, sorry. I also contributed to your misunderstanding.”

“No, it’s not that bad… Actually, it’s just like the water spill earlier…”

“That’s fine. Calm down, let’s get back to the main topic?”

“Y-yes.”

Carsein quickly wrapped up the conversation and returned to the main topic.

The engagement for a year was a deal.

This was an opportunity.

“What does Lady Harinier hope to gain from a one-year engagement?”

“There’s nothing to gain.”

Harinier answered simply.

Too simple. Despite mentioning a deal, the expectations for a one-year engagement were surprisingly low.

But after hearing her follow-up, Carsein immediately understood.

“The engagement itself is my purpose.”