Chapter 78

Here’s what you wanted to eat?

On this seat where I should be sitting?

Suddenly, I froze in this absurd situation.

Harrier seemed surprised as well, glancing at me as if asking if I knew anything about this situation.

‘I don’t know either…’

It’s really puzzling why Flora, who used to hate Carsein so much, would want to eat right next to him.

“Don’t do that and go back to your seat. Otherwise, Lady Harrier won’t be able to sit.”

“…”

Flora looked at Harrier blankly, shook her head from side to side, and sat down firmly on the chair, crossing her arms over her knees.

“I don’t want to! I’ll eat here.”

“Flora…?”

“Come here, won’t you? Let’s eat together.”

“I don’t want to!”

None of them could understand the situation where Flora was being stubborn.

But I think I know.

Or rather, I know as Kim Min-hyuk.

‘This kind of thing is really disgusting.’

Apart from the two changes that occurred internally in the game, there was one more change.

The final third change.

It was the change that happened to the third sibling who had been crying and exhausted on my bed last night.

When I asked Heron about it, he said that not only yesterday but for three days straight, they had been pacing in front of my room several times.

Every time, Isabella, Arina, and Claire tried to persuade and send them back, but this was their first time entering the room.

I dismissed it as unlikely, but now I’m sure.

Like mother, like child.

“I’m fine, Carsein. I’ll go sit next to Miss Claire.”

“That’s not what I mean, Miss Harrier.”

“Eh?”

Ignoring her confusion, I pulled out a chair and casually brought another one over.

“Isn’t it meaningless to separate us during a meal with our fiancée?”

“C-Carsein?”

Harrier was shocked and asked what I was thinking, but I naturally placed a chair by her side and sat down.

This made the seating arrangement awkward.

Carsein, who should have been the star of the day, was seated below the guest seats instead of the main seat right next to Isabella.

And.

My original seat next to the main seat was supposed to be Harrier’s, but I left it completely empty.

In other words, Flora was sitting at the main seat, but the seat next to her was empty, and Harrier and I were sitting side by side below them, keeping some distance from Flora.

“…”

Noticing this, Flora tightly pressed her lips.

“Is this okay?”

“Carsein…”

I boldly placed my chair right next to Harrier and spoke.

Isabella, who intended to have Carsein, who had recovered, sit at the main seat today, was now in a difficult situation due to the major change in plans.

Arina and Claire were no exception.

They were about to speak up in disapproval of the inappropriate behavior.

“Flora. Come and sit next to me, sister.”

Claire, who I expected to scold me first, didn’t. Instead, she chose to move Flora’s seat.

“Today is Carsein’s turn to sit at the main seat. You can’t be there. Okay?”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Flora?”

“You just need to not be there, right?”

Flora stood up from her seat.

Then she took the seat right next to the main seat, which was originally supposed to be Harrier’s, and mine.

“Then… I’ll sit here.”

Unlike usual, Flora was speaking back to Claire and refusing to budge.

‘Is that how you want it?’

Well, when it comes to fiancées, nothing beats that excuse.

I leaned closer to Harrier.

Just like before, in front of the socialites, I showed off in front of the family by pulling her shoulder.

“Ouch?”

“I don’t care where I sit, but I’ll just get up if it’s not by Harrier’s side.”

“C-Carsein…! What does that mean…!”

“We couldn’t meet because of things that came up. Don’t we need to make up for lost time today?”

-Klack.

“Cough, cough!”

At this, Claire opened her mouth and dropped her utensils, and Arina coughed while placing her water glass on the table.

And then Flora…

“…”

Her lips pouted out.

“…”

“Next time, we’ll need to set up two-person seats all over the place.”

“M-Madam Duchess?”

“It’s my fault for not knowing that the two of you were so close.”

“There, that’s…”

Before Harrier could say anything, two claps echoed.

There was no objection to Isabella’s suggestion to return to dinner time.

Of course, Harrier’s gaze felt piercing and hot, but since we agreed to help each other, I don’t think she’ll say anything about this.

Anyway, this concludes the seating arrangements.

I saw Flora lowering her head and returning to her seat, but that’s none of my business.

As the main meal began, Isabella called all the new servants into the dining room.

‘Carsein, there won’t be any more of those incidents.’

From the way she introduced the group neatly and the list of new knights, it seems that the incidents targeting Carsein within the Duke’s house have come to an end.

“And finally, the new head maid used to be a noble. There won’t be any more incidents disrupting the hierarchy.”

Suddenly, hearing that she used to be a noble made me realize something.

‘Wait a moment. Deol, Deol… This castle is…?’

Turning my head, Tasha smiled.

‘So that’s it.’

Now I understand why she said she owed a great deal.

“Hey, Carsein?”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know if it’s just my feeling, but there seems to be a similarity in the etiquette and demeanor between Camila, the new maid, and Tasha, the new head maid. Are they related?”

She was quite perceptive. To notice such a subtle detail and whisper to me.

“They’re mother and daughter.”

“Mother and daughter… Really?”

“Yes. Given that they both suffered from mana shock, it’s certain.”

Harrier seemed to have noticed that both were former nobles by covering her mouth with her hand.

“Deol… Now I understand. When I first introduced them, I was uncertain, but I guess they must be from a noble family.”

It was a coincidence, but I had seen Camila Deol’s profile when Arina showed me the maids’ profiles earlier.

Camila Deol.

That was Camila’s full name.

From Chapter 2, Tasha Deol became one of Carsein’s allies, and it’s quite interesting to find out she’s actually Camila’s mother.

“Really? The new head maid is the mother of the new dedicated maid… That must be reassuring.”

Reassuring or not, Tasha was one of Carsein’s key supporters from Chapter 2.

So, looking at the affinity box:

[Tasha Deol]

[Affinity: 52%]

Already at 50%, seeing Isabella’s number approaching this after the incident shows how favorable she is towards Carsein.

The reason doesn’t need to be thought about.

***

Dinner was over.

Perhaps their goal was achieved by participating in this morning’s dinner.

Handing out employment certificates to the new knights and introducing the staff meant that Emma’s request had been carried out thoroughly.

Since they needed to check my condition for attending the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting, they invited me to dinner to see how much I had recovered.

Aside from that, they merely urged that such incidents wouldn’t happen again and asked about the progress of the relationship with fiancée Harrier.

But…

‘There’s one person who didn’t achieve their goal.’

I guarantee that person will definitely come looking for me, even if it doesn’t show up in the progress bar.

“Harrier, I’m sorry, but could you pretend for me until I visit? I have a visitor coming.”

“Pretend?”

“Yes, I need some time.”

Understanding, Harrier returned to the room she had stayed in at the Duke’s house.

Although she had planned to leave immediately after dinner, she agreed to wait a bit longer.

After reading etiquette books for about five minutes, someone knocked on the door.

-Knock knock.

“Carsein, can I come in?”

Flora, who had knocked on my door with her small hand, asked.

‘She came pretty quickly.’

I thought she might be planning some trick.

I lazily replied, inviting her in.

-Ding dong.

The door opened cautiously.

Seeing her larger figure, I wondered what she was holding, and she was carrying the bear plushie I gave her to increase intimacy during the snow festival.

“…!”

Seeing me, Flora hid her face behind the bear plushie as if hiding.

Regardless, I fixed my gaze on the book and turned the page, asking,

“What’s the matter?”

Then Flora peeked out from behind the bear plushie.

“…I didn’t throw this away.”

“So?”

“Just, um… Well…”

After pondering for a while, she only managed to utter that.

This little girl hasn’t changed.

“If you came just to say that, I’d prefer you leave.”

“…”

“Or else, are you regretting that you can’t bully me anymore now that Emma and Theo, and the maids, are gone?”

Plunk.

The bear plushie fell to the floor.

“That’s not true! I just wanted to ask if you were doing okay…”

Trying to stall with such words is just an excuse.

Everyone saw that I was fine at dinner, so she couldn’t have missed it.

“Then it’s settled. Since there’s no Kellvia fruit to eat, there’s nothing more to talk about, right?”

“No, I still have something to say.”

Flip.

I turned another page. She was just rambling.

Why did she come here?

I roughly guessed it.

Without beating around the bush, I answered directly.

“I don’t need to worry about my body. Thanks to Harrier, who helped me in the Duke’s house where no one can be trusted. Oh, and I don’t need to worry about meals either; she brought food too. It’s nice having a fiancée who helps with everything, isn’t it?”

“…”

“There’s no need for you to fuss over anything. Harrier will take care of everything.”

Flora pouted her lips and stared at me intently.

Silently.

Just watching me.

-Flip.

“I’ll go back now. I won’t bring this up anymore.”

“What?”

“You came to worry about this, right? You’re worried that my actions, which Emma supported, might reach your family, and they might scold you, right?”

Her golden hair trembled.

Yes. She must be upset.

Being the center of attention is already annoying, and getting scolded on top of that must be infuriating.

“But as I said before, you’re just an eyesore to me. I’ll quietly live without doing anything from now on.”

“You never said you wanted that from me…!”

“Maybe. But I hope nothing happens. I wish the memory in my mind would disappear. Even now, and in the future, I hope the fact that you tormented me when I had nothing stays forgotten.”

-Flip.

“I’ll take that wish to my grave. Your torment will never come out of my mouth.”

I won’t need to ask for help, and I won’t reach out to you for anything.

Even if the options include Carsein’s foolish words.

But I won’t take them seriously.

“I don’t need your help either.”

At this, Flora cried out with a grimace.

“Idiot. You stupid idiot! You don’t understand anything!”

This ends this conversation.

After this morning’s dinner, our relationship with Flora has returned to its starting point.

She probably vented her anger and will soon storm off. Then, she’ll follow the second branch of Chapter 2 and proceed with the episode.

Closing the book, I realized it was time to go outside.

‘Hmm?’

I felt something odd on my hand.

My fingers tingled, and it felt like something was sticking to them.

Red liquid was seeping through my skin.

‘Ah, I see. That’s why Harrier’s finger had such clear cuts on it.’

I’ve never been cut by paper before, but I remember cutting myself many times in school when turning pages.

But the paper in this world seems much sharper.

Whether it’s due to lack of technology or because it was hastily made in the game’s world, the edges of the paper weren’t properly smoothed.

I’ll need to apply medicine for a while due to the bleeding.

However,

-Tingle!

Flora suddenly grabbed my hand.

[Flora Bargrand]

[??? : 65%]

▶Flora’s Affinity Box is changing!◀

▶Stop the bleeding from your finger!◀

▶You can’t go out until the bleeding stops!◀

A simple and seemingly meaningless message popped up, telling me to stop the bleeding from my finger.

Surprisingly, I’ve never seen this message before.

But what’s even more surprising is…

“Oh, please don’t hurt… Please don’t hurt…”

She took out her handkerchief and tightly pressed it onto the bleeding finger, her voice trembling with fear.