Chapter 85

– Ding!

▶The Late Return Event has been activated!◀

With an unpleasant voice, the status window finally displayed this message.

Though Flora was right beside me, it seemed I was not the subject of this event.

“From the looks of how long you’ve been waiting, even Flora had been waiting for a while. She checked when you would return for meals and refused my suggestion to go inside instead of waiting here. Do you get it now? How do you think Flora felt?”

Arina spoke as if scolding me.

“Can you tell how Flora felt?”

Hearing that, I felt relieved, and then relieved again.

“Yes, this is familiar. That’s how my family is.”

They don’t treat me as family.

I can’t be on equal footing in this household.

At best, I’m just an adopted child, unrelated by blood.

Usually, I wouldn’t think such thoughts, but at this moment, I found Arina surprisingly welcome. The first one always filled my dulled senses with urgency.

“I need to say something about this too. Don’t hold grudges and move on. Flora hasn’t eaten properly since she couldn’t attend the trial. So─”

Just as I thought more words would come out,

surprisingly, Arina said the same thing as the eldest sister.

“Don’t scold your younger sibling so harshly; let it slide. Got it?”

-Don’t scold your younger sibling so harshly; let it slide. Got it?

It’s almost worthy of admiration.

How could she repeat those exact words?

When the housekeeper stole my allowance, and when the third sibling didn’t even face me after being taken away,

those words were exactly what the eldest sister had said.

I had been told to be lenient with my younger sibling and let it slide, just like this.

‘I should really be grateful.’

Thanks to that, my previously softened vigilance was completely revived. The nonsensical question of why Flora was here vanished.

Without a care.

As always, showing no concern.

To the eldest sister who wore a bitter expression, I replied:

“What does it matter if she waited for me or not?”

– Ding!

▶Arina’s affinity has decreased!◀

Like the eldest sister before her,

Arina’s expression twisted.

***

“Carsein. What are you saying right now? Are you telling your younger sister who waited for you until this hour that you consider her an albatross?”

Arina asked, her anger flaring as her affinity dropped by 1%.

Knowing full well, I answered nonchalantly:

“Yeah.”

After all, no matter how much affinity drops, I’m still sending it off anyway.

Seeing this, Arina’s eyes twitched sharply.

Her eyes, once sharp, made the air feel icy.

Still, I had to speak.

“I never asked Flora to wait for me. Why is she here now, as if it’s my fault?”

“Carsein.”

“Even during the trial. It was reasonable to think so. Emma is Flora’s nanny, what if she takes Flora’s side?”

“Carsein Bargrand…!”

Arina tried to raise her voice but quickly lowered it, fearing Flora might wake up.

She tried to calm herself, exhaling hot breath.

“Stop being stubborn. How can you talk to your younger sister like that…! Flora was genuinely worried about you. That’s why she’s been waiting!”

Maybe you can say that because you don’t know.

Flora was the one who forbade anything from being given to Carsein and continued to be stubborn about it.

Should I be lenient because I see him as a brother, while you, who haven’t treated us as family, just let it go?

That’s absurd.

“Stop worrying. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“You little…!”

“Whether you catch a cold or not, do it yourself. It’s none of my business.”

Arina’s teeth ground.

Finally, she couldn’t hold back.

“You…! You haven’t changed at all. Not even considering your younger sister’s feelings and turning away so coldly…!”

– Ding!

▶Arina’s affinity has decreased!◀

[Current level: 24%]

“Yes, it was too much to give Carsein any authority. I was foolish to think he had changed enough to bring him to the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting.”

– Ding!

▶Arina’s affinity has decreased!◀

[Current level: 22%]

“The authority you can’t shed your peasant habits won’t be given up by me. I hereby revoke your authority to participate in the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting. Even if I tell Mother, I will never retract this decision!”

Arina raised her voice.

“Eh…? Eldest sister?”

At the same time,

Flora, who had been sleeping, woke up.

“Sorry, Flora. Was my voice too loud?”

“Mmm. No… But what happened? Why are you here… Ah.”

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Flora froze stiff as soon as she met my gaze.

It seemed she was fully awake when she avoided my eyes and hesitantly went to Arina.

Right then.

A bright light started emitting from a certain object on my right.

“…It’s a Memorial.”

This was a flower pot Carsein had brought from outside. He obtained one each time he completed a main episode.

Given that I had pulled forward a main episode, it wasn’t odd for it to appear now.

However.

▶Conditions met; automatically acquired Memorial!◀

-Zap!

It seemed unnecessary to take it back when returning.

The Memorial glowed alone, revealing Carsein’s past.

Flickering vision.

The location of this Memorial was Duke’s Mansion.

***

Carsein appeared at the mansion entrance.

Carsein’s appearance was as disheveled as ever today.

Covered in dust, he looked like someone who had rolled around in the training hall. Bruises and scratches were visible everywhere.

His skin was torn, bleeding, but they weren’t deep cuts.

Instead, bruises from being hit from afar were evident. The fresh-looking bruises showed they were recent.

In this state, Carsein entered the mansion.

“Master! How did you end up in such a state…!”

Sheiden, shocked, caught Carsein as he stumbled back.

“…I encountered bandits.”

“Master…”

Bandits?

It sounded like a common lie.

Sheiden could vaguely tell Carsein was making excuses.

The injuries looked more like they came from being pelted with stones and farm tools rather than bandits.

Considering the rumors about the incidents in Shatren Territory,

if he reported this to the lady immediately, the residents could face severe punishment.

Yet, Sheiden didn’t ask further, sensing Carsein didn’t want to reveal who had hurt him.

“Let’s start treating you, Master.”

“No, I have urgent matters to attend to… Ugh.”

“Doing urgent matters while stumbling like that?”

“It’s really urgent.”

Reluctantly, Sheiden had to postpone Carsein’s treatment.

“If it’s urgent, shouldn’t you report it to Mother?”

“Not Mother.”

“Excuse me?”

“Absolutely not. If Mother finds out about this…”

Carsein shook his head vigorously, clearly against it.

Instead, he asked another question.

“Do you know where Claire… No, Arina is?”

Instead of the insane patriarch of the Bargrand family, Carsein sought out Arina.

Seeing this, Sheiden turned his head.

Of course, Arina was already coming over.

“Why are you looking for me in this state, Carsein?”

Arina shot him a look of exasperation.

But for Carsein, it didn’t matter whether Arina looked at him like that or not.

“The people of Shatren Territory drove me out. Just for one day, let me enter tomorrow.”

“Hah.”

Arina clicked her tongue, dismissing the idea as ridiculous.

“Let me back into the territory I ruined with my own hands? After causing such a huge accident?”

“Regardless of what you say now, just for one day…!”

-Snap!

An unpleasant sound of skin rubbing together filled the entrance with silence.

In a voice lower than ever, Arina spat out her words.

“Shut up, Carsein.”

“…”

“Your actions have enraged countless residents. Their livelihoods have been shaken by your stubbornness and tantrums. And yet, you still want to enter Shatren Territory?”

Carsein looked at Arina with a dazed expression.

A deep sense of contempt and disgust could be felt in her icy eyes.

“As expected, Mother should not have brought someone like you.”

A cold dagger pierced through.

A cruel and chilling sentence.

Sheiden wanted to interject, but Arina added another remark, leaving no room.

“Know your place. Your position is closer to a toddler learning to walk than a proper noble inspecting the residents in the eastern nobles’ meeting. You’re nothing but a burden.”

You should do nothing.

That’s what she meant.

Then, Carsein trembled and grabbed Arina’s ankle.

“What are you doing…!”

“It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter right now!”

“What?”

“Whether it’s an uneducated person or a toddler learning to walk, whether they call me a peasant or not, it doesn’t matter. Only one thing matters. Just bring this one thing to the territory!”

Carsein held out a flower pot, covered in dirt, to Arina.

It was something he cherished despite getting beaten up by the residents and bringing it from the territory.

However.

Arina coldly tossed it aside.

-Crash!

The broken pot scattered across the floor.

“Forget about entering Shatren Territory. Go back to your room and reflect. Not on bringing such trash.”

Arina’s footsteps echoed as she walked away.

Watching her leave, Sheiden approached the fallen Carsein.

“Master, shall we go back…?”

“Sheiden. Can you… find me a flower pot?”

“…It’s not difficult, but where would you like to put it?”

“We can’t take it to Shatren Territory… Let’s put it here. If the residents come, maybe they’ll recognize it.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say, “What will Miss Arina say?”

Carsein’s eyes, still fixated on the flower pot, seemed entranced.

***

▶Memorial ended!◀

“…”

Holding onto the clue of the flower pot, Carsein tried to inform others, but Arina harshly dismissed his request.

Now, I learned another part of his miserable past.

At the same time, my own miserable past was revealed.

The me who firmly decided to escape before planning.

The me whom the eldest sister looked at as if I were trash.

Even when trying to help as a family, I couldn’t even express my opinion.

Yes. Asking for help was wrong.

It’s not asking for help, but doing it myself.

After the Memorial ended, I picked up the flower pot indifferently and spoke to Arina.

“Just take that authority.”

“You…!”

“Authority…? Take it? What do you mean, sister?”

Flora tilted her head, confused.

Arina stumbled over her words, looking flustered.

“Flora doesn’t need to know. It’s not that important…”

“Yes, it’s not that important. As they say, I am a peasant.”

“…”

“What are you saying? You are not a peasant—”

“No. I am a peasant. In the past, present, and future.”

Leaving behind Flora, who couldn’t say a word, and Arina, who still showed signs of frustration, I turned around.

However, the direction I was walking was not toward the mansion but the training hall.