The Damn Family Is Back Again chapter 36

36 – 36. The Thrilling Stone Tower

“Mom, look! It’s snowing!”

“Yes, it is. It’s snowing today.”

On one side, commoners came out to enjoy the festival.

“hehehe, anyone up for a snowball fight? Everyone’s gone─ poof!”

“Want to taste what it feels like to be hit when you’re not paying attention?”

“Hey, why are you throwing it at me and not them?”

“Where’s the younger brother when it comes to deciding the king of this neighborhood? Eat this!”

On the other side, siblings were enjoying a snowball fight.

And.

“Where are you going? Are you going to enjoy the festival?”

A younger sister who was much younger than she is now.

Her current maturity and sophistication had not yet developed. The age of the mischievous girl who hadn’t even lost her innocence was seventeen at that time.

There was a young boy chasing after his older sister, his eyes sparkling.

“Wow. This is the Snowflake Festival…!”

And a boy three years younger than her was capturing the sights that children of this age would find fascinating.

The sight of snow fights, the warm street where they ate delicious food, and the bustling place filled with strange things were all mysteries in themselves.

Moreover, to Karsein, an extraordinary child who was always confined to the mansion and isolated by the chairman, it was even more so.

Anything was fine.

How about trying something with the snow falling from the sky?

How would it feel to hear and write about things they had never seen on the streets?

How about going around the streets like other children, buying this and that?

To Karsein, whose curiosity was thriving, just coming out to this street was satisfying enough.

“Karsein.”

“Yeah, what? Why?”

Wondering what she was up to, Karsein asks, her eyes sparkling.

And she anticipates. She wonders what words will come out of her older sister’s mouth.

“The festival. You said you wanted to enjoy it, right?”

“Yeah, of course!”

“Well, here. Enjoy it however you want. Play wherever you want.”

Arina took out 300 pesos from her wallet and dropped it into Karsein’s hand. It was her allowance.

The boy, excited to receive his allowance, was both happy and worried.

“I got in big trouble today… Can I really go out and play?”

However, Arina’s sister, who had brought the boy along, had a cold look in her eyes.

“Uh.”

That short word was Arina’s final word.

“Yaho!”

The boy was so excited that he jumped up and down.

As he enjoyed his freedom, his feet, like a donkey, dashed through the streets, unable to be tied down by anything.

And so the snowflakes fell.

From strange snacks to toys and playthings, they filled the boy’s hands.

But soon, he lost interest.

Despite the freedom he had just gained.

Despite being given permission and receiving money.

Beyond that, even though it might be the only chance he had.

“It’s not fun playing alone, after all.”

Karsein was not enjoying himself at all.

Because he was alone.

Then, suddenly, a scene caught his eye on the street.

“This is a gift for Mom!”

“Oh my. Thank you.”

A son was seen on the street, presenting a prize for his mother.

The son scratched his head as if he were disappointed, while his mother smiled.

“It would have been nice if I had gotten something better.”

“No, Mom. Just the fact that you take care of me like this is enough to make me happy.”

That scene made Karsein, who had been immersed in loneliness, move again.

A prize for the family.

A gift.

And…

“I bet my sisters, my brother, and Mom would love to receive gifts too, right?”

It was the attention of the family.

“Yes. They will definitely love it. They will be praised for receiving something hard to get!”

With that determination, Karsein brushed the snow off his buttocks.

Once again, the snow started falling.

The white snowflakes under the azure sky seemed to turn red, and soon the streetlights were lit.

Karsein’s hands were filled with bags. He had collected a lot from somewhere.

But the boy didn’t know.

Where the carriage that brought him here was supposed to go from this street.

The only one who knew the carriage’s location was Arina, who had brought him here.

“Well… If Arina is waiting, I’ll go to her, right?”

Karsein, who was wandering, sat on a pile of stones and moved his legs as if they were dancing. He expected to surprise someone by doing so.

During that time, let’s build a tower of stones.

While stacking these flat stones, Arina would surely know where to find him.

But in that spot, Karsein knocked down the tower of stones several times.

Stacking. And stacking again.

Hours passed, but Arina didn’t come.

Instead, those who came in her place said,

“Hey, look at this. You look like a noble lord. Why are you carrying so many things?”

“Heh. They’re all prizes?”

“Come on, man. Isn’t that useless stuff?”

“No, it’s not. If I sell this, it’s all money.”

They were bandits much bigger than himself.

“Hey, that’s mine!”

“Hey, my lord. If you don’t want to get hurt, just give it to me. It doesn’t seem to have any special markings.”

“Why should I give up what I worked so hard to get?”

“Come on, man. Shut up and just give it up. Are you crazy enough to want to get hurt?”

“hehehe. There are always bastards like these. They’re still idiots who think they can walk the streets with their heads held high.”

“How many times do I have to beat these bastards? That’s the remedy.”

The boy was stripped of everything he had.

Because he resisted, his delicate skin was covered in bruises, and the place where he was hit swelled and throbbed.

And then, Carcine was finally discovered.

After a long time had passed since the construction of the stone tower, the fact that he was here was revealed by a knight.

“Carcine…! What on earth are you doing here… No. No, no. Let’s go home. My son. Okay?”

His mother, who suffered from mental illness, was astonished.

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Carcine’s appearance was so rare and difficult to see.

Behind Isabella, Arina was watching Carcine with a surprised look.

Only then did Carcine feel relieved.

Because he could reveal what he had hidden in his arms, the fact that his beloved older sister was here.

“This… is a gift for you, Arina.”

A delicate arm extended behind Isabella’s shoulder, holding a hairband adorned with snowflake decorations. It was a small gift for his sister, who often tied her hair in a ponytail.

His vision flickered.

The precarious stone tower stood as it did back then.

Regardless of rain or wind, it stood as if it was watching over it.

Carcine’s anticipation for building this stone tower was not much different from mine.

That’s why he was even more angry.

“Carcine!”

From right behind.

It was because the person who made him build this stone tower appeared.

– Ting!

It was a mistake.

Mother realized that Karsein was not present and the knights of the house were dispatched everywhere.

Arina couldn’t stay still either. She rode a horse and first searched near the carriage.

But.

“What? No one has returned by carriage?”

“That’s correct, miss.”

Karsein did not return by carriage.

It was Heron who said it, so there was no room for error. Karsein didn’t return after the festival ended. This raised questions in Arina’s mind.

“Then where on earth…?”

At this moment, Isabella’s concern for Karsein would only deepen. Arina tightly held the reins and started riding.

After searching for a while on horseback,

She was able to find a boy looking at a pile of rocks in a mediocre alley.

“That, could it be?”

Even though it seemed black, seeing the hair with a slight hint of blue gave her certainty.

Arina immediately got off her horse and called his name.

“Karsein!”

It was indeed Karsein, who had not been seen even after searching for a long time. As she got closer, she realized that his physique and clothing were no different from what he wore during the festival.

Only then did she feel relieved.

If she took Karsein back to Mother like this, she could let go of her worries and enjoy the festival again.

Of course, the knights of the house would have to bear the cost as much as they suffered, but she also had some responsibility herself.

If Karceine had mentioned the ban on going out from the beginning, he wouldn’t have felt so bad.

This fact was not overlooked this time.

“I understand that you’re upset. I said let’s enjoy the festival, but deep down, I didn’t trust you. So, I wanted to test one thing.”

“What test?”

“How much you’ve changed. That’s why.”

Arina continued, brushing her hair to one side.

Karceine could not believe this either, so she had to provide valid evidence.

The family meeting held before the snowflake festival.

The forgotten and missed birthday gifts that formed the basis of this meeting.

Arina thought that would convince Karceine.

She was also planning to mention the lifting of the ban on going out while observing the situation.

But Karceine was sharpening a sharp knife.

“Was that also a test, what I saw here a few years ago?”

“What… are you talking about?”

“Why. Don’t you remember this either? Like you did during the coming-of-age ceremony?”

When Karceine turned his body, the place that was hidden came into Arina’s view.

“Here. The place where you gave me 300 pessels and told me to have fun and then left when I was 14.”

“…!”

Only then did the memory come back.

A stone tower built with a few flat stones.

Karceine had not seen anything satisfying on his body.

This place…

It was a place engraved with the sighs of Arina Bagrand, who was 17 years old.

“Ka, Karceine. That… back then…”

Arina couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

Karceine stabbed her once again with a cold gaze.

“They said it was because of all the accidents you caused. Well, I guess it was the same back then. Right?”

“No! Karceine. I, back then…!”

“Do you want to say that you didn’t know it would turn out like this?”

“…!”

Her words burst out of Karceine’s mouth.

Her blue eyes locked in confusion.

“At that time, I… was too young. I was too young, so I couldn’t make a proper judgment.”

She mumbled, trying to make an excuse and avoiding eye contact, but Karceine didn’t let go and firmly held onto her.

“Excuses are fine, but don’t lie. You kicked me out of the aristocratic circle because I caused too many accidents. You wanted to see me in a miserable state.”

“I may not know everything, but this is not a lie! Even I… didn’t expect you to experience such a thing on the streets…!”

She immediately shouted that she never intended for that to happen.

“It is true that I felt ashamed every time I saw you in an accident. But… I didn’t want to see you beaten and pitiful like this. I mean it.”

No matter how much Karceine disliked it, he didn’t expect to see her in such a state.

Although she had hoped that she would disappear somewhere, she never expected to be found outside like this.

Even now, my heart remains the same.

“…My mistake from my childhood. I’m truly sorry. I…”

“Move aside.”

“Karstein…”

Trying to apologize for his past actions, but Karstein ruthlessly cut him off.

“Do you think I should enjoy the festival while our mother worries about us? Do you think I’m capable of that?”

“…”

“Just leave me alone, you f*cking idiot. There won’t be a day when I stupidly get beaten up and return to being a duke like back then.”

-My Lord!

The knights of the Bargrand family quickly arrived during that time. However, they couldn’t take Karstein with them.

“Karstein… wants to be alone.”

“What? But…”

“Just leave him be. This is my fault. I will take responsibility and explain everything to our mother.”

Karstein slipped away through the knights.

The knights were bewildered, but since Arina said she would take care of it and inform the Duchess, they reluctantly returned to their positions.

Arina stood there for a while, looking at the spot where Karstein had been standing.

And then.

-Tuduk, tuk. Clatter.

The precariously stacked stone tower came crashing down.