The Damn Family Is Back Again chapter 38

38 – 38. The Swarm of Cats (2)

In an instant, a deep shadow fell upon the faces of the women who had been filled with laughter at Carcine’s unexpected reaction.

The explanation was sufficient.

Although Karceine was ignorant about social rights, it actually worked to his advantage.

The biggest problem for a woman like Harnie in the midst of an engagement is her significant influence. It was the perfect tool to mix in appropriate words and deceive others.

However, even though Harnie cornered him, her fiancé didn’t condemn her but rather embraced her.

“W-what are you talking about? We’re just here to help good men like you from being harmed,” one of the young women said, trying to hide her confusion.

Upon hearing this, the other young women joined in one by one.

“That’s right. We came because we thought your fiancé might be deceived.”

“Master Karceine may not know much about social rights, but Harnie is someone who bewitches men. Does it make sense to accept someone with such influence as a fiancé?”

“And it’s not just about influence. There may be some suspicious circumstances. Why did she suddenly start a business?”

I had to step forward naturally.

If things continued like this, the plan would fall apart.

“Are you done?”

Then Karceine snorted.

“You’re not even worth listening to. What’s the point of hearing about bullying and teasing, which is beneath contempt?”

“Master, your words are too harsh!”

“Too harsh? It seems like it’s you who has gone too far.”

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“…What?”

“When did I become such a well-behaved person who takes others’ words at face value? I’ve always been the one who chewed on those who tried to lecture me.”

The women fell silent at his words.

That’s right. What lies before their eyes is none other than Karsein.

He is known as the flaw of Bagrand, always carrying numerous labels.

In other words, attempting to persuade this man was already an error.

“Ahem! No matter what, there are rights and wrongs.”

“That’s right. In this case, Bagrand Master is clearly the victim.”

Regardless of whether he was a victim or whatever, it was clearly hypocrisy.

It was nothing more than a desperate measure to grab what was immediately visible.

But they knew that.

“Ah, I see.”

Karsein pretends not to know.

The young women let out a sigh of relief.

Since their opponent was Karsein, they believed they could somehow manipulate him.

“But even if you choose the wrong opponent, you have chosen very wrongly. You idiots.”

Karsein looks at Harnier and asks.

“Just a moment, I have something to show them. So, can you lend me your hand, Young Hae?”

“What…”

Although this situation was bewildering for Harnier, he nods and smiles, willingly extending his hand.

“Well then.”

Karsein chuckles as he looks at Harnier’s hand.

He takes his eyes off the hand and points at one of the young women.

“There you are. From the slight indentation on the inside of your ring finger, I can tell that you recently broke up with the man you were dating, am I right?”

“H-how did you…?”

“Because that’s where you used to wear your ring. Usually, when you take it off, there’s a noticeable mark left behind. It’s not quite a scar, but it’s a faint trace that others can easily notice, even if you’re unaware.”

“Why are you suddenly talking about this?”

“It seems like we’re getting off track with unnecessary discussions.”

The sudden remark caused the women to snicker.

However, Carsein’s analysis was thorough. Only Harnie seemed to have caught on.

“If your testimonies are correct, then my fiancée must have worn many rings, like the man you described. However, there are no traces of that on her ring finger. What do you make of that?”

Harnie’s ring finger was normal, unlike the ring finger of an intellectual woman.

As if she had never worn anything on it before.

“If she had been lured by a man and taken his valuables, she would have worn a ring at some point. However, Harnie’s hands are clean. So we can consider the claim of her having many lovers as a blatant lie.”

“A-are you saying we’re lying?”

“What else could it be?”

The women gasped in protest.

“How can you determine everything based on that? There are more than just a couple of witnesses to her involvement with men!”

“Well, it’s not just about receiving a ring, is it? If she received a necklace, it wouldn’t leave a trace!”

“Are you saying that men only give women rings? There are countless other gifts, from necklaces, earrings, bracelets, all the way to precious metals! And they can even be mixed together!”

“No one here has ever claimed that Harnie wore a ring. And besides, ‘took advantage of’ can also mean that she sold it!”

It wasn’t a false statement.

Harnie could have received something and secretly taken it away before disposing of it.

If she was a flower snake who seduces men with her exceptional beauty and then discards them without hesitation, then Karsein knew one thing for certain: Harnier would never do such a thing.

“Hey, you. Earlier, I mentioned that my fiancée had gotten involved in some business.”

“W-well…”

“And that she suspiciously amassed an enormous fortune all at once?”

“…Yes.”

Karsein, as if waiting for it, showed Harnier his finger and accepted his response.

“Do any of you noble ladies know why there are marks like this on my finger?”

None of the noble women had an answer.

Once again, only Harnier realized and let out a sigh of relief.

“Surprisingly, these marks are made by continuously being wounded in the same place. If they only cut this deeply and sharply on the same finger while flipping through papers, what could it be?”

There was only one thing.

“It’s when I turn the pages. When I flip through books, documents. I’ve been flipping papers so much that the paper cuts and scars accumulate on my hand. Mostly, it’s this finger that gets cut because I use it the most.”

The young women collectively held their breath.

Karsein, as if waiting for this reaction, warned the women in front of him.

“So, the business part was true. How far are you willing to deny my fiancée’s efforts? Do you all want to challenge Bagrand and win, even if it’s just a bluff?”

“…!”

A heavy sense of oppression hung in the air.

Karsein, who usually pondered things in social gatherings, didn’t seem so fearful.

This time, they targeted Harnier, but the truth was that they were no match either.

I never even thought that things would turn out this way.

But with just one word.

The warning that had been firmly engraved, all the young women were terrified.

Under the name of Vagrund, there was no one here who could raise their head.

They were undoubtedly the ones standing at the pinnacle of the nobles.

Even the royal family trembled at the mention of their name, wondering if they could defy their will.

That fear was now slowly emanating from Carsein.

“You can say it as much as you want. Now, if there are any families who dare to challenge Vagrund, quickly speak your names. We will report it all to our mother without missing a word.”

Half bragging, half sincere.

Even though it might be insulting to oneself, this was a clear challenge to Vagrund. Carsein had already done enough work to ensure that this situation would connect with the family in some way.

Therefore, there were naturally no young ladies who would mention their own families.

They only changed their attitudes slightly, as if their breath was being stifled by overwhelming pressure.

“…I’m sorry.”

Just in case they might appear hostile to Vagrund.

Just in case this matter might spread to the family.

All the women who were cornering Harnier lowered their heads without exception.

“Tsk. You ruined the mood on the festival day. Leave right now.”

When it came to rambling on and on for tens of minutes, it took less than 10 seconds to finish it off, all while pulling on their wrinkles.

Carsein, who had dealt with the intruders, showed a satisfied smile and spoke to Harnier.

“This. Are you indebted to me?”

***

Harnier knows.

The fact that hungry packs of feral cats always wait for him.

But those feral cats aren’t just waiting for prey to appear.

They eliminate the surroundings of their prey.

To thoroughly destroy and break it.

They wait for it to exhaust and collapse, rather than exerting their own strength.

The noble society was a playing field for these cunning packs of feral cats.

That’s why Harnier tried to drive away these feral cats.

By gradually unraveling his engagement with Carseine in public.

However, even the astute Harnier missed something.

The feral cats are not only male.

“Did you get engaged?”

“How did you manage to seduce someone this time?”

This engagement was a sudden move by a female feral cat that had been aware of this vulnerability.

An unexpected crisis.

If he didn’t handle it well, the foundation of the tower he had secretly been building could have been shaken.

Although he tried to circle around, the situation was leaning towards the unfavorable side.

He had expected that someday he would use a similar method as before, but he never expected that the women of the social circle would approach Carseine during this festival.

I hastily came to see the Snow Festival, and I met Karsein first.

However.

“Harnie is really popular among men. But, there’s no one among them that Harnie has poured her heart out to.”

“Because Harnie keeps charming men and then discarding them without hesitation! She’s been doing that all along.”

“There are countless eyewitness accounts and testimonies. There are rumors that she just took their money and others who were completely taken advantage of. Do you know that there are even more exaggerated rumors than these?”

“Thanks to that, we always warn men in advance, thinking that such incidents might occur. We don’t want the number of victims to increase.”

“So, I came here wondering if her fiancé is being deceived. Maybe he doesn’t know about this.”

There was nothing I could do.

I was being cornered.

I tried shouting that it was a conspiracy, but they denied ever being deceived.

‘Will they really believe me?’

A majority against me.

Isn’t it obvious whose side they’ll take?

I let my arms fall helplessly.

Harnie tightly closed her eyes, anticipating the extent of the loss she would have to bear.

But.

“You’re doing something outrageous. How dare you insult my fiancée in front of me?”

Instead, Karsein wrapped his arms around me and confronted those women.

And…

“This. You owe me this?”

With a cunning smile, he neatly organized the situation.

He systematically and logically created an escape route that could truly elicit admiration, pulling her out of this pitfall.

In this situation, Harnier couldn’t help but feel uncertain.

“Why did you help me?”

“Yes?”

“I could have sided with them.”

Of course, that would have been much easier.

By sacrificing just one person, he could gain numerous allies.

No matter how you looked at it, it would have been more beneficial for Carcine to choose the other side, not Harnier.

“Because of the oath’s gem, I couldn’t break the contract immediately, but if I had spread this fact, I could have notified Marquis Teresia at any time.”

Contracts like this become meaningless the moment the situation is turned upside down.

Even if the power of the gem were to be activated, the Duke of Vagrande would have easily dealt with it.

Carcine, who understood his intentions, smirked.

“Are you suggesting that sacrificing you would benefit me a lot?”

“That’s right. In reality, too.”

She was a bit surprised to hear his purpose, but she knew that if she had a sharp mind, she would quickly calculate the pros and cons.

So, she couldn’t help but feel strange.

However, Carcine firmly nailed the point.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t need multiple people who want predetermined answers. I need the unwavering trust of just one person.”

“…”

“Let’s imagine that I gained their trust by selling you out. But, do you think those people will continue to treat me kindly after this?”

Karsein says.

Born as an adopted child into the Bagrand Duchy.

That name cannot be washed away.

“What would I gain from making deals with those who only seek momentary solidarity for their own benefit? It’s just a foolish act. It’s obvious that I won’t be able to achieve my goals.”

He started with a logical argument and ended with speculation, but is it really just speculation?

No. It doesn’t seem that way.

Rather, it feels closer to certainty.

After concluding the situation, Karsein asked.

“More importantly, weren’t you under pressure from the Marquis? Contrary to what you said, they seem like people who cannot be stopped by an engagement.”

Harnier wanted a one-year engagement to avoid the strategic marriage demanded by the family.

Therefore, this was a matter that could raise doubts from Karsein’s perspective. After all, it was not men, but women who were pushing her into this.

But what he is asking is about the social circle.

It has nothing to do with Karsein. Even if this contract continues, there is nothing he can do by telling him.

He should have refused this question.

However, he is someone who is very perceptive.

“It would be better not to try to brush it off so easily. Because I might gather information separately from the duchy.”

“What?! Why would you…!”

“As I said before, I want a strong trust with you. Shouldn’t we share this kind of thing? Since we’re on the same boat.”

He also mentioned imitating a lover, so he said he should find out the situation.

He had no intention of letting this matter slide calmly.

The way to suppress it had already disappeared from the moment the scene was exposed.

Harnier, who took a deep breath, hesitated and opened his mouth.

“It wasn’t like our relationship was strained from the beginning.”

After careful consideration, he decided to reveal the whole story of the incident.

He judged that it would be okay if it was Karsein, of all people.