The Damn Family Is Back Again chapter 75

75 – 75. Tugged Chapter (1)

Two days had passed since the big incident broke out.

While Theo Ramsdair in the blood-stained cabin lay unconscious, and Karsein, who had fallen here and there with cuts and bleeding from the sword, Flora was able to return in the best shape possible.

Upon returning to the mansion, it was a situation where she would receive the family’s attention.

Both older sisters and their mother would have showered her with worry and love upon the fact that the youngest, who had been suddenly kidnapped, had returned.

However, things were not the same as before.

Flora, who used to have no qualms about Karsein taking her family away, now found her thoughts more tangled as time went on.

She, too, was engulfed in worry.

Because Karsein had not woken up for two days.

“…”

Today, Flora stood in front of Karsein’s door once again.

She couldn’t even remember what the doctor had said.

It would be good if he was awake. It would be good if he had his eyes open today.

That was all she hoped for now.

-Knock, knock.

With a hopeful heart, she knocked on the door.

Silence.

No sound came from inside.

Flora’s hope that Karsein might be awake by now crumbled right there.

“Will I have to leave like this again today…?”

Mother. Older sister. Younger sister.

They had all told her not to worry too much because Karsein was feeling a bit unwell.

They had said that if she waited a little longer, Karsein would get up just fine.

Those were the words Flora had heard as soon as she got up and went to Karsein’s room.

With lips tightly pressed together, Flora brushed off all the words of her family and reached out to the doorknob of Karsein’s room.

“I won’t stand for this anymore!”

She understood that Karsein might be in pain and unable to get up.

So, today, she had no intention of going back like yesterday.

-Click.

A time when no one was watching. Karsein’s door opened.

Entering nervously, Flora came face to face with Karsein again for the first time…

He was still.

With his eyes closed.

Afraid of being caught by someone else, Flora closed the door and hurried to Karsein’s bed.

Seeing Karsein up close, he was still the same as she had seen in her dream.

“Sob, sob.”

She tried hard to suppress her tears.

But she couldn’t. Tears involuntarily welled up.

“Is it because… you’re in pain and can’t get up?”

Taking out an item from her pocket, Flora reached out her hand to Karsein’s hand on the bed.

Rough, stiff, and full of wounds, she placed an item in his hand.

It was something she had given him before.

But now, its meaning had changed significantly.

“I’ll give you this, so it won’t hurt, okay…”

Lying down on the bed, holding Karsein’s hand tightly, Flora, with a jump, handed him the item.

It was unmistakably a tube of ointment.

To prevent pain.

Not pretending to be unaware anymore, but with the hope that by applying it, he wouldn’t feel any pain.

That’s why she handed it to Karsein.

With no strength to hold on, the ointment kept slipping. Flora kept putting the ointment back on Karsein’s palm repeatedly.

Being constantly pulled towards the bed felt like Karceine refusing to accept it.

Once again, tears like chicken droppings were flowing and falling.

“I, I did wrong, don’t be in pain…”

Thud, thud.

“All this time, lying, betraying, forgive me. Making you suffer, forgive me. So, don’t be in pain…”

Thud, thud.

“From now on, I will never do that again, promise! So, don’t be in pain…”

Please, don’t hurt.

Please, wake up.

Please, don’t disappear like this.

Flora quietly cried and cried, tears soaking Karceine’s blanket.

After crying for a while, she finally stopped on Karceine’s palm.

***

The servants of the Marquis had a thorough purge.

Emma, who embezzled the money that should have been allocated to Lord Karceine, used that money to control the Marquis’s servants. Those who did not have evidence of innocence through testimony were all severely punished and driven away.

And in that trial, it was Camilla who had just returned from a week-long vacation and was now asking the other servants for evidence against Emma.

“…It’s my turn soon.”

Camilla was no different from them.

She committed a great sin against Karceine for the sake of money, an unforgivable act.

So, there is no regret.

Even with her life at stake.

Even with receiving the Shufeppe tree roots to cure her mother’s illness.

Even with giving a slight chance of repentance during a crucial time of proving Emma’s guilt.

It was an overflowing generosity.

Although she had not properly appreciated his merciful kindness, a sinner is a sinner.

Camilla was walking towards Karceine’s room to meet her master for the last time.

Just before confessing her own misdeeds to the Marquis due to Emma’s money temptation.

-If it’s Lord Karceine, he should be fine. They say he might wake up on the fourth day.

The attending physician, Shayden, said the wounds were not deep but he had been very tired, so he would probably sleep deeply for a day or two.

And today is exactly the third day.

It was time for the Lord to wake up.

From Noble mtl dot com

‘This will be my last task as a maid.’

Shayden added that even if it was the third day, he would probably wake up later in the morning than usual.

So, Camilla deliberately arrived a little early.

She only knew how to be a maid.

She was there to clean the room for the last time before Karceine woke up.

-Knock.

Rude, but today she entered without permission.

Carefully. More carefully.

She planned to start cleaning quickly without waking the Lord up.

However, there was already a guest here.

“…Don’t… leave…”

“Miss Flora…?”

The youngest lady, Flora, who despised Karceine so much, was lying uncomfortably on the bed, having fallen asleep from crying.

No. To be more precise.

She had collapsed from exhaustion after crying.

“What should I do about this?”

Camilla found herself in a perplexing situation.

Karceine might find it difficult to wake up as Shayden said, but if she starts cleaning, Flora will wake up soon.

‘What should I do…?’

Camilla couldn’t decide what to do, feeling at a loss.

“…Ji, maa…”

“Ugh…”

Even Carsein woke up unexpectedly.

“Who’s there?”

Unable to see clearly yet…

Since he had woken up, there was no turning back.

“It’s Camilla, my lord. I was trying to clean before you woke up… I was rude. I apologize.”

“…The vacation is over. Right.”

“Yes, my lord.”

She immediately bowed her head.

She hadn’t come for this purpose, but now she had no choice but to convey it straight.

“In truth, I did not return as a maid after a week at the ducal residence.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard from the other maids that there was trouble at the ducal residence. It seemed like you could be wrongly accused, so I hurried back.”

Carsein sighed lightly.

“I see. I was wondering why those servants’ testimonies were mentioned at the trial, it was you, Camilla.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

There was nothing surprising anymore.

Camilla responded affirmatively to Carsein’s sharp question with a resigned smile.

“What did you do?”

“After visiting the knights’ order, I secretly followed Emma.”

“Spying?”

“I, too, shamefully, used to receive money from Emma’s maids and arrange separate meeting places. By process of elimination, I found a list of the places she frequented.”

“Hmm. It must have been quite risky. So, that’s how you won over the maids’ hearts.”

Carsein nodded approvingly.

“But, what is the reason for your visit today?”

“…Well. I have something to tell you─”

“Camilla. You’re not about to confess that you received help from Emma’s maids, are you?”

She hesitated for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully, but my lord had already caught on.

“No matter the circumstances, the fact that you harmed me remains unchanged. Just like the other disgraced maids, mentioning contact with Emma and bringing up past events, right?”

As if he had peered into her mind.

He spoke without missing a beat.

“…Yes.”

Camilla could only affirm and say nothing else.

“Just stay quiet.”

“My lord. But…”

“If your opinion reaches Arinana, Claire, and Mother’s ears, I will undoubtedly be summoned. I personally accepted you as a dedicated maid after proving Emma’s guilt.”

It was the natural course of events.

Knowing such a person all this time and not rejecting her, Claire would surely scold him harshly.

“Getting into more trouble is tiresome. So, don’t do anything unnecessary.”

“…I understand, my lord.”

Despite his urging, Camilla still looked troubled.

Carsein, who stopped Camilla from confessing her contact with Emma, quickly changed the subject to prevent this topic from arising.

“Camilla. How long have I been lying here?”

“If we count from the day you collapsed and lay on this bed, it’s been about three days… Oops.”

As if realizing she had forgotten such an important fact, Camilla looked flustered and covered her mouth.

“Uh, I’ll bring the meal soon.”

“No, take your time with that. Instead…”

Before long, Karsein, who had risen to his feet, gazed down below the bed with a sour expression.

Pointing at Flora, who was lying face down on the bed, Karsein asked, “Did you bring her here too?”

“No. Miss Flora, I…”

“Then what about this ointment in my hand?”

“I… I didn’t notice that. I was just quietly cleaning up and planning to leave…”

“Hmph. I see.”

Karsein, who had let out a deep sigh, handed the ointment to Camilla.

“Put it in a drawer with similar ointments. I won’t need it.”

He then requested for a meal to be brought.

And added that if Claire or Arina appeared, they should bring Flora along.

At that moment, the expression on the lord’s face was truly icy.

It starkly contrasted with the peacefully sleeping Flora, who had tears staining the bedsheet.

***

Some time later,

Claire and Arina arrived together to fetch the sleeping Flora from my room.

“Sleeping in a place like this…”

“I tried to wake her up before you came.”

Flora quickly got up and left as more maids and servants were called.

But the two of them had not left yet.

-Ding!

Well, the options were there.

“If you’re done with your business, could you both leave?”

“Hey. Why say that so regretfully? At least mention that you’re not feeling well─”

“Not feeling well? It’s a mess. I just woke up after 3 days, feeling terribly. Plus, I need to eat soon.”

I replied curtly and turned away from them.

This choice wasn’t of great importance.

It was a response regarding whether to increase intimacy or manage action points, and meeting Isabella now would raise intimacy but drain energy unnecessarily.

Although I had just gotten up, it was much better to finish eating quickly, wash up, and sleep due to Karsein’s poor health. Intimacy wouldn’t increase significantly anyway.

Regardless, I was prepared to hear something from Claire for abruptly cutting off our conversation.

However, to my surprise, Claire left without any fuss.

“Let’s talk when you’re fully recovered.”

That was also the end of Arina’s statement.

According to the original game story, both of them should have brought up complaints.

“Why is it like this? Seeing this, it makes sense.”

[Arina Vagrand]

[Intimacy Level: 26%]

[Claire Vagrand]

[Intimacy Level: 37%]

In the white box, it was concluded that the intimacy levels of both had increased compared to before.

Regardless of that, there was another reason why I was holding them back now.

“I heard from a maid named Camilla that you have something important to discuss with me?”

“Yes. Alone.”

It seemed like the right time for a private conversation with Harney.

Chapter 2 had already been pulled in.

With Episode 2 of Chapter 1 already unfolding in the worst way possible, it might not be easy to relax.

That meant the buffer period between Chapters 1 and 2 had unexpectedly shortened from what I had anticipated.

In case of any unforeseen incidents, I needed to plan ahead in my own way.

“I need a lesson. Towards the estate.”

***

Clang!

The report vanished in an instant as it met the flames of the fireplace.

The man holding the report let out a bewildered chuckle.

“How on earth did things come to this? Failing to drive out even a commoner when I’m just a mere noble, yet getting driven out myself?”

Wasn’t he supposed to be a skilled player in dealing with nobles? It was beyond comprehension that he couldn’t expel someone who couldn’t even receive the treatment of a child when brought in from the outside.

Even detailed information about the noble was provided.

It should have been easy to control the noble and exploit those flaws to completely overthrow Carsein.

Yet, not only failing to expel him but also hearing about being thoroughly exposed in court left him dumbfounded.

“Anything else on his recent whereabouts? Escaped with money, perhaps?”

“He’s dead.”

“What? Dead?”

“Apparently. It seems he got burned by the knight he tried to buy off with money to easily expel Carsein. His name was Theo Ramstair, just some insignificant fellow.”

“…Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“Unbelievable. Dead? Buying off a knight with money? I knew he was a fool revealing money, but I never imagined he’d hit rock bottom like this.”

He let out a dry sigh.

“Well, never mind. There are still plenty left to handle.”

He never expected that beggar he casually met would stir up trouble by entering the noble’s estate, but getting rid of him wouldn’t be difficult.

Surely, the man who had endured all sorts of abuse would be brimming with anger.

Emma had heard that he was accused of everything and couldn’t even receive the treatment of a family member.

So, he was looking forward to it.

“Oh, I can’t wait to meet him. Carsein Vagrand.”

That anger, the fantastic scene leading to the confrontation between the Empire and the Vagrand noble family.

Pointing a sword at his own family.

He was anticipating it.