The Damn Family Is Back Again

394. CHAPTER 6. ■■■■(3)

It’s a pathetic sound, but I couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

Why Harnier was reacting that way remained a mystery. No matter how much time I spent pondering, I couldn’t seem to figure it out.

So, I decided to go back to the beginning.

Because, truly, I knew nothing.

Even after all this time knowing her.

Even after countless conversations, after we’d brought up so many important stories.

Even after exchanging secrets that must never be revealed, after growing to trust each other.

I still hadn’t grasped why Harnier had become like that.

That meant I knew nothing.

That, despite the long time knowing her, I hadn’t known her at all.

That, despite so many conversations, despite bringing up important stories, I knew nothing at all.

That, even though we’d exchanged secrets that must never be revealed, even though we had come to trust each other, I hadn’t truly known what kind of person Harnier was.

That, truly, was something to be ashamed of.

So, I arrived at the answer: to return to the beginning.

Distracting her with an awkward gesture, a wrong posture, turning her thoughts elsewhere.

Using the opportunity Mina gave me, seeing the dress I’d worn when we first met and mentioning it.

I decided not to dwell on why she was trying so hard to avoid me, or what reason she might have to avoid me.

There must surely be a side of her that I didn’t know.

Something I’d undoubtedly been missing until now must certainly exist.

If I return to the beginning, I shall surely understand.

And so, once again, I deliberately erred.

“Really. Your escorting stance is all wrong. Have you forgotten everything?”

“Hmm. I suppose it has been quite some time.”

“Indeed. I can’t even recall the last time you escorted me.”

She lamented that with how often I was either fleeing or disguised for investigations, it wasn’t odd I’d forgotten noble etiquette.

“Even so, we cannot simply stand here. Showing such a sight at the gala would make us a laughingstock.”

Faintly, that moment overlays itself.

Yes. That’s precisely how she was when I first learned etiquette from her.

She meticulously adjusted how I angled my hand, and what posture my body ought to take.

It was but a year ago. Not so long as to call it the old days, that scene, so vivid in my memory, flickered before my eyes.

“Karsein? Are you even listening to me?”

“I am listening.”

“You certainly aren’t moving as if you are.”

Just like then, Harnière corrected my posture, laying her hands upon me with meticulous instruction.

So contrary to how she shied from my touch in the sickroom, her familiar, exacting, and dignified self was resurfacing.

It’s working perfectly.

Everything is smoothly, expertly being steered in another direction.

Not a trace of her agitated flinching and recoiling remains.

However.

“Now then, let us be on our way. You mustn’t forget again, alright?”

Once we’re aboard that carriage, I won’t be able to employ this trickery.

Because, after all, nothing will happen in the carriage.

Nor can I conjure up any plausible excuses.

It was inevitable that an awkward atmosphere would return before long.

‘Which is why I’ve made preparations of my own.’

Not long after the carriage departed. Harnière glanced briefly out the window, and then questioned me.

“Um, Karsein?”

“What is it?”

“Well… this road. Isn’t this not the road to the Imperial Palace?”

“Indeed. Indeed.”

This much, I could anticipate.

Harnier would know the capital, Ji-rien, like the back of his hand.

Without denying it, I nodded.

“Correct. This carriage isn’t headed for the Imperial Palace.”

*

-Clatter.

Arcien dropped the fan she had been holding.

“Huh. No, surely I’ve misheard? Haven’t I? It must be a mistake?”

Arcien’s lips trembled.

From her rigid expression alone, one could surmise the preposterousness of what she had just heard.

“Ha, haha…”

But alas, Claire, her closest confidante, broke out in a cold sweat, offering an awkward smile that implied otherwise.

And then.

“Sorry.”

With that brief apology.

She delivered a bolt from the blue, cloaked behind that uneasy smile.

Upon confirming Claire’s reaction, Arcien gripped the back of her neck, as if feeling a wave of dizziness.

It seemed she hadn’t misheard after all.

“Haa. Claire, to just bring that up so suddenly, you see… hmm? The banquet starts in less than an hour. How could you suddenly make such an absurd request?”

Arcien continued, a look of bewilderment on her face.

“The two of them are the protagonists of this banquet, those who thwarted the Yggdrasil Project. Moreover, they are the most important link to the Westerners, and simultaneously, they hold the expectations of all the nobles. Furthermore, the Imperial Family intends to bestow upon them the greatest possible honour in recognition of their contributions. You do understand…?”

“…Y-yes. Yes, of course…”

“…But you’re asking for them *both* to not be summoned?”

That was the request Claire had just made. Or rather, to be precise… it wasn’t a personal request from Claire Vagrand, but a request from Duke Vagrand.

To stake the family name, no less.

For Arcien, it was a request so outrageous, she could only be utterly astonished.

No further questions followed.

But her gaze alone had already asked them all. That was,

-Claire. Do you think that even makes sense?

It was a question.

Clare lamented inwardly.

‘Yes! I know that very well!’

Of course, she knew. She knew just how absurd it all was.

Firstly, to even bring up such a thing before the Imperial family was outrageous, and secondly, to invoke the Duke of Bagrand’s position on top of that was even more nonsensical. Finally, the banquet hall without those two was practically a seedless watermelon.

But…

‘What can I do? I’m in a position where I can’t refuse either!’

Clare had no choice but to utter this absurdity.

-Clare. I have a favor to ask.

-Huh? A fav…or?

-Yeah. A favor.

It was Karsein’s request, after all.

What was she to do when it was none other than her younger brother’s plea?

How could she refuse his first-ever reliance on his sister, who he’d never depended on before?

Rather, she had finally decided to do something for her brother, who had only ever caused trouble, so there was no choice.

“I’m sorry, Arsien!”

Seeing Clare plead with folded hands, Arsien sighed deeply.

“Judging by the looks of it, you’re not going to back down, are you?”

“Uh… no.”

“…Haaah.”

Another sigh, even deeper than the last.

Arsien muttered the word “absence” over and over.

Watching him, Clare couldn’t help but think his soul was escaping his body, and beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.

“Alright. Well, I’ll try my best.”

“…Huh? Really? Are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s not just anyone’s request, it’s yours. Or, to be exact, it’s Prince Karsein’s request.”

“Ah, you knew?!”

“Do you think I don’t know you? How many years have we known each other?”

Clare swallowed hard, feeling as though her innermost thoughts had been laid bare.

“Anyway, since it’s Prince Karsein’s request, I’ll use my influence, but withdraw the part about the Duke’s position. Instead…”

“Instead of?”

“…Don’t skip it entirely. Try to change it to just being late, as much as possible. I’ll figure out how to adjust the schedule.”

Just late.

Arcien drew the line, as if anything more was out of the question.

It seemed she could buy herself some time, but… late meant…

‘It means I have to get them there somehow, on time?!’

But where did they say they were going?

No. Did they even say where they were going in the first place?

Claire’s expression began to sour dramatically.

“aaah-! I’ll go find them, quick!”

Startled, Claire broke into a cold sweat and dashed out of the office.

“You really go looking for trouble. Tsk, tsk.”

Well, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

“…Brother Albert was like that at first, too.”

Weren’t families all like that?

It wasn’t exactly strange to feel a desire to indulge them.

“Of course, the accounting will be separate, right? Claire.”

-Scratch. Scritch, scritch, scritch.

Arcien picked up a pen and began to note something down.

Amongst the packed schedule, Claire’s name filled a certain space.

“This is a debt I’ll settle separately later. You’ll have to meet our second brother for this.”

*

“Carsein. Not yet?”

“Are you finding it very frustrating?”

“No. It’s not that, but…”

Harnie continued in a bewildered voice.

“I’m just wondering how long I have to keep my eyes covered like this…”

He hadn’t mentioned where the carriage was going.

But if he showed her the entire route like this, Harnie would realize it in a heartbeat.

So, I’d deliberately covered her eyes.

“We’re almost there. Just wait a little longer.”

“Umm… Alright.”

Her voice was laced with doubt, a whole question mark of what I was even trying to do, but still, she waited for me.

Soon, the carriage pulled to a stop, reaching its destination.

But I hadn’t yet removed the blindfold covering Harnie’s eyes.

“Huh? You want me to follow you like this, just holding your hand?”

“Yes. And absolutely do not take off the blindfold.”

“Not even take off the blindfold…”

Naturally, it was a little bizarre.

Ignoring an invitation to the imperial palace banquet, being whisked away to some random location, then blindfolded so she wouldn’t know where we were going, and now told to travel blind, not even knowing the destination.

I understood. From her point of view, it was all just a series of questions without answers.

“Alright. I’m curious, but… I’ll endure it.”

But Harnie didn’t suddenly rip off the blindfold or beg me to tell her right away. She obediently took my hand and followed me.

Finally, we arrived.

And there, I spoke to Harnie.

“You can take off the blindfold now, Harnie.”

As soon as I gave permission, Harnie removed the blindfold.

Looking around, she wore an expression of utter confusion.

“Where… is this?”

And no wonder.

Because this place was utterly out of the blue.

To the point where you couldn’t help but wonder why we came here instead of heading to the banquet hall.

But, soon, that question was swept away.

Her lips parted slightly as she realized something.

“Do you remember this place?”

A nod.

Her eyes wide with surprise, she nodded her head.

“It’s the place… where we first met, isn’t it?”

Yes.

This is the place where we first met.

The terrace where Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony was held, and where she tripped, striking her head.