The Damn Family Is Back Again

400. CHAPTER 6. ■■■■(9)

Could she just stand by and watch other women hovering around him?

Of course, she needed to separate them.

That man was hers.

She knew him first, she knew him best, and he was the one who should remain with her into the future.

Whenever other women lingered around, showing interest, she would burn with a barely contained heat.

So she aimed to crush them with force. Those women, after all, would eventually only be comparing themselves to other rivals, engaging in a pointless competition, like comparing the height of acorns.

Well then, wouldn’t it be enough to simply stamp them down properly on her end?

In terms of feminine charm, she had absolute confidence that she couldn’t lose.

And so, she received Claire’s assistance, but…

She couldn’t shake the thought that its effectiveness remained uncertain.

That was because Carsein was simply too uninterested in such things.

Worry gnawed at her.

What if he shows no reaction, no matter how beautifully she adorns herself?

What if he brushes it off with detached disinterest, no matter how actively she tries to approach him?

…No. Beyond even that.

What if she couldn’t feel any feminine charm radiating from herself?

Such worries couldn’t help but precede all else.

Because Karsein was just so… unique.

“…Why isn’t there any reaction at all?”

All the other women had been so intimidated they’d tucked tail and run.

Even though she’d approached him head-on with the straightforward tactic of having a girlfriend, of already being spoken for, even if it was rather sudden.

She’d even introduced a new style of kissing, lips meeting anew.

To not get even this much of a reaction?

Just as Harnia grew a little melancholic,

‘Hm?’

She noticed something.

Something in Karsein.

‘…No. It’s different.’

She had the feeling he wasn’t quite his usual self.

A slight change, however small, was starting to appear in him, who was always so unchanging.

‘He’s flustered. Yes. I’m sure of it.’

She didn’t know the reason why, but Karsein was clearly not acting like himself.

‘Then…!’

Maybe it got through. Just a little.

“…Don’t you have something you want to say to me?”

“Pardon?”

“You know. Something to say.”

He looked troubled, but after a short pause, he finally spoke.

“Ahem. First of all… those women. They flocked to us as soon as we came out on the terrace.”

This story…

Well. Once wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“…Is that so?”

“I was waiting quite a while on the terrace, you see. You said you were going to get something to drink, but you were taking so long that I just couldn’t stay put.”

“Were you… worried?”

“You took far too long. It would be stranger if I *wasn’t* worried.”

And, as an aside, he laughed, saying he’d finished all the chocolates.

The whole sequence felt like he was carefully erasing any trace of… something.

Harnier sighed inwardly.

*I made a mistake. This man… he’s the type who calculates everything inside his head.*

This won’t do.

There can’t be room for thought.

“…No, it’s not.”

“Pardon?”

“I wasn’t talking about that.”

She ramped up the tempo of the dance.

Showing off the skill she’d honed, determined to never be outdone when it came to dancing.

“Whoa…!”

A flustered Karsein abruptly adjusted his movements to match.

But she couldn’t let her guard down.

Even within this rigorous tempo, that man would be calculating.

Faster. She had to move faster.

And when she finally confirmed he had no room to spare, she seized the moment and pressed her attack.

“Still not going to say it?”

“…!”

He hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly spoke again.

“You’re beautiful. Today.”

“…Specifically, though?”

“Now that you’re properly dolled up, you’re so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off you.”

“Still not quite there. To hear those words still coming out.”

This is just stalling, isn’t it? Karsein.

I know.

She drastically increased the difficulty of the movements.

Slicing the tempo into segments of dozens at a time, eliminating any spare moment.

He, of all people, would know what would happen to the woman dancing if she didn’t focus and respond to each and every movement at this level of difficulty and at this speed. This man, so warm at heart, would never allow himself to make a mistake.

Finally, the truth, driven by some unseen limit, burst from Karsein’s lips.

“…I said.”

“Say it again. What was that?”

“Your chest is showing.”

…Huh?

As if she’d misheard, Harnié simply stared, dumbfounded, at Karsein.

Her gaze held the bewildered scrutiny of one observing a peculiar creature.

And rightfully so.

Never before had such blatant words escaped Karsein’s mouth.

The music ended, the final pose faltering slightly, but Karsein didn’t miss a beat, catching her to steady her. Close enough that even the slightest shift would bring their lips together.

But…that didn’t register.

Her mind, in this instant, was consumed by the question.

‘Did…did Karsein just say that?’

He who had never given it a thought.

He whose expression remained unchanged even during the most intimate of touches.

He who, instead of veiled insinuations, spoke only blunt truths to rattle her very core.

It was too difficult to believe he had been looking at her chest.

Yet, at the same time… a tingle coursed through her.

A faint electricity, spreading throughout her being.

Could it be that even a sliver of her feminine allure had caught his eye?

“It’s…it’s not that I dislike it. It’s just that the… the outfit reveals so much, everywhere, that I don’t quite know where to look. That’s all. Yes.”

But still, there was no certainty.

‘Is it true?’

Was he, at last, seeing her as a woman?

Recognizing her, truly, as female?

And beyond that, was he interested in her body?

‘I want to know.’

If that were the case…

Could the smallest crack, the barest opening…

…appear?

“Ahem. In any case, that’s how it is. Here, let me at least offer you my coat, so we can head back.”

-Squish.

“…!”

“…You can look. You, of all people.”

“What…?”

“Don’t hide it. You’re allowed to look, properly. Because you’re my lover. And even beyond that… I can allow it.”

It wasn’t just that, either.

Because she’d tasted it for the first time.

To be seen as a woman by a man she’d fallen head over heels for.

To be viewed as a woman by a man she’d given her heart to ages ago.

That such a man would look at her with something bordering on a lascivious gaze.

Only now did she feel the joy of being a woman, something she’d never experienced before.

It was endlessly sweet.

The special attention of a man in love.

…But could she truly be satisfied with just that?

Of course not.

Having tasted this thrilling flavor once, there was no turning back.

More. So much more. She craved even more than before.

Such was the insidious nature of love’s poison.

*

His first words had cornered her, there was no denying it.

Her chest was visible. Yes. That much was true.

The dress, with its flamboyant design, might only have revealed her shoulders and collarbone, but Harnié’s bountiful proportions caused her cleavage to be prominently displayed.

But his explanation hadn’t been so bad.

He’d clearly conveyed the message that while he thought the change of clothes looked lovely, he was hesitant to keep his eyes on her.

Even if his direct statement that her chest was visible could cause some displeasure, he should have been able to somehow refresh and recover his image with this potentially dangerous remark.

…And yet.

Had her ears deceived her?

It was as if she’d misheard. It just didn’t seem like the right response.

And… the strange thing was, the moment she heard that answer she deemed wrong, a somewhat wicked thought had entered her mind.

“Bah. A madman, that’s me.”

I shook off the insane thought immediately.

A thought like that shouldn’t even be entertained. Every last lingering trace of it had to be purged from my mind.

“Harnier.”

I gave the signal.

We couldn’t just remain like this, surely. People would start to stare. The music had ended, the dance was long done, and yet, why were we still standing there?

It was time to step down as host, to take my leave.

“…”

But.

For some reason, Harnier made no move to rise.

Careless of conserving energy? As if such a thing were of no consequence, she merely gazed at me, her face endlessly beautiful.

“…Damn.”

For a heartbeat, I nearly lost myself.

She was too lovely.

This was dangerous. This.

I wondered where the snapping sound had come from, then realised it was within my own head.

There was no time for vacant stares. No more dilly-dallying. With a surge of strength, I hoisted her up, our bodies still pressed close.

“…!”

“There are too many eyes upon us to remain in this manner.”

Carefully, I edged her away from me.

Harnier looked taken aback, as if she had something to say, but…

“Huff, huff. Lord Carsein! There you are!”

The perfect opportunity to avert attention arrived with impeccable timing.

“Forgive my intrusion, but several young ladies are showing a distinct interest in the Westerners, and they don’t seem to have any concept of noble etiquette! I was hoping you might lend a hand…”

“I shall return shortly, Harnier.”

“…Very well.”

It was a fine excuse, one even Harnier couldn’t gainsay.

It had bought me a little time to breathe.

But why was my head so clouded?

I couldn’t seem to shake the memory of what had occurred just moments ago.

“-…You can look. At you, I mean.

-Don’t avert your eyes. You can look straight at me. You’re my lover, after all. And even beyond that… I can allow it.”

“…You crazy b*stard.”

‘Focus. Have you already forgotten your purpose?’

Didn’t you swear you would push further?

I regained hold of the fraying thread of reason. Reminding myself of the purpose that would quell such wicked thoughts, I suppressed something swelling within me.

Thankfully, it ceased its escalation.

‘Haa… Right. Start with what you prepared in advance. You need to prepare that first.’

Someday, a time will come when I can entertain such thoughts.

But, not now.

Before that, there’s something I absolutely must do.

▶CHAPTER 6. Processing ■■■■.◀

▶EPISODE III. Processing a Relationship Beyond Lovers.◀

▶What should you do? Think for yourself.◀

[ ??? Acquired (0/1) ]

[ ??? Executed (0/1) ]

Naturally, naturally, a proposal comes first!

*

Karsein recedes into the distance.

The arrival of the Westerners at this timing prevented me from seizing any further clues.

Or rather.

Is it truly because of the Westerners?

Not entirely.

“I need to push harder, what am I doing becoming self-conscious…!”

The closer we became, the more self-conscious it was Harnia, not Karsein, who felt.

As she trembled with the joy of being a woman, her heart began to race, and the heat spread uncontrollably.

Her heart had been pounding from the start. While fending off the women swarming Karsein, and, of course, during the kisses.

Here, dancing, we reached the point where we could feel each other’s breath. Furthermore, her chest was pressed against him, and Karsein’s gaze had even drifted down to her breasts.

There was no way she could endure it. She might have been alright when dancing, trying to coax Karsein’s true feelings out, but after realizing her body was intimately pressed against his, there was no hope.

Still, she wouldn’t give up.

No, to surrender now, that I cannot.

Having tasted the sweetness of womanhood, my values have shifted…drastically so.

“Mina did say something like this, didn’t she…? These days, if women don’t want to lose their men, they approach more aggressively. Well… then this shouldn’t be so different.”

After all, this too is a woman’s tactic to claim the man she loves.

The weapon is already in my hand.

If only I can pry open that crack in his defenses.

If this is the path open to me.

If it allows me to grow closer to you, further than this.

Then I will wield this weapon as much as is needed.