The Damn Family Is Back Again

17 – 17. Claire’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony (7)

I repeat, this kind of story didn’t exist in the game.

As you can tell from the title of Episode III, it only progresses the story before and after Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony.

There were no scenes of Claire sending maids to my room or being called for breakfast.

Even the scene of Flora coming to my room like this.

▶Hidden Episode – Calvia Allergy in Progress.◀

The status window only displayed that the progress was ongoing without providing any other information. Just like with the previous episodes, I had no choice but to deal with it as I had always known.

Information was always lacking.

Even though I didn’t know much about the character named Flora Bagrand, I had no idea how to handle this situation.

But I could easily sense the reason why she came to find me.

“Do you have something to say? To me?”

“…You stared at me in the restaurant.”

It was because of my behavior in the restaurant.

First, I suspected Flora as the one who put the Calvia fruit in the food, and I stared at her to confirm if she was the culprit.

If she came to me because she was aware of that, then the pressure towards the person who focused solely on tormenting Carcine among the three things I aimed for had clearly hit the mark.

“So what if you stared at me?”

Flora responded as if she was annoyed by my feigned ignorance.

“You’re suspecting me as the culprit right now! Aren’t you?”

“Is that why you came?”

“Of course! I’m not the culprit!”

With just a slight twist of words, her true feelings came out.

Kids really do respond like this, don’t they? Now that I’ve brought up the main point, should I respond in kind?

“Well, do you have any evidence that you’re not the culprit?”

“What, what?”

“In my position, wouldn’t you be the first one to be accused? Of course, you seem suspicious. It’s not like it’s the first or second time you’ve tampered with the food.”

“Where did you hear such a thing! I’ve never done such a thing…!”

“Just a while ago, there was a reaction to Legomos in my food. Why, don’t you think that’s evidence too?”

Immediately, a denial came out.

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it!”

Children are always like this. They assert their self-esteem, lie, and cause trouble. Just like the third one did.

The more they acted this way, the more I held back. In order to hit them harder all at once.

“Allergic to Kelbia. You were the only one who knew about it.”

“That’s…!”

“Mother, Arina, and Clare didn’t know. But you openly fed me that and made me the culprit for getting angry. You’re saying this isn’t true too?”

“Oh, no! This time…! I really…!”

“Kelbia fruit. The way you tamper with the food. The most likely culprit is right in front of me. Isn’t this your doing?”

Knowing the obvious fact, Flora blurted out.

“It’s not me! Really, I really didn’t know that you were so troubled by Kelbia fruit…”

I lowered my waist and looked into Flora’s eyes.

In Flora’s eyes, denying herself, tears were welling up.

“Do you feel unjust?”

-Nodding.

Looking at the vigorous nod, it seemed that she truly felt unjust.

Because it wasn’t really her own doing. I know that much too well.

But do I have to understand their situation?

“Well, let me tell you. I’ve felt that way every time.”

“What…?”

“I mean, I felt every emotion you’re feeling right now. Every time you tried to drive me away and torment me in every way possible.”

Even though she had complained about being treated unfairly when Carcine tormented her, now that it became her own problem, was it any different?

There’s no need to sympathize.

“You just tried to drive me away because you didn’t like me. But do you know what it means to be expelled from this duke’s house?”

To a child who was driven away with nothing, the world was too cruel.

“Expensive-looking clothes attract people’s attention. But without any guards around? They’ll come and take everything you have. Big guys you’ve never seen before will appear and forcibly take it away.”

As soon as they see you have something, humans swarm like a pack of wolves. Just to tear it away.

“After being stripped of everything, you’ll end up wandering in the back alleys. When you’re all beaten up, you’ll be left alone. Then suddenly, in a cold, dark, and scary place, a person’s hand will reach out to you.”

When there’s no place to go back to, naturally you want to depend on something. And you start to mistake that hand for a helping hand.

“The person offering that hand will say this. They’ll give you food and a place to stay. So all you have to do is follow their orders. That’s how everyone ends up going to the slums.”

Once you fall into that delusion, everything is over. It’s a bottomless pit from which you can’t escape.

“Because the bastards who take away what you have and the ones who offer their hand are all the same scoundrels. Now, if you don’t do what they tell you, someone who has only a few scraps left, they won’t even give you a sip of water. Once you’re completely useless, they’ll sell you off somewhere.”

In the end, everything you have will be taken away, and you’ll be discarded and used to the bone.

Whether you realize this fact a little faster or after you’ve been abandoned, that’s the only difference.

To a young child, the world was such a cruel place.

“St-stop lying. That’s not true. It’s not in the books. I’ve never heard it from the teachers! You’re just making up stories…!”

Well, yes. It must all feel like lies.

How can a well-bred noble lady like her understand the cruelty of the harsh outside world?

Of course, I am no different.

In this world, the knowledge I possess may differ a bit.

However.

Indeed, would this guy think the same way?

“Do you remember where I came from?”

“…!”

He knows more about the slums than anyone else.

He has faced the storms of the world head-on and encountered wretched individuals many times.

That’s why he can confidently say,

He must have endured days far more painful than what I have experienced.

“Well, what about you… outside, like that…?”

“The Kelbia fruit is just a joke compared to what I’ve been through twice. Stepping on a sharp object hurts more than allergies, and I can handle cold showers because it doesn’t hurt my wounded body. Maids? I can manage without them. So, do you think I would wash clothes in water of that temperature during winter?”

“It can’t be… That kind of thing…”

When Flora was shown the dark side of the world that was hidden from her, she burst into tears like a child, speechless.

“No, I don’t believe it. It can’t possibly exist in the world!”

Clatter.

Something that was thrown away by Flora rolled around the room.

“What… is this?”

“It was my little sister who asked for it. She said she’d be angry if I missed the coming-of-age ceremony. I’ve said everything I needed to say, so I’m leaving!”

Bang!

Flora, who had been sighing as she looked at the object he had thrown, slammed the door shut, screaming.

The sound of stomping faded away.

At the same time, a status window appeared in front of me.

▶ Hidden Episode – Cleared Kelbia Allergy. ◀

■ Reward

[ Acquired Advanced Ointment Item ]

■ Owned Items ■

▶ [ Advanced Ointment ]

[ Unlike ordinary ointments, when applied, it significantly reduces pain and speeds up recovery. It also covers wounds well, making them visually appealing. ]

Judging by the effects, it seems like I should apply this and participate in the coming-of-age ceremony.

That’s what it seems to imply.

Shaden seemed to smoothly pass over the topic of Kelbia Allergy while explaining, and seeing that Arina didn’t come to me directly, it seems like the episode has been resolved, as the status window says.

But I wasn’t feeling very good.

I was more than just annoyed. I felt dirty. The thoughtless actions of my third sibling overlapped with Flora, and I couldn’t help but feel irritated.

“Participate in the coming-of-age ceremony? That’s a joke.”

Ding.

“Did you call for me, my lord?”

As soon as I rang the bell used to call the maid, Camilla quickly appeared.

“Summon Heron to my room at this time.”

***

Time had swiftly passed noon and entered the time when the evening sun sets. There were only a few hours left until Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony would begin.

The ceremony itself would take place in the evening, and the banquet would continue past midnight, so now was the time to make a decision.

“It’s Heron. Lord Carsein.”

With the sound of a knock, the butler’s polite voice could be heard. I immediately told him to come in.

“I heard you called for me. What can I do for you?”

It was indeed Heron.

Unlike the other characters I had encountered in the Duke’s residence, there was no hint of a tilted gaze.

He was a man who always maintained a strict neutrality, never coming in early or late. He belonged to the most difficult category even in the game.

But because of that aspect.

Because he was a man as upright and neutral as a bamboo, I called for him.

It was the time before Claire’s coming-of-age episode would officially begin, at this moment.

“What’s the matter? Shouldn’t you ask that first?”

Heron fell silent for a moment.

“If you’re talking about the Cervia allergy, I’m sure everyone knows by now. Madam and the young ladies as well─”

“No. What I want to talk about is not that.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“It was you, Heron, who brought Shaden, wasn’t it?”

“…”

That’s right.

The remnants of this unfinished episode were echoing in Heron’s ears.

The maidservants wouldn’t have listened to Arina’s words, nor would they have listened to Karsein’s orders.

The revelation of this fact would build awareness within the aristocracy and provide information for a sub-quest, but there was no problem in revealing it now.

“The maidservants won’t listen to me. Those in the aristocracy know my position well. But if that’s the case, then who called for Shaden?”

“Even if the eldest Miss’s orders take precedence, the young master is also a child of the Bagrand aristocracy. Among them, there must be at least one person with enough reason to act.”

“For example, my personal maidservant, Camilla?”

Shaden flinched at my answer that was one step ahead.

It seemed like a turning point.

“Camilla was cleaning my room. Even if she heard the news and moved, there’s no way it would be as organized as it is now.”

…

Two impossible things overlapped in time and space.

Due to the imbalance of information, there was no appropriate way for Heron to deny it.

In the end, Heron gave in.

“It seems like an irrefutable conclusion. I won’t deny it. Yes, it’s true. I brought the duke’s physician.”

To Heron, who admitted it willingly, I could ask again.

“Why did you do such a thing?” I asked.

It was a simple but piercing question.

How many people in the aristocracy showed favor towards Karsein?

As few as there were, Heron’s actions were indeed suspicious.

It’s a strange situation in itself.

The character who should remain neutral is showing a bias.

But I didn’t ask this question on purpose. There’s a reason for everything.

“Yeah. It seems like that’s what happened.”

“…Did you call me to say that?”

“Of course not. I called the butler because I want to make a request.”

Even though I redirected the question, asking if there was anything else, I ignored it and began talking about something else.

It wasn’t the expected answer, and Heron momentarily hesitated.

“You called to make a request…?”

“Heron, you must remember. I had an accident at Arina’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

“…Yes.”

“And in a few hours, it will be Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony. I don’t want to have the same accident twice.”

This is my true intention.

To openly declare that I won’t cause an accident at the coming-of-age ceremony. I called Heron to emphasize this point.

“So, I want to know everything: the timeline of the ceremony, the map of the venue, and the placement of the security guards.”

▶ [Will you participate in Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony?]

[1. Yes, I will participate.]

[2. No, I will not participate.]

[3. I will wait a little longer.]

The options had already appeared a long time ago.

Whether to go now or later is a decision I must make myself.

Therefore, I had to prepare as much as possible.