The Damn Family Is Back Again

8 – 8. Dead Trigger (2)

“Oh…! Here, here you are!”

The woman tightly embraced the child. Even if there was a foul odor emanating from their entire body, even if the foreign substance on the child’s clothes dirtied her precious dress, even if there were all sorts of germs that could be transmitted, none of that mattered to her.

The child with dark blue hair and distinct features clung to the lady without understanding a word. When the guards heard the news and tried to separate them, she became furious.

“How dare you lay a hand on my child, my one and only son! Do I look like a joke to the Duke of Bargrand?!”

While still holding the child from the slums. No, rather, she tightly wrapped her arms around him as if she would never let go.

Isabella Bargrand even pointed a gun at the guards. Madness filled her eyes, which were already filled with bloodshot veins.

Up until that point, the boy had no idea what was going on. He only knew that this woman’s mental state was strange when he heard that he was her son.

“It’s been tough, hasn’t it? Let’s go home quickly, my son.”

The lady tightly held his hand and took the ragged boy into the carriage.

Even after getting on the carriage, the attention towards the child didn’t cease. They asked if he wasn’t cold and told him to bring a blanket, and they repeatedly caressed his face with warm hands.

The repeated mention of him being her son and the caressing of his body started to feel a bit unsettling.

However, for a boy who had become an abandoned child overnight and wandered through the slums, it was a warm and tender treatment. He couldn’t push it away, he simply couldn’t.

And so, they arrived at the Bargrand Estate. That’s where everything began.

“There’s no slope like this. Our family gathering like this again, it’s clear that the heavens have helped us. Don’t you think so, my children?”

The three sisters who had come out to welcome Isabella and waited with worry were stunned in their places.

“Why are you all looking like that? Karn, our one and only son, has come back alive and returned as a duke.”

“Why are you acting like that, Mom?”

“What on earth are you saying? Right now, he… he…!”

“Our brother, Karn?”

I couldn’t help but be amazed as I watched my mother, who had brought in a beggar and was now delighted to have found the missing Karn, the duke.

“Mother, it seems like your mental state is not right at the moment. How about taking a rest first? We will talk to the child and send him back.”

All three of us had a lot to say.

If there was a common opinion among them, it was that the beggar was not Karn. Although he seemed somewhat similar with his hair stained with a bluish color and a slight resemblance to Karn, he was undoubtedly a completely different person.

Just then, as if scratching an itchy spot, Arina stepped forward, and Claire and Flora felt a little relieved. They believed that if they handled it properly, Isabella would soon regain her senses.

-Crack!

“Uh, Mother…?”

However, the two sisters looked on as their older sister, who had slapped Isabella’s cheek that had turned red, rubbed it with her hand.

“What are you saying to your younger sister, Arina? This child, Karn, was in that wretched place while you two were indulging yourselves!”

“Mom! You’re saying he’s not Karn?!”

“What makes you think he’s Karn, Arina?! He’s just a completely different version of our brother. He’s just a beggar on the street!”

The two sisters tried to defend their older sister, who had been slapped, but Isabella glared at them with an angry expression.

Still holding onto the boy from the slums, as if not knowing where he had been brought from.

“And can’t you see this toy?! No one else but Karn would have something like this if he’s not Karn!”

Isabella pointed to the toy she mentioned. It was also a memorial in the shape of a brightly shining carriage.

The sisters and Isabella continued to argue, but eventually backed down in the face of the resolute attitude of the duchess. There was no way to deal with their mentally ill mother.

After several repetitions of such scenes, Memorial skipped ahead several days.

The setting is the mansion’s kitchen.

As always, the mansion’s maidservants moved busily when it was time for meals.

But despite their busy movements, there was a lot of dissatisfaction in their conversations.

“No. Why should we hire such commoners? It’s one thing if they were young ladies, but wasting clothes and blankets like this?”

“What can we do? I’m sure everyone has similar thoughts. But… what are you doing?”

“What do you think? I’m just telling them to make the food taste bad. Ugh!”

The maidservant sprinkled a handful of salt onto Carcine’s meal.

“Hey! What if we get caught?”

“What’s there to get caught? Just stay quiet.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Seriously. Are you going to complain to the young master now?”

“…Why would I do that? I also naturally dislike those commoners.”

The maidservant hesitated for a moment, but soon joined in and skillfully mixed the sauce.

After that, the maidservants continued to secretly torment her, complaining of injustice and even trying to frame her as the one causing trouble, thanks to the craftiness of one of the daughters.

That was all the scenes Memorial showed.

Honestly, all she felt was misery.

“…f*ck.”

She gritted her teeth at the sickening familiarity.

A child picked up from the outside due to mental illness.

The open hatred and contempt of the three sisters approaching blatantly.

I know this well enough myself.

But this guy, Karcein, received even more abuse. He had to endure the medieval customs of a noble existence, not in Korea.

Not only his family, but even the many servants were his enemies.

The three sisters of the Bagrand Duchy, who showed hostility towards Karcein without hesitation, would have completely isolated him, and the servants would not treat him like a young master.

They tormented him. And tormented him again.

Whenever they had a chance, they would subject him to unfair treatment and scream.

Until they realized that screaming in injustice only made things worse.

“…”

“Why are you hesitating and not choosing quickly? Stop dawdling and make your choice. Karcein.”

Ariana’s cold urging was heard as soon as the memorial ended.

Yeah. I have to choose.

[ 1. (Choosing the maid who came in today) Bring her in. ]

[ 2. Everyone says they don’t want to serve me? I’d rather not choose. ]

[ 3. (Throwing the documents at Ariana’s face) Hire someone new! Is there a law that says I won’t suffer the same fate? ]

[ 4. If you want to release Camilla from solitary confinement, go ahead. I won’t pay attention to it. ]

Just as the choices were floating there.

As I know very well, the correct answer is 4. It was the best option to free Camilla from solitary confinement and prepare for a dead trigger.

However, should I just settle for the fact that the correct answer lies within this system’s shackles and move accordingly?

Certainly, I should never move like that. Even within the constraints of the choices, I must make the most of the variable that this body is mine.

Sure. Like the word “mother” that is not attached after saying “I had a hard time.” Like ending a conversation with the answer “There was nothing.”

While carrying out the choices, I must create even the non-existent correct answer by myself.

“What do you want me to do now?”

“What?”

“I asked you to hire a maid, why did you give me all the documents? Didn’t you hear me say to choose someone?”

“Of course, I heard it well. It’s something said right in front of me, unless you put something in my ear, how could I not hear it?”

“Karceine.”

Ariana’s eyebrows twitched at the sarcastic response. Just by calling her name once, there was an air of oppression.

It was a suggestion not to casually say that she had a big mouth.

Nevertheless, I didn’t back down and stared straight into Ariana’s eyes, swallowing the words I wanted to say.

“You wouldn’t know. It was this simple bowl of porridge that saved Karceine, which seems like nothing compared to those luxurious meals.”

Of course, that’s how it would be. To a noble lady who has never experienced hunger, there wouldn’t even be any knowledge worth keeping in her head.

Since she was so indifferent, she must have given poisonous food to show off. I’d rather have that.

[2. Everyone says they don’t want to serve me? I’d rather not choose anyone.]

“It’s not necessary. Can’t you understand that no one will choose?”

They won’t choose.

There’s not much difference between you and the maids. In fact, they’re the ones who offer me poison.

***

A hasty remark.

In response to my firmness in not choosing maids, Ariana showed a sigh without any disguise.

“Is that stubbornness again? When I came here a while ago, there would have been a musty smell of mold and dust piled up. Do whatever you want. I’ll let it go for a few days.”

Looking at my future room, I clearly understood. With that disdainful attitude, I gathered the profiles of the maids and left.

That arrogant brat was no different from the first girl who ignored people until the end.

Well, it’s not entirely wrong to say that.

What can a noblewoman do without a single maid?

She wouldn’t even be able to take care of her own room or belongings, let alone herself. Especially if she’s a guy like Carsein who hasn’t learned anything.

“But I’m not like that, you stupid girl.”

A musty smell and dust in the room? Don’t make me laugh.

As I had prepared to stand alone without any help until I escaped from that house, it was just a basic task.

Leaving behind a breakfast that I couldn’t eat anymore due to loss of appetite, I opened the wardrobe.

The inside of the wardrobe was as expected.

The results of Flora’s malice were lined up one after another.

“Wearing something like this and going to Isabella… Ugh.”

My head involuntarily shook. If I get caught by Arina here, she’ll surely say something like, ‘How dare you crawl around the house with such shabby clothes?’

It’s better to get rid of any evidence that can be used against me.

For that, I should start with doing the laundry. With my own hands, of course.

Handwashing in cold water in winter.

This is also quite a long time ago.

I chuckled and took out all the clothes in the wardrobe and put them in a bag, ready to leave the room.

And right at that moment, the door opened inward, not outward, revealing a blond girl.

“What should we do? Just as my older sister said, this place will soon become a dusty garbage dump.”

I heard a voice predicting, or rather, longing for this room where I stayed to become even dirtier without any cleaning.

When it was a game, the scene after Arina’s line would be skipped, so Flora wouldn’t appear. Well, whether it’s through a voice or a line, the purpose is obvious.

“Camilla is also pitiful. How can she, a mistress like you, be unjustly dragged into a solitary cell? She did nothing wrong.”

Look at that.

He deliberately came to provoke me, scratching at Carsein’s mind.

And on top of that, he acts as if he won, taunting me. He’s like a stubborn little brat.

There’s no need to deal with that kind of person. Without saying a word in response, I just passed by Flora.

“…!”

Flora’s pupils trembled in surprise. Maybe it didn’t please him that there was no reaction, because now he even spoke.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going!”

Whether he said it or not.

I just continued on my way.

***

“Hey, Carsein! Where are you going? Answer me!”

Flora followed me, chasing after me, and called out.

Around the tenth time or so.

I arrived at the place I wanted to go. It was the laundry area of the maids that I saw on the minimap.

-*tuk*

I placed the basket full of clothes on the ground and brought a large basin that maids use.

“What on earth are you doing?”

I’ve received this question countless times. It was annoying to beat around the bush, so I decided to just tell her.

“I’m doing your laundry. The clothes you made dirty.”

“What, what?”

“I’m doing laundry for the clothes you had the maids make dirty, Flora.”

When the water was filled to a certain level,

I put all the clothes into the basin at once, lifted my pants up to my knees, and started stomping on them meticulously.

Then, Flora’s expression was filled with astonishment.

Whether she was shocked by my desperate situation, didn’t understand why I was doing laundry, or questioned why a noble would do laundry with cold water in the winter, I don’t know.

But it was a rather forgiving expression.

After the tears that were squeezed out by my stomping, I even sat down and started hand-washing in the familiar temperature of water. Flora seemed to have lost her voice since then.

However, the silence didn’t last long.

Breaking the silence in place of Flora was a pink-haired crazy woman running towards me, shouting obscenities with anger.

“That crazy b*tch! What the hell are you doing?!”

No wonder she was so furious, running towards me, spewing curses. It was none other than the crazy pink-haired woman.