episode_0009

“That crazy girl is coming here.”

I thought she came to bother Flora and make fun of her, but I never expected this.

I don’t know why she directly came to the space where the maids come to do the laundry, but whether she did or not, it was none of my concern.

“This scene was skipped, so the choices appeared a bit later.”

Until the predetermined scene appears, there should be no constraints on the choices. Where could there be something enticing?

I just need to continue what I was doing.

*Tumble, tumble.*

“Karceine, you…!”

As Claire started washing the laundry again with soap in cold water using her bare hands, she shouted.

“What are you doing now? Answer me!”

“I’m doing laundry.”

“That’s not the point. Why are you doing this instead of ordering your maids, you scum!”

“Well then, should I wear these clothes and visit Mother?”

She blatantly lifted up the dirty clothes.

“If you’re going to see Mother, you can’t go dressed like that. At least let the laundry dry until tomorrow so they’ll be wearable.”

“Ugh, damn it. Hey, Karceine.”

*Tumble!*

Claire couldn’t stand it any longer and threw the laundry onto the floor.

“Stop joking around and speak properly. Why aren’t you having your maids do this instead of doing it yourself? Tell me why the guy who was shivering from a cold just a while ago is doing this kind of thing.”

A subtle pressure emanated from the solid wall. Even Claire’s completely distorted face couldn’t hide her anger.

If there were choices, I might have said something reckless and ended up dead. But currently, there are no constraints on me. It meant that I was in a state to confront Claire Bartrand both physically and mentally.

“It’s right in front of me. If I pick this up and show it to Claire… Hm?”

However, suddenly, a strange difference caught my eye.

“…What’s that?”

I blinked, thinking my eyes might be playing tricks on me.

But I hadn’t misread it. I wasn’t half asleep.

There was something small painted on the white box floating above Claire’s head.

“2…%?”

It was a familiarity box.

What the heck. Why did that come up?

There should have been more time left to raise Claire’s familiarity. If not, is there something I don’t know about?

‘…Could it be?’

The status window successfully triggered results beyond the choices. That’s the only thing I can guess.

Karsein hadn’t encountered any choices that would raise Claire’s familiarity yet.

It seemed that something in my actions had influenced Claire’s familiarity. I have no idea what she likes at all.

“Never mind. That’s for later.”

Right now, I need to keep Claire from speaking.

-Ding!

[ 1. Why did you throw that! Now I have to wash it again because of you! Are you going to do it for me? ]

[ 2. (Picks up the fallen clothes, ignoring Claire.) ]

[ 3. I don’t have a personal maid. I didn’t choose one. ]

This is the scene where the choices appear.

Without hesitation, I chose option 3.

“I don’t have a personal maid to wash my clothes.”

“What are you talking about? Ariana unnie told you to pick one up yourself!”

“That’s why I said there isn’t one. No maid to handle my laundry.”

Where else could I hide or reveal. I simply stated that since there’s no maid, I do the laundry myself.

Upon hearing that there’s no personal maid, Claire seems to have vaguely caught on to something.

“Karsein. You didn’t seriously say you wouldn’t hire a maid out of pride, did you?! So you’re personally washing your clothes right now?”

“But still.”

“You crazy bastard! There are times to be proud and times not, right? Not hiring a maid?”

Spewing curses, Claire became visibly furious.

“You’re a noble. And not just any noble, but the highest-ranking Duke in the empire! But you’re saying you’re doing the laundry by hand while leaving the lower ones alone? Is that something you’re doing in your right mind?!”

A noble doing laundry by hand? That’s unimaginable.

No matter how weak their authority might be, a noble doesn’t personally do the laundry while asserting their pride, especially not in this cold and harsh winter, let alone with bare hands.

At the Bargrand Duchy, where even other nobles wouldn’t be surprised by such occurrences.

“Even a short walk is enough to encounter countless maids. Don’t do anything foolish and instruct the other maids immediately,” Claire, speaking sharply, headed towards where the maids were. I interrupted her determined steps with a single word of rebuttal.

“Instruct the maids? Are you telling me to do that right now?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. What’s your problem again!”

Right. You probably don’t understand.

The second girl I knew was just like that too. So let me enlighten you.

“You said it yourself. You find it a waste even to have the maids do it for me.”

“What? When did I say that—”

Snap!

I grabbed a set of clothes and spread them out in front of Claire, who looked completely clueless. Even as water dripped down, the clear marks were clearly visible.

“These marks… You didn’t mean… back then?”

“When the maid washed these clothes, you said that I should be grateful just to have a maid who would wash them at all, considering how I was rampaging around the room.”

“Hey, are you kidding? You were forcing the issue with these clothes. You made a fuss because the washing wasn’t done properly. And now you’re trying to force the issue again with this?”

Right. It must have seemed forced to Claire.

In Claire’s eyes, it was probably just a forced situation where the washing was slightly incomplete and left some marks.

But that’s why my logic is correct.

“It wasn’t forced. Following your words, I was simply doing the laundry myself, as you find it a waste to have the maids do it for me. Isn’t that wrong?”

“Karsen, you…”

“So, which side should I adhere to this time? Should I do the laundry myself as per your past words, or should I listen to what you’re saying now and try instructing the maids?”

Watching Claire flounder in self-contradiction with the two words she had spoken, I added as if waiting for this moment.

“So, it’s better off not having any. Food with salt or drugs in it. Cold water in the bathtub. These things won’t happen if you don’t hire maids, right? Am I wrong?”

Claire, who had been relentlessly attacking, fell silent abruptly.

She knows. She knows why Karsein collapsed that day and what she has been through until now. Dr. Shaden’s diagnosis points to the conclusion that it was the maid who had a hand in it.

So, if there is no maid,

if there is no maid to take care of Karsein,

nothing will happen.

Really.

“Do as you please! You idiot.”

The pink-haired lunatic left with just those words. There was nothing to retort because she had said her piece. But you must be feeling quite different, right? Flora.

“…!”

As soon as their eyes met, the annoying little brat who had been chirping incessantly turned and followed the second one. It probably didn’t feel like they were running away, but rather due to the mood.

Naturally, it was she who had deliberately instructed the maid to ruin Karsein’s fine clothes. Based on the information gathered while progressing through the game, Karsein had rightfully punished the maid who had tried to ruin his fine clothes. However, no matter what he did, Karsein was falsely accused. This was a vile result born from Flora’s cunning and Claire’s foolishness.

That’s why I quite liked this move.

“Phew. I feel a bit relieved now.”

Even though I was doing hand laundry in this cold winter, so what? I was satisfied.

***

The next day.

I touched the well-dried clothes from the laundry room.

“Oh. They dried well.”

Someone among the servants might have touched them, saying these are Karsein’s, but as in the game, no one had touched them.

Of course, if I had come a few hours later, those clothes would have been messed up again.

If I had to give a reason, it was because I was in charge of preparing for an important event.

Anyway, thanks to that, the clothes I washed yesterday dried well. Enough for Ariana and anyone else I might meet.

I quickly moved the clothes into my room.

After that, it was time for cleaning. Without a vacuum cleaner, the room looked grand and spacious, but it was a time when I had to tidy up and solve everything by hand.

However, it wasn’t all that bad. There was no sudden intrusion, and unless it was mealtime, there was no one coming in.

In fact, with more time spent living alone, I could easily prevent the sudden appearance of dead flags.

“Phew. It’s over.”

Still, there’s something about living alone that makes cleaning a breeze.

“Next… I should probably go find Isabella.”

I mustn’t forget. All I’ve finished is just the tutorial and one episode. Many episodes and chapters need to be cleared to see the ending of this game, each one threatening my life.

A small movement leading to a conversation. Diverse choices stemming from dialogue. The continuity of dead flags due to these choices. Nothing can be taken lightly.

After taking a deep breath, I dressed neatly and headed to the lady’s office in the mansion.

▶ Currently in CHAPTER 1 – Episode II! ◀

▶ Pay a morning visit to Isabella. ◀

Knock knock.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Karsen.”

A brief silence inside flows lightly, beckoning me to come in.

As soon as the door opens, three intimacy bars above the figure’s head stand out.

“For now, sit down. Let’s get this over with and talk.”

“Yes.”

I had some idea of what to expect, but it was truly a cold reception.

The brief silence after the knock. “Let’s get this over with and talk.” A simple conversation devoid of any warmth or casual greetings.

An attitude that seems to imply habitual tantrums, antics, and emotional consumption begins to show itself clearly.

-Thud.

Isabella leans back in her seat and stands up. It seems like the matter is settled, but it’s not quite so.

She still held work in her hands as she sat opposite me on the couch.

“What brings you here today.”

Her chilly voice subtly reveals an underlying sentiment of being interrupted during a busy time due to work.

That sight feels all too familiar.

Son’s gaze that seems to prioritize work over his words. Responding dryly, as if trying to brush off whatever is said. Even urging as if this time is a waste. It was the appearance of a mother who had seen enough, one who didn’t even bother pretending to listen no matter what I said.

“Don’t worry about it. She’s not even my mother anyway.”

I mustn’t forget the purpose of coming here. I am now entering the main part of CHAPTER 1 and proceeding with Episode II. I’m here solely to prepare for Dead Trigger.

Without faltering, I spoke in a clear voice to Isabella.

“I’ve come to talk about the maid incident.”

“If you’re talking about Camilla, I’ve already released her.”

“…What?”

For a moment, I thought I misheard and asked again. Nevertheless, Isabella responded, her gaze fixed on the documents.

“I heard from Arina and Claire that someone touched your table. But suspecting that it was Camilla is unreasonable.”

I hadn’t misheard. It was about the maid who touched Carcyn’s table, and she had been released.

“We couldn’t find any evidence. Besides, Camilla came to the Marquisate for money and married you for money. She even tried to support her sick mother by selling the nobles’ secrets. People around know this well. So, it’s even more unlikely that she’s the culprit.”

Isabella continued to speak while sipping her tea.

“As mentioned earlier, the trust of the Marquis’s servants towards Camilla is very high. They all submitted petitions, even petitioned collectively to release her from solitary confinement. This time, I understand your injustice well, but I have ordered Arina to investigate directly. That should satisfy you. Sometimes, as a noble, one must show leniency.”

I was speechless. Even though it’s not my business and it’s a scene from the game, it’s even more irritating. Even saying it’s even more unlikely that she’s the culprit? Even if the real culprit is Camilla, she talks like that and doesn’t even listen to Carcyn’s opinion as if she’s letting it go?

Even what? Do I need to be considerate?

“Hah. So, was it all just a bad ending because you felt unjust?”

Choosing this option, would it be of any use at all?

Realizing that the outcome of the choice was spot on, it seemed like a bitter laughter would burst out involuntarily.

-Ding!

[1. Why are you releasing that maid! She made me take the medicine. And also made me use cold water and put something in my food─]

[2. Then what did I eat? What did I eat─]

…

…

The choices were even more cruel to Carsein.

If it had been him, no matter what lines or actions he took that looked like a dead flag, it wouldn’t have seemed strange.

But not for me.

I might want to mention this and claim unfairness, but those are Carsein’s emotions.

Bringing it up would only be an unprofitable, poisonous statement that wouldn’t bring anything back.

So, I’ll draw a clear line.

“Ah. Then I came for nothing. I was thinking of making such a request too.”

Isabella, who had been focused on the documents, met my eyes for the first time.

“As you said, Camilla is not that kind of maid. Well, I came to clarify that misunderstanding caused by me. This is the end… Oh. There’s one more thing.”

I slowly rose from the sofa, finishing my last words.

“I will not be visiting for morning greetings in the future.”