episode_0084

“Da, why are you here…?”

“First, could you help me relax my body?”

“Body…?”

When asked to relax, one’s gaze naturally turns downward.

The two arms are wrapped.

With Karssein’s body wrapped around it.

What kind of situation is this?

I was happy to be able to sleep for a few more hours while rolling around in bed with something cozy and warm, and it turned out to be Karssein?

My cheeks turn red.

The white skin that had been covered in red had suddenly spread to the entire face, spreading a burning heat.

“Kyaaak!!”

“Keck!”

Pushing him away, Harnier screamed.

“All, all, you! He pretended it wasn’t like that and ended up telling me…!”

“Ugh… If I had done something like that, the Oath Gem would have been activated!”

“Well, then… what happened? Why was I doing this in the carriage…”

“True. Are you asking me that? I was tired so I fell asleep first.”

Carcein, who had been pushed off the seat, stood up while rubbing his back.

“You fell asleep? Me?”

“Don’t you remember? After entering the carriage at the party, he told me to wait because he would repay me straight away.”

“…”

When I thought about it carefully, it really was like that.

At that time, Karssein was making fun of him, so he grumbled and tried to repay him after quickly finishing the Shatrene Territory report.

And then…

I don’t remember.

It meant that he fell asleep.

How many hours did you sleep?

As I was about to check the time, Karssein suddenly placed the watch in front of me.

‘Three, three hours? ‘You mean you slept that long?!’

My dazed mind suddenly came back.

I fell asleep on his shoulder for three hours, but even though I couldn’t say thank you, I thought he was a pervert and pushed me down with my hand?!

This was completely ungrateful.

Harnier asked with a trembling voice.

“Uh… Karsein? Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?”

“What is it?”

He asked with a hesitant response.

“So… my body was held by you…?”

Karssein sighed heavily, scratched his head, and shook his head, saying no.

“Um… did I sleep with you in my arms…?”

I hope not.

No, I want to believe it.

However, she already had an intuition that it would be correct given the circumstances.

And he nodded.

Just as the reddened cheeks were shaking and spreading here and there, Harnier’s eyes also began to fluctuate.

Just like in her mind where she couldn’t figure out what to say, her purple eyes were closely watching Karssein’s thoughts.

“Why, why did you think that? Even if it’s because of a contract, you wouldn’t do that… You wouldn’t even think of me that way in the first place… I’m out of my mind… No, not like this! That…!”

I’m rambling, but there’s only one thing to say.

“I’m sorry!”

The person who firmly held my falling body.

The person who helped me get a comfortable sleep by lending me his shoulder.

He asked for forgiveness, saying that he had harbored strange suspicions toward such a person and had pushed and knocked him down.

Then, cross-shaped veins appeared on Karssein’s forehead.

-bean!

“Ouch.”

He threw a light bean on her forehead.

“What is forgiveness? If you know that you did something wrong, don’t try to help me by reducing your sleep so much.”

“Yes, yes… eh?”

Harnier, who was rubbing his forehead, raised his head as if he had heard something wrong.

“Carsein. What did you just say…?”

He answered with a grin.

“Chatrene Estate Investigation Report. Thank you. Harnier.”

It’s like you already know.

As if there was no need to explain.

The answer was that they all knew what this meant.

***

“Now let’s go back. Harnier.”

“…”

Harnier lowered his head. Also, my once white cheeks were slowly turning red with the heat of shame.

Carcein thought he had made fun of her too much, so he smiled sheepishly and got into the carriage without saying anything.

Meanwhile, Harnier slowly raised his head, and when he saw the scene of people getting into the carriage, he hurriedly shouted.

“Jo, go in carefully. Karsein! I was thankful today…”

Even though it was embarrassing, I had to say thank you.

“Harnier, you too.”

Fortunately, the words seemed to have been heard, and Carcein paused for a moment, responded, and got back into the carriage.

Harnier watched the carriage moving away until the image disappeared completely.

As Karssein left, Harnier subconsciously covered her reddened cheeks with both hands to cool them down, and as if that wasn’t enough, she fanned her hands.

“Wow… my face still feels hot…”

Perhaps because he was too embarrassed to show such a side to Karsein, the heat never cooled down.

Harnier guessed the cause.

“…I didn’t ask any questions about why I was investigating the Chatelaine territory until the end.”

He only said thank you, but left without even asking a simple question, let alone interrogating me.

That probably means that you have already guessed it to some extent.

“Why am I so angry about that?”

Harnier’s cheeks are puffy.

When I was caught secretly trying to give the Chatrene Territory report to Karssein.

There was no question about how he knew.

It wouldn’t be that difficult to see a document fall from your hand while you were sleeping.

It would certainly have been a satisfactory transaction from the other party’s perspective.

Strangely unsatisfying.

Is it because his intentions were discovered?

Or are you dissatisfied that the other person noticed that fact in advance and wasn’t surprised?

‘If not that…’

-If you know that you did something wrong, don’t try to help me by reducing your sleep so much from now on.

Carcein’s voice rang in Harnier’s head.

“Tsk…!”

Cheeks getting angry and hot again.

This was even more so because Karssein was watching him the whole time.

From now on, don’t try to help by reducing your sleep so much. If you look at how accurately it was pointed out, I didn’t miss a single thing.

I was clearly aware that I was yawning in the morning.

I remembered you saying that you didn’t have enough sleep because you had work to do.

This means that he also noticed that he was concentrating on the report during the remaining time in the carriage.

and…

-Did you sleep well?

I heard his voice as soon as I woke up.

I was so embarrassed by how close the distance was that the scene became deeply embedded in my mind.

“Ugh, wow-!”

Harnier fluttered his arms in the air and tried to erase the memories that floated like clouds in his head.

I tried to deny myself the strange thought that Carcein looked different today.

‘okay. It’s because of that consideration. Strangely, the reason I feel like I lost is because of that person’s consideration!’

This is because I received more than I gave.

It’s because I wasn’t able to repay him clearly.

“Huh, hmm. I won’t lose next time.”

Harnier, who felt angry in a strange place, mistook the warmth still remaining in his body for heat, clenched his fists and decided to wait for the next time.

Meanwhile, Mina approached me with sparkling eyes.

“Lady. Wow, really.”

“Mina?”

“I told you that the bath water gets cold from a distance. How long will you be watching?”

“Did it take that long?”

Harnier tilted his head and asked.

This is because it seemed like Mina’s voice could not be heard clearly.

Of course, Mina was right to approach without saying anything on purpose.

This was because Harnier’s gaze did not leave the carriage.

What does that really mean?

As a woman, I can’t help but feel it.

“Master Karssein. Aren’t you a pretty good person?”

“Huh? Yes. Is that so…? When I see you taking care of even the little things like this…”

You got caught!

Mina smiled mischievously.

“Yes? I said it was okay because I wanted to be sure about the business relationship. It’s a trivial thing?”

“Hmm?! Ah, no, that…! There is such a thing!”

“What is it? Is there something else you took care of for the young lady?”

“Oh, no! There is no such thing. I heard the bath water is getting cold? I’ll go take a bath right away!”

Harnier may have thought he escaped without being detected, but Mina’s harsh gaze had already caught him a long time ago.

Two flushed cheeks.

Slightly reddened ear tips and shaking eyes.

And one shoulder that Karssein’s arm was wrapped around, which he was unknowingly touching.

It was safe to say that small buds had already sprouted on this side.

“Let’s go together, girl!”

If our girl, who has never had a proper relationship, meets that man, wouldn’t she be able to have a bit of a happy time?

Mina followed Harnier, imagining herself a little further away from reality.

“Phew.”

“Is the water temperature right?”

“Yes. It’s just the right temperature.”

Feeling as if all his tired body was melting away, Harnier soaked his entire body in the bathtub and took a short break after being attended to by Mina.

As I closed my eyes and felt a moment of liberation, I suddenly felt worried.

“The Eastern Noble Meeting… It looked like they were preparing, right?”

After the great unification of the Peselos Empire, the imperial family took hard-line measures to eradicate the vested aristocratic power that aroused the resentment of the people of the empire by engaging in luxury and pleasure.

Those who defend the empire are far more commoners than nobles, and using this as a shield, the nobles enjoy peace within the empire.

So the imperial family says.

If you’re a noble, be noble.

It was a warning to show that you are qualified to enjoy that right.

As a noble of the empire, what proposals did you receive, what agenda did you submit, and what results did you achieve?

Every year, each family must prove it in front of the imperial family.

The place to prove this was the Eastern Noble Meeting held every year.

“From there, it’s Chatrene territory…”

What Karssein chose was territory.

What systems will be introduced to change the lives of the residents of the territory?

What opportunities will we create in their lives that are becoming impoverished?

How can we prevent the ever-increasing crimes and resolve the grievances building up against the nobles?

He said that he would take direct responsibility and carry out his duties to rule over a territory and prove it.

Choosing a territory in itself is not a bad thing.

In the Eastern Noble Council, fiefdoms are most commonly used among nobles.

However, it may not have been a very good option for Karsein.

“I did my own research, but even with empty words, it wasn’t in a very good condition.”

Shatrene territory.

It was once a fairly prosperous place in Bagland, but not anymore.

As soon as one person touched it, it started to go downhill in just one moment, and the residents poured out harsh criticism towards Karsein, who gave the order.

Afterwards, Karssein was stopped by Arina and the order was taken back, and they tried to overcome it…

It was unable to regain its former prosperity.

Even to the present.

Even if he were to find himself in that situation and try to revive the Chatelaine territory, it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to come up with an easy answer.

“…It probably won’t be easy. Restoring the Shatren territory, which was the most prosperous among the Bagland territories.”

Before any results are achieved, there will be a huge backlash from the residents of the Chatrene territory.

How terrifying is it that the person who ruined their lives appears and says he will bring this territory back to life?

There wasn’t even much room to change the atmosphere.

At least, that was what Harnier investigated and organized.

That’s why I was able to smile again.

“But even though you knew that, you didn’t back down and took the report, so… you must have already thought about it, right?”

Even in the trial, he was the one who overturned a major case and created a result that no one expected.

There was no trace of anxiety in his voice as he thanked me as he took the report from the Shatrene Estate.

This probably means that he was already anticipating that he would be given a mission to revive the Chatrene Territory, and that he had planned and prepared an alternative.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how you will surprise the world again. Carcein.”

***

“…It’s very late.”

When I returned to the Duke’s house, it was already dark at night.

That’s right.

That window pops up.

-Tiring!

▶A late return event will occur!◀

▶You will inevitably meet someone from the duke’s family!◀

“As expected.”

He showed up without disappointing expectations.

Late return event.

This is a fairly annoying event that is built into the game system settings simply to suppress free action.

Penalty for being forced to meet one family member.

I’ve experienced it myself, but it’s a bit annoying because additional options may pop up. As the number of times accumulates, intimacy decreases.

Of course, you can use this as before, but this only applies to Chapter 1, where there is an enemy called Emma.

Now it’s just a penalty.

“Originally, I had to get something through an equivalent exchange… but I didn’t think it was a loss.”

■Owned items

[Shatrene Territory Report]

How can I lose something like this?

If I were to be honest, this was much more beneficial to me than to the system.

To properly handle the event of returning home, I entered the main gate of the mansion.

Soon a family member appeared.

As it was still a chilly night, it seemed like someone had seen and covered us with a blanket.

[Intimacy: 43%]

‘hmm? ‘Has there ever been a family with such shame?’

Isabella has long since surpassed that figure.

Since Arina fell once, there is no way she could have risen that high.

As for Flora… well, I haven’t seen her since I felt guilty. Even so, it won’t be very high.

‘Then are you Claire?’

I don’t know why it went up, but it would have been better to assume it was Claire.

Because the last intimacy value I saw was 37%.

When you go in, you’ll probably be nagging like the second child, asking why you came so late.

I think it would be enough to go in proudly and say that I met my fiancee.

…I thought so. Until I saw the person in front of me again.

‘Why is he here?’

Unlike Claire, she is much smaller and her hair color is not pink.

He doesn’t come over to nag me when he sees this, but he’s dozing off.

okay. Strangely enough, the family in front of me was Flora, not Claire.

[Flora Bagland]

[Intimacy: 43%]

In most of the events where I was forced to meet my family, I ran into Arina, Claire, and Isabella.

Even if I met Flora, she wasn’t dozing off alone like now, but instead she was with Emma.

As I was looking at Flora, who was sleeping peacefully, I wondered why she was acting like this.

‘I can’t. Since we only have to resolve the event anyway, the only choice is to wake him up appropriately and listen to what he wants and let it go, or resolve it by lowering his intimacy along the way.’

In the past, I would have complained to myself about losing my intimacy with Flora, but now I didn’t really care.

Right then.

As soon as the notification sound on the status window rang, I heard Arina’s voice.

“It’s coming in so quickly. Your younger brother fell asleep in the cold wind while waiting for you.”

Indeed, it was an unpleasant voice.