episode_0279

“There’s no need…?”

“I’m satisfied with my current life.”

Karsine continued, his eyes scanning my body downward.

“I am satisfied that I, a commoner, can eat good food. It would be strange for me to be dissatisfied when I am wearing such nice clothes. Shouldn’t we all be thankful?”

“Carcein. What are you talking about? You are my son.”

Isabella’s heart sank heavily at the cold answer she heard again.

“There’s no need to be so strict. If you’re going to enjoy it, enjoy it as much as you want. That’s all I want from you. Okay?”

Karsine pauses for a moment and then answers.

“Okay, I’ll do that.”

However, no matter how much I tried to persuade him, Karsine’s attitude did not change.

“Considering Bagrand’s status, I’m sure he’s shown many shortcomings. Should I start by changing his appearance?”

“Carcein. What is that…”

“Just looking at Claire and Arina, they dress quite extravagantly. Compared to them, I was very plain. I think I need to buy some jewels to make Bagrand’s brilliance shine even brighter.”

My mouth feels rough.

“If you are a nobleman, you must have carried a luxury watch. Somehow, when they saw me, they all looked empty. Not only that, but my shoes look the same. I guess I should change them at the same time. Oh.”

Even a few drops of saliva feel dry.

“It would be a shame to wear the knights’ uniforms without the duke’s insignia. Yes. It would be good to add a epaulette to this too. It would be awkward if they looked boring when they had to move as knights.”

From the corners of my dry mouth to my esophagus.

It feels like it’s burning.

“Well, if you want to travel, then I will. If you want to stay healthy by eating local specialties, then I will. If the clothes look bad, then I will buy them. If the interior looks uncomfortable, then I will change them.”

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Carcein!”

no.

That’s not it.

“Don’t do that. I, I didn’t mean to force you.”

I just wanted to give this kid what he wanted, I didn’t want to force him.

and.

“Why did you buy that? Don’t do that.”

Rather than forcing my child to spend the money he had worked hard to save, I wanted to give him a gift as a mother.

“I just want to take care of you as a mother. There’s no need to be so strict!”

okay.

How can you argue about something like that?

That wouldn’t do.

“Because I want to find out.”

“What?”

“The Duchess may not mind, but that’s not my position.”

Karsine pulled Isabella’s hand away.

“On paper, he is the adopted son of the Bagrand Dukes. Since he has been registered, he should be a proper child of the Dukes. But do other nobles see him that way?”

A cold wind blows.

“No one thinks so. No matter what anyone says, I am just a child who was picked up. No matter how much I eat at the same restaurant as Flora, the food is not the same. No matter how much I wear the clothes Claire gave me, I am just a commoner. No matter how much I stand next to Arina, I am a parachute knight, not a knight of a noble family.”

♬~

The intro that flows out of the lobby as soon as you finish speaking.

It was time for the full-scale after-party to begin.

“I won’t take anything that isn’t mine.”

Karsine got up from his seat and walked to the meeting place without looking back.

In that moment, Isabella’s mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.

Who the hell gave that kid such a mean look?

Who would dare to blow a whistle on my son?

An unbearable anger welled up within me.

But what comes before this anger is…

It was a lament towards himself for not being able to protect this child in time.

I could vaguely realize it.

Giving gifts to Karsain will forever be impossible.

“If only I had cared for you more…!”

If only I had gotten a little closer.

There would never have been a time when this child was called an adopted son.

If only I hadn’t treated you so awkwardly.

This child could have been prevented from being looked down on outside.

Treat everyone without discrimination.

If only I had taken proper care of them like my own children.

It could have been a mother and son relationship.

Even if not a single drop of blood is mixed in.

-Tiring!

▶Isabella’s intimacy has increased.◀

[ Even though we didn’t share a single drop of blood, I wanted to be your mother : 96% ]

***

It wasn’t just Karsane who realized that the aftermath of the martial arts tournament had begun.

This prelude will resonate throughout the building, creating a social atmosphere.

“I guess I should go down soon too.”

Arina, who had been resting upstairs, got up from her seat and reached out toward the table as if it was something she had always done.

However, even if I stretched out my hand, there was nothing I could grab.

“…ah.”

Arina sighs.

For her, who always wears her red hair in a ponytail, a hair tie is always there.

Today, that hair tie didn’t exist.

“…Yeah. It was cut off that day.”

On none other than his own birthday.

The hair tie was cut off by Karsine’s hand.

I was really angry because of the behavior that I couldn’t understand.

What I felt after that was an indescribable emptiness.

“I guess I’ll have to use something else as a stopgap measure.”

-dripping.

“Miss Arina. This is Heron.”

“Ah. Wait a minute.”

What brings you here?

Arina opened the locked door.

Outside, the heron waited politely.

“What’s going on?”

“That’s it, the gift has arrived.”

“Gift?”

“Yes. From Lord Karsain…”

Heron continued, taking his time.

“Please also convey my apology for the previous mistake.”

If you say it’s wrong…

‘Is that it?’

Ruined my birthday.

It seemed like a gift for that.

“Give it here.”

Heron handing over a box.

The well-packaged box was quite light.

I opened the box cautiously, wondering if it was some kind of bad prank.

But contrary to expectations, Anna was normal.

…so much.

“…”

The small box was full of things that were good for tying ponytails.

Some of them were adorned with jewels, while others were new boutique items said to have been made from rare minerals.

I guess I can’t help but say it’s normal.

There is no better headdress for a noble lady.

But why is that?

Strangely, I didn’t reach out to him right away.

“After.”

“Miss?”

“…keep everything else separate. Heron.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Arina, who felt like she needed to tie up her hair because she felt empty, picked one out.

But strangely enough, even though I tied my hair up, this feeling of emptiness did not go away.

Substitute.

What do you mean?

Even though it’s much more expensive and made of much better materials.

It feels worse than that cheap hair tie.

***

After finishing the conversation with Isabella.

There was no other status window that popped up.

Since it was a skip scene, I was worried that there might be a problem that I wasn’t aware of, but that didn’t happen.

“…Is this all that’s left?”

▶Episode V. The Aftermath of the Martial Arts Tournament is in progress.◀

▶You need to hold a small event at the banquet hall.◀

[Currently ongoing events (0/4)]

There is only one way to clear the episode in this place full of traps and triggers.

The goal is to find and clear events that meet certain conditions.

Just finding and clearing this event was a difficult task, as there were so many traps with no information.

But, ironically, this is the end of Episode V.

Because after four events, you will be able to return home safely.

To achieve this.

First of all, let’s start here.

“Wow!”

-Thud.

“Ayaaya…”

A blond kid came in with both hands full of lamb skewers and fell on his butt.

It’s so obvious, but what happened to the lamb skewers? It goes without saying.

“Huh, Carcein…? Why are you here…”

“Why. Can’t I stay here?”

“Oh, no! I didn’t say that!”

Flora woke up in a panic.

And then the alarm rings.

-Tiring!

▶Cleared the clash event with Flora!◀

▶Complete the remaining events!◀

[ Events performed (1/4) ]

‘I’m glad nothing has changed.’

When I first encountered these traps in the game, I cursed out loud, saying, “What kind of traps are these?”

But that was the point.

Because of these traps, Karsane often becomes a pervert, a pervert, or a pervert. He may even be branded a pervert.

These are truly ridiculous traps…

These have one thing in common.

‘The clash with the woman. That was the point.’

Whatever happened at the after-party, whatever traps were set and flags planted, was all closely related to women.

In other words, the events that need to be cleared are also limited to women.

It was the right answer to use this to cause an accident.

“Oh, what should I do? Wait a minute! Wait here!”

-Tiring!

▶A choice occurs!◀

Are you waiting?

That’s not right.

“Go together. Just.”

“Huh…?”

“Anyway, it’s better to follow you and clean it myself rather than waiting here.”

“Oh, uh. Okay! ”

[ 2. Follow Flora. ]☑

If you don’t follow, you’ll end up in trouble when you take your clothes off in the locker room.

At least in these cases, Flora is quite helpful.

As I followed her and came out after changing my clothes, Flora, who had been waiting, asked me while wiggling her fingers.

“You weren’t with that guy… were you?”

“That guy?”

“Your fiancee.”

Ah. I was wondering what you were talking about.

I thought you were with Harnie.

“My fiancee is busy right now. She’ll come over later or something.”

“Uh… Really? Then what’s the remaining time…”

“I’ll probably spend some time with you guys. I’ll do the rest of my work.”

“… Really?”

I remember that the original reaction wasn’t like that.

-You don’t even know how to play properly. Huh! Then stick with me and your little sister!

But what… I guess I changed something again.

-Tiring!

▶Flora’s intimacy has increased.◀

[ Flora Bagrand ]

[ Intimacy: 73% ]

‘…ok?’

What is this…

‘No, that’s okay. Let’s not think about it.’

Because it’s just popping up so often now.

What was important now was to take hold of the safe event that the system would never give up and complete it with my own hands.

So, I followed Flora and gradually passed over dangerous choices and triggers.

-Tiring!

▶Cleared the leaked skirt event!◀

▶Complete the remaining events!◀

[ Events performed (2/4) ]

-Tiring!

▶Cleared the artificial fountain event that burst with laughter!◀

▶Complete the remaining events!◀

[ Events performed (3/4) ]

Before we knew it, there was only one last event left.

‘Let’s see… Should I go inside here?’

Keep your voice low so as not to disturb the noblewoman practicing her dance in one room.

When you pass that block and go to the next one, you have to be careful of the bananas that the young noble children have dropped while playing a prank. If you step on them, you will slip and your face will go inside the noblewoman’s skirt.

Finally, if you just turn this corner and go to the place where the meal is being prepared, you will end up bumping into a maid who was pulling a food cart─

-Tiring!

▶The timer starts.◀

[ Time remaining ]

[ 0 : 14 ]

“What? A timer?”

There’s no way a timer would trigger here.

When I focused my ears on Mana because I felt something was strange, I heard two human footsteps.

…I understand if it’s just one.

Two?

Even these footsteps were chasing someone.

As I quickened my pace, a vivid purple hair caught my eye at one end of the hallway.

‘No way.’

I don’t know what it is though.

First, I had to move.

“What is it? Who are you─”

Before a panicked voice could even escape.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her into a dark place.

and.

-widely!

“Shhh.”

Don’t make any noise, Harnie.

I carefully raised my index finger, wrapping my arms around her and blocking her view.