episode_0170

I was definitely very nervous at first.

Although I came all the way to the Chatrene territory, I didn’t know what to say first.

Should I start by saying that my sister might come looking for me and ask if I am prepared to respond?

Or should I ask where Flora is, since she said she came looking for her?

Otherwise, should I have asked to know what the conversation was about with Flora?

All kinds of questions came to mind, but I couldn’t decide how to proceed. When Karssein finally came, the only thing that came out of his mouth was a completely different sound, telling him to knock.

but. She knows best.

The fact that that wasn’t what I wanted to say.

Because Arina will come here and nag me?

no.

Because of Flora who came to the Chatelaine territory?

That’s not it either.

Are you concerned about what Flora was talking about with Karssein here?

That too, no.

“… Saying sorry. I wanted to do it.”

I didn’t know it in the past, but I am clearly aware of it now.

In the Chatrene territory, Karssein noticed something and tried to revive the territory. It was none other than himself who ruined the plan by forcibly stopping Karssein’s actions.

And, the fact that Karssein, not himself, is receiving the compensation.

I am aware of everything.

That’s why I came.

I want to tell Karssein that I’m sorry right now.

But in the end, I couldn’t say it out loud.

“…I ended up hitting the kid with my palm for no reason.”

Claire clenched and unfolded my palm a couple of times.

Although he didn’t hit me that hard, it doesn’t change the fact that he got so angry this time that he took out his hand first.

So, maybe it was a good thing that I couldn’t tell Karssein like this.

Perhaps, if he tried to persuade Carcein or conveyed this fact to the residents… he might have been impatient and made a mistake again. Just like back then.

“Okay. I’m lucky if I don’t cause an accident due to my personality.”

Claire stops for a moment and turns her back.

The answer was already inside her walls.

“Hmm. Also, does it look like ────?”

“…Ah.”

“What kind of baby is this? You promised me!”

“Would you please listen to me? I had a situation that I couldn’t help, right? So ────…”

“That’s it! Since I broke my promise, this time… Huh? Where are you running away to? Won’t you come here right now?!”

“If you get caught now, you’ll say that nonsense again, but won’t you run away?!”

“Carcein, you…! Just try to get caught!”

Even if it’s not you, there is someone who can help your younger brother.

Even if it wasn’t you, there was someone who would worry about you and sometimes get angry with you.

Claire watched the scene and laughed, then quietly walked away.

“Umm… Is this…?”

“Are you awake, Flora?”

“…Little sister? Here, where are we? if…! Have you seen where Karsein is?”

“Flora.”

Claire quietly called out Flora’s name, as if cutting off her urgent-looking words.

“You came to visit me because I did something wrong with Karcein again, right?”

“…”

Flora, who was making a fuss, closed her mouth without saying a word.

That’s right, because it’s true. The reason I came to see Karssein was because of the mistakes she made in the past.

“Would you like to tell me what I did wrong? You can tell your sister.”

Claire spoke as if to reassure Flora.

“I spread a bad rumor to the people of Shatren Territory that it was all Karssein’s fault. There was also a rumor that Karsein had come to ruin this land… Also… he secretly sold the items in Karsein’s room and pretended to help them…”

Then Flora confessed her mistake in a trembling voice.

Every single one.

Every time I heard it, I could see how much Karssein’s situation had worsened.

The funds were not resolved as they were, but the problems within the territory were not resolved as they were.

Claire blocked out anyone around her who could help, and the plan that contained the only clue disappeared into ashes like rotten Lohea seeds.

Although it felt like her stomach was twisting, Claire held back and asked.

“So. The reason you came here was because Karsein might be having a hard time because of you, so that’s why you came here?”

“…Yes.”

“What did you go to visit Lady Harnier?”

“My eldest sister said that it would be very difficult to carry out the symposium business if I could not trust the people of the territory, so… I looked for someone who could help me.”

“Then I wondered if there was someone who could help me, and it turns out it was the Lady of Harnié?”

“…right.”

“As expected, it was like that.”

Claire smiled bitterly.

It was just a guess, but he was thinking the same thing.

However, that is the wrong way.

“…We shouldn’t do that. Flora.”

“Sister…”

“That could actually make things more difficult for Karsein.”

Flora, who looked like she was going to scream, asking why she couldn’t do that, silently sobbed back tears again.

Rather, it may make it more difficult for Karsein.

I had no choice but to agree with that.

This is because Flora was the one who brought the tea party into the tea party without even knowing about the unpleasant past in which the dishes served there contained a lot of Kelbia berries.

“Then what should I do? Because of me, Carcein has become more difficult… Isn’t it okay to bring someone to help more?”

“I understand how you feel, but we have to use a different approach. Flora. If you collaborate with someone you don’t know at a symposium, your grades will get worse.”

“Ah…”

“Instead of bringing in a complete stranger, we should bring in someone who has seen Karssein’s situation and can help him. That too, by persuading them well.”

Claire also used to ask for help and look for someone who could ask Karssein to cooperate.

It looks like Harnier, the fiancee, somehow got the answer, but that alone won’t solve all the problems in Chatlaine.

But direct help is not possible.

Indirectly. Unlike Harnier, in a mixed way.

If you truly wanted to help Karssein, you had to go back that far.

“Don’t worry, let’s go to our eldest sister? Until my sister calls me.”

“Yes…”

Claire said and comforted the depressed youngest child.

***

quiet.

But it’s not quiet. There is a constant flow of confused voices in my head.

Warm and fluffy. And I was lying in one place until it seemed peaceful, but it wasn’t.

It’s warm, but that seems to be a problem.

It’s soft, but it feels like it’s tied up.

It’s so peaceful. I can’t get used to this situation and it’s driving me crazy.

okay. The situation of falling asleep on this lap is not good in many ways.

“Over there…”

I swallowed my saliva thinking it couldn’t go on like this and tried my luck.

“Are you quietly closing your eyes?”

But, without fail, the voice is as firm as a flying knife.

Harnier seemed ready to watch me fall asleep in this state for several hours.

‘…How did this happen again?’

The cause was obvious.

lie.

The lie that I didn’t sleep properly was the fundamental problem that caused me to end up with my face on these thighs again.

‘For some reason, this lie doesn’t work on Harnier at all.’

Other people don’t notice much difference when they look at my appearance, but somehow, she has a keen sense of humor and immediately notices that I haven’t slept properly.

I’ve never shown any signs of doing so.

It was not a situation worthy of being caught.

When Harnier came to see me, he actually said it was because of Flora, and since he was also attracted to Claire, he probably didn’t have time to find out about that.

…Still, strangely enough, you immediately realize that I haven’t slept, right?

How on earth do you find out? really.

‘This is not the time to think like this.’

okay. Now was not the time to sleep.

After coming up with a suitable excuse, I decided to come out a little stronger.

“What are you doing? Don’t get up, stay still─”

“You seem really careless. Harnier.”

-Soak.

“…!”

“Look at this. If I put my mind to it and push it like this, you won’t be able to do anything.”

As I push her against the back of the sofa, a confused look appears on her face.

yes. It’s normal to feel threatened.

Isn’t it a distance that can reach your breath?

To avoid situations like this, you need to know that it is dangerous to lay your head on your thigh.

‘I understand this much, so you’ll let me go, right?’

…I thought so.

Until a little while ago.

“Now. Be careful from now on─”

-Wow!

“Ugh!”

“What what what what what what are you doing!!”

Another red handprint was clearly engraved on the back.

***

“Ugh… I didn’t expect you to hit it that hard.”

“Hmph. It’s a blessing to be self-employed. If you suddenly push it like that… and startle it like that─── look how hard a person’s heart can be───. You run like this. Heung.”

When I patted his beaten back, Harnier turned his head. And then he seems to be muttering something… I’m not sure about that.

“Anyway, I told you I knew you weren’t the one to attack me.”

“…Did you really mean that?”

“Then it must be a lie? I see you once or twice… no, anyway! Well, don’t do something like that next time.”

“Yes…”

Although it wasn’t in very good shape, it somehow prevented it from being placed on Harnier’s thigh.

I felt like I could now get to the point.

“But why did you come to me?”

“Yes?”

“You probably didn’t just come to check if I was asleep.”

Then Harnier narrowed his eyes.

“It’s also important whether you slept properly, right? Don’t treat it like it’s no big deal?”

“No, well… it’s actually not that big of a deal…”

“K. le. count. In?”

“…Yep. I’ll sleep well.”

gulp.

That hellish staccato is a quartet from Harnier’s mouth that says he will carve his palms on my back.

From now on, I may have to never say in front of Harnier that sleep time is not important.

“So, why did you come here?”

When I asked that question with a keen eye for attention, Harnier suddenly sighed.

“Lady Flora asked me to help you.”

“…Yes?”

What does that mean?

Flora asked me to help you.

“It wasn’t that day, it must have been a few days ago. I’m not sure because he just asked me to help you… but he said he came to me because he needed someone to help him because he was going to make it harder for you.”

I was wondering why Harnier came to visit me.

Was that the reason?

“Looking at your expression, I guess you can guess something, right?”

“Yes. Well, I guess I just wasted your time.”

“Really?”

“You can just think that that kid was talking nonsense. Anyway, my grades won’t be a problem.”

“…Actually, I’m not worried about your grades. Just from what I’ve seen so far, I know how great of a person you are. But…”

-Sure.

Harnier gently grabbed my hand.

“Actually this time… I wanted to ask you for help.”