episode_0196

Under a brightly shining chandelier.

The birthday party began in earnest as today’s protagonist, Flora, stepped into a luxurious cafe.

The nobles each cheered. The dress I received from Claire, who is in charge of the famous boutique, was a perfect fit for Flora, who looked fresh and lively in harmony with the spring scenery.

“Are those clothes Princess Claire’s new products?”

“Yes. My younger sister made this. It’s pretty, right?”

“You suit me so well.”

“It would be better if you left a portrait like this.”

“I still decided to call someone!”

Flora, the main character of the birthday party, was enjoying the birthday party to the fullest after a short greeting.

In the meantime.

Only one person was not visible.

“By the way, you can’t see that lowlife?”

“I thought it would crawl up like a weed and settle down in this spot.”

“What happened? Could it be that Lady Flora had a hand in this too?”

“That’s not true… Heungheung. What if you don’t have it? Good is good.”

“Is that so? Even if I came now, it wouldn’t be of much help.”

“That’s right. It would be better if that outcast did not exist. It would be completely normal for me to skip it knowing my topic, but I was worried because I didn’t.”

“It’s obvious that I’m going to ruin Lady Flora’s birthday party, so I feel much better if I don’t show up from the beginning.”

Karsein.

He still hasn’t shown himself.

For that reason, the two sisters were very angry.

Even though he is an adopted child, he is definitely a member of the Bagland Duke family. From now on, he must attend his younger brother’s birthday party and show off, but for some reason, Karssein can’t even find his way back.

“Where did this kid go and he hasn’t come back yet?”

“I’m going to go back. Are you saying this kid can never get out of bed without causing an accident? Even on such an important day…!”

I had been looking around the party hall for tens of minutes, and sometimes I would say I would go to the reception room, and then I would secretly open several rooms in the hallway and look around.

Nevertheless, no trace of Carcein was found.

At this, Arina clicked her tongue and made a decision.

“Claire. Can not help it. If you only look for one or two rooms like this, the problem becomes bigger. Before that, we have to find it ourselves.”

“Sister? What are you going to do? If we just go looking for it, customers will see us, right?”

“I need to make time. Even if it means creating a schedule that doesn’t already exist.”

“…Aha.”

“Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to ask my mother to give a speech and the two of us come find him. And if time is running low, I will join in and buy time. Then, please find it as best as you can.”

“Sure. sister. Just try to catch this bastard in my hands. After the birthday party, I should serve a bowl of porridge or something.”

When I conveyed this fact to Isabella, who was frozen, she nodded readily.

“First of all, are you sure you didn’t go outside?”

“Yes. mom. They said there was no change in the number of carriages or horses.”

“It is said that no other guards were seen coming out.”

“Do as Arina suggested. I have some business to introduce at the moment, so I’m planning to take as much time as possible, so you guys should find Carcein as quickly as possible.”

Two people nodding their heads.

When we decided to start a search rather than just gently opening the door, Karssein’s location was quickly discovered.

“Ha, Mr. It’s in a place you never imagined. What kind of corner are you stuck in? Are you out of your mind?”

“That’s it. Claire. Please follow me quickly. I will never forgive you for ruining Flora’s birthday.”

Arina warned that she wanted to punish him severely, but since there was a birthday party going on right now, that was why she was holding back.

It would have been better if it had never been discovered. Karssein had no choice but to follow along, biting his lip this time.

What did you see, what did you hear, and what was the truth?

Now that I knew all that, I had no choice but to follow along, even though I knew I would only be a distraction at this birthday party.

So time passes.

Gift time has finally arrived.

Flora received gifts with enthusiastic cheers from all the nobles.

“Congratulations. Flora.”

“Our youngest, must you grow up?”

Families were no exception.

There was no one who did not give her a gift when congratulating her.

Except for one person.

“What do you mean by that? Karsein. You don’t have any presents prepared?”

“Did I even have an auditory hallucination?”

Karssein purses his lips and answers.

“…I’m sorry. I wasn’t prepared.”

There was no such thing as a gift.

Mielle’s magic doll was sold out and I couldn’t buy it while I didn’t have enough money, and the doll that I was trying to get as a gift was completely broken and stuck in the closet.

The atmosphere suddenly became cold.

Everyone came forward to congratulate Flora on her birthday and give her gifts, but on the other hand, her family member Karcein did not give her a gift, which was nothing short of a contradiction.

Beneath the three pairs of walls, Karssein had no choice but to become a trembling rat.

Right after the birthday party.

Karssein was almost dragged by Claire first.

“Ha, fuck. I’m so angry right now that I’ve been holding back, so I’ll have to answer straight. Got it?”

“…”

“Tell me. You were stuck in a strange corner and wouldn’t come out, so why couldn’t you bring a present for your sister’s birthday?”

He asked that question, but Karssein could not answer.

What should I put in my mouth?

I asked for a gift, but should I say it wasn’t really a gift?

Should I answer that the gift I really wanted was something else?

‘…I’ve already said it.’

Anyway, you’re going to hear ridiculous lies and profanity.

Karssein kept his mouth shut.

“You idiot. Why did you become mute? Answer me!”

“…”

“Ha, yes. There is no way you have thoughts. Flora even defended her by saying that she could do that, but it looks like she really has a younger brother that she doesn’t deserve!”

…Defense?

…undeserved little brother?

– Kuuk.

“Where are you looking?”

Carcein was filled with sorrow and inadvertently his inner feelings came out.

As a result.

-Wow!

Claire’s hand, which had been holding back until now, was swung roughly.

“Hey, you piece of trash. Use your mouth one more time. what? What did you say just now?”

“…”

“Lady! You must be careful!”

“There will still be eyes out there that see!”

Claire’s eyes widened.

The anger in his eyes that burned like blue flames was not fading away, but when Heron and Shayden rushed in to block him, there was barely a distance between them.

However, Karssein had only encountered one person so far.

“What a terribly selfish guy. If you had prepared something, even if it was small, you wouldn’t have become a laughing stock to the nobles.”

After Claire, Arina was next.

“I don’t know how far you intend to undermine the prestige of Duke Vagrand. It takes my breath away to see such a big accident happening on this important day.”

Arina replies that it’s probably just an excuse anyway, but she’ll listen and tells him to keep his mouth shut.

Carcein is silent, swallowing his anger, and then says a word to Arina.

“I… didn’t do anything wrong.”

“What.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!”

-Pow!

“Kuhuh…!”

Arina, who couldn’t bear it anymore, got angry and punched Karssein in the face with her fist.

The fist, loaded with not only emotion but also power and mana, tore the delicate flesh and caused blood to flow.

“Foolish thing. In the meantime, there is no sign of reflection in his eyes. Shame on you. Do you think it’s dignified that you can’t even admit your own mistakes?”

“…”

“ done. Even if I beat you up, Flora won’t feel any better. Instead of congratulating someone on their birthday, I feel sorry for Flora, who treats a guy like you who got into an accident as a brother.”

After being hit again in the same spot where he had been hit, Karssein almost felt his cheek tingle.

However, I didn’t feel any pain.

Because there was something else that hurt the most at this moment.

family.

I started to feel skeptical about that word.

Inside Karssein’s chest, something was breaking and breaking little by little, creating an empty crack.

I don’t know what it would have been like if it had ended with just two people.

The cracks in Karssein’s heart may have somehow been able to heal over time.

However, a blunt wedge gets stuck in Karssein.

“Did you call me?”

“…are you here?”

The last person I met after being scolded by my two older sisters was Isabella.

The birthday party is slowly coming to an end.

In just a little while, the ceremony of lighting the beacon fire and setting off firecrackers was scheduled to begin.

However, before that, Carcein had time to talk alone with Isabella.

Isabella looked at Carcein with locked eyes and then sighed.

“No matter how blood related we may not be, I accepted you as my son too. In fact, I even completed my registration. But, what happened today is really disappointing.”

Isabella’s first words.

It was a complaint that revealed disappointment.

“I thought I would get at least a gift. I thought you could ask the other servants to get something for you. Even if it’s nothing special. But… isn’t this right?”

I was interrupted midway through what I wanted to say.

It’s something I haven’t been able to put into words yet, but the content is the same.

It was a voice reprimanding Carcein for coming empty-handed.

“I don’t want it until my birthday. But, next time, bring whatever you want. If you’re having a hard time, it’s okay to ask your two Dunas to prepare.”

Isabella adds, “Please protect just one thing.”

“Please don’t do anything that will hurt your younger brother. Carcein.”

Although it is true that Isabella treats her more gently than Claire or Arina, she did not expect to hear good things from the beginning.

However, as soon as he heard Isabella’s request, which was akin to a complaint, Carcein shed the tears he had been holding back.

‘You hurt me? Me, to Flora?’

I’m the one who was really hurt.

Are you hurting Flora?

Since you just saw his face, you would have clearly realized that he was beaten by Arina after Claire.

Of course, she received treatment from Shayden, but even though her cheeks were still swollen, Isabella did not say anything about it.

That was the final blow that created a huge hole in my fractured heart.

-Jalang.

“Yes. Madam.”

“…Heron. Please send this child back to his room.”

Isabella, who was in tears, seemed to think that further conversation was too much for her, so she sent her away.

Carcein, who had been silently keeping his mouth shut, shouted at Isabella in a bitter voice.

“Birthday present… I already tried to give it to you.”

“…You tried to give it to me?”

“What she likes the most is…”

I’m not at the party, I’m being scolded by my family, and I’m being pointed at by nobles!

Carcein could not bear to continue speaking.

He ran out before the heron could follow him.

Karssein’s broken heart can no longer be restored. The tears that flowed down shattered even the slightest hope of becoming a family.

Afterwards, Carcein is placed on probation for ruining Flora’s birthday party.

From then on, Karsein’s emotions began to dry up, as if he were a doll.

***

▶The Trampled Bear Memorial has ended.◀

▶A timer is given.◀

“Ha, hahaha.”

As the memorial ended and I returned to reality with the timer, I laughed helplessly.

How can expectations not be wrong?

I knew that the teddy bear had been trampled by someone.

And I vaguely noticed that it was put in this closet as if it were being thrown away.

But, I hoped it wasn’t as bad as this.

-bang!

“Fuck. Why does it overlap so unpleasantly?”

Just like me, who foolishly held out hope that I could become a family with those people, I hoped that Karssein would not commit the same act…

Even that was all the same.

Cold blood runs through my head.

The blood flowing throughout my body feels like it’s freezing and shakes me.

Thanks to you, I came to my senses.

“Quuk, yes. It was probably from this time. What made me decide that I had to get out of that house as soon as possible. Maybe it would be beneficial because it made me properly prepare myself?”

Hasn’t this guy finally come to his senses?

Rather than being caught up in such delusions, it was better to have a clear line drawn like this.

▶The timer has ended.◀

▶Episode VII. Flora’s birthday resumes.◀

▶A choice may arise in the hallway.◀

“Flora’s birthday party. It’s just right.”

This time, I just need to show him his true feelings along with my true feelings.

-Tuk.

“A teddy bear like this isn’t really a birthday present, is it?”

-Squeak, squeak!

Today, I will make you the best birthday present.

Flora.