episode_0344

Before I could question Claire’s voice, a status window popped up saying that information had been acquired.

But some rather strange information popped up in that status window.

That was none other than Isabella’s condition.

▶Isabella is currently in the following state:◀

[ Status Abnormality: Madness ]

[ Status Abnormality: Mental Confusion ]

[ Status Abnormal: Separation Anxiety ]

…

…

It was a message that was difficult to see as just a status abnormality.

Although they appear to be nothing more than abnormal status effects on the surface, they have an influence that cannot be ignored within the game.

Even that stage is a number that cannot be ignored. Even at stage 3, there are quite a few things that inflict outrageous debuffs, and now that we have passed stage 4 and reached stage 5 and 6…

If I had been inflicted with any of those status effects, I might have gotten the bad ending right away.

Then why on earth?

How did Isabella get into such a state?

Did something happen at the duke’s house?

Or was it because of an incident I don’t know about that caused a difference of opinion within the dukedom?

…I don’t know.

Information is lacking.

Meanwhile, Claire was shouting at the knights.

“Hey! Mom, who was sleeping soundly because of you guys, is going to get up from bed in frustration! What will happen if I leave her to sleep comfortably?”

Naturally, I listened to the conversation between the two people.

“Miss. But since it is the mistress’ bedroom, the minimum security is…”

“Shaden said, you should just leave them alone. Wouldn’t the sound of your footsteps wandering around be more annoying?”

“…Miss Claire. Still, we have our work to do…”

“You’re funny.”

“If you guard the outside like an iron wall, not even a single ant will be able to enter, but you’re going to monitor it like this?”

The word surveillance made the knights sweat profusely.

“Ha. You know that even if Mom wakes up, she’ll fall asleep again. You know how to make it better, right?”

The knights who were sweating profusely were startled. There was a good reason for that.

“Oh, Miss Claire!”

“Is there anyone among you guys who said something like that? Who is it? We, we will deal with it right away…!”

“Don’t be so excited. Everyone who knows will know anyway.”

Claire sighed and opened her heart.

“It has to be Carcein. You all know that.”

“…”

“…”

“Since it was the second time, I had already guessed from the moment she fell. Without Carcein, Mom wouldn’t be able to get up from that state.”

In an instant, a quiet silence fell. The atmosphere that had been tense and sweaty just a moment ago had cooled down and been filled with silence.

Claire once again tried to suppress her irritation and spoke to the knights.

“If you understand, then just go down. It’s annoying.”

The knights nod and leave their seats.

The area became quiet again. The sound of the knights’ gaiters and shoes wandering around the duke’s mansion in the hallway faded away, and even Claire left.

The hallway became empty as the master who gave the order and the master who gave the order left.

There is no one in front of Isabella’s room.

Enough so that even a kid who doesn’t know anything can enter.

I need to go in right now because I don’t know when or where the remaining knights will come rushing in…

‘…If it’s not me, then it can’t be done?’

That conversation was incomprehensible.

How am I supposed to understand that?

That can’t be true.

That conversation sounds like Isabella is only able to come to her senses if I’m there.

That’s why it’s so strange. Someone who had nothing to do with it left, and he collapsed because of that. And he can come back just because I’m there?

They are not related by blood. Even so, they are just strangers who have been registered. They have brought all sorts of blemishes to the family and have even been the subject of bad rumors. These are actions that these people cannot tolerate.

If that’s the case, shouldn’t we put everything down and say that we should like it more?

Shouldn’t you feel relieved now that he’s gone so quickly?

Wouldn’t it be normal to clap and laugh instead of falling down, or scold him like Ariana, calling him an ungrateful bastard?

What the heck.

Why are you doing that?

Even so, a real family…!

-Ouch.

“…!”

Harnie carefully took my hand. When I turned my gaze, she nodded with a regretful expression.

I don’t understand. Did she understand something?

Harni nodded and turned his gaze towards Isabella’s room.

If you go in, you might be able to find out something.

…

Yeah. I have to go in anyway.

You also need to open that door to get the next piece of information in the episode.

Claire has taken people out like this twice, so I can’t miss this opportunity.

-Click.

Duchess of the Bagrand Dukes.

At the same time, Karsine’s mother.

…a person who reminds me of my mother, who is not my blood relative.

That guy…

-Tiring!

▶We entered Isabella’s room.◀

I was lying in bed with my eyes closed.

***

“…”

I think I stayed there for a long time with my eyes on the bed.

So I could tell.

A lot has changed in just a few weeks.

He looks a little thin and has lost weight.

The area around his eyes is dark and his complexion is worse than before.

The wrinkles became darker and the complexion became worse.

There are many more, though.

To be blunt, Isabella’s condition could not have been described positively.

So, I feel a bit suffocated.

“…Why on earth.”

You are not my mother.

I’m not your son either.

“But is this how it turned out just because I disappeared?”

I, I just couldn’t understand.

“…not just one person.”

Just then someone opened the door and came in and answered.

For a moment, Harnie was confused, but I wasn’t.

“Isn’t it you, Master, and not someone else? It’s not strange. It’s something that can be done even if you fall like this.”

“…Shaden.”

Not the enemy.

It’s a familiar impression.

It’s a voice that sounds quite familiar to my ears.

He was the Duke’s personal physician.

“Hey, Carcein?”

“Don’t worry. The author is fine.”

“…Oh, really?”

Harnie, who had been bewildered, felt relieved when she saw my reaction.

However, I haven’t heard a proper answer yet.

I had to ask. And I had to listen.

To shake off this unpleasant feeling of foreboding.

But before you even ask the question.

The answer came from the other side.

“Carcein… Carcein…?”

He called me in a hoarse and withered voice.

None other than Isabella.

Damn. Things seemed to have gone wrong.

Isabella woke up because of useless thoughts.

I had to find Karn’s note and get out of here before the chase event happened.

however…

“Ah. My son… Where have you been? What if you leave me alone and go away? Come here? I want to hug you.”

The condition of the eyes is not normal.

There was no focus. The pupils were also cloudy.

Maybe that’s why he was gesturing but was wading through the air, and he was looking at me but seemed to be seeing something else.

Shayden sighed and explained.

“You are simply chasing an illusion. You are not doing it with any conscious thought.”

“…Unconscious?”

“As you can see, the master is right in front of you, but you don’t even notice it. You don’t have to worry about being caught.”

That’s right. The real Karsene is here, but we don’t even recognize him properly.

“This is the identity of the madness that Madam is suffering from, called Elvern Syndrome.”

“What?”

“If you are shocked too much, yes. In the past, Madame lost the Duke and Lord Karn and wandered around looking for them. If the symptoms get worse… At some point, you can’t see the person and start looking for them.”

But you can never find that object.

Even if you search and search again, that person cannot be found.

There is no way something that has already been lost will come back alive.

Trapped in an endless cycle, Isabella is only chasing after illusions that she can never achieve. These are symptoms of a terrible disease called Elbern Syndrome.

Meanwhile, Shayden picked up a large cushion and held it in Isabella’s arms. Isabella took the cushion and hugged it as if it were a child, and shed tears as she begged.

“I, I was wrong. Karsine. This mother was bad. I was wrong for not taking care of you properly… Huh…?”

“…”

“So please, please remain as my son… Please don’t go anywhere, don’t disappear like today, please stay by my side. Karsain…”

He repeatedly calls her son and calls her a bad mother. He repents and appeals in a desperate voice, saying that it is not just his fault but a deep sin.

The sight of Isabella crying while hugging a cushion was truly pitiful and sad.

…I’m sure you thought it was strange.

I thought there was no need or reason for that.

It would have been wrong of him to show such feelings to me, who was not even his own son.

…I was starting to think that I didn’t know anymore.

“Madam always felt guilty.”

Shayden sighed with a regretful expression.

“She always felt guilty because she couldn’t treat him like her own son, like a real child. And that regret grew bigger and bigger. She didn’t know anything about him, so she didn’t know what to give him. So… Madam, who couldn’t express herself properly, must have given him the worst gifts every time, because of her status as a noble.”

…I remember.

Isabella was always trying to give something in return for money.

Like my adoptive mother.

“But the lady was always sincere. She wanted to celebrate the young master’s coming-of-age ceremony with the utmost splendidness and sincerity. She was determined that she absolutely could not miss this birthday. She even told us to prepare it so that it would not be comparable to the birthdays we had celebrated so far.”

Since two whole months ago.

They say they started preparing two months in advance, not two days in advance.

“So, Master, I have one favor to ask. Please, please have mercy on me.”

Shayden handed me a pen and paper.

Perhaps he meant for me to write a few words here and leave a message. That way, I could at least shake off my regret. If it was just my own handwriting, I could recognize it and get better from my illness.

There is no reason to use it originally.

What’s wrong with Isabella?

What does that disease have to do with me?

It’s none of my business whether that’s the case or not.

but…

I don’t feel any sense of relief when I see that sight.

“…Is a greeting enough?”

“Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Lord Karsain.”

Yeah. Revenge and stuff…

It’s useless in the first place.

***

After writing a few words on a piece of paper, I went to find Karn’s note as in the previous episode.

It didn’t take long to discover it.

The mission was also quite simple this time, and there was a lot of time left.

The finishing touches are almost done. Now that the location of the third treasure has been revealed, all that’s left is to get out of here.

however.

“…Carcein, Ini?”

Isabella grabbed my arm.

This time the focus was not disturbed.

Instead of me flailing around in the air and grabbing onto something, he was grabbing onto my arm.

Could it be that Isabella has come to her senses… again?

The ominousness is rising.

The tension is making me breathless.

Cold sweat is running down my face.

As Shayden was about to use the sleeping pill he had prepared in advance, Isabella suddenly opened a drawer and handed him something.

“I think I missed one… No? It’s here, so I looked it up a while ago.”

“…”

I thought there were three.

There was one more.

“And, happy birthday, Karcein.”

I could vaguely tell that he hadn’t come to his senses after hearing those words.

but…

Surprisingly, the object he handed over was a gift.

A real birthday present, not one of those birthday presents that can be bought with money.

What Isabella gave me for my birthday was…

It was a constellation-filled orb that young Karsene had only once said she wanted in an old memorial.

I too have thrown a tantrum just once in the past.

I used to envy kids who played with marbles, so I asked them to buy me one when I was little and said I wanted one too.

You could say it’s an incredible coincidence.

Conversely, you could say that it is quite realistic.

…Actually, I still don’t know what Isabella is thinking.

but.

-Ouch.

“Are you hugging your mom…? Thank you…”

“I hope you stay healthy, Mom.”

Once in a while would be okay.

Calling it like this too.

-Tiring!

▶Hidden Episode. Cleared the one and only memory.◀

▶Isabella has turned into a friendly character.◀

▶All status abnormalities will gradually recover over a long period of time.◀