The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 284



Chapter 284. The Seer of Wederos (3)

“I will pay.”

– Thud.

Karsein dropped the envelope of money with a thud.

– Thud.

Then someone else dropped the teddy bear they were holding.

“…What?”

“He said he would pay the taxes himself.”

At Karsein’s unexpected reply, everyone present fell silent, stunned.

In less than a minute, a series of events had unfolded.

Isabella, who had come to meet Karsein, had brought him along.

And just as he returned, Arina had laced her words with thorns directed at him.

In this process of assessing the Duke’s taxes, the territories of Rusmaier and Shatren were currently Karsein’s responsibility, so shouldn’t he pay them directly?

It was a statement that was technically correct, but…

—

It was common knowledge among all present that Karsein had no intention of extorting money.

They hoped Karsein would attend more gatherings.

Wishing he wouldn’t deliberately skip meals, hanging back from the territory like this.

It was to ensure he didn’t appear neglectful of family ties.

Yet, Karsein had brazenly thrust a thick envelope of cash into view.

As the situation began to twist awkwardly, Claire stepped forward first.

“Hey! There’s no need for that. Do you really think we’d ask you to hand that over?”

Claire pushed the envelope back toward Karsein.

“You’ve been so distant with us that I thought I’d try to return it like this…! I never intended to rip off your hard-earned money!”

“Right. How could I possibly be trying to squeeze money out of you? Huh?”

Isabella chimed in, nodding in agreement.

“Unlike the other kids, you’re not even taking an allowance from the duke’s household. You’ve turned down Claire’s support while covering all the repair costs with your own funds.”

“…What do you mean by that, Mother? Are you saying I’m shouldering the repair costs alone?”

“Ah… right. I hadn’t mentioned it to you, Arina. It’s been several months since that started.”

The support Claire used to send had been replaced by Karsein’s allowance.

And he refused even that, turning down any aid from the duke’s household.

Claire’s support.

The assistance from the Bagland Duke’s family.

All of it had no bearing on Karsein’s management of the territory.

‘That means…’

The money currently in Karsein’s hands must be even more insufficient.

To the point where he couldn’t even think of paying taxes.

“You foolish child…! Put that away at once!”

The taxes levied by the duke’s household were truly staggering.

Due to the power held by the only duke in the empire, the amount of tax each family had to bear was no small matter.

With fingers in every kind of business and profits exceeding that, it was feasible; if Arina were given the same circumstances, she would have been left breathless.

“There’s a limit to the arrogance of earning money just because you’re a lord. I never imagined you’d shoulder all that petty cash alone. You’re even thinking of paying taxes on top of it? Have you lost your mind? If you push yourself to pay like this, you’ll be—”

“Just so you know, that doesn’t only contain my taxes; it’s the entire duke’s household tax.”

“…What?”

“This is my way of asking for leniency to be called to breakfast.”

—

Originally, she would have erupted in disbelief, questioning the absurdity of it all.

Yet in this moment, Arina found herself frozen, rigid as ice.

Meanwhile, with an expression unchanged, Karsein continued speaking.

“Well, since no one seems to have that intention, shall we consider it a fine?”

“A f-fine, you say?”

“Feel free to open that envelope and check for yourself. I’m busy, so I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait a moment. Hey, Karsein!”

“Karsein…!”

With an air of indifference, Karsein stepped back outside.

Isabella, Claire, and even Flora, the three daughters, followed him out.

Left behind, Arina watched them with a dazed expression.

—Just so you know, that doesn’t contain just my taxes; it’s the entire ducal family’s taxes.

—Calling this to the breakfast table is a bit much, don’t you think?

“…This is the entire ducal family’s taxes? Not just one person’s?”

That can’t be true.

They’ve been maintaining and managing the territory without any support or investment?

Even if it’s a flourishing territory, did they really secure enough funds to pay taxes with just two lands?

Nonsense.

There’s no way that could be the case.

“Most likely, what’s inside is just a bunch of useless papers or some prank folded and cut into shapes.”

There’s no need to fall for this fool’s bravado.

…Or at least, that’s what she thought.

“…”

Arina picked up the envelope that Karsein had set down.

And as soon as she opened it, her mouth fell agape.

“What in the world…”

Not a single coin short.

Not a single coin extra.

The heavy envelope boasted exactly the taxes for five members of the ducal family, without a single error.

The envelope crumpled and rustled in her hands.

– Ding!

▶ Arina’s inferiority complex deepens! ◀

[ Current level: 91% ]

*

Though Arina had shot those words at him, it was she who had brought Karsein to meet directly…

But that was not the reason for the summons, not at all.

It was merely to share a moment, to catch each other’s gaze.

To sit face to face and whisper sweet nothings.

To sprinkle laughter into their conversations, to weave a thread of familial affection into the air.

Isabella had conveyed this to the departing Karsein, and he had silently acknowledged her, climbing into the carriage to return to his domain.

“…”

It seemed the misunderstanding had been resolved, at least.

Yet still, those words lingered in her mind. The words that had made Isabella’s heart plummet.

– I will bear it.

– I said I would pay that tax myself.

She had failed to be a proper mother to Karsein.

That was something she knew all too well.

In his darkest moments, she had not been there to help.

She had not stood by his side.

She had not even recognized how he had been tormented.

She had simply left him to fend for himself.

As a mother, she had not embraced him.

Instead, she had built walls around him, treating him like a stranger, like another child.

All of it was a truth she had to acknowledge and accept.

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‘Yes. I know. I am aware of being a wretched mother. But, but…’

She could not shake the feeling that he was slipping away from her grasp far too quickly.

It was too soon.

Though he had grown strong and capable enough to solve his own problems… still, it was too soon.

Karsein received no allowance, no support, not even a congratulatory gift.

At this point, all Isabella could offer him was the wealth of her resources.

At the very least, I wished to ensure that they lived without want in the mansion. I wanted to fill this void, if only to spare them the worry of taxes.

Yet, to have that rejected was a deep sorrow.

“Why… do you refuse to accept anything? Carsein…?”

– DING!

▶ Isabella’s character-specific hidden episode. ＜The Mother’s Embrace, Too Soon Departed＞ has been cleared. ◀

▶ Synchronization in progress. ◀

▶ An event will occur if the target discovers the Key Memorial. ◀

[ Key Memorial: ??? ]

*

In the Empire, taxes are levied in proportion to the number of family members, calculated according to the size and influence of the house.

Thus, upon returning to the Duke’s estate during the tax season, if one were to not only pay the required amount but also add a little extra, hidden events would be obscured, and penalties would vanish.

You might think it a loss to spend money when you have funds for the Another Plan, but—

‘That’s not the case. This game…’

It may seem contradictory, but one must spend money to gain time.

Since the martial arts tournament, Carsein found himself bound to fulfill the Duke’s schedule continuously.

Thanks to this, he would be summoned to the Duke’s residence even while managing the territory.

And whenever he thought to advance his business, family would intervene.

Each time, a prompt would appear, asking if he wished to spend money to gain freedom of action. But if he tried to save his coin and instead followed the schedule to progress the episode, it would turn against him, rendering the completion of the Another Plan forever impossible.

The reason is simple.

He could no longer pursue the Another Plan, leading to a bad ending.

Upon reflection, the Another Plan is a goal set for the player before Chapter 3 begins.

It wouldn’t be strange for there to be a deadline for its achievement.

In short, trying to save a little money while wasting time could very well lead to his demise.

– DING!

▶ You have paid taxes exceeding the standard. ◀

▶ By paying the taxes for five members of the Bagland Duke’s house, the penalties have been completely offset. ◀

[ Penalty Offset: Arina will not detain you. ]

▶ Some of your funds have been consumed, and the episode is postponed. ◀

▶ The remaining time until the next episode progresses is displayed. ◀

▶ This time may decrease based on the player’s actions. ◀

[ Episode Grace Period: 3 hours 20 minutes ]

I was certain as I glanced at the late-appearing status window.

Arina did not hold me back.

No penalties were imposed.

The display of the episode grace period was blatant proof of that.

I was walking the right path, just as I had in the game.

▶ Your current Noblesse Points: 22. ◀

“The Noblesse Points have reached a positive value much faster. I can just follow the same path I took in the game.”

Truly, there was not much left.

From here on, I had no need to alter my choices or do anything out of the ordinary.

I just needed to clear the episode quickly and gather my funds. When necessary, I could spend money to buy time, and from this point on, making money would not be difficult.

Once the business started rolling, it would continuously grow, creating a steady stream of income for me.

Chapter 3, after the martial arts tournament, was originally meant to unfold this way.

Perhaps it was the easiest part of the game, or so I thought.

There were certainly annoying troubles, but well, I could handle that since I was inside the game.

“Of course, I might have to pull a few all-nighters in the process.”

At that moment, I heard someone’s nagging voice in my head.

– Are you really going to throw away sleep again and throw yourself into work?

“…”

Having listened to complaints while staying up in the carriage…

Once again, my mind grew tangled.

The cold blood that had settled within me began to stir.

Because of her presence.

Yes. To be honest, there was something weighing on my mind.

This game revolved around Karsein, the character I had possessed.

There was never an incident that did not involve Karsein at its center.

However, that was not the case. No, those incidents clearly seemed to target Harnié.

– Crack.

I thought the chances were slim.

But if, once again, it was not me they were after, but Harnié…

“…I suppose it’s alright to check.”

After much contemplation, I ultimately resolved to change my destination.