The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 309



309. As if it never existed (6)

“What, what should we do…?”

“I can’t say anything…”

“How did it come to this…”

The servants were sweating profusely.

They were currently at a loss for how to respond to Claire, who had suddenly given the strange order to find Karsein.

At first, they couldn’t understand what she was talking about.

When she urgently asked who had touched Karsein’s frame, they were busy making excuses. The portraits had been perfectly fine until recently. Who would dare do such a thing in the Duke’s house?

But now they knew.

All traces had disappeared.

From this place.

From the Duke’s house.

All traces of Karsein Bagland had vanished.

How were they supposed to report this?

No one had the guts to report this, especially after witnessing such a fierce reaction just a moment ago.

However, a report was not actually necessary.

Because Claire already knew.

A strangely unsettling feeling lingered.

An endless sense of incongruity enveloped her body and wouldn’t let go.

It was odd from the beginning when the letters sent to the two territories where Carsein was located did not return.

When she arrived at the duke’s residence and saw that the communication sphere was not lit, a chilling sensation came over her.

And that was not all.

When she stepped into the chaotic duke’s residence.

When she saw that it was excessively quiet, in a place where it wouldn’t be strange to see chaos in the presence of the master.

When she searched the entire house and found no proper portrait.

When she heard that the person who had touched the frame was Carsein himself.

And…

Even when there was no place left outside Carsein’s room.

Claire’s sense of incongruity was slowly spreading into anxiety.

“We have searched every corner of the duke’s residence but could not find any trace of Young Master Carsein, Miss Claire.”

An old man reported on behalf of the maids who were hesitant to report. It was the family doctor, Shayden. He reported in their stead.

“…”

At Shayden’s report, a great earthquake shook Claire’s blurred blue eyes.

No trace could be found.

No one knew where he had gone.

That meant.

This frame in her hand.

Was the only thing left with Carsein’s face.

– Drip, drip.

Something fell in droplets onto the floor.

It wasn’t red. The maids had quickly finished first aid, so there was no way blood was flowing from her hand again.

It was very clear.

A quiet mass of emotion flowed down from her eyes in droplets.

‘I see…’

Only now do the objects around me come into view.

The documents and divided amounts in the room that I couldn’t understand.

They were like invoices and billing costs for the items I had used.

From various tools to the amounts needed to employ servants.

The carriage fare. The coachman’s hiring fee. The luxury costs of being a noble.

And, all the clothes of Carsein that I had always carefully made and handed over.

Not a single thing was missing.

Nothing had disappeared from that room. Everything was accounted for.

So… the money that was saved, was it all to pay back?

A part of the frame that was slashed diagonally.

The face of only one person among the five family members that were there.

It was a clear line drawn.

As if from the beginning, I was not included in this family.

Leaving the duke’s house without leaving any trace meant that I was never a family member in the first place?

Then leaving like this…

Was it all a prepared act…?

From some point on, not receiving anything.

Solving everything alone, and paying the price myself.

Managing the estate to pay that money.

According to thorough calculations, was it all planned…?

-Thud.

Claire’s heart sank at the chillingly fitting causality.

There was no question of when it started.

Because the cause was here.

Not once had they properly treated me as family.

They only spoke grandly, but never truly reached out.

No.

Rather, they never tried to know anything.

Always neglecting.

Monitoring or worrying first.

Even if you shudder with injustice and grief, they don’t believe you and just impose their prejudices.

In the end, they would double your misery with slaps and call it family.

That’s why things changed.

At some point, you stopped hoping, stopped pleading.

That’s how this plan came to be.

…Yes.

It’s not strange at all.

You must have felt this way from the beginning.

Karsein wanted to escape from here.

-Drip. Drip.

Tears flowed endlessly from the only frame holding Karsein’s image.

“This can’t be called a sister…”

They didn’t understand anything.

They couldn’t offer the helping hand you so desperately wanted.

Instead, they slapped you and hurled abusive words.

They did all those bad things.

And in the end, they couldn’t even say sorry.

Can you call that family?

Would you want to call such a person a sister?

“…I’m really trash.”

You were so resentful of yourself for not being able to kill your own nature, to the point of being disgusted.

*

-Swoosh.

From noble mtl dot com

The blazing sun disappeared, and it started to rain.

Isabella sighed as she looked at the raindrops with concern.

“The rain is quite heavy. This means… it’s about time to depart.”

“…I guess so?”

“Yes. To follow the original schedule, it would be better to move more busily.”

The time the duke’s family stayed here was not long.

In other words, the rain meant that much time had passed.

“More importantly, Claire is late. She’s not usually this late.”

“Indeed. We were supposed to leave together…”

“If something happened, it would be nice if she could at least contact us.”

Hearing those words, Flora shuddered.

It was understandable, as unlike Flora, who had seen it with her own eyes in the morning, the rest of the family believed that Claire had gone on a short business trip.

Flora had somehow managed to cover up the truth she had witnessed in the morning.

‘But… she should be back by now.’

Although she was occasionally late, it was unusual for her to be this late.

Moreover, there was something bothering her.

-I couldn’t reach Carsein, so I decided to meet him in person.

-In person?

-Yes. I need to ask him to keep that time free. It might be a quiet time now, but it could get busy when the time comes. I need to ask him to adjust his schedule in advance.

-Couldn’t you just send a letter for that?

-Haha… I tried that too. He seems to be very busy.

‘Little sister. She definitely went to meet Carsein.’

That statement itself was significant.

Sometimes, even when asked, her little sister wouldn’t tell and would just brush it off.

So, for now.

“Mom. Big sister. I’ll go get little sister!”

She tries another lie.

If she said she was going to meet Carsein, her strict big sister might say something sharp about making people come and go just to clear a day.

“Flora. Do you know where Claire is?”

“Yes. Little sister should be at the Duke’s house by now.”

“She might be at the Duke’s house?”

“Actually, I woke up early and asked the maid who went with her. Where they were going.”

“And she said they were going to the Duke’s house?”

“Yes!”

“If that’s the case, I understand… but why…?”

Since it had come to this, it couldn’t be hidden that she was at the Duke’s house. So, she had to hide her little sister’s intention as much as possible.

“I don’t know the details either. But she said it was important.”

“It’s an important matter.”

“If it’s something that Claire has to return to the Duke’s house for, it must be very important.”

“Indeed. If she hasn’t even told Mother… shouldn’t we go back too?”

“But we can’t just leave from here…”

At first, they seemed to be thinking, with a finger on their chin, wondering if there was such a thing.

But neither of them could recall such a schedule. Moreover, with the schedule set, it was difficult to return immediately.

Flora seized this opportunity deeply.

“So I’ll go alone!”

“Alone?”

“Yes! Sister and Mother are busy. Isn’t it enough if I just go to the little sister and deliver the letter?”

At those words, the expressions of the mother and daughter slightly softened.

A little more. Let’s make it a little more certain.

“Even now, we’re sharing the little sister’s work. If one more person leaves, it will be more difficult. If both of you leave, the preparation for the Carsein coming-of-age ceremony will be disrupted.”

“That’s true, but… will you be okay?”

“Hmm?”

“You’ll be lonely without your sisters. And without Mother too.”

Success.

Flora deliberately put her hands on her hips and answered, pretending to be slightly sulky.

“I’m a year older now, you know? I’m not a child!”

“Haha, really?”

“Geez. How long will you keep treating me like a child?”

“Oh dear. Sorry, our youngest.”

Is it okay?

Arina glanced at Isabella as if asking. Isabella nodded readily.

“Alright. Then Flora, you must meet Claire and bring her back safely, okay?”

“Yes. I’ll bring her back safely!”

Thus, Claire’s true intention was well hidden.

Also, a reason to go there was created.

Flora prepared the carriage to go to the Duke’s house with a happy heart.

“I’ll send the letter quickly! Just wait a little longer!”

“Okay. Get inside before you get wet.”

“Alright!”

After the farewell wave, the coachman grabs the reins of the horse.

With the sound of the horse’s neigh, the carriage departs.

Everything went according to Flora’s plan.

She mixed in some lies to hide Claire’s intentions and created a reason to go to the duke’s house herself.

Either way, it could be considered a success.

She should be happy, humming a tune and thinking about the praise she would receive from her little sister.

…She should have been.

“…”

Inside the quiet carriage.

In the place where only the sound of rain falling steadily could be heard, Flora was not smiling.

“Little sister…”

It was supposed to be a simple task of meeting Carsein.

All she had to do was ask him to clear his schedule for a day.

It shouldn’t have taken this long.

Really, if nothing had happened.

“Coachman!”

“Yes, miss?”

“Quickly, go a little faster!”

“Yes, yes! Understood. Hyah!”

When her little sister occasionally didn’t speak.

When she brushed it off, saying it was nothing to worry about.

She already knew the reason.

It was all related to Carsein.

Therefore, Flora vaguely guessed.

This time too, it must be closely related to Carsein.

“…No. What could possibly happen?”

She shakes her head in denial.

Preparations for Karsein’s coming-of-age ceremony were in full swing, but what could possibly go wrong?

“Yeah. Nothing will happen. It’s just… just because he’s busy.”

Karsein has always spent a lot of time alone.

It’s not unusual for the little sister to say something.

If he’s not coming because of the nagging… well, that’s not strange.

However, contrary to the words, the actions were extremely impatient.

-Crunch, crunch.

A small nail was caught between two tiny lips.

With an anxious heart, she was biting that nail again, just like in the old days.