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I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 311
🕑 Added 2025-02-20 21:20:00 +0000 UTCChapter 311: As If It Never Happened (8)
-Whoosh.
Dark clouds filled the sky,
The heavy rain showing no signs of stopping.
In fact, it was intensifying.
Normally, the sight of such a downpour would be met with sighs and groans within the Duchy.
The maids in charge of cleaning would lament the extra work, while those responsible for the gardens would be relieved that they had moved the potted plants inside before they were ruined.
The laundry maids, having anticipated the rain, would smugly pat themselves on the back for their foresight, while the others would gently tease them, asking why they were acting so superior, since they were all family.
And then they would say,
That they were more worried about the servants and workers who had to work outside.
And when those drenched servants and workers returned, they would be greeted with warm towels, blankets, and hot drinks. The kitchen staff would prepare a hearty meal.
If Heron, Shaiden, or Tasha caught them being so generous, they would scold them gently, then turn a blind eye, sighing in relief.
Yes, the Bagrand Duchy should be bustling with activity.
Even without loud noises,
There should be hushed whispers,
Secret rendezvous,
Sleepy servants startled awake, tired sighs, and all the other subtle sounds of daily life.
The Duchy should be filled with such sounds.
But…
It was eerily silent.
With most of the staff away, the usual background noise was absent. Except for a single location, the entire manor was silent.
And towards that location,
Someone’s footsteps echoed, adding another layer of sound to the quiet stillness.
“…”
This hallway was unusually dark.
While other parts of the manor were bathed in moonlight, creating a beautiful nightscape, this hallway remained shrouded in shadows.
It was dim,
Isolated, hidden.
Even though the other hallways, just a few meters away, were brightly lit.
But the person walking down this hallway thought,
That this place, too, should be filled with light.
That the moonlight should be streaming through the windows, just like in the other rooms.
-Rumble!
The sound of thunder momentarily masked the other sound, but it didn't disappear.
In fact, the thunderclap made it even more distinct.
It was the sound of someone crying.
“…”
The source of the sound was a room at the end of the dark hallway, a room shrouded in an even deeper darkness.
The maid knew which room it was.
She quickened her pace.
Towards the darkest, most secluded room in the manor.
Towards the room that had once belonged to a lonely boy, waiting for his chance.
The door, as expected, was open.
“Sob… sob…”
Her neatly braided golden hair was undone, a tangled mess.
Her dress was dirty, the hem dragging along the floor.
And her knee was swollen and bruised, as if she had fallen.
“I’m… sorry… Brother… I… I did something wrong…”
Her voice was hoarse,
Barely a whisper.
Her tears had dried, leaving streaks on her cheeks, and every breath was punctuated by a soft hiccup.
In short,
She was a mess.
Not the image of the pampered youngest daughter of the Duchy, showered with love and affection.
But her ears were sharp.
“What… should I do…? Camilla.”
The sound of rain, the rumble of thunder, and her own sobs, filled the silent Duchy.
And amidst the quiet stillness, the sound of approaching footsteps made her ears perk up.
While she might have hoped it was him…
She knew it wasn't Carsein.
She couldn't deny reality any longer.
“Tell… tell me, Camilla… What should I do…?”
“…”
“Answer me… What am I supposed to do…?”
Flora pleaded, her voice choked with tears.
If it was an order, then Camilla had to answer.
She had to respond to her mistress’s question.
But she couldn’t.
“Sob… sob… Say something…”
Tears welled up in Flora’s eyes again, blurring her vision.
She crawled towards Camilla and clung to her leg, her unspoken plea echoing in the silent room.
The owner of this room.
The one who knew Carsein Bagrand.
Camilla Deol was the most suitable person to answer Flora’s question.
But…
Camilla closed her eyes.
“Why… won’t you… answer…?”
“…”
“You… you’re… Carsein’s… maid… aren’t you…?”
“…”
“I… I haven’t even… apologized… properly… Where… where did he go…?”
Even her desperate pleas were met with a single response.
“I’m sorry, My Lady.”
“…”
She couldn’t tell her.
It was her master’s wish.
While she served the Bagrand Duchy, Camilla Deol’s true master was Carsein Bagrand.
‘I’m truly sorry, My Lady.’
My master… is Young Master Carsein.
-Thud.
Flora, unable to hold on any longer, collapsed.
Camilla, having defied her mistress’s order, carefully lifted the youngest lady and carried her to her room, laying her gently on the bed.
“…So she’s here.”
Shaiden appeared, as if he had been waiting.
“Her leg is swollen, as if she bumped it against something, but that’s not why she’s asleep. She cried herself to sleep.”
“I see. You should get some rest as well, Camilla.”
“Yes, Master Shaiden.”
Camilla bowed her head and left the room.
Shaiden looked at the sleeping Flora and sighed.
“…Even after losing the Duke and Young Master Karn, the Lady’s condition improved miraculously thanks to Young Master Carsein…”
But now that he was gone…
“Hah…”
Shaiden closed his eyes.
***
A day passed.
Two days passed.
Three, four…
Almost a week had gone by.
“She said she would send a message…”
Isabella, unable to contain her worry any longer, summoned the servants.
“Has anyone heard from the Duchy?”
“No, My Lady. Not from the Duchy…”
“Any letters?”
“The maids are preparing for the winter… That’s all.”
“…Anything else?”
“Um… there’s been some feedback from the vassals. And some news from the territories, regarding the heavy rainfall…”
The messenger hesitated, as if asking if she wanted him to elaborate, but Isabella shook her head.
That wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“…”
She dismissed the servants and glanced at the calendar.
There was still time.
They had planned Carsein’s coming-of-age ceremony well in advance, so a minor delay wouldn’t be a problem.
“…This is strange. Claire wouldn’t be this disorganized, and Flora wouldn’t forget to send a message…”
There were messages and letters from everywhere else, but nothing from the Duchy.
And while there had been countless visitors, none of them had been sent by her daughters.
It was strange.
Claire, who had left first,
And Flora, who had supposedly gone after her,
Why hadn't they contacted her?
“Mother.”
Arina entered the room.
Isabella’s face brightened slightly, hoping Arina had received some news.
“…So you haven’t heard anything either.”
But Arina was just as clueless. In fact, she had come here for the same reason.
This was starting to become worrisome.
“I made some inquiries, and it seems there haven’t been any accidents.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The knights stationed at the Duchy, due to the recent monster activity, were able to provide information. While the river had flooded, the carriage heading towards the Duchy had passed through safely.”
She was relieved to hear that her daughters hadn’t been injured.
“Then there must be a problem at the Duchy…”
Isabella quickly scanned the documents on her desk.
There were no urgent reports.
Nothing that indicated a crisis or an emergency.
If the monster sightings had been handled by the knights, then it wasn’t an external problem.
Then what was going on at the Duchy?
“…Perhaps they had a fight?”
“A fight? Who?”
“Well… if there was some kind of conflict with Carsein… I apologize, but that’s the only explanation I can think of…”
“Don’t worry, I thought the same thing.”
Something similar had happened in the past.
She had had a fight with Carsein before an important event, and they hadn’t contacted each other.
“Back then… all three of them were so angry that they refused to speak to each other, and no messages were exchanged.”
“And Mother had to come back and mediate.”
There was only one solution.
“What should we do, Mother?”
“We have to go back.”
Isabella didn’t hesitate.
“It’s been too long, and there must be a reason why they haven’t contacted us. We can postpone the preparations for Carsein’s coming-of-age ceremony. Let’s go.”
“I agree. I’ve already had the carriage prepared.”
“I hope they’re not seriously injured.”
They would find out when they arrived.
If there had been a fight, they would have to mediate.
And so, the final carriage departed.
They were all returning to the Duchy.
But as she boarded the carriage,
Isabella suddenly heard Carsein’s voice.
-I don’t need anything.
“…!”
That cold, distant reply, which had pierced her heart, why was she hearing it now?
She stumbled, almost missing the step.
“Mother? What’s wrong?”
“…I just… lost my footing. I’m fine.”
Isabella steadied herself and entered the carriage.
But inwardly, she wasn't fine.
-I don’t need anything.
His words echoed in her mind, a persistent, unsettling reminder.
