The Damn Family Is Back Again

14 – 14. Claire’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony (4)

“…Huh?”

My eyes snapped open. It felt like I had been enjoying a peaceful sleep in the Bagram Estate for the past few days, but today it seemed like I didn’t sleep well.

After a sleepless night, I rubbed my groggy eyes and let out a deep sigh.

“Ah.”

It seems like I’m becoming more thoughtful.

Naturally, the main concern was how to pass Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony, which is approaching soon.

Still, I hoped for at least one plausible solution to come up.

“Why can’t even one come up?”

I thought it might be something I could brush off as a mere prank. If it was as simple as catching a cold from taking a shower with cold water, I would gladly do it.

But the problem was that I happened to drink honey water when I went to meet Claire yesterday. I confirmed that I was perfectly fine, and even received confirmation that she should just come over if she’s not feeling well.

I guarantee you, that excuse won’t work now.

Thanks to that, I’m facing a situation where I have to participate in Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony without a single word.

“This is the most reasonable solution.”

-Creak.

When I opened the wardrobe, Carcine’s clothes that were there even before I possessed the body appeared. The word “noble” was not in vain, and the clothes looked expensive, hanging one after another.

The coming-of-age ceremony of the Duke of Baghdad’s daughter. It was obvious that it would be quite a big event in the aristocratic social circle.

If you go to such a significant event wearing shabby clothes, the people involved would naturally hate it.

Therefore, I planned to argue that I didn’t participate in the ceremony because I “had no clothes to wear.” It might not completely avoid criticism, but it would be a decent excuse to argue with.

“First, I need to wash up.”

Thinking about how to handle those clothes, I headed towards the bathroom.

“Lord Carcine, it’s Camilla. May I come in?”

Camilla coming at this timing.

She must have come to clean or something because of her anxiety.

“Come in.”

But contrary to my expectations, when the door opened, it wasn’t just one face that I saw.

“What’s going on with you guys? Haven’t I called for you?”

“Well… it was sent by Miss Claire.”

“What?”

Sent by Claire.

No way.

Camilla opens her eyes wide and throws an indescribable coercion.

Say something already! Camilla, just like you did, those maids could do something to me. Isn’t that right?!

In response, Camilla looked uncomfortable and answered.

“Lord Karsein said that if there’s a chance he might catch a cold again, he insists on taking a hot bath. And if you don’t appear in front of Miss as the Lord is satisfied, he orders that all of us be punished severely…”

Damn it. In that moment, I was certain.

There’s no answer. I thought.

It’s not like anything she says would matter in the first place. Aside from presenting a well-groomed Karsein in front of Claire, they have no other way.

No matter how much those maids dislike me, Claire has put so much pressure on them that they can’t do anything to me.

My vision blurred and I pressed my forehead with my hand.

“Damn it, that crazy b*tch. She wasn’t just saying that for no reason.”

I should have realized it since yesterday.

I should have been prepared for her cunning plan to try to disrupt the coming-of-age ceremony.

-Ring!

▶The attendants who will assist you in bathing, under Claire’s orders, have arrived. How will you respond?

[1. Whether you’re right or wrong, I don’t care. Just go back. (If chosen, Recognition -200, Claire’s Intimacy -30%)]

[2. Got it. I’ll take a shower.]

Wow. The choices are really showing their true colors.

The moment you refuse, your perception goes to hell, and even Claire’s intimacy level takes a huge hit. It’s just telling you to die.

But just in case.

Since there might be a chance to escape, I tried to speak…

“Um… Can’t I shower alone?”

Camilla sighed deeply and answered.

“I’m sorry. If you catch a cold, we’ll get scolded by Miss Claire.”

Ah, right! There’s no way that would work!

“Haah… Got it.”

***

The maids, who felt fear under Claire’s pressure, seemed to have no room to even breathe around me.

“It’s not just a saying that a tragedy looks like a comedy from afar.”

If I had the eyes of someone who was playing a game, would it have looked like that?

The maids, who were moving with sweat pouring down, as if they were trying to survive, now had their eyes filled with the venom of survival. And by now, it seemed enough for them to survive.

Their eyes returned to their normal state, filled with determination, and at this point, I judged that my bath was completely over.

Maybe because I smelled dozens of scents in the bathroom, my sense of smell felt numb.

“Now it’s over, right? Then I’ll go back and… tell Claire…”

“No. My lord. I only said the bath was over, we still have the dressing part left.”

“…What?”

“I told you. Lady Claire instructed you to present yourself in a satisfactory manner.”

“No, wait a minute. What does it mean to present myself in a satisfactory manner?”

“It means to prepare and show the appearance you would have at an adult ceremony.”

Feeling dizzy, I once again pressed my forehead with my hand.

In the meantime, I heard the sound of wheels rolling into my room, faintly.

When I turned my head in unease, a splendid outfit that looked like men’s clothing entered the room, making the sound of wheels.

“Um, is that the outfit I’m supposed to wear…?”

Nod.

“I heard that a famous designer was personally invited as a duke.”

Damn it.

If it turned out like this, there was no point in forcibly claiming that I didn’t have any clothes.

Even after finishing my bath, I had to be touched by the maidservants.

A while passed.

The maidservants hesitated, saying that this should be enough.

As the maidservants had never been particularly fond of Karsain, they left the room faster than ever.

Now, only Camilla and I were left in my room.

Now, I could finally ask.

“Why did you do something like that, Camilla?”

Camilla seemed to be conscious of something as her shoulders twitched at this question.

Except for Karsein, the other four people would already have their outfits prepared for the coming-of-age ceremony.

Claire, the protagonist of this event, would be putting in the most effort, and her mother Isabella, along with her two sisters, being family, wouldn’t have prepared half-heartedly.

Therefore, there was no need to call a designer. If the clothes that the four of them had already prepared in the dressing room were appropriate for the occasion, there was only one reason to call a designer to the mansion.

“These clothes here are not suitable for attending the party. But I don’t recall ever being asked to report this fact.”

It’s my clothes.

Although stories related to the coming-of-age ceremony may have spread, no one knows that the clothes stuffed in my closet either don’t fit, are outdated, or are in a state where they are difficult to wear.

In other words, unless she personally told someone above her, there was no reason for a designer to come.

Camilla did not deny this.

“As the dedicated maid… I judged that the outfit Miss Claire will wear for her coming-of-age ceremony is inappropriate.”

“So, it’s your arbitrary decision, is that it?”

“…Yes.”

When I hit the nail on the head and told her that the core of the issue was arbitrariness, Camilla’s eyes trembled greatly.

“Why did you make such an arbitrary decision?”

“Because you are the Duke’s relative, who holds the title of Count of Baghdad, it is fitting─”

“No. Other than that formal reason. I’ve never said I would participate in the coming-of-age ceremony, have I?”

I’ve never mentioned the coming-of-age ceremony once. Frankly, I could have easily overlooked the fact that Karsein would participate or not in the coming-of-age ceremony at all.

This means that Camilla’s arbitrariness has another reason attached to it.

“Tell me. Is this just because of Claire, thinking that I might be driven away because of her, and feeling like I have to do something?”

When I cut off the formal reason and pressed her for an answer, Camilla grabbed her skirt after a short pause. If she was planning to choose her words carefully, I was willing to wait. As long as it wasn’t a lie.

She tightly held onto her skirt, her lips twitched twice, and then she finally spoke.

“I hope you didn’t hear that Bargrand is not coming, Your Grace.”

“…?”

It was an answer that went far beyond expectations. I wondered if I should have prepared more excuses. I thought that I might even show resentment towards myself, who was holding the leash, by giving a reason or two.

But why did I hope that Karcein hadn’t heard that Bargrand wasn’t coming?

I almost snorted, but I swallowed those words as they were. Even this could trigger something because of the appearance of Camilla.

“Your Grace, I…”

“Enough. Forget about anything else and explain the process of your arbitrary decision.”

Then Camilla began to explain with a more relaxed expression.

“I checked the wardrobe when you were in the bathroom, Your Grace, and when the news of the coming of age ceremony spread among the maids, I quickly went to find Heron.”

“That crazy pink…”

Damn it. My true intentions almost slipped out without me realizing.

“No. Did you report that there was no dress for Claire’s coming of age ceremony?”

“Yes. Then Heron said he would inform the Duchess, and the report that the designer would come was received sometime in the morning.”

That’s how things got tangled up.

No, even if it wasn’t Camilla, there was a high possibility that my plan would be messed up if Claire behaved like this.

Even if it wasn’t Camilla, she would have checked the clothes as long as Claire behaved like this, and Arina could have checked as a precaution. There was also a possibility that Heron leaned in to deliver the message while Flora was making a fuss and teasing.

Anyway, if it reached Isabella’s ears, there was no way out. If I had a perfectly prepared outfit on my perfectly healthy body, I wouldn’t even have a single straw to grasp.

Even if Karcein had ruined Arina’s coming of age ceremony three years ago.

“I can’t do anything. I can only hide like a dead mouse.”

Even in the banquet hall, options come without discrimination. Even if it’s not the Duke, wherever Karcein’s foot lands, he will create unexpected situations.

You just have to hide for a while and seize the opportunity to go out. In the process, you can create reasonable reasons for the choices that arise.

“Alright. Go ahead and leave. It’s almost breakfast time, isn’t it?”

Despite that, Camilla hesitated.

“Um…”

“Do you still have something to say?”

“Well, the Duchess said she wanted to have breakfast with the family this morning.”

…Damn it?

***

No matter how I think about it, it feels really creepy.

Breakfast. Calling her three children, including Karsein, who is clearly an outsider, to eat together?

“No, it must be because of Claire.”

It wasn’t meant to force me to come forward in the future, but rather to check on me during this mealtime. Seriously, there’s no end to this nonsense.

“Your Highness, over here.”

I regretted wearing comfortable clothes, saying it was just for going to eat breakfast.

This kind of scene wasn’t in the game originally.

But it was created. Because it was a game, I had to fully accept the scene that was skipped as reality.

They’ll probably complain if I’m late. And if it’s me, the second child who always finds fault and argues about everything, they’ll probably do it even more.

I quickly walked and arrived at the restaurant following Camilla’s guidance.

Ugh. I thought I was late, but it seemed like I’d be the only one eating. Everyone else was already seated.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

But why are their expressions like that?