The Damn Family Is Back Again

410. Unsettled Relationship (5)

Just moments ago, when his hand reached out from behind to set down the dishes, she hadn’t anticipated a thing.

Even as he stepped closer, until his breath brushed against her skin, she hadn’t realized what was happening.

And now, he was offering to do the dishes, to wipe away the remnants of what lingered?

She couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Not yet, at least.

But then, he took one more step. Before she knew it, he was embracing her, whispering those sweet words about cleaning everything, and it finally dawned on her.

He had sensed her desire to be kissed.

‘Oh… what to do.’

The sugary taste of the waffle might still be lingering on her tongue, but she could barely detect it.

Perhaps this was the true sweetness.

To surrender her lips to his soft ministrations; that was the honey of the waffle.

To be held against him, his arms wrapped tight around her waist; that was the cream filling.

And this time, this moment, it was the waffle itself.

“Haa…”

His lips finally parted from hers.

Just tilting his head slightly, kissing her relentlessly, she had no idea how many minutes had passed.

She was breathless.

Needed time to catch her scattered breath.

But it was sweeter than anything she’d known before.

A satisfaction that had long been missing flowed into her.

Her heart pounded powerfully, a reflection of how long she had held back.

It was sweet enough to resolve this bloated mass of selfishness that had grown from her constant cravings.

And yet.

A person’s heart rarely resolves itself so neatly.

‘I wasn’t originally planning this far…’

Truly, she hadn’t intended to go this far.

Having been separated from Carsein for so long, she had only wanted to indulge in a little bit of childishness, to satiate a small desire.

But the kiss had been the spark.

The tingling current that spread through her offered a pleasant stimulation.

The subtle heat rising from within tickled Harnie’s lower abdomen.

And her desire, instead of fading, had only grown stronger.

‘Would it be alright, though?’

Would it be okay to cling to Carsein like this?

It wouldn’t be strange if yesterday’s events were repeated.

…It would be okay to indulge in an even greater desire, wouldn’t it?

Harnier, breathing evenly, turned back and said,

“Doesn’t feel quite clean yet…”

She craves more, ever more.

Whether it was selfish desire, simple greed, or something else entirely, it swelled within her, a growing thing.

That swelling feeling nudged her into a natural contact with Karsein.

“Shouldn’t we… clean it properly? All the way inside…”

Deeper.

More intense than before.

She longed to continue.

“Well, I suppose it wasn’t all cleaned off, was it?”

-peck-

Their lips met lightly, then parted. Good, but… good, but… a little more…

“Ah, not here? Then… here?”

“…”

“Not here either. How about here?”

-peck- peck-

Again, only light touches.

Nothing like the clinging, lingering sensation from earlier.

Karsein was playing games.

Harnier, cheeks puffed out, finally raised her arms and pulled Karsein’s head down.

His lips were inches from hers.

“Not *there*… it’s *here* I mean.”

He knew perfectly well.

But her impatience got the better of her.

And the effect was immediate.

“Mmmm. You smell wonderful today.”

Karsein buried his face in her neck, drawing her closer, inhaling deeply.

The teasing ends here.

This time, it wouldn’t be so fleeting.

This time, she would gasp and pant.

More clinging, more sticky and possessive than before.

And… if she played her cards right.

Yesterday could repeat itself.

The arrow of Harnier’s desire pointed that way.

A heady atmosphere hung between them.

Again, their lips drew near.

Slowly, she closed her eyes.

Feeling each other’s breath.

It was time to begin this lingering kiss, bodies pressed together.

…But then.

-Knock, knock, knock!

“…”

“…Sounds like we have a visitor.”

That sound from beyond the door shattered the atmosphere.

‘…What now? Out of the blue?’

Harnier’s nerves sharpened instantly.

To be interrupted at such a crucial moment, just as the most blissful time was about to unfold, sent his irritation soaring.

In a proper manor house, this sort of misfortune simply wouldn’t occur.

A maid or footman would have received the guest and seen to their comfort in another chamber.

But, wouldn’t you know it, this was merely a hotel. Where they were staying temporarily before claiming the title, and all it took was a knock.

‘No. Just ignore it. If I don’t react, play it cool, we can just pick up where we left off!’

He tried desperately to salvage what precious little ambiance remained.

“A dispatch from the Imperial Household. We have matters to discuss concerning the Duke’s domain… Might we have a moment? Specifically regarding the plans for the manor’s completion.”

That attempt, alas, came to naught.

Of all people, it had to be the Imperial Household.

He couldn’t very well shout at the visitor to read the room and leave.

Nor could he tell them to return at a later, more convenient hour.

The caller was far too important to simply brush aside.

Such a promising opportunity, squandered!

The mood had been perfect!

They could have gone so much further!

Why, of all times, did an interloper have to appear?

Inwardly, he vented every grievance imaginable, clinging to Karsein with all his might.

“Mmm.”

“…”

“Harnier.”

“…I don’t want to.”

Seeing his persistent recalcitrance, Karsein began to gently stroke his back.

“It’s the manor where you and I will spend our lives together, you know.”

“…”

There was little to be done when it involved the completion of the house where they would share their life. Harnier, with a pout, reluctantly released his grip.

Understanding Harnier’s dismay, Karsein held him close, stroking his back several times, and finally, pressing a light kiss upon his lips.

“It won’t take long. Don’t be so upset. Alright?”

“…Yes.”

With a smile, Karsein went to greet the visitor…

“Hmm… It seems we’ll have to travel to the domain in person.”

“Whaaat?!”

There was no chance of a second spark when he returned.

*

Karsein emerged from the hotel lobby, papers splayed, a collection of documents in hand.

It seemed, indeed, to be the truth that he was staying at this hotel.

But…

His feet would not move forward.

“Not going to go? You’d be alone together now.”

“…”

-Whoosh.

With those words, the hood fell back.

A red ponytail rustled and scattered in the wind.

Arina bit her lip and nodded.

“…Good. That the Princess’s heart does not waver. Yes. Mortals like us should only watch from afar like this; it’s for the best.”

Albert turned his head, as if relieved.

And, with a wry smile, he brought up a certain story.

“Princess. Let me ask you something. How did the relationship between our imperial family’s direct line children seem to you, as you witnessed it?”

“…”

“Tell me honestly. Based solely on your own perspective.”

Since the subject was somewhat difficult and sensitive, she hesitated for a moment, but looking into Albert’s eyes, she offered her sincere opinion.

“…They seemed like siblings with a good relationship.”

“Siblings with a good relationship. Is that how it seemed? In truth, the eldest son was merely a wretched human being who openly displayed his base inferiority complex towards his younger sister.”

Arina gasped, her eyes widening.

‘He displayed a base inferiority complex towards his younger sister…?’

There were three members of the imperial family. Which meant there was only one girl.

That meant he felt inferior to Arcien.

‘But… could that be true?’

It was a story that made absolutely no sense. In Arina’s eyes, Albert cherished Arcien, and never once displayed any sense of inferiority.

The harsh lessons and scolding were all stinging words born from a desire to keep Arcien from going astray.

“It may seem unbelievable, but it is something that truly happened.”

Albert brushed his hair back from his forehead, a bitter expression on his face.

“To the outside world, the direct line of the imperial family is known as myself, Florence, and Arcien. But the reality is different. There was another half-sibling, born from an affair the Emperor had.”

“…A half-sibling?”

“Yes. Strictly speaking, we weren’t three siblings. There was one more. And I displayed a base inferiority complex towards that girl.”

At the mention of a half-sibling, a past, almost forgotten from memory, surfaced.

‘Could it be…’

She realized who he was talking about.

Not Arcien. But… one more person. There was definitely one more.

So lonely, so isolated.

There was always a girl who was in a secluded place, away from people.

“Even now, I find it appalling. Though I was solidifying my position as the Crown Prince, I was wary of that girl’s abilities, though she had no interest in the position, and I treated her coldly. I added all sorts of excuses. That she was an illegitimate half-imperial, or that she was an illegitimate child with no foundation to even become Emperor. The worst one, of course, was calling her a commoner.”

The word “commoner” struck a chord in her heart.

Also, the word “illegitimate” made her heart feel heavy.

Legitimacy? Half-blood? They felt like stories not so far away.

The fact that they looked at her ability and immediately became wary, or treated her so coldly…

She had no choice but to bite her lip.

“…Do you remember now?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

In her childhood memories, the Crown Prince was the perfect future Emperor, excelling in both the literary and martial arts. But, from a certain point on, that sharp glint in his eyes would sometimes be directed at one particular person.

A certain young lady who, though not of royal blood, always seemed to linger around the periphery.

“Honestly, she was a natural genius. I’d become so arrogant, convinced there was no one better than me, but then she took a single glance at the long-unsolved flaws of the system and effortlessly unraveled them… It frightened me, just a little. But that fear was fleeting. I grew angry that she was a girl, and I found it presumptuous that someone so much younger than me would interfere. Before I knew it, I was digging into her lineage, her influential family, even the number of supporters she had, meticulously scrutinizing everything. Yes. I shamefully became wary of her.”

Now, she could understand that gaze.

Now, she could discern the emotion it held.

Inferiority. Jealousy.

Those two, along with other, more loathsome feelings, were embedded within it.

“I thoroughly isolated her. I made sure the officials couldn’t reach her. I treated her with contempt and harshly reprimanded her, as if to instill that she was beneath me. And… when she became older, more aware, I started to have frightening thoughts. Towards that child, I─”

A tale so cruel it was unimaginable spilled forth. A tale so shocking that one could not fathom it coming from the Crown Prince’s noble lips.

It was a savage, merciless story.

Actions akin to holding a knife to his own sibling’s throat.

But it wasn’t just his story.

The retainers. The knights. The servants. And… even Arina herself.

She had always held a blade to Karsein’s neck.

As if overlapping, that image painted Arina’s past vividly.

“After that, I could never meet her again. No, being allowed to meet her was impossible. Not only I, but also the forces that followed me, were constantly seeking to take her life.”

It was a story that resonated deeply within her.

“So, you…experienced the same thing?”

“Yes. I was no different from you. Just like now, I tried to solve everything with my own hands, but nothing changed. So… I deliberately walked onto the battlefield, choosing the only path that could ensure her safety.”

The Crown Prince became a war hero after that.

War after war.

Monster subjugation after monster subjugation.

He relentlessly accumulated achievements.

This weakened the imperial family’s position, but it also meant that they were even less inclined to pay attention to his half-sibling.

In other words, the Crown Prince, having been in the same situation, was warning her sincerely.

To let it go. That it was the only path for Karsein. He was scolding her to stop this insane act of trying to kill her own sibling.

She had missed that and this situation had occurred.

The water had already spilled and turned to mud; an irreversible event had already happened.

What path should she walk from now on?

…Her time for contemplation wasn’t long.

“I believe you understand more or less now, Duchess. Let the b*stards and b*tches who tried to kill their sibling use that overflowing power to create a world where that child can thrive. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“…”

“As it happens, according to information received in secret, monsters occasionally appear in that territory. Since it borders trading posts in various countries, it’s apparently difficult to manage.”

“You don’t need to say anymore, Your Highness.”

“Heh. Is that so? Excellent. Lead the way.”

Arina quietly followed Albert.