The Breakfast Table, Once More (2)

You're telling me you're eating here?

In the seat that's supposed to be mine?

For a moment, the sheer absurdity of it left me frozen in place. Harnie looked just as flustered, her eyes darting to me as if to ask whether I knew anything about what was going on.

I have no idea either...

Frankly, the thing I wanted to know most was why Flora — who had despised Karsein — was suddenly insisting on eating right beside him.

"Come now, return to your seat. Otherwise Lady Harnie will have nowhere to sit."

"..."

Flora stared at Harnie for a long moment, then shook her head firmly and curled up on the chair itself, hugging her knees to her chest as if she had no intention of budging at all.

"No! I'm eating here."

"Flora...?"

"Come on, don't be like that. Come sit with me."

"Nooo!"

Nobody at the table could make sense of the tantrum Flora was throwing. But I, for one, had a pretty good idea.

Not as Karsein, precisely — as Kim Minhyuk.

And honestly? Every last bit of it is absolutely infuriating.

Besides the two changes that had occurred inside the game, there had been a third one all along. The change in the youngest — the girl who had collapsed weeping over my bed yesterday and cried herself to sleep.

When I called Heron over and pressed him with questions, it turned out yesterday hadn't been the only time. She'd spent three whole days pacing back and forth outside my door, over and over. Each time, Isabella, Arina, and Claire had coaxed her away and sent her back — but this was the first time she'd actually stepped inside the room.

I'd brushed it off with a surely not, but now I was certain. Like mother, like daughter. What else would I expect from that kid's family?

"I don't mind, Karsein. I'll just take the seat next to Lady Claire."

"I'm afraid I do mind, Lady Harnie."

"I-I'm sorry, what?"

Brushing past the bewildered girl, I pulled out her chair for her, then — as if it were the most natural thing in the world — fetched a chair from the opposite side of the table.

"A meal shared with one's fiancée loses all meaning if we sit this far apart, doesn't it?"

"K-Karsein?"

Harnie gaped at me, demanding to know what on earth I was thinking, but I simply set my chair down beside hers and took my seat.

And with that, the entire seating arrangement fell into disarray. Karsein — today's guest of honor, who should have been seated directly beside Isabella — now sat lower than even the guests' seats. And the seat beside me, which had originally been reserved for Harnie, sat completely empty.

In other words: Flora occupied the head seat, but the chair right next to her stood vacant, while Harnie and I sat side by side below it. As far away from Flora as the table allowed.

"..."

The moment Flora caught on, she clamped her lips together tight.

"Well then. I don't see any problem with this, do you?"

"Karsein..."

I said it brazenly, scooting my chair flush against Harnie's. Isabella, whose whole plan had been to seat a recovered Karsein at the head of the table today, was visibly thrown by how badly her intentions had gone sideways.

Arina and Claire were no exception. Every one of them looked ready to blurt out a rebuke at any second over this flagrant breach of etiquette.

"Flora. Come sit next to me, sweetie."

It was Claire — the one I'd expected to speak up first — and she didn't scold me at all. Apparently she'd decided to move Flora instead of me.

"Today is the day Karsein sits at the head of the table. You can't stay there. Okay?"

"...No."

"Flora?"

"I-I just can't sit anywhere but here, that's all!"

Flora rose from her seat — then promptly claimed the chair beside mine. The very seat Harnie was supposed to have. "Then... I'll sit here."

The girl who used to hang on Claire's every word was now talking back, digging in her heels, refusing to bend an inch.

So that's how you want to play it?

Well, in that case, there was no better shield than a fiancée.

I leaned in closer to Harnie. Just like before. Just as brazenly as I'd done ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it in front of all those high-society noblewomen — except this time, it was in front of my own family. I yanked her shoulder firmly against mine.

"Eep—?!"

"I don't care where I sit, but if it's not next to Harnie, I'm simply getting up and leaving."

"K-Karsein! What on earth—!"

"We've been kept apart by circumstances all this time, haven't we? Surely I'm entitled to make up for lost time today?"

Clatter.

"Hk—! Hk—!"

At those words, Claire dropped her silverware mid-gape, and Arina — who'd just raised her water glass for a sip — set it back down on the table and doubled over coughing.

And Flora...

"..."

Flora's lips jutted out in a full sulk.

"...I really must order two-seater arrangements installed everywhere from now on."

"D-Duchess...?"

"For two people to be this close, and for me never to have noticed... I do apologize."

Before Harnie could manage a single word, two crisp claps rang out. With Isabella declaring that it was time to return to the meal, not a soul dared object.

Granted, Harnie's gaze was prickling against my skin something fierce... but we'd promised to help each other out, so surely she wasn't going to complain over this much. In any case, that settled the seating question for good. I could see Flora lowering her head and shuffling back to her original seat, but that was none of my concern.

Once the meal was properly underway, Isabella summoned every one of the newly hired servants into the dining hall — as if to say, Karsein, nothing like that will ever happen again.

Between how neatly she introduced them in groups so as not to disturb the meal, and the way the roster of new knights was being drawn up, it seemed the tormenting of Karsein within the duchy had truly ended here.

"And lastly — our new head maid was once a noble. There will be no more incidents of hierarchy being thrown into disarray."

Mid-introduction, that stray remark about her noble past made something click in my head.

Hold on. Deol... Deol. This castle...?

I turned my head, and Tasha greeted me with a warm smile.

So that's how it was.

So that's why she said she owed me such an enormous debt.

"Um... Karsein?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but judging by the manners and poise of that maid Camilla and Head Maid Tasha over there, they feel... similar, somehow. Is there some relation?"

Sharp as ever, this one. To pick up on that similarity over something so small — and whisper it to me, no less.

"They're mother and daughter."

"Mother... and daughter?"

"Yes. Given that she suffered from Mana Panic, I'd say it's certain."

Harnie seemed to have vaguely caught on that both women were former nobles, and raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"Deol... now I understand. When I first heard the surname at the introductions, something felt off about it. To think it was the family name of a house that was once noble."

It was coincidence, yes — but I had seen it before, back when Arina handed over the maids' profiles. Camilla Deol. That was Camilla's full name.

Tasha Deol, who joined Karsein's camp as an ally starting in Chapter 2, had been Camilla's mother all along. I hardly knew whether to call that uncanny or not.

"I see. The new head maid turns out to be your personal maid's own mother... How reassuring for you."

Reassuring, all right. In Chapter 2, Tasha was one of Karsein's key supporters. Which meant, if I glanced at the affinity box...

She was already past the halfway mark. Considering that Isabella had only crept up to similar figures after yesterday's incident, it spoke volumes about just how favorably Tasha regarded Karsein.

As for the reason — well, I didn't need to think too hard about that one.

The meal came to an end. For most of them, simply having me at this breakfast table had accomplished their purpose. Presenting the contracts of employment for the new knights and introducing the servants meant that everyone who had carried out Emma's scheme had been dealt with, right here, once and for all. And since I needed to attend the Eastern Noble Conference, they'd summoned me to this meal to check on my condition and confirm how far my recovery had come. Beyond that, there was only the odd word of caution that nothing of the sort would happen again, and a question or two about how things were progressing with my fiancée, Harnie.

But there's exactly one person here who accomplished nothing at all.

I'd stake my life on it — she would come looking for me. Even without a single prompt announcing it on my progress window.

"Harnie, I'm sorry, but could you keep up the excuse of getting dressed for me until I come find you?"

"An excuse?"

"I'm expecting a visitor."

"Mm... all right. You need some time, is that it?"

Harnie, sharp as ever, graciously withdrew to the room she'd been given for her night at the duchy. I did have an outing planned to go help her the moment the meal ended, but apparently that could wait a while.

About five minutes into waiting while reading my etiquette book, there came a knock at the door.

Knock, knock.

"Karsein? Can I come in?"

It was Flora, rapping her tiny little knuckles against my door.

That was quick.

I'd half expected her to spend ages agonizing over what new scheme to try. Instead, I merely rested my chin on my hand and told her, indifferently, to come in.

Click.

The door eased open with careful, hesitant slowness. For a moment I thought she'd gotten bigger somehow — then I saw it: she was hugging the teddy bear I'd bought her back at the Snowflower Festival, for the affinity quest.

"...!"

The instant our eyes met, Flora ducked behind it, hiding her face behind the bear just like she used to hide behind people.

Bearing that or not, I kept my eyes fixed on my book and turned a page.

"What is it?"

At that, Flora poked her head out from behind the teddy bear.

"...I didn't throw this away."

"So?"

"Th-that's... that's all I wanted to saayyy..."

She hemmed and hawed for an eternity, and that was all she managed to squeeze out. This little brat really hadn't changed one bit.

"If you came all this way just to say that, then I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

"..."

"Or what is it? Now that Emma — who'd grant your every whim — is gone, along with Theo and all the maids, you've got no one left to torment and you're bored?"

Thump.

The teddy bear hit the floor.

"There's no way that's it! I-I just wanted to ask if you were okay now..."

Mumbling out an excuse like that was nothing but a stalling tactic. Everyone at the table had seen with their own eyes that I was fine — there was no way she alone hadn't.

"Then we're done talking, aren't we? No one's force-feeding me Kelvia fruit anymore, so I'd say your business here is finished."

"No. I still... I still have things to say."

Flip.

Another page turned. I'd already finished reading it, what with all her nonsense dragging on.

Why she'd come here — I had a fair idea of that already. This time, instead of deflecting, I answered her point-blank.

"There's no need to worry about my health. After all, Harnie looked after me inside this house where trust is a luxury no one can afford. Ah, and meals aren't a problem either — she brought those to me too. Seeing it like this, I have to say, it's awfully convenient having a fiancée who handles everything for me?"

"..."

"So there's really nothing left for you to fuss over or fret about. Harnie will take care of it all in your place."

At that, Flora jutted her lips out in another sulk and just... stared at me. Saying nothing. Watching me in silence.

Flip.

"Go on back now. I wasn't planning on bringing you up ever again anyway."

"What?"

"That's what you came here worried about, isn't it? That word of what you did alongside Emma might slip out of my mouth and reach the family — that they might punish you for it. Isn't that why you came?"

Her golden curls flinched.

Of course. I imagine she hated it. Having the family's attention land on her was bad enough — but actually facing a scolding over it? How much worse must that have been.

"I told you back then too, didn't I? To you, I'm nothing more than a thorn in your side. So from now on, I'll live quietly, holding on to nothing at all."

"I never asked you for that...!"

"Who knows. Isn't that exactly what you're hoping for? That the memory fades from my head. That, now and forever, just like you said — everything stays forgotten except the fact that you tormented a boy who had nothing?"

Flip.

"Fine. I'll carry it with me to my grave, just as you wish. My mouth will never — never — speak of how you tormented me."

There would be no moment where I said I needed her, either. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And I would never, ever reach out a hand begging for her help. Sure, the dialogue options would no doubt spew out Karsein's idiotic little lines — but I had no intention of swallowing them wholesale.

"Because I don't need your help either."

At that single sentence, Flora's face crumpled, and she screamed.

"Idiot! You stupid, stupid idiot! You don't know anything, you big dumb idiot!!"

And with that, the matter was closed. In this revisited breakfast scene, things between Flora and me had ultimately come full circle — right back to square one.

She'd vented her anger, so any moment now she'd storm off huffing and puffing. Then she'd follow the second branch of Chapter 2, the one I knew by heart, and let the episode play out from there.

I closed the book. It was time to head out.

Hm?

But something felt off — an odd, slippery sensation on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my hand. My fingertip was stinging, I realized. Red liquid was welling up, splitting the skin.

Ugh. Now I get why that paper cut on Harnie's finger left such a vivid mark.

It wasn't my first time being sliced by paper — back in my school days I'd cut myself a hundred times flipping through pages. But the paper in this world was on another level entirely. Whether it was the lack of craftsmanship, or simply the crude finishing of a game world, the edges here were never properly smoothed. With the blood beading up like this, I figured I'd be stuck dabbing on salve for the next little while. What a nuisance.

And then—

Ding!

Flora, who had somehow crept right up to me, suddenly snatched my hand.

A simple, seemingly pointless progress window had popped up, instructing me to stop the bleeding in my finger. Remarkably, this was a message I had never once seen before.

But what was more astonishing still—

"D-don't hurt... please don't hurt...!"

— was the sight of Flora pulling out her own handkerchief, pressing it hard against my bleeding finger, her voice trembling all over, utterly consumed by fear.