Family | C2 – Tutorial

I want to deny it.

No, I must deny it.

There was no way it could be true.

I was just an ordinary college student in South Korea named Kim Min-hyuk! A fresh freshman who just took the college entrance exam not long ago!

Even if they keep knocking and calling me Karsein, it can’t be me.

This is a dream. It must be a dream.

If I just go back to sleep, I’ll wake up in my own apartment. It is just a bad dream.

‘Yeah, if I just pull the covers over my head and sleep a bit more, I’ll definitely…!’

—Ding!

▶ The tutorial is currently in progress! ◀

■ A special reward will be given upon clearing the game! ■

▶ Reward: Anything you wish for, one thing. ◀

“…Damn it.”

A curse escaped my mouth.

As if to prove it wasn’t a dream, a UI that I had only seen in games appeared in reality. I pinched my cheek, hoping it wasn’t true, but it just hurt like hell; the pain was far too real for this to be a dream.

[T/N – User Interface]

Originally it said a prize of 50 million won, but now it says anything, one thing.

From the moment that text appeared, the answer was clear.

I had no choice but to survive in the game world as Karsein, and I had to clear the game to return to my original world.

I had to survive to the end as Karsein, who died at the slightest misstep.

‘Sigh… Okay. First, let’s get a grasp of the situation.’

Karsein Bagrand.

The protagonist of this game, a 17-year-old male character.

With the game’s unpredictable choices, any wrong move could lead to instant death, like a fragile fish…

‘No need to think about it anymore.’

This game was one of those old RPG Maker games made with a tool called “RPG Tsukuru.”

The only thing required was to make choices at certain points. In this simple story-driven game, these choices were like a lifeline for Karsein.

As soon as I finished thinking, the UI changed.

▶ The Duchess is about to arrive. ◀

▶ Please choose an option. ◀

[ 1. Go into the bathroom. ]

[ 2. Change clothes and go out immediately. ]

[ 3. Do not go. ]

It was probably a tutorial.

This was the player’s first encounter with the concept of choices.

Karsein, just waking up in bed, hears from a maid that the Duchess has returned — the choice was whether to meet her or not.

Simply thinking about it, the status window shows —

■ Karsein Bagrand ■

▶ Current status: Hunger, fatigue, lack of sleep, etc. ◀

▶ Cannot view yet!

▶ Cannot view yet!

▶ Cannot view yet!

▶ Cannot view yet!

▶ Cannot view yet!

▶ Cannot view yet!

▶ Cannot view yet!

In a sleep-deprived state, was it necessary to go? You might think his mother would understand. If you choose option 3:

‘Yep, you die immediately like a fragile fish. A thankless child who doesn’t visit his mother who’s just returned after a hard journey.’

So option 3 wasn’t a choice. That leaves me with the obligation to go see her, but the other two options still involved meeting the Duchess.

But why were there choices here then?

—Splash.

When the cold water of the bathroom touched my fingertips, the reason for the choices became clear.

—Ding!

▶ The water in the bathroom is very cold. If you wash, you might catch a cold. ◀

▶ Do you really want to wash? ◀

[ 1. Wash. ]

[ 2. Change clothes without washing. ]

This was the insidious nature of choices.

The water prepared for washing was freezing. In the already cold winter, preparing such cold water meant there was no consideration for the person taking a bath.

For Karsein, being treated like a mere child in a grand ducal household was more than just unfair—it was enough to incite great anger.

And that’s why this choice appeared.

If I tried to wash up, the freezing water would inflict the character with a cold status effect.

But if I didn’t wash, I’d reek, and that couldn’t be ignored either. Even though it was just pixelated in the game, Karsein was visibly filthy, making him far from presentable to greet someone.

In the tutorial, if I went without washing, I’d get scolded harshly by both my family and the servants for lacking manners. Afterward, no matter what I tried to do, I’d quickly hit a bad ending.

So, there was only one answer.

I have to wash up, knowing I’ll get the cold status effect. It was unfair and infuriating, but it had to be done.

“Damn, this brings back some crappy memories.”

I recalled the time during winter when my dear little sister deliberately turned off the hot water, forcing me to shower in cold water.

That brat had spilled soup on me “accidentally,” making me wash up in the icy water.

Amazingly, Karsein in this game was in the same predicament as me. It was likely the youngest sibling who ordered cold water for my bath.

They must’ve schemed that if I couldn’t wash properly, I wouldn’t come out, or I’d come out in a sorry state, thus getting scolded. It was a cunning plan to ensure I’d get into trouble.

But you see,

You overlooked something.

—Splash!

“Hah! Refreshing, isn’t it!”

I wasn’t just Karsein—I had plenty of experience with this sort of thing.

The cold water filled the bathtub, spilling over the edge as I entered. Though it had been a while, I was already accustomed to it. My skin tingled, and my nerves screamed from the cold, but I still doused my entire body, including my head, with the icy water.

“Damn it, let’s do this.”

I scrubbed my hair vigorously, which didn’t lather well in the cold water, gritting my teeth.

* * * * *

Finishing my cold water shower, I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed.

And as I anticipated, I needed to get dressed quickly.

—KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Karsein. How much longer are you going to lie around? We need to greet Mother, and you’re making her wait?”

It was probably the eldest’s voice, accompanied by knocking on the door.

Time had indeed passed, and in the tutorial, lingering too long at this stage would trigger a bad ending due to the timer.

▶ A timer is now active. ◀

▶ Get dressed within 1 minute. ◀

[ Failure results in death! ]

So, I had 1 minute. In the game, I had to find hidden clothes within the given time. Luckily, this was reality, so I didn’t have to scramble around like crazy.

I grabbed the visible clothes and dressed quickly, finishing with about 20 seconds to spare.

“Hey, Karsein. How much longer are you going to sleep?”

The second warning.

Judging by the voice, it was the second sibling.

If time ran out, they’d burst in, triggering the bad ending, just like the warning screen indicated.

But now, I could open the door myself.

—Click.

I carefully opened the door. Blue eyes, a trait of the Bagrand Ducal family, stared at me.

Arina, with her seemingly indifferent yet cold expression, stood with her arms crossed, looking annoyed.

“Why so late? I told you to be ready in advance.”

“Slacking off, it seems. Camilla would never be so careless in her duties.”

Slacking off?

It was because the youngest sibling, who pretended to be disappointed and stuck out her tongue behind your backs, caused the delay.

‘…Not just her. Many others too, apparently.’

The nearby white and slightly darker white boxes proved it.

Most of the ducal household’s servants probably found this situation disappointing.

“Now that you’re ready, let’s go. Mother will arrive soon.”

Following the eldest Arina’s words, the second sibling, Claire, and the third sibling, Flora, began to walk. I followed closely behind. Though I heard whispering among the maids, I paid little attention, feeling too unwell.

We walked down the corridor, exited the mansion, and crossed the courtyard until the front gate came into view.

After opening the gate ahead of time and waiting a few minutes, the carriage carrying the Duchess appeared and entered the courtyard.

If I hadn’t managed to get ready in time, I would have been late in greeting her.

The carriage stopped, and the Duchess alighted. The three sisters, without hesitation, ran to be the first to welcome their mother.

“Why are you all out here in the cold?”

“Because your hard work comes before the cold, Mother.”

“Yes, Mother deserves the utmost care.”

“Oh, you kids.”

“Mom!”

“Oh my, why is my youngest acting like this today?”

“I missed you. Heehee.”

As Flora nuzzled her face against her mother, the Duchess lovingly patted her youngest daughter’s blonde hair. It was a heartwarming scene between mother and daughter.

She didn’t just show affection for Flora but also for her other two daughters, asking warmly why they came out in such cold weather, all while wearing a faint smile.

Meanwhile, a choice appeared for me.

▶You have come out to greet Isabella. How will you act?

[ 1. (Shouting angrily) Mother. I am here too. Can’t you see me? ]

[ 2. (Wrapping yourself in your shivering body) Ugh… It’s too cold. I’ll head back inside. ]

[ 3. (Bowing your head) Thank you for your hard work, Mother. ]

[ 4. (Pointing at a maid) Do you know that woman made me wash with cold water? I had to shower with it today! How is that fair? ]

Having taken a proper shower and come out in time, the difficulty of this choice was low. The clear answer was number 3.

Had I come out unwashed or late, or not come out at all, I would have complained about being bullied and asked why she returned so late. Such responses would directly lead to a bad ending.

‘Though I don’t know much about Duchess Isabella…’

She seemed like my only lifeline at the moment.

Since the UI and status screen appeared with choices, there must be other game elements too. In reality, the white boxes and slightly darker white boxes floating above people’s heads also correspond to in-game elements.

Those values get reduced and filled, with the gauges fluctuating based on the results. What’s most affected was Karsein’s actions — in other words, the protagonist character’s movements.

This was the single breakthrough I discovered in this hopeless game.

I had defined the white gauge box as the “affinity” meter.

Initially, it only changed slightly depending on the choices, but by building up a certain level of affinity, relationships with Karsein could develop, altering dialogues and actions.

Importantly, these relationships impacted the choices as well. In a household filled only with enemies, this was the sole method to create allies.

Currently, looking at the affinity levels, most people’s heads displayed either empty white boxes or slightly darker white ones. However, Isabella’s box was different.

[ ■■■□□□□□□□ ]

Three bars. If it represented 100%, it was at 30%.

At this point, she was the only character who could potentially become an ally and assist in clearing the game. It was worth a try.

“Thank you for your hard work, Mother.”

I slightly bowed my head, playing the role of the son welcoming his mother back from her trip. But then,

“Yes.”

The response came before I finished speaking.

But it was too short. Even though I was also her child, her reaction was too cold. She had just been warm and affectionate with her daughters, yet responded to Karsein’s greeting so differently?

An unpleasant old memory suddenly surfaced.

When I hurriedly came out to greet my mother after a long trip, even though I had washed in cold water, she had responded similarly curtly.

It wasn’t the issue of hastily washing in cold water; it was that the whole situation felt unwelcoming. Wasn’t this exactly like my past?

—Yes. Thank you.

Her answer to her daughters was filled with warmth, but her reaction to me was different, just like Isabella’s seemed now.

“You must be tired, Mom. Let’s go inside. Dinner is ready.”

“Let’s do that.”

Please. Please, don’t let it be true.

You can’t be like that too.

I sincerely hoped that what I feared wasn’t happening to Karsein. With this hope, I followed the family that didn’t feel like family.

End of chapter……Thank you for reading……

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