The butcher, Gary, decided to prepare venison in the Happy House kitchen.
Hearing them talk about me, I casually chimed in with a few comments, and their expressions changed immediately.
"Not bad."
In the Happy House garden, Emma and Victor had started planting crops. We were still debating what to do with the Elphinus herbs.
Jose, the sniper, kept watch from the roof, while Vanilla, an adept hunter, went into the forest to hunt with Amy.
Since the farmland was located outside the village, the only place within Brunel suitable for growing crops was the garden at Happy House. It was the only large, flat space available.
Susanna was still recovering, while Nox roamed the village, checking the health of the survivors. I sat by the window on the first floor of the police station with Ethan, sharing a potato as we watched the outside world.
Currently, Harrison was managing all the village's affairs.
"Our lawyer is doing an excellent job, isn't he?"
"He is. He's perfect as an advisor."
"An advisor? Not a leader?"
"The leader is you, Miss Cherry. Tasks like these are meant for subordinates."
"Harrison is practically family to me. Calling him a subordinate feels off."
"But isn't that how it was between Cherry Sinclair and Harrison Howard? Though, given the state of the world now, such distinctions hardly matter anymore."
Ethan took a large bite of his potato, speaking nonchalantly.
"I'm not undermining Howard's abilities. He never makes critical decisions, after all. In the end, you're the one making the decisions and issuing orders, aren't you?"
I didn't reply to Ethan, instead continuing to stare out the window. Harrison's commanding presence stood out as he directed people moving furniture.
"This wasn't my plan."
Originally, I had intended for Susanna, Harrison, and me to quietly survive in Happy House. I never anticipated ending up in such a complicated situation.
"I did my best, didn't I? Without Happy House, we wouldn't have made it this far!"
As these thoughts crossed my mind, I glanced at Ethan. A strikingly handsome man, casually holding a potato, his face indifferent—it was a surreal image. I stared at him absentmindedly before asking:
"If you had to choose between living your whole life eating only potatoes or only milk, which would you pick?"
Ethan, mid-chew, froze, his puffed-up cheeks momentarily still. After a brief pause, he swallowed his potato and answered,
"Obviously potatoes..."
"Wrong. Milk. I like milk better."
"Weren't you asking for my opinion?" Ethan's expression turned exasperated as he looked at me.
Just as he opened his mouth to say more,
Ring—ring—ring—
A sudden phone ring echoed inside the police station.
Ethan and I froze, staring at each other.
Ring—ring—
The sound came again.
A phone ringing in a world that had ended?
Ring—ring—
When the third ring echoed, Ethan and I leapt from our seats and ran toward the source of the sound.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
Ethan grabbed the receiver. I leaned in close, my ear near the receiver, acutely aware of how close his face was to mine, though my focus remained on the phone.
"This is Brunel Police Station. Who's calling?" Ethan said.
[buzz—crackle—]
The connection kept breaking up.
"[Bru...el Poli...—crackle—]"
"Your voice is breaking. Please repeat. Who is this? Where are you calling from?"
"[Here—tele... exchange—someone looking for you—crackle—]"
"Telephone exchange? Is this from the capital, Benton? Has nothing happened there?"
"[Capital...faction fighting...a mess...need help—crackle—]"
"Your name, what's your name? This is Ethan Duncan Lancaster. Please tell me your name."
"[Ethan—! Cra...le—get here now—help is—crackle—]"
"The connection keeps cutting out."
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what we were even hearing. The words were too fragmented, hardly forming complete sentences.
Still, I grabbed a notebook and pen from a nearby table, jotting down whatever I could make out.
Then, the critical part came through.
"[Come to the capital now—I’m Aurora—crackle—]"
My pen froze mid-word.
Startled, I looked up at Ethan. His expression mirrored mine, eyes wide with shock. Stammering, he managed to blurt out:
"Aurora? A-Aurora?! Damn it! Why is it cutting out like this?!"
Then Ethan suddenly exploded, raising his voice in frustration. From the window, I could see Harrison approaching, drawn by the commotion.
"Aurora! Aurora! Are you alive? Answer me! Aurora!"
Beep—beep—beep—
The call abruptly ended. I straightened up from where I had been leaning over the phone, while Ethan remained frozen, clutching the receiver and handset tightly.
It was understandable—he had just received shocking yet incredibly hopeful news.
I was no less shaken.
"Aurora calling Brunel...?"
I had assumed Aurora, the protagonist, was alive. But hearing it confirmed through a direct call brought an overwhelming sense of relief.
"How did she even make the call?"
Was she with Theodore? I wished the conversation had been clearer. The lack of proper communication was frustrating.
"Is the capital safe?"
The situation there was undoubtedly dire, but knowing Aurora was alive meant I could dismiss the most horrifying possibilities.
"I'm glad your sister is alive," I said.
At last, Ethan seemed to snap out of his trance, lowering the receiver and letting out a deep sigh. He slumped to the floor, running his fingers through his hair.
At that moment, Harrison walked into the station, opening the door with his usual composed demeanor.
"What’s going on?"
I glanced at Ethan, still unable to speak, and answered on his behalf.
"There was a phone call. It seemed to be a direct line from the capital’s telephone exchange."
"The telephone exchange?" Harrison asked.
"Yes. It was from Sir Ethan’s younger sister."
"Sir Ethan’s sister... Aurora Elle Lancaster?"
Harrison’s astonished inquiry was met with a slow nod from me.
Both Harrison and I turned to look at Ethan, who was seated on the floor, lost in thought. Suddenly, Ethan stood up.
And then, the phone rang again.
Ring—ring—ring—
Click.
This time, Ethan answered immediately. I leaned in close, pressing my ear to the receiver beside him.
[buzz—Brother? My voice... can you hear—buzz—?]
"Aurora. Is that really you, Aurora?"
[Alive...! I knew—buzz—are you okay?]
"What happened? Are you safe?"
[I was taken in by His Highness Theodore.]
Theodore? The crown prince?!
Hearing that name through the receiver, I immediately realized that Aurora and Theodore, the novel's main protagonists, had met.
Even with Ethan and Nox here, the story of Ruined Love was still unfolding as written.
My thoughts raced.
That earlier message—
[Capital—faction fighting—a mess—need help—buzz—]
—made sense now.
It was clear that factional conflicts had already erupted in the capital. Most likely, it was between Prince Lloyd’s faction and Crown Prince Theodore’s faction.
The conflict between these two factions would last for quite some time—at least until the middle of the novel.
Which meant one thing: for at least a year, it would be best to avoid setting foot in the capital.
"Yes, staying at Happy House is the right choice," I reminded myself, resolving to remain here.
I refocused on Aurora’s voice, coming through the buzz.
[buzz—Brother, I need your help. buzz—Theodore... needs you—buzz—]
"What’s the situation in the capital? Have monsters invaded there too?"
[Yes... buzz—it’s the same here. buzz—]
That confirmed it. The capital was dealing with the same horrors we faced.
I glanced at Ethan, whose expression had darkened. The usual lightheartedness was gone, replaced by a somber and serious look.
[Theodore... buzz—was planning to come to Brunel with me... but now—buzz—it’s difficult. buzz—The road is blocked at Westmore.]