The mention of Westmore being blocked brought to mind what a coachman heading for the capital had said: the road was impassable, forcing him to turn back.
That was right before the world collapsed.
[I can’t stay long... crackle—got to move... can’t let them find me... crackle—there’s no way out from here, but maybe from your side... crackle—Westmore might be clearable...]
“What’s going on there? Who are ‘they’? Are you really okay?” Ethan demanded.
[Ah, I can hear you better now. Can you hear me clearly? Officially, I’m a dead woman here. Someone’s trying to kill me.]
“What?” Ethan exclaimed, startled.
Hearing this, I was reminded of the soldiers impersonating the royal army who had come to abduct Ethan.
So both siblings of the Lancaster duchy were under threat...
[Don’t worry too much. His Highness Theodore is a capable man. But, Brother, there’s one last thing I need to ask you...]
Aurora’s voice, though still faint, was clearer now. She hesitated, her tone suddenly tense, making both Ethan and me freeze in anticipation.
[Brother... are you and Cherry Sinclair... involved?]
"...What?"
“What?”
Startled, both Ethan and I shouted at the same time, forgetting to even breathe.
Harrison, watching us quietly, shook his head with a resigned expression.
[Oh? Was that a woman’s voice just now? Is Cherry Sinclair there? Oh my god, it really is her, isn’t it?!]
“You misheard. And Cherry Sinclair and I are not involved,” Ethan replied firmly. Too firmly—so much so that it almost stung.
Of course, we weren’t involved... but still.
Aurora’s voice on the other end sounded entirely serious. Truly serious.
Ethan glanced at me briefly before sighing and rubbing his forehead.
[Ah, I can’t talk much longer. I think they’re about to find me. I have to move.]
“What? Find you? Who’s going to find you?”
[When you come to the capital, go to Greydon Palace. On the eastern wall of the palace, there’s a dead tree. If you dig under it, you’ll find a door. It leads to stairs that connect to the inside of the palace. We’re all staying in the Steward’s Building.]
“Who are you hiding from?”
[By the way, have you seen Father? I’m so worried about whether he’s alive.]
“I haven’t seen him either. But if it’s him, he’s definitely alive.”
[Honestly, I think so too. He has that villainous side to him—he’s not the type to die easily. Brother, you take after him in that regard. I knew you’d be alive.]
“Hey. Are you seriously saying that? Never mind, forget it. More importantly, who exactly is after you—”
[Oh no, Brother. I really have to go now. Take care, and don’t forget to bring Cherry Sinclair. A gentleman doesn’t leave a lady behind, right?]
“Wait. Aurora. Hello? Aurora!”
Beep—beep—beep—
The call ended.
“Damn it, she just says whatever she wants and then hangs up...” Ethan muttered, staring at the receiver in disbelief before letting out a dry laugh.
Even as he complained, it was obvious he was relieved.
Aurora truly had a lot to say. And once she started, it was hard to get a word in edgewise—she would pull you into her rhythm effortlessly.
“What’s the situation in the capital?” Harrison asked, breaking the silence.
Ethan finally placed the receiver back on the hook properly before turning to us.
“It seems the road through Westmore is blocked, preventing anyone from the capital from getting out.”
Harrison’s face immediately grew serious at the news.
It made sense. The capital, Benton, was a fortress-like city, isolated by design.
Surrounded on three sides by the Reed River and guarded to the north by the massive, rugged Rubult Mountains, Benton’s location was nearly impenetrable.
Three enormous bridges spanned the Reed River: one leading to the western seaport and the other two connecting to Westmore.
Westmore, essentially, served as the gateway to Benton for trade and travel.
Harrison finally spoke.
“I came through Westmore, and the roads were definitely being controlled. I’m not sure what’s happening, but it seems something is going on there.”
Ethan leaned on the table, his hand propping up his chin as he thought aloud.
“The Westmore Urban Legend comes to mind.”
His words hung in the air, sparking a memory of what Nox had once told me.
In Westmore, people spoke of a haunted mansion. At night, it was said to echo with human screams and animal howls, yet no witnesses ever emerged.
The mansion itself, where the sounds supposedly came from, was empty—completely deserted.
I pondered for a moment before voicing my suspicion.
“Could those animal sounds have come from these damned monsters?”
“I don’t know,” Ethan replied.
Harrison shook his head. Ethan, who had been silently lost in thought, suddenly lifted his head with a resolute expression and spoke decisively:
“The only way to be sure is to see it for ourselves.”
“You’re leaving?”
Finally?
I was about to try convincing him to stay, feeling a pang of regret. But then again, with Aurora personally calling, what choice did he have? I quickly dismissed my feelings and looked at Ethan.
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
At my question, Ethan glanced down at me. Unlike my determined expression, his face was conflicted. Just as he opened his mouth to say something—
The door to the underground prison swung open abruptly. It was Amy.
“Sugar Star! Emergency, emergency!”
Amy burst into the police station, panting and visibly flustered.
“Vanilla and I went hunting, and since we had time, we decided to dig around the entrance to the underground passage. Guess what? The path opened up with just a little digging!”
So there really was a path down there.
Harrison, after hearing Amy’s report, turned to me.
“I’ll stay here to manage things. Lady Cherry, please explore the underground passage with Sir Ethan. Sir Ethan, you’re not planning to leave today, are you?”
Ethan nodded.
“It’s already getting dark. For now, we’ll just prepare supplies and set out tomorrow.”
“What? Is Old Man Grump leaving? To the capital?” Amy asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
Ethan smirked at her and asked, “Why? Will you miss me?”
“Nope. You’re coming back anyway.”
“What? That’s not guaranteed.”
“Yes, it is. You’ll be back.”
“And why are you so sure?”
“Because Sugar Star is here.”
Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? I stared at Amy, puzzled by her cryptic statement, but she only looked back at me and Ethan like we were the strange ones.
“Aren’t you two a team?” she asked, pointing between us with her finger.
“I wanted to be, but Lady Cherry rejected my partner request,” Ethan replied, arms crossed as he gestured at me with his chin. Then, as our eyes met, he chuckled.
Lately, Ethan seemed to laugh every time he looked at me, as though itching to pick a playful fight.
For the record, Ethan never officially asked me to be his partner. Before the apocalypse, he once mentioned wishing he’d scouted me as a police colleague, but that was more wishful thinking than a real proposal.
Knowing that pointing this out would only drag out the conversation, I cut it short with a firm response.
“What does a partnership even mean in these times? Besides, I have specific criteria for a partner.”
A brief silence followed my words. Ethan looked surprised by my unexpected answer, while Amy quickly moved closer, her curiosity evident. Even Harrison, feigning disinterest, seemed subtly intrigued.
“What criteria?” Ethan asked.
Shrugging nonchalantly, I replied, “Someone who can pluck a star from the sky.”
That’s the bare minimum to be Cherry Sinclair’s partner. Of course, I didn’t mean it literally—it was a metaphor.
Another silence fell. Their faces all bore the same expression: What kind of nonsense is this?
But I was entirely serious. After a long pause, Ethan spoke.
“That damn star... Cherry, you’re just as peculiar as I thought.”
“You do realize you’re not one to talk, Sir Ethan.”
“Ugh... Enough already. Just go,” Harrison interjected, waving us off with an exasperated look. His gesture was clear: he was done with us. The exhaustion on his face said it all.