While running, it suddenly occurred to me that we still had some time and energy left. It might be worth raiding the grocery store while searching for Ethan.
“Where was the grocery store again?”
I scanned the area quickly as I carried Nox on my back.
The monsters that had been clustered around the fountain were starting to lose interest and scatter.
But a few of them had already noticed us and were now charging in our direction.
“Left, left! Sinclair! Left!”
At Nox’s shout, I immediately ducked.
A virus-infected monster had gotten close enough to swing its long arm at us.
I lost my balance and tumbled to the ground, rolling with Nox. I heard him let out a sharp groan.
The monster raised its arm again, preparing to strike us while we were down.
I grabbed my axe and swung it without hesitation.
Thud!
The monster flew backward from the impact.
Still groaning, Nox pushed himself up and stared at the fallen monster in disbelief.
“What the hell are you, really?”
“I’m Cherry Sinclair.”
Though now, I remember my past life.
I swallowed the rest of the thought and pulled Nox up to his feet. He winced as he limped, grabbing the bag we’d brought.
But there was no time to rest.
I threw him over my shoulder again and started running as more monsters began swarming toward us.
According to the map, the grocery store should be around here somewhere.
I quickly scanned the area and spotted it next to an inn. The glass on the front door was shattered—at least getting inside would be easy.
I set Nox down by the entrance and gripped my axe, immediately sweeping through the store to make sure there weren’t any monsters left inside.
“Cherry, forget that for a second. We need to cover this up first.”
Nox sighed as he pointed at the broken glass door.
I grabbed a tablecloth that was lying nearby and tossed it to him.
While he covered the broken door, I checked the rest of the store. Fortunately, there were no signs of people—or monsters.
“There are more of them outside than before. If there’s no back door, we’re going to have a hard time getting out.”
Nox’s words made me press my hand to my forehead.
“There’s no back door. That’s the only exit. And no windows either.”
“...So we’re trapped.”
I sank to the floor.
The grocery store was stocked with fresh vegetables and plenty of food, but none of it mattered if we couldn’t get out of here alive.
“I’m sorry. This was my fault. I got greedy.”
I muttered, staring blankly.
Nox, who was unwrapping a lollipop, looked at me silently for a moment. Then he popped the candy into his mouth and replied, sounding as exhausted as I felt.
“Let’s call it even. You saved my life.”
“Even? I’m surprised you even know words like that.”
It wasn’t the kind of expression I expected to hear from someone as arrogant and aristocratic as Nox.
“Your friend uses it. Apparently, Lancaster isn’t the only noble who talks like that.”
Nox replied casually, as if it were no big deal.
“My friend? I don’t have any friends...”
I tilted my head, confused, before it finally clicked.
The only person in Brunel Nox could possibly consider my “friend,” who was both noble and prone to using phrases like that, was Vanilla.
“Oh. You mean Ruskin?”
Since when was Vanilla my friend? Though, to be fair, that did sound like something she’d say.
I wonder if Vanilla’s okay.
I approached Nox, who was leaning heavily against the doorframe.
His thigh wound looked even worse now.
Despite the calm expression on his face, his lips were pale and trembling.
The fact that he could keep chatting so nonchalantly in this state was almost impressive.
“Sit down. Let me take a look at that wound.”
Nox didn’t bother arguing.
When I pressed down on his shoulder, he obediently sank to the floor, leaning against the door.
I inspected the torn fabric of his pants, revealing the injury underneath.
Just as he’d said, it was a puncture wound—likely from a sharp metal railing.
That must hurt like hell.
The sight alone made me grimace.
“We need to disinfect this first. Honestly, you probably need a tetanus shot...”
“You know about tetanus shots?”
Nox looked at me, puzzled, as if the concept was foreign to him.
Then it hit me—this world wasn’t exactly advanced in medicine, and most people, unless they were professionals, were clueless about it.
And Cherry Sinclair—the Cherry he thought he knew—was definitely not someone he’d expect to be knowledgeable about medical treatments.
I quickly turned away to search for supplies and offered him a vague explanation.
“I traveled abroad a lot when I was younger. Picked up bits and pieces of random knowledge.”
I’d have to stick with this excuse whenever someone questioned what I knew. It seemed like a good enough cover.
Though, if I ever ran into Harrison, the lie might fall apart. Not that I even knew whether Harrison was alive or dead at this point.
He better be alive.
I sighed, pushing that worry aside for now.
Luckily, Nox didn’t seem to question my answer any further.
“I already gave myself a shot back at the clock tower. Don’t worry about that.”
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“Wait—was someone else there with you?”
“No...”
Nox trailed off, hesitating, before pulling back his lab coat.
A small belt pouch was strapped around his waist.
“I managed to grab a few medical supplies.”
“Oh my god.”
Medical supplies?
This was practically a miracle.
One of the biggest issues at Happy House was the lack of medical supplies.
I had asked Harrison to help procure some, but getting proper medical gear required approval from the Medical Association, which took time.
Time we didn’t have before the world collapsed.
“I did some basic first aid, but I haven’t wrapped it yet. Think you can help me with that?”
Nox’s tone softened slightly as he asked for my help.
I nodded and pulled out disinfectant and bandages from his belt pouch.
I trimmed the ragged edges of his pants, poured disinfectant over the wound, and wrapped it tightly with bandages.
“Thanks, Lady.”
Nox flashed a quick smile. I patted his leg lightly before standing up.
“Once the number of monsters thins out, we’ll make a run for it. Keep watch in the meantime. You can at least handle that, right?”
I grabbed the empty bag and began stuffing it with supplies—flour, bread, vegetables, meat, seasonings, and rice. I tried to pack a balanced selection.
“Add this too.”
Nox tossed me a cigarette pack he’d picked up off the floor. There was still room in the bag, so I added it along with a bottle of whiskey.
“Since when do you smoke?”
I’d never seen him smoke before the collapse. He always had a lollipop in his mouth instead.
Nox peeked out through the curtains while answering.
“I was trying to quit. But now? Doesn’t seem like there’s any reason to bother anymore. Who cares about health when you might die tomorrow?”
He didn’t sound panicked or hopeless—just calm, like someone who’d always known the world would end up this way.
Of course, if he’d really predicted the apocalypse, he probably wouldn’t have bothered quitting in the first place.
I finished packing and placed the bag on the empty table, then dropped into a chair and rubbed my face.
“What do you think happened to Ethan?”
“He’s fine. That bastard doesn’t die easily.”
Nox’s tone was casual, like he knew Ethan better than anyone.
Ethan said the same thing earlier.
The more I talked to Nox, the more this whole situation started to feel... manageable, like it wasn’t as dire as it seemed.
“How can you be so sure he’s fine?”
“Because that’s just the kind of guy he is.”
What kind of explanation was that? But Nox didn’t elaborate.
Silence fell over the store, broken only by the faint growls of monsters prowling outside.
Nox leaned back against the doorframe and stared at me.
“Can I call you Cherry? We’re pretty close now, don’t you think?”
“Just stick to formalities. We’re not that close yet.”
“Alright, Cherry.”
Nox didn’t seem the least bit offended. He simply nodded and returned to watching the door with a lollipop back in his mouth.
I couldn’t tell whether he was genuinely relaxed or just the type to hide his nerves well.
Then, out of nowhere, Nox looked straight at me.
Our eyes met. He flashed a charming smile before hitting me with a question I’d been dreading.
“You know why the world ended up like this, don’t you, Cherry?”
And there it was—the question I’d have to keep answering from now on.