If he hated doing it so much, he could have just refused. But Ethan wasn’t that kind of person. He had a soft side.
Even though he denied it and insisted he wasn’t righteous, Nox thought Ethan was the perfect fit for a cop.
“How long was I asleep?”
Nox asked, leaning against the window frame. Ethan sat down on the edge of the bed and answered.
“A full day.”
“No wonder I feel so refreshed.”
Nox rubbed the back of his neck and straightened up from where he had been leaning against the window.
Ethan was holding a water bottle in his hand. He placed the cup, which had been sitting upside down on top of the bottle, on the table and poured some water into it.
“Cherry asked me to do this. Don’t think I’m doing this out of consideration for you.”
Ethan said as if making an excuse, then stood up and handed him the cup. Nox accepted it without argument.
“I felt like I was dreaming for a moment...”
“It’s not a dream. There are still monsters swarming outside.”
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
Ethan immediately shot down the thought, leaving no room for doubt, and Nox let out a frustrated sigh.
He wished it were just a dream.
His gaze calmly swept around the room before turning back to the window.
As expected, Happy House looked incredibly peaceful.
“This place feels like another world...”
“We lit torches outside the walls. It seems the monsters don’t like fire. The mansion should be safe for now.”
Torches outside the walls? When had those been set up?
Then Nox suddenly remembered Cherry hiring workers to reinforce the walls just before the world collapsed.
“This mansion... It’s like it was built for the apocalypse.”
“I was wondering the same thing.”
“Everything about her is suspicious, from top to bottom.”
“But you and I both owe her a lot.”
Nox couldn’t deny Ethan’s last remark. Cherry had saved his life. The least he could do was treat her like a benefactor.
Not to mention, she had taken them in and allowed them to stay in her home.
“I plan to wait a bit longer before heading to the capital.”
Ethan’s words made Nox glance at him curiously before quickly understanding.
“Because of Lady Lancaster?”
Ethan gave a brief nod.
Nox slowly ran his dry hand down his face and fell silent, lost in thought.
Ethan, not waiting for Nox’s response, started packing up the water bottle and cup.
His actions were so natural that Nox almost made a joke about him becoming Cherry Sinclair’s butler.
‘If I did, he’d probably throw the cup at my head.’
Nox shook his head and finally answered.
“I’ll stay here for now. I owe her my life, and I should pay that debt.”
Ethan, who had been holding the water bottle, glanced at him. Nox kept his eyes fixed on Cherry outside the window as he continued.
“It wouldn’t be so bad to stick around until Miss Cherry gets tired of this place.”
“Suit yourself.”
Ethan’s expression made it clear that he couldn’t care less what Nox decided.
That surprised Nox. He thought they were closer than that.
“But how are you planning to leave? The mansion and Brunel both look impossible to get through.”
“The monsters are agitated now, but they’ll probably calm down after some time. I’ll wait until then to move.”
That meant Ethan would also have to stay in Happy House for a few more days.
Of course, there was no telling exactly when the monsters would settle down.
Leaning lazily against the window frame, Nox looked at Cherry.
She had sprawled out on the ground beside the vegetable garden, staring up at the sky.
What could possibly be going through that tiny head of hers?
Her pale profile, gazing blankly at the sky, looked strangely empty.
She seemed exhausted, like she was holding something back—or as if she might disappear at any moment.
Even though they were in the same space, she felt like she was in a completely different world.
“...Is Miss Cherry okay?”
Nox suddenly asked, tossing the question out without much thought.
He knew she wasn’t physically injured. What he was asking about was her mental state.
No matter how strong she was, Cherry was still a sheltered young lady who had never faced the harsh realities of society.
Girls like that typically broke down or fell into despair in situations like this. That was the normal reaction.
“She’s just a bit unusual, but she’s fine.”
Ethan replied nonchalantly, as if he were talking about a pet dog.
Nox glanced at him and frowned slightly.
“It’s not that. I’m talking about her mental state. She’s still a young lady. No one could stay sane in a situation like this.”
Even Nox felt like something inside him had cracked after surviving alone in Brunel since the outbreak.
He didn’t think he was completely fine either.
And as for Ethan, well—he probably hadn’t been in a stable state of mind in the first place, so he didn’t even count.
In any case, Ethan nodded in agreement with Nox’s words.
“That’s true. If it were Aurora, she’d already be crying her eyes out and throwing a fit...”
But judging by the Cherry he’d seen so far, Ethan doubted she’d break down as easily as Nox feared.
“Hey, Ludfisher. You’re a doctor, aren’t you? Check on Miss Cherry and see if she’s okay.”
Ethan’s comment rubbed Nox the wrong way.
“Psychiatry isn’t my specialty.”
“You were the one worrying about her being young, and now you’re backing out already? Honestly, I’m a little worried about her too. What if she’s just pretending to be fine?”
Nox didn’t respond.
Seeing that, Ethan added one more thing.
“Keep an eye on our landlord, Doc. Don’t let her fall apart. She’s our lifesaver.”
Lifesaver.
That word hit Nox hard, and he repeated it to himself.
In this chaotic mess, it was Cherry who had saved both his and Ethan’s lives.
After briefly sinking into thought, Nox let out a tired sigh and nodded.
“I’ll keep watch.”
Only then did Ethan’s expression soften with satisfaction.
And just like that, the two men’s eyes turned back toward Cherry.
To be honest, neither of them really believed Cherry was completely fine.
*****
I had been lying in the garden the whole time and finally sat up when the sun began to set.
Thud—thud—
While I was still lying there, I heard the sound of a few monsters pounding on the stone gate.
What’s wrong with those things?
Thanks to the torches we’d lit outside the walls, most of the monsters stayed away from the mansion.
But a few of them kept lingering near the gate.
The gate was thick and solidly built from stone, so it wouldn’t be easy for them to break through.
The monsters weren’t intelligent.
If they didn’t immediately spot prey, they usually wouldn’t stay in a frenzy for long.
Yet those few monsters had been hovering near the gate ever since I brought Nox back—an entire day.
Why the hell are they acting like that?
It was starting to make me uneasy.
So far, coming to Happy House had been the right move.
But if this kept up, it would feel less like “taking shelter” and more like being “trapped.”
That’s when Ethan approached me.
“What are you doing?”
“Resting.”
Ethan looked down at me with a slightly strange expression.
He held out a hand. I quietly took it and let him help me up.
My ‘gardening outfit’ was covered in dirt, completely filthy.
Since my hands were dirty, Ethan’s hand quickly got dirty too.
He pulled a handkerchief out of his uniform’s inner pocket and wiped my hands first, then his own.
It looked like the same handkerchief I’d borrowed from him when I was throwing up in the garden last time.
Did he wash it and bring it back?
A man who carries around a handkerchief... He’s more put-together than I am.
“What about Nox?”
“Funny you should ask. That’s what I came to talk about. He woke up. And, as you requested, I gave him water.”
“You gave him clean water, right?”
At my question, Ethan froze and looked at me.
His face suggested he was genuinely offended.
“Do I look like that much of a piece of trash to you?”
“No? I mean... it’s not that... I just wanted to make sure it was actually clean water.”
My stammering only seemed to offend Ethan more.
I mean, I had seen how much he disliked Nox—he had even threatened to throw an axe at him before—so I had to make sure...
“I’ve learned exactly how you see me, Miss Cherry.”
I couldn’t say anything in response to that.
I had asked Ethan to take care of Nox even though I knew he had a temper.
And yet, Ethan suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
“I’m leaving for the capital.”