"That's the kind of work fit for maids."
It was a deeply depressing statement for any modern person to hear, but for Nox, a noble of this world, it was an entirely reasonable mindset.
"First of all, I don’t have any debts. The 1-million-gold loan I took out was because I wasn’t old enough to inherit yet."
I paused for a moment, recalling the past. I already had a half-decent excuse prepared regarding my cooking skills.
"As for cooking... I once stole my parents’ yacht and crossed the ocean. I had to learn to cook to survive. I was broke and alone on the Western Continent."
"...You stole a yacht and crossed the ocean?"
Nox put down his fork as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. His stare made me uncomfortable. I rolled my eyes and answered carefully.
"It was a rebellious phase as a teenager..."
"How old were you?"
"Fifteen...?"
"...Your rebellious phase was on another level. I take back what I said earlier. Miss Cherry, you were different from the start."
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.
Nox smoothly corrected himself and even complimented me. Whether or not it was actually a compliment, I decided not to dwell on it and simply urged them to eat.
"You both must be hungry. Please, dig in."
The plates were piled high with appetizing food.
Nox and Ethan began eating with the elegant manners befitting nobles, but soon enough, the pace at which they shoveled food into their mouths picked up.
For Ethan, this was the first time I’d served him meat, and for Nox, it must have been his first proper meal in days.
In truth, the bacon I had used was the last of my meat supplies.
When the world fell apart, monstrous wolves ruined most of the stored meat. And even before that, I hadn’t stockpiled much, as meat spoiled quickly. I did have some salted meat left, but it wasn’t the same as having frozen reserves.
Once their hunger was somewhat satisfied, the two men began glancing at me.
They looked like puppies about to poop—clearly, they had something to say but couldn’t bring themselves to speak.
What’s with them? Why are they acting so weird?
In the end, we finished the meal in awkward silence.
To my surprise, Nox and Ethan volunteered to clean up afterward.
The kitchen was a bit messy from all the cooking, with scraps scattered everywhere. Ethan frowned as he scrubbed the grease stains off the stove and table.
"Miss Cherry, this kind of mess should be cleaned up immediately. Look at this—it’s already dried and stuck on. It’s hard to wipe off now."
Ethan nagged as he cleaned. But honestly, isn’t it incredibly difficult to clean as you cook? I just nodded vaguely.
I didn’t mind cooking, but I absolutely hated cleaning.
As I lazily wiped the same spot over and over, Ethan suddenly marched over, snatched the rag from my hand, and said:
"Just go to your room."
"Gladly."
I immediately brightened, jumped up, gave a quick thanks, and retreated to my room.
Lying down on the soft bed, I stared blankly at the canopy above.
Do I just need to hold out like this for two years?
It was all going too smoothly. Too peacefully.
And that’s what felt so wrong.
*****
It had already been about ten days since the world had collapsed.
Cherry was still brimming with energy and holding up well. Nox, in his brief psychiatric assessment, had remarked that if her mental state were fragile enough to break, it would have done so long ago.
Contrary to their initial concerns, both men had nearly concluded that Cherry’s mental fortitude was remarkably strong. And yet, they both found this fact surprising.
Cherry sat blankly on the rooftop observation deck. Meanwhile, Ethan was seated on the steps of the garden shed, quietly looking up at her.
This was the first time he had observed her so closely. Before the world fell apart, his view of her had been tainted—always through the lens of a detective searching for evidence of criminal activity. Now, however, his gaze carried a different weight.
At that moment, Nox stepped out of the mansion’s front door. He paused, studying the sign hanging above the entrance that read “Happy House.” After a brief glance, he began walking toward Ethan.
“How’s Miss Cherry doing?”
“Fine.”
Without further comment, Nox followed Ethan’s gaze upward to the roof, where Cherry was scanning the village through a pair of binoculars.
“By the way, Lancaster, do you know why this mansion is called ‘Happy House’?”
Nox pointed at the sign hanging by the door and asked casually. Ethan shrugged.
“No idea. Judging by the scratched-out letters, it looks like it originally said ‘Temporary Shelter’ before it was edited. I’m guessing she built this place as a safehouse from the start—not as a vacation home.”
Honestly, even Cherry herself no longer seemed particularly determined to hide the truth about her preparations. These days, she seemed to carry a “let it be” attitude about most things.
Nox’s question triggered Ethan’s memory of an earlier conversation he had with Cherry.
“I got a letter too. It said that monsters would appear at 61 Notium Street and people would die.”
“I already told you. I was just a rich girl with nothing but money to my name, so I wanted excitement. But when I came here and saw the farmer turning into a monster, I was convinced. I don’t know who sent it, but everything in that letter turned out to be true. Look—the world ended because of those infectious monsters.”
“You didn’t try to find out more about whoever sent that letter?”
“Of course I did. But think about it. When did the incident at 61 Notium Street happen? What could I possibly have uncovered in such a short time?”
Cherry might not have known the world was about to end.
But she clearly knew that the monster appearing at 61 Notium Street was infectious. It was possible she had at least suspected the worst-case scenario.
Ethan didn’t bother pressing her any further.
No matter how much he thought about it, Cherry didn’t seem like the mastermind behind this disaster.
*****
The number of monsters prowling around Brunel and the mansion showed no signs of decreasing.
Ethan thought that if the situation remained the same after another week, they’d have to break through the swarm and leave. He couldn’t stay trapped in this mansion, not knowing whether his sister was alive or dead.
The situation at Happy House was equally stagnant.
Ever since Ethan first arrived in Brunel, Cherry had been working nonstop. And now, she was still at it. Even when asked if she should take a break, she simply shook her head.
“The mansion’s repairs weren’t even finished before the world ended, so what choice do I have? I have to work.”
Then, out of nowhere, she grabbed her hair and shouted:
“Damn it! The world’s ended, and I still have to do chores?!”
Cherry cleaned the mansion, repaired broken furniture, fixed the drainage pipes and chimney, planted crops in the garden, and even prepared every single meal.
Her daily routine typically began the same way.
Contrary to the gossip columns that used to talk about her, Cherry woke up early. As soon as she got up, she drank milk. She insisted that it needed to be finished before it spoiled and offered some to Ethan and Nox as well.
The three of them sat in a row on a bench in the Happy House garden, drinking milk and watching the sunrise.
This shared routine between them felt strange—but then again, what wasn’t strange in a world that had already ended?
Ethan still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. The combination of himself, Nox, and Cherry was the most bizarre grouping he could imagine.
Before the collapse, a scene like this would have been the talk of gossip magazines for months.
As they sat there, gazing up at the sky, Nox suddenly spoke.
“Miss Cherry, it must’ve been exhausting pretending to be someone else in high society.”
Cherry took another gulp of milk before replying.
“Pretending to be someone else?”
“The Cherry Sinclair that high society knew and the Cherry sitting here now are two completely different people. To change your personality so drastically... I have to admit, your determination to fit into the noble world and your acting skills are impressive.”
“It wasn’t an act, so why are you complimenting me?”
Cherry flatly denied it, but neither Nox nor Ethan believed her.
In fact, Nox and Cherry weren’t complete strangers.
Cherry didn’t seem to remember, but Nox had briefly seen her at Harrison Howard’s wedding.
The Cherry Sinclair he saw back then was completely different. In Nox’s opinion, the person in front of him now felt more genuine.
Cherry downed the rest of the milk in her mug and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I should’ve brought a cow instead of chickens. What’s the point of life once the milk runs out?”
“Personally, I think bringing chickens was the better call. Eggs are more valuable than milk,” Nox replied automatically.
As the words left his mouth, he suddenly felt how strangely peaceful this conversation was.
Outside, the world was hell.
Nox shuddered, recalling the two days he spent in Brunel, hiding from monsters and trying to survive the night.
Then he looked back at the peaceful sky, the vegetable garden, and the mug of milk in his hand.
No matter how he looked at it, treating Cherry Sinclair well seemed like a smart decision.
Just then, Cherry stood up abruptly, holding her empty mug.
“Doesn’t it feel like it’s getting hotter?”