In one corner of Happy House’s garden, there was a pile of firewood Ethan had stacked up before the apocalypse.
I tied bundles of ten logs together with rope, turning them into makeshift projectiles for the catapult. Amy helped me with the task.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Nox were inspecting the weapons I had looted from the armory.
"Honestly, it’s infuriating. Instead of asking for help, they’re already plotting to take over the mansion."
"That’s human nature. People turn into selfish cowards in the face of danger."
Nox’s response was almost cynical, like a man who had completely given up on trusting others. Ethan, apparently in agreement, added his thoughts.
"It’s because they underestimated you, Miss Cherry. They decided that taking what you built would be easier than lowering their heads and asking for help."
Ethan was right. Taking over the mansion probably seemed more profitable in the long run. I had turned it into a near-perfect shelter, after all.
"But there’s still a lot we need. We have to stock up on essentials and emergency food supplies. I’m thinking of planting more crops this week—we need the extra food."
"You’re going to grow more food?"
"Yeah. This is my garden. I’ve already planted a few crops, but it’s not enough. We’ll need more."
The well was conveniently nearby, making the location ideal for growing crops. Amy stared at the tilled garden with wide eyes, clearly impressed.
Cluck-cluck—
Suddenly, the sound of chickens came from the coop.
"Oh. Did they lay eggs?"
I stood up, walked to the coop, and retrieved five fresh eggs.
Both Nox and Ethan stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at me.
A moment of silence followed. I looked back at them, holding the warm eggs in my hands as they gawked.
Amy broke the silence first.
"I think coming here was the best decision I’ve made all year."
"Being taken in by Miss Cherry is definitely worth calling a stroke of luck."
Nox, chewing on a lollipop stick while sharpening his blade, smiled at me when our eyes met.
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It seemed smiling whenever someone made eye contact was a habit of his.
Looking like a prince, I was sure that smile had broken the hearts of plenty of women. I even remembered that Nox had quite a few admirers in the original novel.
Now that the house was bustling with people, it finally felt alive.
If I had been alone, I probably wouldn’t have been able to move on from Susanna’s death.
At least tonight, it seemed I wouldn’t have to endure another sorrowful, silent evening.
Still, given the way events were unfolding, it was clear the story had shifted significantly from the original timeline the moment I moved to this rural village.
The major events—the apocalypse itself—still followed the original plot, so the core of the story hadn’t changed.
Assuming the main storyline remained intact, there would be a major incident in the capital in about a month.
That incident would mark the beginning of the power struggle between Crown Prince Theodore and Prince Lloyd.