We put aside our complicated feelings, and the night passed.
When morning came, we all gathered in the banquet hall. The large, ten-person dining table there was perfect for group discussions.
Jose, Emma, and Victor looked around in awe.
“This place is perfect. It’s like a flawless shelter. I slept so well. It’s been ages since I’ve slept in such a soft bed.”
Jose spun around the banquet hall, hugging his sniper rifle tightly. His face, prettier and more delicate than most women’s, gave off a slightly clueless vibe.
But I knew better than to be fooled by that face. For all his charm, Jose was a deadly sniper who could eliminate targets without batting an eye.
Since more people had joined us, Ethan and Nox had been unusually quiet.
Especially Ethan—he sat slouched in his chair, looking completely unmotivated.
Yeah. Calling it a loss of motivation felt right. He even looked a little bored.
Emma and Victor were visibly intimidated by Ethan and didn’t dare go near him. Amy and Jose were the same.
I’d mentioned before that in the original story, Ethan’s excellent survival and combat skills saved many people, but his nasty temper made him easy to hate.
“I’ll stay until Cherry’s in better shape.”
“If I’m not here, who’s going to keep this reckless lady in line?”
I clearly remembered him saying that.
I wondered just how much Ethan trusted me now. Was I still scraping the bottom of the barrel?
Despite his rough exterior, Ethan was someone with a lot of hidden warmth. He probably thought I genuinely needed his help, which was why he stayed.
But now that the group had grown, maybe he no longer felt like he needed to worry about me.
Was he thinking about leaving?
I was pretty sure we still had two days’ worth of milk left. Drinking milk together every morning had become a routine, and it’d feel strange without him. I should ask him to have one last glass before he left.
‘Hmm. Should I find an excuse to ask for another favor before he goes?’
I was lost in thought when I suddenly felt someone’s gaze. Turning my head slightly, I locked eyes with Nox.
He had a lollipop in his mouth and was smiling faintly, his expression unreadable.
For some reason, that man always gave me the unsettling feeling that he could see right through me.
As usual, I ended up sitting at the head of the table in the banquet hall. I hated sitting there, but everyone treated it like the obvious choice and gave me pointed looks whenever I tried to sit somewhere else.
So, with tears in my eyes, I had no choice but to sit under everyone’s watchful gaze.
Once I settled in, we all took turns introducing ourselves.
Cherry Sinclair.
Ethan Duncan Lancaster.
Nox Cornell Ludfisher.
Harrison Howard.
Vanilla Eddy Ruskin.
Jose Cambren.
Amy Wharton.
Victor Hope.
Emma Swap.
There were nine of us in total—a sizable group.
“Miss, thank you once again. You saved our lives, so please feel free to put us to work however you need.”
Victor held Emma’s hand as he thanked me again.
“Me too! I wasn’t sure about coming here when the lawyer first suggested it, but it was the best decision ever!”
Jose raised his hand and shouted, his enthusiasm so over-the-top it was almost cute. Everyone chuckled quietly.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d be able to make such good use of this mansion. I guess showing it to you was the right decision.”
Vanilla sounded a little gruff, but even she seemed grateful. Her tone was noticeably softer than usual.
I looked around at everyone thanking me.
Well, I wasn’t running a charity here, so their gratitude didn’t make me feel particularly proud.
‘If I helped them, then they’re going to work for it.’
I immediately got to the point.
“While you’re staying in this mansion, you’ll all have to earn your keep. I’ll be assigning tasks accordingly.”
“I can cook. I’m also good at managing supplies.”
Victor wasted no time highlighting his usefulness. Then he took Emma’s hand and introduced her skills as well.
“Emma’s great with her hands. She’s good at anything that requires dexterity—sewing, fixing broken tools, you name it.”
He wasn’t wrong. Emma’s skills were incredibly, incredibly useful.
Of course, what pleased me the most was finding out that Victor was a chef.
‘I was planning to kidnap a personal chef for Happy House before everything fell apart...!’
And now one had just walked in on his own.
Victor had been a chef before the apocalypse, and Emma had owned a clothing shop. So Victor naturally became the official chef of Happy House, while Emma took charge of mending our tattered clothes and managing household chores.
Victor and Emma looked like they might cry if they weren’t given something to do, so they seemed deeply relieved to be assigned roles. Honestly, I was grateful for it, too.
As for managing supplies and overseeing general administration, that task, of course, went to Harrison. He adjusted his glasses as if it were no big deal.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
“I used to handle the affairs of a corrupt corporation like Sinclair, so this is nothing.”
“The heir of that corrupt corporation is sitting right here, Harrison.”
I gave him a pointed look, but he only responded with a small smile.
Honestly, Harrison had taken care of most of Sinclair’s business matters—probably even more than I had. He likely knew the family’s affairs better than I did, so I decided to stay quiet.
While I was observing Harrison’s reaction, Jose suddenly raised his hand.
“I heard there’s a watchtower on the roof. Since I’m a sniper, I’ll take care of weapon maintenance and keep watch.”
His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, making him look like an over-eager honor student in the front row.
Since Jose was an expert in weapons, he was assigned to handle the maintenance and modification of our arsenal while doubling as our sniper and lookout.
Vanilla, who had been silently sitting with her legs crossed, raised her hand next. Her face was as calm and unreadable as ever.
“I’m pretty good at shooting, too. If you ever need to form a hunting party, leave it to me. I can handle scouting and keeping watch as well.”
No matter how I looked at it, Vanilla didn’t seem like an ordinary noblewoman. She was way too competent.
In the end, she was tasked with alternating shifts with Jose to keep watch and assist in scouting missions.
Then Nox, who had been lounging in his chair and sucking on a lollipop, finally spoke up in his smooth voice.
“I’m a doctor, so I think my role is pretty clear, isn’t it?”
True enough, Nox’s position was obvious, and there wasn’t much else to assign him.
Lastly, I decided to take charge of scouting and reconnaissance. Vanilla would assist with scouting when she wasn’t on guard duty.
“What about me, Cherry? Why am I being left out?”
Ethan suddenly interrupted, questioning the assignments. I tilted my head and asked,
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving. I can’t leave. I’ll stick around a little longer.”
Ethan rubbed his face like he was exhausted, then muttered,
“Honestly, I’m afraid you’ll go off the rails without me here.”
He shook his head as if it were completely hopeless.
Was he talking about me? I wasn’t sure, so I tilted my head.
Harrison, who had been taking notes with his fountain pen, looked up and added,
“Sir Ethan is an invaluable asset to our combat strength, so if he’s staying, that’s great news. I’ll assign him to the reconnaissance team with Miss Sinclair.”
There was definitely some shade in Harrison’s voice when he said “reconnaissance team.” It was clear he wasn’t thrilled about me going out to scout in the first place.
Still, Harrison had a knack for keeping his personal feelings in check in front of others.
Amy, who had been darting her eyes around nervously, suddenly shot her hand up.
“Unni! What about me?”
Everyone’s attention shifted to Amy, and the room fell silent.
Amy was talented, but her age was the issue. She was just too young, and it was hard to feel confident about giving her risky tasks.
Because of that, I hesitated, unsure what role to assign her.
Amy lowered her hand and fell quiet, looking deflated.
That’s when it hit me—this was why Amy had seemed so nervous the night before.
She must have been worried that I’d see her as useless and throw her out.
“...What about having Amy assist in other roles?”
Jose broke the silence, making Amy look up in surprise.
She hadn’t expected Jose to speak up for her and stared at him with wide eyes.