There was a survival camp in the neighboring village of Kint as well. However, its leader had a reputation for being rather ruthless.
Apparently, the guy was surprisingly capable and had amassed a decent stockpile of supplies by raiding other survival camps.
'Maybe I should consider looting them.'
Their camp was set up in a place I knew very well: the Sinclair Hotel, Kint branch.
'Hmm, but could we even make it to Kint safely?'
A fight could break out if we weren’t careful. It seemed like an impossible idea.
I’m a pacifist at heart. Unlike Aurora in Love in a Ruined World, I had no desire to conquer other survival camps and rise as a top power. I wasn’t cut out for that anyway.
‘I’d rather just...’
Just quietly survive with my group.
Aurora and Theodore would figure out how to resolve this crisis eventually. They were the main characters, after all.
"For now, we can gather food from the mountains or hunt wild animals. But monsters might attack, so we’ll need to form teams and plan strategies carefully. We’ll hold out like that until the crops are ready."
It would have been great to scavenge what was left in Brunel, but there were too many monsters there. Of course, it wasn’t as bad as larger cities, but it was still a lot.
"Understood. I’ll draw up a more detailed plan," Harrison replied, sounding as though he had no better option.
Since hunting was Vanilla’s specialty, I thought it would be good to talk to her about it.
"More importantly..."
Harrison trailed off, taking off his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing.
"I’m just glad you’re safe, Miss Cherry. I’ve been dying to hear your story."
"Ah... it’s only natural to be curious. But I’m curious about your story too. How did you get here? How did you meet Jose and Vanilla?"
I was genuinely curious. I especially wanted to know how he had gotten tangled up with Jose, one of the key characters in Love in a Ruined World.
"If you tell me your story first, I’ll explain mine."
Harrison’s response was resolute. Great. Where should I even start?
With an awkward laugh, I briefly recounted what had happened. I explained how I settled in Brunel, met Ethan and Nox, and dealt with the sudden apocalypse and Susanna’s death.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.
Right on cue, Amy entered the salon.
"Sis! The doctor is looking for you. He says it’s time for your check-up."
"Oh, really...?"
Perfect timing. I jumped up from my seat. Harrison’s barrage of questions would inevitably come next, and I needed to escape before then.
"Looks like I have to go!"
With a forced laugh, I waved at Harrison and headed for the door.
"Miss Cherry, we should have a talk tonight. A long one. I haven’t even begun asking my questions," Harrison declared with chilling finality, cutting off my retreat.
It was like a death sentence. Resigned, I shuffled back toward him like a toy being wound up, and asked,
"Does it really have to be tonight?"
I already had an idea of what he’d say, and I wasn’t ready to answer.
"We didn’t finish our conversation earlier, so yes. Tonight. It can’t be postponed any longer."
Defeated, I nodded quietly.
"Alright..."
Harrison let out a small laugh, as though I was impossible to deal with. Yet he didn’t retract his ultimatum.
"Actually, Harrison, the world is ending soon. A pandemic is about to break out, one that turns people into monsters. That’s why I’m going to Brunel—to prepare for the apocalypse."
Crap. Why did I even say that? What kind of excuse could I make now? If I brought up the novel, he’d probably think I was delusional.
Harrison was the type to demand an explanation he could understand, so unless I came up with a convincing story, this conversation wouldn’t end. It felt like I was boarding an endless train ride to nowhere.
Since we agreed to talk in the evening, I decided to spend the time thinking of an excuse.
...
...
...
But when evening came, I still hadn’t thought of anything.
‘I’m doomed. Completely screwed.’
How long would Harrison’s lecture last this time? It would’ve been fun to place bets with someone.
Maybe I should drink some milk before we start. It might be the last bit of milk we have left. And this might be my last peaceful moment too.
As I lost myself in a train of thought, people began gathering in the banquet hall.
Victor was in the kitchen, passionately stirring three pots on the stove at once.
Since we needed to conserve ingredients, it was probably just stew. But the fact that a real chef was making it made all the difference.
"This already feels like heaven," Jose muttered, clutching a spoon as he stared dreamily toward the kitchen.
Jose was easily moved by simple things. Seeing his enchanted expression was charming in its own way, though someone should really close his mouth before his drool hit the floor.
Amy, seated conveniently next to Jose, reached out and gently closed his gaping jaw. Then, without a word, she tucked a napkin into the collar of his shirt, fashioning it into a makeshift baby bib.
Lately, Amy had been unusually attentive to Jose. She’d been openly suspicious of him before, but ever since he supported her during the role assignment meeting, she’d started looking out for him.
It was a good change—poking too deeply into Jose’s past would only create awkwardness for both me and Harrison.
As I stood up, watching Emma bring out bowls of stew, the hem of my shirt snagged on a nail sticking out from the chair.
Rip—
The sound of fabric tearing filled the room.
"Ah!"
Startled, I let out a small cry, and Emma quickly set the stew down and came over to inspect my torn shirt.
"I can fix this for you, Miss Cherry," she offered kindly.
"Really?"
"It’s my responsibility. I used to run a clothing shop, remember? Just leave it to me. It won’t take long."
Emma’s warm smile felt like a balm. She was in her forties, yet she looked as fresh and elegant as a lily.
To be honest, there were plenty of younger, prettier women here, but Emma stood out as the most beautiful. For the record, Jose came in second.
As I stood there admiring Emma’s serene expression, a strange noise echoed through the mansion.
Thud.
It sounded like something hitting a wall, like someone deliberately striking it with an object.
What was that?
The banquet hall fell silent.
The sound hadn’t come from outside. It was from inside the mansion.
"It sounded close," Nox murmured, leaning out to peer down the hallway. The noise had come from just beyond the banquet hall.
The memory of Susanna’s disappearance flashed through my mind. I quickly scanned the room. Ethan, Nox, Harrison, Vanilla, Amy, Jose, Victor, Emma—thankfully, everyone was accounted for.
Ethan reached out and gave my head a light pat before standing.
"Stay here, everyone. I’ll check it out."
I immediately got to my feet and followed him.
"This is my house. I should be the one to go," I said, grabbing the axe I had propped up next to my chair.
Harrison, who had come closer, widened his eyes in alarm.
"Miss Cherry, this is dangerous," he said, carefully taking the axe from my hand and placing it back on the table.
Even though he’d witnessed my brute strength while I saved Victor and Emma, he still acted this way.
'Wait a second... Did I ever tell Harrison about my strength?'
I had shared that fact with Susanna, but now that I thought about it, I’d kept it from Harrison. Why hadn’t I told him? And why hadn’t he asked?
'Could he have been saving it for tonight’s interrogation?'
The sheer number of possible questions Harrison might ask tonight left me flustered.
Nox, clearly unimpressed by Harrison’s protective stance, spoke up with a lazy smirk.
"Dangerous? I must have misheard you, Counselor. Isn’t Miss Cherry the most dangerous person here?"
Nox rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then met my eyes and gave me a cheeky wink.
"One punch from Miss Cherry, and we’d all be dead in an instant..."
"Ludfisher," I said, narrowing my eyes. He shrugged with a playful grin.
"You know I like you, Miss Cherry, right?"
"Nope. Never got that impression," I shot back.
While I was glaring at him, Harrison dropped an unexpected revelation.
"I know about your strength, Miss Cherry. Not because of the axe—I've known from the beginning. But even so, I still want you to stay as safe as possible..."
"What?"
He’d known? From the beginning? After all the effort I put into hiding it because I was so embarrassed...
Before Harrison could finish his sentence—
Thud.
The sound came again, cutting through the air.
This time, Ethan leapt into action, bolting out of the banquet hall. I hurried after him, and the others trailed behind us in a line.
Ethan stopped in the hallway, scanning his surroundings. The noise seemed to have come from near my room and Ethan’s room.
"Miss Cherry, did you hear that? It sounded like it came from inside your room," Ethan said, his tone cautious.
I nodded. I had heard it too. Standing beside Ethan, I carefully observed both my room and his.
Thud, thud.
The noise came again. This time, there was no doubt—it was coming from inside my room.