Episode 35

“Did both of you test her?”

A silence ensued.

Lihad turned his upper body towards Sien while looking back at Jaeger.

His honey-colored eyes, tinged with the sunset’s red, blinked.

“What are you talking about?”

Sien silently brushed her hair back.

“……”

At the two men’s enigmatic attitude, Jaeger’s eyes slowly calmed.

This confirmed it.

‘They were testing whether to leave her behind or stay with her, making a rational judgment, even if it meant pushing themselves to the limit.’

If she were to stay here, it meant that she had a certain ‘purpose’ to save everyone.

Though the answer was vague, given by majority rule, she most likely wanted to stay with them after all.

What exactly was she hiding?

‘For my sake, you can’t die here!’

Why was she trying so desperately to save them?

The sudden zombie outbreak.

The mysterious magical items of unknown origin.

The possession of weapons in advance.

Her cold, calm judgment.

The way she acted as if she knew everything.

All these questions about her came to the surface when the five survivors were gathered.

“Ha.”

Sien, thinking it was silly to keep hiding her true feelings, let out a languid sigh, breaking the silence.

“I find it hard to agree with this man, but it’s true that Ria is hiding something from us.”

“……”

“It’s also true that she’s desperately trying to save us.”

Sien tilted her head, her upper body leaning forward.

So, even if she were trying to charm and consume him with flattering words…

Her cold amethyst eyes glared at the two men in the cabin and the man outside the window.

‘It’s not just about wanting to protect me, is it?’

She was incredibly displeased.

‘Those uncivilized men.’

Sien’s eyes turned toward the rabbit nibbling on the last bit of carrot at the end of the table.

‘That damn monster brat too, all of them.’

Isn’t that what she was trying to protect?

Sien, who had been staring at the rabbit, suddenly felt her irritation rising.

‘What the hell, why is she sticking so close to Ria and won’t leave her?’

The rabbit, sensing a sudden cold glare, dropped the carrot from its mouth and trembled.

Watching this, Lihad shook his head.

‘Here we go again, as expected.’

That damn temper. The young lady should know about it.

Lihad waved his hand toward the rabbit, which had turned pale.

“Come here.”

“Kkiing…”

The rabbit hurriedly ran into his arms. Lihad looked down at the pitiful creature.

‘Poor thing, even this one.’

He lifted the rabbit’s ears and made eye contact with it.

“From now on, you’re not sleeping with the young lady. You’re sleeping with me. Got it?”

Of course, sleeping together wasn’t really allowed.

Lihad, too, found that point distasteful.

How much time had passed?

Jaeger, lost in thought, finally spoke, looking out the window.

“Do you think she’s trustworthy?”

The two men turned their attention to Jaeger.

No answer came.

Though both affection and trust are based on psychology, in some cases, they can coexist in contrast, like the front and back of a coin.

Breaking the silence, Lihad, who had been quietly stroking the rabbit, spoke up.

“We’ll watch her for four more days.”

He slowly lifted his eyelids, and the sunset gleamed, as if sprinkled with golden dust.

“I’m terribly curious about what the young lady is hiding. Aren’t you, Duke?”

“……”

Jaeger pulled back the curtain and watched the two men.

The red glow of the sunset stretched across the table, casting a dim light over the cabin interior.

The amber hue subtly enveloped the three men, dazzling them.

* * *

“……”

This is the zombie zone.

Originally, it was a sacred area, with a tomb in the center.

It’s divided into four directions, and it’s now the third day since the western area was added.

Exploration team: Crown Prince, Redria

Reconnaissance team: Jaeger, Danha

Rest area security: Sien

As of now, there has been no progress in the field investigation, let alone any additional survivors.

“……”

I followed the Crown Prince, who was walking ahead, with a keen eye.

For a moment, his red hair fluttered in the wind.

Was this a sign that he allowed assassination?

There are no forces from the Empire’s four major military branches, no patrols, no Imperial investigation teams, no knights, no mage squads, and no Imperial shadows here.

So if I killed the Crown Prince, wouldn’t anyone know?

I momentarily raised the hammer, dreaming of a perfect crime, but stopped.

[Redria Arios, Royal Family Assassination!
Finally, making a huge mistake!]

The headline flashed in my mind.

My hand slowly lowered.

‘I came for the pardon. I’ll hold myself back, just hold on.’

I didn’t want to be dragged into prison after losing everything due to Hayton.

I sighed and thought of Jaeger.

I felt a strange sense of betrayal.

Had he, a member of the temple, also ultimately succumbed to the hierarchical society?

The one who spoke with the Crown Prince,

‘Let’s stay a few more days for investigation.’

What on earth was he thinking?

He had wanted to escape the zombie zone and return to Roeni more than anyone else.

I recalled Danha, who had left with him.

Danha’s weapon was a bow.

It was commonly used in the Eastern Continent, and fortunately, he knew how to use a bow. The problem was, there were no arrows.

As I mentioned before, before this place became the zombie zone, it had been a sacred area, and possessing weapons was prohibited.

So, to ensure the safety of the family, the armory had been provided, but lethal weapons had been excluded.

‘Carrying only a bow around, he shouldn’t get hurt.’

Well, when I think of him smashing skulls with a shovel, I guess it’s an unnecessary worry.

At that moment, the Crown Prince stopped, noticing something, and turned to look at me.

“Young Lady, there’s something here.”

What could it be? Probably just zombies.

The Crown Prince rubbed his chin and exclaimed, seemingly trying to spark my interest as he trudged along.

“Oh, amazing.”

What’s so amazing about it?

It would be amazing if the male lead went bald.

Since I had been left in the zombie zone because of the Crown Prince, I had become as sullen and rebellious as a teenager.

“Young Lady, this way.”

The Crown Prince urged again.

I shrugged and tied my hair back as I approached indifferently.

When I woke up from the bed the previous day, I had lost my hair tie. I had been using silk thread, but even that broke, so now my hair was loose.

As I tidied up my bothersome hair, I stood next to the Crown Prince and looked at the place he pointed to.

“What is that—”

Huh?

I blinked and opened my eyes wide.

“Young Lady, why is there a cave over there?”

That’s what I was about to say.

We had just come down a steep hill from the thick woods, walking along the beach.

But below the jagged cliff, there was a cave that seemed to have been carved out of the rocks.

Hearing the sound of crashing waves, I met the Crown Prince’s gaze.

I pulled out the map from the pouch I had rolled up and spread it out.

There was definitely no cave on the map.

The cave only existed on the east side.

The ‘dimensional cave’ where Redria had stolen food and stayed for a day before fleeing.

But why was there a cave here, one that wasn’t on the map?

I tapped the brooch on my shirt and called out to Jaeger and his group.

There was only a static crackle in response, indicating they were out of range.

I rolled up the map again and returned it to the front of the pouch.

“Shall we enter?”

“Let’s.”

The Crown Prince and I exchanged looks before heading toward the cave…

‘Wait a minute.’

I hesitated at the cave’s entrance.

‘Isn’t there a higher chance that someone with a strong curiosity in an apocalypse will die?’

In other words, entering here would violate the survival rules of the zombie apocalypse.

‘Should I just suggest going back?’

I rolled my eyes in thought.

“Young Lady?”

The Crown Prince, who had already entered the cave, turned back to look at me.

When I froze in place after taking a step forward, thinking I was scared, he gave a little chuckle.

The sea breeze ruffled his hair as it passed. The sunlight reflected off his pupils, making them shine brightly.

“Don’t worry, Young Lady.”

Thinking I needed reassurance, his voice was gentle.

“……”

“You won’t die.”

“……”

“Probably.”

It would have been nice if his words had been warmer.

As expected, he’s a mad dog only kind to my woman.