The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House

It’s much better when it’s quiet like this. It’s fine if Eden just stays like that.

By virtue of his appearance, Eden looks like a prickly and cold-hearted princess. Surprisingly, however, he sometimes displayed a bit of sarcasm when he opened his mouth. Sometimes.

It was probably due to the rough way he spoke that occasionally popped out.

The truly astonishing thing was that this person was the sole heir of the Duke of Lancaster. And not just any heir, he was destined to be a significant figure who would eventually lead the political world.

If he continued to speak in the same manner even after entering high society, it would undoubtedly cause quite a stir. Somehow, I’m looking forward to it.

‘Anyway, if he stays quiet, he’s an unbeatable piece in terms of looks alone. He’s incredibly handsome.’

Still, I must maintain a certain distance from Eden.

After all, he and I lived in different worlds. Even if I was a ‘Sinclair,’ someone with substantial capital that even aristocrats envied, ‘Lancaster’ was a high-ranking aristocrat I could never aspire to. He was inherently in a different class by nature.

…Isn’t that a story from before the end of the world? Well, that’s true.

But even if the societal system collapsed, the gap between Eden and me wasn’t just about that. He and I had different roles from the very beginning.

In other words, Eden was a critically important protagonist, an absolute main character who must not die, in the novel ﹤Love in a Ruined World.﹥ I, on the other hand, was just an extra, someone expendable.

I shook my head vigorously and held the binoculars in front of me again.

“But that’s not what’s important right now.”

Because we were on a hill, we could see the entire Brunel village from Happy House.

Although it was dusk, the time when the gas lamps would be lit, naturally, there was no one to light them.

The village was still shrouded in darkness, with only monsters roaming around, there was no sign of human activity.

The tired village, the mysterious creatures roaming through it. The cries of the creatures echoing through the air. It was a very strange and eerie scene.

I handed the binoculars to Eden.

“Take a look. How about we just charge straight through?”

In response to my question, Eden firmly shook his head while examining the village through the binoculars.

“That won’t work. What if the monsters from the village also gather here while we’re doing that?”

He retorted with a slightly snarky tone.

“We have to be cautious since we need to achieve the maximum effect with just one shot.”

Maximize the effect with just one shot.

His words were right. Since we only had one life, we needed to be as cautious as possible.

“Miss Cherry, why are the torches installed outside the wall?”

Eden pointed towards the outside of the wall and asked me. There were torches that were not lit installed there.

“It seems like a mistake by the wall repairer.”

Hahaha. I roughly brushed it off like that.

Anyway, Eden knew even more about the more suspicious bells, so this excuse wouldn’t be of any use.

However, regardless of Eden’s speculation, I didn’t need to verbalize it myself.

The reason we weren’t using torches right now was that we needed to go outside.

The torches were meant to prevent monsters who feared fire from coming close to the mansion, not to drive them away. Furthermore, we had to plan with the consideration that we might need to return to the mansion.

There was a possibility that the situation outside might cause more monsters to gather, preventing us from returning inside later.

“There seems to be traps as well.”

Eden, who was scrutinizing the area around the mansion, seemed to have discovered the traps I had set up around the mansion this time.

“Traps too?”

I looked at Eden with a surprised expression.

In response, Eden lowered the binoculars and looked at me. Quite intently. I awkwardly laughed and met his gaze.

“Why?”

“… Do you really not know?”

I nodded my head vigorously.

“Of course, I really don’t know.”

Eden squinted his eyes and studied my expression closely. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

He stared at my face as if he were trying to bore a hole through it for quite a while. Then he said-

“Miss Cherry, did I really seem that easygoing to you?”

Somehow there are bones in his words. Cold sweat streamed down my back, and I did my best to avoid his gaze.

T/n: (말에 뼈가 있다) She said that there are bones in words. It means there is a hidden meaning behind what Eden said.

[Proverbial Buddhist teachings] There are bones in words ﹤ Not classified ﹤ Article Text – The Buddhist Newspaper (ibulgyo.com)

“But still, well, I’ll just let it slide.”

“What’s this? After saying everything, why are you pretending to be merciful? It’s scarier that way.”

“Because I’m repaying a favor? Please understand. My manner of speaking has always been like this. Still, I make an effort to treat Miss Cherry kindly. I’m indebted to you, and above all, you’re a lifesaver.”

I looked at Eden with a perplexed expression.

Yes. Eden’s manner of speaking was naturally rough. When facing criminals or dealing with Knox…

Anyway, what if he finds out I’m the woman who dealt with the monsters in Noctium Street No. 61? I don’t know how he’ll change if he finds out. I’m already trembling in fear.

When we met at 61st Noctium Street, Eden had suspected that my involvement with monsters might have been the reason for me fleeing. So I shouldn’t let him find out…

No. He might already know the truth. Every time I used my power, he looked at me with an inscrutable expression.

‘But if he knows and doesn’t say anything, wouldn’t that be scarier? He’s just observing me.’

Regardless, it was terrifying. What would happen if the protagonist lost trust in me? Would it lead to a bad ending, with or without my powers?

After a long while, Eden finally tore his gaze away from me and turned his head back towards the direction of the traps.

There were quite a few monsters caught in the traps I had set in advance.

“Well, at least that seems to have a definite effect, so that’s fortunate.”

I nodded in agreement with Eden’s words.

“That’s right.”

The pit had been made by me and Susanna together.

Thinking of Susanna, my stomach churned once again. The image of the maid’s dress torn and scattered flashed in my mind, threatening to occupy it entirely. I gritted my teeth and pushed those dark emotions back down.

In reality, if it were just me, I could stay inside this mansion for a month or two, enduring until the monsters lost interest and dispersed.

However, Eden and I needed to find someone right now, so we couldn’t afford to waste time.

‘I need to find a solution… a way…’

Eden sighed, his expression showing his frustration as he ruffled his hair.

He glared at the catapult installed on the railing, and I found myself looking at it as well, mirroring his gaze.

It consisted of two sturdy wooden pillars, a wooden beam spanning between them, and a rod fixed below, serving as a lever.

To be honest, it was more like a lever than a catapult. I wasn’t an expert in weapons, nor did I have extensive knowledge of science. So, my ideas had their limits.

This time, Eden tapped the catapult indiscriminately.

“Miss Cherry, how about using this?”

“Well, I don’t think it would be efficient to use that against such a large number of monsters.”

The catapult required precision and focus. It was the kind of device that could maximize its effect in a single shot…

‘Wait, what if we don’t use the catapult to hit monsters but something else?’

Our goal wasn’t to eliminate monsters by hitting them with the catapult, was it?

I looked at Eden again. He smiled slightly when our eyes met.

“It seems like you’re thinking the same thing as me.”

“I wasn’t suggesting using the catapult to snipe the monsters away. Isn’t that right?”

In response to my question, Eden nodded and looked towards the village with me.

“You said they’re sensitive to sound, right? So, what if a loud noise came from somewhere other than here?”

“They would all gather there.”

I took the binoculars from Eden’s hands and carefully examined the village again.

The village was quiet, just like before, except for the monsters roaming the streets.

“I can’t see any survivors. And as for something that could create a loud noise by throwing a stone…”

While scanning the village with the binoculars, I trailed off as I saw a statue erected in the village square.

There was a statue of a praying girl. It was a fairly large statue as well.

Eden, who had been watching me silently, lowered his head towards me. His face came uncomfortably close.

I was startled and took my eyes off the binoculars. Eden paid no mind and looked straight at the binoculars in my hands, bringing his eyes close to them.

His smooth skin and child-like fluffy cheeks came close enough for me to touch.