ESMLT 43

Chapter 43

“I especially need to pay close attention to that man.”

I glanced at Viscount Lafran.

Seeing the male leads paying attention to me, he took a few steps back and looked at me with a gaze full of disdain.

It was an unbearably unpleasant look, as if he were watching a predator tempt a female who held power. Yet, the moment he made eye contact with the male leads, his tail tucked immediately.

“So, he thinks I’m easy.”

Even with rumors calling me a troublemaker, even as someone from the upper class, I was still “just a woman” in their eyes.

In the eyes of the viscount, a member of a male-dominated society, I—weak in a world where survival requires strength—was nothing more than an easy target.

“I suppose my misunderstanding isn’t just rude to me but to the male leads too.”

I didn’t feel the need to explain.

“Before long, one of the male leads will surely catch on and scold him.”

I found some amusement in that thought and pointed the additional survivors toward the second floor.

“Viscount Lafran, Yand, Zenta, all of you take showers and change clothes on the second floor. We’ll continue the remaining discussion tomorrow morning.”

“Yes…”

“Understood.”

Yand sniffled and nodded, taking his brother’s hand as they went upstairs.

Viscount Lafran followed them, taking the opportunity to look around the interior he hadn’t seen before.

I craned my neck, watching until they disappeared from sight. Then the Crown Prince blocked my way.

“Hey, my lady. Are you listening?”

“Shh. Be quiet and come over here.”

Once I confirmed they were completely upstairs, I signaled the male leads with my eyes to call them into the courtyard.

Standing in a circle in front of the warehouse, I crossed my arms and addressed them.

“We’re going to have to delay the escape by a few days.”

“What did you just say…?”

Before Jaeger could scowl menacingly, I raised my hand.

“Please hear me out first.”

Do you think making this decision was easy for me? I wanted to escape this place more than anyone.

Still, there were two reasons for the delay.

Reason one.

The Warp Scroll can only hold five people.

Including the additional survivors, there are eight of us.

We have to choose.

Who stays and who goes.

The most ideal solution I’ve come up with so far is to send back the four male leads, including the weaker Yand, while I remain with the Viscount, Zenta, and in the zombie zone… but…

“Do you think I can just say, ‘Goodbye everyone!’ and leave?”

If I were to leave with the male leads, there’s no way the remaining survivors could last until they’re rescued.

In the original story, the saint would come to save them—but I can’t exactly tell them to wait calmly until then.

“Besides, there’s a child and a young boy over there.”

The male leads wouldn’t abandon the weak.

Another option is to send the additional survivors and two male leads first, leaving me and two male leads behind…

“I’d like to stay with the Crown Prince and Danha, but… would Xien leave without finding the former Mage Tower Master’s remains?”

Sigh. I exhaled deeply and pressed my hand to my forehead.

“I really should have brought the ossuary.”

Xien acted as if he didn’t care about the remains of the previous Mage Tower Master, but that’s the real reason he wanted to stay behind.

“What if I stay with Xien?”

I decided to imagine it.

Soon, monsters would appear in the Sacred Forest, and Xien would know and go berserk.

Then Xien would suffer a heart attack, and I couldn’t be sure of the survival of myself and the other male lead left with him.

In the original story, Xien’s rampage caused no casualties. The Crown Prince chased him into the Sacred Forest but lost him due to the “darkness” phenomenon in the dawn forest.

But if we happened to be nearby during this berserk episode…

I shut my eyes tightly at the horrific thought.

The Sacred Forest was already destroyed—there’s no law preventing us from burning along with it.

“No. Xien must go out via the Warp Scroll, no matter what.”

Having reached the conclusion that we must bring the former Mage Tower Master’s ossuary, I sighed softly and looked at the cabin.

Reason two.

The additional survivors are hiding something.

I wasn’t certain. It was just deduction and intuition.

Yet sometimes, animalistic senses are the most accurate—and the scariest.

“It’s strange that they opened their eyes in the Sacred Forest in just a week.”

And also strange that they lost their memories.

As I pondered deeply, the Crown Prince—who had heard all my opinions—was the first among the male leads to agree.

“You felt it too. They’re hiding something. Especially Viscount Lafran.”

Then Danha, who had been lost in thought, joined the conversation.

“I’m not sure, but delaying the escape is fine. Do as the lady wishes. The Warp Scroll wasn’t originally yours anyway.”

“What about the Mage Tower Master?”

I looked at Xien, but he was just fiddling with my hair as if he didn’t care.

At my expectant gaze, he shrugged belatedly.

“If Ria-san is fine with it, then I don’t mind.”

“Then what remains is…”

I looked at Jaeger, asking his opinion with my eyes, but he simply stared at me silently with unreadable eyes.

Unlike Danha’s bracelet or the Crown Prince’s investigation, his eyes didn’t show that he opposed the delay.

He didn’t pressure me to give him the Warp Scroll, didn’t threaten to be included in the escape, didn’t insist we leave immediately.

He just looked at me—with complicated feelings in his eyes.

“Now that I think of it, he’s had that look for a while.”

Danha moved aside, saying it seemed the two of us still had things to discuss. The Crown Prince, pressing his clasped hands against his head, started toward the cabin but couldn’t resist touching my hair, pulling Xien along.

Jaeger, who remained, finally seemed to settle his thoughts and sighed, beginning to speak.

“If that’s your opinion, I have no objections.”

“…Really?”

“As the Prince of Zehah Kingdom said, the Warp Scroll is yours. Only you can decide who stays and who goes.”

Who are you? Reveal yourself.

Finally, a sane person appeared after someone had previously demanded I hand over the Warp Scroll.

Jaeger stared at the floor with calm eyes.

“I cannot trust you.”

Of course.

“I’ll keep my promise to investigate when we return.”

Fine, do so.

“I’ll watch the additional survivors to ensure they don’t do anything reckless.”

Go ahead.

Jaeger looked at me quietly, then turned slightly so I couldn’t see his face.

“…But after meeting them, I have to admit one thing.”

“….”

“Thanks to you, I survived with ease.”

I opened my eyes wide.

“So, you’re thanking me now?”

Jaeger frowned sharply, glaring at me as if to say I shouldn’t be talking nonsense.

“Oh, so you’re saying you see me as human rather than a parasite?”

“Sigh…”

I teased him a bit, and Jaeger exhaled deeply, turning away.

“I see that you are not a parasite, so stop mentioning it.”

I called out to his retreating back.

“You’re still applying medicine to your legs, right? Be careful not to scar.”

Jaeger brushed over his eyes, unrelated to the wound, and turned his face slightly toward me.

“…Don’t worry about it.”

After the Dawn Forest, his ferocious aura had subsided, but he was still prickly.

When the first escape was delayed, he was extremely anxious. When the second delay occurred, he deliberately avoided being alone with me. Yet his eyes were always on me.

Cold yet passionate, dry yet lingering.

I rolled my eyes.

“Looks like he’s slowly letting go of his resentment toward Redria, huh?”

I stopped my thoughts and smiled quietly at Jaeger, who was holding the door handle. I silently wished he would shed his heavy hatred for me by the time we escaped the zombie zone.

Then, just as Jaeger opened the back door—

Crash! Bang! Thud!

“….”

Danha, the Crown Prince, and Xien, having been eavesdropping, toppled like dominoes from below.

“….”

Jaeger shot them a look of disdain and strode into the cabin.

The Crown Prince casually brushed back his hair and entered, Danha followed after clearing his throat.

Xien…

“What’s wrong?”

He glared at me with a thoroughly sulky face. His violet eyes, glimmering with tears, looked so pitiful I almost thought he’d cry.

I watched him for a while. He muttered something with a sullen expression and turned abruptly.

“Ria-san, you’re an idiot.”

……?

I stood there, blinking in bewilderment.

“Did he just call me an idiot? Why?”

For some reason, his sulky attitude was utterly absurd.

And so, I remained alone in the courtyard, letting out a quiet, light laugh.