The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House-Chapter 174

Harrison entered the kitchen at that moment.

“Young Miss. What exactly are you doing right now?”

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I was layering gauze, sand, gravel, and charcoal into a container that resembled a plastic bottle. I was making a makeshift water filter.

Perhaps my actions looked too practiced, as Harrison took off his glasses, wiped them on his shirt, and put them back on to get a clearer look at me.

Was making a water filter such a shocking thing? Scratching my cheek, I awkwardly offered an explanation.

“I found a book. I read it and learned how.”

It wasn’t a lie. I had deliberately stocked Happy House with a large supply of survival manuals.

Of course, in reality, it wasn’t just book knowledge. I also relied on memories of scientific experiments from my past life to master these skills more easily.

Harrison looked at me with a face full of questions but ultimately sighed without saying anything.

Instead, he approached me, squatted down to my level, and rolled up his sleeves.

“Just let me handle this. You don’t need to do it yourself, Young Miss.”

And then came the lecture.

Noticing the open kitchen door, where Nox was smoking a cigarette, Harrison shot him a sharp look. Startled, Nox extinguished his cigarette and rose from his seat, quietly slipping away to avoid the impending scolding.

Moments later, Ethan, Theodore, and Aurora entered the kitchen. It seemed the commotion had drawn them in.

“Cherry, shouldn’t we be heading out to secure more food supplies?” Ethan asked me.

Hearing that, Nox, who had been on his way out, stopped and turned to me.

“Come to think of it, Cherry, we were supposed to check the livestock pens together. Why not take care of that now?”

“Oh, right. We did plan to visit the pens.”

We had discussed this earlier: checking the underground prison beneath the police station for the thriving Elpinos herbs, browsing herbology books at the bookstore, and finally inspecting the livestock pens outside the village.

If it weren’t for the appearance of mutant monsters, we would’ve finished that already. There was so much to do.

I let out a tired sigh but suddenly noticed Theodore and Aurora in my line of sight.

‘Wait a second. We’ve gained more people.’

That meant we had more hands to work with!

Seizing the opportunity, I addressed them.

“Your Highness, Lady Aurora, you’ll be staying at our residence for a few more days, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) correct? If you plan to remain here, everyone has to earn their keep.”

I never thought I’d say something like that to the Crown Prince, but it didn’t feel too bad. Aurora was the first to nod eagerly.

“Of course! I’m quite skilled with a bow. Long-range attacks won’t be an issue.”

Now that she mentioned it, I remembered seeing her carrying a bow and quiver when we met in the underground passage.

Handling a bow was different from a crossbow, but it seemed Aurora was adept with the former.

Ethan, surprised, turned to her. “You know how to use a bow? That’s hard to believe. You’ve never trained.”

“Well, maybe I learned before I lost my memory? It felt familiar, so it wasn’t hard to pick up again.”

Aurora tilted her head as she replied.

She had been adopted into the Lancaster family at fifteen, after losing her memory. Perhaps it was something she had learned before then.

‘The novel never mentioned anything about Aurora’s life before she lost her memory.’

While everyone focused on Aurora, Theodore spoke calmly.

“I, too, wish to contribute. We’re all in the same boat now, after all. Tell me what needs to be done, and I’ll help.”

Theodore’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me, emphasizing the words “same boat” and “together” with an intensity that felt suffocating.

His gaze was filled with a possessive obsession, as though he intended to follow me everywhere. Please, keep that look to yourself.

*****

Though the matter with Kellyan had been resolved, there were still many tasks ahead of us.

First, we had to clear the road to the capital. Second, we needed to explore all the paths marked on the backside of the Happy House blueprint. Third, we needed to go out and secure food supplies. Fourth, we needed to gather ingredients for the cure.

For now, we gathered in front of the fireplace in my room to tackle the first issue.

The initial team for clearing the underground passage had changed. Instead of the original members, Nikolai, Vanilla, and Victor were assigned to the task.

Jose, who had been scheduled to go, had other responsibilities to handle.

“We’ll head out now,” Nikolai, the captain of the guard, said, standing by the fireplace. I turned to Vanilla, who stood beside Victor, and asked her.

“Ms. Ruskin, are you sure your leg is okay?”

“Yes, it’s fully healed. It’s just a little uncomfortable, but it’s not enough to stop me from digging. I’ll be fine.”

Vanilla gave me a thumbs-up with her usual blank expression. She did seem to be in good shape.

Meanwhile, Victor hoisted three shovels onto his shoulder. I patted his arm encouragingly.

“Take care out there.”

Victor grinned reassuringly and followed Vanilla’s lead, giving me a thumbs-up as well.

“Leave it to us, Young Miss.”

Victor and Vanilla seemed to have grown close, almost like an uncle and niece. It was a good sign. If Vanilla ran into trouble, Victor would likely take good care of her.

With that, they disappeared into the underground passage, one by one.

‘What if they end up opening the wrong path instead of the one to the capital?’

Theodore’s group had mentioned encountering numerous branching paths on their way to Happy House.

There was a chance they might uncover an unintended route while digging.

Well, that was something to think about later.

Ethan, Nox, Harrison, Theodore, Aurora, and I stood silently, staring at the spot where they had vanished, each lost in our own thoughts.

*****

We decided to split into teams.

With Nikolai, Vanilla, and Victor assigned to the underground passage team, the remaining members had to be divided for other tasks.

Harrison, Jose, Aurora, and Amy were tasked with checking the livestock pens outside Brunel Village.

Nox, along with Elderson and other royal guards, was responsible for monitoring Kellyan—who, despite agreeing to cooperate, still couldn’t be fully trusted—and repairing the damage caused by the typhoon at Happy House.

Emma, Michelle, and Susanna were assigned to rehabilitate the vegetable garden. It was a reasonably systematic division of roles.

As for gathering Elpinos herbs, the team consisted of Ethan, myself, Theodore, and Deputy Guard Captain Hamel.

That’s how I found myself with the Elpinos team, entering the wooded area behind Brunel through the police station’s morgue.

Ethan used the opera binoculars I had given him to survey the direction of the Happy House’s walls beyond the thicket.

“Now that the rain has stopped, it seems like there are fewer monsters.”

“They must have exhausted themselves. Lucky for us,” I replied, pulling a herbology book from the bag strapped to my back. It detailed the natural habitats of Elpinos herbs.

[If you exit through the back door of the Brunel Police Station, you’ll find yourself at the foot of the forest behind Brunel. At approximately 4.8 kilometers from the forest’s edge, there is a dense grove of spruce trees.

Follow this grove, and you’ll come across a massive sycamore tree with a small stream trickling beneath it.

Inspect the rocks near the stream or its banks, and you should find Elpinos herbs.]

I wasn’t sure if we could return to Happy House by the end of the day. Judging by the distance, it would be quite a hike. I silently prayed we wouldn’t lose our way—or encounter any monsters along the path.

As I walked in silence, I replayed Theodore’s plans in my mind. He intended to clear the underground passage and return to the capital, then prepare for an infiltration of Westmore using the secret route Kellyan knew.

Apparently, Kellyan’s brother was trapped in a tower occupied by Westmore’s leadership, making access difficult. But that was Theodore’s concern, not mine.

“If you’re struggling, say so. It’s fine to turn back, Your Highness,” Ethan said, checking the magazine of his revolver while addressing Theodore.

“So you’d prefer it if I turned back, is that it?” Theodore shot back, giving Ethan a sharp look as he dramatically unsheathed his longsword. Unlike Ethan, who favored firearms, Theodore had a preference for more antiquated weapons.

“Well, it’s been a while since Cherry and I were alone. It seems our prince here lacks self-awareness.”

At Ethan’s remark, Hamel, who had been quietly following behind, stared at him in shock. His eyes seemed to say he couldn’t believe Ethan would say or do such things.

Given Ethan’s reputation, I understood Hamel’s reaction. He was often called “the Mad Dog of Benton” for his rough, unpolished demeanor. It wasn’t a nickname that invoked thoughts of love or tenderness.

Yet, despite his wild reputation, Ethan was apparently quite popular among noblewomen in social circles, likely because of the stark contrast between his polished appearance and his abrasive personality. With his golden hair, flawless skin, and cold, aristocratic aura, he could easily pass for a noble prince—if he kept his mouth shut.

Hamel continued to glance nervously at Ethan, stumbling over his own feet as he walked. His arms and legs moved in sync like a beginner marching soldier. Watching this, Theodore sighed and turned to me.

“Lady Sinclair, weren’t you going to explain Elpinos to us?”

“Oh, my apologies for the delay. Elpinos is essentially a vaccine. Consuming Elpinos herbs can prevent infection—once, at least.”

Theodore wasn’t yet aware of the properties of Elpinos or that it could serve as a vaccine. In the novel Dying Wish, Aurora and Theodore only learned about its vaccine properties after meeting Ezra.

“A vaccine, you say? How do you know this, Lady Sinclair?” Theodore asked, his gaze curious.

“Well, you see—” Ethan cut me off and calmly explained everything to Theodore on my behalf.

He recounted how we had cultivated Elpinos and used it, how I had consumed the herb to rescue Emma and Victor from a monster’s lair, the Brunel occupation operation, and the dealings Nox had uncovered between the Marquis of KC and the Duke of Lancaster involving Elpinos.

After hearing the full story, Theodore looked at me in astonishment. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he finally spoke.

“So, the Marquis of KC and the Duke of Lancaster were mass-producing and trading Elpinos. Suspicious, indeed. It’s also strange that the herbs emerged in Hague’s territories—specifically at Ten Notium Street and 61 Notium Street.”

“The key point is that, whether or not my father is creating a cure, he’s clearly involved with the virus and scheming something in Westmore,” Ethan replied, his tone biting despite speaking of his own father.

“Uh, um... That’s not the problem right now,” Hamel stammered, interrupting Ethan and Theodore’s conversation.

Hamel was staring ahead with fear-stricken eyes. Following his gaze, we all crouched into the bushes.

Through the foliage, a familiar monster lumbered past.

It had a long tail and short arms, resembling a dinosaur. I recognized it instantly. It was the mutated monster from Hondorp.

“That bastard... Didn’t I cut off its arm?” Ethan muttered in disbelief beside me.

According to Ethan, before he came to rescue Nox and me, he had severely injured the monster, nearly severing one of its arms.

Yet the mutant before us looked completely unscathed, its limbs fully intact.