KVZS 10

“Mascarpone’s family runs a merchant guild. The large guilds that are licensed to handle enchanted goods—your family is the only one like that, aren’t they?”

“So?”

Mascarpone looked wary. From her expression, it seemed she already guessed what I was going to say. I shrugged and asked.

“Don’t you have anything useful on you?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m talking about magical items you’re carrying. Even if you couldn’t bring weapons into the imperial palace, you might have something like self-defense tools.”

“……”

“I feel like you’d have at least one.”

“I don’t.”

The immediate answer surprised me. I blinked, and Mascarpone snapped at me.

“As I said, this is an imperial villa. I didn’t expect anything like this to happen, so I didn’t bring anything. I left any self-defense items with offensive enchantments back at the palace with my knights.”

“I see.”

“If I had anything useful, I would’ve already offered it. What is it? Is it my fault for not predicting something like this and not bringing it? Did you think I was carrying things just for you?”

No, why is she suddenly exploding like that…

‘I guess she’s sensitive after being called dead weight by that useless guy earlier. Did I poke the wrong nerve?’

My attempt to grasp at straws must have sounded to Mascarpone—who already disliked me—like: “What, the daughter of a magic shop family didn’t even bring a decent self-defense item? Useless baggage.”

That wasn’t what I meant.

Her unexpectedly sharp reaction made me feel awkward. Mascarpone was staring at me like she was ready to argue back tenfold for anything I said.

We held eye contact for a moment.

“No, I’m sorry. I just asked in case. I didn’t mean to doubt or blame you.”

Without waiting for a response, I stood up.

I asked Dazzling, “Is it okay if I go inside?”

At my question—directed at him—Dazzling’s eyes widened. The answer came instead from the Crown Prince.

“Why do you want to go inside?”

“To look at the treasures.”

“…I see. Go ahead.”

Right. Then let’s go.

I hooked my right arm around my left arm stretched diagonally downward and pulled, stretching as I walked into the gallery.

On the way, I didn’t forget to accidentally step hard on the useless guy’s hand.

“Ack!”

“Oh my, sorry. I did it on purpose~”

“You insane—mmph!”

“Papil, please be quiet!”

The useless guy had clearly heard my conversation with Mascarpone and was about to start something like, “What, you old lady, got something? Hand it over! You don’t? Useless baggage!” or whatever.

Honestly, I was feeling a bit responsible for this situation.

‘We got trapped here because I provoked that useless guy.’

Because he got angry, he kept kicking the wall.

If I hadn’t provoked him, he wouldn’t have kicked the wall. And if he hadn’t kicked the wall, the zombies wouldn’t have shown up.

‘Well, the biggest fault is still that idiot who can’t keep his mouth shut and just says whatever comes to mind.’

Anyway, I had to fix this.

These people were the main characters anyway. They weren’t going to die pointlessly trapped here.

There had to be a way. I just hadn’t found it yet.

And I had a feeling it would be easier to find than expected.

“Give me strength… Bucheon commute walking dad now our school is Resident Evil 27 Days Later World War G Zombieland Dawn of the Dumb Blessing directors…”

Those movies all had tons of ways to evade zombies and escape!

Remember something! There are so many methods!

I walked slowly, like I was playing an escape room game.

My feet, dragging heavy military boots, filled with exhaustion.

Sleepy, tired, worn out.

“I’d rather go to work.”

Me, saying I’d rather go to work—this was the first time since my job-hunting days.

In the dark gallery, imperial treasures were displayed along both sides of the corridor.

As if no one ever thought they’d be stolen, they were just placed on velvet-covered stands.

Under the hazy, mist-like lighting, the treasures stood out like stars.

Crowns used in coronations, sculptures from temples that once stood here instead of this villa, expensive and priceless things…

I was looking at a cocoa cup made of opal and white crystal that once belonged to the first emperor when—

“If you want it, take it.”

“Eek!”

I turned around and saw the Grand Duke.

He had appeared behind me at some point and was holding the cocoa cup I was looking at, offering it to me.

“This villa was built to serve as His Majesty’s birthplace. Praha was born here and stayed until he was a hundred days old. This cup was brought here at that time.”

I looked at it skeptically and asked.

“If I take this, will I be executed?”

“Anyway, this island is already ruined. No one would know if you took it.”

“What do you mean no one would know? Heaven would know, earth would know, I’d know, and you—who would report me—would know. I’m not taking it.”

If I took it, he’d probably report me and get me executed.

At my words, the Grand Duke laughed.

“Do you really think I would report you?”

His golden hair shimmered under the dim light. It was a brilliance worthy of sitting among imperial treasures—more radiant than the opal and white crystal in my hands.

“Tell me, lady. Do you really think I would report you?”

“Well… isn’t it right to report thieves?”

“You really don’t trust me. I came all the way here just to protect you because you went in alone.”

“That was a completely pointless thing to do. Thanks.”

“About earlier… are you still upset?”

At the sudden question, I tilted my head.

Earlier?

Ah.

Him and the Crown Prince prioritizing Yujein over me.

‘Why are you bringing that up now?’

So many things had happened since then that it felt like ancient history.

And technically, that was the trigger that got us stuck here.

“No.”

I said to the Grand Duke, who was looking down at me like he was observing me.

“I’m not upset at all.”

“Why aren’t you upset at all?”

“Because being upset requires some level of expectation.”

“……”

“I don’t have any expectations from either of you.”

That was a lie. I was actually pretty upset.

But pride is pride. I would never admit it.

I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin.

I declared to the Grand Duke:

“If someday I’m drowning with a man I like and you’re there too, I’ll save the man I like first. You should do the same. Let’s just do what we want and not resent each other.”

The Grand Duke looked at me and said,

“But you like Praha.”

“……”

“And that Praha prioritized Lady Yujein over you earlier.”

Right. Fuck. That’s true.

“…I guess I should find a new man.”

My answer made his eyes widen slightly.

I met his gaze without hesitation.

Even when surprised, he was still handsome.

Impressive.

‘Do whatever. I don’t like you people anyway. Why? Because you’re too far from me.’

You’re from another world. You don’t like me. In fact, you probably dislike me.

Even your height makes everything feel distant—your lips are too far from mine.

‘Everything is far. Everything.’

I’m too tired and worn out to cling to a man who doesn’t even like me.

These overly self-assured handsome men need to learn there are other options in the world.

‘From the beginning, it wasn’t me—Lady Yusara—who liked the Crown Prince or the Grand Duke…’

With that thought, I didn’t look away.

The Grand Duke’s bright eyes gleamed with interest as he stared at me. After watching me for a while, he suddenly laughed.

“Do you know how funny you look right now?”

“Me?”

“You look disgusted, but your tone is polite.”

“Oh.”

“When my butler talks nonsense, he looks exactly like you.”

So even your butler has a rough working life.

Still laughing, the Grand Duke placed the cocoa cup down anywhere. I looked at the blond handsome man amusedly grabbing strangers for entertainment and said,

“Anyway, I’m not upset, and I don’t intend to scold Lady Yujein about earlier either. That’s what you came to ask, right? You got your answer, so you can go back now.”

“Lady, I—”

The Grand Duke seemed about to say something, but my attention had already shifted elsewhere.

I narrowed my eyes at a pillar-like shape lying in the corner.

‘What is that?’

I frowned and walked closer.

It was a corpse. A decapitated corpse.

At the last display stand, in front of a portrait of a young armored emperor, there was a body with its head separated. Someone had casually pushed the severed head into a corner. The exposed cut smelled of rotting blood.

I stopped, almost stepping on the sticky blood.

Seeing me stare blankly at the body, the Grand Duke stopped speaking and gave an awkward smile.

“So I told you I should’ve come with you.”

“……”

“Are you alright?”

“…Did you deal with this corpse, Your Highness?”

“It was already dead when we arrived. Sir Dazzling cut off the head. I only cheered him on.”

“……”

Don’t mess with Dazzling in the future!

“Lady, are you really okay?”

Without answering, I crouched in front of the corpse. I turned the body that was lying face down.

…Just as I thought.

It’s there too.

I pretended to examine the corpse and quietly slipped the sparkling object I found into my dress pocket.

The Grand Duke asked,

“Why are you turning someone else’s severed body over? Is looting corpses your hobby?”

“I didn’t loot it. I examined it.”

“Why are you examining a corpse? Do you know this corpse?”

“…I do, actually.”

It was that servant.

The one who, when I first possessed this body, stepped between me and Mascarpone during that argument.

“Actually?”

“It’s nothing.”

More importantly—

I stared at the zombie corpse that had already lost a lot of blood.

Zombies don’t have sight. They detect us through hearing and smell.

‘What if we dismembered this body and smeared its blood and organs on ourselves? Could we trick their senses that way?’

Where did I see that method? Walking Dad? Was it?

The idea itself didn’t seem bad…

I slowly turned my head and looked at the tall handsome man beside me.

[Inside the Imperial Villa, 1st Floor Gallery]

• Yusara, Grand Duke (survivors)