KVZS 09

chapter 09

Dazzling, holding her sword upright, ran ahead. Behind her followed Mascarpone, extra 2, and the Grand Duke carrying Yujin. Yujin flinched in surprise when the Grand Duke lifted her without permission, but she had no choice.

“This way! …Wait! Don’t come yet!”

Dazzling, who reached the left staircase first, was visibly clenching her teeth so hard it was clear even from this distance.

Mascarpone, who had tried to stop in surprise, stumbled. The indoor slippers she was wearing slipped up around her ankles.

The Grand Duke caught her as she slid with his remaining arm.

“Are you alright?!”

“D-Dazzling is right ahead…!”

“Stay behind me!”

The Grand Duke steadied Yujin in his arm and looked back.

Their eyes met as he checked whether I was following.

And then I realized.

The Crown Prince was not following.

I looked back.

The Crown Prince was slowly retreating while watching the approaching zombies.

What is he doing?!

“Hey!”

Even when I called him, he didn’t even look.

“Hey! Are you trying to die or something?!”

Just as I ran up to grab him by the back of the neck—

The Crown Prince untied the magic rope around his wrist.

He tied one end to a protruding pillar on the wall, and the other end to a window latch on the opposite wall. His movements were so familiar it looked like he had done it many times.

He quickly set up a trap and then ran toward me.

“Why are you not running?”

This time, the Crown Prince was the one urging me.

“I was trying to because you weren’t—ah!”

“Excuse me.”

Without slowing down, he grabbed my waist and threw me over his shoulder like luggage.

In an instant, my body shot up to nearly 190 cm above the ground and I swallowed a scream.

“Ugh!”

“Please endure it.”

Ignoring my flailing arms and my violently shaking body, the Crown Prince ran.

The speed was unbelievable for a 169 cm adult woman carried over his shoulder.

The only thing I could do was avoid biting my tongue.

Over his back, I could see the corridor we had just passed.

The zombies chasing us were caught in the rope trap he had set, their necks being cleanly severed.

Slash. Thud. Thud. Roll.

“Kiieek…!”

Detached jaws and necks fell to the floor like a VR game unfolding in front of my eyes.

Blood sprayed out, and zombies stepped on rolling heads, tripped, collided with others, and the thin rope trembled as if it would snap—

“Grrk!”

The white rope, which had looked like a musical string, turned bright red in an instant.

“Kyaak!”

A zombie charging with its mouth open had its lips sliced by the blood-soaked rope.

Even as the front zombies were instantly decapitated and collapsed, more kept coming. A group of them tangled together at once, and the window latch supporting the rope was ripped off.

That was the end of the trap.

“The trap is breaking!”

“Ignore it and run!”

How am I supposed to run?! You’re carrying me!

If they get any closer, I’ll be the first one grabbed!

I clung tightly to the Crown Prince’s back.

Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.

“Kaaargh!”

Please, please, please…

‘I’m so fucking scared! Waaah!’

Sounds of tearing flesh, screams, footsteps from somewhere ahead.

“Mascarpone!”

“I-I’m fine—ah!”

“Dodge!”

“Are you okay?!”

“Yes! Sir Dazzling is…!”

“I’m fine too!”

As we went down the stairs like that, I was so terrified I thought I might bite my tongue.

“This way!”

As soon as we reached the bottom, we took refuge in the first place we could find.

Whoosh!

The Grand Duke pulled the curtain shut the moment we entered. Behind the thick blackout curtain, the Crown Prince slid and put me down.

Tap, tap, tap. The blind zombies passed right by us by a hair’s breadth.

Just as I was about to let out a breath—

“Shh.”

The Crown Prince pulled me into his arms and trapped me there.

A large, rough hand covered the back of my head. My face was buried in his shirt.

He hid me with his body and arm while peeking through the curtain gap.

All I could see was his neck and rising chest.

Every time he breathed, the muscle under my nose gently expanded and contracted.

Sweat mixed with blood and soap.

It was his scent.

“W-wait… this is too—”

As I tried to pull away, he tightened his hold.

“…Stay still.”

“….”

“There’s no door here.”

Only then did I realize this place was separated from the outside only by a thick curtain.

No door, and zombies roaming the corridor?

Are you insane?

‘So much for reaching the kitchen!’

The situation had gotten worse than before.

I buried my face in his shirt and endured my unsteady breathing.

Heat and breath came from the arms around my back and waist.

The Crown Prince, focused only on what was outside, flinched slightly every time my breathing reached him, as if he had forgotten I was in his arms.

Or perhaps he would rather sacrifice his own arms to zombies than let me be hurt.

We stayed like that for a while.

“Ugh… it’s suffocating…”

I twisted slightly, but he didn’t budge.

His fingers were tangled in my hair.

I tapped his arm again. Only then did he lower his head toward me.

I whispered toward his approaching lips:

“Let me go now.”

I can’t breathe!

“…Ah.”

“….”

“I’m sorry.”

Only then did he slowly loosen his arms.

The moment I was released, I looked through the curtain gap outside. And immediately locked eyes with a zombie.

“……!”

If I hadn’t remembered they had no eyesight, I would have screamed.

Ignoring the Crown Prince who looked like he wanted to push me behind him, I checked outside.

Zombies from the second floor and those gathered from the first floor were wandering the corridor, making groaning sounds.

Getting to the kitchen through them…

“Hm. Maybe only someone thin enough to slip through falling raindrops could do it.”

In short.

We were screwed.

Turning back, I saw the rest of the group collapsed on the floor. The nuisance man lay flat on the ground, Mascarpone leaned against the wall, and Extra 2 and Yujin were gathered nearby.

All of them were breathing heavily like freshly caught fish, covering their mouths so no sound would escape.

“Haah… haah… haah…”

Even so, the nuisance man wriggled behind them, and Mascarpone let out a scoff.

“Honestly, seriously…”

“Mascarpone…”

Extra 2, holding Mascarpone’s leg, shook his head.

“If we make noise… we’ll all die.”

That was true.

The only thing separating us from the corridor was a curtain.

‘I think the Grand Duke and Dazzling went to scout inside.’

Inside, where they had gone, a long corridor stretched out dimly lit, like something would jump out at any moment.

Silver letters were written on the black wall.

[Brocol.
Emperor of the Empire blessed by the Twelve Gods.
King of lands where the sun never sets.
(…)
To honor the eternal glory of the imperial family.]

Seeing readable writing somehow made me feel a little relieved.

‘Wait, I can read this?!’

So I’m not illiterate!

Good!

Judging by the writing, this looked like an imperial gallery.

[Building layout revisited]
2F: staircase / central stairs / secret room
1F: gallery / kitchen / dining hall

In the end, to reach the kitchen, we had to go halfway around the entire corridor.

At that moment, the Grand Duke and Dazzling returned from inside.

Seeing us gathered at the entrance, they tilted their heads.

The Grand Duke asked:

“Why are you all gathered here?”

At his clear voice, Extra 2 flailed his hands like a startled seal.

“Your Highness, your voice is too loud…”

“This is fine.”

“But…!”

“It’s really fine. The only person who could hear and chase us at this volume would be that foreign princess who claimed she received a divine revelation to marry me.”

There was someone like that?

The Grand Duke continued:

“If you move further inside, it’ll be much less frightening. You can breathe more easily too.”

That was true.

But no one moved. They seemed too exhausted, or too afraid to go deeper into the dark.

Sighing, the Grand Duke walked over to the Crown Prince.

Without taking his eyes off the outside, the Crown Prince asked:

“How is it?”

“None.”

“I see.”

Mascarpone frowned and asked:

“Excuse me, Your Highnesses… what do you mean, none?”

With an awkward smile, the Grand Duke didn’t answer. Instead, the Crown Prince spoke calmly.

“There is no door in the inner section Cyprus just checked. The only exit from this gallery is…”

“Grrrk!”

“….”

He didn’t finish, but everyone understood.

The only exit from this gallery was—

here, which we were currently guarding.

We were trapped.

Outside were wandering zombies. No exit.

‘Should we go out and clear a path?’

Dazzling mouthed the words. The Crown Prince shook his head.

‘Too many.’

Right. Zombies had poured in like rain. There were far more of them than the original population of the island.

Even the Crown Prince, the Grand Duke, and Dazzling seemed to find it strange.

‘The total number that should be on this island is about thirty…’

‘How…’

Hmm.

Watching them communicate silently, I turned away.

I met Mascarpone’s exhausted eyes. Her neat hair was a mess, the soles of her feet were black, and her dress was wrinkled. She had been picking fights earlier, but now she was too tired to speak.

I crouched in front of her and tapped her stretched-out leg.

“Lady Mascarpone.”

There was something I had been curious about since earlier. It felt like the right time to ask now.

[Imperial Villa 1F Gallery]

• Yusara, Yujin, Crown Prince, Grand Duke, Dazzling, Mascarpone, Extra 2, Nuisance Man (survivors)