KVZS 19

“Earlier you were all stiff-necked and acting like a noble lady, and now you’re only looking for a man when things get hard?”

“Ha….”

Did I say I was looking for a man? I was looking for someone taller than me.

Not you. If my mom (170 cm), my sister (173 cm), or the volleyball emperor (192 cm) were here, I would’ve asked them instead.

I pressed my forehead, not even knowing where to start correcting him.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Come on, talk back like earlier. Argue with me!”

The nuisance guy kept rambling, thinking his opponent’s silence meant he’d won.

‘I swear, if I’d asked a 2.3-meter giant and got rejected, I wouldn’t even complain…’

This guy was barely a couple finger-widths taller than me.

“Forget it. Fine. I’ll do it myself because this is disgusting.”

“Yeah, good idea. You should keep solving things yourself like that. Don’t rely on men.”

Ignoring him, I turned to Yoo Je-in.

“Miss Yoo Je-in, could you hold the chair for me?”

“But Lady, this chair doesn’t even have one leg….”

“It’ll be fine for a moment.”

“Okay! I’ll help too!”

Consommé stepped forward enthusiastically. Mascapone, who had had a grim expression since earlier (she definitely looked like she wanted to kill the nuisance guy), walked over silently and grabbed the back of the chair as well.

“Hold it steady, okay? One, two, three—and lift. Three!”

“Eek! Lady!”

“You said one, two, three!”

“Aaaagh!”

“…I’m tired….”

I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

At this point, I didn’t even care about the corpses nearby.

The three women beside me were in just as bad a state.

“I’m thirsty……”

“I want chocolate milk.”

“I want strawberry.”

I turned my eyes toward the door.

The trap we had finally managed to set up was faintly glowing.

My head felt like it had cracked open from hitting the floor, and my waist and tailbone hurt, but at least we had achieved our goal.

‘How long will that hold them? 20 seconds? 30?’

Thirty seconds is still something. It’s thirty more seconds to live.

Watch the Olympics—medals are decided by 0.1 seconds. Thirty seconds is huge.

“…There’s still no sign outside, right?”

“Yes.”

Consommé and Yoo Je-in, who had been quietly talking among themselves, fell silent, looking dejected.

“I told you that trap wouldn’t work.”

From the beginning, the only one talking non-stop was the nuisance guy.

While we were working together to set up a crude trap, he hadn’t helped even once.

‘I knew it wouldn’t work? Useless, I told you. They never listen.’

He only stood there giving commentary.

‘Yeah, keep living like that. Always thinking nothing will work.’

You defeatist jerk.

Time passed.

Then the nuisance guy suddenly spoke.

“I’m hungry.”

So what?

When no one answered, he continued irritably.

“Does anyone have any food left?”

He looked at Yoo Je-in, the gentlest and easiest target among us.

Yoo Je-in shook her head awkwardly.

“No… there isn’t.”

“You had a snack earlier.”

“No, I ate it all. Lady told me to finish it.”

I nodded.

“That’s right. I told her to eat it all.”

I had made sure of it in advance.

‘I knew he’d try something. Earlier he was already eyeing her food, saying, “You’re going to eat all that?” That felt suspicious, so I had her finish it.’

People like him always do the same in disasters—once authority is gone, they steal food, clothes, blankets, medicine.

Haven’t they seen enough disaster movies?

He’d been quiet until now, but the moment the prince and duke weren’t here to stop him, he started talking. Pathetic.

‘I’m really picking up too many swear words from working. Without words like idiot, crazy, damn it, I can’t even form a sentence.’

I spoke up.

“If there was food left, you weren’t going to ask for it anyway, right? Why should Yoo Je-in give you anything?”

“That would be the rational choice.”

“Why is that rational?”

“I’m bigger. I use more strength.”

“What strength did you even use getting here?”

‘We’ve got time anyway, let’s argue.’

“Did you use it shouting ‘Open up!’ at the top of your lungs?”

He had a loud voice, that was about it.

His face turned red.

“I told you to watch your tone.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Ha… Princess, do you think you can keep acting like this? Think carefully. I might decide not to save you when corpses show up later.”

“Geez. You should at least show some usefulness before saying that.”

You haven’t lifted a finger, yet you expect us to believe your empty promise?

“In a supermarket, even selling dumplings requires a sample. If you want something from us, shouldn’t you show a taste first? What can you even do?”

In this world, is there even a supermarket? Who knows.

“Right now, the only ones actually working are me and Yoo Je-in and the others. What did you do while we were struggling?”

“……”

“All I’ve seen from you is crying over a single corpse even when someone put a sword in your hand. If we go by effort, you should be vomiting back everything you ate and handing it over.”

“Enough! Shut up!”

The nuisance guy snapped his head toward Consommé and Mascapone.

“You two don’t have anything either?”

“No, we already ate everything.”

“And even if something happens later, we won’t ask Papri-nim to save us, so don’t worry.”

Mascapone’s voice was cold.

Everyone looked displeased. Realizing that no one was on his side, he shut his mouth.

Then he crouched down, muttering.

“You people don’t even know how to save food in an emergency. Women…”

“You’re one to talk after eating everything yourself and asking us for it. Men…”

“What did you just say?”

“What? You started it.”

He glared at me.

“Isn’t it boring to keep arguing with me? I’m bored.”

Let’s end this.

“Paprika, watch your mouth. The same me who saved your life in the kitchen is a woman, and so is Sir Dazzling who went out risking her life to clear a path while you just sat here looking for snacks.”

And if this trap buys us time…

Then that time is life borrowed from all the women here.

“You told us to think for ourselves. Maybe you should try thinking too.”

“I… what….”

“You see four women and only you here, right? What if we decide we hate you so much we kill you and stack you on top of that corpse pile?”

I pointed at the bodies with my chin and added mockingly.

“Still going to just hug your sword and cry?”

“Hey!”

He jumped up and raised his hand.

“You think you’re safe because those guys saved you earlier?! I’ll—!”

His hand came down with force.

It’s coming!

And then—

“Stop it!”

Consommé stood up, holding a broken chair leg and pointing it at him.

“Stop! Try hitting her!”

Her arm trembled violently as she held what was probably the first weapon she’d ever used.

“You said you’d protect us. Is this your idea of protection? Hitting us because we don’t listen?”

The nuisance guy let out a hollow laugh and ran a hand through his hair.

“Now even the dead weight is acting up….”

“I’m not dead weight!”

Her shout made him flinch.

“We at least did something with our own hands! Even if it was crude! But you keep calling us useless, and now that we actually did something, you say it’s pointless!”

“……”

“Did you actually want us to stay useless? So you wouldn’t have to face the fact that you’re the most useless one here?!”

Consommé’s trembling arm steadied. Her grip tightened.

“You would’ve said everything we did was pointless anyway, right? Am I wrong?”

“……”

“Sit down quietly. Or I’ll hit you.”

Faced with her anger, he said nothing.

His raised hand slowly lowered.

Obeying, he shrank into a corner, grinding his teeth.

‘If I say this is satisfying… does that make me trash?’

But it feels way too good.

We left the sulking nuisance guy alone and took out the bread I had hidden earlier.

“Eek!”

Mascapone grimaced, but I pretended not to notice and split it in half, handing pieces out.

“It’s bread born from my chest.”

Even Mascapone, though disgusted, took it.

As I pulled bread from my chest, the nuisance guy suddenly looked over.

I ate a piece deliberately in front of him.

“I could give you some, but…”

“…but?”

“I changed my mind because of your attitude.”

“….”

Earlier he had said, “Why are you only looking for a man when things are tough?”

Delicious. Truly.

Even Yoo Je-in, of all people, ate her bread quickly while glancing at him nervously.

Wow. If even Yoo Je-in is like that, just how much has he ruined his reputation?

Consommé laughed while chewing.

“I’m eating something touched with the same hands that massaged feet.”

“Same here. My nails are filthy… wow, I’m disgusting.”

I comforted them.

“Neat and elegant is something you can afford when you have energy. Right now, surviving messy is what matters.”

Then I quietly switched seats with Yoo Je-in, taking the position facing the door.

So I’d be the first to react if someone came in.

Whether it’s a corpse or a person would decide my response.

“Let’s keep it a secret that we ate bread with our foot-massaging hands once we get out.”

Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

Yoo Je-in sat close beside me and whispered.

“Lady, can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“…It might be rude. Please punish me if I crossed the line.”

“Uh… what is it?”

What’s with the buildup?

She hesitated, then asked:

“Didn’t you… love the Crown Prince?”

“…I did?”

“But how can you be so… so….”

“You mean how I can talk so calmly?”

She was probably thinking about what I said earlier—that the male leads would come to save Yoo Je-in.

How considerate.

I turned to her lightly.

“I did like him. I just don’t anymore. As of today.”

“May I ask why?”

“Hmm.”

Because the person inside this princess isn’t the same one you knew.

“I just… fell out of love.”

“Just… like that?”

“I’m selfish. I want a man who always puts me first.”

“….”

“From now on, I want to love someone who, if I fall, drops everything and helps me up first.”

And then—

A blood-soaked arm smashed through the window.

[Imperial Villa Hunting Lodge – Outbuilding]

• Yusara, Yoo Je-in, Mascapone, Consommé, Nuisance Guy (Survivors)