Chapter 3
“My Lady, has your puberty perhaps come back around…?”
“Shall I show you what a proper rebellious phase looks like?”
“That was a slip of the tongue. Thinking back, your puberty was truly terrifying.”
It was true that the adolescent Cherry Sinclair had a mindset that was hopelessly naive and flowery.
To give you an idea of the scale, she once stole a Sinclair-owned yacht just to rebel against her parents. Not only that, she had the audacity to pilot the yacht across the ocean and flee to another continent.
‘My parents and Harrison went through all sorts of hell trying to find me back then.’
Even if I knew how to steer a yacht, it was absurd for a mere novice like me to cross the ocean. Fortunately, the weather stayed perfect. It was a stroke of divine luck.
‘Thinking back, I really was a hopeless case.’
I could understand a hundred times over why Harrison treated me like a lunatic.
Anyway, I called out to Harrison again, pressing for an answer.
“Harrison.”
“……Understood. It’s been a while since we’ve gone on an outing together, so I’ll consider this a trip for pleasure.”
At Harrison’s answer, I cheered internally.
“However, it will have to be in a few days. I need to acquire the weapons you mentioned, and there are urgent documents I must process.”
I was a bit disappointed by his follow-up, of course. Still, I was relieved he agreed to come in a few days. As long as he made it to Brunel within twenty-one days, it would be fine.
“Great, Harrison. I’ll be waiting in Brunel, then. You have to come quickly—really quickly.”
“I understand, My Lady. I’ll get there as fast as I can.”
I emphasized the need for speed one last time. Only after receiving his firm confirmation did I finally stand up.
Next was the bank to withdraw some funds.
The Central Bank of the capital, Benton.
I planned to take out every single loan I could possibly get today.
The Sinclair family fortune bequeathed to me was tied up until I turned twenty. That meant there was still a full year left.
The monthly business dividends from the Sinclair estate were enormous, so I had lived comfortably without issue until now, but currently, I needed a much larger sum of money.
Moreover, since some of the monthly dividends were used for the family’s operating expenses, if I were to suddenly run off with all that cash, the household staff and Harrison would be left in the dark regarding their living expenses for the month.
Of course, there were other assets like real estate and stocks besides cash, but the latter would take too long to liquidate, making them impossible to use immediately.
The conclusion was that loans were my only option.
“Lady Sinclair, you wish to take out a loan…? No, that can’t be right. I must have misheard you.”
Morton, the bank manager, stared at me with a face that suggested he couldn’t believe his ears. I gave him a bright, innocent smile.
“You heard correctly. That’s right.”
“Are you truly asking for a 100-million gold personal loan?”
Morton asked me once more. I nodded without a hint of hesitation. That amount would be more than enough to fund my preparations for the apocalypse.
Actually, with only three weeks left, I wasn’t sure if I could even spend that much money. Still, just in case, I had to pull as much immediate cash as I possibly could…!
‘When else would I ever get to take out a 100-million gold loan if not now?’
“Yes, that’s right.”
At my answer, Morton nodded with a dazed expression and handed me the paperwork.
“This is a formal question, but what is the purpose of the loan?”
“I’m going to use it as a fund to prepare for the end of the world.”
“Do you require assistance?”
“Pardon?”
“If you are being blackmailed by someone, I can discreetly contact Harrison Howard for you—”
I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Of course, saying things like that would make people treat me like a crazy person. For some reason, I felt like I might cry.
“It’s nothing like that.”
“Ah. Then is it perhaps because of the club? I heard a few diamond mines were at stake in the latest bet, but I never imagined it would be an amount this large…”
“Mr. Morton. I was joking.”
Until recently, I had been running a gambling club. it was a move befitting a thoughtless heiress who loved pleasure.
While people pointed fingers and called me vulgar, ironically, they vied to join the club. The income and information gathered there were quite useful.
Morton had presumably deduced that I needed quick cash because I had scaled up the gambling stakes.
“I haven’t attended the club in quite some time. I’m even thinking of handing over the management rights soon. But why are the questions so long? I feel like I’m being interrogated. Are you perhaps looking down on the Sinclair family?”
Startled, Morton pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his cold sweat and apologized.
“My apologies. I was merely surprised that the heiress of the Sinclair family, of all people, would seek such a large loan.”
If I could have inherited the estate right now, I wouldn’t have gone this far! Of course, there was no way others would know about such restrictions.
“I need it urgently for overseas business. As you know, the Sinclairs have many ongoing projects, so all currently available assets are tied up.”
Only then did Manager Morton smile brightly as if he finally understood. He then quickly arranged for stacks of cash to be prepared.
Money was piled neatly into large bags. The weight of the bags looked substantial. I had brought a few Sinclair family servants with me, which proved to be a very wise choice.
‘Cash is king. Long live wealth!’
Soon, the nation would collapse, and ‘money’ would become nothing more than scrap paper. If so, shouldn’t I spend all this money quickly to prepare for the end?
‘Let’s pack as many survival supplies as possible.’
I just needed to stay alive and hold out in a shelter until the protagonists found a cure.
‘You can do this, Cherry!’
It was just as I stood up, trying to boost my confidence, that the headline of the newspaper Manager Morton was reading caught my eye.
[Monster Commotion at Notium Street No. 61, More Witnesses Appear?! Benton Police Authorities Call It an Absurd Story. Witness Statements Are Groundless….]
It seemed to be a follow-up to the article I had read previously.
Back then, there had only been one witness. Perhaps that was why people had ignored him and treated him like a madman, but this time, there wasn’t just one or two witnesses.
The blood in my veins ran cold. Seeing the article with my own eyes heightened the sense of crisis. I was anxious.
I recalled that around the time the novel’s plot began, one or two virus monsters would appear across the country like premonitory symptoms. Since those creatures had nothing to eat, most of them died without being able to exert any strength or were killed after being spotted by people.
‘But eventually, enhanced monsters appear, and within three weeks, the virus spreads throughout the entire kingdom.’
“……Would you like this?”
I must have been staring too intently. Morton handed me the newspaper that had been on his desk.
“Thank you.”
It was embarrassing, but I took the newspaper for now. I was curious about the contents.
I left the bank while quietly reading the paper.
On the night this newspaper article was reported, the first real monster appears at the mansion at Notium Street No. 61.
It was also the incident where the heroine, Aurora, encounters a monster for the first time.
‘Wait, doesn’t that item appear there?’
The Elpinus herb!
It was a herb that acted as a sort of vaccine.
No one knew where it came from, how it was created, or why it happened to be at the mansion at Notium Street No. 61.
‘Because the novel was discontinued, damn it.’
Anyway, if you consumed it, you could avoid infection even if you were bitten by a monster once. Of course, the effect only lasted for that one time.
In the story, Aurora sees this suspicious-looking herb but passes it by because she doesn’t know how to use it.
She only learns about the herb two years later after meeting the male lead, who is a scientist. Then, she kicks herself in regret for not taking it back then.
‘Right. Even if I’m leaving for Brunel Village, I should at least take that with me.’
Aurora won’t know what it is and won’t be able to use it, but I’m different.
What if I run into a monster? Well, I’ll just have to deal with it somehow. There’s only one anyway, and I’m strong.
“Wow… My Lady, you really are quite strong.”
I remembered what Susanna had said.
Furthermore, I had a history of being an active cricket player as a hobby when I was young, so I knew how to swing something like a bat effectively.
For example, a weapon like an axe.
‘Alright, let’s do this.’
To be honest, all of this still didn’t feel like reality to me. I only remembered it as text in a novel; I had never actually seen a virus monster. I had no grasp of just how powerful they were.
Perhaps that was why I was able to find the courage.
‘I absolutely need that Elpinus herb.’
For now, I decided to focus only on the Elpinus herb and survival.
Late at night. At the corner of an alley on Notium Street.
I pulled my robe down tight. Then, poking my head out of the alley, I scanned the surroundings.
Although it was late at night with gas lamps lighting the way, there were quite a few people passing through the streets.
‘I might get spotted if I’m not careful.’
Of course, I had come wearing a mask just in case.
Since all I had was a party mask, I wore it out of necessity, but somehow it felt even more conspicuous.
‘As long as they can’t recognize my face, it’s fine.’
Anyway, I waited for the right moment while mentally reviewing the characteristics of the virus monsters.
