Translator: Nox

Chapter 57

It was just as Cherry said. It was late spring, and early summer would be arriving soon.

Eden and Knox stopped drinking the rest of their milk and stared at her.

She was looking at them with a face that clearly wanted something.

“I think we should set up a canopy. In the garden. Summer is coming soon, after all.”

…Was she really talking about leisurely setting up a canopy in the middle of this crisis?

However, seeing the sparkle in Cherry’s eyes, Eden and Knox couldn’t bring themselves to question her and simply nodded with reluctant expressions.

That look of hers was undoubtedly a subtle command to help her set the thing up.

Usually, when the social season ended, nobles would return to their country houses and set up canopies in their gardens. There, they would spend their time enjoying picnics or playing simple sports.

Cherry likely intended to use the canopy for similar purposes.

Left with no choice, Eden and Knox finished their milk and helped Cherry with the work of installing the canopy in a corner of the garden.

All the heavy materials needed for the installation had been brought over by her. She was the only one who knew where anything was kept.

Therefore, it was only right that Eden and Knox handled the finishing touches of the assembly.

Instead of a picnic mat, Cherry spread a wide cloth over the grass and lay down on it, watching Eden and Knox work on the canopy.

“I was worried her mental state might be unstable, but that was a complete waste of time.”

Eden whispered softly to Knox as he worked beside him.

Knox, who had been setting up the canopy without complaint, glanced over at Cherry.

It was no wonder—Cherry was nonchalantly sharpening her axe blade while sitting on the cloth.

A girl with such lovely and glamorous looks was sitting in the middle of a garden, surrounded by monsters, sharpening an axe.

He thought the term ‘cognitive dissonance’ might have been invented specifically for Cherry Sinclair.

Just then, Cherry asked Knox a question.

“I understand why Sir Eden wants to return to the capital, but why do you want to stay here, Mr. Rudfercher?”

“If you don’t want me to stay, I’ll follow Sir Eden out. It’s only natural that you’d think I’m being shameless…”

“Hey, Rudfercher. Why are you following me? Who said I’m taking you with me?”

Eden replied irritably. Hearing his remark, Cherry burst into laughter.

“Mr. Rudfercher is a doctor. I’d be grateful if you stayed at Happy House.”

Knox’s face brightened at Cherry’s answer. But then, he found himself feeling puzzled by how happy he felt.

Of course, Cherry’s Happy House was the ideal shelter. However, if he grew too complacent in the current situation, he might end up trapped in this mansion with Cherry for the rest of his life.

Alone with Cherry, in this mansion, forever.

His life would be preserved, but was that truly the right choice? While Knox was lost in self-reflection, Cherry spoke again.

“Once Sir Eden leaves, it’ll just be the two of us. We should move your room. Do you want to move into the room Sir Eden was using? I think that would be better. It’ll be easier to find each other in an emergency.”

Her voice was as calm as ever. She didn’t seem to feel any sense of crisis or worry about the fact that they might end up living in the mansion together.

Then again, with her Super Strength capable of blowing away several monsters with a single axe, what would she have to fear?

Knox quietly agreed. He figured that even if it were someone else, a man like himself wouldn’t be a threat to her anyway.

It was Eden who showed an unexpected reaction.

“Why are you moving rooms?”

He frowned unpleasantly, looking back and forth between Cherry and Knox. Cherry, who had been sharpening her axe on the cloth, looked up at Eden with a puzzled face.

“That’s my room, Miss Cherry. I’ll be hurt if you give it away to someone else so easily.”

“What? You said you were leaving.”

“Exactly. So wait until I’m gone to have that kind of conversation. Behind my back.”

“Ah, I’m so hurt. Truly. After all the time we’ve spent together—!” Eden continued to mutter to himself.

“Then don’t leave.”

Naturally, Cherry ignored him, practically picking her ear at his words. For some reason, Eden didn’t like Cherry’s attitude of brushing everything off as if it were no big deal.

Despite his grumbling, Eden diligently pulled the snow-white fabric over the poles fixed in the ground. After securing the cloth to the poles with rope and hammering them into the earth, he thought back to their conversation.

Even Eden didn’t know why he had said something so pointless, but the thought of Knox taking over his room made him feel uneasy.

‘It’s probably just because of that bastard Knox.’

He didn’t think much of it. He had always disliked Knox intensely, after all.