The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House

Chapter 4. How to Face the Foretold Apocalypse

12 days left until the end of the world.

The crazy woman who lives in a ruined house.
The madwoman in the mansion.
The Star Candy Lady.

I had no idea people called me by so many names. I never imagined that even here, I’d still be haunted by the embarrassing nickname “Star Candy Lady.”

‘What’s with the crazy woman in the ruined house, though?’

It sounded like the title of a horror movie.

“Focus.”

That’s when Nox warned me. I sighed and planted my head firmly on the table.

Since I didn’t know when Nox would leave, I figured I should squeeze as much out of him as possible before he did. So I asked him to teach me emergency first aid.

And that’s how I ended up at the Brunel village clinic, receiving CPR training from Nox.

“Damn it. I really hate studying.”

“You’re the one who knocked on the clinic door first thing this morning, begging me to teach you. Pull yourself together.”

Nox pointed out the harsh truth in a calm and detached manner. It wasn’t like I wanted to be in this situation, either.

‘In 12 days, the world’s going to end, and I’ll have to survive alone. I need to focus.’

Huff.

I pressed down hard on the teddy bear’s chest, performing CPR. The cute bear’s chest flattened under my hands.

I might have whined about it, but I followed Nox’s instructions almost perfectly.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to pick this up so quickly.”

Nox sounded a little surprised.

It probably helped that I remembered bits and pieces from my past life. I vaguely recalled learning first aid in health class back in school.

“But Cherry, why exactly are you doing this? I thought you bought this mansion for the Elphinus Herbs, but that doesn’t seem to be the whole story.”

Why was Nox so obsessed with Elphinus Herbs, anyway? For me, they were only a small part of the plan.

“Well, the herbs are part of it.”

I gave him a vague answer, but Nox shook his head like it wasn’t good enough.

“Honestly, after seeing all this, I can understand why Lancaster finds you suspicious.”

“I’m tired of hearing that.”

“That’s what makes it interesting. And besides, you’re the first woman I’ve met who isn’t captivated by my face.”

What the hell? That came out of nowhere.

Yet, despite dropping a cheesy line straight out of a third-rate drama, Nox’s expression remained completely indifferent.

Then, as our eyes met, the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a playful smile. It was a charming, confident smile—the kind that oozed the mature appeal of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.

I almost fell for it. Honestly, with looks like his, it was hard to criticize him for being full of himself.

‘That was on purpose. He’s trying to mess with me.’

While I was still admiring his face, Nox suddenly stood up and dragged over a mannequin that was about the size of a person.

“What’s that?”

“I’m going to teach you how to treat major injuries.”

Nox placed the mannequin on the operating table.

I was the one who asked for this lesson, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever need this skill.

“Hold its leg, please.”

At Nox’s request, I lightly tugged on the mannequin’s leg—

Crack.

The leg snapped right off.

I froze, staring down at the mannequin’s detached leg. Nox looked just as shocked as I did.

“Is it supposed to break this easily?”

“No. It’s made of durable material. It shouldn’t break even if dropped.”

“…Was it expensive?”

“It’s fairly pricey, but don’t worry. I have plenty of money.”

I glanced at the mannequin and its severed leg, then looked back at Nox with a guilty expression.

“I have money too. I’ll buy you a new one. I’m sorry.”

Then, I carefully placed the broken leg back on the table and pressed my hands together in prayer.

“I’m sorry, friend. Rest in peace.”

Nox stared at me like I was some kind of fascinating specimen.

“I’d love to take a look inside your head, Cherry. You’re so unique. So interesting.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Nox seemed utterly intrigued by me.

It was like he was a spectator watching a clown perform in a circus. I wasn’t sure if I should feel flattered by that.@@novelbin@@

“Well then, let’s move on to first-aid kit usage.”

Nox quickly shifted back to his professional demeanor and began explaining how to use the emergency medical supplies.

Of course, after mastering the first-aid kit and getting another mannequin to properly practice wound treatment, I was finally able to leave the clinic.

I felt pretty confident about my skills.

‘Yeah. I’m good. This is fine. Totally fine.’

Muttering self-affirmations, I bolted out of there like I was running for my life.

*****

Basking in the warm spring breeze, I sat on the terrace of the restaurant, sipping coffee and taking a much-needed break.

After an intense morning of studying with Nox, I was desperate for some rest.

‘This might be the last moment of peace I’ll ever have.’

That thought left me feeling miserable. There were only 12 days left until the world ended.

‘What’s going to happen to the people in this village when it does?’

There was a limit to how many people I could save. And trying to help others might mean failing to secure my own survival.

‘After running all the way out here to avoid the main characters, how can I be sitting here worrying about strangers?’

It was harsh, but given the undeniable reality, I decided to focus only on myself for now.

Resolving to stick to that plan, I unfolded the newspaper I’d brought back from Kint Village.

[Exclusive Report! Murder at the Marquis Casey Estate. The Entire Casey Family Slaughtered…]

The Marquis Casey was dead...!

The greatest villain of Love in a Ruined World and the mastermind behind the virus outbreak—Marquis Casey—had been killed.

‘Damn it, so the day has finally come.’

The massacre of the Casey family wasn’t something that could be written off as just another murder case. It was a clear sign that the virus monsters could no longer be controlled—or covered up.

In other words, the virus was about to spread through the capital any day now.

“Good morning.”

At that moment, Ethan sat down across from me. Out of all the empty seats, this man always chose to sit right in front of me. Too tired to argue, I sipped my coffee and lazily replied.

“Yeah, yeah. Good morning.”

Just then, a man who looked to be in his late forties entered the restaurant and started asking for me.

“Who’s the owner of Happy House? I was told I could find them here.”

Since the restaurant was small, everyone inside turned to stare at him. I slowly stood up from my seat.

“That’s me. I own Happy House.”

“You’re the one who visited the farm yesterday, right? No one was home at the mansion, so…”

Hearing that, I recognized him right away and greeted him with a smile. He was the farmer I’d met when I visited Kint Village the day before.

“But, uh… do you have anyone strong who can help? One of my workers got hurt while moving some cargo…”

“I’ll help.”

Before the man could even finish his sentence, Ethan stood up. He strode over with a sharp, disciplined movement and held out his hand to the farmer.

The man blinked in surprise, staring at Ethan before shaking his hand.

Well, Ethan’s appearance was definitely striking. Handsome features, a stiff police uniform, and a brooding intensity—he was practically the opposite of Nox. I had to admit it.

“Oh, thank you so much.”

“What kind of cargo are we talking about?”

After shaking hands, Ethan asked the question so casually that I almost didn’t catch it. Clearly, his real goal was to snoop around.

The farmer glanced nervously at me before cautiously answering.

“Chickens.”

“…Excuse me? Chickens? Did you just say chickens?”

Ethan stared at him, looking like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

I rubbed my nose, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Chickens were incredibly useful for survival, okay?