The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House

“Young Miss, could it be that you’re going through puberty again…?”

“Do you want me to show you what real puberty looks like?”

“My apologies. Just thinking about your adolescence still sends chills down my spine.”

Cherry Sinclair during her teenage years had truly been a walking disaster with her head stuck in the clouds.

To what extent? Well, she once stole the Sinclair family’s yacht in an act of rebellion against her parents. Not only that, but she had the audacity to sail it across the ocean to another continent.

‘My parents and Harrison went through hell trying to track me down back then.’

Even though I knew how to steer a yacht, crossing the ocean as an amateur was beyond reckless. But by some miracle, the weather had remained perfect the entire time. It was as if the heavens were on my side.

‘Thinking back on it now, I was completely hopeless.’

It’s no wonder Harrison treated me like a lunatic.

Anyway, I pressed Harrison for an answer again.

“Harrison.”

“…Fine. It has been a while since we’ve gone on an outing together. Let’s just call it a trip for now.”

I cheered inwardly at Harrison’s reluctant agreement.

“But it’ll have to be in a few days. I need time to acquire the weapons you requested and handle some urgent paperwork.”

Although I was a bit disappointed by his follow-up, I felt relieved that he promised to come in a few days. As long as he arrived in Brunel within 21 days, we’d be fine.

“All right, Harrison. I’ll be waiting in Brunel. You have to come quickly, okay? Really quickly.”

“Understood, Young Miss. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

I made sure to emphasize “quickly” one more time before rising from my seat, satisfied after confirming Harrison’s promise.

Next stop—the bank.

*****

Central Bank of Benton.

I was determined to take out every possible loan available today.

The Sinclair family’s inheritance was locked away until I turned twenty. That meant another year to go.

So far, the hefty dividends from the Sinclair family’s businesses had been enough to cover my living expenses, but I needed far more money than usual right now.

Since part of the monthly dividends went toward running the family’s operations, suddenly withdrawing all the funds would leave the household staff and Harrison struggling to make ends meet this month.

Of course, I owned other assets like real estate and stocks, but selling them would take time—time I didn’t have.

In short, loans were my only option.

“Lady Sinclair, did you just say you wanted to take out a loan…? I must have misheard.”

Bank President Morton looked at me in disbelief. I flashed him a bright smile.

“You heard me correctly. That’s right.”

“Are you absolutely certain about a one-billion-gold credit loan?”

Morton asked again for clarification. Without hesitation, I nodded. That amount should be more than enough to prepare for the end of the world.

Honestly, with only three weeks left, I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to spend all that money. But just in case, I needed to secure every penny I could get my hands on!

‘When else would I get to take out a one-billion-gold loan?’

“That’s right.”

Morton, still looking dazed, nodded and handed me the paperwork.

“This is just a formality, but may I ask what the loan is for?”

“I’m using it to prepare for the apocalypse.”

“Do you need assistance?”

“…What?”

“If someone is threatening you, I can discreetly contact Harrison Howard on your behalf…”

I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Of course he’d think I was crazy for saying something like that. I suddenly felt like crying.

“It’s nothing like that.”

“Oh. Then… is it for your club? I heard there’s a new bet involving several diamond mines, but I never imagined it would be this much…”

“Mr. Morton. That was a joke.”

Up until recently, I had been running a high-stakes gambling club. It was the perfect pastime for a spoiled heiress who loved luxury.

People mocked me for being vulgar, but ironically, they scrambled to join the club. After all, the profits and information gained from it were quite useful.

Morton must’ve assumed I was expanding the club’s scale and needed funds to support it.

“I haven’t been involved in the club for a while. I’m even planning to transfer ownership soon. But why are you asking so many questions? This feels like an interrogation. Are you looking down on the Sinclair family?”

Morton, clearly flustered, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and quickly apologized.

“My apologies. I was just surprised that the heiress of the Sinclair family would take out such a large loan,” Morton said, still flustered.

If I could access my inheritance right away, I wouldn’t have to go this far! But, of course, no one else knew about the restrictions on my assets.

“It’s for an overseas business investment. As you know, the Sinclair family manages several ongoing ventures, and all of our liquid assets are currently tied up.”

Morton’s expression finally eased, and he smiled in understanding. He quickly ordered the staff to prepare the cash.

Large bundles of money were stacked neatly into bags. Judging by their weight, it was a good thing I’d brought a few Sinclair household staff members with me.

‘Cash is king. Long live the rich!’

Soon enough, money would become nothing more than useless paper when the kingdom collapsed. That meant I had to spend it all quickly to prepare for the apocalypse.

‘I need to stock up on as many survival supplies as possible.’

All I had to do was hold out in the bunker until the protagonists found the cure.

‘You can do this, Cherry!’

I tried to muster my confidence as I stood up. That’s when I caught sight of the newspaper headline Morton had been reading.

[Monster Incident at No. 61 Notium Street—More Witnesses Emerge?! Benton Police Dismiss Reports as Baseless Rumors…]

It seemed to be a follow-up to the article I read earlier.

Last time, there was only one witness, and people dismissed him as crazy. But this time, there were multiple reports.

I felt a chill run down my spine. Seeing the article made the situation feel even more urgent. My anxiety spiked.

I remembered how the novel started—with scattered sightings of monsters appearing across the kingdom like ominous warning signs. At first, the monsters were weak from starvation and often died before doing much damage or were easily killed by people.

‘But eventually, the stronger monsters started showing up, and within three weeks, the virus spread throughout the entire kingdom.’

“…Do you want this?”

Morton must have noticed how intensely I was staring at the paper. He handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I accepted the newspaper. I needed to know what it said.

I left the bank quietly while skimming the article.

That night—the night this article was published—the first real monster appeared at No. 61 Notium Street.

It was also the night Aurora, the novel’s heroine, encountered a monster for the first time.

‘Wait, isn’t this where that thing shows up?’

Elphinus Herb!

It was an herb with properties similar to a vaccine.

No one knew where it came from, how it grew, or why it happened to be in the mansion at No. 61 Notium Street.

‘Damn it. The novel was discontinued.’

Anyway, consuming it prevented infection once, even if bitten by a monster. The effect only lasted for a single use, but that could be the difference between life and death.

In the novel, Aurora overlooked the strange herb, not realizing its value.@@novelbin@@

It wasn’t until two years later, when she met the scientist male lead, that she learned what the herb was. By then, she deeply regretted not taking it when she first saw it.

‘Yeah. Even if I’m heading to Brunel, I need to grab that herb first.’

Aurora might not have known how to use it, but I did.

And if I ran into a monster? Well, I’d just have to kill it. It was only one monster, after all, and I was strong.

“Wow… Young Miss, you’re really strong,” Susanna had once said to me.

I also remembered that I had experience as an amateur cricket player when I was younger. I knew how to swing a bat properly.

Or in this case, an axe.

‘Yeah, let’s do this.’

Honestly, this whole situation still didn’t feel real to me. My memories were based on the novel, but I had yet to see an actual monster.

I had no idea how strong they really were.

Maybe that’s why I was able to stay brave—because it still felt like fiction.

‘I need that Elphinus Herb no matter what.’

For now, my priorities were clear—get the herb and survive.

*****

Late at night. The alleyway at the edge of Notium Street.

I pulled my hood down low over my face and cautiously peeked out from the alley, scanning my surroundings.

The gas lamps illuminated the street, and despite the late hour, there were still quite a few people walking about.

‘I’m going to stand out if I’m not careful.’

Just in case, I had brought a mask with me.

The only one I had on hand was a decorative party mask, so I wore it in a pinch. Unfortunately, it looked a little too flashy.

‘As long as they can’t recognize my face, it’ll do.’

While waiting for the right moment, I went over the characteristics of the virus monsters in my head.