[Chapter 20]
“Yes!”
As a voice rang out from the fifth floor, I hurriedly ran down the hallway. The men, who had momentarily lost interest, went back to their own tasks. Only two men—Ian and Deon—remained, persistently staring at the spot where my footsteps had disappeared.
Ian was crazy, so that made sense. But why was Deon acting like that? I knew he hated me from the start, but the look in his eyes just now felt… twisted.
I didn’t know what I had done to provoke him this time, but I didn’t care. With the thought that I finally had something to do, I headed to the dining hall with a bit of excitement.
The dining hall in Block C, where nobles were housed, was fittingly grand, a spacious domed hall. After passing by marble tables divided into sections and opening the back door, I found the kitchen.
“You really came?”
The man chopping onions looked up with wide eyes. Was his name Mertin? He was the only one in the survivor group who seemed around my age, so I at least remembered his name.
“Yes. I couldn’t just keep getting free meals. I figured I should do something to pull my weight.”
“If you say that, then our rescue efforts lose their meaning.”
He grinned playfully. The way he tried to respect me made me want to work even harder.
“What can I help with?”
“I’d appreciate it if you just kept me company.”
“Kept you company?”
I blinked and looked around.
I could feel some disapproving stares from others in the kitchen, but they all looked busy—washing dishes, grilling meat, or even watering green onions stuck in pots meant for decorative flowers.
All that work, and there’s nothing for me to do?
I shrugged.
“I should at least work to earn my keep.”
“I’m sure you’ll manage.”
“Sorry?”
“You have something to do as well, Miss Lemoni. Something only you can do.”
“And what is that?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Even in this hellish place, a social group needs people to fulfill roles.”
What was he talking about?
“Well then, may I get back to cooking?”
He briskly ended the conversation, shaking water off his washed hands at the sink.
“…Sorry for the interruption.”
Even though I didn’t understand what he meant, I could only smile and nod. Social group. That was the exact word I’d been longing for.
To become part of their group, the wisest choice was to listen to what they said.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
Putting on a cheerful tone, I left the kitchen and climbed to the sixth floor. The ivory marble floors, the red carpet, the elongated arched windows, and the chandeliers glinting in the sunlight—all of it suddenly felt burdensome. I was the only one here with nothing to do.
Mertin said I had a role to play, but maybe he just said that to shake me off.
Hmm… What should I do?
As I paced the hallway looking for something to do, I suddenly saw someone enter a room from a distance.
A woman?
I stopped in my tracks. Come to think of it, the only woman I’d seen around here so far… was me.
* * *
“Painkillers! Painkillers! It hurts like hell!”
Once the men returned from fighting the monsters, dinner preparations began in earnest. Those who had been on lookout duty on the fourth floor came down with first-aid kits to treat the injured. The rest cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes.
“What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Roasted chicken with rosemary and corn soup. Fortunately, we still have enough food supplies.”
“Nice, we’ve got meat today.”
In the bustling atmosphere, I felt like a lost child. In the end, the only place I felt comfortable enough to go was the dining hall. As soon as I entered, I looked around for that woman, but she wasn’t there.
Who was she?
Thinking back, she and I were the only ones who weren’t doing anything in the daytime. Was this world just outdated when it came to gender roles? But if that were the case, they wouldn’t be treating me like a princess, would they?
I had to ask today. This place was unfamiliar. To be accepted, I had to prove myself.
Suppressing my anxiety, I clenched my fists on my lap. As I looked around for Rob to appear, a low voice laced with sarcasm echoed above my head.
“Living the easy life, I see.”
It was Deon.
He sat next to me naturally while drying his hair with a towel, glancing sideways as if I were an afterthought. The sheer difference in size between us made my neck stiffen involuntarily.
Trying to ignore him, I slightly turned my thigh away to shift my posture, but a strange scent brushed my nose. It wasn’t unpleasant.
If anything, it was the kind of scent that made you turn your head on the street. Glancing back at him despite myself, I noticed water droplets clinging to the tips of his jet-black hair, slicked back neatly.
Did he just come from a bath?
His chiseled face lowered, and I caught a glimpse of moisture glimmering in his red eyes. There was something uniquely thick and heavy about the atmosphere around him—like it held a deeper humidity than the rest of the space.
A soapy, wind-swept scent lingered near my nose, making goosebumps rise along my back. Then, as he ran his wet hair back and drank water, I saw the thick muscle at the center of his neck bob with every swallow.
It was terrifying… but also oddly captivating.
“…Deon. If that was your way of saying hello—”
I’d tried to hold it in, but the gulp I involuntarily made sounded much louder than it should’ve. Loud enough for him to notice.
“I’ll just go sit somewhere else.”
Embarrassed, I stood up to leave, but a strong hand gripped my wrist and forced me back down.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Without even looking at me, he whispered quietly.
“We’re leaving this place around 1 AM. You be ready at the door.”
“…What?”
I blinked. I thought I misheard. When I looked at him, his gaze was still elsewhere.
“You’re escaping? Why?”
The original storyline had already gone off the rails, and I had no clue what lay ahead. Leaving this shelter now would be suicide.
But Deon gave a scornful smile, clearly unfazed.
“Guess you haven’t been paying attention to how things really are here.”
I frowned.
“No, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people struggling to survive.”
“Exactly. Like idiots digging holes instead of planning a real escape.”
What?
His obstinate words left me speechless, and an uncomfortable silence fell between us. He probably put those shackles on me out of spite, and now that things weren’t going his way, he was acting out.
“…Then go alone. I’m staying here.”
At my firm refusal, he finally turned to look at me.
“Did I say this was a suggestion?”
His icy tone was enough to make my blood freeze. My face paled, but with people starting to enter the dining hall, I forced myself to speak.
“Deon. I have a whistle now, and I’ve made friends with the other guards. If you want to leave, go by yourself. I’m staying.”
“Other guards, huh.”
He echoed my words in a low, disgruntled voice, as if something didn’t sit right with him.
For a moment, he stared at the whistle in my hand with a look of disdain, then let out a quiet, defeated laugh and got up from his seat.
“Figures. You’d rather stick with strangers than a prisoner like me. You’re in for a good show tonight.”
With that, he moved away and joined a group of men he seemed to have grown close to. He spoke to them without sparing me a single glance.
What’s his problem?
Only after he walked away did I realize I’d been holding my breath. I already knew he didn’t like me, but today… it felt different. Even more suffocating.
“Settling in okay?”
But I didn’t have time to dwell on it, thanks to the arrival of someone new.
“Mr. Rob.”
“‘Mr. Rob’? We’re both level-one guards. No need for that.”
“Oh, you’re the new one, right?”
Rob smiled warmly and took a seat across from me, with his fellow guards joining around me one by one.
“Hello.”
This was my chance. I had to ask now.
“You looked a bit pale when we first met, but now you seem much healthier. Sleeping and eating well?”
“Thanks to you.”
I smiled awkwardly, and Rob, who was tearing apart his chicken with his hands, widened his eyes.
“You can tell? I still feel a bit tense.”
“That’s because Rob always looks tense,” one guard joked.
“I meant Lemoni should try to relax a little. What is this, boot camp?”
“Something like it. Gotta survive, after all.”
My overly serious tone drew laughter from the table.
“Lemoni, I didn’t form this group to create a harsh military unit. I wanted a real community. We’ll be the soldiers—why don’t you be a good citizen?”
“Sorry?”
“I mean, this isn’t an army. It’s a social group. Soldiers, cooks, doctors… that kind of place.”
Now was the moment.
Responding with a polite smile, I leaned into my real question.
“Then… what am I?”
“You? A good citizen.”
“No, I mean… what can I do?”
“Why are you so curious about that?”
“…Because I want to be recognized as part of this group.”
Laughter erupted again. One of the men even slung an arm around my shoulder, calling me cute. Amid the noise, I felt a distant gaze fall on me—it was Deon again.
“Hasn’t Rose told you yet?” Rob asked.
“She can’t speak, Rob,” another man replied.
“Oh, right.”
Rob chuckled and leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a playful smile. Then he stood up abruptly.
“If you’re curious, go see Rose. Anyway, you’ll find out what your role is soon. See you then.”
Before I could even say goodbye, he was already talking with the gatekeepers in a businesslike tone.
Feeling a bit disappointed, I stood to leave, having barely touched my food—only to meet a sharp, familiar gaze from across the room. Deon.
He watched me with those indifferent eyes, then curled his lips into a mocking smirk and mouthed something:
“Why don’t you try that act on me instead?”
The shame of being caught in such an awkward moment overwhelmed me—and I quickly rose from my seat.
