Chapter 27
“Warehouse?”
Lumi lifted her head after staring quietly at the piece of paper with the written plan.
“I see. You’re suggesting we manage it as a separate facility?”
“Hm, yes. Thinking about it, a prison won’t do. It’s too dangerous to keep the zombies locked up there and then move them again later.”
Hereston nodded, seeming to understand.
“In that case, the logistics warehouse near Leman Port would be the best option.”
“When we passed the railway on the way to the capital, I saw a few buildings that looked like warehouses too,” Lumi said, propping her chin on her hand as if recalling something.
“But the warehouses at Leman Port are made of brick, unlike the others, and they’re larger and more numerous.”
“Right, the others seemed to be wooden,” Hereston replied, and Lumi nodded knowingly.
“We actually found a solution faster than I expected.”
“Seems we’ve secured a location.”
Hereston gave a satisfied nod.
“But if we’re doing this, we should also discuss the cages to hold the zombies. The containment structure might be even more important than the site itself.”
“Hmm, something like animal transport cages would be good, don’t you think?”
They continued their discussion, exploring different materials and mechanisms that could serve as traps.
After a while, Hereston, who had been summarizing their ideas, finally looked up.
“Is there anything else to discuss?”
“I think this is a solid plan,” Lumi said. “Nothing more from me.”
They both turned toward me, as if asking for my opinion.
“Well… as long as no one deliberately tries to release the zombies, it should be safe.”
“Deliberately?”
Hereston thought for a moment, then picked up his pen again.
“…We’ll station guards, of course, but it might be wise to build an extra wall around the area for added control.”
He looked up again, asking silently if I had anything else to add.
It seemed we’d covered everything we could at our level, so I shook my head.
“Then I’ll deliver this proposal to His Highness myself.”
Idorian had said he’d discuss it in the evening, but Hereston didn’t see any reason to wait. He rose, paper in hand.
“Would you like to come with me?” he asked suddenly, pausing at the door.
“Yes, I think that’d be best. Let’s go, Penelope.”
Before I could say anything, Lumi stood up.
But Idorian wasn’t in the kitchen or the backyard.
“He’s probably at the watchtower,” Hereston said as he led the way up the long spiral staircase.
“Lady Penelope,” he said abruptly as we climbed, “you mentioned you were held back at Belmont Academy, didn’t you?”
I quickly sifted through Penelope’s memories—it was true.
“Not for disciplinary reasons,” he continued, “but for poor academic performance, if I recall. You struggled in the main subjects…”
“No.”
The truth came back to me—Penelope’s family had covered up the real reason for her leaving to save face.
“To be precise, I didn’t fail. I withdrew to receive specialized instruction better suited to me. The academy’s teaching was too rigid and uniform.”
I cut him off firmly. Hereston’s brows furrowed slightly.
“…I see.”
He didn’t press further and nodded.
‘Why did he bring that up now?’
In this fortress, under siege and surrounded by danger, why was he suddenly interested in Penelope’s years at the academy?
Before I could ask, Lumi spoke.
“Belmont Academy—you studied there? Idorian went there too, didn’t he? I heard he went on to university afterward.”
Technically, Idorian had enrolled first, and Penelope had followed him there.
“Do most noble children in the Empire attend that academy?” Lumi asked curiously, unaware of the real reason.
“But, Your Grace, why ask something like that?”
“She seems… very different from her reputation,” Hereston replied, his gaze fixed on me.
“My reputation?” Lumi tilted her head in confusion.
I averted my eyes—there was nothing good about Penelope’s reputation.
Just then, I sensed movement below the tower stairs. When I looked down, I met Idorian’s eyes.
“Your Highness, may we have a moment of your time?”
“You’ve already thought of a solution, I see.”
Idorian glanced at me briefly, then read over the paper Hereston handed him.
After Hereston’s short report, Idorian nodded.
“In that case, I’ll draft a letter to His Majesty immediately and send it now. There’s no need to wait until morning.”
Hereston volunteered to remain at the watchtower in Idorian’s stead.
“Idorian, do you find this proposal acceptable?” Lumi asked, stopping him as he began descending the stairs.
“Yes.”
He turned back and nodded.
“Even if the Empire officially prioritizes capture over extermination, it won’t be forced upon individuals. Protecting oneself takes precedence.”
At that, Lumi looked relieved and glanced at me.
“But don’t celebrate just yet,” Idorian added cautiously. “I can’t promise His Majesty will approve it.”
Still, if the Crown Prince himself endorsed it, there was hope.
“Yes, understood.”
That was all I could do now—wait for the outcome.
When we returned inside the inner keep, Lilia was waiting in the main hall.
“What’s going on?” she asked, puzzled to see us all together.
“Oh, you know that thing Idorian mentioned earlier—about meeting tonight…” Lumi began explaining.
As she spoke, Idorian turned back to look at me.
He’d stopped several steps away, keeping his distance. I stared at him, confused, and our eyes met.
Something about his expression made me think he had something to say. I stepped closer, but he turned away and started climbing the stairs again.
Was he telling me to follow? I did.
“Your Highness,” I called when the distance between us widened.
He paused and tilted his head slightly.
“Penelope?”
He looked at me as if wondering why I was calling him—clearly, he hadn’t intended to speak with me at all.
“Oh… I just thought you wanted to say something when you looked my way earlier.”
Idorian hesitated, then said quietly,
“I was looking at you because… I was curious. How did you come up with the idea that sparing the zombies could help prevent a war with neighboring nations?”
Ah.
Now I understood why Hereston had suddenly brought up Penelope’s academy days.
When he mentioned her “reputation,” he hadn’t meant her character—he’d meant her intellect.
To them, Penelope wasn’t just cruel; she was also stupid. The last person they’d ever expect to suggest something strategic.
‘Well… fair enough,’ I thought.
Considering her past antics, Idorian’s impression was completely reasonable. Penelope had lacked both sense and self-awareness, making every decision the worst possible one.
“I actually like this plan,” Idorian continued, lifting the paper Hereston had given him.
“Oh, that was mostly the Duke and Lumi’s idea,” I said quickly, not wanting him to think too highly of me—or grow suspicious.
“Either way, good work,” he said lightly, shrugging his shoulders.
Thankfully, his curiosity didn’t turn into doubt.
‘Or maybe…’
Come to think of it, even when he knew we weren’t short on food, Idorian hadn’t scolded me when I skipped chores to hunt birds.
And when I’d shouted at Lumi, he’d started to intervene but ultimately held back.
“I’ll let you know once the letter’s sent. Get some rest.”
He spoke briefly, then went into his room and closed the door.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door before heading back to my own room.
For some reason, it felt like he was avoiding me.
