Chapter 73
“Lady Penelope!”
Uben, who had been running ahead, shouted urgently.
Seeing that we stopped, the boy turned back toward us again.
“His Highness will be here soon! Let’s go!”
This was no time to hesitate.
Idorian…
He was the strongest among us.
And above all, if someone had died, the smell of blood wouldn’t be this faint.
“Penelope?”
I hurried toward Lumi and lifted him onto my back.
“If you carry me like this, people will find it strange—”
“Just get on.”
I cut off Lumi’s words and steadied him firmly on my back.
My heart thumped wildly at the scent of blood, but because of that, carrying Lumi didn’t feel difficult. I quickly caught up with Uben, who was running ahead.
“H-Hah… Your Highness…?”
Uben gasped for air, exhausted.
We had been running for so long that even the faint smell of blood was nearly gone.
“He’ll follow. Let’s go down first.”
Now that the smell of blood was fading, my awakened state seemed to be receding as well. Lumi’s weight began to press down on me. He wasn’t small—he was as tall as Idorian, a grown man. Just keeping his long legs off the ground was a struggle.
I adjusted my grip again as Lumi kept slipping. My knees felt ready to buckle, but I forced myself to take another step.
I needed to hurry.
I had to get Lumi and Uben somewhere safe and then go back for Idorian.
The longer Idorian failed to appear, the more anxious I became.
He must be hiding somewhere until I return.
Up in a tree perhaps—just like before, when he came back from the forest with Lumi.
He would be safe. He had to be.
“Penelope. Put me down. You can’t go any farther like this.”
“Stay on my back. That’s how you help.”
Truthfully, Lumi was right.
Soon I wouldn’t be able even to carry him. But this wasn’t logic anymore—it was stubborn will.
“…I don’t want anyone to die.”
I, with the privilege of a possession, could remain conscious even after turning into a zombie. But the others couldn’t. Get bitten once, and they’d forget who they were and wander aimlessly, chasing people.
I couldn’t bear that.
If any of them turned into zombies in this mountain, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.
“How could I ever leave you behind?”
There was no way I could abandon Lumi—the man who brought a sword and a teapot, alone, just to help us.
The one who discreetly ate my share of food and water when Idorian handed it to me.
Only now did I realize how carefully he had looked after me inside the fortress.
“Lady Penelope! Lumi! Hurry!”
He hated heat, yet he helped me with farm work drenched in sweat.
He didn’t even have much appetite, yet he always finished my meals too.
He reacted to everything I did as if it mattered.
“Let’s just go together like this.”
“……”
Lumi said nothing.
Suddenly, a sharp wave of blood scent hit my nose.
It was Lumi.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My slowing heartbeat started racing again.
We rushed to catch up with Uben, who was pacing anxiously at the front.
I didn’t know how Lumi was doing it, but the blood scent would strike sharply for an instant and then vanish again, letting me focus on carrying him. Occasionally, a faint smell seeped out—just enough to trigger my awakening again at the perfect moment.
We were almost out of time.
I felt Lumi clutching tightly onto Uben’s collar, though I couldn’t see it.
“Uben, we’re almost there. Just a little more.”
The path became gentler. We must have nearly reached the foot of the mountain.
“Find a building we can hide in.”
Three zombies standing on the trail turned their heads toward us, reacting to the sound. Their unfocused eyes landed on us.
Grrrr—
I didn’t slow down.
We had masked our human scent with zombie remains. They reacted to sound, but they wouldn’t smell humans.
Just like the others.
We only needed to hurry.
Still, I pulled Uben slightly farther away from the zombies.
Better safe than sorry.
Grrrr—
Their guttural growls grew louder. One zombie swung its arm wildly in the air, as if to grab us. Another staggered toward us.
It was following us.
It had caught a whiff of human scent.
Uben turned, sweat pouring down his face.
“The smell’s wearing off. Uben, hurry!”
His sweat must have washed away the zombie odor.
The end was near.
The trees suddenly cleared, revealing open land and scattered houses. Civilization—finally.
I quickly scanned our surroundings for a sturdy-looking structure—
“Lady Penelope, that way!”
Uben pointed, and we sprinted toward it.
Nearby zombies all turned toward us.
They began dragging their bodies, arms flailing in the air.
The blood scent from Lumi had vanished completely. My awakening was almost spent. I pushed my body harder.
Crack!
I kicked aside a zombie blocking the way.
The building was right there.
The yard was littered with abandoned farm tools and rotting wood. The roof was partially collapsed, windows shattered—but the wooden door remained intact.
I burst inside.
Dust and the smell of old wood filled the air. Sunlight poured through broken openings, revealing warped wooden floors, a stove, and a damaged table. Rusted cans and broken dishes lay scattered on top.
A staircase led up beneath the steep roof. Narrow, steep, and partially broken, but it was space—shelter.
I grabbed a shard of broken dish from the table, lifted Lumi, and climbed.
“Lumi, stay here with Uben.”
I set him down on the carpeted floor.
“I’ll go find His Highness and be right back.”
Even as I spoke, I examined him quickly. Where was he hurt? Why had I smelled blood?
Lumi only nodded.
“I’ll wait here. Just… come back.”
The moment he spoke, the scent of blood returned.
“Go. To Idorian.”
His red lips shut tight—he had bitten the inside of his mouth to produce blood.
“…Stay safe.”
I gave his legs one last look and turned away.
On my way down the stairs, I sliced my palm with the broken shard.
Drip. Drip.
Blood ran down my wrist and into my clothes.
“Uben, stay quiet with Lumi. Go upstairs now.”
“What about you, Lady Penelope?”
“I’ll return with His Highness. Don’t worry. Go.”
I ruffled his hair and cheeks. Zombie blood still stained him—his human scent was masked again.
He looked like he wanted to say more, but fear twitched in his eyes. Eventually, he nodded.
I opened the door and stepped outside.
Zombies reacted briefly to the sound but soon lost interest, turning away.
I didn’t smell human anymore.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My awakening would fade again soon.
How far could I get before that happened?
When I found Idorian again—
Would he still recognize me?
I prayed with all my heart that the Idorian I met again would still be the man I knew.
