The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House-Chapter 144

"I feel so ashamed; if there were a hole to crawl into, I’d hide in it. I always prided myself on my skills, but to be taken down so easily by that thing..."

The royal guard's self-deprecating mutter was met with silence from Nox. Glancing briefly at him, the man continued,

"It’s surprising to find a doctor alive and well in such a rural village."

Without flinching, Nox examined the man's wound and asked,

"What’s your name?"

"Kellyan."

Nox murmured the name under his breath before introducing himself.

"My name is Nox."

He deliberately left out his surname, Ludfisher, knowing that whether Kellyan was truly a royal guard or an imposter, the name would likely ring alarm bells. Instead, Nox reiterated his earlier question.

"How did a royal guard from the Kingdom of Graydon end up here?"

"Good question. And you, doctor?"

Before Nox could respond, a villager from Brunel spoke up on his behalf.

"Our doctor came down here from the capital with the police officer. He’s been treating the villagers and has been a great help to us."

Nox turned his gaze back to Kellyan, as if signaling it was his turn to answer. The guard sighed awkwardly and replied,

"I was passing through the village. His Highness the Crown Prince tasked me with investigating the spread of the plague."

Hearing this, the others began peppering him with questions. Was the Crown Prince still alive? What was the state of the capital? Had they discovered the source of the plague?

Kellyan didn’t answer a single question, simply repeating that it was classified. Scratching the back of his head, he muttered,

"Damn it. I’ve got so much to do, and yet I fell into this trap like a fool."

So much to do? Nox wondered what kind of duties a royal guard could possibly have in a world on the brink of collapse. But knowing that Kellyan would likely hide behind "classified information" again, Nox shifted the topic.

"Where were all of you when you were captured?"

As Nox tended to Kellyan’s wound, the others hesitated before responding one by one.

"I’m from Kintane."

"Me too. I’m from Kintane as well."

"So, most of you are from Kintane. I’m from Hondorf, though..."

Hondorf?

Nox’s head snapped up. The others also turned to look at the person who had spoken—a young girl with twin braids, appearing around Cherry or Hosena’s age.

"Miss, you’re from Hondorf? What’s the situation there?"

"Yeah, Kintane isn’t too far from here, but Hondorf is a neighboring village and quite a bit farther away. Did that monster come all the way there to get you?"

Under their questioning gazes, the girl hesitated before nodding.

"Actually, that mutated monster... he was my boss at the restaurant I worked at."

Nox froze, mid-motion as he tore the fabric around Kellyan’s wound. His eyes darted back to the girl, whose face was filled with distress.

"Oh no..."

"That must have been horrible."

The others expressed their sympathy one by one.

Everyone here had likely seen loved ones or acquaintances bitten, killed, or transformed into viral monsters. The girl’s story struck a deep chord with them.

"Ugh," Kellyan groaned, wincing from the pain.

Remaining calm, Nox tore a clean piece of fabric from Kellyan’s clothes to wipe the wound and applied emergency treatment.

'Why is this man so calm? Does he have some kind of plan?'

Kellyan showed no signs of despair or fear despite the dire situation.

"Thank you, doctor."

He offered a knightly but straightforward expression of gratitude, to which Nox gave no reply.

Under normal circumstances, Nox would have immediately said, "No, I’m just doing my duty as a doctor." But now, he couldn’t bring himself to utter those words. Responsibility accompanied such declarations, and he feared the weight of that responsibility.

'Can I even call myself a doctor anymore? I’m not worthy of the title.'

Finishing the treatment, Nox told Kellyan to rest and stood up. He turned to the girl, who seemed to know more about the mutated monster.

"Do you recall anything unusual about your boss? I’m curious why he’s different from other monsters."

The girl shook her head.

"I... I don’t know. He didn’t seem to do anything special."

"Then what was he doing right before he transformed?"

"Well... let me think..."

She tapped her cheek with her finger as if trying to jog her memory. Finally, she spoke.

"Oh! He mentioned receiving some kind of medicine as a gift from a noble. He was taking it when everything started falling apart. Monsters invaded the restaurant, and... he suddenly transformed, devoured everyone inside, and dragged me away."

Medicine?

Nox rubbed his chin, his face filled with doubt. Medicine gifted by a noble? That sounded far too suspicious.

"Do you know who the noble was?"

"No, I don’t. My boss had asthma, and he said it was supposed to cure him."

Medicine to cure asthma...

"Can you describe what the medicine looked like?"

"It was a yellow potion. Nothing special about it, really."

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A yellow potion. There didn’t seem to be any other distinguishing features. Ultimately, it wasn’t much to go on.

However, something about Kellyan’s expression seemed off. From the moment the girl mentioned the "medicine," he had been staring intently at her.

His gaze had the unmistakable look of someone who knew something.

"Why the sudden interest?"

When Nox asked, Kellyan responded with an unnervingly calm demeanor.

"It’s nothing."

Even when pressed further, Kellyan refused to elaborate.

Nox studied him carefully, noting his pale face and how his gaze was fixed on the sky above them. Curious, Nox looked up as well, and his breath caught.

He found himself staring into a massive, unblinking eye.

A cold sweat trickled down his back. A giant creature loomed over the pit, its enormous body motionless as it peered down at them.

He couldn’t tear his gaze away. It felt as though the creature’s eyes had trapped him.

The beast’s bright yellow eyes, slit like a reptile’s, expanded and contracted rhythmically, watching Nox with an eerie focus.

It showed no signs of attacking. Instead, it simply observed, as if content to just watch them.

"That damn thing has been staring at us for a while now. It’s creepy as hell," Kellyan muttered quietly.

Nearby, a woman whispered fearfully, "W-what do you think it wants from us?"

Neither Nox nor Kellyan could answer. No one in the pit knew why the creature had trapped them here.

"What if it’s just toying with us?"

"Whatever it is, we’re as good as dead."

"We’re never getting out of here alive."

The people murmured in despair, and some began to cry once more.

Staring at the mutated viral monster watching them, Nox couldn’t help but agree with their bleak assessment.

'It’s just playing with us, isn’t it?'

Just as someone had suggested earlier, the creature might see them as mere playthings.

An intelligent monster. There was nothing more horrifying.

There was no hope—not even the faintest glimmer. None of them would leave this pit alive.

Nox felt despair sinking in. How foolish he had been to cling to the absurd hope of survival in a ruined world.

'Cherry... She’ll come to rescue me.'

His teeth clenched at the thought.

The creature was too dangerous. No matter how strong Cherry was, the monster’s speed and intelligence would overwhelm her. And then there was the risk of infection if it bit her.

If only he hadn’t suggested checking the Elpinos herbs. If only he hadn’t encouraged her to visit the bookstore.

If only he had been smarter. If only he hadn’t stepped outside the police station. If only he hadn’t lit that cigarillo.

Up until now, Nox had lived a life without regrets, but in this moment, he found himself drowning in them.

'What a pathetic and miserable end.'

He exhaled deeply, dragging a hand down his face.

The thought of dying here as the monster’s plaything—mocked, bitten, and discarded—was unbearable.

'I’d rather die with dignity.'

But he was powerless. Unless someone saved him, he couldn’t escape this on his own.

For the first time, Nox regretted learning medicine instead of swordsmanship.

He hoped Cherry wouldn’t come for him. She couldn’t. One sacrifice was enough.

And yet—

"Hyahhh!"

A thunderous cry echoed from above. A woman’s voice.

Nox instantly recognized it.

At the same time, a dark figure shot into the sky and began descending toward the pit. It was a person.

The figure was clad in a riding outfit adorned with intricate embroidery, a cape draped over her shoulders, and a dainty cocktail hat perched atop her head.

Her pink hair shimmered in the sunlight, her boots gleaming as they reached just above her knees.

"Mr. Ludfisher! I’ve come to save you!"

It was Cherry Sinclair.

Nox’s heart sank—and soared at the same time.

As she descended into the pit, the sunlight behind her created a radiant glow, as if she were a divine being. For a moment, Nox was completely mesmerized by the sight.

The very woman he wished wouldn’t come had come for him anyway.