The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House-Chapter 161

I had forgotten to check if the door was properly closed before going to bed.

Jose had been working on the underground passage today, and I’d promised to inspect it afterward, but I completely forgot.

It was clear now that I must not have closed the door properly then.

‘How could you make such a mistake, Cherry? You fool.’

Gripping the blanket tightly, I took a deep breath. I needed to look up, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought.

‘I have to move. If the fireplace door is open, I need to close it.’

Closing my eyes tightly, I slowly exhaled, then sat up. Lowering the blanket, I straightened my upper body.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the dim room came into focus.

Thud-thud.

The sound of heavy rain striking the windowpane filled the room.

The sliding door of the fireplace was, as I feared, open. Through the gap, I could see the endless darkness of the underground passage.

A chill ran down my spine.

The door was wide open—why hadn’t I noticed it earlier?

Creak.

The metal grate at the base of the fireplace swayed slightly, as if moved by the wind.

‘…Wait. Why is that moving?’

The windows were closed because of the rain.

There was no way wind could be causing the grate to move.

I carefully lowered my legs off the bed, slipped into my slippers, and stood up slowly. I wasn’t procrastinating out of fear of approaching the fireplace—no, definitely not.

‘I’m scared…!’

It felt as if someone were dragging me by the collar as I hesitantly shuffled toward the fireplace.

Once I was in front of it, I crouched down and pushed the protruding metal grate back inside. The sliding door slowly began to close as the base shifted.

But something felt off.

‘It does feel like there’s wind blowing.’

And it wasn’t a faint breeze—it was a strong gust.

The door leading to the police station was locked, and access to the outside required passing through the underground jail, making it unlikely for wind to flow through.

The door to the Kint side was the same. It was double-locked, connected to wooden crates, and tucked away in the laundry room.

There shouldn’t have been a source for such a strong wind.

‘Jose said he hadn’t finished digging the passage yet…’

I decided to focus on closing the fireplace door for now.

‘Because I’m scared!’

I figured it would be best to discuss this with everyone in the morning when they were awake. With that resolved, I went to close the door completely when—

Clang.

Suddenly, the metal grate connected to the fireplace door collapsed. It seemed the rusty hinges had finally given out.

Oh, come on. Why now?

Knock-knock.

Just then, someone knocked on my door. Startled, I froze mid-motion as I struggled to fix the grate.

“Who’s there?”

Knock-knock. The person didn’t respond, knocking once more instead.

“Wh-who is it?” I stammered.

“It’s me, Miss Cherry,” Ethan’s voice called from outside.

Relief washed over me as I let out a sigh. I walked over to the door and opened it to find Ethan standing there in his pajamas.

“I heard a noise and came to check,” he said, tilting his head and looking down at me. Just seeing his face somehow brought a sense of calm.

The overwhelming fear that had consumed me just moments ago dissipated.

I stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in.

Ethan, however, remained rooted in place as if something was anchoring him.

“What are you waiting for? Come in,” I urged.

With a sigh, he buried his face in his hand. “Miss Cherry, you’re far too careless.”

It was only then that I realized the situation: it was the middle of the night, and we were both in our pajamas. If the world hadn’t ended, there’d never have been a scenario where Ethan and I were alone together like this at night. The thought felt strangely novel.

Eventually, I grabbed Ethan by the wrist and tugged him into the room.

Click. The door closed, leaving us alone in the dim room. I pulled him toward the fireplace and sat down.

“This is what woke me up,” I said.

Ethan, looking bewildered, sat beside me. After briefly examining the collapsed metal grate, he peered into the fireplace.

“Why does it feel like there’s wind blowing from here?” he asked.

“Right?!” I said, patting his arm in agreement.

“Think about it, Sir Ethan. There’s no reason for wind to come through here. Every path to the outside is blocked.”

Ethan nodded, his expression puzzled. “It would be best to check inside, though…”

Trailing off, he looked around the room carefully.

“Why? Should I grab a lantern?” I asked, getting up before he could answer. I retrieved a lantern and lighter from beside the bed.

“Starting tomorrow, we should swap rooms,” Ethan said suddenly.

“What? Why?” I asked, baffled.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Oh, the fireplace?”

Ethan didn’t respond, but his silence seemed to confirm it.

“It’s not dangerous when the door is closed, though. I just forgot to shut it properly today.”

That was true. When the door was locked, even Susanna couldn’t open it.

Ethan sighed, seemingly at a loss for words. “Let’s be thorough in locking doors, Miss Cherry. You’re so careless—it seems I have to take care of everything for you.”

“Should I start calling you ‘Mom Ethan,’ then?” I teased.

Ethan shot me a deadpan look, sighed again, and muttered, “Good grief.”

Rumble—

A low hum echoed from beyond the fireplace.

It was faint and distant, but I couldn’t tell if the sound was actually coming from inside the fireplace or if it was just my imagination.

Ethan and I exchanged glances before, as if on cue, we pulled the collapsed grate aside, flung the fireplace door wide open, and stepped inside.

Lighting the lantern with the lighter, the underground passage became faintly illuminated. Ethan, ever cautious, had brought his revolver and was now checking the magazine.

“Sir Ethan, are your wounds okay? If you keep wandering around like this, Nox Mom will scold you,” I said.

Ethan chuckled and shook his head. “Harrison Mom’s nagging is scarier, so I’ll take my chances. Just don’t tell the counselor.”

“Like that’s going to stay a secret.”

We clicked our tongues at each other and continued walking forward.

“Jose said he was digging near Exit 3 today. He mentioned it’d take a while to clear the blocked path completely…”

We passed Path 1, which led to the police station, and then Path 2, which connected to Kint’s area. Walking further down the straight passage, we finally reached Path 3 as expected.

“Oh? It’s almost done.”

Most of the dirt had been removed, and from above, the opposite path was visible. The problem was that I couldn’t see it from my height. Ethan, being taller, probably had a clear view.

“Should we dig a bit more? The sound earlier seemed to come from over there,” I suggested.

I stood on tiptoes, trying to see, but of course, it didn’t help. Ethan, watching from above, let out a small laugh. I turned to glare at him.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“I just smiled. You’re cute, that’s all.”

“What? No, you’re definitely laughing at—wait, what?”

Caught off guard by his response, I faltered. Ethan, who had been scratching the back of his head, froze as well. His hand stopped mid-motion, and he avoided my gaze. His neck turned a noticeable shade of red.

I was about to retort, but seeing him flustered made me embarrassed, too. I shut my mouth.

An awkward silence settled between us.

Fortunately, the silence was broken by the faint, distant sound of voices humming through the passage.

“This isn’t a trap, is it?”

“Then let’s run.”

“That’s a bit of a reckless plan.”

“Well, trying to come up with a foolproof strategy in this straight passage is even more reckless.”

That was fair. I nodded in agreement immediately.

“Looks like we’ll have to dig first, then.”

There was a shovel nearby, likely left by Jose. I picked it up, resigning myself to the task.

Ethan was still technically a patient, so it wouldn’t feel right to make him dig. If I forced someone injured to do manual labor while I had superhuman strength, I’d probably have nightmares about it.

So, I got to work, digging vigorously.

“Miss Cherry, over here,” Ethan said cheerfully, pointing to a spot near his feet.

“And here,” he added, nudging another area with his foot.

Whenever I started digging where he pointed, he’d kick at another spot, directing me to do more.

In retaliation, I flung dirt at his pajamas, but Ethan, now covered in soil, didn’t back down and continued teasing me.

After some time, I managed to dig down to calf level. Beyond the cleared path, a short straight corridor led to a right turn.

The sound of voices grew closer. Footsteps echoed, signaling the approach of several people.

Ethan raised his revolver, aiming down the passage, while I gripped the shovel tightly, ready to swing if someone appeared.

The murmuring became clearer, and soon, the voices were audible.

“Do you think there’s actually a way out of here?”

“Aren’t we just going to die here?”

“Elderson, I’m telling you politely—shut your mouth.”

“How is that polite? Lady Lancaster was talking, too, but Your Highness only scolds me. This is unfair!”

“Sigh. Sir Nikolai, punish him for causing a disturbance.”

“Your Highness, that’s not an actual crime.”

“Then charge him with disrespect.”

“Your Highness.”

“Silence.”

“Yes, sir.”

The voices drew nearer.

Something about the conversation felt oddly familiar. The names mentioned were familiar, too.

Finally, the figures emerged from around the corner. They froze when they saw us.

There were more of them than I expected.

At the front stood a man and a woman, followed by what were clearly royal guards. Their uniforms bore a striking resemblance to Kellyan’s but with subtle differences.

They looked between Ethan and me, visibly startled. To be fair, our appearance was… not great.

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Both of us were in pajamas, covered in dirt. Ethan, wrapped in bandages like a mummy, didn’t look particularly threatening even with a revolver. As for me, holding a shovel, I didn’t exactly inspire fear either.

‘This is so embarrassing.’

Though I had anticipated it from their conversation, I recognized the faces standing before me.

That pristine confidence to wear spotless white uniforms even in a ruined world.

The man with silver hair and piercing blue eyes was unmistakably Crown Prince Theodore. I’d seen his face often enough in newspapers.

Beside him stood a woman with silvery hair and mysterious violet eyes, her delicate features radiating a pure beauty.

‘That’s Aurora, Ethan’s sister!’

I’d met her once before the world fell apart, at 61 Notium Street.

“Oh… Brother? Is it really you, Brother?” Aurora dropped the bow she was holding and covered her mouth with both hands, staring at Ethan in disbelief.

Ethan seemed equally shocked. He stood frozen, revolver still in hand, staring at her.

The protagonists of the novel were finally reunited.

Watching them, I felt an odd pang in my chest.

Ethan had insisted on digging through the underground passage to find Aurora in the capital. And now, the sister he had searched for so desperately stood before him.

“I can’t believe it. Then this must be… Cherry Sinclair?” Theodore trailed off, gesturing toward me. Considering my current state, I couldn’t blame him for hesitating.

“Surely not. Cherry Sinclair wouldn’t look this dirty or unattractive. She just has similar hair,” whispered the man standing beside Theodore, likely his aide. His voice wasn’t low enough to keep me from hearing.

Who’s unattractive?! I used to be known for my stunning looks! What’s this guy’s name? I’m writing it in my journal.

I gripped the shovel tightly, trembling with irritation.

Anyway, the heroine and main male lead of Woven Love in a Ruined World had arrived at my house.

Am I… going to be okay like this?