The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House-Chapter 164

In the face of their intense glares, all of us fell silent.

Ethan and Nox stuck close to me, pestering me constantly, while Theodore’s group watched the scene with expressions that seemed equal parts amused and bewildered.

“You all manage to joke around even in a situation like this. Ethan, Nox—you two have changed so much it’s almost unrecognizable,” Theodore remarked, his voice tinged with both unfamiliarity and a trace of confusion.

It seemed he wasn’t accustomed to the current dynamics, particularly how casually Ethan and Nox interacted with me.

“Are you all secretly putting on a play behind my back? Honestly, this feels so surreal I’m starting to question whether it’s a dream,” he said, rubbing his brow as if to ease his growing headache.

Theodore looked utterly exhausted, likely from the constant tension he had maintained on the journey here. Sensing the need to refocus the situation, I addressed him firmly.

“It’s neither a dream nor a play. The person in those rumors is probably me. After all, I’m the only one in Brunel with that kind of strength.”

Yet, despite my admission, Theodore’s group remained skeptical. I didn’t bother trying to convince them further—it wasn’t as if I could just show off my strength to prove it.

Instead, I shifted the topic to something that had piqued my curiosity.

“But how did my rumors even reach the capital in this post-apocalyptic world?”

I recalled Kellyan mentioning the use of messenger birds for communication with Westmore. Did Theodore have a similar method?

“Do you have messenger birds? Or perhaps there’s still a functioning telephone exchange in the capital, like the one Ethan and Lady Lancaster used?”

At the mention of Ethan and Aurora’s call, Theodore glanced briefly at his sister before awkwardly scratching his cheek and replying.

“There’s no direct line of communication from the outside. However, I’ve learned that a hostile faction seems to be in contact with the outside world. I heard about the rumors of someone with the strength to tear apart monsters during an interrogation of one of their members.”

If rumors had spread, it was more likely through Kintenet than Brunel. It probably stemmed from the events at Sinclair Hotel. Still, even Theodore didn’t seem to know the exact route the information had taken to reach the capital.

Given Theodore’s hostile relations with Prince Lloyd, it was clear that Lloyd’s faction was the one maintaining external communications. The implications of this were unsettling. Lloyd’s faction had managed what even Theodore could not.

“Lady Sinclair, can you tell us about the current situation in Brunel and other areas...” Theodore began but stopped abruptly when there was a loud thud.

It was his aide, Alderson, who had collapsed to the floor. Having apparently been dozing off while standing, Alderson quickly stood up, his face red with embarrassment.

“I’m terribly sorry. I haven’t had proper sleep, water, or food for two days now. It’s been too much for someone like me to endure.”

As he swayed unsteadily, the knights rushed to support him. While the knights and Theodore appeared to be in better condition due to their physical stamina, it was surprising that Aurora seemed unaffected.

Theodore, looking concerned, glanced at Alderson before turning to me.

“We’re all exhausted from the grueling march. If it’s not too much trouble, may we rest and continue our discussion later? As I said earlier, I will make sure to repay this kindness.”

Theodore’s humble and respectful demeanor only heightened the impression of his regal bearing. Was this what they called royal dignity? I couldn’t help but be a little impressed as I examined his group. As I thought before—they were truly disheveled.

In any case, having the male lead of a novel owe me a favor was quite appealing. And since I’d already negotiated for survival supplies from the capital, it was only fair to help them.

“That sounds like a good idea. Please follow me; I’ll show you where you can rest.”

As I said this, I noticed the rifles carried by the knights.

“Ah, but before that, I need everyone to hand over their weapons. I’ll keep them safe until the day you leave.”

“That’s impossible. We’re the Crown Prince’s guards. We cannot, under any circumstances, voluntarily relinquish our weapons,” the knights protested.

Startled by their resistance, I instinctively flinched. Ethan stepped closer, positioning himself protectively in front of me. His readiness to shield me, even with his sister on the other side of the room, left me momentarily puzzled. Despite the bond we had formed, I hadn’t expected him to prioritize me over the sister he had ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) been desperately searching for.

Brushing aside my thoughts, I addressed Theodore firmly.

“Then you’re welcome to leave. Or perhaps you’d rather kill me and take this house by force?”

I said it knowing full well Theodore would never choose such an option. After all, that was precisely why I had felt comfortable bringing him to Happy House in the first place.

As expected, Theodore raised a hand toward his knights, silencing their protests.

“Surrender your weapons. We must not disrespect those who are offering us their hospitality.”

I had expected further objections from the knights, but to my surprise, they obeyed without a word, methodically laying down their rifles and swords. Theodore followed suit, placing his sword and revolver on the floor.

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Aurora hesitated briefly, glancing at me before removing her bow, quiver, and a dagger from her back pocket, placing them down as well. She met my eyes and offered a sheepish smile, looking like a fluffy white rabbit.

“Lady Sinclair, is this sufficient?” Theodore asked.

Nox and Harrison began collecting the weapons, likely to store them in the second-floor storage room. Once they had gathered everything, I nodded.

“Now, let me show you to your quarters.”

The commotion had drawn the attention of the people on the second floor, who peeked out curiously to see what was happening. Those who had followed me into the corridor looked around with amazement, their expressions betraying their fascination with the surroundings.

“There seems to be quite a number of people here,” Theodore remarked, stepping out of the room and noticing the members of Happy House for the first time. He seemed genuinely surprised.

“The mansion is remarkably clean, with no signs of intrusion,” he added, analyzing the estate with a composed demeanor. His face was alight with interest as he inspected Happy House.

Following behind me, Theodore asked,

“You mentioned this is your villa. When did you acquire the property? Were you aware of the underground passage when you purchased it?”

Stopping in front of the salon door on the first floor, I turned to face him. The line of people trailing behind him came to a halt like a string of sausages.

“I bought the property just weeks before the virus spread nationwide. I didn’t foresee this situation, of course,” I replied nonchalantly, taking a deep breath and feigning composure.

“As I mentioned earlier, I know little about the underground passage. However, I’ve conducted some investigations on it. I do have some questions for Your Highness regarding the mansion in the capital connected to the passage, but perhaps we should rest first and discuss it with clear minds.”

I needed time to confer with Harrison about the benefits we could gain from Theodore’s group and what information we might exchange with them.

Theodore’s gaze carried an unreadable nuance as he looked at me.

“...You are nothing like the rumors, Lady Sinclair. Perhaps I’ve been narrow-minded. I owe you an apology for the prejudices I held. Gossip is truly unreliable.”

Theodore’s apology was clean and sincere.

Given the widespread nature of the rumors about me, it was no surprise he had formed such opinions. Since he had shown no particular rudeness so far, I shrugged it off casually.

Still, I reminded myself to be cautious. People as polite and composed as him could be the most dangerous.

We allocated the salon on the first floor to Theodore’s guards and his aide, Alderson. It was the only space spacious enough to accommodate six people comfortably. Emma, Susanna, and Victor were tasked with bringing extra bedding.

Theodore and his entourage were visibly astonished that we even had spare bedding in such quantities, but I ignored their reactions and led Theodore and Aurora to the second floor.

On the second-floor landing, five rooms on the right were occupied by Amy, Jose, Susanna, Emma, and Victor. Two rooms on the left were vacant, and one banquet hall-sized room was being used as a storage space. Across the hall was the room where Kellyan and Charlie Green were confined.

I assigned the two vacant rooms to Theodore and Aurora, respectively.

“Lady Lancaster will stay here, and Your Highness will take the room across from hers,” I said.

Theodore, pointing to the rooms on the opposite corridor, asked,

“May I request another room? What about those over there?”

“They’re already in use by members of our household,” I replied, prompting a disappointed expression from him. He seemed eager to stay as far from Aurora as possible.

“Very well. Thank you,” he said, resigned.

Aurora, however, widened her eyes and asked,

“Wait, Your Highness, am I a nuisance to you?”

“More or less,” he replied bluntly.

“Oh, you’re so funny,” Aurora said, laughing as she playfully hit his arm.

Thwack, thwack.

The sound of her playful hits was shockingly loud, and Theodore stood there with an expression of quiet resignation.

Ethan, watching the scene, shook with barely contained laughter. Theodore, noticing him, raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

“You knew exactly what you were doing when you left her in my care, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get some rest myself,” Ethan replied, leaning his head back on his interlaced fingers and whistling nonchalantly.

Aurora opened her mouth as if to protest, but Theodore swiftly clamped his hand over her lips.

“It would be best if you kept quiet, my lady,” he said.

Aurora, now sulking like a scolded puppy, turned to me with pleading eyes, but I smiled and waved her off.

“Rest well, and we’ll talk later,” I said.

After settling Theodore and Aurora into their rooms, I joined Ethan, Harrison, and Nox in the lobby.

With Theodore’s group disarmed, Kellyan’s room securely locked, and the supply storage and kitchen pantry safely bolted, I felt reassured.

“This is all so overwhelming. I can’t even think straight,” Nox muttered, rubbing his face wearily.

I couldn’t have agreed more. Staying up all night in the underground passage had left me utterly drained.

“Lady Sinclair, you should get some rest too. We can discuss everything once you’ve recovered,” Harrison said, adjusting his glasses.

I nodded weakly, too tired to muster a proper response.

As I glanced out the massive second-floor lobby window overlooking the garden, I noticed the storm outside. Heavy rain obscured the view, and it seemed Victor’s prediction of an incoming typhoon might come true.