The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House-Chapter 167

Theodore entered the banquet hall of Happy House with Aurora at his side, his eyes quietly surveying the room.

“So this mansion is called Happy House,” he thought.

The name suited Cherry Sinclair perfectly.

Cherry flitted about the hall, adorned in a charming cocktail hat perched atop her pink curls, an elegant mermaid dress, and pristine silk gloves that extended to her elbows. She looked every bit the part of a high-society lady preparing for a grand soirée, inspecting furniture with a critical eye.

Harrison Howard, the lawyer, followed her closely, jotting notes diligently into his notebook.

The scene was so natural, so ordinary, that it made one momentarily forget the world had fallen into ruin.

The heiress of the Sinclair family, known for their dubious business practices, had purchased this peculiar mansion, which now stood resilient despite the world’s collapse.

“This part needs repairs, too. And a few more chairs should be added,” Cherry remarked as she discussed logistics with Harrison. Then, noticing Theodore and Aurora standing by, she tilted her head curiously.

“You’re early. Please, both of you, have a seat. We’ll start the meeting once everyone arrives.”

Early, she said. Theodore shot a glance at Harrison, who had summoned them. Harrison, oblivious or intentionally so, adjusted his glasses and continued focusing on Cherry.

After a brief hesitation, Theodore carefully pulled out a chair and sat down—not at the head of the table, but beside it.

As the last crown prince of a fallen world, asserting his royal authority felt meaningless until he could restore life and normalcy to the people of Graydon.

Aurora, on the other hand, didn’t sit. Instead, she wandered over to Cherry, peeking at her curiously.

That was when a girl with short black hair, Amy, burst into the banquet hall, bubbling with excitement as she rushed over to Cherry.

“Sugar Star! You look amazing today!”

“Emma tailored it for me! Isn’t it lovely?” Cherry replied with a grin.

Amy nodded enthusiastically. Cherry Sinclair had always been known for her love of dresses, and it seemed that her taste hadn’t changed, even after the world’s end.

“Lady Sinclair, your nickname is Sugar Star? That’s adorable! And your dress is stunning,” Aurora said, clapping her hands with sparkling eyes.

The term Sugar Star was one Theodore had heard before.

High society had adored Cherry to such an extent that even he was aware of the many titles and nicknames bestowed upon her.

“It does suit her,” he admitted to himself.

As he watched Cherry, it was hard to believe the world had ended. The peace he felt in this moment was something he had never experienced in the capital—a sensation entirely foreign since the collapse.

Theodore closed his eyes briefly.

The tension in his shoulders eased, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a glimmer of tranquility, as though he’d been released from the suffocating burden pressing down on him.

“So, our dear Crown Prince is quite punctual. Already here, I see?”

The playful, teasing voice caused Theodore to open his eyes slowly. A blond man in a neatly pressed police uniform was entering the hall.

It was Ethan. Among everyone, he was perhaps the only one who dared to speak to Theodore so casually.

Spotting Ethan, Cherry hurried over to him.

“What’s this? Didn’t your uniform get torn to shreds?”

Ethan shrugged with a sly smile. “Cherry, didn’t you say you had a thing for uniforms?”

“I never said that.”

“Didn’t you?”

“Well... maybe. A man in uniform is nice.”

Theodore glanced down at his own pristine white crown prince uniform. Ethan caught his reaction and chuckled.

“See? When I wear a uniform, Cherry looks at me differently. That’s why I worked so hard to fix this one.”

“That’s not a repaired uniform. It’s a spare.”

“...Fine, you got me. It’s a spare I grabbed from the police station dorms last time.”

“Can’t you just get to the point from the start?”

“That was the point. What, you don’t believe I want to impress Cherry?”

“Ugh, enough. You’re making me nauseous,” Aurora muttered under her breath, watching their exchange with growing exasperation.

And, indeed, she looked like she was about to be sick, covering her mouth as her face paled.

Cherry, looking flustered, averted her gaze from Ethan and glanced toward the banquet hall entrance. More people were filtering in—Nox, Alderson, and others joining the meeting.

“Well then, let’s get started on discussing the current situation and our plans moving forward.”

With that, they began sharing information about what had happened and deliberating on strategies for the future.

*****

“It feels like I’m at a summit,” I thought, glancing at the royal guards lined up against the banquet hall walls. Their sharp uniforms and rigid postures added an air of tension to the room.

The seat of honor at the head of the table was left empty.

It had been left for the crown prince, but Theodore had chosen to sit beside it, finding it inappropriate to claim royal privilege in a fallen world.

Thus, Theodore and I sat opposite each other, with me flanking the seat of honor on one side and Ethan taking the other.

Taking is the right word—Nox had intended to sit there, but Ethan had claimed the chair without hesitation.

Nox, perhaps deeming it undignified to argue over seating, sighed and took the spot next to Ethan.

Harrison, rather than sitting far from me as he sometimes did, stood by my right side.

Aurora sat beside Theodore, resting her chin on her hand as she glared at Ethan with visible disdain.

Alderson, Theodore’s aide, had initially sat beside Aurora but, noticing Harrison, awkwardly rose and positioned himself next to Theodore instead.

Theodore, like Aurora, seemed disoriented by the dynamics between Ethan, [N O V E L I G H T] Nox, and Harrison. But he soon laced his fingers together and placed his hands on the table, his expression solemn as he began to speak.

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“The situation in the capital is dire.”

The room fell silent, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over the gathering. Theodore continued speaking, his voice steady but heavy.

"To be frank, the city is so completely overrun by monsters that restoring it seems almost hopeless."

He let out a deep sigh, resting his forehead against his interlaced fingers.

The weight of the silence that followed was suffocating. It was evident just how difficult survival had been for Theodore in the capital. Moreover, it seemed rare for him to reveal his inner thoughts so openly. The startled expression of his aide, Alderson, standing beside him, was telling.

Theodore pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket. The fabric, embroidered with a map of Benton, illustrated the city’s geography.

Pointing at the handkerchief, he resumed his explanation.

"There are five confirmed survival camps, including the royal palace. There may be more, accounting for smaller groups of survivors scattered throughout."

I examined the geography of Benton depicted on the handkerchief. It showed fifteen administrative districts.

‘I’ve seen this in the novel.’

About a year after the world’s collapse, Theodore would succeed in reclaiming eight of the fifteen districts from the monsters.

‘Though the rest were left unreachable due to physical limitations.’

The novel had been discontinued shortly after the introduction of Ezra, hinting at the development of a cure with a hopeful tone.

"As the crown prince of Graydon, it is my duty to ensure the survival of everyone—not just those in Benton, but also those scattered across the entirety of Graydon."

I lifted my gaze from the map to meet Theodore’s eyes. His calm, unwavering gaze was like the stillness of a midnight sea.

"So I ask you this: Do you know anything about the situation outside of Brunel? What is the state of the world beyond?"

Though his expression remained composed, there was a faint glimmer of hope in his voice. If I were in his position, I’d likely cling to that same hope. However...

I carefully opened my mouth to speak.

"Unfortunately, the situation is the same beyond Hondorf, including Brunel and Kintnay. Given the rate of infection, it’s highly likely that neighboring Wernstown in the central region is similarly affected, and the virus may have even reached the southern regions."

I phrased it as speculation, but in truth, I was certain. Based on the novel, the virus had spread across all of Graydon and even into the neighboring kingdom of Briwood.

In essence, the world had effectively ended.

A heavy sigh escaped Alderson’s lips. Theodore, too, appeared troubled, furrowing his brow as he pressed his fingers against his temples.

If the novel were to serve as a guide, Theodore’s ultimate goal was likely "restoring the world to its original state."

"This is a virus, Your Highness. Have you found any leads on a cure?" I asked cautiously, hoping to steer the conversation toward Ezra. Perhaps Theodore had encountered Ezra earlier than the novel had suggested.

Theodore tapped the table with his fingers, deliberating carefully before responding.

"I haven’t heard of any cure. However, if such a thing exists, I have an idea where it might be."

Oh? His unexpected answer caught me off guard.

Could it be that he had met Ezra or at least knew something about them?

I looked at Theodore with a glimmer of hope as he began to explain in a measured tone.

"Before the world’s collapse, there were numerous monster incidents, both large and small, across Graydon. Rumors ran rampant. I immediately instructed my aide, Alderson, to investigate the matter thoroughly, leaving no detail unchecked. Then, I summoned the police commissioner to make a single request. Can you guess what it was?"

He scanned the room with his question, though it was clear he wasn’t expecting an answer.

"I asked him to protect any witnesses of the monster incidents and secure their testimonies. I needed to understand what was happening in my kingdom. And do you know what happened?"

Theodore seemed to favor rhetorical questions.

What surprised me more was that Theodore had taken such measures before the collapse. The novel had never mentioned this, so I had assumed he was blindsided by the world’s end.

Theodore continued.

"Every witness I sought to protect was killed. All but one."

He cast a glance at Aurora, who blinked in confusion, clearly unaware of her role in this story.

Why had Aurora alone been spared? It seemed neither she nor Theodore knew the answer.

"And the police commissioner? After making a mess of things, he panicked and left a hastily written resignation letter before disappearing. I had placed someone to monitor him beforehand, and it turns out he fled to Westmore."

"Wait, all of them were killed? And the commissioner fled to Westmore?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Theodore nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

All of them were killed? The thought suddenly brought to mind the man I had seen at the mansion on 61 Notium Street.

Could he have been killed too?

"I was curious why he chose to flee to Westmore, so I looked into it. That’s when I discovered something interesting: all of Graydon’s renowned scientists and doctors were gathering in Westmore."

Wait. What?

The new information was overwhelming, leaving me momentarily stunned. Judging by the expressions around the table, the rest of the Happy House members felt similarly.

At that moment, Ethan voiced a question.

"If we’re talking about Graydon’s renowned doctors, wouldn’t the Ludfisher family be included?"

All eyes turned toward Nox.