Eden looked at me with a face that seemed to ask, “Are you starting something again?”
“What strange thing are you planning to do this time…?” he muttered, then seemed to blur the end of his sentence and sighed, suddenly turning his head. I was taken aback and glanced around before poking his side.
“What you said was weird. If someone hears it, it sounds like I’m a really strange person.”
“It’s not strange, it’s a goal hit.”
“…What’s the difference between the two words?”
“The former sounds like someone with real issues, while the latter sounds amusing, don’t you think?”
Eden replied nonchalantly, his expression unchanged. He seemed to genuinely believe in his perspective.
Advertisement
‘You seem like the weirder one.’
At that moment, the man turned to me and asked, “But you look like a noble young lady. What on earth do you want chickens for?”
This time, Eden also looked at me curiously. I stared back at them without blinking and replied, “To raise them, of course. It’s my dream to have pet chickens, isn’t it cool?”
There was a moment of silence. The man and Eden stared at me with faces that seemed to have lost words.
Eden’s eyes seemed to say, ‘See, you’re weird.’ It seemed like he had been using his eyes a lot to communicate lately.
I waved to Eden as I left the restaurant.
“Anyway, Eden, I don’t need your help. I’ll manage on my own.”
AdvertisementOf course, both the man from the farm and Eden didn’t believe my words, at least until they saw it with their own eyes.
* * *
Eden was sitting on the dirt floor of the Happy House’s Garden, watching me carry my luggage.
I held up the portable wooden chicken coop with five chickens in it.
Then I realized, belatedly. I had to hide my strength from Eden. He shouldn’t associate it with the incident at 61st Notium Street.
‘But come to think of it, this wasn’t the first time I showed off my strength to Eden.’
Maybe he couldn’t relate my strength to the incident at 61st Notium Street. It meant that my image was firmly established in Eden’s mind. Of course, it wasn’t a positive image, but still.
Advertisement
Suddenly, as if he could read my thoughts, Eden approached me, glancing at the man from the farm. He spoke in a serious tone, lowering his voice.
“Are you impersonating Cherry Sinclair? Or are you being coerced into acting like her?”
The man from the farm was busy making a chicken coop in one corner of the garden. I turned to look at Eden.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Does it make sense for Miss Cherry to raise chickens?”
“Respect my hobby.”
“But what about that strength? I heard that Cherry Sinclair is undoubtedly weak.”
Advertisement“Strength is not considered a virtue for upper-class women. Of course, I kept it hidden.”
Eden immediately understood and nodded. “I suppose you wanted to become a noble lady.”
My pounding heart calmed down a bit. As expected, Eden didn’t even consider the possibility that the woman we met that day was me.
“Yes, yes. So, please stop asking.”
I gave a vague answer and opened the front door of the mansion. There were some unpacked suitcases in front of the door.
While the man was making the chicken coop, I thought about whether to let the chickens out or not and opened the bag. Then, I heard Eden’s voice behind me.
“You really seem to like cricket.”
AdvertisementHe commented as he saw me taking things out of the bag. It seemed like Susanna had put them in.
Next to the cricket bat made of iron was an axe.
…Ah, damn it. I suddenly remembered that this was the axe I used to defeat the monster in at 61st Notium Street.
“Hey, why did you put this in?”
If I used the axe, Eden might recall the Incident at 61st Notium Street! I quickly took out the cricket bat again and hid the axe deep in the bag.
Then, suddenly, I heard a scream from the direction of the garden.
“Ah, aaargh!”
AdvertisementIt was a disturbance near the front gate.
Without needing to say who goes first, Eden and I rushed outside.
“Wait a minute.”
I stopped abruptly as I thought about the need for a weapon. “No, this won’t do.” If I used the axe, Eden might recall the Incident at 61st Notium Street! I took out the cricket bat again and headed outside.
Kwong-!
The man from the farm was lying near the gate, and behind him was a huge monster.
The creature’s body was over 2 meters tall and covered in fur. At first glance, it looked like a bear, but the head was human.
AdvertisementThe accident came to a halt. Sh*t, I should have brought the axe!
“What the hell is that?”
I heard Eden mutter a curse beside me.
If there were antibodies against the virus, it didn’t mean we wouldn’t die. In that case, I had to move before Eden because I had more strength.
Ignoring Eden’s shout, I rushed into the scene, aiming my cricket bat at the monster with its mouth open, slowly approaching the fallen man.
“Wait, Miss Cherry!”
Ignoring Eden, who was speaking frantically, I aimed my bat at the creature and swung it forcefully.
AdvertisementThwack!
With a dull thud, the monster flew far and crashed into the mansion’s wall.
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the fallen creature, seizing it with convulsions. I was relieved that Susanna’s cricket bat turned out to be made of iron, not wood.
As I turned my head, I saw Eden looking at me with a surprised expression. It seemed like he needed an explanation about the current situation.
I tried to nonchalantly respond while keeping an eye on Eden’s reaction.
“I used to be a cricket player in my heyday, but it’s my first time seeing a cricket bat made of iron.”
“Whether it’s made of iron or not, did you really use that bat to knock it down?”
AdvertisementEden asked as if he couldn’t believe it. I read the doubt in his azure eyes and sweat ran down my back. Was he really trying to figure it out this time?
“What’s new? You know how good I am at this. Hahaha.”
I laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of my head. Damn, I felt too suspicious even to myself.
But I couldn’t explain my strength in a way that would be convincing. Even I didn’t know much about the power that Cherry Sinclair possessed.
“If it’s that good, then it seems like you’re stronger than me?”
Eden raised an eyebrow and scanned me up and down with his arms crossed. His scrutinizing gaze made me more nervous than embarrassed.
But unexpectedly, Eden didn’t say anything. The look in his eyes a moment ago was somewhat uneasy, but that’s all.
AdvertisementGood thing I brought the cricket bat, not the axe.
Wanting to change the subject quickly, I looked down at the cricket bat I was holding and muttered to myself, “Come to think of it, why is this bat not made of wood?”
In cricket, bats for matches and practice are usually made of wood. However, the one Susanna brought was a solid bat made of iron.
<Benton Championship Winner Commemoration>
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the lettering on the wide part of the cricket bat.
“No, sh*t. It was my trophy.”
It suddenly felt familiar. Why didn’t I realize it? Was I that stupid?
AdvertisementThis bat was not a cricket bat for games or practice; it was some kind of trophy. At the time, the team I was on had many skilled players, and we won the championship even with someone like me.
‘It was my first and last game, so I treasured it…!’
Grrr!
Lost in my thoughts for a moment, the fallen monster rose again and rushed towards us.
Damn!
Startled, I tried to swing the bat again.
Bang!
AdvertisementBut this time, a bullet flew from somewhere and knocked the monster down. It wasn’t fired by Eden.
‘Where did that bullet come from?’
Eden quickly loaded his gun and took a defensive stance, scanning the surroundings.
At that moment, we saw Vanilla Eddy Ruskin poking her head above the wall. She was the former owner of my Happy House and worked as a waitress at the restaurant, a poor (presumably) noble.
In her hand was a shotgun.
“Miss Ruskin, what are you doing there?”
I asked in a bewildered voice, and Vanilla, with an expression of astonishment, lowered the shotgun and looked at the fallen monster. Somehow, her eyes seemed to show a faint trace of madness.
Advertisement“Is that a wild animal? It might be worth some money if we sell it.”
…Really?
I looked at Vanilla, who was hanging on the wall with a bewildered expression. I didn’t even know when she got up there. And how did she climb the wall, which was quite high?
I had to finish the fence repair as soon as possible.
Thanks to Vanilla, we could deal with the monster faster than expected.
Meanwhile, Eden walked towards the fallen farmer on the ground and reached out to him.
“Are you okay?”
AdvertisementFortunately, the farmer didn’t seem to be injured. He slowly got up from the ground, with Eden’s support.
I stood in front of the dead monster with Vanilla. As Vanilla got a close look at the creature, she covered her mouth in surprise.
“What the hell is this…!”
Looking at the horrifying body of the monster, she staggered back and ended up vomiting next to it.
The creature’s body looked somewhat like a bear, but it had a human head with sharp teeth.
Seeing no blood around the mouth, it seemed like it hadn’t eaten anything yet.
‘Thank goodness. If it had bitten someone, the virus would have spread instantly.’
Eden looked at me with a face that seemed to ask, “Are you starting something again?”
“What strange thing are you planning to do this time…?” he muttered, then seemed to blur the end of his sentence and sighed, suddenly turning his head. I was taken aback and glanced around before poking his side.
“What you said was weird. If someone hears it, it sounds like I’m a really strange person.”
“It’s not strange, it’s a goal hit.”
“…What’s the difference between the two words?”
“The former sounds like someone with real issues, while the latter sounds amusing, don’t you think?”
Eden replied nonchalantly, his expression unchanged. He seemed to genuinely believe in his perspective.
Advertisement
‘You seem like the weirder one.’
At that moment, the man turned to me and asked, “But you look like a noble young lady. What on earth do you want chickens for?”
This time, Eden also looked at me curiously. I stared back at them without blinking and replied, “To raise them, of course. It’s my dream to have pet chickens, isn’t it cool?”
There was a moment of silence. The man and Eden stared at me with faces that seemed to have lost words.
Eden’s eyes seemed to say, ‘See, you’re weird.’ It seemed like he had been using his eyes a lot to communicate lately.
I waved to Eden as I left the restaurant.
“Anyway, Eden, I don’t need your help. I’ll manage on my own.”
AdvertisementOf course, both the man from the farm and Eden didn’t believe my words, at least until they saw it with their own eyes.
* * *
Eden was sitting on the dirt floor of the Happy House’s Garden, watching me carry my luggage.
I held up the portable wooden chicken coop with five chickens in it.
Then I realized, belatedly. I had to hide my strength from Eden. He shouldn’t associate it with the incident at 61st Notium Street.
‘But come to think of it, this wasn’t the first time I showed off my strength to Eden.’
Maybe he couldn’t relate my strength to the incident at 61st Notium Street. It meant that my image was firmly established in Eden’s mind. Of course, it wasn’t a positive image, but still.
Advertisement
Suddenly, as if he could read my thoughts, Eden approached me, glancing at the man from the farm. He spoke in a serious tone, lowering his voice.
“Are you impersonating Cherry Sinclair? Or are you being coerced into acting like her?”
The man from the farm was busy making a chicken coop in one corner of the garden. I turned to look at Eden.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Does it make sense for Miss Cherry to raise chickens?”
“Respect my hobby.”
“But what about that strength? I heard that Cherry Sinclair is undoubtedly weak.”
Advertisement“Strength is not considered a virtue for upper-class women. Of course, I kept it hidden.”
Eden immediately understood and nodded. “I suppose you wanted to become a noble lady.”
My pounding heart calmed down a bit. As expected, Eden didn’t even consider the possibility that the woman we met that day was me.
“Yes, yes. So, please stop asking.”
I gave a vague answer and opened the front door of the mansion. There were some unpacked suitcases in front of the door.
While the man was making the chicken coop, I thought about whether to let the chickens out or not and opened the bag. Then, I heard Eden’s voice behind me.
“You really seem to like cricket.”
AdvertisementHe commented as he saw me taking things out of the bag. It seemed like Susanna had put them in.
Next to the cricket bat made of iron was an axe.
…Ah, damn it. I suddenly remembered that this was the axe I used to defeat the monster in at 61st Notium Street.
“Hey, why did you put this in?”
If I used the axe, Eden might recall the Incident at 61st Notium Street! I quickly took out the cricket bat again and hid the axe deep in the bag.
Then, suddenly, I heard a scream from the direction of the garden.
“Ah, aaargh!”
AdvertisementIt was a disturbance near the front gate.
Without needing to say who goes first, Eden and I rushed outside.
“Wait a minute.”
I stopped abruptly as I thought about the need for a weapon. “No, this won’t do.” If I used the axe, Eden might recall the Incident at 61st Notium Street! I took out the cricket bat again and headed outside.
Kwong-!
The man from the farm was lying near the gate, and behind him was a huge monster.
The creature’s body was over 2 meters tall and covered in fur. At first glance, it looked like a bear, but the head was human.
AdvertisementThe accident came to a halt. Sh*t, I should have brought the axe!
“What the hell is that?”
I heard Eden mutter a curse beside me.
If there were antibodies against the virus, it didn’t mean we wouldn’t die. In that case, I had to move before Eden because I had more strength.
Ignoring Eden’s shout, I rushed into the scene, aiming my cricket bat at the monster with its mouth open, slowly approaching the fallen man.
“Wait, Miss Cherry!”
Ignoring Eden, who was speaking frantically, I aimed my bat at the creature and swung it forcefully.
AdvertisementThwack!
With a dull thud, the monster flew far and crashed into the mansion’s wall.
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the fallen creature, seizing it with convulsions. I was relieved that Susanna’s cricket bat turned out to be made of iron, not wood.
As I turned my head, I saw Eden looking at me with a surprised expression. It seemed like he needed an explanation about the current situation.
I tried to nonchalantly respond while keeping an eye on Eden’s reaction.
“I used to be a cricket player in my heyday, but it’s my first time seeing a cricket bat made of iron.”
“Whether it’s made of iron or not, did you really use that bat to knock it down?”
AdvertisementEden asked as if he couldn’t believe it. I read the doubt in his azure eyes and sweat ran down my back. Was he really trying to figure it out this time?
“What’s new? You know how good I am at this. Hahaha.”
I laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of my head. Damn, I felt too suspicious even to myself.
But I couldn’t explain my strength in a way that would be convincing. Even I didn’t know much about the power that Cherry Sinclair possessed.
“If it’s that good, then it seems like you’re stronger than me?”
Eden raised an eyebrow and scanned me up and down with his arms crossed. His scrutinizing gaze made me more nervous than embarrassed.
But unexpectedly, Eden didn’t say anything. The look in his eyes a moment ago was somewhat uneasy, but that’s all.
AdvertisementGood thing I brought the cricket bat, not the axe.
Wanting to change the subject quickly, I looked down at the cricket bat I was holding and muttered to myself, “Come to think of it, why is this bat not made of wood?”
In cricket, bats for matches and practice are usually made of wood. However, the one Susanna brought was a solid bat made of iron.
<Benton Championship Winner Commemoration>
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the lettering on the wide part of the cricket bat.
“No, sh*t. It was my trophy.”
It suddenly felt familiar. Why didn’t I realize it? Was I that stupid?
AdvertisementThis bat was not a cricket bat for games or practice; it was some kind of trophy. At the time, the team I was on had many skilled players, and we won the championship even with someone like me.
‘It was my first and last game, so I treasured it…!’
Grrr!
Lost in my thoughts for a moment, the fallen monster rose again and rushed towards us.
Damn!
Startled, I tried to swing the bat again.
Bang!
AdvertisementBut this time, a bullet flew from somewhere and knocked the monster down. It wasn’t fired by Eden.
‘Where did that bullet come from?’
Eden quickly loaded his gun and took a defensive stance, scanning the surroundings.
At that moment, we saw Vanilla Eddy Ruskin poking her head above the wall. She was the former owner of my Happy House and worked as a waitress at the restaurant, a poor (presumably) noble.
In her hand was a shotgun.
“Miss Ruskin, what are you doing there?”
I asked in a bewildered voice, and Vanilla, with an expression of astonishment, lowered the shotgun and looked at the fallen monster. Somehow, her eyes seemed to show a faint trace of madness.
Advertisement“Is that a wild animal? It might be worth some money if we sell it.”
…Really?
I looked at Vanilla, who was hanging on the wall with a bewildered expression. I didn’t even know when she got up there. And how did she climb the wall, which was quite high?
I had to finish the fence repair as soon as possible.
Thanks to Vanilla, we could deal with the monster faster than expected.
Meanwhile, Eden walked towards the fallen farmer on the ground and reached out to him.
“Are you okay?”
AdvertisementFortunately, the farmer didn’t seem to be injured. He slowly got up from the ground, with Eden’s support.
I stood in front of the dead monster with Vanilla. As Vanilla got a close look at the creature, she covered her mouth in surprise.
“What the hell is this…!”
Looking at the horrifying body of the monster, she staggered back and ended up vomiting next to it.
The creature’s body looked somewhat like a bear, but it had a human head with sharp teeth.
Seeing no blood around the mouth, it seemed like it hadn’t eaten anything yet.
‘Thank goodness. If it had bitten someone, the virus would have spread instantly.’
