“Huh?”
Oh, right. Why was I speaking so casually to Yoan?
Then again, he’d been casual with from the mont we t. Not that I particularly minded… but I decided to press the issue just to have an excuse.
“Well, what about you, uh, milord?” I challenged.
“? I’m a lord. It’s kind of my right.”
Darn stupid class system!
He looked so genuinely innocent when he said it that I was montarily speechless.
Arguing about age probably wouldn’t work either. I had a feeling Yoan was older than anyway.
I bit my lip and darted my eyes around, thinking. “I’m just… really used to talking informally now… milord?”
“But you could fix it if you tried, couldn’t you?”
“Are you that hungry for respectful address from … milord?”
“I don’t know… I’d just like to hear it. Strange.”
He really was a weirdo.
The problem was, for so reason, I found it hard to say no. Was this the power of social status?
“Sasha.”
“Hm? Yes, milord?”
“It was a joke. I didn’t think you’d make such a serious face.”
His face hadn’t looked like he was joking…
“So, can I keep talking like usual?”
“Whatever’s comfortable for you.”
“Phew.”
With that minor crisis averted, I continued with what I was trying to say earlier.
It was a faint mory… but I was pretty sure the original novel’s heroine, Aria, had discovered she was an antibody carrier right here in this region.
“So you’re saying a cure is our top priority, which ans we need to find out if anyone is an antibody carrier. And for that, we need the right person for the job.”
“Exactly.”
“And do you happen to know who that might be?”
“Wouldn’t it be soone in the dical field?” I hedged. I an, the person in my vision had been a doctor, but saying that outright would just make him suspicious.
Yoan thought for a mont, then nodded. “That’s a definite possibility. We’ve got nothing to lose, so let’s start looking.”
“Great. I’m gonna have dinner now.”
“I thought you said you weren’t eating.”
“That was just… sothing I said.”
“Honestly? I didn’t believe you anyway.”
Yoan chuckled and told to wait a second before disappearing sowhere.
He ca back a mont later with a large tray. He set it on the table and lifted the cloche covering a plate, revealing a thick slab of brisket that greeted like an old friend.
My mouth started watering reflexively, and I quickly wiped my chin with the back of my hand.
“Bliss has been cooking this since morning,” Yoan said, handing a fork. “It’ll fall apart without a knife.”
I imdiately stabbed the fork into the at. Just as he’d said, the tender, juicy brisket crumbled, releasing the most incredible aroma.
“Ti to eat.”
It would have been a cri to miss out on this.
***
Derek had a long face first thing in the morning.
Worried he might be sick, I sat next to him and placed a finger on his forehead. And then I imdiately rembered.
Ah, right. I can’t feel temperature.
I awkwardly pulled my hand back and decided to just ask him directly.
“Are you sick? You look a little pale.”
“No, I’m fine.”
It really didn’t look like he was fine.
“I’m serious. I’m just a little low on energy, that’s all.”
Derek expertly hid his condition with a smile.
I wondered who had forced this kid to beco an adult so quickly. He could have afforded to grow up a little more slowly.
Co to think of it, we’d all been running nonstop. It was all for survival, and we still couldn’t let our guard down, but I figured we could afford to take a short break.
No one was saying anything, but I could see the exhaustion etched on everyone’s faces.
It’s not like one day off is gonna kill us.
With my mind made up, I went straight to Yoan. He was getting ready to head out, like it was just another part of his daily routine.
“Yoan.”
He stopped what he was doing and turned around.
“What do you think about taking a rest day today? Everyone seems pretty worn out.”
“It’s about that ti. We’ve been through a lot. Alright.”
Yoan readily agreed to my suggestion and passed the word along to the group. “We can’t do anything about ergencies, but we’ve secured a minimum level of safety, so let’s all take it easy today.”
“My lord.” For once, Bliss raised her hand as if she had sothing to say. “If we’re going to rest, why don’t we do it properly?”
“What do you an?”
“Well, Rob and Sasha brought back plenty of supplies yesterday. It won’t be anything grand, but I was thinking we could have a small party. I can handle the preparations.”
“I wholeheartedly agree,” Rob said.
“I reckon I’m on board with that too,” Grandpa Jeremy chid in to support her as well.
“Alright.” Yoan cheerfully accepted Bliss’s idea, too.
To be honest, it was about ti we all did sothing to boost our morale.
“It’s free ti, so everyone just do your own thing.”
The mont the words left his mouth, everyone scattered, most likely to help Bliss.
Derek hesitated, trying to stay by my side, but Rob dragged him away.
“Sasha, you go get so rest, too,” Yoan said. “I think I’ll just take a quick look around the areas I didn’t see yesterday.”
Truthfully, my body didn’t really need rest.
“Alone?”
“What, you want to co with?”
“Sure, why not.” It wasn’t like I had anything better to do.
Yoan looked a little surprised that I’d actually take him up on the offer, but he quickly broke into a smile.
“So it’s a date.”
“…”
I decided not to react. From experience, I knew that reacting to these kinds of jokes only made him tease more.
“So, Sasha, you were looking forward to so alone ti with , huh?” Yoan kept poking at as I coolly maintained my poker face and got ready to leave. “You should have said so sooner. How unobservant of .”
“...”
“Our fun little date—”
“It’s not! It’s not a date, so could you please just be quiet!”
I finally lost it and burst out yelling.
Yoan just shrugged with a sly look on his face.
“I was wondering how long you’d last. Alright, alright, let’s go. We have a party to get back to later.”
We told the others we’d be back before evening and left.
Derek, still in Rob’s clutches, shot a pleading look, begging to take him with us. But since he was the whole reason for the day off, even I couldn’t help him.
“Today, we’re just scouting, no overexerting ourselves. It would be even better if we can et so survivors in this town and hear what they have to say.”
“Got it,” I replied, pulling my hood down lower.
Even though he’d said not to overdo it, Yoan ticulously checked his map, marking the locations and characteristics of the survivors.
He didn’t bother hiding the fact that he was the regional lord, either.
In a manageable crisis, revealing one’s identity could be helpful. When things got out of hand, though? It could seriously backfire.
And we had run into exactly that kind of situation.
“The lord? What the hell were you doing while things got this bad! Take responsibility, you hear !”
“What’s going to happen to us?” soone sobbed. “How long do we have to live like this?”
“Where did this disaster even sprout from? Has His Majesty the Emperor said anything?”
“Bring my family back! Bring them back, I said!”
The fear and frustration of people trapped in a hopeless reality were aid squarely at Yoan. Even if they knew this catastrophe wasn’t his fault, they needed soone to bla.
Surprisingly, Yoan didn’t argue. He just took it all in, claiming it as his duty.
He really is sothing else.
Once again, I found myself impressed by Yoan’s mindset and attitude as I followed quietly behind him.
The areas without survivors were nothing but ruins.
A two-story café that must have once been bustling with people now stood completely empty, giving off a strange, unsettling feeling.
It didn’t look like there was anything worth salvaging, so I was about to leave when Yoan ca over and held sothing out to .
“A ribbon? What’s this for?”
“Looks like soone left it behind. It’s new. Found it in a gift box.”
What did that have to do with anything?
I stared at him, my expression clearly asking for an explanation. He just grinned and turned around, then started fussing with my hair.
“I’m not the best at this, but I used to tie ribbons like this for my dog, Sasha.”
Ugh, that dog… I really wanted to see what this other Sasha even looked like.
“There. Want to see a mirror?”
Yoan led to a broken mirror in the corner. My shoulder-length bob looked quite neat and felt much cooler tied back in a half-up style.
“It suits you. Do you like it?”
“Mhm. It’s alright.” It was a cute ribbon, with a bit of understated lace. Oddly enough, it felt like a gift from Yoan, and my heart felt all fuzzy.
“Alright, let’s head back now,” Yoan said, taking my hand.
“My hood!” I stopped, about to pull it back over my head, but Yoan’s hand stopped .
“We’re going straight back to the base, so you can just go like this.”
“But what if soone sees ?” People would not be happy to see a zombie standing next to their lord, who was supposed to be on their side.
When I still looked hesitant, Yoan added, “It’d be a sha to hide the ribbon.”
“That’s true, but…”
“If anyone says anything, I’ll just tell them I captured you.”
Was I so kind of wild beast?
The word “captured” didn’t exactly thrill , but it wasn’t like there was a better alternative. I followed his lead and stepped out into the street without my hood.
“You don’t have to be so self-conscious. I told you, it looks good on you,” he said.
Have you always been this much of a doting fool? I thought, but wisely kept it to myself.
Thankfully, we barely ran into anyone on the way back, and the few people we did see paid us no mind.
“Sis Sasha!” Derek was the first to greet when we got back.
“Welco back. You’re just in ti.” Bliss followed him out, smiling, and led us to the warehouse behind the general store.
“Ah, you’re here. Co on in and sit a spell,” Grandpa Jeremy said, beckoning.
In the few hours we’d been gone, the warehouse had been transford into sothing that actually looked like a party venue.
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