A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“We couldn’t find General.”
Cyprus reported after circling the village and returning.
He carried blankets and candles in his hands.
Having one immune person made things convenient. I could gather supplies alone without fear of attack, search for a lost puppy without worry.
“Where on earth could he have gone…? Could he have been attacked by a zombie and… and died…?”
“That’s unlikely. If that were the case, we’d find a half-eaten corpse at least, but we found no trace whatsoever. He’s probably hiding somewhere safe.”
“Exactly! A puppy clever enough to elude me, Tangerine, couldn’t possibly have fallen to a zombie!”
“That’s right, Miss Yujein. That dog was smart enough to sneak into the ship’s hold without us knowing. There’s no way he’d carelessly expose himself to zombies.”
“Once it gets dark, I’ll go out again and search more thoroughly. Don’t worry.”
I alternated between comforting Yujein, who paced back and forth, unable to sit still.
“W-well then, I’ll go with the Grand Duke. If His Highness, blessed by God of Light, isn’t attacked by zombies, then neither will I… It seems like His Highness is working far too hard.”
“Tangerine, don’t you hear the sky falling?”
“I do! To think someone without any combat ability is expressing concern—it seems the Grand Duke should retire now!”
Yujein’s insistence on going together was naturally rejected.
Cyprus, who had brought the candles, handed them to Tangerine and approached Praha and me.
I hadn’t realized I’d bumped into something while running earlier. I had a bruise on my shoulder, and Praha was examining it.
Seeing a wound he couldn’t see from his angle, Cyprus frowned.
“That must have hurt terribly.”
“It only aches when I move, and it’s bearable. What’s the situation outside?”
“There aren’t nearly as many zombies as in the Maze before. However.”
“It would be difficult to escape with the children.”
“Yes. The village has many alleys and steep slopes. If a startled child screams or panics upon suddenly encountering a zombie, things could become problematic.”
“We’ll need to either reduce their numbers by moving around ourselves or think of another method. You’ve worked hard.”
Cyprus really had done all the work alone.
‘Should I tell them I’ll go out with him later?’
I hadn’t revealed it to the group yet, but I could see the red soul stones in the zombies’ chests.
In fact, I might be the most useful for spotting zombies at night.
‘But to do that, I’d have to reveal my regression and other secrets first.’
I felt guilty for hiding my abilities and freeloading.
“Shall I bring you some water, Your Highness?”
“It’s not poisoned, is it, Grand Duchess?”
“…”
Beside me, as I tried my best to treat Cyprus kindly, Praha silently applied ointment to my shoulder.
His expression was dark.
“Is it because of General?”
I ventured to ask, thinking perhaps he was worried about the puppy he’d named himself.
“I’m not worried.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Dogs have more sensitive noses than humans. The zombies were left tangled together in the Greenhouse for quite some time, so they’ll reek of rot. He’ll likely avoid them instinctively.”
“Then why…?”
Why does your expression look so dark?
At that, Praha lowered his gaze.
“It is my fault that you had to hear such harsh words.”
“What?”
Harsh words? Who said anything harsh to me?
“Ah. That thing from earlier.”
What that little girl holding the bear doll—the one who said her name was Muffin—had said.
That was nothing, really.
“It’s fine. She’s just a child, after all.”
“A child’s words are not without their edge.”
“Even so, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault for living so poorly.”
“Those people aren’t criticizing you because they truly believe you lived wrongly.”
“That’s…”
“They aren’t critiquing your mistakes. They simply need someone to tear down.”
“…”
“I too bear fault for knowing it was wrong, yet allowing it and doing nothing all this time.”
“…”
“It has always been this way, and now that I finally recognize it as wrong and take interest, I feel like a hypocrite. After being indifferent all this time, only now that I have… you…”
…have come to care.
His whispered words were too soft to hear clearly, but I thought I understood what was left unsaid.
Praha continued.
“And no one blames me for this. That fact troubles me more than anything. I have no right to suffer before you, who has endured such insults and criticism all this time.”
When Muffin had mentioned his name earlier, it felt as though he’d been slapped across the face, Praha said.
…It’s moments like this.
When I find myself wavering toward Praha.
“I’m really fine. Let me say it again—I’m being criticized because I lived poorly, so I don’t mind.”
I spoke with a soft laugh.
Praha’s eyes trembled as he saw my smile.
Ah. Had he asked me to give warning before smiling?
But your existence makes me smile without any warning at all.
“Um, big sister, so what does this mister do?”
Just then, Muffin, who had been hovering around us the whole time, interjected. Whether she felt sorry for cursing at me or was simply fascinated by these unfamiliar older siblings, she continued to fidget beside us.
Praha, receiving the curious gaze of the child, corrected her.
“Not mister—uncle.”
“You don’t seem like an uncle.”
“Then grandfather.”
“Grandfather, what do you do?”
“I’m a puppy that this sister raises.”
“He must be crazy.”
Muffin’s expression turned serious.
“I saw it clearly.”
Cyprus chuckled and wedged himself between Praha and Muffin, then crouched to meet Muffin’s eye level and spoke gently.
“That one’s definitely a puppy. The tail-wagging’s a bit clumsy, but. For the record, I’m a cat.”
“Two crazy grandfathers, seriously…”
“We’re in a position where we need to look really good to that lady. So when she gets insulted, it breaks our hearts.”
Cyprus clutched at his chest, declaring his heart was torn asunder, while Muffin gazed at him as if mesmerized by his unnecessarily glimmering, perfect golden hair.
Cyprus spoke.
“So later, if someone says again that the princess was rejected by the Grand Duke and Crown Prince like before, will Muffin set the record straight? That was ancient history, and now the situation’s reversed.”
Please, Cyprus winked with one eye.
At those words, Muffin—now catching on to Cyprus and Praha’s identities—covered her mouth with her teddy bear.
“Grandfathers, you don’t mean…!”
“That’s right. The real thing beats a portrait, doesn’t it?”
My skin’s really great too, right? Want to touch my face? Cyprus offered his cheek.
Accustomed to winning hearts, Cyprus left Muffin thoroughly charmed and set about exploring the surroundings.
This guy Lime, who’d just told a nine-year-old child that “your life will be ruined” and then hid in a wooden barrel before being dragged out by Tangerine, was truly, absolutely, absurdly ridiculous…
“What! Why! What! Who are you people!”
He’d been shrieking wildly, but when Tangerine—smirking slightly—shook the collar she had gripped a few times, he simply collapsed.
He’s lying on a blanket inside now. Apparently that’s Lime’s spot. Whether he’s faking unconsciousness or genuinely knocked out, he still hasn’t woken.
‘He’s the only adult who can testify about what happened on this Island, which is inconvenient.’
We learned while passing through Promé that the zombies couldn’t breach the God of Light’s domain, but everything else remains shrouded in mystery.
Why do the zombies appear?
I asked Muffin.
“Those adults who were trapped in the Warehouse—they’re from this Village, right?”
At my question, Muffin’s face grew somber and she nodded.
“How did it come to this? Was there a suspicious outsider passing through beforehand, or some disease outbreak? Do you know anything?”
“Anything at all is fine. I’m listening.”
Cyprus asked as well.
“Yes, Grand Duke.”
Muffin hugged her teddy bear and nodded, then began her story.
A few months ago, a Tribute Ship headed for the Capital stopped by the Island. It’s easier than going through the mainland to reach the Capital, so it comes exactly once per season.
When the Tribute Ship arrives, a market opens up, right? So people from the Neighboring Village all gathered too. The Village adults slaughtered a pig to entertain the dignitaries.
They cleared out the Warehouse and all the adults decided to gather there to drink and eat meat. Even the adults who’d been resting at home went. My dad was cleaning fish at home, but Mom came and took him with her.
I remember the conversation: “Should we just leave this spread out?” “Do it when we get back! If you go late, there’ll be no meat left!” That kind of talk.
Children weren’t allowed to attend, but they made it sound so fun that we got curious. We wanted to see too, so we snuck outside. And we climbed that Hill over there.
The Warehouse doesn’t have windows, but if you climb the secret Hill over there, you can see down into it. We were watching the Warehouse from there when…
“It happened in an instant.”
Muffin’s nose twitched.
“They went crazy, biting each other, screaming, running away… Bread from next door ran into the Greenhouse, and dozens chased after him, jamming themselves in the doorway, and people kept pushing their heads in through the jam…”
The sound of bones breaking reached us even here.
“Before we could even come to our senses, Cherry came running. She shut the Warehouse door and barred it from outside. She dealt with the few adults who’d escaped too. She said she’d been out for a walk when she got attacked. She assessed the situation and came straight here.”
When we asked her what was going on, she said she didn’t know either. She didn’t know, but it seemed dangerous, so she locked them away.
The children resented her for confining their parents, but not a single one of them attempted to unlock the door again.
After that, the adults remained there.
“Cherry?”
“Bread’s daughter.”
“Where is she now?”
“Lime drove her away.”
[Inhabited Island]
– Yusara, Praha, Cyprus, Yujein, Tangerine (Alive)
– General (Departed)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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