A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 111

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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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The problem was with the ship.
Or to be more precise, with the Tribute Ship we were supposed to board.
“It seems we arrived too late.”
“Why?!”
“The magic sustaining the ship has already deteriorated significantly. I don’t think it can support all of our combined weight.”
“Even if we jettison all the cargo loaded on the Tribute Ship?”
“Yes.”
Cyprus nodded after unlocking and opening the cabin that had been sealed with a key. Beside him, Praha was hurling boxes, chairs, desks, and other items from the ship overboard without hesitation—expensive-looking things at that.
I gazed down at the trembling floor beneath my feet.
“This vibration in the floor right now—is it because we’re exceeding the weight limit?”
“That’s correct.”
In short, it was like an elevator at maximum capacity.
Someone had to disembark.
“How many people need to get off?”
“It appears one adult would be sufficient.”
I hope no one blames me for reflexively glancing at Lime at those words….
Feeling my gaze, Lime hid behind Cheese.
“I’ll get off!”
Tangerine stepped forward without hesitation.
“Wouldn’t it make sense for someone capable of enduring alone on the Island while you take the children to the Mainland and return? I should stay behind.”
“No.”
It was Praha who rejected the proposal outright.
Praha, who had cast a displeased glance at Tangerine’s singed bangs from her earlier antics with fire, spoke.
“I couldn’t face your parents if we did that.”
“Praha’s right about that, Tangerine.”
Cyprus added his support.
I agreed as well.
A quick reminder of why Tangerine couldn’t stay behind alone.
Tangerine’s older brother was the Knight of the Central Staircase who died protecting us when zombies first appeared at the Imperial Villa.
With her brother’s death, Tangerine became the sole heir to her family line.
‘Like the soldier in that story about saving a soldier.’
There was no way I could leave someone like that behind alone.
“I’ll get off.”
“That’s absolutely not acceptable!”
Tangerine immediately objected to Praha’s words.
“Your Highness is of royal blood! It is my duty as a Knight to protect you!”
“I can’t either. Think of your family, Tangerine.”
“Then shouldn’t Your Highness think of the Empire?”
“This is thinking of the Empire. What citizen of the Empire would pledge loyalty to a leader who abandons their subordinates and flees alone to save themselves?”
“I would!”
Tangerine’s hand shot up, and Praha gazed at her with clouded eyes.
“Regardless, it’s not happening. That’s an order.”
“Then I’ll disembark instead.”
Cyprus spoke from beside Praha, who was driving in a nail.
“I’m immune to the attacks, so it’s safe for me to stay alone on the Island. If things go south, I can always take the ferry I arrived on and follow alongside you.”
“Think with your brain before you speak, Cyprus.”
Praha, who hadn’t said a word even upon seeing Tangerine’s singed bangs, showed Cyprus no mercy.
“You’re the only one here who can pilot the ship right now. You want to disembark? What’s wrong with your head?”
“How petty. Taking out your incompetence on me.”
“….”
“I’m the immune one, and I’m the one who knows how to sail. Praha, you’re truly useless.”
“….”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep everyone safe.”
Cyprus’s lips curved upward as he said this, implying there was no need for such irritability.
I had enough sense not to waste time with some ridiculous pretense like “Then I’ll disembark!” so I kept my mouth shut obediently.
“I’ll drop everyone off and requisition another ship to come back quickly. If they won’t give me one, I’ll steal it. Just hold on for twelve hours.”
Cyprus tapped Praha’s shoulder and handed over all the signal flares and dried rations he’d been carrying.
Praha accepted them and gazed calmly at the Dock, now a mess of scattered boxes and furnishings he’d thrown.
I stood there watching, unable to do one thing or the other.
Leaving Praha alone on the zombie Island.
‘Why am I so uneasy?’
I know nothing will happen.
I know that with Praha’s skill level, staying alone would actually be easier than staying with others.
Why am I worried?
My eyes met Praha’s as I looked at him, wanting to say something.
Before I could open my mouth, Praha beat me to it.
“I won’t die.”
“I know, I do know….”
“It’s fine.”
Praha stepped closer and stopped before me. He hesitated for a moment, then bowed his waist toward me.
Our cheeks touched.
Pressing his soft skin gently against my cheek, Praha spoke.
“Please go now. With each passing moment, the magic continues to dissipate.”
“….”
“Promise me you’ll go wash with warm water, dress in comfortable clothes, wrap yourself in blankets, and eat something delicious. Then I’ll be happy.”
* * *
“That person earlier was the Crown Prince….”
“I have newspaper clippings at home but didn’t recognize him….”
“We’ve been….”
On the ship heading toward the Mainland.
The children, still unaware of Praha and Cyprus’s true identities, fell into shock and whispered among themselves.
“I knew it all along!”
Muffin, who had been gloomy the entire way after dropping her doll, finally puffed out her chest with pride.
Meanwhile, Lime’s face had turned deathly pale upon realizing exactly whose presence he’d been making a fool of himself in front of.
The fool ignores the princess but fears the Crown Prince and Grand Duke—how amusing.
With a snort, I approached Cherry, who sat alone in the corner.
“How are you holding up?”
“I suddenly feel like drinking blood.”
“…You’re joking, right?”
“Yes.”
Cherry didn’t seem particularly shocked by Cyprus and Praha’s identities.
When I asked why.
“I kind of expected it. People that handsome can’t possibly be ordinary, right?”
“Ah… so that’s why you haven’t made eye contact with them since earlier?”
“Not exactly. I have this condition where I get tense whenever I see handsome people.”
Cherry confessed that she kept her distance for fear a scream might escape if she made eye contact.
Cherry tilted her head slightly toward me and whispered.
“That’s why I stare at Lime’s face so much.”
“Oh my, you too? Me as well.”
I laughed at the shameless joke, but my heart felt heavy.
I shouldn’t grow attached to someone who might become a zombie.
Just then, Cyprus emerged from the control room, his face drained of color.
“There’s a problem.”
The children fell silent at the sight of the Grand Duke’s grave expression. Yujein and Tangerine rose and approached us. Cyprus spoke.
“The waves are rough. The wind isn’t favorable either. The magic is dissipating rapidly from resisting them.”
“That means….”
“…Yes. We need to reduce the weight again.”
A second instance of exceeding the Garden’s capacity.
“What happens if we continue while overweight?”
“We’ll sink.”
“…It would be better if someone got off now, while we haven’t gone far.”
“Yes.”
“If we go further and someone else needs to disembark later, there would be no solution. It’s better if several people get off now.”
I glanced once at the Island, already quite distant, then at the side of our ship.
Don’t large ships like this usually have lifeboats?
But this one….
“Doesn’t have any.”
Anyone who gets off now will have to swim back to the Island.
Everyone had risen from their seats. The children, having heard our conversation, looked at each other’s faces.
Lime was the first to act.
“Damn it!”
Lime, wailing in distress, lunged at the nearest child.
And then.
Splash!
“Tangerine!”
“Tangerine!”
…Let me correct myself. Tangerine was the first to act.
Tangerine rushed at Lime, grabbed him by the collar—they were similar in build—and leaped overboard with him.
“No, for heaven’s sake….”
A suicide attack mentality?!
“Ahhh!”
“Tangerine! Are you alright?!”
“No! Everyone else must do proper warm-up exercises before entering the water!”
Tangerine shouted while forcefully dunking Lime’s head under, making him swallow more seawater as he thrashed about senseless.
“I wanted to leave behind something cool to say, but it’s far too cold! I’ll see you in twelve hours!”
With a parting request of ‘Please have dry clothes and warm milk tea ready when you come to pick me up!’, Tangerine used Lime’s body like a plank and began swimming back toward the Island.
“Woof!”
“No!”
I barely managed to hold back General as she tried to leap after Tangerine.
Looking around the ship, now lighter without Tangerine and Lime’s weight, my eyes met Yujein’s.
“You’re thinking the same thing I am right now, aren’t you, Yujein?”
“…Yes.”
What are we thinking?
It’s obvious.
If someone else has to jump halfway through this journey, it’ll be us next.
Better to jump now than wait for that moment.
“Lady, are you a good swimmer?”
“I’m not bad at it.”
All those years at the company, exhausted to the point of madness, swimming three times a week at dawn—I’ll finally put that effort to use here.
“Should we leave the bag behind?”
“Let’s take it with us, but leave out anything that can’t get wet. We could hold it instead of using a plank, couldn’t we?”
“Ah, then….”
“Let’s throw the bag first, then jump in. And we’ll do warm-up exercises like Tangerine said.”
I tied my hair once more with the flower-made hair ribbon Praha had given me. I had to jump before the ship drifted any farther from the Island.
I leaned out and shouted ‘Tangerine! Come with us!’ but Tangerine was already so far away she couldn’t hear.
“Yujein, you can swim, right?”
“Yes, yes! I’m good at it!”
Thank goodness.
I emptied the bag, entrusted sanitary pads and spare clothes to Cheese, and threw the bag into the sea.
Cyprus, who had been inside steering the ship with a serious expression, came out to watch what Yujein and I were doing, then rushed back out again.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you think? I’m about to jump.”
Cyprus’s lips had turned blue from facing the wind head-on. A man from the Southern Region with a weak constitution against the cold. Tsk, tsk.
I removed the outer coat I was wearing and wrapped it around Cyprus’s neck. I’d meant to drape it over his shoulders, but the size didn’t work out.
“This is a coat I treasure, you know? Take good care of it and return it to me in twelve hours.”
Cyprus grabbed my wrist as I turned to leave.
“Why?”
“Don’t jump. Neither you nor Yujein.”
[Above the Sea]
– Yusara, Cyprus, Yujein, Tangerine, General, Muffin, Pickle, and others (Surviving)
– Cherry (???)
– Praha (Retrieving the box he’d discarded earlier to see what’s inside)

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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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