The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House-Chapter 175

Capital Benton, Graydon Kingdom's Palace

In the servants' quarters of the palace, where Crown Prince Theodore’s faction resided, anxious rumors spread daily.

“Lady Cotton, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» have you heard? They say His Highness went out on a reconnaissance mission and hasn’t returned yet.”

Lady Seymour, seated after receiving her meal in the dining hall, asked Lady Cotton. Cotton, who had been staring gloomily at the watery stew with no trace of meat, nodded.

“There’s talk that His Highness has been absent for five days already. But no one knows for sure. After all, His Highness doesn’t show himself to others unless it’s something significant.”

Even since being rescued by Theodore, they had rarely seen his face.

“Do you think Lady Lancaster might know something? I heard His Highness seeks her out often.”

After making that comment and taking a spoonful of her stew, Lady Cotton murmured quietly.

“Lady Lancaster is so lucky. I wish I could be favored by His Highness. Maybe then I could eat something better than this thin stew.”

Lady Cotton believed that Aurora received special treatment from Theodore. And indeed, Aurora did. She was the only one who regularly had the chance to see Theodore’s face.

Lady Seymour did not dispute Cotton’s claim, though her own concerns lay elsewhere.

“Even Lady Lancaster hasn’t been seen lately. And when I asked the knights, they wouldn’t tell me anything. Something must be going on.”

What if Theodore had been infected while on reconnaissance? If so, the leadership of Theodore’s faction would be left vacant. A group without a leader quickly falls apart. Seymour’s anxiety stemmed from that thought.

And she wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.

Within Theodore’s faction, whispers of escape plans and even rebellion had begun to circulate. Fortunately, few had the courage to act on such ideas against the armed royal guard.

The truth was simple: only Theodore’s personal appearance could put these fears to rest.

*****

Lubridge Benton College

The one and only royal academy in Graydon’s capital, Benton.

No one expected the royal academy to survive the nationwide outbreak.

The virus first hit Benton while classes were in session at the academy. Thanks to the quick actions of the chairman, the school gates were sealed, and the students, teachers, and staff survived the initial wave.

The problem, however, was food. Despite rationing the supplies left in the school kitchen, they ran out after a month.

The next month saw internal riots, and eventually, the school’s barricades were breached.

What followed was another month of hell.

Alex sighed as he gazed out the library window. The students hiding with him in the library looked equally exhausted.

In the library, some students had taken their own lives, hanging themselves from the ceiling. The survivors tried to avoid looking at those tragic sights as they hid.

“We can’t keep doing this. Shouldn’t we try to get out?”

“I’m starving.”

Alex silently agreed with the murmurs of the other students. The meager food they had scavenged while fleeing to the library was nearly gone.

“What’s this? I didn’t know this was here.”

One girl pointed to a display case in the corner of the library.

“People Who Brought Glory to Lubridge Benton College”

The display case featured a grand plaque adorned with intricate golden flowers, as well as numerous trophies, certificates, and framed photos. Among them was one particularly striking face.

Ethan Duncan Lancaster.

“He’s so handsome. Look at that golden hair—it’s like he’s an angel. Was someone like him really a graduate of this school?”

“Don’t let his face fool you. Haven’t you heard of the Mad Dog of Benton? He’s a devil in disguise. Get near him, and you’re as good as dead.”

Alex listened silently to the nameless students’ conversation.

“Mad Dog of Benton?”

“He’s the heir to the Lancaster Dukedom.”

“What? Are you serious? That face belongs to a duke’s successor? Why is he called the Mad Dog, though?”

“Because he’s literally a mad dog. They say he never lets go of a criminal once he sinks his teeth into them. Come to think of it, why don’t we have someone like Sir Ethan in our year? If he were here, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“So where is this Sir Ethan now?”

Alex finally interjected with a calm remark.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

“Sir Ethan is probably in Brunel. With the Sugar Star Lady.”

One of the students wrinkled their nose in distaste at Alex’s words.

“Ugh, what a terrible nickname. Who’s the Sugar Star Lady, anyway? Why does everyone use nicknames instead of actual names?”

“She’s Cherry Sinclair. That’s what the high society people called her. The Lancasters and Sinclairs—of course they’re famous.”

The student, who had been explaining, shrugged and turned to Alex.

“You’re Alex from Class A, right? Are you saying Cherry Sinclair is with Sir Ethan in Brunel?”

“I read a newspaper article about it right before the virus outbreak.”

Hearing Alex’s answer, the student, who seemed knowledgeable about Cherry and Ethan, muttered to himself.

“If it’s the Sinclairs, they might know something about this situation.”

Alex smirked at that.

People always assumed the Sinclairs were involved whenever there was a shady affair or a massive conspiracy.

“Wouldn’t sticking close to the Sinclairs guarantee survival? It’s the Sinclairs, after all. Maybe we should head to Brunel right now.”

“You idiot, how are we supposed to get to Brunel? We can’t even leave the library.”

“True. If only the school were closer to the palace. People say they saw royal guards rescuing survivors and returning to the palace on Doomsday.”

“Not that it matters to us. We’re stuck here, neither able to reach Brunel nor the palace.”

As their conversation trailed off, Alex glanced out the library window. He spotted monsters patrolling the corridors.

His thoughts drifted to the Sinclair Hotel located in front of the school.

In Front of Lubridge Benton College: Sinclair Hotel – South Benton Branch

The Sinclair Hotel – South Benton Branch was somewhat unique. It was built atop a massive mixed-use commercial complex.

Alex, a scholarship student from the Sinclair Foundation orphanage, had attended a charity party held at the Sinclair Hotel – South Benton Branch in the past.

‘It’d be easier to survive there than here at the school.’

The hotel was closer than both Brunel and the royal palace—right across from the school.

Alex wasn’t sure if there would still be food or supplies left there, but if luck was on his side, he might find something useful.

He recalled a joke often told among the Sinclair orphanage children:

“Even if you fall into a trap, you’ll survive if the Sinclairs are involved.”

It was a half-serious adage among the laborers of Graydon as well. It meant that even in dire situations or when one had taken a wrong turn in life, being associated with the Sinclairs could open up a path forward.

‘Yes. Let’s go to the Sinclair Hotel.’

Determined, Alex resolved to escape the school and make his way to the hotel.

*****

The Mutant Monster

The mutant monster appeared to be searching for something.

What made it so terrifying was its intelligence and its ability to hunt.

“A mutant monster?” Theodore’s astonished gaze fixed on the creature as Ethan briefly explained its nature.

“Now we’re even seeing mutations. At this rate, humanity won’t last much longer,” Theodore murmured.

I couldn’t agree more. In the novel, these mutant monsters had pushed the protagonists into some of their most dangerous situations.

Not only did the mutants possess intelligence, but regular virus-infected monsters instinctively feared them. The mutants knew this, and they weaponized that fear to attack humans.

“If only I’d managed to finish it off last time,” Ethan muttered, frustrated.

Hearing this, Theodore and Hamel, who were already aware of Ethan’s immunity to the virus, looked at him with contrasting expressions—Hamel with reassurance, Theodore with worry.

“Cherry, I’ll go kill it. There’s no reason to hesitate since I don’t have to worry about infection,” Ethan said confidently.

His willingness to sacrifice himself had only grown since discovering his immunity.

I frowned as I glanced at the scar on the back of Ethan’s hand from a previous mutant bite.

"I have no intention of using Sir Ethan as a shield," I said firmly.

The three men’s gazes turned toward me.

Right now, our objective wasn’t to eliminate the mutant monster but to gather Elpinos herbs. I was about to suggest staying hidden until the monster left our field of vision when something cast a shadow over the three men’s faces.

A thick glob of saliva landed on Hamel’s shoulder. Slowly, as if in disbelief, Hamel touched his shoulder. Feeling the sticky residue, his face turned pale.

We all instinctively looked up at the same time. Two massive eyes stared back at us from behind the men.

...Shit.

I locked eyes with the creature.

Its enormous jaws opened, revealing rows of sharp, blood-stained teeth.

“KWA-AAAAH!”

The stench from its mouth hit us like a wave. Holding my breath, I quickly drew my axe and swung it at the creature’s neck.

Thud!

CRASH!

The monster flew backward, slamming into a massive tree with a loud crash before collapsing to the ground.

“Keeng!”

The creature whimpered, cowering on the ground as if frightened. It almost seemed like it was crying—though, of course, no tears fell.

Dark green blood oozed from the wound on its neck.

“Kiing... Kiing...”

The monster rolled its eyes, repeatedly glancing at me before pressing its face to the ground as if in surrender.

I stared at it in confusion, unsure of how to process the scene.

Hamel and Theodore, too, were wide-eyed, looking as though they couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed.

Though they already knew I was strong, this was their first time seeing me take on a monster with an axe. Their astonishment was understandable.

“Truly, Lady Sinclair should have been serving the kingdom,” Theodore said earnestly.

“What has the kingdom ever done for me?” I shot back reflexively.

Let it collapse, for all I care!

As soon as the words left my mouth, I froze, realizing my mistake. I had spoken to the Crown Prince as if he were Ethan or Nox.

“...I misspoke. My apologies,” I said quickly, lowering my head.

Theodore, caught up in his thoughts, muttered quietly, “It’s been so long since I’ve encountered such talent...”

He trailed off, his face darkening with an unreadable expression, and fell silent.