The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House

"How did it even come to this?"
Ethan sighed, running a hand over his face as memories of the past swept over him.
Thinking back to the day he first met Cherry, the current moment felt like a dream. He’d distrusted her, doubted her, even scorned her. If he could turn back time, he would.

"This is better, isn’t it? Keeping things formal. We’re better off keeping this kind of distance between us."
If only he hadn’t said such foolish things back then.
"Once spilled, you can’t gather it back. You just have to live with it."

Ethan interlaced his fingers with Cherry’s, gripping her hand gently. He pulled her closer, her body tilting toward him as she leaned over the bed.
"Won’t you bear it with me?"
"B-bear what?"

He chuckled.
"My feelings. You keep pretending you don’t notice—how adorable."
"That’s not it, it’s just… What’s wrong with you?"

"Will you take me, Cherry? My body, my heart—I’ll give you everything."
At first, Ethan thought Cherry simply needed him. That he was the only one who could manage her chaotic energy, keep her grounded.
But in truth, he’d just used that as an excuse to stay by her side.

"You were the only one who believed in me, weren’t you? Now that it’s proven I’m immune, I’ve decided to live for you, Cherry."
Cherry blinked, staring at him in confusion, her expression utterly lost. Ethan raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly as he teased her.
"What? Can’t understand with just words? Should I explain with actions?"

"You’re insane!"
"Exactly. Crazy about you, Cherry."
"Ugh! You’re seriously insane!"
Cherry scurried away like a startled squirrel, stopping at the door with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Ethan only laughed—it was precisely the reaction he’d expected. Adorable.

He waved her off dismissively. "Think about it."
"T-think about what?"
Ethan tilted his head, casually stroking his chin. "What else? Whether you’ll accept my body and heart."

"Ethan, are you sure you’re okay? Please, get a grip!"
Of course, the conversation ultimately went nowhere.
*****

It seemed like surviving a brush with death had rattled Ethan’s mind.
No, to be fair, Ethan’s always acted like he’s a little unhinged.
Everyone else had visited Ethan’s room at some point, but I couldn’t even get close.

"CHERRY SINCLAIR: NO ENTRY"
P.S. If you decide to take me, feel free to come in.
He’d plastered that absurd and juvenile sign on his door.

"What’s with this ridiculous sign?"
A proposal. Of all things, he’d turned his confession into a proposal! Who even does that? I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
But then the word confession echoed in my mind, and I froze mid-step.

A confession…
I cleared my throat awkwardly, trying to shake off the sudden embarrassment.
So, he confessed… to me.

There was no mistaking it. He’d said he liked me.
"Cherry, do you like me?"
"I like you."
Recalling Ethan’s words made my face heat up, and my heart raced like it might burst out of my chest.

This was strange. Did I like Ethan? No, of course not. Not yet. I wasn’t such an easy girl, was I?
"Will you take me, Cherry? My body, my heart—I’ll give you everything."
The memory of his last words sent me into a fit of exasperation.

"Why his body?!"
Clutching my hair in frustration, I thrashed about in the middle of the hallway. That’s when my eyes met Jose’s as he crossed the lobby.
"Miss? Are you… okay?"

Embarrassed, I straightened up immediately.
"I’m fine."
"Uh, about this… Everyone’s been talking about it." Jose pointed to the sign on Ethan’s door. "I never took Sir Ethan for a playboy, but now they’re saying he’s one…"

Playboy?!
P.S. If you decide to take me, feel free to come in.
It was obvious why people misunderstood. The phrasing practically screamed scandal. My face burned.

"Just a little while ago, Mr. Harrison saw that and tried to take the door off its hinges. Thankfully, Mr. Victor managed to stop him and sent him upstairs."
If Harrison had been serious about assassinating Ethan, I wouldn’t be surprised. That was almost more terrifying.
Still writhing with embarrassment, my gaze shifted to the landing, where a woman stood quietly. Light brown hair, reddish-orange eyes, and a freckled face—Michelle, the newcomer from Hondorf.

"Hello," I greeted her.
"Hello," she replied, her tone shy but polite.
Come to think of it, I haven’t properly spoken with her yet.

The truth was, I’d spent so much time caring for Ethan and catching up on sleep that I’d barely had energy for anything else. Emma and Suzanna had been looking after Michelle in the meantime.
"How is the police officer? Is he doing okay?"
Michelle asked about Ethan, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. Jose caught the look and gave her a knowing glance before nodding to himself as if confirming something.

"Well, Sir Ethan was quite famous," he remarked.
"For what? Oh, as Benton’s Mad Dog?"
"No, for his looks. People used to joke that criminals feared him not because he was ruthless but because he used his beauty as a weapon."

I burst out laughing at Jose’s comment. Based on Ethan’s appearance alone, the joke wasn’t far-fetched. If I hadn’t seen how he handled criminals firsthand, I might have believed it too.
"Sir Ethan’s fine," I assured Michelle. Her face brightened as she nodded.
Wait—why was I reporting Ethan’s well-being to another woman?

"You idiot. As if you’re not already feeling confused enough—now you’re letting someone else take your plate…"
The thought trailed off, and I froze.
My plate?

What plate?
I must’ve lost my mind.
"I think I’ve completely lost it... for Cherry."

…Yes, it seems I’ve fallen for him. For Ethan. That’s it—I’ve fallen, completely and utterly.
Feeling flustered all over again, I hurriedly changed the subject.
"How’s your health, Miss Carter?"

"Thanks to you, I’m doing much better. Really, thank you."
Though she had already expressed her gratitude right after being rescued, Michelle seemed genuinely moved, as if she couldn’t say it enough. According to the others, she thanked every member of Happy House she came across.
"By the way, I wanted to ask something. You mentioned that you were dragged here from Hondorf by a mutated monster, right?"

Michelle shivered at the memory, her face pale with fear. She nodded cautiously, glancing at me as if to gauge my reaction.
"Do you remember the route it took to bring you here?"
"I fainted a few times along the way, so I don’t remember clearly… but I think it followed a path where carriages usually travel."

"That path must’ve been crawling with monsters."
I studied her with a puzzled expression. For someone who had been dragged through such a dangerous route, Michelle looked remarkably unharmed. She didn’t have a single scratch from the mutated monster.
Of course, given the intelligence of the creature that had dragged Nox before, it likely avoided danger deliberately. But if there were many monsters around, wouldn’t the situation have been different? It was strange that Michelle made it through unscathed.

"It seemed like the other monsters avoided it," Michelle added, noticing my line of thought.
Jose, who had been listening quietly, looked startled and asked, "They avoided it? The other monsters avoided the mutated one?"
"Not just the mutated monster—its presence. The other monsters didn’t seem scared of it, but they avoided engaging with it, like they were reluctant to deal with it."

Other monsters avoid mutated ones.
Mutated monsters don’t eat humans.
They understand how humans are infected.

I silently listed these traits of mutated monsters, things that hadn’t been clearly explained in the novel. This new information could be crucial for our survival.
If mutated monsters have started to appear, they’ll definitely keep coming.
The more information, the better.

"You said that monster was once someone you knew. Do you think it recognized you?"
"I don’t think so," Michelle said with a sigh. "I figured it might have retained some unconscious remnants of its human memories, but… I’m not sure."
I patted her shoulder gently. Regardless, it must’ve been hard for her. After all, that creature had been someone she knew.

"What’s everyone up to here?"
Nox descended the stairs from the second floor, a lollipop in his mouth.
Next to me, Jose instinctively stepped back, looking uneasy. His discomfort toward Nox was obvious.

What’s with him?
Before I could question it, Nox called out to me.
"Miss Cherry, the lawyer’s been looking for you."

He pointed toward the second floor. Ah, Harrison had gone upstairs earlier after trying to dismantle Ethan’s door.
"He’s interrogating that knight who impersonated the Royal Guard and needs your help."
"Ah, Kellyan, huh?"

I’d wondered why Harrison hadn’t come back down—apparently, he’d been diligently doing his job this whole time. Classic Harrison.
As I turned to head upstairs, Nox grabbed my wrist.
"What is it?"

"Miss Cherry, could you come to my room after you’re done?"
What was with everyone insisting I come to their rooms lately? And without any context, no less—it made it seem all the more suspicious. It was probably about the cure, though.
Now that I think about it, we’ll need Ethan’s antibodies to develop the cure.

Knock, knock.
The sound of someone knocking came from down the hall. Turning toward the noise, I saw Ethan leaning casually against the open door to his room, his gaze fixed on me.
"I can hear everything you’re saying from here," Ethan said, glancing between me and Nox. His icy blue eyes flickered with a dangerous glint.

"I’ve been waiting so patiently for Miss Cherry to come through that door, but she hasn’t spared a thought for me. How cruel."
Despite Ethan’s pointed tone, Nox twirled his lollipop nonchalantly and smiled, poking at Ethan’s composure.
"Well, maybe that’s just how far you are from her heart."

"Ah, is that so?" Ethan replied with a deceptively calm laugh. "That’s why I’m here, then—because I’m going mad with jealousy."
Ethan’s smile twisted, his expression a dangerous mix of yearning, greed, and a hunger barely concealed beneath a polished exterior. He stepped forward slowly, leaning close to whisper in my ear.
"I’m trying so hard not to be arrogant, Cherry. So, could you reward me just a little?"

I swallowed nervously, meeting his gaze. Jose and Michelle shuffled backward, awkwardly distancing themselves from the tension.
Unfazed, Nox stepped forward and gently pulled me away from Ethan’s grip.
"What’s going on here without me?"

Amy’s voice rang out as she came down from the second floor. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Suzanna and Emma peeking out from the kitchen, frozen at the sight of the standoff.
I buried my face in my hands and sighed.
"This is so embarrassing…"

Of course, neither Ethan nor Nox seemed to care about the growing audience. They continued glaring at each other, locked in their petty war.
"I’m leaving," I said, turning to leave.
"Miss Cherry!"

"Wait, Cherry!"
Ethan and Nox both reached for me at the same time, but I quickly dodged their hands, stepping aside in frustration.
Bang!

In a fit of anger, I slammed my fist into the wall, leaving a deep dent in it.
The hallway fell into a stunned silence.