Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse Chapter 25 - Jealousy?

Chapter 25 Jealousy?

 

I had a dream while I was asleep.

It was an unpleasant dream filled with past trauma.

I was the only daughter of a wealthy family, receiving plenty of love from my parents, who had a wonderful relationship.

It was a life lacking nothing, and I thought those happy days would continue forever.

But misfortune came in an instant and took everything from me.

On a family trip for my parents’ wedding anniversary, we got into a terrible car accident.

A drunk driver crashed into our car.

Because of that accident, not only the culprit but also my innocent mom and dad died instantly on the spot.

I barely clung to life and was rescued from the hellish accident scene.

〈Mom, Dad…….〉

Losing my parents alone was painful enough, but that incident completely changed my life.

The huge inheritance my parents left behind. It was because of the relatives who set their eyes on it.

They were desperate to steal the inheritance meant for me as a child, treating me kindly and affectionately to win me over.

〈Oh dear, how hard this must’ve been for you. Come with us.〉

At first, hearing those words, I thought, They’re such good people, and I was grateful. Foolishly.

I only realized later that they hadn’t even gotten along with my parents.

They took in a child who had become a complete orphan and treated me like their own daughter without asking for anything in return, and I only felt thankful and sorry…….

I worked day and night, pushing myself to study hard because I wanted to be recognized as part of the family. But when I came down with a fever from overworking myself and couldn’t move, I overheard a shocking conversation.

〈How long are you planning to keep that kid here? Don’t you know our daughter complains every day because she’s being compared to her?〉

〈Shh! What if she hears you? If she does, the inheritance meant for her might not end up with us and fly out the window!〉

〈Why worry about a sick kid who can’t even move? And are you even sure she said she’d hand the inheritance over to you?〉

〈Just wait a bit longer. She seems completely fooled by us. If we sweet-talk her a little more, she’ll hand it right over.〉

〈Once we get it, we’ll kick her out right away. To an orphanage.〉

〈…….〉

Even at my young age, I could tell that my relatives were only taking care of me to steal my inheritance.

That the kindness and affection they gave me were all because of money.

After crying my heart out in a mix of anger and sorrow and recovering from my illness, I left that house as soon as I was able to stand.

It wasn’t an aimless escape—I went to my maternal grandmother and begged her to take me in.

My mother’s side of the family had grown distant because my grandmother had opposed her marriage to my dad. I went there and pleaded.

〈I won’t ask for anything more. Please just take me in until I become an adult. You’re wealthy…… so I believe you won’t covet the inheritance my parents left for me.〉

〈…….〉

〈Please help me. If you just take me in, I’ll definitely repay this kindness someday.〉

〈……There’s no need to repay me. What could a small child like you give me?〉

My grandmother pitied me and didn’t turn me away.

She became my legal guardian. She still seemed resentful toward my mother, because she showed me no affection at all, but even that was enough for me.

〈Better that than being stabbed in the back.〉

After seeing the true intentions hidden behind my relatives’ kind masks, I became someone deeply cynical about the world.

From that day on, I couldn’t trust anyone.

Kindness or affection felt like luxuries, and if anyone offered them without reason, I grew suspicious.

I didn’t want to be used ever again.

My grandmother would often tell me:

〈Life is lived alone. You must be able to survive on your own.〉

And I grew up exactly that way.

I became a cold adult who couldn’t trust the people beside me and tried to handle everything alone.

Thanks to the inheritance and insurance money my parents left behind, and the job I worked hard to earn, I lacked nothing.

But my heart was always empty.

〈Am I really doing the right thing?〉

Loneliness followed me like a shadow, and whenever I felt it, I buried myself in an even busier schedule.

I never wanted to know loneliness, or sadness.

I didn’t want to know anything that made me feel miserable.

I didn’t want to ruin what I had worked so hard to build.

As the days I had endured flashed before me like a panorama, I felt myself choke up.

Still, I had a foundation I built with my own hands.

I want to go home.

Not trapped in this ridiculous world, worrying about surviving zombies.

Send me back home!

I want to return to the home I can trust, the home where I belonged!

As I screamed in the dream, a giant golden hamster approached and looked down at me.

「Hey, it’s time to wake up and get to work.」

And with that, I woke from the nightmare.

“……Damn it.”

Even after waking up, the color of my hair between my fingers was silver, and the reflection in the mirror wasn’t me—it was Elizabeth.

The nightmare hadn’t ended.

Until I safely cleared the quest, I couldn’t return to the peaceful, solitary life I once had.

 

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

A few days had passed since the day the party was held.

During that time, there had been various changes inside the duke’s mansion.

First of all, Benjamin, the craftsman who specialized in household goods, finished making the water gun and spray bottle.

They were the rewards I’d wrung out of Zero: a water gun shaped like a sniper rifle, and a spray bottle capable of long-range spraying.

As soon as he finished the first prototypes, Benjamin rushed over to me, panting, and handed them over.

“Duke! I’ve brought the first completed versions of the items you requested!”

“Oh, thanks.”

He had put so much effort into them that the water gun looked just like a real firearm, and the spray bottle could shoot the water inside with strong force and pressure.

They were, of course, durable enough to hold holy water.

Good thing I had the water containers made out of silver so they could store holy water.

Satisfied with their performance, I admired the work and praised Benjamin.

“They’re perfect. I knew I was right to leave this to you.”

“Th-thank you…….”

Benjamin blushed shyly, looking pleased. They said the Keaton ducal house only hired true masters, and he really was a skilled one.

“It’d be great if you could handle mass production as well.”

“Ah, yes! Of course. I’ve already prepared for mass production with the other craftsmen who work in the annex.”

The number of craftsmen who lived and worked full-time in the capital—especially in the ducal mansion—could be counted on one hand, but Benjamin spoke so confidently that I decided to trust him.

“Alright. I’ll be counting on you. I trust you, Benjamin.”

“……Yes!”

Taking the first prototypes, I went to find Michael.

When I knocked on the door to the Sky Chamber, Michael greeted me.

“Welcome, my lady. What brings you here?”

Compared to how he’d treated me at the temple, Michael’s attitude had become incredibly gentle and mild.

Is it because we fought zombies together?

Or maybe because I had shown such a weak side in the basement.

Either way, it was a good sign—Michael didn’t seem to think badly of me anymore.

Since this team project was hell-difficulty, I couldn’t afford to lose a teammate.

I handed Michael the water gun Benjamin had made, along with the sturdy, high-performance sprayer.

“Here. Take this.”

“What is this……?”

“It’s a weapon made so you can fill it with holy water and shoot it at zombies. The holy power in holy water only paralyzes zombies temporarily, but while they’re frozen you can aim for the head and completely destroy them. And you’re the most suitable person for that, Sir Michael, so I figured you should get the first one.”

He was already a holy knight with divine power, but you never know how things might go.

And since he was the first party member I recruited, I felt he should receive the first one.

And to repay him for carving me that wooden club……

I wasn’t the type to live with unpaid debts, so giving this to Michael made me feel strangely relieved.

I hadn’t expected him to like it much—holy knights weren’t usually thrilled by such things—but I saw him smile faintly.

Huh?

Did he just smile? That stone-faced Michael?

I stood there blankly as he bowed slightly in gratitude.

“Thank you, my lady. For thinking of me first. We didn’t get along before, so I never expected such consideration, but despite my prejudice, you continue to show respect and treat me fairly. I’m truly grateful.”

“No, well…… I mean, this is only natural.”

Work was work, and personal matters were personal.

Even if Michael and the former Elizabeth had been on bad terms, that wasn’t my business.

That whole rivalry when I was pretending to be Elizabeth? That couldn’t be helped on either side, so forget it.

He’s the strongest holy knight—holding grudges and getting petty revenge isn’t my style.

Besides, if I treated Michael poorly, the other staff might worry they’d be treated the same.

This was all based on practical reasoning, but seeing him interpret it so positively made my conscience twinge.

Michael smiled again and praised me.

“That change in you, my lady, is your best quality.”

“……If you say so, I’m relieved.”

If the status window could display affection levels, Michael’s would probably have risen to a normal, decent level by now.

Stay like this, please. Just like this. Please!

I begged silently as Michael held the water gun and sprayer close to his chest as if they were precious gifts, then walked me out.

“I’ll make good use of these weapons in battle against the zombies. Please don’t overwork yourself.”

“I’m seriously fine……”

“Yes. Understood.”

That man was absolutely ignoring everything I said.

Feeling uneasy, I left Michael’s room—and the moment the door shut behind me, I nearly screamed like I’d seen a ghost.

“Whaaa! R-Ruth?”

“…….”

Ruth was standing right in front of me, slightly slouched, with a very displeased look on his face.

“If you need something from Michael, you should just go inside……”

“Why did you not give me one?”

Huh?

He threw words at me that I never could’ve imagined.

“What…… what did you just say?”

“……I asked why you brought it to that holy knight first and not to me.”

「Oh my, oh my—jealousy?」

No, Zero. No. Absolutely not. Stop it.