Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse Chapter 44 - Jacqueline Celeste

After Benedict used the spirits’ power to cremate the Damon duke and duchess—who had become zombies—the remaining ashes were swept up personally by Sherry and Cloud.

With a small broom and dustpan, they gathered every last bit of ash and carefully placed it inside a jeweled box.

They hugged the box, stroked it several times.

Cried their hearts out at the late funeral they finally got to hold.

After their time of mourning passed, the Damon siblings—eyes swollen like goldfish—spoke to me.

“…Thank you, Duke Keaton.”

“!”

Not “Lady” Elizabeth Keaton—Duke Keaton.

I blinked, surprised they addressed me by the proper title. Nadia, who had been quiet the whole time, tapped her lips proudly.

“I told them, sis.”

“…Oh.”

Should I praise her for this?

Not sure, so I simply patted Nadia’s bright blue hair.

“Hey! That messes up my hair!”

「Wasn’t she the one who looked all grimy from not washing for days when we visited the Rutri estate?」

‘She was.’

Look at my hands—they’re getting oily from touching her.

Feeling annoyed, I pretended to pat her again and wiped my palms on Nadia’s dress, then studied her face.

The faint blush rising on her cheeks meant she didn’t actually hate the compliment—she just didn’t want to admit it.

Zero, who had been observing Nadia closely, glanced at Michael, Ruth, and Benedict, then muttered:

「Are you some kind of magnet that attracts tsunderes…?」

‘What?’

「Nothing, nope.」

‘What do you mean nothing—huh?’

Ding.

An alert I shouldn’t be hearing rang out.

[Sherry Damon and Cloud Damon: Affection +300!]

[Affection shifts from negative to positive.]

[Sherry Damon / Cloud Damon → YOU: Contempt → Fondness]

[The two will listen more closely to your words.]

[Updating achievements outside the existing quest.]

[New category unlocked: “Achievement Log.”]

[Achievement — Gather Your Allies!]

[Allies of “Elizabeth Keaton”: Nadia Rutri / Sherry Damon / Cloud Damon]

Before I could even ask Zero what on earth was happening, warmth spread across the back of my hand.

It was Sherry Damon’s hand.

“…I’m sorry, Duke Keaton. I spoke too harshly earlier. I sincerely apologize for my rudeness.”

Sherry bowed ninety degrees, offering a heartfelt apology.

Her eyes were still red and swollen with tears… she simply looked like a child her age.

Just a kid who lost her parents far too young, confused and scared—just like I once was.

“You should thank Benedict, not me. I didn’t do anything.”

“No. In the end, none of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t come to rescue the Damon survivors. You helped make sure our parents’ bodies weren’t further disgraced… We’re truly, truly grateful.”

As I looked at her hand holding mine, I noticed how thin it was. Her bones showed more clearly than when I first met her as Elizabeth Keaton.

‘She must’ve suffered terribly watching her parents as zombies.’

“Ever since our parents turned into monsters—zombies—we haven’t had a single peaceful night’s sleep.”

Cloud added in agreement.

His pale skin and dark, sunken eyes showed his exhaustion.

“Yes. We kept wondering: what if our parents somehow broke out of the underground prison? If we had to end them ourselves, where should we strike so they wouldn’t suffer? Those thoughts kept us from sleeping night after night.”

With the duke and duchess gone, and the direct heirs shutting themselves away in fear, the number of servants leaving had naturally grown.

Sherry and Cloud gave bitter smiles as they spoke.

“Not one of the people who left returned.”

“It was better that way. We never want to see anyone end up like our parents again.”

Though thin and sharp from hardship, the siblings now looked relieved—free from a heavy burden.

「Those young humans went through a lot.」

‘…Yeah.’

Seeing my past self in them, I hesitated… then stepped forward and gently opened my arms toward them.

“…?”

“What… are you doing, Duke?”

“Um… well… I just… felt proud of you both. And then I wanted to give you a hug.”

Saying it honestly made my cheeks heat up.

Michael, Ruth, Benedict, and Nadia all stared as if witnessing something extraordinary.

Becoming the center of unwanted attention, I awkwardly began lowering my arms—when—

“Ahem. I suppose this is too much. Just forget it, let’s hurry and leave—”

“…No.”

“Pardon?”

“I–I said it’s fine. S-so go ahead. Hug me. A girl should stick to her word.”

「Isn’t that supposed to be a thing men say?」

Zero commented, but I ignored him entirely.

Because a warm weight suddenly fell into my arms.

Sherry Damon—who said she hated me—was hugging me first. Of her own will. Tightly.

As if she had never once hurled insults at me before.

‘She’s like a pink Pomeranian…’

Given how bold and fierce Sherry acted, I thought she’d be tall. But in my arms, she was tiny—barely even 160 centimeters.

“Really… thank you. For coming to save us. Even though I treated you rudely, you didn’t abandon us and helped us until the end…”

Sherry trembled slightly, trying her best not to cry—but eventually burst into tears again.

“Uwaaaah… M-Mom… Dad…”

The crying was messy—a mix of grief and relief at surviving.

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay now.”

And hearing it only made it clearer—they were alive.

Cloud, being a boy, couldn’t bring himself to hug me, but when Sherry cried, his own eyes welled up. He tried to approach, but…

Michael grabbed him by the collar, then awkwardly patted his head.

“S–Sir Michael…? Hic.”

When Cloud sniffled, Michael sighed and handed him a handkerchief.

“…Use this.”

“Th–thank you, sir.”

Maybe because Michael had once been an honorary holy knight, Cloud looked at him with deep admiration and treasured the handkerchief. Michael let him.

After everyone cried their fill, we finally collected ourselves and prepared for what came next.

Once we were all seated around the large dining table of the Damon estate, we exchanged our thoughts and plans.

I spoke first.

“So, it’s settled that you’ll all be coming with us to the Keaton duchy, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

Sherry and Cloud answered with newfound strength.

The siblings had regained their energy—bright and determined.

“T-tsk. It’s not like I’ll lose in volume either…!”

Nadia suddenly lit up with some bizarre competitive spirit.

‘Why is she like this…’

「I know why.」

‘Then tell me.’

「Nope. You don’t need to know.」

What is that supposed to mean.

With that nonsense behind us, I explained our plan to Sherry and Cloud.

“Sir Michael, Ruth the mage, and I entered Duo Street safely using the secret passage only the Keaton duchy possesses.”

“Even before we arrived, the Keaton estate was running low on food. But before visiting the Rutri estate and the Damon estate, we stopped by an abandoned shopping district and secured extra supplies.”

“Because we needed the most efficient route, we planned to visit in order: the Rutri estate → the Damon estate → the Celeste marquisate.”

We had already secured the survivors at the Rutri and Damon estates—only one place remained.

The Celeste marquisate, where Sienna’s and Sherry’s friend Jacqueline Celeste lived.

At my words, Sherry’s face lit up.

“Then we can take Jacqueline with us?”

“Of course. My plan was to bring every living survivor back to the Keaton duchy.”

Every extra person would help in the fight against the zombies.

And though my main objective was rescuing survivors as part of the main quest, Sherry looked deeply moved.

Tears welled up in her gentle eyes.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I was scared you’d leave Jacqueline behind… I just couldn’t go without her. Thank you.”

“Are you able to contact Jacqueline, Lady Damon?”

At my question, she immediately nodded.

“Of course, Your Grace. I already spoke with Jackie using our communication artifact before you all arrived. Jackie is safe. She only said she has about a week’s worth of food left, so she’s worried…”

It seemed the Celeste estate was in similar circumstances to the Damon estate.

「Food is the most important thing.」

‘Humans can’t live without it.’

Or perhaps, due to the chaotic state of things, servants had betrayed their masters and fled.

Either way, I didn’t want to imagine it any further.

While I was caught in these grim thoughts, Sherry spoke again, carefully:

“Are we going to the Celeste estate right away?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness… th-thank you.”

She let out a relieved sigh, hand over her chest.

I didn’t say it out loud, but secretly thought:

‘Thank me? If anything, I’m the one who’s relieved—this means I can recruit Jacqueline Celeste.’

Jacqueline Celeste.

The eldest daughter of the Celeste marquisate, famous for producing scholars and strategists.

Gifted since childhood, she had even studied abroad at an academy in neighboring Trikala—at the youngest age ever admitted.

‘Of course I have to bring her.’

What I wanted was survival! Survival! Survival!

To survive and win against the zombies, bringing along someone brilliant like Jacqueline was the smartest move.

“Not just Lady Jacqueline, but all survivors in the Celeste marquisate—we’ll lead them through the secret passage back to the Keaton duchy.”

“Then… would you like to use the communication device I used to contact Jackie? She always answers whenever I call. It might be good to warn her ahead of time.”

There was no reason to refuse.

I nodded, and Sherry hurried off to her room and returned with the communicator.

After spinning the dial with a rattling sound and raising the receiver to my ear, Jacqueline’s voice finally came through.

– What’s going on, Sherry?