The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House

The person who approached us was a woman.

She had light blue hair and sharp features, with gray eyes that narrowed when our eyes met. With a poised expression, she blurted out, “What a great beauty.”

…Is that all she could come up with as an introduction?

However, she quickly extended her hand to me with a nonchalant face.

“I came to give you the keys. My name is Vanilla Eddy Ruskin, the owner of the mansion.”

Her appearance was icy and cold, while her name sounded incredibly soft. In truth, she was a character who hadn’t appeared in the novel a few times, so I didn’t know much about her either.

I stood up and shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Ruskin. Did you receive the sales contract? From today onwards, I am the owner of the mansion.”

As I spoke, I shook hands with Vanilla. At that moment, Eden suddenly asked me.

“The mansion on the hill? Are you buying that abandoned house? Why would a Sinclair’s heiress buy such a mansion?”

I was surprised and turned to Eden.

“Shh. Please be quiet. Are you going to advertise me as Cherry Sinclair?”

“Can’t I do that?”

It’s not that it’s not you can’t, but it would become troublesome if people found out!

While Eden and I were whispering, Vanilla sighed deeply and spoke to me.

“I know you’re Cherry Sinclair. It was written in the sales contract. And I don’t care who you are. I’m only interested in money.”

Vanilla spoke firmly, as if to reassure me not to worry. I felt a little embarrassed.

“Right. I had to write my name on the sales contract.”

At that moment, Eden pointed to Vanilla’s waist. Something was hanging there.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a bird.”

…Did I hear that wrong? A bird?

Only then did I notice that there were two birds hanging upside down from Vanilla’s waist.

Next to them was a holster with a shotgun in it. How did I only notice it now, even though it was so prominently sticking out?

“Because the village chief asked for a few to be caught, I went hunting. The reward is quite generous.”

…Now I think I understand why Vanilla was able to survive alone for half a year in the novel.

It seemed that it wasn’t just because the mansion provided excellent shelter.

Somehow, I felt the urge to recruit her for the shelter I was about to build.

“Here are the keys.”

She placed the keys in my hand, making sure not to forget her final request.

“Brunel is a remote countryside area, and the mansion is located in a very secluded place. The repair costs alone would be enormous. Although it’s in my name, I told you in advance that it’s not a property I highly recommend, as I inherited the mansion due to my father. It was your choice to purchase it, Miss Sinclair.”

Was this how Eden felt earlier? I nodded my head in confusion for a moment at the words poured out in succession. Vanilla continued with an unchanged expression on her cold face.

“I’ll be staying in this village for a while. If you need anything, feel free to call me. However, there will be a fee for my services.”

She adjusted her monocle and spoke to me with a serious expression. I nodded my head with a slightly bewildered look. A fee for services?

“Even if Miss Sinclair is pretty and cute, I can’t offer any discounts.”

What was she talking about?

Vanilla handed me the mansion’s blueprint. I quickly glanced at it before turning back to grab her arm.

“Just a moment, Ms. Ruskin.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Contrary to her words, Vanilla pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time, as if she hated wasting time.

“Is there anything unusual about the mansion? Anything like hidden facilities suitable for self-sufficiency or a well for water supply? I’m curious.”

Vanilla looked at me as if I had asked an absurd question.

However, in the novel, it was clearly mentioned that she said, “This mansion is special. It’s optimized for survival.” when introducing the mansion.

“Well, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s suitable for turning the garden into a vegetable patch or there’s a well for water supply? Other than that, I don’t know the details either. I manage so many mansions that it’s hard to keep track.”

I looked at Vanilla’s expression closely, but she genuinely seemed to know nothing. So I felt a little disappointed.

It seemed that the mansion’s only advantage was its good location and potential for self-sufficiency.

In reality, self-sufficiency requires vitality, and I was concerned about that.

After bidding farewell to Vanilla, I left the restaurant and headed towards the outskirts of the village, towards the hill where the mansion was located.

Eden continued to follow me persistently. I stopped and turned around, facing him.

A man dressed neatly in a police uniform leisurely climbed up the hill, his hand in his trouser pocket.

“Why do you keep following me?”

I asked, sounding accusatory, and Eden, who had been looking around, stopped in his tracks. He took his hand out of his pocket and stroked his chin, looking beyond my shoulder at the mansion.

“The mansion is in a very secluded place. It seems perfect for secretly smuggling firearms and hiding them. It also seems suitable for embezzling funds and hiding. Ah, that was just my self-talk.”

He casually retorted and flashed a mischievous smile.

Suddenly, firearms? And embezzlement? What was he talking about? Was it because of the loan I took?

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. If you’re interested in the mansion, then feel free to look around and leave…”

I started to speak in annoyance but trailed off.

“Wait, firearms? And illegal smuggling.”

Eden would never bring up such unnecessary things without reason.

“…I understand for now. What specific types of weapons do you want? I will also arrange for a teacher to teach you how to use them.”

“Swords, crossbows, axes, things like that. All kinds of weapons! But, Harrison, I don’t need a teacher…”

“Miss, that’s not negotiable.”

All kinds of things.

As I thought about it, I realized that if it was Harrison, he would indeed send all sorts of firearms upon the request for various weapon types. D*mn it.

“It seems like my request to explore the mansion is causing a problem.”

Eden observed me hesitatingly, his arms crossed, and examining my expression.

There were countless reasons why Eden shouldn’t explore the mansion and get involved with it.

Furthermore, there was the issue that the Sinclair family was not exactly reputable, which added to the complications. We couldn’t just go to prison before the catastrophe.

“Well, yes! It doesn’t make sense for a man to enter a woman’s house when she lives alone!”

“I’m not just a man, I’m a police officer…”

“Aren’t police officers also men? Men are men.”

Eden’s words were interrupted by my exasperation.

“Even so, why is the conversation taking such a strange turn…”

“Without a warrant, everyone is a brute and a beast!”

“A… beast? What?”

Eden looked at me with disbelief of what he had heard. I confidently placed my hands on my hips and shouted.

“So, if you keep following me, you’re a beast.”

“Your logic is strange.”

“Huh? If you come any closer, it’ll be big trouble.”

Eden’s face, looking at my childish logic, was quite impressive. Such a stunned expression!

While he stood there dumbfounded, I quickly ran up the hill. I unlocked the mansion’s main gate with the key, entered inside, securely locked it with a latch, and let out a sigh of relief.

I guess I should call Harrison, who should be in the capital.

***

No matter how much I explored the vast mansion, there were no firearms in sight.

It was only natural. It hadn’t been long since Harrison purchased the mansion, so he wouldn’t have sent firearms already.

Still, just in case, I wanted to call Harrison, but unfortunately, the only telephone in this small town was at the police station.

‘I hope I don’t run into Eden again.’

I stood in front of the police station, contemplating for a while. Finding another telephone meant going to Kint, and that was too bothersome.

‘Well, let’s just go inside for now.’

Hoping that Eden was out on duty, I cautiously opened the police station door and was greeted by a bizarre sight.

A disheveled man lay sprawled on the floor.

The man’s clothes were torn to shreds, and Eden was sitting on his back. Moreover, he was leisurely sipping Scotch whiskey.

Eden looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

His police uniform jacket was nowhere to be seen, and his white shirt had several buttons undone. Or more precisely, it looked like they were ripped off.

Sighing, the man pinned beneath Eden groaned.

Eden, taking a sip of the whiskey he was holding, placed an empty glass on top of the fallen man’s head.

“Hey, if you drop this and break it, you’re dead.”

Eden sternly warned the man and then turned to face me.

“After being so harsh with me, what brings you here?”