The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 98

“You’re looking much better, Father!”

“R-really?”

The father and daughter were having a cheerful conversation in front of the mirror.

Duke Herta brushed his newly sharpened jawline awkwardly while asking Esmela if he looked alright, and his daughter, Esmela, nodded repeatedly and praised him for looking better than before.

The next morning, after the heat of the banquet had faded, the first thing Esmela did upon waking up after returning to the House of Herta for the first time in three years was—

“What on earth happened to you, Father?!”

Naturally, she immediately set out to improve Duke Herta’s unkempt appearance.

Duke Herta, who had spent three years drowning in sorrow over the loss of his daughter, had wasted away drinking and doing nothing.

Naturally, what used to be a proud and imposing figure had faded, and he now resembled any ordinary middle-aged man struggling with alcoholism.

“You need to quit drinking right now!”

As soon as morning came, Esmela burst into her father’s bedroom with the head butler in tow, shaking his still-drowsy shoulders and extracting a promise of sobriety from him.

“Oh my… how did you get so thin…”

Then, sitting beside him, she gently brushed the gaunt features of his face, and tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing it.

“…”

What father could act cold upon seeing his daughter’s tears?

The duke promised to do whatever Esmela wanted, soothing her.

And after securing his promise, the first thing Esmela directed him to do was to shave off his scraggly beard.

“Ugh… this feels oddly weird. I’ve had a lush beard since I became an adult…”

As the duke said himself, his beard, which was a fiery red matching his hair, had served as a significant trademark that accentuated his dignified looks.

“But what good is it if the beard has faded like a withered weed?”

“W-withered weed…”

“Look in the mirror, Father! Doesn’t it look way better? The beard can grow back later when the quality of hair improves. What do you think, head butler?”

“Miss’s words hold true; for now, a clean-shaven look suits you much better, my lord.”

“Hmm… I see. Since even Zikhaim says so, I have no choice but to accept it.”

The duke’s expression still seemed a bit disapproving, but with Esmela and the head butler teaming up to persuade him, he reluctantly nodded.

“Alright… and next…”

Her work was far from over.

Gripping the duke’s shoulders tightly, Esmela began to scan his entire body for the next target.

Then, as if she found something, she suddenly pulled his hand and guided him outside without a word.

The door slammed shut, leaving only the head butler and—

“…Was I needed here?”

Just the head butler and the dragged-in Lanit remained.

Lanit, who had been out for his morning exercise and a light stroll in the settlement, found himself drawn into the duke’s bedroom by these two.

“Always stay by your master’s side. That’s the first rule of a servant.”

He straightened his posture and repeated the motto he had often emphasized to Lanit.

“…Heh.”

“Why are you laughing?”

However, the head butler found Lanit’s sudden laughter quite perplexing.

“No… it’s just, hearing your usual nagging after three years brings back memories.”

With a nostalgic look, Lanit met the head butler’s gaze.

The head butler, understanding the hardships Lanit might have faced over the past three years, offered silent comfort by placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Well, shall we hurry and follow them? I hope our lady’s enthusiasm doesn’t inadvertently ruin the duke’s appearance.”

After that, the four engaged in an animated discussion for several hours—usually, Esmela would throw out ideas like cutting off the duke’s hair entirely, and the other three would talk her out of it—upturning the entire duke’s residence in search of suitable clothes and accessories.

“Done!”

Esmela announced refreshingly as the ‘Duke Makeover Project’ finally concluded successfully.

“Whoa…”

With admiration, Duke Herta stood in front of a large mirror, inspecting his appearance.

While his green tailcoat that had been collecting dust in a corner of the wardrobe was slightly oversized, it suited him just fine.

Esmela also pinned a red spinel brooch to his chest to add a finishing touch to his outfit.

And after shaving his beard and styling his messy hair with gel, she completed basic makeup on his worn-out face…

“You look much better, my lord.”

As the head butler said, the duke’s appearance after grooming was still not quite at its peak, but he had regained a respectable level of dignity.

“Yes… Haha, indeed my daughter is amazing. Thanks to following your suggestions, I’ve cleaned up quite well.”

“Right?”

At her father’s praise, Esmela stood proudly, hands on her hips, nose up in the air.

‘Really, looking at just the conversation, it seems like a typical talk between a father and his daughter, who is happy to have received a compliment and is massaging her father’s shoulders.’

But Esmela was undeniably a fully grown 27-year-old woman.

‘Well, it’s still nice to look good.’

Lanit, oblivious to his own infatuation, found her demeanor charming.

Once the brief commotion was over, everyone returned to their routines.

Esmela felt a pang of disappointment seeing the duke take off the clothes she had dressed him in, but there was no way he could go out in such fancy attire in the cold.

Thus, the duke and the head butler set off to patrol the town.

“What do you plan to do next, Miss?”

Lanit inquired about Esmela’s next agenda.

“Well…”

Having just arrived the day before, Esmela had no knowledge of how the town operated, and thus, all her time thereafter lay empty without a schedule.

“Oh, right. Let’s go see Arit and Tikhah.”

After a moment’s contemplation, Esmela soon thought of the two she had come with.

Before long, they arrived at the small guesthouse where the two were staying.

*Knock knock.*

“Is Arit in? May we come in?”

“Oh, Miss Esmela! Please, come in.”

Upon hearing Arit’s response, the two opened the door and walked in.

The shack where the two were staying was a one-room affair, with a stove in the center, two modest beds covered with simple wool blankets, and a drawer that also served as a wardrobe.

“Good morning to you both.”

Tikhah greeted the two guests brightly.

“Tikhah, are you leaving already?”

Seeing a large backpack carelessly resting atop Tikhah’s bed, Esmela inquired.

“My duty of bringing you here has come to an end.”

Tikhah replied breezily while strapping the backpack onto her back.

“And what could an outsider do here? It might encumber the precious time I could spend with family after a long time apart. I’m planning to return to my duties as a gamekeeper.”

“I see…”

Esmela’s response trailed off, hinting at a slight disappointment.

“Ha ha ha, why the long face? It’s not like you won’t see me again. Whenever you come to Count Larson’s domain, you can find me again!”

Seemingly noticing her mood, Tikhah heartily patted Esmela on the shoulder.

‘Is it a northern custom for them to pat shoulders as a sign of intimacy?’

Watching this unfold, Lanit suddenly had that thought.

“How about we all see Tikhah off, Esmela?”

Arit suggested, and so they began walking out of the shack towards the town’s entrance.

“Then, until next time!”

Upon reaching the parting point, Tikhah turned to the other three and bid her farewells.

“Travel safely, Tikhah.”

“Yeah. See you next time.”

“May Arazuqa bless your journey.”

The three responded in their own ways until Tikhah finally turned around and began to walk away energetically.

…Or so it seemed.

After about 50 meters, Tikhah suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

“…What’s up with Tikhah?”

Lanit looked at her with curiosity.

“Right?”

Arit observed Tikhah worryingly from a distance.

“Let’s go check it out.”

Following Esmela’s suggestion, the three swiftly walked towards the frozen Tikhah.

“What’s wrong?”

Lanit stepped in front of Tikhah, examining her face, as she furrowed her brows, seemingly straining to see something far away.

“Tikhah?”

Only after Esmela asked again did Tikhah reply,

“…Over there.”

Tikhah pointed with her finger towards something in the snow-covered expanse beyond.

The three turned their gazes towards where she pointed.

At first, they could see nothing.

But suddenly, a small black dot appeared in their sight—

One minute… three minutes… five minutes…

As time passed, the dot grew larger until it morphed into a human shape.

“A person? Who on earth would come all the way out here…?”

Tikhah’s monologue mirrored everyone’s unvoiced question.

And finally, as they closed the distance enough to see the person clearly—

Lanit couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

A man in his mid-twenties adorned in the royal silver uniform.

With silver hair fluttering, he approached eagerly, waving both hands high as if in delight upon recognizing the group.

“Esmela! Lanit! Arit! You came out to greet me!”

“””…Prince Robertze!?”””

The stunned voices of the three echoed in the white expanse of the snow.