Global Lord in the Apocalypse: I Begin with a Greenhouse

Chapter 6 - Is This the Life You Want?

“This really isn't fair!”

Adrian could only grumble as he fed the dry twigs he had just gathered into the fire.

It would be dark soon. He needed to heat up the food so they could have dinner.

“I'll share this food with you on one condition: you have to take me to your Shelter.”

That was what the woman had said earlier.

At first, Adrian had been skeptical about the idea.

“I don't know this woman,” he thought. “If she finds out where my Shelter is, wouldn't I just be bringing danger straight to my own doorstep?”

“Your name is Adrian, right?”

As if she understood his hesitation, the woman gave him a sharp look.

“Do you think I don't know where your Shelter is?”

Good grief! She's right! Adrian thought. She’s a Lord. She must have the same map.

Everyone might have a holographic screen, but only the screens belonging to Lords displayed the locations of other Shelters.

Since the woman before him was a Lord, trying to keep that information secret from her would be pointless.

“All right. I agree,” Adrian replied. “But remember, don't even think about …”

“Oh, one more thing!”

The woman immediately interrupted him before he could finish.

“I don't want the hassle of preparing the fire, so you're taking care of that too!”

And that was how they ended up here.

While Adrian busied himself preparing the fire, the woman sat comfortably on a bench in front of the Greenhouse, casually surveying her surroundings.

“Hey, don't you have any sense of tidiness at all?” she remarked lightly. “Wouldn't it be better if you at least planted a garden or something to make this place look nicer?”

She might not have offered him a single word of praise, but judging by how comfortable she looked here, she seemed to admire the Greenhouse.

“What's the point?” Adrian replied indifferently. “Monsters will eventually come and attack us anyway. And if they don't, those other Lords will. Maintain a garden? Where do you think you are right now?”

Adrian didn't really mean what he said. He was just giving a careless answer to vent his frustration.

“Hey, you! At least think about what someone who's offering you good advice has said before responding! You're really impossible to reason with!”

Bubble! Bubble! Bubble!

The hotpot broth began to boil, filling the air with its delicious aroma.

“Are you going to keep nagging me, or what? The food's ready. If you don't want to eat, I'm not waiting for you.”

Outside the Greenhouse stood a small table with two chairs facing each other. They were items the woman had purchased with her Stones. Adrian had already placed the hotpot on the table.

Starving, he reached out with his chopsticks to grab some meat from the pot.

Slap!

“Keep your hands away. No one is allowed to take food before everyone else has sat down at the same table. How rude.”

With that, the woman promptly sat down and filled her bowl with meat and noodles.

“Aren't you going to take off your helmet?”

Adrian was puzzled. The woman hadn't removed her helmet even once, despite there being no danger around them.

Ignoring his question, she simply lifted her helmet slightly, revealing lips as red as cherries, contrasting with her snow-white chin and neck.

Then she ate heartily, as though Adrian wasn't even there.

“What a hypocrite. You're the one doing exactly what you claim is rude.”

Adrian took his own portion.

Slurp!

“Ahhh! This is delicious!”

After three days without a single bite of food, even the broth he slurped tasted absolutely incredible. Nothing could compare to it.

“You don't look like a scary person, and my first impression was that you weren't the kind of man who simply relied on others.”

The woman spoke as she chewed.

“Don't get ahead of yourself. What I mean is, why do you look so starving? Shouldn't it be easy for you to get food?”

“About that...”

Adrian put down his bowl.

The question had unwittingly brought back memories of someone he desperately wanted to bury deep in his heart.

Valia.

“Here, eat this. I'll never let you go hungry.”

One week after the red mist appeared and food began to grow scarce, Adrian had held out an apple to the girl.

For the past three years, he had continued doing the same.

His care and concern for her had never come with conditions.

And that hadn't changed even after the apocalypse began.

Yet what that very same woman had shown him today had hurt him deeply.

Valia, is this the life you wanted? Leaving me behind to secure a life of comfort and pleasure? Adrian thought. You're wrong. Kaelen isn't the man you imagine him to be. Staying by his side will only bring you misery.

Adrian wasn't saying this without reason. He knew what kind of man Kaelen was. When it came to treating women, he was anything but decent.

Seeing Adrian sitting silently, the woman stopped chewing.

“Good grief! Really? Don't tell me you're letting yourself suffer just because of a girl! Man, wake up! Don't you know we're in the apocalypse? Who cares about girlfriends or anything like that? In the end, everyone will only look out for themselves!”

“I don't care whether this is the apocalypse or not.”

Adrian shook his head.

“When I promise to protect someone, I'll do it.”

With that, Adrian picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth.

“Good grief! This is so delicious!”

His expression brightened again, as though the thick clouds that had just gathered in his heart had finally passed.

He might have thought of Valia again, but he promised himself that this would be the last time.

Because now, he was actually grateful.

“At least I won't have an untrustworthy woman in my life anymore.”

While Adrian continued enjoying his meal, the woman fell silent.

Still looking down at the food in front of her, she slowly raised her eyes and glanced at him.

This man...

Adrian's words seemed to jolt her awake.

Of course, she hadn't really meant what she'd said earlier. She had only wanted to test him.

She hadn't expected his answer to surprise her so much.

***

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away.

“Go and get me a drink.”

Kaelen spoke indifferently.

His stomach was full after enjoying a luxurious dinner. Plates piled with various delicacies lay before him, with only a little food remaining.

“Kaelen, what are you talking about? There are plenty of servants. Why are you ordering me around?”

“If I tell you to go, then go!”

The man showed not the slightest concern as he roughly shoved Valia, who had been sitting affectionately on his lap, causing her to fall to the floor.

“Kaelen, what are you doing?” she shouted. “I've given you all my Stones! At least show me a little respect!”

“What did you say? Respect?” Kaelen roared. “Do you think that means anything to me? Look around you!”

Kaelen pointed toward the people gathered ahead.

They certainly weren't alone around the large dining table.

Other Lords, both men and women, sat politely enjoying their meals, as though they were dining in the presence of a king.

“They're Lords who each possess at least an arsenal or a palace! Yet they would never dare say no to anything I order them to do! So stop making excuses and do as I say!”

Kaelen's harsh, furious shouting pierced Valia's heart. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Even so, she said nothing. She simply got up and headed toward the kitchen.

She had no choice. If she disobeyed him, the man would surely throw her out of the palace.

As she walked, a thought echoed in her mind.

Did I make the right decision by leaving Adrian and choosing to follow him instead?

But when she saw the abundance of food in the kitchen and a huge cabinet filled with all kinds of delicious, rare drinks, carefree laughter once again escaped her lips.

“Of course I made the right decision! There's no way Adrian could have all this! He must be struggling just to find enough food for himself right now! So why should I waste my time thinking about him? I've secured a decent life for myself! A very decent life! Hahaha!”