Liam did not get to spend more time with Suzy as Leonard and Thomas finally woke up, strangely perky and curious.

They demanded to know what exactly happened, and Suzy had no choice but to thank Liam for his help and leave, since what she had to tell them was not something she wanted Liam to hear.

"So... Are we about to freeze to death now?" Leonard asked, still struggling to understand what had happened.

Suzy did not tell them that this world was the world of a novel and now that Wendy was dead, she became the center of the plot.

And she also did not tell them that now that Wendy was dead, the balance had been shattered, and whatever happened next would be a lot harder to predict.

"Do you think it already started?" Leonard suddenly asked, feeling strangely chilly all of a sudden.

A subtle change crossed Suzy’s face.

That was not impossible.

She sprang to her feet and hurried toward Thomas.

"Where are you going?" Leonard asked immediately.

"I’m checking something."

Within seconds, she reached Thomas’s side.

Thomas glanced at her and said quietly, "The temperature is dropping."

"You can feel it?" Suzy asked curiously, blinking at him.

He nodded.

"And it’s dropping fast."

"Could it just be rain?" Suzy suggested.

She crossed the room and pulled back the curtain. A moment later, she realized her guess was wrong.

There was no rain outside. However, the window had been left slightly ajar. A steady stream of cold air was slipping through the narrow gap.

Suzy pushed the window open wider and extended a hand outside.

The moment she did, she felt the difference.

The wind was stronger than she expected. The air was significantly colder. The icy gusts bit into her skin with startling intensity.

Within moments, her fingers had gone numb from the cold, and her skin flushed bright red.

She quickly pulled her hand back and rubbed it gently.

"No rain," she muttered. "But the temperature really is dropping."

Thomas noticed the redness spreading across her fingers. Without saying anything, he reached over and took her hand.

His large palm completely enclosed hers. Dry. Warm. Comforting.

The rough calluses along his fingertips brushed against her chilled skin as he slowly transferred his warmth to her.

Like embers glowing in the middle of winter.

Suzy lowered her gaze to their joined hands.

She didn’t pull away. Instead, a quiet warmth spread through her chest.

"Don’t do that again."

Thomas’s tone was serious.

A smile tugged at her lips. "Okay."

Once the window was closed, the lingering chill in the room gradually faded.

Suzy returned to the sofa and gathered a cushion into her arms.

"The temperature outside is already dropping," she told Leonard. "You were right."

"Huh?"

Leonard looked completely confused.

A moment earlier, he had been distracted by whatever was on television.

Suzy explained, "I think the deep freeze is arriving early."

Based on what she had just felt, the temperature had likely fallen by more than ten degrees.

The weather had been perfectly normal over the past few days.

Even accounting for day and night temperature differences, such a dramatic drop made no sense.

The timing was too precise.

Aside from the deep freeze arriving ahead of schedule, she could think of no other explanation.

"This soon?" Leonard sat upright immediately. "Didn’t you say we still had several days left?"

"I did."

Suzy frowned thoughtfully.

"Under normal circumstances, we should have."

Then she remembered the system’s warning. The world itself had already begun to destabilize.

If the world’s order was breaking down, it was only natural that disasters would become chaotic and unpredictable.

Perhaps even arrive ahead of schedule.

What worried her now was tomorrow.

How much lower would the temperature fall?

Leonard glanced around the room. His eyes eventually landed on the fireplace across from them.

Almost instantly, he felt reassured.

It would be fine. Even if the deep freeze arrived, they had a fireplace.

As long as they could keep warm, freezing to death wouldn’t be a concern.

More importantly, he trusted that Suzy had already prepared for every possible scenario.

"Don’t worry," Suzy said reassuringly. "I’ve already stocked everything we’ll need."

Leonard immediately raised a thumbs-up.

"Suzy, your foresight is incredible."

The more he thought about it, the luckier he felt.

Being able to follow Suzy through the apocalypse was practically winning the lottery.

How many people could still live comfortably in a world like this?

You could probably count them on your fingers.

And somehow, he was one of them. Life was good.

"Oh, right." A thought suddenly occurred to Suzy. "No one knows exactly what tomorrow will look like. I should get some winter clothes for you two."

The deep freeze was almost here. There was no reason to wait any longer.

She waved her hand and instantly, piles of winter clothing appeared throughout the living room.

Thermal shirts. Insulated pants. Wool sweaters. Heavy coats. Scarves. Gloves.

Anything she could think of for surviving extreme cold.

The living room practically transformed into a winter clothing store.

Fortunately, she had selected sizes specifically for Leonard and Thomas.

The rest remained safely stored inside her space for future emergencies.

"That’s... a lot."

Leonard stared at the mountain of clothing in shock.

The pile was nearly waist-high. He didn’t even know where to start.

"Uncle, this side is yours," Suzy explained. "Try some of it on. That pile belongs to Thomas."

The clothes had already been sorted. One stack matched Leonard’s size.

The other belonged to Thomas.

Thomas’s pile was noticeably larger.

His broad shoulders and powerful frame required bigger sizes than Leonard’s more average build.

"All of this is mine?"

Leonard walked over and grabbed several pieces.

"Well then, I should probably try them on."

Suzy laughed.

"Go ahead."

Carrying an armful of clothing, Leonard headed toward his room.

Suzy turned toward Thomas.

"What about you? Want to try yours too?"

Thomas looked down at the pile of clothing scattered across the carpet.

Truthfully, he wasn’t interested. If anything, it felt like a hassle.

But when he met Suzy’s expectant gaze, the refusal died on his tongue.

He couldn’t bring himself to disappoint her.

Before he could answer, Suzy had already selected several pieces and stuffed them into his arms.

"Go try these. I want to see how they look on you."

Thomas tightened his grip on the clothes.

"...Alright."

Then he turned and disappeared into his room.

Afterward, Suzy sorted through a few more pieces, creating matching outfits for both men before settling back onto the sofa to wait.

A short while later, a door opened.

At first, she didn’t bother looking up. Then footsteps approached.

"Suzy, take a look!"

Leonard’s voice carried unmistakable excitement.

She raised her head and immediately froze.

Even she had to admit she was impressed.

She had always known her uncle was handsome. But with the right clothes? He looked even better.

No wonder Wendy had set her sights on him.

Looking at him now, Leonard’s appearance was every bit as striking as any of the supposed male leads.

He wore a charcoal turtleneck sweater that accentuated the length of his neck and sharpened the clean line of his jaw.

Over it hung a tailored wool overcoat that fit him perfectly.

The structured shoulders emphasized his tall, elegant frame.

Leonard already possessed refined features and gentle eyes.

Months of surviving under Suzy’s care had left his skin fairer than before.

Against the darker clothing, his appearance seemed even more distinguished.

Almost scholarly. Almost untouchable.

He casually brushed back a strand of hair before flashing Suzy a smile.

The smile carried the warmth of spring sunshine.

Yet there was also a youthful spark hidden beneath it.

"Well?" Leonard spread his arms dramatically and spun once in place. "Be honest. Isn’t your uncle ridiculously handsome?"

Suzy looked him up and down before immediately giving him a thumbs-up.

"Handsome. Very handsome. This outfit suits you perfectly."

Leonard’s face lit up with satisfaction. Unfortunately, the pride didn’t last long.

A moment later, he sighed dramatically.

"What a shame." His expression turned mournful. "The apocalypse really picked the worst possible time."

He gestured toward himself.

"If I walked outside dressed like this, I’d become a target immediately."

Anyone capable of looking this polished during the apocalypse would practically be advertising themselves as a walking treasure chest.

A fat sheep waiting to be robbed.

At best, he could only admire himself indoors.