After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

Sahara and her servants were only a street away from the inner gates when a group of women blocked their way.

They immediately tensed up, especially Sahara who found the women very familiar. At the center of it—as always—was none other than Estra Trion.

She looked gorgeous as always, wearing a pretty blue dress made of silk, her hands and her ears embellished with gold accessories, and put on special makeup to enhance her beauty.

Completing her look was her reddish-brown hair tied up in a complex bun that probably took her maids a few hours to perfect and fix.

Estra had always cared for her looks, but this was a bit more complex than usual. After all…, Otto was in the City now. Who knew when she’d encounter him? She had to be ready at all times!

Sadly, it was this that she encountered, instead.

”My, if it isn’t Lady Sahara,” Estra said with a smile, though her tone was a bit sarcastic. ”What brings you to this area? Are you lost?”

She looked down at the woman in the ugly coat. She was going in the inner circle looking like that? On foot? With two pitiful servants?

The noble ladies seemed to have thought of the same thing and they burst out laughing at the same time.

The girls’ laughter was prim, lady-like, and quite cute. To the men around, it actually sounded beautiful, regardless of how mean-spirited it actually was.

Sahara kept her composure while the servants next to her flushed in shame, though mostly for the sake of their lady. However, the respect for the strong and nobles had been ingrained in their bodies and they did not even think of defending her against the women.

”Now, now, Estra,” Lia said, combing back her pinkish hair. She was like a beautiful and gentle flower that could be blown by the wind. ”She could be visiting Lady Olga soon.”

”Oh?” Estra asked with a strained smile. She turned her head back to Sahara and walked forward, appearing curious. ”How does it feel? To be associated with a rich woman?”

Although noble women—behind closed doors—mocked Olga for her choices, mocked for her lack of a husband and children at her age, they still wanted to grab on to her for benefits.

Not to mention, befriending her meant becoming closer to her brothers— and the Golds were the best bachelors in the city.

They were rich, handsome, and noble. But most importantly—though few would say this out loud—they were loyal.

Their family dynamics were no secret and—openly or not—quite controversial.

The Men mocked Zaol when they were alone with each other, but their wives secretly envied Gaia for getting his heart.

Men look down on Zaol for only having one wife, while the women could only dream of such treatment.

Similarly, although Oslo and Otto were womanizers, they only went with one woman at one time. The women were famously happy and satisfied, just honored to have ever been with them at all.

In the women’s dreams, they would be ’the one’ who’d get married to them in the end. By then, they could expect complete loyalty from them, regardless of their pasts.

This was especially true for Orion and Obi, who were like their father in that regard, even if the former did have an arranged marriage with the princess herself.

”I’m starting a legitimate deal,” Sahara said, keeping composed. This was quite impressive. Most people would be intimidated after being surrounded by half a dozen women with their maids and guards closely behind them.

The ’deal’ though sounded different to the women. ”The Golds would never look at you!”

”I didn’t mean that kind of deals!” Sahara said, voice slightly rising. She can’t have the Golds thinking she was after their sons! ”I am making a deal on behalf of my home territory—”

”You don’t expect us to believe that you, a woman, was sent here to make innocent deals! We’re not idiots.”

Sahara’s heart clenched in anger, but she didn’t show it. ”I’m not—”

”I can’t blame your desperation, though,” Estra said, cutting her off. She looked up and down at her appearance, tutting in disgust. ”Even my maid lives a better life than you do.”

”Then again, what do you expect from someone who sleeps on sand?” The joke made a few more giggles resound in the area.

Sahara’s fist clenched, but her face didn’t betray her emotions. ”This is my responsibility and—believe it or not—this is completely from a business perspective with no deals involving the flesh.

”Unlike all of you, I do not have the time to sit around drinking tea while waiting around for men.”

Her words abruptly cut off the laughs around her, the bemused eyes morphing to ones of annoyance.

How could they let her win?

Estra looked at her guards. They nodded in understanding, immediately stepping forward and kicked the two servants next to her.

BANG!

BANG!

It happened so quickly that Sahara was unable to react fast enough. ”Glio! Bayna!” she yelled, gesturing to run to the two servants. Her maid had lost consciousness, while the guard groaned and sat up, obviously in pain.

The women smiled when they saw that she finally broke her composure.

Sahara’s heart was filled with anger, whipping her head to glare at them. ”Why did you do that?!”

”We needed to show you how small you are,” Estra said. ”Did you think you’re superior with that mission of yours? Naive!”

”Say, does it feel good? Crawling after Olga?” she asked. ”You think you’re better than us? You are just dirt underneath our feet. Guards.”

”You—”

Sahara’s heart dropped, immediately guarding her stomach by instinct.

Her eyes heated up with tears, fearing for what would happen next. She wasn’t that terrified of what would happen to her, but—

Her mind whirled, trying to find a way to get out of this, but nothing was coming to her.

She watched helplessly as the guards approached her, definitely intent on ’punishing’ her for offending this woman!

Her heart beat loudly, and her blood turned cold as the feeling of desperation occupied her senses.

”No…”

She wanted to ask for help… but she knew no one would come.

She could only close her eyes and hug herself, trying to protect her stomach as tightly as she could.

Estra and the other women giggled, seeing her like this. They smiled at the fact that they finally put her in place. She dared get under their skins? Then they’d literally get under hers!

However, before the guards could touch her, a figure appeared. Along with him were two metal spikes that seemed to appear solely to protect the woman.

Sahara was shocked when she realized nothing had happened to her, and she looked up to see a protective figure that appeared in front of her, as if guarding her against all harm the world would throw at her.

First, it was a silhouette, but when her eyes adjusted, she couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

It was that familiar light-colored hair that glimmered against the sun, and his shoulders were so wide, like it could carry the world.

Her eyes pooled with tears.

It’s you…