SSCP | Chapter 2

Episode 2

To tell the story of how I met my current adoptive father, the Marquis of Rubiche, we have to go back five years.

Five years ago, I had fallen asleep on a bus heading home and woke up in a completely different world. Could anything be more absurd?

I still don’t know whether I died in a car accident or what exactly happened. If I died instantly in my sleep due to an accident, maybe that’s why I don’t remember it.

Who would’ve thought that Cha Do-Hyuk PD, who died saving a child and got hit by a car, would be reincarnated as an entirely different person in another world?

I cautiously guessed that my dimensional shift might be something along those lines.

“Ena. Careful.”

My adoptive father grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

That’s when I finally noticed the steam locomotive entering the station. The train entered the platform and came to a halt in front of us. As the train came to a complete stop, the doors opened and people poured out.

In that brief moment, I stepped forward and handed money to the station staff who had just gotten off the train to buy a ticket. He pulled out a wad of bills, skillfully counted the money, handed me the change, and issued the ticket.

When I think back to how flustered I was at first, not even knowing how this “different world” system worked, the fact that I’ve become used to it now feels so strange.

Sitting in our assigned seats with my adoptive father, gazing out the window at the passing scenery, I felt a bit unsettled.

A lot had changed in the past five years. I never imagined I’d be living such a luxurious life. Especially not in this world.

Magic and science had sparked a technological revolution, and the industrial revolution had pushed this world forward rapidly. At first glance, it resembled 19th-century Europe, but the existence of magic and divine power set it vastly apart from the world I used to live in.

“It’s been a while since we visited the Kingdom of Nayden.”

My adoptive father suddenly spoke.

Yes, it had. The Crooks Mountains in the neighboring Kingdom of Nayden were where I had first fallen into this world five years ago.

“It has. It’s been a year.”

I answered as calmly as possible so he wouldn’t start worrying about me.

The Marchioness of Rubiche had died after falling in the Crooks Mountains, and the barely breathing Marquis had barely survived after I found and nursed him back to health.

Honestly, “saving” him sounds a bit exaggerated, considering all I did was take care of them for ten days and call a physician.

If it weren’t for Erinda, the mage who had been observing me by sneaking in and out of the abandoned house I was staying in, the Marquis might have died long ago.

Anyway, thanks to that connection, I was able to be adopted into the Rubiche family.

“We come every year, but every visit still feels unfamiliar. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”

At my words, my adoptive father gave a small smile and agreed. Just last year, he had been deeply sorrowful when the Marchioness’s memorial day approached, so I was relieved to see he seemed a little better this year.

“Still no memory of your past?”

At his question, I slowly nodded with an awkward expression.

Saying I came from another world was far too crazy to admit. When I first met him, I couldn’t even speak properly. That misunderstanding had been entirely his, but since it wasn’t a bad one, I hadn’t corrected it — and he still believed it to this day.

“If anything ever comes to mind, tell this father of yours first.”

Sitting across from me, my adoptive father smiled gently and patted my head. I nodded, smiling shyly, warmed by his tenderness.

Meeting him was a stroke of luck for me. I was so thankful for his kindness.

“But… did something happen at the party? You didn’t do anything disrespectful to His Highness the Crown Prince, did you?”

He asked with a face full of concern. It seemed he was quite uneasy after hearing that Crown Prince Reynold expressed his desire to visit the Rubiche estate next week.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t make any mistakes. I also have a rough idea why he wants to visit the estate.”

At my words, my adoptive father looked relieved but still held my hands with a worried expression. A middle-aged man with neatly trimmed light brown hair — just like Rioel’s — gave me repeated reminders.

“No matter what happens, you must not behave rudely to His Highness the Crown Prince. Not even the slightest mistake is allowed.”

His stern tone surprised me a little.

I had heard rumors he was mad, but is it really that bad? Is he truly a deranged psychopath?

“If you’re not careful, you could lose your head on the spot. That’s not a metaphor, he—”

The last part was so quiet it was almost a murmur, and I couldn’t quite catch it. Still, I gave him a pretty smile.

“Please don’t worry. He won’t be able to harm me.”

That’s only if Crown Prince Reynold is really the Cha Do-Hyuk I know.

After hearing my response, my father looked even more concerned. But since there was no way to prove it at that moment, I just kept smiling.

“Yes. You’re an adult now, so I trust you’ll handle things well.”

“That’s right. I’m already twenty-two.”

Of course, I’m actually thirty-two, but my adoptive father had assumed I was eighteen when he adopted me into the Rubiche family five years ago.

It wasn’t until later, after learning to read, that I discovered Ena Knox Rubiche’s age — but I never felt the need to correct it.

I’d gotten ten years younger, after all. Was there any reason to go out of my way to admit I was thirty-two?

***

The Marchioness of Rubiche’s grave was in the Alpine Empire, but we always traveled to the Kingdom of Nayden on her death anniversary to mourn her passing.

Rioel usually came too, but this time he was busy with some knightly mission to subdue monsters.

“I always think this. Perhaps Viollena left you behind in her place when she departed.”

My adoptive father said this as we descended the mountain after laying flowers on the Marchioness’s grave and paying our respects.

Unable to find a suitable comforting response, I remained silent. When I found the Marquis and his wife, the Marchioness had already passed away.

The traumatic memory resurfaced, and I shut my eyes tightly before opening them again. While it might not have affected me as deeply as it did the father and son who lost their wife and mother, it was still a big shock for me too.

“Ena.”

As we descended the mountain and the village came into view, my adoptive father called my name.

“No matter what anyone says, you are my daughter.”

He gently stroked my hair. I was sure it was because he knew how difficult it was for me to mingle with girls of my age group at social parties.

I knew very well it was difficult to get along naturally with noble ladies who had lived in this world their entire lives and carried immense pride and dignity. So I’d never been particularly upset about not blending in with them.

To me, those things weren’t all that important. And I’m not the kind of fragile person who would break down to the point my father would need to worry so much.

So I smiled brightly enough to put his mind at ease and answered him.

“Of course, Father. I’ll always be your daughter.”

Hearing that, my adoptive father let out a sigh of relief. If that’s enough to reassure him, I’d gladly say those words as many times as he needed.

The maids standing at the entrance of the drawing room were sneaking glances at the Crown Prince. He might be crazy, but he’s good-looking, so I guess they can’t help but want to look?

I picked up my teacup slowly, without making a clinking sound, just as I’d been taught in etiquette lessons. I savored the aroma of the tea before taking a sip. Watching from across the table, the Crown Prince rested his chin on his hand and chuckled leisurely.

His gaze wavered mischievously. It was the kind of look one gives when seeing something fun and cute.

I admit it’s interesting, but cute? Not so much.

“You’re adapting quite well. Has it really been five years since you came here?”

I looked over his ascetic appearance, with a beautiful face like a flower and his buttons fastened all the way to his neck, making him appear somewhat suffocating.

Isn’t it common for a madman to leave a couple of buttons undone? The stiff, neatly arranged collar and tidy attire made him seem nothing like the kind of madman I had in mind.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s only been that long since I started learning etiquette, so I hope you’ll be understanding.”

At my words, he chuckled softly again.

“Has it been hard adjusting?”

He asked kindly, as if he fully understood my struggles.

I really started to feel strange. No matter how I looked at it, the man before me was a foreigner. His shining silver hair, sharp dark eyebrows, and golden eyes beneath them.

How could someone with such looks be talking about Korean matters? How could I adjust to this disconnect?

But maybe the strangest thing here is me. I sighed as if giving up.

“Living as a person from modern society and suddenly having to learn all this outdated aristocratic behavior… how could I not find it difficult?”

At my words, the crown prince burst into laughter.

“Right. It is seriously outdated.”

“There’s a lot of gender discrimination, too. It’s an inconvenient world for women.”

“There are a lot of things that are forced upon you, and the rules are full of contradictions in this world.”

The crown prince didn’t drink his tea but instead spun the teacup with his fingers before standing up. He then suddenly extended his hand toward me.

“It’s a bit stuffy being inside. The weather’s nice, so let’s go outside and talk.”

Then I realized why he suggested this. It was because the maids were standing at the entrance of the sitting room.

There were too many ears listening. So, instead of making the maids leave, it seemed we had chosen to go outside.

As we walked through the garden of the Rubiche mansion, I could see the people inside the house peeking out the windows occasionally.

“Is it because you’re a prince? You seem very popular.”

At my mumbling, the crown prince let out a short laugh.

“It’s probably more about curiosity. Anyway, I told you before. You should call me by my real name.”

“Cha Do-Hyuk?”

“Yes.”

“But, are you really Cha Do-Hyuk? What if you’re just another dimension traveler pretending to be Cha Do-Hyuk?”

“You still don’t believe me even after I told you it’s a rat pellet?”

That’s true. There was no clearer proof of his identity than the rat pellet. But, honestly, I wanted to hear something else.

“So, Cha Do-Hyuk… um, should I call you PD-nim? Actually, I’ve never called you by your name before.”

“Forget about PD-nim. Just call me Cha Do-Hyuk. Anyway, even before I died, I was going to ask you to call me by my name, not as PD.”

N/ Right, PD meaning is Producer or Director

What does that mean? Why would I call him by his name instead of PD? We didn’t have that kind of personal relationship, did we?

Come to think of it, PD Cha Do-Hyuk suddenly died in a car accident, and a month later, I traveled to another dimension. That, too, while I was sleeping on a bus.

It was so absurd. For a whole year, I lived thinking I hadn’t woken up from a dream.

“Then, how about this? Not Cha Do-Hyuk, but… what about calling you that rotten bastard…?”

“…You don’t want to die, do you?”

I was about to ask with a bright smile what calling him that rotten bastard would be like, but if Cha Do-Hyuk hadn’t grinned and immediately threatened murder, I might have done so.

So, did he just ask if I wanted to die? No, I don’t! I want to live!

“Oh, no! No, no! This can’t happen! What kind of daughter would I be if I let you do that!”

And then, from behind the large tree in the garden, I saw my adoptive father suddenly run out, crying, and kneel in front of Chadohyuk.

“P-please, have mercy. My child doesn’t know the country’s etiquette and is ignorant.”

My adoptive father cried as tears streamed down his face. He didn’t even think to wipe the tears away but turned to me and smiled the most benevolent smile.

“I’m fine, Ena.”

Saying that, my adoptive father mouthed something to me.

“Run away quickly. I’ll handle things here.”

Ah, father… this isn’t what’s happening! What is this melodramatic scene!

It was clear that my adoptive father had misunderstood the situation terribly.