LATOH C2

Chapter 2

I stared blankly as scenes unfolded from the heroine’s perspective—her childhood, the events that led her to flee her family upon reaching adulthood, her meeting with the Crown Prince, their romance, their conflicts, and the growth they achieved together.

I had definitely fallen asleep with my eyes closed… so why was I watching this in such an incomprehensible place?

“…This isn’t working.”

I tried closing my eyes again, thinking I might wake up if I fell back asleep—but they wouldn’t shut. No matter how hard I tried to move, my body wouldn’t budge. It was as if something was insisting that I watch the heroine’s entire life to the very end.

Only after hearing the heroine’s laughter—accompanied by the sight of the Crown Prince, now her husband, smiling at her with happiness—was I finally released. As the memories, like a flickering montage, came to an end, I was left alone in pitch-black darkness.

“This is driving me insane.”

How was I supposed to get out of here?

Frustrated, I tried to move my body again, but it still wouldn’t respond. Just then, I heard murmuring voices in the distance.

—Ruby Escart…!

Listening closely, it sounded like someone calling a name.

Ruby Escart. That was unmistakably the name of the heroine from the novel I had just seen. But that wasn’t my name. Why were they calling me like that, so desperately?

The voice was so earnest that my face twisted in discomfort—but only for a moment. Gradually, my vision began to turn white.

—Ruby Escart…!

The voice grew louder.

I couldn’t see anything, but instinctively, I felt like I should move toward where the voice was coming from. I tried moving my body—and this time, thankfully, it obeyed.

Step by step, I began to walk.

—Ruby… Young Lady!

“Ah… it’s cold.”

Just as I approached the source of the voice, a bright light poured down over me. I squeezed my eyes shut.

When things finally seemed to calm down, what I felt was a splash of cold water.

What now?

I opened my eyes—and just like that, it was as if the dream had repeated itself. I was completely drenched, and standing in front of me was a strangely dressed woman, grinning.

Her orange hair and matching orange eyes were unlike anything I had ever seen before. Her sharp, almost vicious gaze felt oddly familiar, creating a strange sense of dissonance.

Especially that outfit…

“…Wait. Marin?”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry, Young Lady. I must have accidentally splashed water on you. Are you alright?”

Though she apologized, Marin’s tone sounded more teasing than sincere.

But I couldn’t respond. I was too confused.

Marin? Is that really Marin? Then…

Slowly, I looked around.

This was definitely the same room I had seen before falling asleep. I lowered my gaze to my hands.

The rough, calloused hands I had developed from part-time jobs and housework were gone. In their place were pale, delicate fingers, as if they had never once touched water.

I shut my eyes tightly, then opened them again. I clenched and unclenched my fist.

But what I felt was an overwhelming sense of reality—so vivid it couldn’t possibly be a dream.

I bit my lip hard.

I had hoped it wasn’t true… but it seemed it was.

These memories, too…

I looked at Marin.

Her face was full of dissatisfaction, not a trace of goodwill directed toward me.

I had definitely seen her before—in those panoramic memories just moments ago. From childhood to adulthood, she had been the main culprit who relentlessly tormented the heroine. Splashing water like this was just the basics—she had harassed her persistently, without rest.

That fearless maid acted as though she herself were the noble lady, despite being the heroine’s longtime personal attendant.

“…Don’t tell me… I’ve entered the novel?”

And not just anywhere—but into the most frustrating part: the period when the heroine, a noble lady, was mistreated by her own family.

Damn it.

“Young Lady? Why that expression? You’re not upset over my mistake, are you? It’s not like this is the first time…”

Marin narrowed her eyes as she spoke, as if to say, You wouldn’t dare get angry at me, would you?

If I had acted on impulse, I would’ve grabbed that ridiculous orange hair and yanked it until she begged me to stop.

But instead, I took a slow, deep breath.

Calm down. It’s not too late to act after understanding the situation.

Despite the storm raging inside me, I formed a gentle smile on my lips.

It was the kind of smile my close friends would have run from immediately—the kind that appeared right before I lost my temper.

Mimicking Ruby as best as I could from memory, I spoke.

“…No. It’s fine. These things happen.”

“Just as I expected. Our kind Young Lady would say that. You should change out of those wet clothes—pick something comfortable from the wardrobe. I have somewhere to be, so I’ll be going first. Come down to the dining hall once you’re done.”

As if she had expected that answer all along, Marin rattled off her words in one breath before slamming the door shut behind her and leaving.

It was behavior completely unbefitting the difference in status between a noble lady and her maid.

The smile vanished from my face instantly.

I glared at the closed door, lost in thought.

Comparing this to Ruby’s memories, this body had just turned twenty—an adult. And yet Marin treated me like a child, making decisions on her own and doing whatever she pleased.

It was hard to tell who was the noble lady and who was the maid.

I had seen this behavior in the novel, but experiencing it firsthand was infuriating. I clenched my fists so tightly they turned pale.

Still, I felt a strange sense of pride. All those years of dealing with society had paid off today.

Right. Getting angry can wait until I fully understand the situation.

I got out of bed and approached the vanity I had seen before falling asleep.

In the mirror stood the heroine—soaked like a drowned rat, wearing a blank expression.

I pinched my cheek hard.

“Ow.”

The pain was real.

After rubbing my reddened cheek, I decided to change out of my wet clothes first. I walked over to the wardrobe sitting in the corner and opened it.

“…What? Is this really a noble lady’s wardrobe?”

Not a maid’s?

I frowned.

Inside were only a few worn, dark, dull-looking dresses.

No matter what, she was still the only daughter of a ducal house—this treatment was absurd.

With a short sigh, I picked the cleanest-looking dress among the few and changed into it. It was uncomfortable, but still better than staying in wet clothes.

“…Ruby. Ruby Escart.”

Fully dressed, I stood before the mirror again.

Seeing the unchanged face, I slowly began to accept reality.

It seemed I had possessed the body of the heroine.

I didn’t know how such a thing was possible, but fortunately, I had read this novel to the end. And having just seen all of the heroine’s memories, I could recognize the people she knew.

There was no need to pretend to have amnesia.

Besides, this wasn’t a tragic story, nor did it have a sad ending. Once I got past this part, it would be smooth sailing toward a happy ending.

All I had to do was meet the male lead—the Crown Prince—and becoming the Crown Princess would follow naturally.

The only issue was timing my departure from the family properly…

Well, it should be fine.

I clearly remembered that part.

I could endure as long as possible and leave at the right time—or, if I couldn’t take it anymore, I could leave earlier and wait for the Crown Prince.

Deciding to keep things simple, I straightened my dress and stepped out of the room.

Normally, Marin would bring meals to the room. But once a week, Ruby would go to the dining hall herself—on the day the entire ducal family gathered for breakfast.

Strangely enough, in this novel, the ducal family always ate breakfast together once a week.

Even though Ruby was hated by her family and no one would care if she skipped it, she always longed for this time, hoping to be included among them.

But despite her efforts, the pressure and tension of that uncomfortable 자리 would leave her with indigestion, clutching her stomach in pain for the rest of the day.

“…Honestly, it’d be better not to go at all.”

I clicked my tongue.

Even as I felt exasperated by the heroine’s foolish behavior, my feet continued toward the dining hall.