A Wise Life in Captivity with the Mad Duke - Chapter 2

Just in case, I checked my chest area too. Sure enough, a name tag identical to his was attached to my clothes.

No. 44.

An ominous chill crawled down my spine, and I frowned instinctively.

‘…Why that number, of all things?’

Well, the number itself wasn’t such a big deal. In the Kingdom of Avelta, people didn’t attach any particular meaning to numbers.

The problem lay elsewhere, specifically in what I was wearing. This tacky outfit was the real issue.

‘I look like a kid who stole her parents’ clothes.’

The baggy fabric flapped around in the wind, looking so ridiculous that anyone watching might’ve thought I was dancing foolishly.

Once a fashion trendsetter, now I was walking around in clothes of unknown origin. The shame was unbearable.

‘If at least the color were bright, maybe I could forgive it.’

I tightly tied the hem of my dull beige outfit, the kind of color that probably didn’t even exist on a color chart. It was my small attempt to make the fit look a little better.

‘Come to think of it….’

No. 99, who hadn’t stopped chattering, was wearing the exact same outfit as me. The realization gave me a bad feeling.

Same clothes, individual numbers assigned, it didn’t take a genius to guess. I was either a prisoner or a patient.

Neither option sounded good, but if I had to choose, I hoped for the latter. At least patients could leave once they were cured.

At that moment, two men dressed in black uniforms walked toward us. The gold buttons on their uniforms caught the sunlight, giving off a faint gleam with every movement.

As I stood there in shock, briefly distracted by how neat and polished they looked compared to me, one of the men suddenly grabbed my arm with a strong grip.

‘What’s going on?’

Unlike me, who was just trying to figure out the situation, No. 99 shouted loudly while being restrained by the other man.

“Sir! Please listen to me for a second! I didn’t escape on purpose! The door wasn’t locked! Really! I thought it was okay to walk around, and then I just saw No. 44 outside, so we talked for a bit!”

The man still gripping my arm turned his disapproving gaze toward me after hearing that.

“How did No. 44 get outside? Don’t tell me you stole a key card again to go to the rooftop? Stop causing trouble and hand it over now.”

‘Steal a key card? What key card?’

His intimidating tone made it sound like I’d been caught red-handed, and I found myself patting down my pockets in confusion.

‘How rude. What if I didn’t steal anything? Shouldn’t he at least hear my side first….’

Just then, my fingertips brushed against something that matched his description, a key card.

‘Why do I have this? Did Cheon Go-eun steal it? From his tone, this doesn’t sound like the first time….’

Quickly assessing the situation, I composed myself and handed it over calmly.

“My apologies. I must’ve acted on impulse without realizing it. If you let it go this time, I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Fine. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

Relieved that things hadn’t escalated further, I was about to sigh when I suddenly locked eyes with the man holding No. 99 down.

He had black hair, darkly tanned skin, and a rugged build. He was at least two heads taller than me, radiating sheer intimidation just by standing close.

He stared at my face persistently, as if he’d found something familiar but wasn’t sure yet. His expression flickered with uncertainty, like he was trying to piece together a memory.

At the same time, he looked like someone searching for something important buried deep within me.

‘What’s with him?’

His presence alone was overwhelming, and just being silently stared at by him made cold sweat trickle down my spine. Instead of glaring like that, I wished he’d just open his mouth and say something.

“Return to your room.”

The man suddenly yanked my arm without warning, and I glared at him irritably. The building’s entrance was right in front of us, so why was he making such a fuss?

“All right, I get it. Could you please take your hand off me? I don’t like unnecessary physical contact.”

The man hesitated, then shrugged and raised both hands in mock surrender. Seeing this, No. 99 shouted that he could go on his own and started yelling at the large man restraining him, but it was useless.

“Follow me.”

Keeping a careful distance, I followed the man leading the way until we stopped in front of a certain door.

Seeing that the number on the nameplate matched the one on my tag, I instinctively realized this was my room.

‘How did Cheon Go-eun end up in a place like this?’

The man tapped a card key against the sensor on the wall, and the door opened. I stared in surprise. It seemed that while I was gone, magical tools had become common, and technology had advanced.

He stepped aside and gestured for me to go in. Pushed forward almost out of reflex, I quickly scanned the interior.

The room was modest, about four pyeong in size (roughly 13 square meters). It couldn’t compare to the luxury I’d enjoyed back in Korea, but it had a soft-looking bed and its own bathroom, making it a decent place for one person to live.

Just as I nodded in mild satisfaction, the door slid shut behind me with a soft sound, followed by the sharp click of a lock.

‘…Did he just lock it?’

Feeling uneasy, I pushed the door sideways, but it didn’t budge.

‘Am I being imprisoned right now?’

I forced myself to stay calm and peered out the small window that faced the hallway.

Through a window barely the size of my face, I saw countless rooms identical to mine arranged in a circular formation, spaced evenly around the building.

‘Strange. They didn’t handcuff me, so I’m not a criminal. Then why number people and lock them up like this?’

At that moment, a man in a black uniform passed by my room and glanced through my window.

He had bright yellow hair and sharp, narrow eyes that gave off a fierce impression. The moment our eyes met, he banged his baton against the glass twice.

“What a temper.”

Frowning, I stepped back and decided not to waste my energy on useless anger. Instead, I lay down on the bed.

As I stared up at the spotless white ceiling, everything I’d seen and heard since opening my eyes replayed in my mind one by one.

Just as I was slowly processing the situation, a loud voice suddenly shook the room.

[It’s dinner time. Everyone, proceed to the cafeteria.]

“That scared me.”

Where was that sound coming from?

Rolling my eyes around, I noticed an ear-shaped magical device attached to the ceiling corner.

It must’ve had an amplification function to broadcast instructions throughout the building.

A single magical device like that wasn’t cheap. Seeing them installed everywhere, the building’s management must’ve had incredible wealth.

‘That just makes me more curious. What kind of place is this really?’

When the announcement ended, all the room locks were released. But I felt no appetite. More than food, I just wanted to sleep. Maybe it was because I’d suddenly been thrown into an unfamiliar place.

In the end, I chose rest. Hugging the blanket, I turned to the wall and closed my eyes. But the peace didn’t last long.

“44! Get out here! No moving on your own! Eat when everyone eats and rest when everyone rests!”

This shitty group lifestyle. This is exactly why I prefer being alone.

In the end, I followed the others to the cafeteria. The meal was served buffet-style, with each person filling their round plate with whatever food they wanted.

I roughly scooped some food and sat down at a corner table.

And just as I was about to take my first bite—

“Huh? You’re that immortal Noona, right?”

I tried to hide my face with my hair, pretending not to notice, but it was pointless.

“Knew it! The red hair!”

That hair color was far too striking to go unnoticed.

Naturally, No. 99 sat right across from me, grinning as he shoveled food into his mouth.

Normally, with my usual personality, I would’ve either ignored him completely as if he didn’t exist or gotten up and moved to another seat on purpose. But right now, what I needed most was someone who could give me information.

And in that regard, the guy in front of me seemed perfect. Curious about everything, nosy, and talkative.

Even if he was annoying, I couldn’t afford to waste a chance that came to me on its own. It was only logical to use someone who was useful.

Erasing all signs of discomfort, I drew on my acting experience and spoke in a friendly tone.

“Hey. What’s your name?”

“My name? It’s right here. No. 99.”

“Not your number. Your real name.”

“Why?”

“Because I make it a rule not to talk to people whose names I don’t know.”

“Oooh, cool! That sounds so classy!”

No. 99’s eyes sparkled as he babbled cheerfully. Maybe because he was young, his reactions were ridiculously exaggerated.

“Joel. Joel Bailey. What about you, Noona?”

“Rosetta Hilton.”

“Okay! Got it!”

After that, Joel, apparently starving, started inhaling his food like a man possessed. I watched him blankly for a while before tapping the table with my knuckles.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What is it? You can ask two!”

“No, just one.”

Joel pouted but nodded. After glancing around, I lowered my voice.

“Where are we?”

“Here? The cafeteria!”

Yeah, that one’s on me. I should’ve been more specific. I sighed and rubbed my brow in irritation.

“I mean the name of the building we’re staying in right now.”

“Oh, you mean Modnaga?”

“What? We can’t go out?” [t/n: Modnaga sounds like 못 나가 (Mot naga), which means “can’t go out.”]

“No! Mod-na-ga! Modnaga Monastery!”

Clatter—!

Thanks to Joel kindly enunciating every syllable, I finally realized where I was, and the spoon slipped right out of my hand.