Chapter 6: The Duke.

Sophia's POV

I got startled when I felt the movement of the seat I was sitting on.

Wait, where am I? What happened? Have I already returned to Korea?

I was about to adjust my sitting position when I realized I was on horseback, and there seemed to be something covering my head. It felt like a uniform or coat? Wait, the smell is so familiar. I peeked gently from the coat. I was shocked when I saw that I was riding behind someone.

The back looked so familiar. I stared at their broad back.

Is this the Colonel? Oh my gosh, it's the Colonel!

I immediately closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, but for some strange reason, I couldn't help but to leaned my head against his back more. I gasped when I smelled him. Wow, even his smell is out of the world. 

I was still leaning on his back when I noticed the people we were passing by. Everyone was standing still, their heads slightly bowed, as though they were terrified of us. I was about to take off the covering from my head when someone grabbed my hand.

"Do not attempt to remove my coat, lest you wish for the people here to see you while I carry you. Do you understand?" the Colonel whispered authoritatively.

I got chills from his tone. Why does it matter if the people see me riding with him? I'm starting to get annoyed! He probably thinks I forgot that he almost killed me earlier.

Tsk, he should thank his looks. I just sighed.

After a few minutes, we arrived at a building, but I couldn't tell what it was. Outside, there were many scattered guards. "Get down. We're at the guardhouse," he ordered me, so I immediately got off.

Guardhouse? What kind of place is this?

I still had the Colonel's uniform over my head as we entered. I kept my head bowed, but I could clearly see that the guards slightly bowed their heads when the Colonel passed by and greeted him respectfully with a "Good day," which he didn't respond to.

Wow. What an attitude!

I bowed my head as the guards kept eyeing me.

"Go inside," he commanded. I looked at the room he referred to. It seemed like an office, not a prison, so I went in.

I got nervous when he suddenly closed the office door after they both entered.

"Wait, what—WAAAAH!"

I gasped when he quickly pulled his coat away from me and unsheathed his sword, pointing it at me.

"What?! Why are you always pointing your sword at me?" I asked, feeling nervous.

"Answer my question, or I shall have you executed forthwith by guillotine!" I swallowed hard at his words.

Guillotine? That word sounds familiar. Oh my gosh! Isn't that one of their execution methods? First the swamp, then the cliff, now the guillotine. Huhu. What's happening to my life, Lord?

"Colonel, here is an image of the Baron and his daughter." the deputy said, handing over a photograph he had been looking for earlier.

"It is without question that they share a striking likeness, yet the Baron's daughter is graced with hair of a gentle wave," he added.

"Yeah, that's true. She has curly hair. It's a shame she didn't get the rebonding treatment back in your time."

"Ha, haha!" I took a step back when their frowns turned toward me.

"Hehe, sorry, I was curious. I've never seen pictures from your time," I said awkwardly, stepping away from them.

I gasped again when the Colonel raised his sword toward me. "Your time?" he asked with a furrowed brow, and he made me cover my mouth.

Gosh. Why do I talk so much? I'm so dumb!

"Thou speakest a tongue unbeknownst to us, and the image doth plainly reveal that thou art not the Baron's daughter. Pray, who art thee?" I could feel sweat forming as they stared at me seriously.

I'll die if I lie, but I don't know how they'll react if I tell them the truth.

Will they believe me?

"Answer me forthwith!" I shut my eyes tightly as the colonel raised his sword again.

"Okay, okay!" I shouted, gripping my clothes tightly and closing my eyes.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the General lowered his sword. "What year is it here?" I asked, trembling. They just furrowed their brows at my question.

Gosh! Just answer already. Huhu.

"Es ist das Jahr 1850, eine Zeit großer politischer und sozialer Transformation, unter der Herrschaft von König Aldrich Wilhelm IV., im Herzen Deutschlands." ["It is the year 1850, a time of great political and social transformation, under the reign of King Aldrich William IV, in the heart of Germany."]

I swallowed hard again at the Colonel's words. Why does he have to speak in German now?! I didn't understand anything. T.T

"Uhm, can you say the year in English? and can you please speak in normal english?" I laughed nervously.

The deputy chuckled slightly, but the Colonel just clenched his jaw.

"Answer us at once!"he ordered authoritatively, sending a wave of fear through me.

"Okay, okay! Why do you keep scaring me?" I said with tears in my eyes.

I started crying when I saw the Colonel raise his sword again, so I took a deep breath and spoke again.

"I'm from the FUTURE!" I screamed with my eyes closed.

The room echoed with the sound of my shout. I opened my eyes, and they didn't say anything.

"Deputy, 'twould be wiser to have this woman executed."

What? executed? I'm telling the truth! Ugh. Who would believe me? Even I don't believe myself! This is so frustrating!

"I'm from 2025! I'm from the future! From ahead of this year!" I screamed with my eyes closed again.

I heard the colonel laugh sarcastically. "So you are claiming to have come from the year 2025?"

"Yes?"

I stepped back as he came closer to me. I kept stepping back until I felt the wall behind me. I gasped as he leaned in closer.

"Art you even aware of the many centuries that lie betwixt our time and the one of which thou speakest?"

"Huh? Wait! I'm not a mathematician, and I don't feel like doing math right now."

"Ein Jahrhundert und siebzig Jahre! (170)." ["One century and seventy years! (170)."]

"Ohh." I nodded. " how many is that? Can you say it in English?"

"You dare mocking us?" he asked, greeting his teeth.

"Waaah! No, I'm not! What the heck! Huhu! Do you really think I'm joking when your sword is aimed at me?" I mumbled with my eyes half-closed.

The deputy laughed again at what I said. Why this guy keep laughing? Huhu.

"Do you expect us to believe such drivel?" he sneered. "Very well, we shall grant thee a chance." A malicious grin spread across his face. "Prove it." Finally, the colonel stepped away.

Prove it? How am I supposed to do that? Oh, wait!

"Here, these rubber shoes! These are Skechers!" I said proudly, lifting my foot.

I'm sure these shoes were invented in the late 19th century.

"How peculiar, yet in these times, many inventors are gaining renown, so perchance it is they who have crafted such a thing."

Huh? Who would wear rubber shoes in their time when their ball gowns practically touch the floor? This Colonel is crazy!

I was looking for something else to show them from my time when I felt something in my pocket inside my hanbok. "Wait! I've got something." I quickly lifted my hanbok to pull the pocket out.

"Oh god gracious!" said the deputy, turning around. The Colonel just looked up in surprise.

What's their problem?

"Hey, stop being so dramatic! I'm wearing 3/4 pants!" I didn't pay attention to them and continued lifting my hanbok to pull the pocket inside it. 

"Tada! You see, Manufactured Date: January 2024, Expiry Date: 2027," I said, showing them what I had.

"What's that you're holding?"

"Condom."

The deputy, the Colonel, and I stared at each other.

"Waaah!" I quickly dropped the condom in panic.

Why the hell there's a condom in this hanbok? Gosh, my virgin hands. How dare they leave their condom in school property!

"Colonel, it truly states what she has claimed," the deputy said. He opened it and stretched the condom.

"Waaah! Why are you stretching it like that!" I quickly grabbed the condom from the deputy and stuffed it into my pocket.

The deputy and Colonel exchanged looks.

"Don't tell me you still don't believe me. Have you ever seen something like this here?" Well, I have no idea about their contraception methods, but I don't want to know. Arg!

"Tell me, what's your name?" The Colonel suddenly faced me.

Wait, are we moving on to the "getting-to-know-each-other" phase?

I smirked as my mischievous side came out again.

"Baby."

"Baby?" the colonel repeated.

"Yes, baby?" I asked with a smile.

"What?" his brow meet in the middle. 

"Sophia the first!" 

"Do you harbor a desire for death?"

"Sophia Shaina Jang!" I said quickly as he raised his sword again.

Gosh! This guy is way too high-strung.

"Age?"

Uh, what is this, a census?

"Nineteen!"

"Nineteen? Yet you appear as though you're still but a child." he said, doubting, then sighed. "Listen, stay here for now. The deputy and I have something to discuss, future girl," he said, sarcastically grinning, before leaving the room with the deputy.

What could they be talking about? Will they believe it?

Wait, think, Sophia. Whether they believe it or not, it seems like you're headed in one direction because, first, even if they believe you're from the future, what's in it for them? They'll kill you anyway! Especially if they don't believe you!

What should I do?

Right. I have to escape. Shocks! Why, of all the people I could encounter, it had to be these people. This is crazy, I swear!

I slowly approached the door and quietly opened it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that they weren't in the corridor, but there were a few guards. I cautiously left the room and walked toward the opening of the building. Once I was outside, I immediately ran.

"Hey! Stop!"

Shoot. Waaah, Sophia, run!

I ran as fast as I could when I heard them shout. Thank goodness I was wearing rubber shoes. Oh my god. I just kept running until I reached an area with fewer people.

"Shoot. Where am I now? Is this still part of civilization?" I nervously muttered.

I kept walking when suddenly, a man blocked my path.

"Well, how did a beautiful young lady end up here?" he said, grinning.

I grabbed my skirt when I saw that five more men had appeared in front of me.

"Wait, I'm just a commoner, I'm not friendly but we can be friends, okay?"

"With your porcelain-like skin and foreign-looking attire, you think we'll believe you?" one of them said with a grin.

Huhu. Is it my fault I am beautiful?

"And what right do you have to say you're one of us? People like you, the greedy nobles, will never earn sympathy from us poor folks!" one of them shouted, almost making my heart leap out of my chest.

"My brothers, this woman is a noble, and those like her have no sympathy for people like us."

I closed my eyes as they charged toward me.

Ackk! Is this where I die? (RIP Sophia, 2006-1850 TT)

I was clutching my chest with my eyes tightly shut when I heard the sound of a horse stopping in front of me.

I felt my heartbeat race. As soon as I opened my eyes, our gazes met.

"Duke?" "What on earth is the Duke doing here?"

I heard the bandits whispered. I was confused by what they said because aside from the colonel, the only person I saw was nothing but him.

Could it be? 

I was about to step forward when one of the bandits grabbed me, pressing his blade against my neck.

"Duke, stop and let us go if you want this girl to live."

The colonel didn't bat an eye. Instead, he calmly took an arrow from his quiver and aimed it in our direction.

"Don't you understand? I will kil—" SWISH

Before even the bandit could finish his word, the colonel's hand moved so fast I didn't even see it. When I looked back at the bandit, blood was already pouring from the wound on his forehead, the arrow embedded deep.

"Fool," the colonel muttered, his voice cold and firm.

"Your life already ended the moment you laid a hand on my possession."