Survivance Affection

Chapter 3: Plan?

Dokja slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by an immaculate white ceiling. He felt as though his brain had been clogged with cotton, no matter what he did he couldn’t fully register his own thoughts, all of them appearing hazy. Whether it was from how overwhelmed he was with information or his exhaustion, he was still struggling to understand what was happening.

When he’s finally got the willpower to climb out of the impossibly soft bedsheets, he was greeted by nothing less than a paradise. The massive room decorated in luxurious white and gold and lined with giant windows along the walls that revealed the rolling landscape beyond the room; a large balcony with a table and chair that overlooked the castle garden.

Being in the presence of such wealth had only reminded Dokja of the impoverish life he’d come from. Drawing in a long sigh he got out of bed and moved over to a large mirror. As he drew nearer, he noticed that his appearance was pretty much the same as in his original world, having an average-looking, slender face and a tall stature; the only difference is that he appears being the high quality of his current clothing and his noticeably softer skin.

Grinning bitterly, Dokja walked to the balcony’s glass doors and stepped outside. A refreshing breeze welcomed him. Embracing this peaceful atmosphere, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Below the balcony, the garden was filled with a variety of plants and flowers in bloom, and one could spot various types of birds flying from flower to flower as they chirped away.

In such a serene place, it was hard for Dokja to continue lingering on his current predicament.

*Knock* *Knock*

A woman's voice sounded on the other side of the door

"May I enter, Sir Dokja?"

"…Go ahead"

He turned around to greet his guest. In front of him stood a beautiful woman. She had smooth, pale skin, a sharp nose, red lips the color of roses, and a very bright aura. You could tell from the way she carried herself that she was from a wealthy family.

“Errr, hello?" Dokja nervously greeted the woman. She chuckled a little and walked over to join him on the balcony, gently placing her palm on his cheek. Not used to being approached so softly by women or anyone in general, Dokja couldn’t help but shy away a little.

"Are you ok now?" she asked while gazing into his eyes.

"Pardon?"

"You suddenly passed out, remember?"

He staring at her blankly before suddenly remembering what had just happened. Dokja reciprocated her smile.

"Ah, yes, I am."

"I'm glad.", she said, moving her hand off his cheek to clasp both of his hands within her own, "If anything else happens just remember we're here for you.". For some reason, she still seemed to be somewhat concerned for him, so he tried to smile and act as naturally as he could.

“Please take some time to rest, and if you need anything, just call us or the servants, all right?" Dokja just nodded.

"Ah, but we'd be even happier if you stopped getting up to your usual shenanigans," she continued. When Dokja tried asking her what she meant, she frowned and put her hand back on his cheek.

"Dokja, just for your mother....don't do anything dangerous, alright...?"

Mother? He could only nod as he couldn’t understand what she was saying. She said her goodbyes to him and exited the room. Dokja kept an eye on her until the door shut. Figures that just as he was about to take the chance to relax, he would get reminded again of just how much he didn’t know about this world.

After lingering on the balcony for a bit more, he walked back into the bedroom and into a side room that seemed to be a study. Grabbing some paper and a pen available on the study table, he started theorizing.

As of now, what he could state with confidence that he was the character "Kim Dokja" from TSFTC, and that as of this moment, his death was inevitable. The man that saved him from drowning was the same man destined to kill him in the end.

Dokja wasn’t sure if being here in this story was a blessing or a curse from God, but either way he refused to perish at the hands of the Crown Prince; no way would he die to someone that conceited and self-centered. But it was difficult to even think of how he’d be able to survive. Not only was Dokja helpless as he was now, but he’d have to find a way to pair the Crown Prince and his lover together without being directly present in their lives.

For now, the best option was to essentially be a fairy godmother and assist them with the conflicts and narrative of the story. Even if he’s unable to escape from the novel, it’ll at least allow him to live. Finally, having organized his thoughts to some degree, Dokja jotted down some of the essential steps he’d have to take to survive on the paper before him.

Steps for Surviving

Step 1: Be careful to avoid the protagonist.

Step 2: If Step 1 fails, be careful not to enrage him.

Step 3: Make an effort to behave normally lore-wise.

Step 4: Avoid Lee Seolhwa, the love interest.

Step 5: Be careful not to mess up all the steps or you'll die.

Not getting on the protagonist’s nerves would probably be the hardest thing to do, considering how temperamental he could be at every little inconvenience. If Dokja remembered the book well enough, the Crown Prince had just started courting Lee Seolhwa in this section of the story, so it was the perfect opportunity for him to show his good will to the prince. Perhaps he would be able to convince the protagonist not to kill him; it’d also give Dokja a chance to protect him against nobles that would eventually try to overthrow him later in the story.

In the chance that Dokja wouldn’t be able to return to his original world, he also needed to take measures to secure the safety of the story’s world, starting by ensuring the future of the Seoul Empire. One of the novel's main antagonists was the Dokkaebi, who had been instrumental in the fall of the empire. While he had an inkling of a plan to prevent his death, Dokja had absolutely no idea where to start to stop the antagonist.

Taking a short break from his notes, Dokja stretched his arms out and leaned back in the chair, peering up at the ceiling.

*Knock* *Knock*

“May we enter, young master? The duchess wanted us to bring you a meal for you to eat. “

The prospect of delicious royal food made his stomach growl loudly. He’d been so engrossed in his notes that he hadn’t noticed the sun outside had risen to its highest point. According to the clock in the study, it was already 1:00 pm.

Dokja rushed to bury the notes into one of the table’s drawers, before allowing the maids to enter. When they came in, he requested that they put the food on the table on the balcony. As soon as they finished putting down all the food plates, they turned to him once more.

"Is there anything else you’d like, Young Master?"

"No, you can leave me alone." The maids had quickly bowed and exited the room.

From his study, Dokja had eagerly made his way over to the balcony, and once he saw the food served to him, he started to drool started to drool. They’d provided him with a variety of small pastries along with steak, chicken, salad, and other fancy looking dishes.

He quickly sat down and devoured the succulent beef, satisfied with how juicy it was. He tried a little bit of every dish on the table, but when it came to the salads, he avoided the tomatoes at all cost. In the end, he was stuffed to the max, glad to be spoiled with so much delectable food. He sat and took in the surroundings.

As he started to nod off in his chair, Dokja sluggishly got up to head inside, shutting the glass door, letting himself fall down on the bed. The mattress and bed sheets were so soft and silk, as if he was laying on a cloud. He went into a deep sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. For the first time in a long while, Dokja had a very peaceful sleep.