Echoes of laughter rang out, as though they were surrounding Seo-jun, who by all reason should no longer exist in this world, considering the condition of his body after the incident. Yet now, he could clearly feel his toes moving as they normally did.
At the time the accident occurred, his legs had already been destroyed after being crushed by another vehicle and violently thrown by the impact.
Not only that, he could also feel someone's touch, gently stroking his shoulder again and again. There was even a voice speaking to him in a foreign language, continuously urging him to respond; he did not know who it was—perhaps a doctor or a nurse who was treating him.
Fear and anxiety made Seo-jun extremely hesitant to open his eyes, but his curiosity relentlessly pushed him to do so.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. The moment his vision fully cleared, he immediately fell from his chair after realizing that he was surrounded by strangers who used English as their everyday language.
A young woman wearing a deep red, full-skirted dress, with a bodice that emphasized her figure, approached Seo-jun and helped him to his feet.
"Are you all right, Young Master? You look very pale,"
she said in a voice filled with concern.
Still overwhelmed by confusion, Seo-jun asked for permission to leave first. However, the moment he turned away, he noticed something strange—he was able to speak the foreign language with complete fluency, even using the exact same accent as the people around him.
Once he stepped outside the casino, the scenery around him felt even more unreal. Everyone was dressed in clothing typical of English nobility. Even the guards patrolling the area wore uniforms that reminded him of the royal guards of the British Kingdom he had once seen during a family vacation.
Trying to make sense of everything that had happened, Seo-jun decided to sit on a bench directly in front of a fountain monument. The fountain looked extraordinarily grand, featuring a design that was difficult to find even in Seoul, South Korea.
The carvings and distinctive pastel colors kept Seo-jun's attention fixed on the various monuments around him. While he was absorbed in observing the unfamiliar surroundings, several children tossed coins into the fountain. At that moment, Seo-jun saw his own reflection.
Startled, he fell again, but quickly stood up when a group of boys nearby glanced at him with scorn before walking away, whispering among themselves.
Seo-jun felt deeply embarrassed, yet his curiosity was far stronger. He stepped closer to the edge of the fountain and stared at his reflection once more.
A blond man with hazel eyes stared back at him. A mischievous smile rested on his lips, an emerald earring adorned his left ear, and the luxurious clothing he wore made the figure appear irresistibly charming.
What he saw felt like a masterpiece painting displayed in an art gallery for an outrageous price. That face was undeniably handsome. Although Seo-jun slightly missed his original appearance, he had to admit that his new face was not bad at all.
While he was absorbed in admiring his reflection, his left shoulder was suddenly struck hard, nearly causing him to slip into the fountain.
"What the hell!"
Seo-jun exclaimed instinctively, his tone sharp.
"Watch your language, you lost soul. Go home at once—Father has been looking for you,"
said a man with long blond hair reaching down his back, dressed in a plain dark gray monastic robe.
Seo-jun stared at the stranger, then slowly removed the man's hand from his shoulder.
"Thank you, but I am not interested in joining any religion you may be offering at the moment. Excuse me."
After saying that, Seo-jun immediately turned away and walked off. In his heart, he muttered,
"This is terrifying. Not only in Korea, but even here, fanatical religious followers try to force people into it. I should stay away before he asks for a donation."
After taking only a few steps away, a loud shout suddenly rang out from behind him.
"Adrian Alistair Hanwick!"
The name felt strangely familiar to Seo-jun. It echoed repeatedly in his mind, accompanied by a sense of irritation every time he thought of it. After a brief moment of reflection, he realized that the name belonged to one of the figures in a history book he had read before the incident occurred.
Because he had been too lost in his thoughts, the man in the monastic robe suddenly grabbed Seo-jun by the arm and dragged him toward a horse-drawn carriage that, as it turned out, had been waiting for the two of them all along.
As soon as they entered the carriage, the long-haired blond man began hurling endless insults at Seo-jun, even linking him to a demon that, according to him, had possessed his younger brother's body.
"We should perform a purification after all of this is over. You have been completely tainted by the mortal world,"
he said with unwavering conviction.
Fed up with the incessant ranting, Seo-jun merely let out a long sigh and shook his head.
The journey felt unbearably long to Seo-jun, especially since the jolting of the carriage each time it passed over damaged roads made his backside ache painfully.
"Hey, how much longer is this going to take? Are we still far away?!"
Seo-jun asked the man beside him, who continued reading his scripture without paying him any attention.
"That is the nature of a soul corrupted by the world. Patience becomes difficult to control, let alone desire for the mortal realm,"
the man replied coldly.
Already at the limit of his patience, Seo-jun grabbed his own hair before turning his gaze out the window. Tears fell without him realizing it, whether from overwhelming emotion or the growing pain in his backside, he could not tell.
"Damn it… hurry up and get there already. Should I just open this door and jump out? Walking would be better than sharing a carriage with a religious fanatic and this cursed horse carriage,"
Seo-jun muttered while pounding his own thigh.
Completely irritated, Seo-jun tried to open the carriage door. Seeing this, the man in the monastic robe immediately restrained his hand and began chanting verses from the scripture he was holding.
"Ahh, let go of me, damn it!"
Seo-jun shouted as he tugged at the door handle that the man was holding back.
"Calm yourself, O lost soul! O Holy Spirit, grant peace to my younger brother who has sunk far too deeply into this heresy!"
the man shouted back just as loudly.
The two continued shouting back and forth until the guards and the coachman outside the carriage could only let out long sighs.
"Care to bet on who's going to jump out of the carriage first?"
one of the guards said to the young coachman who had just started working that very day.
"Probably Young Master Alaric,"
the coachman answered hesitantly.
"Judging by his prayers, he already sounds spiritually exhausted."
Hearing that, the guard nodded slowly, then broke into a grin.
"Maybe. But I think the one who'll jump out first is actually Young Master Adrian."
The young coachman burst into laughter at the guard's enthusiastic expression.
"The loser buys the drinks, then. We can celebrate your first day on the job as well,"
the guard said, his gaze filled with meaning.
The young coachman smiled broadly.
"All right. Even if I end up being right, I'll still treat you to a drink, sir. Don't worry."
While a peaceful conversation unfolded outside the carriage, the atmosphere inside was far more chaotic. Seo-jun and the robed man were still busy hurling insults at one another.
"Begone, cursed demon!"
the man shouted as he pressed a symbolic pendant against Seo-jun's forehead.
"Damn it! Get that thing away from my handsome face! Are you insane?! I'm an atheist!"
Seo-jun shouted back at the top of his lungs.