1 Stuck Somewhere Else [Prologue]

''Why?'' Wondering, still in disbelief, Lughys finally managed to understand that fate seemed to be against him, even in his new life. ''Shit. Fuck, fuck! Why!?''

Saying it softly enough that no one could hear him, the small, dark-brown haired boy with a few unusual, flashy red streaks, tried to control himself as best he could.

Impressively, even though he was spitting curses in the distance, he was able to keep a serious, emotionless expression on his jovial little face.

Perhaps, due to the numerous trials and difficult situations he had been subjected to from an early age, in both of his lives, he was able to maintain a poker face with such ease.

''Why in this house? Why in this fucking game, to begin with?'' He said, biting his lip discreetly.

With his dark blue eyes, which his former caretakers of the Verlane Baroness household tended to compare to rare gems known as "Mermaid's Tears" — gemstones the color of the starry night sky — he fixed his gaze straight ahead.

''He's so cute!'' A maid of the ducal house Barastrosa spoke in the ear of the other person on her side, at the back of the living room.

''I know, he's extremely cute!'' Her friend, also dressed in a housekeeper attire, responded excitedly. ''His puffy cheeks look so cute, even though he's trying to look serious!''

Lughys ignored them without a flinch of hesitation, his dilated pupils fixed completely in the direction of his main target.

The reason for his despair and confusion, that is.

''.....''

Looking back at him with defiant eyes was a little girl a little over half his height, counting with a beautiful dark black hair streaked and surreal violet hues.

Unlike Lughys, whose hair hung freely at the side of his head, the little girl, on the other side of the room, had small, smooth braids on the sides of her body, which were hidden behind her bangs.

Patiently analyzing her from head to toe, Lughys did not hide his dissatisfaction with the situation in which he found himself.

"Hmm…"

He grunted, realizing that the girl's dark crimson eyes, which looked more like rubies of the highest price, were glued to his.

Sitting confidently at a small wooden table exaggeratedly decorated by the staff at the venue, she was dressed in a dark purple silk dress, with ruffles and tiny, minutely handmade bows.

Her eyes, filled with evident curiosity, darted up and down across the scrawny, underdeveloped figure of poor Lughys.

Looking at him, she proudly snorted with disdain, as if watching a mere pig in a stable.

Lughys felt challenged by a child, about 16 years younger than him mentally...

How pathetic that was, huh…

''She must be about 6 years old by now.'' Lughys stated, bringing up some facts he remembered. ''At least, her appearance dictates that.''

Even though she appeared to be only 5~6 years old, the little girl clearly showed aspects of someone smarter than most teenagers Lughys knew in his very life.

And to make matters worse, almost all the childlike wonder she should have had at that innocent age seemed to be hidden behind a fake angelic smile — Lughys, unlike the other fools, wouldn't be fooled for a second.

That smile.

That damn smile was worthy of a nasty villainess.

No wonder Lughys felt so uncomfortable in her presence, after all, he would recognize that glance anywhere.

''Jasmine Barastrosa…''

That was the main villainess of the most obnoxious otome game ever created by all mankind!

The same shit game that Lughys was forced to play over and over again for more than 30 days straight, because of his girlfriend!

The cgs, mediocre voice acting, and pay-to-win system still haunted him until that moment...

''...''

Unknowingly, Lughys Verlane, an innocent ex-college student from Earth, had become involved in a very, very complicated plot from a distant world known as Keishin.

And now, the fate of that damned world, filled with magical creatures and mysterious magic and supernatural powers, rested in his feeble hands.

Or was it not?

From then on, Lughys would gradually discover that not all was as it seemed to originally be..