Chapter 3
The next morning, Lucy returned with lunch. Seeing Yeonho sitting up and looking more alert than before, she seemed relieved.
"You look better today. Do you feel okay?" She asked, placing the tray on the table.
"Yeah… I'm fine." Yeonho answered, though his mind was still racing. "Lucy… do you mind helping me freshen up? I feel gross."
"Oh! Sure, of course." Lucy nodded. "There's a bathroom attached. I'll help you walk."
She supported him as they slowly made their way to the en-suite bathroom.
Yeonho closed the door behind him, locking it.
He stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths, before turning towards the large mirror above the sink.
The moment he saw his reflection, he froze.
"No way… Is that really me?"
Staring back at him was a face so beautiful it felt unreal. Long strands of pale gold hair fell loosely around his face and neck, looking soft and silky.
His skin was incredibly fair, smooth and translucent like fine porcelain, glowing faintly under the bright bathroom lights.
His lips were naturally pink, a soft shade of red without needing any makeup, full and defined.
And his eyes… deep, mesmerizing blue, clear as the ocean, yet holding a depth that made them look sharp and intelligent.
The lines of his face were delicate and soft, giving him an androgynous look, making it hard to determine his gender at first glance.
It was exactly the face of the young man in his dream.
The realization hit him like a physical blow.
'That wasn't a stranger… that was me.'
He reached out and touched the glass, running his fingers over the reflection.
It felt cold and smooth. He pinched his cheek hard enough to feel the pain.
"Ouch…"
The pain was real. The reflection was real.
"So… this is what I look like."
He whispered, staring at himself.
It was no wonder people from the hospital often mistook him for a woman or commented on his appearance.
It was striking and undeniably beautiful.
But knowing that the face in the mirror belonged to the person being framed and hated in his memory… It felt heavy.
He stared at himself for a long time, trying to find traces of the emotions from the dream. The resemblance was uncanny. It was him.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Lucy!" He called out loudly through the door.
"Y-Yes! Is something wrong?" Lucy's voice sounded anxious from the other side.
"You said I came from Korea, right?"
"Yes… that's what you told us."
"Which country am I in right now?"
"…Russia. We are in Moscow."
Yeonho stared at his reflection again.
'Russia? I came all the way here from Korea and ended up in this situation?'
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
Deciding not to stress himself out further, he turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face.
After freshening up, he walked out of the bathroom. Lucy was waiting outside, looking worried.
"I'm okay. Let's go back." Yeonho said softly.
Over the next few days, things settled into a routine. The doctor gave him the all-clear regarding his physical health, though he advised him to take it easy.
Lucy visited him regularly, bringing food and company.
They talked about various things, mostly avoiding topics related to his past or work.
But Yeonho couldn't stop thinking.
Every time he closed his eyes, the same fragments of memories would surface, the argument, the betrayal, the accusations.
The hatred in Hana's eyes. The disgust on the faces of his family.
'I need to remember.'
The thought circled endlessly in his mind, like a record stuck on repeat.
But the harder he tried to grasp the fragments, the faster they slipped away like sand through his fingers.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, the soft mattress sinking under his weight. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the surroundings.
Images from his dreams kept flashing behind his eyelids.
The grand dining room, the sound of the slap, the woman named Hana screaming accusations, and the look of pure hatred on her face.
'Who is she? Why does seeing her make my chest ache and burn with such intense anger? Is she really my sister?'
He tried to recall more details of the fight, of what they were arguing about, but the memory was blurry and incomplete, cut off like a damaged film reel.
He felt a strange sense of connection to the young man in the dream, but at the same time, it felt like watching someone else's story.
'And that young man… was that really me? He looked like me, yes, but why do I feel so detached from him? Why can't I feel the bond I'm supposed to have with my own blood?'
Confusion swirled in his head, mixing with the fear and uncertainty about his current situation.
But beneath it all, there was a spark of something else, a determination, a silent vow that he couldn't quite understand yet.
'I need to find out the truth. I need to know exactly what happened and why I ended up here.'
Finally, the day came for him to leave the hospital and go wherever "home" was supposed to be.
"Mr. Han has sent a car to pick you up and take you back to the residence, Yeonho."
Lucy told him as they walked out of the main entrance of the hospital building and towards the black luxury car parked at the curb, waiting for them with a uniformed driver standing by the door opening it for them politely and respectfully.
"Residence?" Yeonho repeated,raising an eyebrow in confusion while maintaining his cool demeanor despite the nervousness starting to bubble up inside him.
"You mean I don't have my own place to live?"
"Ah… well…" Lucy stammered nervously glancing at him sideways while walking a step behind him, as they reached the car, they got into the backseat sitting side by side comfortably but with enough space between them showing the boundaries and hierarchy existing between them.
"Mr. Han prefers you stay with him where you can be taken care of properly… especially after what happened."
Yeonho didn't answer.
He just stared out the window as the car pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic.
The city streets of Moscow were busy and bustling, filled with people rushing about their lives, completely unaware of the internal storm going on inside him.
The car drove for about thirty minutes before finally slowing down and turning into a private gated community located in one of the most expensive and exclusive districts of the city.
The houses were massive and luxurious, standing far apart from each other surrounded by high walls and security guards.
As the car stopped in front of one of the largest mansions, the gate opened automatically allowing them to drive up the long driveway lined with beautiful trees and flowers leading up to the main entrance.
Yeonho stepped out of the car and stood looking up at the building.
It was magnificent and grand, but it also looked cold and imposing like a palace made not of stone but of ice.
"This way, Yeonho." Lucy gestured for him to follow her inside.
They walked through the large double doors into a spacious hallway decorated with expensive paintings and furniture.
The air inside was cool and smelled faintly of expensive perfume and wood polish.
"Mr. Han is waiting for you in the living room." She pointed towards a door at the end of the hallway.
She stopped walking and stood back respectfully.
"I will wait here. You can go in alone, bye..."
Yeonho took a deep breath to steady his nerves before walking towards the door and pushing it open.
Inside the room was spacious and bright with large floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto a well-maintained garden.
Standing near one of the windows with his back towards the door was a man.
Even just seeing him from behind, Yeonho could feel the overwhelming presence radiating off him filling the whole room.
He was tall, much taller than Yeonho himself—with a broad muscular frame that spoke of strength and authority.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist giving him a very masculine and mature look.
Hearing the door open, the man slowly turned around.
Yeonho felt his breath stopped in his throat and his heart suddenly start beating faster and harder against his ribs like it was trying to jump out from his chest.
His palms turned sweaty as he instinctively took a small step back before stopping himself.
This was Han Jiseok.
At 42 years old, Mr. Han was strikingly handsome but in a sharp, rugged way that came with age and power.
He had well-defined features, a strong jawline dusted with light stubble, and dark intense eyes that seemed to see right through you.
His hair was dark and styled neatly with just a few strands of grey at the temples adding to his mature charm.
There was an air of confidence and dominance surrounding him that made people naturally want to submit or respect him, but to Yeonho, it felt intimidating and suffocating.
Yeonho's eyes darted around subtly, observing every small detail, the way Mr. Han stood, the look in his eyes, the slight furrow of his brow.
As he tried to figure out what kind of man he was dealing with.
"Yeonho." Han Jiseok spoke, his voice deep and calm with a low husky tone that resonated in the quiet room.
He walked slowly towards him, his steps measured and deliberate.
Yeonho straightened up quickly, keeping his face neutral even though his insides were twisting with nervousness.
"Mr. Han." He replied, his voice sounding calmer than he felt. "Thank you… for everything."
Jiseok stopped standing just a few feet away from him looking down at his face.
His dark eyes studied Yeonho closely, scanning every inch of his features as if checking to see if there was something wrong or different about him.
The intensity of the gaze made Yeonho want to look away, but he forced himself to hold the stare, observing back.
"You look better than I expected."
Han Jiseok said after a moment reaching out his hand as if wanting to touch Yeonho's face but stopping halfway, lowering it back down to his side.
"The doctor said you are recovering well physically."
"Yes… I feel fine." Yeonho answered, carefully choosing his words.
Han Jiseok nodded slowly. "Good. That is good." He paused for a moment looking at Yeonho with an unreadable expression. "Do you… remember anything yet?"
Yeonho shook his head immediately. "No. Nothing important. Just… fragments. Nothing clear."
Han Jiseok stared at him for a long moment before finally sighing softly.
"It is better this way perhaps. The past was painful for you. Maybe forgetting is a blessing in disguise."
He gestured towards the interior of the house. "Come. I will show you to your room. You need rest."
Han Jiseok led Yeonho out of the living room and up the wide staircase to the second floor of the mansion.
The corridor was long and decorated with expensive carpets and paintings, but it felt quiet and empty echoing softly with their footsteps.
They stopped in front of a large door near the end of the hallway. Han Jiseok pushed it open revealing a spacious and beautifully decorated room inside.
"This is your room."
Jiseok said, stepping aside to let Yeonho walk in first.
"You can rest here as long as you want. If you need anything—food, clothes, books, anything at all. Just ring the bell on the bedside table and the staff will bring it to you immediately."
Yeonho walked slowly into the room looking around.
The room was huge and luxurious with a large comfortable-looking bed, a private study area, a walk-in closet, and even a small balcony overlooking the garden outside.
The furniture was all high-quality and expensive looking, and the decorations were elegant and tasteful.
But despite all the luxury and comfort, Yeonho couldn't help but feel like he was inside a beautifully decorated cage.
Everything was perfect and arranged exactly as it should be, but there was no warmth or personality to it.
It felt cold and impersonal like a hotel room reserved for guests rather than a real home.
"Thank you." Yeonho said, turning back towards Han Jiseok who was standing near the door watching him quietly.
"Rest now. We can talk more later when you feel stronger." He paused for a moment as if wanting to say something else but deciding against it.
"I have work to attend to. I will see you at dinner."
With that, Han Jiseok turned around and walked out of the room closing the door softly behind him leaving Yeonho alone once again.
Yeonho walked towards the large floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out at the beautiful garden below.
The view was breathtakingly pretty with colorful flowers blooming everywhere and green trees swaying gently in the breeze under the bright afternoon sun.
But Yeonho felt no joy or happiness seeing it.
He only felt empty and confused wondering what exactly his role and place in this house was.
'Am I just a pet kept by a rich man? He thought bitterly. Or is there something more to this relationship that I don't remember?'
He walked towards the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress feeling exhausted and drained despite doing nothing much all day.
Lying back against the soft pillows, Yeonho closed his eyes trying to clear his mind of all the confusing thoughts and feelings overwhelming him.
But as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Han Jiseok's face popped up in his mind again.
The sharp handsome features, the intense dark eyes, the commanding presence that made Yeonho's heart race uncontrollably.
'Why do I react like that?'
Yeonho confusedly touched his chest where his heart was still beating slightly faster than normal.
'Is it fear? Or is there something else buried deep in my memories?'
He didn't know the answer. And for now, it seemed like he had no way of finding out.
Slowly, the exhaustion took over, pulling him down into a deep sleep, leaving all the questions hanging in the quiet air of the room.