'It hurts…'
'Fuck, why does my body feel so much pain…'
'Ah, did I work too much? Is it because I haven't been sleeping lately?'
Seojun Lee had been working overtime ever since he got his first job as a civil engineer.
He wasn't at the top of his class—he barely scraped by, graduating with grades that most people would call lucky. To others, he was just another average guy who happened to make it through.
But to Seojun, that diploma meant everything. It was the result of sleepless nights, non-stop effort, and quiet determination that no one really noticed.
Still, in a field as competitive as civil engineering, effort alone wasn't enough. After graduation, while his classmates moved on to internships and jobs at big firms, Seojun was left drifting, sending out resumes and checking emails that never came.
Years passed.
Finally, an opportunity arose. A small-time developer, short on budget but willing to take a chance, offered him a modest project. The pay was low, the scope limited—but to Seojun, it felt like a lifeline.
Someone had finally given him a shot. And that was all he ever wanted.
Or so he thought.
He poured everything into that project—his time, energy, even his health. He barely slept, spending days and nights putting together the best design and structure he could. He wanted to show the contractor he was worth it.
As if saying to all those companies that ignored him, "You shouldn't have judged a book by its cover, dumbass."
After endless nights with no rest, he finally finished the project. He thought this was his chance to shine. Maybe the contractor would recommend him to bigger companies.
Well… he was wrong.
Because after that, his contractor didn't want to let go of him. He started throwing project after project at Seojun, now knowing this guy had real skill. And the worst part? The contractor also knew Seojun wouldn't quit.
Who else would hire him?
Seojun was lucky just to have this job. No big firm would even look at him.
So, even though the workload was insane, he accepted it.
'I should've kept a low profile…'
He could barely leave the house from how overworked he was.
Until one day, after many sleepless nights working on a short-deadline project, his body gave in. He passed out on his desk.
And for some reason…
"What the hell?!"
He braced himself on the desk and leaned closer to the mirror in front of him, eyes wide with disbelief.
Somehow, he had woken up as someone else.
He stared at the unfamiliar man in the mirror. Slowly, his hands rose to touch his face, one he didn't recognize.
The man had dark hair and soft blue eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved polo, slacks, and black shoes. His messy bangs hung low over his face, as if something had happened before Seojun woke up in this body.
Then he looked around.
There was a huge, luxurious bed nearby. The furniture, the decorations—everything screamed wealth. It looked like something from the past, not a place he recognized at all.
But what really made his stomach twist was the desk in front of him.
A bottle of alcohol sat on it, with a half-finished glass beside it. Next to it was a strange book, decorated with a magical-looking design. Behind him, a chair had toppled over—and near it, a shattered glass cup with alcohol spilled on the floor.
And besides that… blood.
Blood, right where he had just woken up.
He looked at it in silence.
'No way… could I have died, and transmigrated as someone else?!'
As someone who had read tons of webnovels to unwind, there was only one explanation for this insane situation.
He had transmigrated.
It looked like he had died last night—probably from overwork and sleep deprivation—and now, he was in someone else's body.
'Who… am I?'
As he was trying to figure things out, a wave of emotions suddenly slammed into him. Feelings, memories, thoughts—all of it crashed into his mind and heart.
"Argh!"
He groaned in pain and dropped to his knees, gripping his head. He tried not to scream, afraid of drawing attention.
'Shit! It hurts, it hurts!'
He clenched his teeth and held on, trying to survive the psychological storm tearing through his brain.
Memory after memory flashed before his eyes. So many emotions filled him at once.
Then, finally, it stopped.
He was drenched in sweat and breathing hard. His expression was confused. He didn't know how to react. There was happiness… sadness… anger. All mixed.
But the most important thing he realized was...
"My name is Lucien Valeron… and I am the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Eldoria."
'That explains this grand-looking room…'
Seojun had woken up in the body of a prince. Normally, that would be the kind of thing that would make him jump for joy.
But this time… it came with problems.
Big ones.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and rubbing his temple.
'Fuck, my head feels like it's going to explode.'
His body was already aching before all this. Now, with the rush of new memories and feelings, he felt even worse.
Sure, he was rich now—something he'd always dreamed of—but with that came massive responsibility.
"This is an even bigger burden than my old life…"
And worse, something else clicked in his mind.
The blood on the floor. The broken glass. The tipped-over chair.
Lucien didn't just die.
He was killed.
And based on what little memory he could hold onto… it was someone close to him.
'Shit… if I'm still alive, doesn't that mean whoever tried to kill me might come back to finish the job?'
Someone was after him.
And if he let his guard down, it might happen again.
But that wasn't even the end of it.
Lucien's reputation was absolute garbage.
'Fuck it all…'
He was known for being incompetent. No one thought he was fit to be king. His academic record was trash, and people called him "The Foolish Prince."
Seojun—or rather, Lucien—stared blankly at the floor.
'What the hell have I gotten myself into…?'