2. Wayne Stein
A moment later, as John emerged from the witch fortune teller's house, he looked up at the sky.
“Haa!”
His sigh sounded utterly desolate.
Once John had vanished, a man wearing a deeply pulled-down hat stepped out from the alley right beside it. He glanced around cautiously before standing in front of the witch's house. His hand trembled as he drew his dagger.
[Kill her since she heard my name!]
Young Master Wayne's order had come down, so he had to kill her. This wasn't his first time. He'd previously killed a woman the young master had raped, and even three more—a prostitute and her lovers whose names the young master had overheard while drunk. But killing still made him tense.
Creeeak!Click!
The man entered and locked the door behind him. He quietly scanned his surroundings as he advanced.
Suddenly, a foul stench assaulted his nose.
“Hngh!”
He pinched his nose, but the smell was overpowering—like a rotting corpse somewhere nearby.
“Hm?”
A silhouette shifted, and the woman sitting on the bed turned to look at him.
“Do you know your fate?”
“What?”
The man swallowed dryly, tensing up.
“Now that you've learned the young master's name and family, I have no choice. Don't hold it against me.”
He lunged at the witch with his razor-sharp dagger. But after just two or three steps, his legs gave out.
“Wha? My body...?”
“To come alone to kill a witch—you're fearless.”
“This smell...? Poison?”
“Exactly. I've taken the antidote, but you...”
The witch shook her head at the man.
“Gack! Gaaack!”
Foam bubbled from the man's mouth as he collapsed.
“Whew! I can't stay here anymore.”
Irene, the witch who had divined fates through visions, vanished without a trace that day.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
Smack!
“Argh!”
The switch turned John's legs red, then split the skin, sending blood splattering everywhere. The wounds were still fresh, doubling the agony. Finally, John couldn't endure and collapsed.
But Cassnet's whipping didn't stop. If anything, it grew fiercer, lashing John's entire body.
“Young master, if you sneak out once more, the punishment will be doubled.”
“Whatever.”
Wayne sneered, his face slightly flushed from drink. No matter how badly he messed up, Cassnet would always punish the body servant instead.
John passed out from the pain. Seeing this, Wayne suddenly clapped his hands.
“Oh! That witch is the real deal after all.”
“Pardon?”
Cassnet halted the whipping.
“What do you mean?”
“I visited this amazing fortune-telling witch today. She said John would die soon, and looks like today’s the day!”
“You visited a fortune teller?”
“Yeah, don't worry. I told Peter to handle it properly.”
Cassnet bit his lip in dismay. The issue wasn't ordering the fortune teller's death. It was that Peter, who had been surveilling Wayne under Cassnet's watch, now obeyed Wayne directly.
“If you sneak out again, I'll report it to the marquis.”
“Do what you want. You think I'm scared of a father I've never even seen? I'm an adult now.”
“Sigh! You should be grateful to your father. If the marchioness or your brothers learn of your existence, survival will be tough. Six other children have already died.”
“Fuck, that old man's got stamina. How many bastards does he even have?”
Wayne wasn't one to bottle up his complaints.
“But you, Young Master Wayne, are special. He especially loved your mother, Lady Adranne. That's why he sent you here with this estate and us to hide you.”
“So when the hell is he calling me to Winchester Castle?”
“Soon...”
“Fuck! Tell him to fuck off. I've been hearing that shit for years. And if you want me staying in, bring some women. Then I'll behave.”
“Sigh! Not here—let's go upstairs. It's late.”
The two headed to the second-floor room, leaving the unconscious John behind.
Late that night, a guard patrolling the estate grounds came running in a panic.
Bang bang bang!
“Knight Cassnet, big trouble!”
“What is it?”
“Suspicious men are surrounding the estate and advancing.”
“What? Damn it!”
The guard knight Cassnet rushed to Young Master Wayne's room.
“Young master, wake up!”
“Ah, fuck, what's going on? Did you bring a girl?”
“It seems your brothers sent assassins.”
“Assassins? How do they even know about me? How'd they find this place?”
“That's not important now. We need to escape.”
Wayne was grabbing his clothes when—
“I'll wear them!”
“Hm?”
John stood at the entrance.
“What're you saying?”
“They're after you, young master. And your face isn't known outside. So let me wear your clothes and lure them away.”
“What?”
“Thank you for feeding me well all this time.”
Cassnet's expression brightened. As John said, only the estate's residents truly knew Young Master Wayne's face.
“Good idea. Young master, you wear John's clothes.”
“Ah, got it.”
No time for second thoughts in the urgency. John stripped first, revealing his arms and shoulders covered in scars from taking Wayne's beatings. Yet he willingly became the decoy for Wayne.
They hurriedly swapped clothes and gathered with the others at the back gate.
“We'll lure them into the mountains. Run the opposite way.”
Wayne looked shocked at Cassnet's words.
“What? Aren't you coming with me?”
“If I go, they won't buy it. I'll go with John. I'm a knight—I can escape on my own.”
“Alright. Be careful.”
“If you get away safely, don't go straight to the marquis. Head to the Empire's 11th Armored Brigade and find Brigade Commander Maso.”
“Got it.”
Cassnet flung open the door and shouted,
“Everyone, find your own way to survive!”
The maids, cook, and cleaners fled first. Cassnet grabbed John's hand and bolted toward the mountains.
“There! They're running!”
“Don't let a single one escape!”
The soldiers who had just surrounded the estate chased the fleeing servants in all directions. Finally, Wayne slipped out a window and ran downhill.
“Huff huff!”
“Young master, keep running.”
Cassnet held John's hand as they escaped the estate and dashed into the mountains. But they didn't get far before being surrounded.
Shing!
Cassnet drew his sword. Click! Ratchet!
Over twenty musketeers aimed at the pair. Then, a mounted man appeared from behind.
“What the hell? Father's gone too far hiding a big one like this for sixteen years!”
“We greet Second Young Master Bran.”
“Hm?”
Cassnet bowed his head.
“Hah! Cassnet! So you've been protecting this bastard all this time?”
“I had no choice. The marquis ordered it.”
“Tsk tsk. How can you be so dense? If he'd just tipped me off, you wouldn't have suffered like this.”
“Indeed. But regretting it now changes nothing. I only beg you to spare this young brother.”
“Why should I?”
“You must already know, but Young Master Wayne is not only a Stein but also Lady Adranne's son.”
“Adranne? I don't care whose blood that punk has. I just know he's Father's blood, and if he lives, he'll take from my inheritance.”
“But...”
“Enough. No one's coming to help you, no matter how much you stall.”
Just then, a soldier ran up from the estate.
“We've captured the seven who fled. What now?”
Cassnet's face paled at the number.
“Kill them all!”
“W-Wait!”
As Cassnet reached out—
Stab!
“Gahk!”
John suddenly plunged his sword into Cassnet's side from behind.
“Hm?”
Everyone's eyes widened in shock. The guard knight who had protected him was now stabbed by his own charge. Even Bran Stein looked baffled. The surprise attack from behind was too sudden—even a knight like Cassnet couldn't block it.
Cassnet stared at John in bewilderment.
“Urk...! Why?”
John whispered in Cassnet's ear.
‘You and Wayne have to die for me to live.’
“Wha...t...?”
John yanked out the sword, and Cassnet crumpled forward powerlessly.
“You bastard! What the hell?”
At Bran's question, John stepped forward.
“Kill me however you want. But let me kill this one myself.”
“What're you talking about?”
“Fuck! I've been locked up here like a criminal for sixteen years. Thinking of the ones who caged me makes my teeth grind. I'm done.”
Bran tilted his head at John's unexpected actions.
'Hah! This guy's something.'
“What're you waiting for? Go kill them all.”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldier vanished toward the estate.
“You've got guts, punk! What's your name?”
“Don't you already know? It's Wayne. Wayne Stein.”
John claimed to be Wayne.
“Wayne, aren't you scared of death?”
“Of course I am. But I'm sick of being caged. Can't even hold a woman or drink freely—what's the point? Better to die.”
“Hah! Kid, you must be that desperate for pussy.”
Bran chuckled. Must be the Stein blood—father and brothers alike were all woman-crazed.
“I'll take you back for now. We'll see what Father says before deciding your fate.”
“B-Before that, can I change into proper clothes?”
“What?”
“I'm still a Stein man. If I'm dying, let me go out in style.”
“Crazy bastard!”
Bran shook his head in disbelief.
“Fine! Let's head back to the estate.”
The front of the estate already reeked of blood. Bodies lay lined up, and John inspected the dead. Among them, he found the real Wayne—throat slit, eyes wide open in death.
'Fuck, the witch was right—he died.'
Chills ran down his spine. Just as the witch foretold, all seven estate workers had gathered and died together. If he hadn't fled in Wayne's clothes today, he'd be the one dead.
“Close to that guy?”
At Bran's question, John replied,
“John, my body servant.”
John went to Wayne's room and changed into the flashiest, finest outfit from underwear to boots. Then he emerged.
“Leave the bodies like this?”
“No! How else will Father react properly?”
Bran nodded, and the soldiers dragged the corpses inside. They even added Cassnet's body before setting the estate ablaze.
“Now Father will think everyone here burned to death.”
John watched the flames roar, recalling the witch's words.
"Run away. If you return to the estate, you will die."
"No. John Conner will die, but Wayne will live."
The witch hadn't understood John's intent. But Han Sang-tae did. He couldn't just flee like this. Sure, he'd survive short-term, but after? With modern memories but a lowly servant's status and no money, how well could he live here? It'd be a pathetic existence.
So he resolved—and gambled his life on it.
The witch had accurately seen his reincarnation. So her words about Wayne Stein not dying, gaining many subordinates—they had to be true. Meaning Wayne wouldn't die here today. If he became Wayne, he could live.
And the real Wayne had died fleeing, just as foretold—proving escape was impossible from the start. So if he became Wayne and Wayne became John...
Of course, there was a huge risk. If Cassnet had revealed the truth to save Wayne at the end, he might've died. That's why he couldn't spare Cassnet. And after thirteen years taking Wayne's punishments, the grudge made him hesitate not. He'd stabbed the knight dead in one blow—something the old John could never do.
But now, John was no longer that John. He was the awakened Han Sang-tae from his past life.
“Shackle this punk's ankles. Can't have him running.”
John's ankles were chained, and he boarded the prepared carriage. From the ready carriage, it seemed Bran had planned to kidnap rather than kill Wayne outright.
As he climbed in, Han Sang-tae made his decision.
'I'm discarding the name John Conner. From now on, I'm Wayne Stein!'