“Dr. Bloomer, don’t worry. I spent a lot of effort studying Goryeo films in my early years, so I can handle simple daily conversations,” Dakota said confidently, leading Leo outside.
They waited for a taxi outside the airport. There weren’t many travelers at this time, and soon enough, a taxi arrived.
Dakota spoke to the driver. Leo listened to Dakota’s pronunciation.
Sure enough, the driver turned his head and asked in confusion, “Atrarian?”
After a minute of Dakota gesturing wildly but failing to communicate, Leo and Dakota sheepishly got out of the car.
“What kind of Goryeo films did you watch?” Leo asked Dakota seriously.
Dakota chuckled, “Mostly historical palace dramas. Maybe I learned ancient Korean, so modern people can’t understand me.”
“Be specific. What were the names of the films?” Leo pressed, feeling a surge of anger.
Dakota blushed and smiled, “Harem and Scandal are my favorites. The costumes are exquisite, and the characters are well-portrayed. Especially the female lead’s lines have an ancient charm…”
Before Dakota could finish, Leo grabbed him by the collar and dragged him aside for a beating. Although he aimed for the fleshy parts, Dakota still howled in pain.
“Damn it, watching erotic films so righteously! If I don’t beat you, it wouldn’t be right,” Leo scolded as he hit Dakota.
Dakota’s screams eventually attracted the attention of airport security, and Leo stopped.
Dakota grinned at the security guard and made a friendly gesture, putting his arm around Leo’s shoulder.
The security guard gave them a suspicious look, gestured for them to keep quiet, and then left.
Dakota rubbed his sore spots and frowned, “Dr. Bloomer, what now?”
“What now? Call someone!” Leo doubted how Dakota’s intelligence got him a job at the museum.
Dakota quickly took out his phone and made a call. He explained their situation to the curator and nodded while listening.
Finally, Dakota sighed in relief, “Dr. Bloomer, the curator will send someone to pick us up. We just need to wait here.”
Leo relaxed. About ten minutes later, a black Hyundai stopped at the airport exit. A driver holding a sign with Dakota and Leo’s names walked into the airport.
Dakota spotted the sign first and signaled Leo. They both walked towards the driver.
Once in the car, they initially found the scenery outside quite novel. But within minutes, Dakota fell asleep, snoring loudly.
Leo wanted to rest too but couldn’t because of Dakota’s snoring. Just as he got used to it, the car slowed down and stopped in front of an ancient-looking building.
Dakota stretched and yawned, “We’re here already?”
Leo wanted to strangle this inconsiderate guy. The driver opened the door and gestured for them to get out.
The place called Ewha Institute looked like an ordinary Korean-style building from the entrance design.
Leo followed the driver inside while Dakota gawked at everything like he’d never seen the world before.
Leo wished he could pretend not to know him but couldn’t. They walked through curious glances towards the inner courtyard.
People in Ewha Institute wore traditional Korean high-waisted clothes, mostly in blue and white. Their traditional hairstyles were meticulously done, indicating significant effort.
Leo and Dakota stood out like sore thumbs. Though curious about these outsiders, people only glanced at them briefly before looking away politely. Some even bowed slightly to Leo and Dakota.
The driver stopped before a room with double wooden doors and said something inside. Leo guessed it was something like “They’re here.”
The door opened from inside, revealing three people sitting inside. One was the gray-haired curator Davon; another elderly man looked like Ewha Institute’s representative, well-preserved despite his age. A woman sitting with her back to Leo caught his attention.
She wore a Hanbok with a traditional Korean hairstyle. The Hanbok was entirely white without a single crease, draping on her like a flawless stream of autumn water-breathtakingly beautiful.
Though he could only see her back, her slender neck was magnetic to Leo’s gaze. When she turned around, Leo finally saw her face.
“Chloe!”
Leo blurted out, shocked to see Chloe dressed in traditional Korean attire.
Chloe smiled faintly at him and gestured for him to sit down. Leo sat beside Chloe, still dazed; Dakota followed suit.
Leo wanted to ask why Chloe was dressed like this-though blending in was one thing, this was too much!
Davon introduced them first, “Dr. Bloomer, welcome. This is Tyrese from Ewha Institute. Tyrese, this is our special consultant from Langstel Museum, Leo.”
Leo shook hands with Tyrese. He had a typical Goryeo face and smiled, “Mr. Bloomer, hello.”
Tyrese spoke Atrarian with a slightly stiff accent but convincing enough if you closed your eyes.
Seeing Leo’s surprise, Tyrese explained, “I lived in the capital for three years.”
“Your Atrarian is excellent,” Leo complimented politely, unsure what else to say.
“You must be tired from your journey. Please rest first; there will be a welcome banquet tonight. Mr. Ramiro will show you to your rooms,” Tyrese said formally but politely, giving off a scholarly vibe that made him likable.