This is driving me crazy.
Was she sixteen?
No, maybe fifteen.
Looking at her youthful reflection in the bowl of porridge, So Yeonhee let out a sigh.
Seriously, what kind of absurd situation is this?
She had died and woken up in a younger body.
Not just her—her entire family had returned as well.
But there was one crucial difference.
“Yeonsu, what year is it again?”
“The Year of Byeongo.”
“No, not that.”
“Year 16 of Geonheung. Unni, are you absolutely sure you didn't hurt your head?”
“I-I think so. Probably.”
This wasn't Earth.
Nor was it the modern 21st century.
The sixteenth year of Geonheung—the sixteenth year since the glorious 27th Emperor of the Great Jin Empire had ascended the throne.
Yesterday she had been a citizen of a democratic nation.
Today she was a subject of an emperor.
Well, she'd somehow traveled to a fantasy world with an ancient setting, so perhaps that couldn't be helped.
But that wasn't the only problem.
Joo Hajin, you bastard! You again?!
Whether it was fate or some terrible karmic connection, Joo Hajin had become the enemy of the So family in this world as well.
Once again, he had framed her father and destroyed their family.
It had happened during her grandmother's birthday banquet.
The Eighth Prince, Joo Woojin, had suddenly died while attending the celebration at the So estate.
Immediately afterward, the Fourth Prince, Joo Hajin, and the faction led by his mother's family began condemning the So clan as murderers of royalty.
They claimed that Great General So Jin had been secretly embezzling military provisions and that the Eighth Prince had discovered the crime.
According to them, So Jin had murdered the prince to destroy the evidence.
What nonsense! This has to be revenge over that wooden box!
In truth, So Yeonhee had studied the classics under a renowned scholar—a rare opportunity for a woman of the era.
She was exceptionally talented, and her teacher had cherished her enough to gift her a precious treasure.
Unfortunately, that treasure had attracted Joo Hajin's attention.
“Miss So. If you're willing to sell that wooden box to me, I'll pay thirty gold strings.”
“Your Highness the Fourth Prince, there are things in this world that cannot be bought, no matter how noble one's status or how much gold one possesses. This box is one of them.”
Who would willingly sell a treasured gift from their teacher just because someone suddenly demanded it?
But Joo Hajin had been born the son of the Emperor.
For the first time in his life, he had humbled himself before a woman—only to be rejected.
There was no way he could let go of that humiliation.
So Jin repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.
But in the end, the accusations stuck.
As a result, Yeonhee and her family were stripped of their status and exiled to the remote mountain village of Mangok.
How could Yeonhee not blame herself?
At the age of fifteen, she had secretly eaten a poisonous mushroom and chosen death.
That was the story behind it.
Ha. There's no way I'm letting that bastard get away with this.
Yeonhee clenched her teeth so hard her hands trembled.
Right now they were exiles living in the middle of nowhere.
But someday—
She swore she would repay every grudge from this life and her previous one combined.
Of course, first they had to survive Joo Hajin and the Yeon clan's schemes.
“Eat already. The porridge's getting cold. Mother went through a lot of trouble to get that egg.”
So Yeonsu pouted.
The savory smell drifted through the room.
But that wasn't what mattered.
“How's Mother? She's healthy, right? And Father and Grandmother? Nobody's sick?”
“You're the one who almost died from eating poisonous mushrooms. Why are you worrying about everyone else? Of course they're fine. And stop eating random things you find. What are you, a stray puppy?”
Yeonhee laughed awkwardly and nodded.
Thank goodness. Nobody's sick yet.
When she'd first seen them, they had looked so thin and gaunt that she'd feared they were suffering from some terrible illness.
If it was simply malnutrition, that was a relief.
Proper nutrition could fix that.
Though figuring out our next meal is still a huge problem.
The So family had been exiled to Mangok Village with almost nothing.
The village chief had helped them acquire a dilapidated cottage and a few plots of woodland.
Her maternal relatives had secretly provided a few pieces of jewelry.
That was all.
They had survived by selling those valuables and buying food.
But they were reaching their limit.
Forget revenge. We need to worry about eating first.
As Yeonhee sighed, a quiet voice suddenly spoke from the side.
“...Noona. You didn't do it on purpose, did you?”
“Do what?”
“Eat the poisonous mushroom. You weren't trying to die, were you?”
...Sharp kid.
Yeonhee quickly shook her head.
“Of course not. Who deliberately eats poisonous mushrooms? It was an accident.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Only after hearing her answer several times did So Yeonwoo's expression soften.
He even let out a relieved sigh.
“Th-That's good. I thought... I thought it was because of me.”
“What?”
“I thought you hated me. I thought you made that choice because of me.”
His words left Yeonhee momentarily speechless.
How had he even come to that conclusion?
“Why would I hate you?”
“Because Grandmother treated you badly because of me. I shouldn't have said those things...”
His voice trembled.
Then tears welled up in his eyes.
Seeing her younger brother cry brought back an old memory.
“Grandmother, I think Mother always likes Big Sister best.”
“That's because your sister is so mature. But you're still the eldest grandson of the So family. No matter how talented Yeonhee is, she's still a girl. You're the one who'll inherit the family line.”
It had probably been a thoughtless conversation.
But those casual words left deep scars on both children.
Afraid her precious eldest grandson might lose confidence, Grandmother had eventually stopped Yeonhee's education.
After that, the relationship between Yeonhee and Yeonwoo grew cold.
Poor Yeonsu, stuck between them, suffered the most.
Yet Yeonwoo had apparently carried the guilt all this time.
Yeonhee chuckled and lightly pinched his cheek.
“Don't be silly. You think I'd hate you over something like that?”
Sure, Grandmother's favoritism had been unfair.
But that was simply how people thought in this era.
Even in the 21st century, people couldn't completely get rid of son preference. How much worse would it be in ancient times?
Besides, she'd finally gotten her family back after losing them all.
There wasn't enough time in the world to waste on hatred.
“Stop worrying and share this porridge with me. There's a precious egg in it, and it'd be a waste to eat it alone.”
Nothing comforted a crying child better than food.
Yeonhee scooped up a spoonful of egg porridge and fed it to her brother.
And at that exact moment—
Ding!
A clear notification sound rang out.
A translucent window suddenly appeared before her eyes.
[Good Deed (Minor) Completed: You gave up part of your share for your family.]
[3 Points Earned.]
[Current Points: 3]
...Huh?
What was that?
Yeonhee blinked.
The notification vanished.
But her confusion only grew.
Did I imagine it? Let's try again.
She fed Yeonwoo another spoonful of porridge.
Nothing happened.
Then she fed some to Yeonsu.
[Good Deed (Minor) Completed: You gave up part of your share for your family.]
[3 Points Earned.]
[Current Points: 6]
Three more points were added.
...!!!
Even amid her confusion, she was certain of one thing.
This might be an incredible ability.
W-What do I do now? Should I try saying "Status Window"?
Recalling the openings of countless web novels she'd read, Yeonhee quietly muttered every cliché command she could think of.
And when she absentmindedly said—
“Shop Window.”
Fwoosh!
A burst of brilliant white light appeared.
Then a large square holographic screen materialized before her eyes.
...Huh?
What is this?
Isn't this just Coupang? (Korea's famous online shopping platform.)
