Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter 4

“Is she my baby sister?” someone said He continued, “She’s so beautiful when she smiles” None of the boys so far had spoken this war were mere toddlers at 4 and 5 This one smelled a bit more manly Hey, I’m no perv Just a cute little baby, not yet one

This brother appeared to be in middle school Like my father, this boy was handso inherited their good looks fro father

This brother was the first son of the first-ranked queen, and his naaze Please just gaze at me with those beautiful eyes…

“She’s so cute”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,”replied With her hand on her heart, she bowed She was the third-ranked queen She stepped outside, and I was left alone with this handso to feel any carnal desires If you feel any alarm, there’s no reason to notify the police But my heart was set aflutter in the arms of this handsome boy I would have felt like this even in et worried? Fooled you, didn’t I?

Cradling me in his arms, he said wistfully, “How much better it would have been if you had been born a boy” He spoke on, his guard down because he suspected nothing of a harirls My heart aches when I think of the life that awaits you”

He see iggled He stroked my head affectionately

He spoke again, “Girls have no rights in this world But I think it would be good if you did”

I gurgled again, thinking, You’re dreamy!

“Though I aic situation”

Overhearing, Hwanseok’s la of the first-born prince to speak that way”

“I was born without even a sical power If I weren’t a prince, I would have been killed or abandoned at birth”

“Don’t speak like that,” she replied “Be strong! It doesn’t matter what others say Your Majesty is the first-born! Your Majesty has my loyalty, no matter what”

I was learning hly valuable in this world At first e chortle and tilted e to

He said again, “I won’t be able to see you for a long while, Mother Just this fact fills ”

Seoyeong seereatly affected by his words, and tears welled up in her eyes I guess woestures of kindness touched her heart My handsoto herself

“The first-born prince will becoain”

My brother had no h he was the first-born prince This e for the empire He was said to be treated decently at the empire, but it must certainly be difficult to be separated froe at such a tender age The i

More ti Even so, the younger of the tas obviously taking a liking to ed my initial opinion of him of course

Hwanseong ord

ered, “Fetch!” I crawled over obediently on all fours, laughing I could toddle now, but crawling was still faster and easier Still sht it to him

Hwanseong s”

Hwanseok glanced at us and corrected hi”

Hwanseong considered this for a moment and said, “Then should I call her Mutt?”

The outrage! Can’t you see that I’ainst you? This is all just an act! Well, of course he was oblivious as he tried out this new insult

I cursed hilued to my face, for it was the ticket to my survival My powerlessness filled oal I would win these little boys over and thenIf I were to fail, how can I change this world?

Hwanseong ordered, “Now bark like a dog!”

Little brat! I thought while I obeyed My wounded pride!

My , liked to read, and I whined for her to holdto see as in the books This room was all I knew of this world and wanted to learn a bitif I could read, the ansas yes, of course

An opportunity arrived, when I happened upon a pen and paper I was seized with a longing to see Jinsu again My memory was terrible, perhaps because I was in an undeveloped infant’s body

Even so, the memory of Jinsu’s face was indelibly ih it had a mind of its own

My hand, on its orote: “Ito write in Korean, but an alphabet I didn’t know came out My mother was stricken dumb with surprise

“Surely that’s not…” she trailed off A stuffed rabbit in her hand, which ht have been for me, fell to the floor She said, “Did you really write this?”

I gurgled in reply, holding up the paper I scrawled: “I Love You, Mommy”

Her mouth fell open, in disbelief that an infant who could barely riting I reconsidered whether it was a good idea to reveal the extent of enius, so I deliberately misspelled the next words I wrote: “Soo Mooch”

There With this much, I had shown that I was no ordinary child What I did knoas that hest currency To ic I had to find soenius, but I ht be treated like one if I revealed the skills I had acquired in my previous life

Then I heard a fa—the lowest of the low!