The Ji family estate—known simply as "the House of Ji" by many—was one of the most prominent and opulent residences in South Korea.
Like other elite families, the Ji clan lived in luxury, but unlike most, they had chosen not to reside in a towering skyscraper in Seoul.
Instead, they built a private palace in Daegu, honoring the ancestral roots of Ji-Kai's grandmother. It was a place of legacy, wealth, and quiet power.
« ah shit ... Here we go again »
Ji-Kai stood at the entrance now. Not just a house—this was a palace. Though only three months had passed since he left, in his mind, it felt like years.
I hate being here, honestly, this place... just thinking about it makes my stomach turn, it makes me feel so uncomfortable even though on paper it's my home where I grew up.
The reason for his departure… he hated thinking about it. Every time the memory surfaced, it brought a bitter taste to his mouth.
But here I am, right in front of him, the place where my relationship with the family became so strained, and this system is asking me to improve the situation.
Not that I'll benefit from it in any way, and I mean the C-rank item.
In the future, I'll get missions that will give me higher-rank items, not to mention that I have a lucky element from the mission to save Park Yoon-seok from assassination.
I don't have to come back here and I can cancel the mission since it's a side quest
but...
The gates loomed before him, wrought iron and imposing. Guards stepped forward to block his path.
« This is private property belonging to the Ji fami—wait… you? Young master? You've returned? » One of the guards hesitated, recognizing him.
« The gate , open it , now » kai said Coldly.
He faltered, unsure whether to open the gate. But Ji-Kai's gaze—cold, unreadable—was enough. The gate creaked open.
He stepped onto the stone path, flanked by archways draped in climbing vines and flowering plants. The garden stretched wide, a fairytale scene of manicured beauty.
Kim Hao Ya, Noona, she needs treatment for her illness, and I've already swaer that my second chance at life will be different, so... I'll take on this task, not because I want to, but for Noona, to make quick money for her treatment.
A circular asphalt road curved around the estate for vehicles, but Ji-Kai walked the pedestrian path—the one that led directly from the main gate to the palace doors.
Garden workers paused as he passed. Their quiet labor gave way to stunned silence.
Ji-Kai had returned after nearly three months, and something about him had changed.
His posture, his presence—he seemed stronger, more grounded. They watched him with a mix of awe and unease.
I know these looks. They're wondering why I'm back. Especially after what happened that day—the day I left for Seoul alone, choosing solitude over family.
He ascended the steps to the grand entrance. The door before him led to the heart of the palace—the reception hall. As he reached for it, a memory surged.
One of the most painful. Though he wasn't the original owner of this body, the emotion was real.
His own memories, layered atop those of the body's past, made the moment heavier.
He pushed the door open.
Everyone was there.
Laughter filled the air—light, indulgent, the sound of people accustomed to comfort and excess. Ji-Kai was one of them by blood, but standing there, he felt like a stranger.
Perhaps it was the soul within the body. Perhaps it was the body itself. Either way, he didn't belong.
It was February 16th—the anniversary of the Ji family's founding, over fifty years ago.
The family patriarch, Kim Jo-Kayo, had been a Japanese expatriate who helped countless Koreans, both North and South.
He was honored by the people, remembered as a bridge between nations, a man who softened the bitterness between Korea and Japan.
And now I stand here, his descendant—Kim Ji-Kai—in the very place where I was once humiliated beyond measure. Even if I wasn't born into this body, I've lived in it long enough.
I've become Ji-Kai. And what happened… happened to me. I remember every detail, as if it were yesterday.
Among the guests were the President of the Adventurers' Guild, the Vice Chair of the Korean Judicial Council, and Ji-Kai's own uncle, Kim Ji-Seong.
Their presence was impossible to ignore. Others turned as they noticed him, and the room shifted. Tension thickened. Silence fell like a curtain.
« Kai…? » His mother, Park Seon-Hwa, stood beside Ji-Seong's wife, Kim Seon.
The smile she wore moments ago vanished. Her eyes locked onto her eldest son, and her expression froze.
[ Mission: Restore Your Family Standing ]
[ Details: The family of Kim Ji-Hwan, CEO of one of Korea's largest companies specializing in weapons forged from monster cores and dungeon materials, and a major investor in the Adventurers' Guild. Your relationship with him—and the family—is strained. ]
[ Objective: Reclaim your rightful place in the family ]
[ Time Limit: None ]
[ Reward: Consumable Item – Rank C ]
This mission isn't what it seems.
When the system gives me a personal quest—especially one tied to my social environment—it's rarely straightforward.
It asks me to act as if I know what to do. And here, it wants me to restore my place in the family.
On the surface, it looks like I did something to deserve exile. But no…
« My son? You've really come back. Have you thought it over? I mean… about accepting our apology and returning home? » Kim Ji-Hwan, Ji-Kai's father, stepped forward, his voice hopeful but strained. All eyes turned to Ji-Kai. One gaze in particular ignited a fire inside him.
« Apology? Do you not see how far you went in humiliating me? Even if you're my father, what you're doing now only makes things worse. » Ji-Kai didn't move.
His voice was low, but sharp. His eyes met hers—a girl with her head bowed. Just seeing her made Ji-Kai want to end the mission right then and there.
Restoring my place in the family. That's the goal. But it means repairing a broken relationship.
The problem is… I did nothing wrong. They're the ones who wounded me. They shattered my pride so deeply I wanted to kill them—one by one.
« It's been a while… Kim Ji-Hana. Have you found someone else to ruin, like ... you did to me? » Ji-Kai's voice cut through the room as he addressed the girl with the lowered head—his cousin.
Kim Ji-Hana. Though I'm not the original owner of this body, I once acquired a system item that allowed me to relive fragments of its past.
Thanks to that, I know exactly how I should feel about you… hatred.