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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Childhood Friend (1)
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Five years had passed since I formed my mana core and became a superhuman.
Five years was no short time, and through relentless effort, I had finally reached my goal.
"No way, Young Master Woo-bin?! You're only ten, and you've brought out such a deep, clean flavor from the broth?!"
The culinary arts,
"No way, Young Master Woo-bin?! You're only ten, and you've washed that stained dress shirt until it's white as new?! By hand?!"
The mastery of domestic chores,
"No way, Young Master Woo-bin?! You're only ten, and you've loosened the rock-hard shoulder muscles of this poor Wet Nurse, knotted from a lifetime of service, so perfectly?!"
And the realm of massage.
On top of that, I'd mastered investment, etiquette, socializing, literature, culture—anything that could help with domestic stewardship. At this rate, becoming the king of homemaking was a piece of cake.
...No, I'm not happy about it at all! King of homemaking? What the hell is that?!
"Well then, that's our lesson for today. Seeing your diligence makes even this Wet Nurse feel good. Please keep it up like today. I'll see you tomorrow at 5 a.m., Young Master. Sleep well."
Irritated by the results of the things I'd been forced to learn over the past five years, I was fuming as the Wet Nurse finished organizing the materials and gave her usual farewell.
"Sleep well, Wet Nurse."
I replied with a goodnight, using the title I'd grown accustomed to, and she smiled with her usual gentle warmth as she opened my door.
"Oh, right—I was so surprised by your achievements that I forgot to mention. We have a guest coming tomorrow."
Suddenly remembering something, she turned her head with the door still open and mentioned the visitor.
"A guest?"
"Yes, probably someone... well, no need for me to explain. You'll see for yourself tomorrow. Good night."
"Huh? Wait, what do you—"
Clunk.
Had she studied how to get under my skin? The Wet Nurse just up and left my room mid-explanation.
I was momentarily dumbfounded, but thinking it over, I could understand her position.
I was like merchandise being raised for sale in this house. From her perspective, there was no reason to tell me unnecessary things.
The head of the Yang Family where I lived—my biological mother, Yang Ga-jeong—was the type to do anything to elevate the family's status.
Conversely, she was the type to eliminate anything harmful to the family without fail.
With a superior like that, it was natural for the Wet Nurse to be cautious. If she told me something without permission and an accident happened, she'd be the one paying for it.
"Of course, I have no sympathy for her."
The most pitiful person in this house was me—born human but groomed like high-end livestock, destined to be sold.
I wasn't in a position to pity the Wet Nurse's circumstances, which forced her to play it safe.
"Well, like she said, I'll find out tomorrow when I see them."
With that, I understood her situation just enough and got to what I needed to do.
"Better to do one more push-up than waste time on an pointless riddle."
It was time for my daily physical training, which I hadn't skipped once since awakening.
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"Mm, let's end this morning's lesson a bit early. You're part of the Yang Family too, Young Master. Let's go greet the guest."
In the morning, during history class, the Wet Nurse suddenly closed the book, stood up, and told me to follow.
While living in the Yang Family, guests had come a few times, but I'd never been called to greet them like this before.
No householder drags out the livestock they're raising just because a guest arrives.
So, being summoned to greet a guest now felt utterly unfamiliar to me.
What kind of guest calls for me too? Someone that important? Someone so high-ranking? It must be an order from Yang Ga-jeong herself, right?
Lost in those thoughts, I reached the Yang Family's entrance before I knew it.
"This is a prestigious guest, so behave exactly as you've been taught, without a hint of disorder."
The Wet Nurse's voice, hands clasped politely, betrayed undisguised tension.
Her words—"prestigious guest"—and the presumed order from Yang Ga-jeong, along with the servants lined up on either side of the grand door, gave me a rough idea of who was coming.
Probably someone from a prestigious family ranking higher than the Yang Family. Someone important enough to summon even me—a guest from a very high-ranking house.
Someone who could greatly help elevate the Yang Family's status.
Otherwise, there's no way I'd be standing here to greet them.
"Ahem."
As a veteran of Reverse Hero Saga, I knew all too well the prestigious families in this world—and among them were monsters wearing human skin.
Especially as family rankings climbed higher, the proportion of those transcending common sense in power, temperament, or values grew. I couldn't help swallowing dryly.
What if they take a dislike to me? A guy like me is bound to catch the guest's eye.
Me—Yang Woo-bin, the eldest son of the Yang Family—was, objectively speaking, quite handsome.
You might ask what nonsense a ten-year-old is spouting, but confined to the house, my skin was fair and porcelain-like, contrasting with my jet-black hair, and daily workouts had given me a healthy build.
With flawlessly symmetrical features on that ideal canvas, I was undoubtedly a beautiful boy.
The Wet Nurse often said, "Young Master Woo-bin's appearance is already perfect, so if you build up your knowledge and wisdom, you'll be a welcome son-in-law anywhere."
Anyway, I was a clear-cut pretty boy, the most eye-catching person here, so drawing the incoming guest's gaze was inevitable.
And that guest would likely be from a top-ranking prestigious family, so attracting their attention wasn't good for me at all.
A sudden unease crept in, quickly swelling and taking concrete shape.
...Wait, is this me getting sold off? Huh? That actually makes sense.
Once the thought of being sold crossed my mind, it stuck there.
Staying in the Yang Family meant no human treatment, but as long as I did my duties, they left me alone—which was decent enough. But if I got sold to this guest, that life would end.
For me, who needed to invest massive time and effort to overcome the Solar Body's penalties, such a variable was unwelcome.
Should I fake being sick and hide now? No, that won't work. Then make it work? Yeah, risky, but better than suddenly being sold to an unknown family and ruining all my life plans. As long as I don't die.
After weighing it internally, I went with the lowest-risk option: "triggering a mana surge to become an emergency patient."
Over the past five years since awakening, I'd trained my body to handle the Solar Body's explosive power while honing my mana sensitivity.
Drawing out mana was child's play for me.
I extracted a tiny thread of mana—about the weight of a single hair—and looped it around my throat.
When it burst, my body temperature would spike, and I'd collapse. I'd suffer a high fever for days as aftermath, but that beat the risk of being sold to an unknown family.
Resolved to endure the coming pain, I focused my mind to ignite the mana thread in my throat.
Clunk—creeeak.
But the firmly shut door opened first.
"Welcome, Lady Jin Se-jeong!"
Led by the Wet Nurse, the servants slightly bowed and greeted the arriving figure with loud voices.
The person named Jin Se-jeong, who made every lined-up servant bow without exception, looked far beyond my imagination.
"Ahem! Hello! I'm Jin Se-jeong, second daughter of the great Jin Family! Nice to meet you—let's get along!"
She was a girl my age—a ten-year-old kid.
I'd imagined a hag tossing a superhuman pretty boy like me into a cauldron for medicinal tonic, but in walked a little girl. The shock from the disconnect blanked my mind.
"Young Master, Young Master! Greet her! You have to greet her first!"
"Huh? Oh, uh, right."
I missed the timing for the proper greeting and heard the Wet Nurse's urgent voice as a result.
Ha, I'm definitely getting an earful later.
The Wet Nurse's nagging was horrific enough just imagining it, so I shuddered lightly before striding toward the kid who'd introduced herself as Jin Se-jeong.
"Hi, I'm Yang Woo-bin. Eldest son of the Yang Family."
I extended my hand for a shake as I greeted her.
In this gender-reversed world, when a boy from a prestigious family greeted a girl from one, the proper etiquette was to step back with the left foot and bow. But I didn't feel like it now.
She was a noble lady my age from a prestigious family—we'd surely meet at the academy later, as classmates—and bowing to a future peer hurt my pride.
Feeling a sense of liberation from my first small rebellion since being born here, the little girl named Jin Se-jeong's face suddenly flushed red.
"Ri-right off the bat, asking to hold hands...?"
"...Huh?"
"Y-you You shameless rake!"
That was my first conversation with my childhood friend, Jin Se-jeong.