Chapter 0

“Was it the tiger or the bear that ate mugwort and garlic for 100 days to become human?”

“The bear. The bear-woman, Ungnyeo! Her son is the progenitor Dangun.”

“What is the day that commemorates our country’s liberation? Please state the year and date.”

“August 15, 1945, Liberation Day.”

Siliya tilted her head slightly and studied me. She was a beautiful, intellectual woman with short red hair, and she looked like a professor. Her eyes seemed to be pondering what questions she could ask to distinguish a human from the orangutans around her.

“Dokdo?”

“It’s our land!”

The answer shot out like a reflex. These were questions that any Korean would naturally respond to this way.

“I guess it would be harder not to believe me at this point.”

“Phew, what a relief. Unnie, did I pass the Korean test?”

Siliya smiled faintly and nodded. The sigh of relief I had just let out quickly vanished, and silence fell between Siliya and me.

I understood completely. It must have been shocking to hear a character who should have been long dead and vanished behind the curtain announce, “I’m a Korean!”

“I didn’t know two people could be reincarnated into one story.”

“I know. I was so surprised, too.”

“You said your real name is Han Seha, right? My last name is Han, too. I’m Han Yunju.”

“Yes, Yunju unnie.”

“From now on, when it’s just the two of us, should I call you ‘Seha’? Since we both know the truth.”

Siliya looked at me with a calm gaze.

Han Seha. Hearing my real name being spoken by someone else after such a long time felt strange and a little nostalgic. But… I shook my head.

“No. It’s more comfortable if you just call me Eloe.”

A considerable amount of time has passed since I came to this world. Everyone I’ve met here calls me “Eloe.” I have also grown accustomed to being called “Eloe.”

While I haven’t completely let go of the guilt of taking away the real Eloe’s life, I’ve done my best to live my own way. Living as Eloe, I’ve accomplished many things and will continue to do so. In this way, I will create my own ‘Eloe’ life.

“It seems we think alike. You can call me Siliya, Eloe.”

There was a hint of loneliness in her voice. I felt a sense of kinship as I looked at her, lost in thought. We were the only two reincarnated individuals and outsiders in this world. The unexpected comfort I received made me feel much more at ease.

“Unnie, wait, can I call you unnie?”

“Yes. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“You should speak casually to me, too. Uh, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

Suddenly, the door opened. Siliya and I both turned our heads toward the door at the same time. My brow furrowed the moment I saw the man with long legs striding inside.

It wasn’t time for him to be here yet… Why did he come so early? With a sigh, I asked a different question than the one I had planned.

“…Do you like tteokbokki?”

“I love it. It’s a staple for Koreans, isn’t it?”

“I love it, too. Let’s make some together sometime.”

“Do you have gochujang here?”

“We can make it. I’ll figure out a way to make it.”

“Make what?”

Jeras, the man who had approached us, asked. I had no intention of answering, so I just shrugged my shoulders. Siliya glanced at Jeras. When their eyes met, she flinched and quickly lowered her head.

‘Hmm… Does she like him, after all?’

It didn’t matter if there were two transmigrators, three, or a hundred—the heroine of this novel is Siliya. The law that never changes is that the female lead always ends up with the male lead.  

Yeah, asking about it when I already know is about as tactless as it gets.  

‘The problem is… Jeras doesn’t have the slightest bit of interest in Siliya…’ 

“You didn’t take a single step outside and stayed nice and quiet, right? Squirrel.”  

“I told you not to call me that—how many times do I have to…! Ugh, forget it. Where’s Grandpa Mason?”  

“The kids caught him outside. He probably won’t get away anytime soon.”  

Jeras jerked his chin toward the door.  

“And isn’t it cute? The nickname ‘squirrel.’ It suits you perfectly, my lady.”  

Cute, my ass. I hated being called a squirrel.  

Just hearing that voice makes my head pound like it’s about to split open. Better to just die than suffer. Ugh, ugh. I pressed my aching forehead.  

‘All I wanted was to save Sion. Where did it all start going wrong…?’