The Regressor's Obsession
I let out a long sigh of relief. 'Phew— I thought my heart was gonna drop right out of my chest.'
The negotiation with the old man had been a success. Thanks to it, I was pretty sure I could land a much better job than the one I had now. I felt bad saying it about Elder Baek-hyeon, who had taken me in, but the measly pay I earned running errands and doing odd jobs at the apothecary was basically pocket change that vanished the moment I bought a single piece of candy. It didn't even compare to the amount the old man had offered. On top of that, he'd promised to employ me for life at his own house unless something extraordinary happened. There was no real choice here.
'Guess I got lucky.'
Saving Dokgo Rin from the Inner Stream yesterday hadn't been done with any expectation of reward, but I wasn't stupid enough to turn down the compensation he offered in praise of my actions. Besides, I wasn't exactly in a position to be picky about hot water or cold.
Aside from arranging the job, the old man had given me a few silver coins, telling me to treat myself to something tasty. On the way home, I bought rice and meat and indulged in a proper feast for the first time in ages. It had been so long since I'd tasted such high-quality fat and premium protein. The flavor was so incredible that tears actually welled up in my eyes without me realizing it.
Anyway, after stuffing myself until my stomach was about to burst, the next day arrived. After explaining the situation to Elder Baek-hyeon, I headed back to the Dokgo Clan to receive my new job assignment—and only then did I realize one crucial fact a little too late.
Since the job was being arranged through the Dokgo Clan, it would obviously be connected to them. And in that case, the chances of running into Dokgo Rin—the protagonist of this world—again were extremely high.
"Ah, greetings, young miss."
As the newly appointed servant of the Dokgo Clan starting today, I offered a careful greeting. Dokgo Rin, standing right in front of me, smiled sweetly and said,
…If I ran back to the apothecary right now, would Elder Baek-hyeon take me back?
I briefly entertained that regret, but the water had already been spilled. There was no taking it back.
Dokgo Jin.
He was the 8th patriarch of the prestigious Dokgo Clan and one of the Ten Great Masters of the World, known in the Murim as the Absolute Sword. He had three children. Unlike his two sons, who had already grown up and started families of their own, his beloved daughter Dokgo Rin—born to him in his later years—was his one and only source of worry. A man who had lived long enough that death wouldn't be strange at any moment.
'Who would've thought that inheriting her mother's exceptional beauty would end up being a poison instead?'
Dokgo Rin's mother, Tang Mi-ryeong, had been so stunning in her youth that she was called Sichuan's Number One Beauty. But Dokgo Rin, who was only twelve years old, had not only inherited that same youthful beauty from her mother—she had surpassed it. Her looks were enough to captivate the young prodigies from countless prestigious righteous sects with nothing but her face. Matchmakers from all over were already flocking to her even though she hadn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet. There was no point in trying to describe just how breathtaking she was; it would only tire the mouth.
She was truly a girl who could one day be called the Number One Beauty of the Murim without anyone batting an eye. That was Dokgo Jin's daughter, Dokgo Rin.
'It would've been better if she had been born just a little less beautiful.'
With that thought in mind, Dokgo Jin quietly watched his daughter, who had been smiling brightly all day long.
"Rin-ah. What has you smiling like that without stopping?"
Dokgo Rin didn't bother hiding her beaming smile as she answered in an excited voice.
"Hehe, it's because Father said he would make Chilbok that child's exclusive servant. It makes me so happy."
"Is that matter so pleasing to you?"
"Of course it is. My savior and future husband will be staying by my side. How could I not be happy?"
"…What?"
For a moment, Dokgo Jin's face went completely blank. Then he snapped back to his senses and exploded in anger.
"Nonsense! What kind of talk is that! Even if he did save your life, calling a little street beggar boy your future husband!"
But instead of shrinking back from her father's thunderous scolding, Dokgo Rin's once sparkling eyes suddenly darkened like an endless abyss.
"Father. Could you take back what you just said?"
The moment Dokgo Jin met his daughter's gaze, an involuntary chill ran down his spine.
'What?! A master in the Transcendent realm like me… got scared for a second?!'
Startled, Dokgo Jin looked down at his own trembling hands. The overwhelming pressure that had weighed on him like a mirage had already vanished. Feeling dazed, he asked,
"W-what are you saying?"
"My husband is not some street beggar boy."
Faced with his daughter's resolute demeanor—something he had never seen before—Dokgo Jin's expression turned slightly sullen.
"…I admit I may have been a bit harsh calling him a street beggar boy. He did save your life, after all."
"Right?"
"However, I cannot overlook you calling him your husband. No matter what, there is a difference in status between you two…!"
Even though she was his precious daughter whom he wouldn't mind keeping in his eyes forever, there were lines Dokgo Jin could not cross. He spoke in a firm tone.
"As long as there is breath left in this body, it will never happen!"
Dokgo Rin flinched for a moment, her hand twitching. Then she fell into deep thought before nodding.
"I understand. Then let's talk about this later."
"Later?"
"I meant we should discuss marriage after I have my coming-of-age ceremony."
"Ah…."
It still felt a bit off, but since it seemed like she was willing to follow his words for now, Dokgo Jin felt relieved.
'She's still young and doesn't know any better, so she's being stubborn. Once she goes to the academy and meets more handsome boys, her mind will change.'
On the other hand, he felt a little hurt that his youngest daughter, who had been calling him "Daddy, Daddy" and acting cute just a few days ago, was suddenly showing such a cold attitude.
'They say girls hit puberty early. I guess it's true.'
Of course, the only one who knew the real truth was Dokgo Rin, the regressor.
After switching to my new job, it was my first day at work.
Starting today, I was officially a servant of the Dokgo Clan. My first task was to clean a room, and that was when I came face-to-face with the person I least wanted to meet.
Dokgo Rin.
She was the protagonist of The Heavenly Poison Witch, the trashy murim novel I had read ten times back when I was a hot-blooded high schooler. According to the original story, as the youngest daughter of the prestigious Dokgo Clan, Dokgo Rin had grown up showered with love from her entire family. She was supposed to be a charming, affectionate girl without a single wrinkle of worry on her face.
But that happiness was shattered on the day she turned fourteen. The leader of the Murim Alliance, Wiji Cheon, who had come to visit her father, lusted after her stunning beauty. He colluded with the second son, Dokgo Seok, who coveted the position of patriarch, and literally tore the entire clan to pieces.
Because the original story began right after the clan's destruction, there had been almost no description of her childhood. But the Dokgo Rin standing in front of me seemed to have a personality that was the complete opposite of charming.
"Um… young miss?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"If you don't have any particular business with me, may I go somewhere else? It feels like I've been slacking off for a whole hour now."
"No particular business? Aren't you currently serving as my lap pillow?"
Dokgo Rin, who was lying with her head on my lap, said that while lightly tapping my calf with her palm.
"Making my head comfortable is also part of your duty as my servant."
"R-right…."
I nodded with an awkward smile, thinking to myself. Honestly, she'd asked me to do it, so I did—but no matter how I looked at it, this was weird. The Dokgo Rin I knew from the original story didn't have this kind of personality at all.
'Could it be that my existence, which wasn't in the original story, has changed her personality?'
Having been a web novel addict in my previous life, I was well aware of this cliché. It was actually pretty common for the protagonist's personality or surrounding circumstances to change when a character who didn't exist in the original work appeared.
While I was analyzing the cause of Dokgo Rin's personality shift, she suddenly bolted upright from where she had been resting on my lap.
"Whoa!"
"More importantly, Chilbok."
"Yes?"
"I'm pretty sure I clearly told you to call me Rin with affection, didn't I?"
"Ah, well, you see… No matter how you look at it, it seems inappropriate for an employee to call the employer's daughter like that in so many ways…"
But Dokgo Rin completely ignored my words and spoke firmly.
"Try saying 'Miss Rin.'"
"…Miss Rin."
"Good boy. Well done."
Treating me like an adorable little child, Dokgo Rin stroked my head and smiled brightly as she said,
"I like it when you call me Rin. Do you dislike it?"
"No, I don't particularly dislike it, but the relationship between me and the young miss…"
"Shh."
Dokgo Rin narrowed her eyes and pressed her index finger against my lips.
"A man who talks too much isn't charming at all."
"……."
What the hell am I supposed to do with that?
She was only around the age of an upper-grade elementary school student, yet she was trying to act like a fatally seductive woman. I stared at her in disbelief before asking,
"Miss Rin, may I ask you just one thing?"
"You seem curious about me. Ask me anything."
I looked at her with a blank stare as she once again pretended to be mature, placing her hand on her chest in an old-fashioned manner, and asked,
"Miss Rin, why do you talk like such a little old lady?"
"…Hm?"
For a moment, it seemed like she didn't understand what I said. She blinked at me with wide eyes. Then, as if she had finally come back to reality, her face suddenly turned bright red with a loud poof!