The Scoundrel Has Changed!!!!!
The news that Park Jinwoo had woken from his coma spread through the mansion like wildfire. In no time at all, it became the hottest topic among the servants.
“Hey, did you hear? They say the young master’s awake!”
“What?! For real? Damn… what a shame. Would’ve been better if he just kicked the bucket…”
“Shh! Watch your mouth! If the madam hears you, we’re all dead!”
Even so, the memory of how much he’d tormented them made their teeth grind.
“I know he’s a bastard, but seriously, be careful. If the madam catches us talking like this…”
-Click…!
The sharp sound of heels cut through their whispers.
“Shh! Shh!!”
“Eep…!”
Down the long corridor, elegant footsteps rang out with absolute authority.
-Click…! Click…!
The tall stiletto heels struck the hard floor with every measured step. The hem of her dress swayed beautifully as she moved, while her hands, clasped modestly in front of her, radiated perfect poise. Wide hips, a narrow waist, and a full bosom that made it hard to believe she was a mother in her forties. Her figure was simply flawless.
But that wasn’t all. The fair skin visible beneath her dress was smooth and taut, without a single wrinkle. Could this woman truly be in her forties? And yet she was. Every step she took resembled that of a runway model. Her jet-black hair, falling past her shoulders, caught the light with every movement, radiating power. Most striking of all were her clear, elegant features set against milk-white skin. Large eyes framed by long lashes marked her as a true beauty, and her magic-infused crimson pupils gazed straight ahead.
The maids who caught her glance quickly bowed their heads.
“G-Good morning, Madam!”
“You look as radiant as ever!”
“Carry on with your duties.”
She offered nothing more. Leaving only those brief words, Park Chiyou continued down the corridor with an indifferent expression. The sheer charisma radiating from her was enough to overwhelm anyone in her path.
“As expected of Madam Park Chiyou. That magic power is no joke…”
“Every time I see her, I’m reminded why they called her the Helen Keller of the magical girl world.”
Park Chiyou. Current head of the Parkmyeol Park family. A legendary retired combat healer who had been one of the most famous magical girls in their circles. Of course, after losing her virginity to marry and bear children, she had lost her magical girl powers. Even so, the magic she still wielded could not be underestimated.
-Click… Click…!
Arriving in front of the door without hesitation, Park Chiyou knocked firmly.
-Knock, knock.
“Are you awake?”
She called out to her son with little expectation.
“Yes, Mother.”
“…?”
The polite response caught her completely off guard. The Park Jinwoo she knew would have simply ignored her.
What is this? Even his voice sounds different.
The feeling was entirely off. It wasn’t the same aura as before. Still, she needed to see his face. She opened the door and stepped inside.
“Hoo! Hah! Hoo— haa!!”
The moment the door opened, rough breathing filled the room.
“J-Jinwoo?”
“Hoo… Haa…! Good morning, Mother!!”
Jinwoo stood there shirtless, performing bodyweight exercises. Sweat poured down his entire frame from the intense workout, and his muscles were pumped up, looking even more massive than usual.
“Goodness, the smell! Why haven’t you opened a window to air the room out?”
“My apologies, Mother!”
Jinwoo obediently moved to open the window at her words. Park Chiyou couldn’t hide her shock at his behavior.
He used to curse at me for even saying that. Why is he being so docile?
She had received a report from his exclusive maid that he had changed, but she never imagined it would be to this extent. First of all, those eyes were completely different. Before, they had held the savage glare of a wild beast that might kill someone at any moment. Now they were cool and resolute, like those of a disciplined soldier.
“Hoo… I’m sorry. If I had known you were coming, I would have showered first.”
Jinwoo wiped away the sweat with a towel and quickly threw on a shirt. Park Chiyou sat gracefully in a chair, doing her best to conceal her confusion, and spoke.
“So… how is your body, Jinwoo?”
“As you can see, I am in excellent condition!!”
He was definitely different. Even so, she had things she needed to say.
“I see. I hope this incident has finally knocked some sense into you. Do you have any idea how much shame you have brought upon our family?”
“I am deeply ashamed!!”
Jinwoo stood at perfect attention before her, eyes lowered respectfully as he listened to her lecture. This was not the son who used to ignore her scolding. Seeing him like this, Park Chiyou decided to press further and began listing his many offenses.
“If you were born a man, you should have stayed quiet and out of trouble. Why did you have to run around causing incidents everywhere you went?”
“I am sorry.”
“Your depraved lifestyle has harmed countless young ladies. Because of you, I’ve received complaints from multiple families.”
“I will correct my behavior!!”
“Really, you are just…”
The long lecture continued. The magical girl families held strong preferences for daughters, so Jinwoo, the only son among three children, had always been a sore point for Park Chiyou. It was only natural that she had been harsh with him. Of course she loved him—he was her flesh and blood. But he was also the son she could never love purely. A detestable child.
When magical girls gave birth, over ninety percent of the children were daughters. That was why, upon retiring, they were expected to marry quickly, bear children, and raise the next generation of magical girls. Yet she had failed with her youngest. A son, of all things…
The other family heads had mocked her relentlessly at social gatherings.
[Did you hear? You know the main family of the Parkmyeol Park clan? Their youngest is a boy~]
[Oh my! How unfortunate… Was it the husband’s seed that was the problem?]
[Who knows? Maybe the Parkmyeol bloodline itself is flawed.]
Every time she attended a social event, she had to endure such whispers. She had built honor and wealth as a magical girl, only to suffer such humiliation over a single son. How could she possibly feel any affection for the culprit, Park Jinwoo?
“Therefore, from now on, you will behave in a manner befitting the name of the Parkmyeol Park family. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mother!!”
“Hmm…”
“Mother?”
Park Chiyou stared at him silently for a moment before asking.
“You… are you really my son?”
Current Emotional State: Suspicion
Jinwoo felt a jolt in his chest. Just as she suspected, he wasn’t truly Park Jinwoo. He was merely someone else wearing the boy’s skin.
“Mother, as Maid Jiyeon reported, I have reflected deeply on everything I have done up to this point!”
Current Emotional State: Extreme Suspicion
“Therefore, I intend to live a new life from this moment forward. While completely erasing the past may be impossible, I will at least strive to become a man worthy of being the youngest son of the Parkmyeol Park family, a prestigious magical girl household!!”
At that moment, the insane probability passive granted by the proxy activated as usual.
Due to the passive effect, the target now feels favorable toward you more easily.
“...”
Current Emotional State: Surprise / Suspicion
It really was an excellent skill no matter how many times he saw it.
“I failed to recognize Mother’s love all this time. I sincerely apologize!!!”
“U-Uhm…”
Current Emotional State: Moved / Surprise / Faint Suspicion
He hadn’t completely erased her suspicion, but the effect was still tremendous. After all, it was impossible for a scoundrel who had acted like trash for so long to show such a drastic change in attitude in just a few minutes.
“Well… keep working on it.”
With a deep sigh, she rose gracefully from her seat and turned away.
“Hoo… At least he’s improving slowly.”
Jinwoo let out a sigh of relief.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t know the layout of the mansion.”
Deciding to take a light walk and explore, he changed out of his sleepwear. Not knowing what else to wear, he grabbed the plain black uniform hanging nearby, put it on, and left the room.
-Beep… Clack!
-Step… Step… Step…
He walked down the quiet corridor.
“Hiiiik!!”
“G-G-Good morning, Young Master!”
Whenever he made eye contact with servants along the way, they trembled in fear. This was the scoundrel who had rampaged wildly despite the madam’s scoldings. They had no idea what he might do if they displeased him even slightly, so they couldn’t help but stay tense.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work!!”
But instead of the cruelty they expected, Jinwoo’s response was kind.
-Step…
“Hik…!”
He stopped in front of one servant.
“Raise your head!”
“Y-Yes!!”
Is he going to hit me?!
The servant’s legs shook violently. He frantically tried to recall what he had done wrong, but nothing came to mind. The original Park Jinwoo had been the type to slap people for no reason whenever he was in a bad mood.
Bracing himself for a beating, the servant squeezed his eyes shut. Then Jinwoo’s hands moved toward him.
“Your necktie is crooked. As a servant of the Parkmyeol Park family, you must carry yourself properly!!”
“Ah… Y-Yes…”
Jinwoo placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and added lightly.
“Thanks to your constant care of the garden, our mansion remains beautiful. I truly appreciate it!”
“Y-Young Master…!”
Using his emotion skill, Jinwoo checked the servant’s information and confirmed the man was in charge of the gardens.
Due to the passive effect, the target now feels favorable toward you more easily.
“Ah…”
Of course, the old Park Jinwoo had never known or cared what the servants actually did. So these warm words of appreciation struck the servant with tremendous impact.
H-Has he been watching me all this time?
And not in a bad way, but a good one.
“I-I will work even harder, Young Master!”
Jinwoo’s high charisma stat was also at work. It made the servant open his heart faster. For some reason, he felt he could trust and follow this young master. It was an instinctive feeling, beyond doubt.
“Is that… really the young master?”
“N-No way…!”
“The young master smiled at someone…!”
“And he even gave praise? The world must be ending…!”
The worst scoundrel in the family had changed. The insane probability skill that had activated once also subtly affected those around him. Thanks to it, the servants now saw him in a completely new light.
-Step… Step… Step…
Jinwoo continued exploring the mansion with great interest. As expected of a prestigious family, the estate was far larger than he had imagined. The garden visible through the windows was enormous. It looked like you would need a car just to reach the main gate.
“Hmm?”
A faint sound reached his sharp ears. It wasn’t conversation. It sounded more like a girl groaning in pain.
“.....”
He quickly turned toward the source of the noise.
It was a secluded area behind the mansion, dark and tucked away where few people passed.
-Rustle… Rustle.
As he walked across the grass, the voices grew clearer.
“Huk…! Please! I’m begging you, Head Servant! Forgive me!!”
“I am truly disappointed in you, Hwang Jiyeon. I gave you the chance to finish off the young master, yet you failed!”
“Kk… Kkgh!”
“Because of you, the entire plan is ruined!”
“Kyaaagh!”
“How much effort did I put into that accident?! And you ruined it?!”
There was no mercy. A grown man was violently beating the small girl’s body.
Utter trash…
Jinwoo steeled his resolve and stepped forward without hesitation.
“That’s enough!!”
The head servant’s face snapped toward him.