Why am I the Princess?

The house was enormous, resembling a palace more than a residence.

“Hello… I’m Siyoon’s dad,” Dad greeted.
“Ah! Please hold on a moment~!”

The cheerful voice from the intercom was followed by the gate opening. A sharply dressed security guard appeared and courteously guided us inside.

“Siyooon~!”

As the main gate swung open, Dayeon came sprinting from the yard, her face lit with joy. She looked like an overexcited puppy, her expression full of eagerness as she dashed toward me.

“Dayeon! Don’t run like that—you’ll fall!”

Behind her stood Kim Sunhwa, Dayeon’s mother. Dad greeted her politely with a slight bow.

“Hello, I’m Siyoon’s dad.”
“Oh? Ji… ho?”

Dad scratched his cheek awkwardly, nodding.

“Oh my goodness! I’m such a fan!”

Her words were no exaggeration. The moment we entered the house, I noticed Dad’s music playing softly in the background.

“Wow… Siyoon’s dad is Jiho? I’m honestly shocked. No wonder Siyoon is so beautiful…”
“Ah, thank you. And I was equally surprised to learn that Dayeon’s parents are the Hanseong CEO and his wife.”

Kim Sunhwa gracefully gestured toward the luxurious sofa in the guestroom, inviting us to sit.

“Oh, please! Compared to you, that’s nothing~ Siyoon, do you know how amazing your dad is?”
“Yes.”
“Oh… you do?”

Dayeon had already made herself comfortable next to me, fiddling with a doll.

“Do you want this?” she asked, holding out the doll.
“Dayeon! That’s your favorite doll!” her mother exclaimed.
“I like Siyoon more.”

Kim Sunhwa laughed as she poured tea for Dad, then turned to me with a warm smile.

“Siyoon, you must feel so special.”

I picked up the frilly rabbit doll and examined it before handing it back.

“What’s its name?”
“Antonio!”
“Isn’t that a boy’s name?”
“He is a boy!”
“…Huh?”

The doll suddenly struck me as oddly pitiable. Dressed in a delicate lace dress with rosy cheeks, Antonio’s outward appearance didn’t align with his given name. He reminded me of myself.

Curious, I lifted the doll’s skirt repeatedly, prompting Dad to shoot me a strange look. Meanwhile, a boy who had been hiding behind Kim Sunhwa peeked at me shyly.

“Jungyeon, say hi to Siyoon,” she encouraged.
“Uh… h-hi.”

I glanced at the nervous boy and gave him a small nod.

“Hi~”
“…..”

Blushing deeply, he retreated further behind his mom.

“Oh my! Jungyeon, do you like Siyoon too?”
“…..”

“I’ve never seen Jungyeon this shy before. It’s adorable!”

Given how my appearance had been turning heads lately, such reactions were becoming routine. Kim Sunhwa, still looking at me, smiled fondly.

“Siyoon… you’re growing up to be scarily beautiful. One day, you’ll have all the boys wrapped around your finger.”

Her words made Dad chuckle awkwardly.

“Haha… thank you.”
“Oh goodness, where are my manners? Auntie~”

Kim Sunhwa stood and called for a woman she referred to as “Auntie.” Together, they returned carrying a tray laden with tea and snacks.

“Please help yourselves. Auntie made these cookies—they’re delicious.”

Skeptical, I picked up a cookie, thinking, How good can a cookie really be?

But the moment I took a bite, I was transported to heaven.

“Ah…”

I closed my eyes briefly, savoring the taste. Kim Sunhwa noticed my reaction and smiled warmly.

“Is it good?”
“…Yes.”

Dad took a bite as well and couldn’t hide his amazement.

“These are… incredible. Truly amazing.”

As I continued eating the cookies in a trance, Kim Sunhwa spoke again.

“If you come over often, you can have them every day.”

I glanced at Dad, then nodded confidently.

“I can just have Dayeon deliver them.”

Declaring my plan to use Dayeon as a cookie courier in front of her parents caused an awkward silence to fall over the room.

“…..”

Kim Sunhwa blinked at me in disbelief. I turned to Dayeon, unfazed, and grinned.

“Want to play an English game?”
“Yeah!”
“…Fine, I’ll send cookies with her,” muttered Kim Sunhwa, a mix of amusement and resignation on her face.

Even the most composed adult couldn’t seem to outmaneuver a precocious four-year-old.

The adults sipped coffee while the children drank milk. Even the milk here tasted different—richer, creamier. I couldn’t help but wonder how Dayeon and Jungyeon stayed so slim with food like this around.

“Siyoon’s developing quite a refined palate… everything here is just too good.”
“Oh dear, that’s not ideal! Why not just come live with us?”

Kim Sunhwa laughed, and the conversation continued to flow smoothly, touching on various lighthearted topics.

I had already noted that Dayeon seemed sharper than her older brother, Jungyeon. Of course, my perspective was skewed by my reincarnated mind, but everyone knew that Hanbit Kindergarten was full of exceptionally bright children.

While I was mulling over this observation, Jungyeon returned with a small violin in hand, looking eager to show me something. Without hesitation, he positioned himself and began to play.

Dad, visibly impressed, clapped softly.

“Wow… that’s incredible!”
“Really?” Jungyeon’s eyes sparkled with pride.
“Is being a violinist your dream? You’re really talented.”

Dad walked over to Jungyeon, gently adjusting his posture.

“Here, hold this part like this.”

Though Dad wasn’t an expert in violin, his sincerity about music was evident in the way he carefully guided Jungyeon.

“Oh my, that’s exactly what his violin teacher said!” Kim Sunhwa exclaimed, clearly impressed.
“Is that so?” Dad replied modestly.

Meanwhile, I continued teaching Dayeon English but kept stealing glances at Jungyeon and his violin.

“Siyoon, do you want to try?” Dad asked, noticing my interest.

“No, I’m good. If I do it well, Dad might cry again.”
“…..”

Dad scratched his cheek awkwardly while the others chuckled at my remark.

“Siyoon, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Kim Sunhwa asked, sipping her coffee.

I paused, milk still on my lips, before answering.

“Hm… maybe an assassin who rules the shadows? I think I’d call myself ‘Abyss.’”
“…What?”

I chuckled as I nibbled on a cookie, the memories of my past life surfacing momentarily.

“Or maybe… a PE teacher? A soldier? If not, then perhaps a reclusive martial arts master…”
“…..”

Dad raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but uncertain if I was joking, as I often did. He remained silent, waiting for me to say something more.

But this time, I wasn’t kidding.

Without another word, I sat down on the floor and began crafting a custom English lesson for Dayeon. Dad’s expression grew serious as he watched me, his gaze steady, as though trying to figure me out.

“Are you serious?”
“…Siyoon seems to be, doesn’t she?”

I wandered into what looked like a study.

“Wow…”
“You’re not supposed to be in here.”

Dayeon grabbed my arm, her wide eyes staring up at me.

“Why not?”
“This is where Dad works.”
“Then it’s fine as long as we’re quiet and don’t make a mess.”

Her eyes grew even rounder at my reasoning.

“…Is that true?”
“Yup.”

I climbed onto a chair with some effort and began skimming through the documents on the desk.

“Do you know what any of this means?” she asked.
“Nope.”

I meant it. While I could read the words, the content was far too complex for me to decipher. As I flipped through the pages, Lee Jinseok walked in.

He must have already spoken with Dad because his expression suggested he recognized me. His face bore faint scars—a testament to the time he had taken a knife for his father.

Dayeon greeted him hesitantly, both happy and nervous about possibly being scolded.

“Hi, Dad…”

Lee Jinseok picked her up and turned his attention to me.

“You’re Siyoon, right? You’re very pretty.”
“I know.”
“…Oh?”
“Yup.”

He chuckled, though my bluntness seemed to throw him off.

I continued flipping through the documents confidently, prompting him to ask, “Do you understand what any of that means?”

“No.”

My unabashed response left him momentarily speechless before he chuckled again.

“Why is the word ‘platform’ in here?” I asked suddenly.
“What?”
“A platform is a train station, isn’t it? So why… Oh, I get it.”

I didn’t even look at the printouts as I began asking about unfamiliar terms.

“ROE, EBITDA, short selling, disclosure cases, current ratio, retained losses, net losses…”

Lee Jinseok eventually sat down beside me, patiently explaining each term.

“You’re very smart.”
“I know.”

For a moment, the chorus of an old Korean pop song played in my head.

“I knooow~”

“….”

Apparently, my humor was lost on him.

As I sat there, surrounded by the warmth of this family, I couldn’t help but notice how different they were from the corporate families I’d encountered in my past life. Those families—especially ones like S Corporation—were rife with internal power struggles, with family members constantly at each other’s throats.

Had I been in S Corporation’s study, I’d have witnessed endless corruption and deceit. But here, the study felt like a haven—a room designed for genuine collaboration and growth, not intrigue.

I glanced at Dayeon, her bright smile and innocent laugh filling the room. A pang of guilt tugged at my heart.

What have I done?

Lee Jinseok leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, a look of disbelief on his face.

“…Genius… I never thought I’d use that word myself.”
“Oh my, is she really that remarkable?”

He recalled his first impression of Siyoon—a four-year-old with long, flowing black hair and doll-like features, confidently flipping through sensitive company documents as if they were a children’s storybook.

The papers on the desk weren’t just random reports; they contained critical business strategies. Even a few remembered phrases could cause significant problems if leaked.

And yet, this child sat there calmly, asking questions about complex terms with the poise of someone much older.

His own children often entered the study but never interacted with anything meaningful. They couldn’t even remember the titles of the books lining the shelves. He had deliberately designed the study to feel intimidating, a space that demanded respect and focus.

But Siyoon? She acted as though the room was a playground. She flipped through the documents, occasionally asking questions, then closed them as if she had fully understood everything.

A child who should still be nestled in her family’s arms… yet who left the study with a finger to her lips, playfully signaling for secrecy.

Even among gifted children, Siyoon stood out. His daughter, Dayeon, was undeniably bright—already building a strong foundation in foreign languages. He didn’t doubt her genius.

But Siyoon? She wasn’t just intelligent. She was something else entirely.

Lee Jinseok recalled a quote from his old university professor:

“When someone’s difference from us is unmistakable, we call them a genius.”