Translator: Pai_

Thud!

Mun Su-ho returned to his guard post and shut the door. He'd been in such a rush that he couldn't even remember what excuse he'd given his sister before bolting.

He looked over the Prophecy Newspaper's flyer once more.

【Surge in Interest!】

【Source Mun Si-ah's Fame: ★ (1 Star)】

【Due to the increased level of interest in this Source, this publication will issue one Special Feature article on the individual known as Mun Si-ah.】

【A Special Edition exclusive to this Source has been unlocked!】

"It's real!"

He read it far more carefully than when he'd been with his sister earlier, but not a single character had changed.

The meaning of those lines on the flyer was clear.

'So every time someone around me gains Fame, these exclusive Special Feature articles get unlocked one by one......!?'

Su-ho tried to piece together how this whole system worked, even amid his shock.

Fortunately, he was well-versed in the inner workings of newspapers. It didn't take long for him to sort things out in his head.

“...Of course. Naturally. Even if two Sources both gave information about a war, the testimony of some common soldier and the remarks of a field commander can't possibly hold equal value.”

Sources had what you might call a "tier" to them.

Every newspaper wanted to be the first to secure quality information. But that kind of premium intel didn't flow from your average, run-of-the-mill pipeline.

If you wanted to land Special Editions and breaking news before the competition, you had to tap into Sources of a higher tier.

"And just now...... Si-ah's tier as a Source for the Prophecy Newspaper went up."

There was no need to ask why. The reason was obvious.

'She got famous. Articles about how she and I stopped the bombing have been scattered all over the Royal Capital!'

Exactly right.

Just as he and his sister had seen together moments ago, the renown of the Su-ho and Si-ah siblings had risen to incomparable heights.

Granted, if you grabbed a random passerby on the streets of the Royal Capital and asked, you'd be lucky to get an answer like "Oh, that gatekeeper who's supposed to be decent with a bow?" But even that was a monumental leap forward.

The hardest part was always crossing from zero to one. And today, the two siblings had cleared exactly that hurdle.

"An exclusive Special Feature! Let's read the Special Feature first!"

Mun Su-ho rummaged through the Prophecy Newspaper. With a soft rustle, another newspaper that had been tucked inside revealed itself.

A Special Edition. Not the regular morning paper published on a daily schedule, but a special bulletin printed only when something noteworthy occurred.

"So this is the Special Feature about Si-ah!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Su-ho snapped the Special Edition open.

Whether this might be an invasion of his sister's privacy... that sort of past-life thinking was naturally ignored. This was the kingdom, and Mun Su-ho considered himself, in his own estimation, a supremely loyal subject.

And yet.

『A “Missing Item” Even Mun Si-ah Herself Doesn't Know About!?』

『The surprise birthday gift prepared by her two biological older brothers. Never once revealed to Mun Si-ah, it ultimately remained buried in secrecy....』

Upon reading the headline of the Special Edition, Mun Su-ho couldn't help blinking several times, if only for a brief moment.

"Si-ah's two biological older brothers? ......Could it mean my hyungnims?"

Mun Geum originally had three sons. The eldest, the second, and the youngest, the last of whom was the very Mun Su-ho now holding the Prophecy Newspaper.

Mun Su-ho had always called the eldest and the second son "hyungnim" in a mild, affable manner. From the hyungnims' perspective, of course, Su-ho was nothing more than an inconvenient illegitimate child.

Ten months ago, the eldest and second sons had been conscripted for the kingdom's war. Shortly after, word arrived that both had been killed in the same battle.

This tragedy had very nearly destroyed the Gatekeeper Clan.

Mun Geum's father (Su-ho's grandfather) had collapsed from illness and still hadn't risen from his sickbed. Mun Geum himself had staked everything on the Bear-Light Stone investment, failed, and nearly died.

「When it was confirmed that the eldest and second sons would be heading off to war, on that very night, their younger sister Mun Si-ah secretly went to her brothers and tearfully begged them not to leave her behind.」

「But the brothers could not grant their sister's wish. If they refused yet another conscription, the clan's loyalty would come under suspicion, and besides, most of their peers had already enlisted....」

「In the end, Mun Si-ah screamed in grief and fury. According to this paper's reporting, she hurled curses and profanities too severe to print, including declarations such as "I will never treat you as my oppas again."」

「From that day forward, Mun Si-ah did not exchange a single word with her biological brothers.」

Partway through reading, Mun Su-ho tilted his head.

"Something like that happened?"

Su-ho had absolutely no memory of this.

Which was only natural. Before the Prophecy Newspaper came along, Mun Su-ho had been almost entirely excluded from family affairs.

On the very day the eldest and second sons had departed through the castle gates for war, all Su-ho had done was wave his arm and call out, "Aigoo, safe travels! Hyungnims!"

"......Ah. Now that I think about it, Si-ah didn't come to see them off that day."

He'd wondered at the time why a girl who adored her older brothers so much hadn't shown up to say goodbye. As it turned out, she'd been so furious at her brothers for refusing her plea that she'd boycotted the send-off entirely.

"Huh."

Su-ho felt a strange sense of wonder.

'Up until now, the Prophecy Newspaper has only ever shown me articles about the future.'

'Even the Potion of Loyalty that some Celestial Warrior lost in the lost-and-found storage decades ago only came to light because of a future event where Father would end up drinking it.'

'But.......'

He looked down at the Special Edition article on Mun Si-ah.

"This is an article entirely about the past."

Indeed it was.

In a way, this was precisely what befitted a Special Edition of the Prophecy Newspaper. Because rather than following the regular morning paper's nature of "prophesying" the future, it instead shed light on an event buried in someone's memory.

The eldest and second sons, who had been brothers to Si-ah and hyungnims to Su-ho, were already dead. They were the departed. How could the regular Prophecy Newspaper have ever covered them?

"Wait. Then does that mean the last conversation Si-ah ever had with the hyungnims was...... that day? The day the article says they fought?"

The day she'd poured out curses in their quarrel.

「The younger sister was not the only one who worried about her brothers. The brothers, too, were troubled that their sister had been hurt.」

The newspaper continued to report on an event that no one was left alive to testify about.

For it was the calling of a newspaper to speak on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves.

「Their sister was well-known for taking both her affections and her grudges to the bitter end. The brothers feared that even if they distinguished themselves in battle and returned home, they would be met with their sister's icy gaze for all eternity.」

「And so, the eldest and second sons hatched a plan to secretly prepare a surprise birthday gift for their sister.」

「Their resolution was this: for their sister, who was such a natural penny-pincher that she was stingy about buying anything for herself, they would have a debut dress for high society custom-made on her behalf.」

"Oh......."

As Su-ho recalled, his sister had no interest in high society whatsoever.

For one thing, their aunt was an absolute socialite fiend. Watching someone pour every waking moment outside of work into the social scene from the sidelines made a person instinctively mutter, "That's a bit much, isn't it?"

On top of that, social activities in the Royal Capital cost a fortune. Nobles who were professionally obligated to lead the social scene were one thing. But for someone like Mun Si-ah, whose career path was firmly set, the benefits of paying that kind of money just didn't add up.

That was how he'd always seen it.

'But maybe......'

'Was it bec⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ause of my mother?'

Mun Su-ho found himself looking at this from a slightly different angle.

It was the first time in his life he'd done so.

And given that it was the very calling of a newspaper to invite its readers to see things from a different angle, at least in this moment, Mun Su-ho could be called an excellent subscriber.

'Because my mother had an affair with Father and gave birth to me, the legal wife of our family... that is, the biological mother of the hyungnims and Si-ah, wasted away with grief and passed on......'

'Once Si-ah starts moving in high society circles, there's no way that story won't be pinned to her like a tag.'

Above all, there was no telling how much their socialite-fiend aunt had been seasoning and spreading that story over the past decade-p⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lus.

Every rumor, true or false, was probably running around with a life of its own by now.

'Would Si-ah actually want to go anywhere near that kind of social scene?'

No.

'Then, would the hyungnims, who shared that same pain, have felt nothing watching Si-ah deal with it?'

No.

'So that's why the hyungnims were going to have a dress made for her!'

'Because custom-made dresses are insanely expensive. Once it's been made, it's not exactly easy to return.'

'Knowing Si-ah's personality, there's a solid chance she'd debut in high society just to get her money's worth.'

'Aha! And when it comes to who'd escort her for her first debut, her brothers would be the obvious choice, so they could smoothly patch things up then......'

Mun Su-ho was impressed.

"Brilliant! So that was the hyungnims' plan."

But the day that plan would see the light was gone.

「The eldest and second sons pooled their money and commissioned a dress for their sister at the Nacheon Dress Shop, which employed a famous tailor from the Bedrock Faction. This was only possible because all the siblings' measurements had already been recorded earlier that year when they'd had new armor fitted.」

「They arranged for the dress to be delivered precisely on their sister's birthday. They took every precaution to ensure the operation would not leak to Mun Si-ah's ears....」

Su-ho read the next paragraph.

「The two brothers were killed in action.」

As Mun Su-ho's gaze passed over what he had already read, the text shrank on its own, making way for the sentences to follow.

「The dress the brothers commissioned was already completed two months ago, and now awaits only the delivery on Mun Si-ah's birthday.」

「However, as a security measure, the brothers had arranged to send a letter to the Nacheon Dress Shop so that the shipment would only proceed once their personal seals were verified.」

「If that letter is not sent by the deadline, the dress the brothers prepared will never reach Mun Si-ah....」

Knock, knock!

Just then, someone rapped on the door of the guard post.

—Open up, illegitimate child. I'm here to return the newspapers since I'm done reading them.

Mun Su-ho rose from his seat but hurried to finish reading the article.

「But this was the brothers' final safeguard.」

「If neither of them returned, it would mean that Mun Si-ah would spend the rest of her life regretting the abuse she'd hurled at her brothers that night.」

「If, on top of that, a birthday dress arrived as a gift, Mun Si-ah would not be able to bear it and would break down entirely.」

「Thus, until this paper investigated the matter as a Special Edition feature, there was no way for anyone in this world to discover that Mun Si-ah's dress actually existed....」

After confirming all of that, Mun Su-ho opened the door. A gust of dawn air, still hard to call winter just yet, squeezed through the gap.

His sister standing in the doorway, too, was not yet bundled up for winter.

"Here. Take them. Thanks for the free read."

"Mm. Yeah......."

"This is the grace befitting a legitimate daughter like me. When you enter someone else's guard post, you knock on the door. The door. Don't just barge in and fling it open like you do. If you please, illegitimate child ssi. Understood?"

Mun Si-ah shoved the bundle of newspapers at him without delay. It was a p⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠loy to keep him from noticing the articles she'd secretly clipped and collected.

"Oh, and Dad just told me. You're being promoted to mid-class gatekeeper, so come prepare for the exam. You know what the exam is, right? Successfully conducting gate inspections through one full night."

"Mm."

"......What. You're not even surprised? Well, aren't you something. Anyway, Dad says to come out for lunch together. Don't forget."

His sister standing before him had no way of knowing, but for Mun Su-ho, the promotion was already a foregone conclusion. After yesterday's back-to-back home runs of subduing a bomb-terrorist and then killing a Gang Qi User fugitive.

The information he was curious about right now was something else entirely.

"My dear little sister. When was your birthday again?"

"......? What's this, out of nowhere. You've never cared about that stuff."

Si-ah scoffed.

"Well, at least you're quick on the uptake. You already know and you're just asking, right? October 19th."

"......."

"I only accept cash for gifts, so don't bother preparing anything else. This isn't a hint or anything, just engrave it into that skull of yours."

A glance.

Mun Su-ho looked at the Prophecy Newspaper. Not the Special Edition that had been published specially this time, but the morning paper delivered every day.

There, as always, was the date and the weather.

【Prophecy Newspaper - Clan Newsletter】

【Kingdom Calendar Year 996, October 19th】

【Yesterday's Weather: Clear】

October 19th.

Tomorrow was his sister's birthday.

* * *

After seeing his sister off.

"Oh, what am I to do?"

Mun Su-ho lamented to himself.

'Carrying on the wishes of my dead hyungnims and giving Si-ah the perfect birthday. That could be called the textbook example of proper brotherly love......'

'At the same time, if I can trigger a Correction of False Report on this Special Edition, the Prophecy Newspaper will surely be so moved by our touching sibling bond that it'll gift me a massive pile of Subscription Points!'

He could vividly feel every last shred of his conscience rallying together in unanimous resolution.

"As a brother. And as a subscriber of the Prophecy Newspaper, no matter what it takes, I will deliver my sister the greatest birthday gift of all!"

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, there was no one in the guard post to question whether his resolve was truly as selfless as he claimed. Even Mun Si-ah, the sole candidate for that role, had already handed off the newspapers and taken off.

Thanks to that, Mun Su-ho was free to bask in the familial love welling up in his chest and lose himself in his own happy deliberation.

"Hmm."

He opened the Prophecy Newspaper.

This time it wasn't the Special Edition feature, but the regular morning paper, the October 19th Clan Newsletter in which tomorrow's events were faithfully prophesied.

After all, who knew? Perhaps the Prophecy Newspaper had a solution to his dilemma magically embedded somewhere within!

True to form, the Prophecy Newspaper never failed to deliver, and had once again prepared articles that captured its subscriber's attention.

『Obsidian Baron to Privately Observe a Moment of Mourning on the Anniversary of His Grandson's Death... Vassals Barred from Attending.』

『Baron's House Head Warrior to Dine This Evening with Royal Capital Guards South Gate Guard Captain. Discussion of Future Cooperation Expected.』

『In the Early Hours of Today, Aunt Loses Consciousness During Night Duty and Falls into a Coma!』

Of these, the article that hooked Mun Su-ho's attention was, without question, the third.

"Auntie's going to fal⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠l into a coma?"

At the news that his aunt was slated to become a vegetable by tomorrow's early hours, that is, once tonight passed, he quickly straightened in his seat. Then he focused on the article.

「At approximately 2 AM today, the 19th, an incident occurred in which the aunt, Mun Jeong ssi, lost consciousness while performing night duty. This misfortune caused the cancellation of Mun Si-ah ssi's birthday celebration.」

「The full account of the incident is as follows. The hours between 1 and 3 AM are a time when monsters and ghosts are at their most active, and gatekeepers on night duty during this window are particularly on edge.」

「It was precisely during this window that the aunt encountered a vicious Wraith and collapsed. The damage to her mind was so severe that part of her soul was lost.」

「At the time of the incident, specialists were present alongside Mun Jeong ssi to prevent exactly this kind of event, but they appear to have had no effect. In fact, they too have since gone missing....」

"......!"

Su-ho's eyes lit up.

It wasn't the words "monsters" and "ghosts" that startled him. All manner of sinister beings ro⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amed freely in this world, after all.

If this had been back when his modern sensibilities from his past life still lingered, perhaps. But by now, Su-ho was utterly unfazed by ghost stories. Treason was far scarier than any ghost.

The reason his eyes had lit up was a different part entirely.

"If I want my sister's birthday to not get cancelled, the first thing I need to do is prevent Auntie from passing out tonight!"

A broad smile bloomed across Mun Su-ho's face.

He decided to call it [Prepare the Perfect Birthday for My Little Sister] Operation.

As a good plan had just come to him.

****

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