In the aristocratic society of this world, chastity was the most important virtue.
In prestigious families where bloodline equated to power, protecting that lineage was equivalent to preserving the family itself.
Some families, particularly those obsessed with maintaining the purity of their bloodline, even resorted to highly unethical methods, making it unnecessary to further explain how important this concept of chastity was.
For male superhumans, who were inherently weaker than their female counterparts and whose only perceived value was to impregnate women, this standard was applied even more harshly.
Even in modern society, the culture that emphasized male chastity had only slightly softened, yet it still remained razor-sharp.
“I-I’m an outsider woman!
Haven’t you been taught what happens when a man recklessly reaches out to a woman?!
You… you vulgar thing!”
To think I’d be called a vulgar thing by a ten-year-old kid I had just met for the first time.
All I did was extend my hand in greeting, and in return, I got scolded with a red-faced outburst.
Rather than feeling angry, I was just dumbfounded.
Is this what noble chastity education is like?
But what exactly happens when a man reaches out to a woman?
Seeing such an exaggerated reaction made me a bit curious.
Even though I was a veteran player of The Tale of a Reversal Hero, there was no way I could know what happens when a man extends his hand to a woman.
It wasn’t in the game or the lore books.
There was no way for me to know.
Since I couldn’t hold back my curiosity as a long-time fan, I withdrew my hand and asked the kid, who was now fanning her flushed face with her tiny hands, exhaling hot breaths.
“What happens?”
“H-huh?”
“I asked what happens if I extend my hand to you.”
“Ugh…?!
Y-you really don’t know?”
“Is shaking hands supposed to be weird?”
“It’s not that shaking hands is weird… but…
What exactly do they teach in your family…?”
The kid mumbled with a suddenly serious expression before, for some reason, looking at me with a determined face.
“Well, not knowing something isn’t bad.
What’s bad is not trying to learn.
In that sense, you did a very good thing!
Acknowledging your own ign— um, what was the fancy word for not knowing something?”
“Ignorance?”
“Ah, that’s it!
Hah?!
I-I knew that word!
I just forgot for a moment!
Hmph, hmph!
Anyway, acknowledging your ignorance and, uh, working hard to, um…
Oh yeah, making an effort!
Making an effort to learn is very, very important!”
“I see.”
The kid, who had struggled to put her thoughts into words using what were probably difficult vocabulary words for a ten-year-old, still had a determined look in her eyes as she spoke.
“So, I’ll teach you!
The reason why a man must not extend his hand to a woman is…”
The mysterious sense of duty burning in the kid’s eyes came from the desire to satisfy my curiosity about my own ignorance.
After all, for someone who has been asked a question, the urge to show off their knowledge is difficult to resist.
Just as the kid’s eyes sparkled with excitement, about to explain to me why a man must not extend his hand to a woman—
“What’s all this commotion?”
A cold, no, downright frigid voice cut off the child’s words and resonated throughout the room.
“Huh?!
Y-young master!
Please, come over here, quickly!”
“Hmph.”
Step.
Step.
The footsteps were not particularly heavy, yet they carried an overwhelming sense of authority that silenced everyone in the room.
The attendant, who had been stunned by my unexpected gesture toward the child guest, suddenly snapped to attention and called out to me in a panic.
Even the once-confident kid immediately stiffened, unsure of what to do.
This was Yang Gajeong, the head of the Yang family.
The only person in this otherwise unimpressive noble family who had made a name for himself in the outside world.
“Y-young master…!”
“Ugh…”
Seeing the attendant fidget anxiously and the kid looking restless, I had no choice but to abandon my curiosity and move away.
Since I was the one who had left my seat, all I had to do was return to my place, and everything would be fine.
“Young Master Woobin!
This is so unlike you—what’s gotten into you all of a sudden?!”
As expected, the moment I returned to my spot beside the attendant, he immediately started scolding me.
And knowing his tendencies, I could already predict that this lecture would last for days.
Sigh, how long would it go on this time?
Given that I made a scene in front of so many people, it would probably last at least a month.
That was really annoying.
But, surprisingly, the scolding didn’t last long.
“Hah, H-head of the family…!”
“Yang Woobin.
Explain yourself.
What is the meaning of this commotion?”
At some point, Yang Gajeong had approached, cutting off the attendant’s rant with just her presence, and directed his question at me.
Her head remained facing forward, but her eyes alone shifted downward to look at me.
That gaze was not one of a mother looking at his child.
It was completely devoid of any warmth, resembling the way one might inspect livestock before they were shipped off to a factory.
Even though this was my first conversation with my mother in a long time, I couldn’t feel the slightest bit happy about it.
If I weren’t a reincarnator—if I were just a normal ten-year-old child—I probably would have been deeply hurt.
Thinking that it was a relief to be a reincarnator, I slightly lowered my head and answered Yang Gajeong’s question.
“I was taught to go out and greet honored guests upon their arrival, so I acted accordingly, head of the family.”
I left out the part about extending my hand to the kid, but that was an acceptable omission.
“Do not act recklessly.
You bear the blood of the Yang family, and you must never forget that your every action represents our name.”
This woman had no interest in me from the start.
Even the fact that he was asking me this question was nothing more than a way to put on a display—a performance to show the young guest that, as the head of the household, she was responsible for disciplining her son for his mistake.
Once this superficial exchange of questions and answers was over, the head’s gaze shifted from me to the child.
“Hmm.
Lady of the Jin family, it’s a pleasure to meet you.
I am Yang Gajeong, head of the Yang family.”
“A-Ah!
Y-Yes!
Hello!
My name is Jin Sejeong, the second daughter of the Jin family.
I-It’s an honor to meet you!”
When Yang Gajeong gestured lightly in greeting, the girl, clearly nervous, bent her waist at a full ninety-degree angle.
From what I knew, the Jin family ranked much higher than the Yang family in terms of noble hierarchy.
So why was she acting so submissively?
It didn’t quite make sense.
In the relationships between noble families, hierarchy was everything.
Normally, if a higher-ranked family ordered something, the lower-ranked family was expected to obey without question.
The world of superhumans was vast, but the aristocracy that revolved around noble bloodlines was extremely small.
If a lower-ranked noble family dared to challenge one above them, they would often get beaten down mercilessly.
In a superhuman society where power was law and order, this was the natural way of things.
Of course, this child was just a second daughter, while Yang Gajeong was the head of a household.
So, it was proper etiquette for her to show deference to an elder.
But bowing this deeply could actually put a slight blemish on the prestige of her family.
“I’ve heard the rumors.
Awakening at the age of ten, such a young age…
The Jin family must be truly blessed.
I envy you.”
“Ugh…
T-thank you!”
“Feel free to make yourself comfortable while you’re here.
This is also a great opportunity to cultivate your natural talents.
Well then, now that I’ve seen your face and exchanged greetings, I’ll take my leave.”
“A-Ah!
Y-Yes!
Thank you!
Please have a good day!”
Just like that, after briefly scolding me and exchanging a few words with the young girl, Yang Gajeong swiftly disappeared.
She was a busy woman, but even so, the way she moved with such mechanical efficiency—barely lingering for even a moment—made her seem less like a person and more like a machine.
“Ah, um, for now, why don’t we unpack your things?
I’ll show you to your room!”
“…Ah.
Yes!
Thank you!”
The brief silence left in Yang Gajeong’s wake was finally broken by Yubu, the attendant whose earlier scolding had been interrupted.
He quickly ran over, grabbing the young girl’s suitcases with both hands.
The girl, who had been lost in thought for a moment, seemed to shake off her concerns and regain her previous confident demeanor before following Yubu to her guest room.
Watching her small figure from behind, carrying luggage that seemed much larger than herself, I thought to myself:
“Awakened at ten years old…
That really is early.
And she comes from one of the higher-ranked noble families, the Jin family.
What an incredible genius.”
But why had such a prodigy suddenly come all the way here as a guest?
That, I still didn’t know.
As someone deeply familiar with The Tale of a Reversal Hero, I knew all about noble families—how they operated and, more importantly, what their futures held.
That’s why I couldn’t help but take an interest in Jin Sejeong’s path.
Because she was the daughter of a family destined to fall into ruin.
It made me curious.
How could a family with such a prodigy have collapsed so completely?
By the time the main story of The Tale of a Reversal Hero began—when the protagonist entered the academy—the Jin family had already suffered a spectacular downfall.