***
I am a reincarnator.
A reincarnator with memories of my past life.
From Earth, centered on electronics and mechanical engineering, I was granted new life in a fantasy world of magic and miracles.
My nationality changed from "Republic of Korea" to "Reinharts Kingdom."
My name from "Kim Min-ki" to "Adrian Lawrence."
My background shifted from an ordinary middle-class family to the second son of a viscount's household ruling a territory.
My past life's end was utterly pathetic.
Before dying, I was in the middle of military service when the truck I was riding—hauling us off for forced civilian support labor—flipped over.
The worst kind of dog death, no question.
Worse still, I had only a month left until discharge.
Back in the day, they said final-term privates got out of chores and bullshit duties, but apparently I was born in the wrong era, got posted to the wrong unit, and died at the unluckiest possible moment.
Thanks to that, right after reincarnating, I spent years tormented by thoughts of the family I left behind on Earth.
*'Whining won't fix anything. Right now, adapting to this new world comes first.'*
Fortunately, time healed the pain.
It took two full years to accept reality and resolve to adapt, though.
"Master Adrian is remarkably gifted. I've taught many young lords, but none have shown such exceptional aptitude."
My past life's memories brought suffering, but the life experience I'd built over twenty years became a huge asset in this new one.
While other kids my age rolled around playing without a care, my dedication to study let me convincingly play the part of a prodigy and earn recognition from those around me.
My father always looked at me with eyes full of expectation, which soon translated to better treatment.
But as I grew smarter, one regrettable fact emerged: my past life's knowledge wasn't much help in Rondel.
Sure, Rondel was a fantasy world, but it wasn't medieval—it boasted a civilization more advanced than 21st-century Earth.
The kind of world-revolutionizing innovations you see in webnovels using past-life knowledge? Impossible here.
All I could do was pour endless effort into academics to raise my own value.
"Urk..."
*Crash!*
But.
Life doesn't bend to effort alone.
"Adrian!"
I survived an assassination attempt by poison at age seven.
"You're incredibly fortunate. Any delay in treatment, and you'd have died."
I dodged a second consecutive dog death, but the incident was enough to instill a deep sense of crisis.
"Oh, Adrian, you have no idea how worried your auntie was. Are you alright?"
"Thank you for your concern."
No need to ask who did it.
My birth mother was a commoner concubine, and my father had a proper wife from a high noble house.
It had to be Anna, my half-brother Cedric's mother and Father's official wife.
Of course, there was no hard proof.
But the murderous glint in her eyes during her "sick visit" is burned into my memory forever.
Her gaze seemed to say:
*'Know your place as a concubine's whelp.'*
Who would've thought she'd bare her fangs so openly.
Bold, if you put it kindly. Reckless, if you don't.
The problem was that her recklessness worked.
I could've fought back out of spite if it were just me, but I couldn't risk her claws turning on my birth mother.
Sure, plenty of retainers kept an eye on me, but that was just interest—nothing compared to Anna's power base.
I considered asking Father for help but ultimately didn't.
No guarantee he'd side with me over her, and stirring things up might just make trouble.
*'Damn it. What's the point of a developed world if the political system's this backward? Feudal bullshit.'*
This wasn't democratic South Korea—it was the feudal Reinharts Kingdom.
A rootless child like me couldn't punish a border countess's sturdy backing like Anna.
In the end, I yielded to her threat.
I abandoned my prodigy image for mediocrity, minimized contact with retainers, and isolated myself.
"Why is Adrian, who was so bright, acting like this?!"
"Could it be aftereffects from the poisoning...?"
Father's infuriating reaction.
Was he really clueless?
Anyone with a brain would know Anna was the prime suspect.
No—in this case, he knew but chose to look the other way.
After that, Father either felt awkward facing me or lost interest in a concubine's son who wasn't a prodigy. Our meetings grew rare.
Thanks to his attitude, no more attempts on my life followed, but the price was rock-bottom trust in those around me and treatment that was never the same.
I spent over ten years like that, erasing my presence.
And became a twenty-year-old adult.
* * *
—May 1, 2019, Mana Era.
"Welcome to Ford Convenience Store."
Ford Convenience Store boasted the most locations in Reinharts Kingdom.
As a silver-haired young man entered the store—mottoed on friendliness and convenience—the clerks reflexively bowed.
The two clerks looked up and finally recognized his face.
"Thank you for your hard work."
A handsome young man with silver hair and blue eyes—the kind you'd see on TV—flashed a friendly smile and headed to the book corner.
An appearance that would charm any woman.
Yet the female clerk flinched in surprise rather than admiration, while the newbie tilted her head in confusion.
"You know him?"
The woman narrowed her eyes, as if the newbie had lost her mind.
"It's the second young master of the Lawrence family."
"Huh?"
The Lawrence family ruled the territory.
The newbie's eyes went wide in shock, and the woman gave her a pitying look before jabbing her side.
"Get it together."
Glancing at the entrance, she spotted men in black coats staring them down.
Clearly the guards for the lord's son who'd just entered.
"Excuse me."
"Eep!"
The newbie, already tense, swallowed hard as the noble youth approached.
"What can I help you with?"
The woman shoved the frozen newbie aside and leaned in with practiced ease.
"I don't see the Chronicle Online point cards."
"Ah, here they are. Policy change—point cards are only available at the register. How many?"
Even as the lord's son, his outfit blended with commoners—probably to avoid attention.
Striking looks, but the clothes made it hard for strangers to peg him as nobility.
"All of them."
"We just stocked up yesterday: five million rutes' worth (five million won)."
"Yes, all of them, please."
"I'll handle the payment."
Five million rutes was three months' full-time wages for a clerk.
Yet he paid like it was snacks. Plain clothes or not, nobles were nobles.
"Thank you for your business."
Moments later, the storm passed, leaving the store silent. The woman, tension easing, kicked the newbie's shin.
"Seriously, snap out of it?"
"Sorry."
She shook her head.
If the lord's son had been prickly, they could've been in real trouble.
"Why come to a convenience store himself? He could send a servant."
"No idea. I was scared shitless my first time too."
"Does the second young master come often?"
"Two, three times a month? Looks like he's hooked on games, from what I see."
"Lucky guy. Living it up, splashing cash without working."
"Different worlds, us and them."
* * *
Stepping out, my guards at the entrance approached.
Their swords shimmered with blue mana, drawing stares from territory folk hurrying through the concrete jungle.
No matter how advanced the world or improved commoner rights, nobles in a feudal system were objects of fear.
Those who recognized me scattered quickly.
"Young master."
After a few steps.
My trusted retainer and guard knight, Vice, spoke cautiously.
"We just got word that Cedric came by the mansion."
Not welcome news.
I scowled, and Vice gave an awkward smile.
*Cedric* was my half-brother.
I'd left the lord's castle right after graduating the academy at sixteen—from age ten—and one reason was him.
*What a pain.*
Some families got along despite half-blood ties, but his mother had tried to kill me, and he himself was a worthless punk who'd struggle without noble status.
Worse, his womanizing and nasty temper meant constant drama.
No wonder his visit soured my mood.
"Pick up the pace."
I didn't want to see him, but had to hurry for Mother's sake—she'd hate dealing with him.
"Ah, Adrian, you're back?"
Covering ten minutes' distance in five, I reached my mansion. A beautiful middle-aged woman with silver hair and blue eyes waited.
My mother, Silvia Lawrence, the viscount's second wife.
Her fidgeting told me Cedric had spouted nonsense again.
"Where's brother?"
Before Mother could answer, a booming voice echoed from the hall.
"Parading around the territory in that getup without even a carriage? Are you insane?"
A black-haired man with a bearish face strode up—total opposite of me.
My half-brother Cedric, nothing more or less than a nuisance.
"It's not far. And I have guards."
"It's not about your safety! As the lord's son, think of the family prestige!"
Lordships passed by blood anyway.
No commoner would climb higher from friendliness.
Some lords who botched things tried living like peasants, but I doubted Cedric had that in him.
Spouting my thoughts outright would just rile him up into a lecture, so yielding was easier.
"My thinking was shortsighted. I'll be more careful next time."
"Always going on about that commoner blood of yours."
Cedric, scratching at my patience like he was testing it.
His words grated, but I wasn't childish enough to show it.
If anything, knowing his inferiority complex from all the childhood comparisons made him pitiable.
"So, why the visit?"
He faltered at my directness.
Then cleared his throat pointlessly.
"Father's thinking of putting you in charge of a business."
Rondel's nobles were like Earth's chaebols and politicians mashed together—immense powerhouses.
They leveraged status for all sorts of ventures; lords especially.
The family ran plenty, so a handover wouldn't faze me. I waited.
"Fars Distribution."
"Hmm..."
Now I got why he'd barged in.
Fars Distribution was the Lawrence family's cash cow after mining.
"So, bottom line: you don't want me taking it?"
No need to ask.
The greedy bastard saw Father's everything as his.
"Exactly."
He glared down imperiously.
I shrugged lightly.
"Got it. If Father offers Fars Distribution, I'll turn it down."
Too easy?
Cedric stared, then smirked.
"You always did listen to reason."
It was just unilateral concession for safety—no real "reasoning" involved.
I pulled game point cards from the convenience store bag.
"Now head out. I blew a ton on gacha for this game."
Blatant dismissal, but no need for niceties between us.
Seeing the stack, Cedric chuckled for some reason and clapped my shoulder.
"Yeah, you do you."
With a suave kiss to Mother's hand—warning her off climbing—he left.
"You okay?"
"Best not to get tangled up."
My top priority: mine and Mother's safety.
Powerless greed just leads to choking.
Can't tell when to play it safe? You're done.
"Off to game."
"Don't stay up too late."
"Got it."
I smiled to reassure Mother, shook the bag, and headed to my room.
Glancing back midway, servants who met my eyes slunk away.
This was *our* mansion, but most staff felt Anna's influence.
Even home, I watched my mouth.
Clearing out the servants, I locked my door, grabbed my gaming headgear, and smirked.
*'If you're gonna surveil me, gotta cover reality *and* the virtual world too.'*
Playing meek was for safety, not lack of pride.
I'm pretty selfish, willing to screw others for gain.
Mother's the exception—no calculators there—but the rest? Disposable.
Me, this calculating, lost in games as escapism?
*'No way.'*
My dive into games and virtual worlds had a clear purpose.
Anna and Cedric could keep falling for my smile until the time was right.