WBDS CH 01

Chapter 1.

An Experienced Newbie

“…I was sure I had died.”

Staring into the mirror, So-ye pressed her now-chubby cheeks with a troubled look.

So soft…Like dumplings.

“Why am I a child now?”

She gave herself a little pinch — yep, it hurt.

Still not quite believing it, So-ye touched and checked her body structure.

I’m small. I really am small!

She brought her hand to her neck and opened her mouth.

“Ah… aah… thief… d-thief… ugh…”

Her voice sounded young and childish. Her tongue stumbled over words if she wasn’t careful.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tilted her head back slightly.

She had become a child.

Why…?

If it weren’t for the mirror right beside the bed, she might’ve stayed in denial longer.

What’s more — it wasn’t even her original face. She looked like a completely different kid.

Trying to stay positive, So-ye thought:

There are people who pay fortunes to look younger. I got it for free!

…But it didn’t comfort her at all.

“M-My treasures…!”

So-ye, once a famous master thief, had been rich.

The problem was — thieves are most cautious about their own stash,
so she’d hidden it extremely well.

So well that, in this tiny child’s body, she couldn’t even get to those hiding spots anymore.

She was instantly broke.

So much for “free.”

Sighing deeply, So-ye suddenly froze and looked toward the door.

Someone’s there.

Still pretending to be lying down, she slowly sat up and pulled the blanket over her lap.

Just then, the door burst open.

Standing there was a grown woman holding a small tray.

She spotted So-ye sitting up — and her eyes went wide.

“Miss So-ye!”

She rushed forward so fast she didn’t even notice the threshold, stumbling as she came in.

The tray flew from her hands — the wet cloth and medicine bowl rolled onto the floor.

Luckily, nothing broke, though the dark liquid inside spilled and began soaking into the floor.

That looked expensive… thank goodness it didn’t spill too much.

So-ye let out a quiet sigh of relief — pure reflex.

“Miss So-ye, you’re awake!”

The woman dashed over and wrapped So-ye in a tight hug, sobbing loudly.

The hug was surprisingly warm and full of desperate relief,
pressing Sohye’s chubby cheeks into the woman’s shoulder.

Even though she was confused, she couldn’t bring herself to push the woman away.

Still locked in the woman’s arms, So-ye blinked.

Wait… this kid’s name is So-ye too?

“Do you recognize your nanny?”

The woman’s tearful face was full of emotion.

“Nanny? I have a nanny?”

So-ye was so surprised that her childish voice slipped again.

Looking around, she saw the room was spacious, though a bit old-fashioned. Still, it didn’t seem like a place where someone would have a personal nanny.

“Oh my goodness…”

The woman looked shocked.

“The physician did say your fever was very high, and that you might suffer memory loss…”

“So I was sick.”

So-ye muttered with a bitter expression.

At least she didn’t need to make up an excuse about memory loss now.

Wiping her tears, the nanny held Sohye’s hand.

“Your nanny is…?”

“Gong-hee. Miss So-ye. My name is Sa Gong-hee. We’re in Tangkata of Sichuan.”

“Tangkata? What’s that?”

So-ye rolled her eyes, trying to think.

It was clear now that she hadn’t just become younger — she’d been reincarnated or somehow placed into a whole new life.

She needed as much information as she could get.

So she asked questions she already had some guesses about, just to confirm.

“You don’t even remember Tangkata…”

Gong-hee’s eyes welled with tears again.

“It’s the village where the branch families of the Sichuan Tang Clan live.”

In the martial world, there were two main types of sects: orthodox and unorthodox.

There were also demonic sects and outsiders, but normal people rarely got involved with those.

Especially outsiders — they’re too far to steal from anyway.

Anyway, in the orthodox world, there were the Nine Great Sects and the Five Noble Clans.

The Sichuan Tang Clan was one of those five noble families.

Their signature martial art? Poison techniques.

That alone made them stand out in the orthodox world, which usually prized honorable, face-to-face fighting.

Because of that, the Tang Clan was often pushed around by other orthodox sects, and had become quite secretive.

Tangkata was the village where their branch family members lived.

But I’m here, living in Tangkata… being called “young miss”… and I even have a nanny?

The answer was kind of obvious at this point.

“Then… I’m Tang So-ye.”

She mumbled, and Gong-hee nodded.

“That’s right. Miss So-ye, you’re the direct granddaughter of the Tang Clan’s head.”

“Huh…?”

Then why am I in this old room?

In the martial world, that makes me poison royalty!

Why am I here like this?!