Chapter 1.2
With her eyes closed, Yeonhwa focused more on the Celestial God’s voice.
“Now you will be born anew.”
“You mean… reincarnation?”
“That’s right. I pray in the name of the Celestial God that your new life will be filled only with happiness.”
Before she could even say thank you, she felt her body sinking downward. Yeonhwa momentarily lost consciousness.
Thump.
Thump.
‘A heartbeat? Have I been reborn? I can’t open my eyes. There’s some kind of water sound… Ah! This is amniotic fluid. I’m inside my mother! I’ve been reborn! But aren’t memories of past lives supposed to disappear when you’re reborn?’
Although Yeonhwa had doubts, she didn’t mind. She would now live with a new name, leaving behind Hong Yeonhwa who had lived such a miserable life.
“My beloved Liri, how are you feeling today?”
“Your Majesty, I’m feeling very well. So is our youngest.”
“Haha. That’s fortunate. Hahaha! Our lovely youngest, I can’t wait to meet you.”
‘This isn’t Korean. But I can understand it?! And “Your Majesty”? If it’s “Your Majesty,” that means a king. I’m a princess! A princess! In an era beyond cutting-edge science, where AI has replaced human work, there’s a kingdom!’
Though bewildered, Yeonhwa felt strangely pleased by the fact that she was a “princess.” Moreover, just hearing her parents’ voices, she could feel the overflowing love.
Her wish to be a beloved daughter was coming true.
“Mother!”
“Welcome, my angels.”
“Is it still a long time before we can meet our youngest sibling?”
“Just wait one more month, and you can meet them.”
“Wow! I hope it’s a little sister! Then I’ll play with her a lot!”
“What are you saying! Of course, I, the eldest son, should be the one to play with her!”
“What’s the point of being the eldest son when you’re the weakest among us?”
“That’s right!”
“Sh-shut up! At least I’m smarter than you guys!”
“Now, now, boys. Is it proper to fight in front of your mother and your youngest sibling?”
“S-sorry, Father.”
When several boys’ voices echoed, Yeonhwa was taken aback.
‘Just how many older brothers do I have?’
Until she was born, she couldn’t know how many brothers there were. Yeonhwa felt half excited, half worried.
Would she be able to achieve what she wanted in this life?
Could she spend happy days in the warm embrace of a family without discrimination?
‘They said I’ll be born in a month.’
Once born, she would know. Whether this life would truly be the one she had longed for.
Yeonhwa listened to the conversations her family was having outside her mother’s womb.
An affectionate father, a gentle mother. And energetic older brothers.
She could tell just from their conversation that they deeply loved and cherished each other. Above all, their attention was entirely focused on the soon-to-be-born youngest child.
“Mother! Mother! I had a dream today! I saw a very pretty little sister!”
“Oh, is that so? Hoho. Our Rio’s dreams tend to come true. It must certainly be a girl.”
“Wow! A little sister! Pretty sister! Come out quickly and play with your youngest brother!”
“Rio! Cutting in line is unfair!”
“That’s right!”
“My five precious angels. You are this child’s reliable older brothers, so I hope you’ll show her only how well you get along.”
“Yes! Mother!”
Five older brothers? Because of her only younger brother in her previous life, Yeonhwa had unintentionally come to dislike men.
‘Will those brothers actually like me? They sound young, but what if they bully me after I’m born, saying I stole their parents’ love?’
She had lived with discrimination for a full 20 years.
‘By the way, when can I get out of here? It’s suffocating.’
Since even the slightest movement caused her mother pain, Yeonhwa had to be careful.
Just when she was feeling bored with the somewhat stifling amniotic fluid life, Yeonhwa felt something different than usual.
‘It feels like something is pushing my body out.’
“Aah, aaagh!”
“Your Majesty!!”
“The Queen is showing signs of labor!”
“Quickly, call the midwife!”
Outside was chaotic. Yeonhwa smiled at the thought of finally leaving this stifling amniotic sac.
“Your Majesty! You need to push harder, push!”
“Ugh, uuugh. Aaaaaaagh!”
“A little more! You’re doing well. You need to breathe! Your Majesty!”
“Aaaagh-!!!!”
‘This is really… hard to get out! I can’t breathe! If this continues, I’ll suffocate! No! I can’t die again like this. To die without even being born! That’s absurd!’
Yeonhwa also tried her best. There would be no more unjust death than dying without even being born.
“The, the head! I can see the head! Your Majesty! Please push just a little more!”
“Ah, aaaaaaagh-!!!!!!”
Swoosh.
Feeling her body slip out, Yeonhwa burst into tears without even realizing it.
‘Huh? Something seems strange? Is a baby’s cry supposed to sound this animal-like?’
Sensing something odd about her own crying, Yeonhwa tried to open her eyes but couldn’t.
“Congratulations! Your Majesty! She’s a very beautiful princess!”
“Ah, give her to me.”
Unable to open her eyes, she couldn’t see ahead, but she could feel the warmth of being held in someone’s arms.
“She’s so beautiful. Little one, I am your mother. Thank you so much for being born. Thank you. Our lovely youngest daughter.”
As gentle hands stroked her head, Yeonhwa felt a lump in her throat. In her previous life, she never dreamed of such treatment, and instead heard things like:
“She has her sister’s face, but why is she so bad at studying? I should never have given birth to her. A completely useless girl.”
Her first middle school midterm exams. It wasn’t even that bad. She ranked 12th in her class. If anything, it was her youngest brother who lacked talent in studying. Yet when he proudly showed his test paper with more X’s than O’s, boasting that he got 5 out of 20 questions right, her parents would boost his confidence.
Yeonhwa thought about how she had truly lived with a dog-like family for 20 years, and how amazing she was to have endured that time alone.
“Liri! Are you alright?”
“Your Majesty, please hold the child. A truly lovely youngest princess has been born.”
“Ooh! My child! How can she be so adorable! This silver fur, Liri. She resembles you and is extremely beautiful!”
‘Fur?! What fur? No, fur? What kind of fur?’
Yeonhwa felt something strange again.
“Your Majesty, you should quickly name the child.”
“Ahaha! Indeed! Elena! Elena Harus! My lovely youngest princess, your name is now Elena.”
‘Elena… It’s a pretty name, but…’
“Liri, this child will grow up to be the most beautiful rabbit princess in this world! She takes after you so perfectly, how could she not!”
“Hoho, Your Majesty, really.”
‘Rabbit? Rabbit?! I’m a rabbit??!’
Shocked beyond confusion, Yeonhwa—no, now Elena, the name she would have to live with—barely managed to open her eyes, only to see her father’s face beaming with joy that she had opened her eyes. His face was clearly human, but there were long rabbit ears on top of his head.
Looking around, she saw others with bodies covered in fur like rabbits, but standing on two legs like humans. And wearing clothes.
“My child, Elena.”
Even her beautiful mother had rabbit ears on top of her head.
And when she happened to see herself in a mirror, Elena froze.
In the mirror was a newborn rabbit. A tiny rabbit completely covered in silver fur.
Being reborn, she had become a rabbit.
‘Is this for real?’
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