Chapter 7: Shireen Has Changed (1)

Shireen arrived at home. Basically she was scolded by both Stannis and Selyse for doing a dangerous thing she has done in her life but nevertheless they were glad that Shireen was safe.

She immediately immersed herself in the bathtub, and the warm water drained the blood from her body.

'Even in my new life, my roots do not change.' Shireen killed a person, at least dozens. The Coin of Pentos was slaughtered by her, though there was no guilt from her.

'It was necessary.'

Shireen, no, Woo Ma-wang.

Ma-wang lived in a world of weak meat and strong food. If he showed the weakness of hesitating when he had to kill someone, Woo Ma-wang's life would have ended when he was young.

'Once you have made a decision, you must put it into action.'

Those who blocked Ma-wang's way of domination were cut down without any hesitation, and if necessary, torture was often applied. That was Woo Ma-wang's life. It didn't change anything when he became a girl named Shireen. If there is an existence that reveals its intention to kill, then kill it. It is the way Woo Ma-wang has lived his life to deal with it by any means and methods. If the same thing happens in the future. Shireen will make the same decision. Whether the opponent is the assassins she met back in Pentos or someone more than that, Shireen will always live a life of a predator, living by eating someone.

While at her bathtub, Shireen reminisces about her days from her original world. She reminisced about the young Woo Ma-wang and his hardships during his childhood.

"Woo Ma-wang. You are the son of the Heavenly Demon. If you really have the qualifications to succeed me, prove yourself worthy from the cold, hard ground and survive. Your death out of my twelve children means nothing to me. Even if all of my children were to die, I just need to make more. So remember, the only way you can prove yourself worthy, is to reign over all." that's what his father said from the original world. Ma-wang's father was nothing but an asshole not just to him but to his other children as well.

The life of Woo Ma-wang, the youngest, began like that. It was miserable. The children who lived together in the cave did not take care of them because they were the sons and/or bastards of the Heavenly Demon.

"I thought you'd have something special because you were the son of the Heavenly Demon, but it turns out you were nothing more than an arrogant little brat." One of Ma-wang's competitors continued to kick his stomach, which the young Ma-wang coughed blood.

The young Ma-wang quickly got up to punch his competitor's though the competitor was more stronger than him, the young Ma-wang ended up getting punched in the face instead.

"What a fucking dumbass." said by another competitor who witnessed the strongest competitor beating up young Ma-wang.

At that time, Woo Ma-wang was very weak. His dwarf physique was a difficult condition to win in competition with others, but Woo Ma-wang instinctively knew what to do. To reveal one's presence, even if his strength was weak, he knew that he could rule by inflating his body.

During Ma-wang's childhood, while most people are protected by their parents, Ma-wang was thrown away in a world where only the strongest reigns.

Shireen stopped reminiscing as she sighed. 'I'm exhausted. I guess I get tired easily in this body.' Shireen thought as she closed her eyes to relax herself by leaning on the bathtub.

'After awakening in this world, I've experienced many things.' Shireen opened her eyes as she examined her right hand. 'And most of them are related to Illyrio Mopatis and his Coin of Pentos.'

'In order to annihilate them, I destroyed everything that was blocking my path. But I have no regrets. I haven't changed who I am as a person.' Shireen stared at her right hand. 'I slice and torture those that get in my way. And to those who have direct killing intent towards me, I use any means to get rid of them. That is the life I've led up until now. Nothing changes just because I've become a little girl named Shireen.'

'But it may be dangerous if I go out like I did this time.' she leaned on the bathtub again. 'I still haven't figured out how this world operates, and it's true that my strength has diminished compared to back then. What should I do now? If I think carefully...'

There was a knock on the door.

"My lady, sorry to interrupt, but Lord Stannis is calling for you." Bryen Farring's voice could be heard beyond the door.

"I understand, I will be there soon." Shireen slowly gets up from her bathtub.

Shireen then changed into clean clothes and started walking towards Stannis' office.

-

Stannis was tapping his left hand on the table after Ser Axell reported everything that happened to Shireen in Pentos.

"So, Shireen really did something like that?" Stannis still couldn't believe that his daughter would do something like this. Had it not been for the reporting person, Ser Axell Florent, Stannis would've thought he was insulting him.

"Yes, my lord… I've noticed that Lady Shireen has changed significantly." Ser Axell replied.

Axell is not a liar.

"Shireen has changed, huh." This worries Stannis, who has always seen Shireen as a sweet girl, not some seasoned killer.

"It's certain that the current Lady Shireen is not the same person we used to know."

"Ser Axell, Shireen is my sore thumb. She's the only one who survived while my sons are stillborn. And she's probably the only noble child I know that went through a lot because of her greyscale."

"I wished for Shireen to be happy."

"My lord…"

"But after hearing that Shireen destroyed the Coin of Pentos, no matter how unbelievable it seems to be. She filled me with hope! If only she didn't have greyscale."

"Father. This is Shireen." The two men fixed their gaze to the door.

'No matter what means she used to face the Coin of Pentos,'

"Come on in."

'If Shireen really accomplished something at her own will at such a young age. I am prepared to do anything for Shireen.'

Shireen enters the office.

'It's to correct myself for being a lacking father.'

"Yes, Shireen? I heard that you took the Coin of Pentos down by yourself?"

'Stannis Baratheon. I can see that he has high hopes for what I'm about to say. After all, his sons… or rather Shireen's brothers died as stillborn so he sees me as the heir of Dragonstone. If I tell him the truth, he will see me in a completely new light. And there will be a bright future within the House Baratheon of Dragonstone.'

Shireen examined her surroundings as Stannis Baratheon waited for her daughter's response. 'But achievements that exceed expectations come back to bite you. If I back off right now, I could earn some time for myself to grow.'

"Shireen?"

'Do I tell him the truth? Or do I hide it? The latter is surely the more rational decision. However..'

In Murim, the term nangjungjichu (or a person with a good ability and talent means to stand out for himself) is a dangerous word. If Ma-wang when he was young showed outstanding talent to the point of protruding, he would've inevitably met the end of his head being crushed by a hammer.

"Is that all you got, Ma-wang?!" The strongest competitor continued to punch Ma-wang in the face. The young Ma-wang was completely at a disadvantage since he was on the ground, while his opponent was on top of him.

"Keep fucking around with me, bastard!"

Then the young Ma-wang grabbed a rock beside him and hit the opponent's right eye.

The opponent screamed. "You fucke-" then Ma-wang proceeds to smash the opponent's head by using the rock. Blood dripped from the stone as it slammed several times, until the strongest competitor's head was no longer recognizable. The children around looked at Woo Ma-wang which caused the other competitors to fear Ma-wang. He became the king of twelve caves. Woo Ma-wang's position was decided.

During Ma-wang's childhood, while most people are protected by their parents, Ma-wang was thrown away in a world where only the strongest reigns.

"Did you say he was your boss? Then deliver this message to those inside the cave, that the person who destroyed your boss's head,"

'And I.. reigned over such a place.'

"Is me." young Ma-wang glared at the other kids.

'By asserting my superiority.'

"Yes I did, father. I took them down with my own strength." Shireen smiled like a sweet daughter would do to her father.

'I am the Heavenly Demon from my original world. I am the Heavenly Demoness now. I know not how to hide my superiority.'

Stannis couldn't hide his anticipation that his daughter Shireen had changed.