[What Needs to be Done - 1]

Ji Soo-hyeon, the third daughter of the Ji Family, had been brought to the family head Ji Hee-woon from a young age.

[Soo-hyeon, your name's meaning is 'one who will repay when the opportunity arises'. You were born into this world because of me, so you must repay that life to me for your entire life. Live for the family.]

Live for the Ji Family, live for the family head Ji Hee-woon.

She didn't fully understand the meaning of those words when young, but as she grew up, she came to know them one by one even if she didn't want to.

[Your power is too strong.]

The day after she beat her older brother in a spar, Soo-hyeon was confined to her room. 

She had only been 9 years old then.

No matter how hard she cried, no one let her out or answered why.

Terrified, Soo-hyeon racked her mind alone and finally realized the reason while trembling.

[I won't beat anyone anymore.]

Only then could Soo-hyeon leave the room.

After that, she lived like a rat, defeated. 

Even if challenged to a spar, she would lose on purpose and live weakly.

[Live for the family.]

The family head Ji Hee-woon provided for her in almost all other matters.

He gave her anything she wanted.

[Yes, my lord.]

She wasn't even allowed to call him father.

Soo-hyeon was nothing more than manpower for the family, albeit slightly more expensive manpower. No more, no less.

[You should live in the annex instead of the main building.]

Perhaps that was why living in the main building always suffocated her.

Not long after she moved her quarters to the annex—

[He's my son.]

Suddenly, the family head Ji Hee-woon brought someone to the family.

With violet hair and eyes proving him the Ji family successor, the bastard child came to live in the annex and she frequently ran into him.

[Ah, hello.]

[Piss off.] 

Soo-hyeon disliked the bastard child.

She didn't even have a name, but he likely had tremendous power.

Yet he still tried to interact with her amiably, which felt misleading and mocking. 

[Fire!]

Not long after, a sudden massive blaze occurred. 

The fire engulfing almost the entire annex nearly burned down the bastard child's room and hers.

[Are you okay?!]

Yet the bastard child burst through the flames to come save her.

Soo-hyeon extremely, extremely hated it.

That it wasn't the family head Ji Hee-woon but this bastard child coming to her rescue.

[Get lost! I don't need your help!]

She tried to drive him away with lightning but was blocked.

She was frustrated by being blocked so easily.

[You wanna die?!]

[Yes! I want to die! I'm sick of being cooped up here! You don't know how much I've suffered! 

If I were a guy too I wouldn't have been dying away in the annex like this! What's the difference between you and me, other than guy or girl?!]

[Now's not the time to...]

[Shut up! I'll die!]

Just then the ceiling collapsed.

Resigned to dying, Soo-hyeon clenched her eyes shut, but—

[Ugh.... Still...live.]

The bastard child shoved her away, saving her.

Seeing him speak despite his hair, the conduit for his power, burning away...it made him seem so strong.

She extremely, extremely hated it.

"Hah!" 

Soo-hyeon awoke from the long dream, gasping for breath. Opening her eyes wide, she sat up.

"Where is this...?"

As the dream faded away, memories of the past floated up in her mind.

'That's right, suddenly...'

Some freak had shown up.

Wrapped all over in bandages, no wait, right, it was the bastard child.

I was glad to se—no, I got annoyed and shot lightning, but he blocked it, and his eyes were...

'The Demon King?!'

Grey eyes. 

And a bizarre voice.

'Where is he?!'

Looking around the forested area, she didn't see anyone.

'Did he disappear...?'

Just as she felt slightly relieved—

"You're awake huh."

A voice suddenly spoke from behind her.

Soo-hyeon fainted again.