Episode 116: The Heroines Stole My Regression

Episode 116: Board Game (3)

As time passed, it became harder and harder for the participants to distinguish themselves from the characters in the game.

Just as Kang Arin had warned, ‘The Route’, with its limiters removed, was far more than just a simple board game.

Everyone completely immersed themselves in their characters—

Their thoughts, emotions, even desires.

In this blurred state between reality and fantasy, they began to genuinely enjoy life within the game.

And Jung Haein was no exception.

***

A misty morning at a rural farmhouse.

The grand house of a prominent farmer in a remote village.

Sunlight gently poured in through the small but cozy bedroom window, softly spreading over the bedding.

Jung Haein slowly opened his eyes.

A familiar warmth and subtle scent.

Instinctively turning his head, he saw her beside him.

“You’re awake, honey?”

A languid voice.

Cheon Yeoul rubbed her eyes lightly and shifted her body.

Sunlight fell on her shoulder, and she smiled brightly through her tousled hair.

The beloved wife. Last night, they had shared an intimate moment as husband and wife.

In fact, almost every night.

Of course, it wasn’t literal.

Even though it was an adult game, there were limits to how far it could go.

It was simply a scripted scene where they woke up after “sharing affection.”

There were no explicit depictions at all.

But what clearly indicated the game’s adult nature was her outfit—or lack thereof.

Bathed in sunlight, her figure was revealed.

Cheon Yeoul was completely nude.

Her silhouette, under the blanket, unadorned by any clothing, was subtly visible.

Jung Haein held his breath for a moment.

No matter how many times he saw it, the view never ceased to take his breath away.

Smooch.

Without warning, Cheon Yeoul leaned in and kissed his cheek.

A warm sensation lingered where her lips had touched.

Beneath her falling hair, faint red marks from the night before were visible on her neck.

As he lowered his head slightly, the traces slipped quietly beneath the blanket.

“Take your time getting up. I’ll make breakfast.”

With that, she gently put on some clothes and opened the door to leave.

Even after the door closed, her scent lingered softly in the room.

Jung Haein quietly inhaled that lingering scent.

He closed his eyes for a moment to feel the warmth, then slowly sat up.

It had already been a year since they were married.

They were still in the honeymoon phase.

A lovingly prepared breakfast table.

The two sat side by side and shared a conversation.

“You’re busy today?”

“Yeah, I’ll be home a bit late. Go ahead and sleep first.”

The demand for their local specialty, blueberries, was growing every day.

It was his turn to deliver the harvested crops.

He had to travel to the central city and sell everything.

Today would be a busy day.

“…No, you can’t.”

Cheon Yeoul spoke.

With a slightly shy expression, she put down her spoon and looked him in the eye.

“Today is… an important day.”

Jung Haein’s hand stopped.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded with an “Ah.”

Though they had shared many intimate moments and deeply cherished each other, a certain blessing had yet to arrive for the couple.

They didn’t have a child yet.

So on the days Cheon Yeoul calculated as important, they had promised—no matter what—to be together intimately, even if the sky were to fall.

Of course, in reality, it was because the sum of the two dice hadn’t exceeded 12…

But the fully immersed couple had no way of knowing that, and so concern was beginning to build between them.

After finishing the meal, Jung Haein popped a blueberry into his mouth, then gently patted Cheon Yeoul’s head.

She closed her eyes and quietly accepted the touch of his fingertips.

“I’ll be back.”

“Take care, honey.”

With that short goodbye, Jung Haein put on his coat and stepped out of the house.

It was the start of another lively day.

However, there was one person who didn’t feel lively at all.

A woman who was watching all of this with a completely sober mind.

“…Shit.”

Yoon Chaeha let out the strongest curse word she could manage.

It was now her turn to roll the dice.

But she felt no excitement whatsoever.

Why?

Because out of the six people in this room, five had already become their in-game characters.

All of them were completely immersed—except for Yoon Chaeha.

They were all acting like they truly lived those lives.

But for Yoon Chaeha, full immersion was impossible.

A certain ability in her eyes prevented it.

Her eyes showed her only the ‘truth’.

It blocked her from diving too deeply into the simulation.

Thanks to that, she had to watch every second of Cheon Yeoul and Jung Haein’s sappy romance with a fully conscious mind.

She was the only one still sane.

Which meant she was also the only one who had to witness that ridiculous soap opera unfold.

“…Let’s just get this over with.”

In the end, she rolled the dice again.

All she wanted was to finish this game as fast as possible.

***

Noon. A bustling marketplace in the heart of the central city.

As usual, Jung Haein unloaded boxes of blueberries.

A deal had been struck with a wholesaler in the central city, and he had agreed to help out personally for the day.

When he opened the box, the ripe, plump, bluish berries gleamed under the sunlight.

Then it happened.

A white parasol slowly made its way through the crowd.

‘…A noble.’

Her hair was neatly tied, and while her dress was modest, it had an unmistakable elegance.

Though dressed plainly on the surface, there was something about her that couldn’t be hidden.

You could tell at a glance—she wasn’t a commoner.

Usually, nobles wore it on their faces.

“Look at me, I’m important.”

But she was different.

A calm expression, pretending to speak plainly, as if trying to blend in with the crowd—pretending not to be noble.

But Jung Haein noticed instantly.

She was trying to hide it, but it was still obvious.

She looked at the stack of blueberry boxes on the table, picked one up gently, and looked at Jung Haein as she asked:

“…Are these really good for the skin?”

“Try one and see for yourself.”

Jung Haein replied with a smile, and Ha Sion blushed.

Ha Sion was the youngest daughter of a prestigious duke’s family.

By now, her household was probably in chaos—she had snuck out.

Raised under a strict father, this was her first time receiving such a direct smile from a man.

Jung Haein carefully wiped a blueberry and handed it to her.

Blushing, Ha Sion accepted it.

‘…Delicious.’

She had tasted all kinds of exotic delicacies,

But this flavor was new to her.

“What do you think?”

Jung Haein asked with a smile, but Ha Sion couldn’t look at him directly.

Though he spoke like a commoner, there was a quiet confidence and warmth in his tone.

She told herself to stay composed and tried to turn her head away, but her gaze kept drifting back.

He was smiling—full of confidence.

He must be a commoner.

His actions were free-spirited.

He wasn’t someone she could ever belong with by status.

And yet, somehow… she felt drawn to him.

Her hand reached out.

“I’ll take a box… Ah, two boxes, please.”

“Sure thing.”

Jung Haein nodded and picked up a towel to wipe the boxes.

Thick fingers, veins on his wrist, calluses on his palms.

Ha Sion stared at his hands, then opened her mouth again, this time softly, almost to herself.

“…Actually, just give me all of them…”

At that moment, the other merchants nearby looked up.

“All of them?”

“Yes… all of them…”

Ha Sion’s face was burning red.

In the end, the noble girl blinded by love bought every single blueberry.

But the man himself—

‘She’ll be happy if I get back early.’

—was only thinking about how quickly he could return home.

***

Hero Yu Hana had completed her year-long expedition.

From Balrog, to the Legion Commanders… and finally, even the Demon King.

All had fallen beneath her blade.

The royal palace sought to appoint her as the kingdom’s highest knight.

But she declined.

Yu Hana was exhausted.

She had run too hard for too long.

She missed living as a person.

A life where you breathe and feel alive, where sunlight greets you in the morning, and you quietly turn off the lights and sleep at night.

In the end, she turned down the position of the highest knight and chose instead to become the lord of a rural village.

Many tried to dissuade her.

They said the land was barren and inhospitable.

But what greeted her was a scene far from what she had expected.

The land, thought to be rough and desolate, was instead abundant, and the people’s faces and hearts were gentle.

“It’s the blueberry man!”

“Give me one too!”

Just then, she saw a group of dozens of children running toward a man in the distance.

“Alright, you little rascals.”

A sturdy build.

Bronzed skin, muscular arms, and strikingly good looks.

To put it without exaggeration—his appearance was among the best in the Empire.

But this man was smiling as he handed out blueberries one by one to the children.

She watched him closely.

No matter how noisy the children were, he never once showed fatigue or irritation.

He gave them piggyback rides, sang unfamiliar songs, and joked around with them.

Watching that, Yu Hana felt a quiet warmth stirring in her heart—

A feeling she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

It felt as though the wounds in her heart were… beginning to heal.

Before she realized it, the sun had begun to set.

Only after the children had returned home one by one did Yu Hana slowly approach him.

“Hello?”

He turned his head with a smile and looked at her.

“Ah, hello. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before…?”

He glanced briefly at her attire.

There was a flicker of something in his eyes.

Then, without hesitation, he casually wiped his hand on his pants and held it out politely.

“I’m Jung Haein. I run a small farm here in the village. Pleased to meet you, my lady.”

Yu Hana was a bit surprised.

Even if someone knew a new lord was arriving, it wasn’t easy to guess that from her outfit alone.

‘He’s quick on the uptake…’

She found herself liking him more and more.

Seeing no point in hiding it, she nodded and took his handshake.

The feeling at her fingertips was firm and warm.

“…Likewise. I’m in your care.”

Yu Hana replied.

Jung Haein looked at her briefly, then glanced around and spoke.

“If you happen to have time…”

“Yes?”

Yu Hana tilted her head slightly.

“I’d like to treat you to a meal.”

His tone remained polite, and his smile was calm and warm.

As a village farmer, it would benefit him to get on good terms with the new lord.

So he extended an invitation to his home.

Then he quickly added:

“Oh, I don’t mean anything by it. Just… as a greeting. I imagine you’re still unfamiliar with the village. I could introduce a few places as well.”

Yu Hana smiled at that.

It was clearly for his own benefit, but she didn’t mind.

Even though she felt like she was being charmed… strangely, she didn’t dislike it.

“…Alright.”

Jung Haein gave a slight bow.

“Then… this way, please. The path’s a bit uneven, so be careful.”

As she looked at his back walking ahead of her, Yu Hana subconsciously murmured to herself—

“Broad…”

A few minutes later, they arrived at a farmhouse much larger than it appeared from the outside.

“Honey~ I’m home~”

At that, Yu Hana froze for a moment.

‘Honey?’

A strange sense of disappointment crept in.

But the house was quiet.

Jung Haein peeked inside and muttered,

“Maybe she went to pray…?”

He was right.

Cheon Yeoul, expecting Jung Haein to be home late, had gone to the church to pray.

Praying, “Please bless our marriage.”

“Good thing, really. I’m actually a bit better at cooking.”

Jung Haein smiled casually and led Yu Hana inside.

Before long, freshly prepared dishes were set on the dining table one by one.

And the two of them sat facing each other.

As they poured a bluish-tinted homemade liquor, they began to talk.

“This one… I’ve been saving it.”

Jung Haein lifted his glass with a gentle smile.

The look in his eyes beyond the rim was warm.

The more Yu Hana spoke with him, the more drawn she became.

A feeling of comfort she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d felt.

But at the same time, the fact that he had a wife kept knocking at some corner of her heart.

Jealousy… slowly began to grow.

And so, as the night deepened, so did their tipsiness.

Of course, as a hero, Yu Hana could handle it with ease.

But the part that got drunk… was her heart.

Before long, Jung Haein was nearly completely drunk.

But he had no bad drinking habits—if anything, he became more gentle.

“Honestly… I have a lot on my mind these days…”

His voice cautious, his eyes dimmed, and his tone lowered.

He began to speak of things he’d kept to himself… to Yu Hana, the new lord.

“Well… I guess it’s all my fault. Haha…”

One year of marriage, and still no sign of a child.

That was his concern.

Jung Haein looked into the air with a bitter smile.

Yu Hana listened intently.

He placed all the blame on himself.

Even in the smallest details, he was considerate of his wife.

Something gently stirred in her chest.

And slowly, the urge to cross the line began to rise.

Yu Hana, fully tipsy now—and someone who was never shy about her desires.

Then, softly and with meaning, she asked,

“…What does it take for a farm to prosper?”

It was a sudden question, but Jung Haein answered without hesitation.

His eyes were pure, and when talking about farming, his seriousness deepened.

“The seeds have to be good… sunlight, water too… but in the end, what’s most important is—”

He listed them off one by one on his fingers, and at the end, he clasped his hands together as if holding something.

“In the end… it’s the soil. A good field, rich in nutrients.”

Yu Hana smiled faintly.

She gently reached out and wrapped her hands around his.

At her touch, Jung Haein blinked slightly.

“In that case… perhaps the root of the problem is…”

With a rising smile, she whispered,

“…Maybe the soil isn’t the good part.”

Yu Hana was a hero.

To be precise… she was the finest soil humanity could offer.

And she was someone who always took what she wanted.

After all, it wasn’t uncommon for attractive men to have more than one woman around them.

“… Snore.”

But Jung Haein didn’t hear her last words.

He had dozed off completely.

“Hmph…”

Yu Hana looked down at his face in silence.

It didn’t matter.

The night was long.

She turned her head.

Her eyes moved to the shelf.

There, a picture frame.

Jung Haein and his wife, standing in front of a small garden, smiling at each other.

It looked like it was cleaned every day—not a speck of dust.

It radiated love.

Without a word, she got up and took out a handkerchief.

– Flap.

And quietly draped it over the frame.

A luxurious cloth embroidered with white lace.

Her signature.

“… Honey, mmm…”

Jung Haein murmured unconsciously in his sleep.

It was a dream mutter.

Yu Hana smiled quietly.

“…Yes.”

And then, slowly, she approached him.

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