Chapter 1: Rebirth of the Devil Baby
Part 1: The Awakening
The ballroom of the Jin family estate was larger than most five-star hotels. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above an ocean of silk and suits. Laughter rang like bells, muffled under layers of classical music. Cameras flashed. Champagne flowed. And in the middle of it all sat a boy on a raised velvet platform.
He wore a snow-white hanbok embroidered with gold dragons. His dark hair was brushed neatly to the side. His round cheeks still carried the softness of childhood — but his eyes?
Sharp. Knowing. Dangerous.
Jin Hyunwoo, age three, was smiling.
Not the smile of a toddler.
The smile of a man reborn.
> So this is how fate repays me. From bullet holes to birthday cake. Not bad.
A smart child might've been confused. A normal one, overwhelmed. But Hyunwoo — once the cold-blooded king of finance in a previous life — absorbed everything like a sponge dipped in fire.
The people. The power. The names.
He had watched them all walk in. Executives, politicians, celebrities, blood relatives. Snakes in silk suits and crocodiles in Chanel. All whispering the same thing:
> "He's the heir."
"The next Chairman."
"The golden boy of the Jin Empire."
"Hyunwoo-yah," a woman's soft voice called.
His mother.
She knelt beside him, her hanbok the color of wine and snow, a diamond hairpin tucked in a loose bun. "Say hello to everyone, sweetheart."
Hyunwoo looked up. His expression was angelic. Pure. Radiant.
Then he bowed slightly, hands folded like a miniature prince.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my third birthday," he said clearly, his pronunciation perfect. "I'm very happy today. Please enjoy the food and drinks. Especially the raspberry cake. I chose it myself."
The room went silent.
Then burst into applause.
"Oh my God! Did he just—?"
"He talks like a grown-up!"
"So elegant! Such vocabulary!"
"A genius! He's already a leader!"
Hyunwoo smiled again and nodded like a humble child.
> Applaud, you fools. I'm still deciding which of you I'll destroy first.
He could see the calculations in their eyes — stockholders measuring his IQ, aunts judging his beauty, chaebol daughters whispering about how to marry into power.
But none of them saw the predator behind the boy.
> I crawled my way to a billion-dollar empire in my last life.
This time, I'll be born into one. And I'll swallow the rest from the inside.
A deep, commanding voice broke the buzz.
"Is that so?"
Heads turned as the crowd instinctively stepped aside. A silver-haired man walked slowly to the stage, cane in hand though his posture was straight as iron.
Jin Dojin — the Chairman. The Emperor of the Jin family. Hyunwoo's grandfather.
And in his sharp eyes: control. Silence. Power so potent it didn't need to be spoken.
He stopped in front of Hyunwoo.
Hyunwoo looked up calmly and smiled.
"Grandfather."
Chairman Jin raised an eyebrow. "So formal?"
"You are the head of the family," Hyunwoo said. "I should be respectful."
A single beat passed. Then, for the first time in hours, the old man laughed.
Not long. Not loudly. But it sent chills through the guests.
He knelt, placing a heavy hand on Hyunwoo's shoulder.
"You are… interesting."
> I'll take that as a blessing, old man.
"Let's see what path you choose today," the Chairman said, gesturing behind him.
A servant approached with a golden tray, laid out with five items:
A brush (for scholars)
A money envelope (for wealth)
A thread (for long life)
A gavel (for law)
A gold bar (for business)
Traditional doljanchi ritual. Symbolic. Public. Political.
The room leaned in.
Hyunwoo stared at the items. Carefully. Calculatedly.
Then he reached out…
… and took the gavel.
Gasps.
"He chose the gavel?!"
"He wants to lead… to judge…"
"Like a ruler."
But Hyunwoo wasn't done.
He then reached over and plucked the money envelope — and, without hesitation, placed it on top of the gavel.
The message was clear.
> I won't just rule.
I'll rule with money.
Chairman Jin smiled faintly. "Cunning."
"Ambitious," Hyunwoo replied innocently.
Laughter echoed again, this time with more weight behind it.
"Perhaps I should step down early," the Chairman joked to the crowd.
"You can," Hyunwoo said smoothly, "but I need at least three more years to file the paperwork."
More laughter. The adults loved it.
But his grandfather just stared.
> He's testing me. Measuring me.
That's fine. I'll let him think he's winning.
Just then, a soft voice announced, "The Kang family has arrived!"
Silence fell. The tension rose.
In came a woman in an emerald hanbok, dripping with elegance. Kang Sojin. Vice-Chairwoman of Kang Group.
Behind her walked a maid carrying a little girl.
She had perfect porcelain skin, jet-black hair in soft curls, and a face that looked ready for magazine covers—even at three.
The Kang family's golden jewel.
Kang Harin.
Their eyes met across the room.
Hyunwoo's expression didn't change. But something inside him shifted.
She stared at him with calm confidence, then walked right up to the platform and looked him in the eye.
"Are you the birthday boy?" she asked, her voice soft but bold.
"Yes," he replied coolly, "but I don't mind sharing the spotlight."
She tilted her head. "That's boring. I thought the heir of the Jin family would be more fun."
The crowd chuckled.
> So she wants to tease me?
Fine. Let's play.
He extended a hand with mock formality. "Then may I invite the Kang Group's little princess to dance?"
She didn't take it.
Instead… she smacked a mini rice cake right into his chest.
Gasps. Again.
Rice stuck to his hanbok.
Hyunwoo blinked.
Then grinned.
"Interesting girl."
Kang Harin gave him a smug look. "You talk too much."
"Then maybe I'll stop—if you marry me."
The entire room erupted.
The mothers screamed. The fathers laughed. The cameras clicked.
But the girl simply raised her tiny chin and said, "Only if you beat me first."
And just like that… the war began.
> Kang Harin.
Rival. Tease. Challenge.
Future Empress.
The party continued with polished smiles and perfumed air. Champagne flowed into crystal glasses. Waiters served gold-rimmed hors d'oeuvres on trays worth more than some CEOs' salaries. Yet, Jin Hyunwoo sat still on his velvet seat, his gaze fixed not on the food, not on the music, but on the battlefield in front of him.
Because this was no celebration.
This was a parade of enemies pretending to be family.
> These faces… smiling, clapping, bowing.
If only they knew I remember how half of them betrayed me in my past life.
His memory wasn't fragmented like a typical reincarnation tale. No. His past life burned in perfect clarity. He remembered the names of every man who turned on him. Every woman who smiled and stabbed. Every partner who chose politics over loyalty.
> Jin Hyunwoo, CEO of Polaris Holdings, they called me.
I built an empire with grit and ruthlessness.
Then they tore me down like scavengers.
A hostile takeover. Fabricated charges. Assassination wrapped in legal language. And when he stood on the 71st floor of that glass fortress, watching his life's work collapse…
> I didn't regret the blood.
I regretted my trust.
Never again.
Now, he had been reborn into the same world—but in a much stronger position. This time, born into royalty. Born into power. Born a Jin.
> But this family is a palace full of snakes. And I'm the cobra.
His eyes scanned the room, categorizing everyone like a human ledger.
---
The Jin Bloodline, as I've learned so far:
Chairman Jin Dojin (Grandfather):
The iron emperor. Built the empire. Still rules with an iron fist. Probably suspects something's off about me already.
Jin Sooyeon (Mother):
Young, widowed, loving, intelligent. My only guaranteed loyalist—for now. She's emotionally attached. That's leverage and vulnerability both.
Jin Kyungho (Uncle):
CEO of Jin Communications. Greedy, insecure, obsessed with succession. I'll have to cripple him before he tries to sideline me.
Jin Mira (Aunt):
Socialite turned corporate VP. Sharp tongue, shallow loyalty. Useful in the short term. Not long-term material.
Jin Taehwan (Cousin):
Nine years old. Already acting like he owns the place. Easy to manipulate if I dangle the right carrots.
---
The Jin family's power was vast, but fractured. Dojin's children fought quietly behind masks of elegance, and none had secured succession.
Now, the sudden rise of a prodigious grandson who spoke fluently, read letters, and remembered names at age three?
> I'm a threat.
And I'll make sure they know it.
"Hyunwoo," his mother's gentle voice broke his focus, "are you okay? You're so quiet."
"I'm just thinking, Mom," he said softly.
"About what?"
He leaned toward her and whispered in his syrup-sweet baby voice, "About which stock to short this week."
She blinked.
Then laughed. "My little genius! You always say the silliest things!"
> It won't be a joke when I open my first shadow fund in five months.
---
Phase One of My Empire: Secrecy
The world would not see Jin Hyunwoo as a business titan for at least 15 more years. That was perfect. He didn't want anyone watching. Not yet.
He'd build from the shadows.
Step one: create silent accounts overseas. He still remembered account structures, shell companies, tax havens. He would guide his mother or a hired proxy—covertly, of course—to open the first portfolio.
Step two: acquire undervalued micro-cap stocks in tech and biotech. Quietly. No flashy moves. Just patience.
Step three: start buying information. Not through bribes. Through trades. Secrets for secrets. Kids talk. Maids listen. Staff spill.
And finally, step four: find a hacker. Even in 2007, the dark web was starting to form. He'd begin with school computer labs when the time came. Just a few backdoors. Nothing major.
> I don't need a bank vault right now. I need a foundation.
He clenched his tiny fist as a waiter passed by.
> And this time, I won't build it for anyone else.
---
Phase Two: Kang Harin
Across the room, Kang Harin stood beside her mother, picking off strawberries from a dessert tray like she owned the place. The way she moved—decisive, elegant, confident—wasn't normal for a three-year-old. But Hyunwoo saw through it.
> She's like me.
Rehearsed. Controlled. Groomed.
And wild underneath it all.
They'd only spoken for two minutes, but she'd already slapped him, called him boring, and ignored his proposal like it was lint.
> So naturally… I'm obsessed.
But this wasn't just about desire.
The Kang Group was the only empire in South Korea that could rival the Jins. In biotech, in AI, in media, they were even ahead. Marrying into them would be a merger, not just romance.
But love?
Love, he didn't understand.
Not yet.
In his last life, he saw it as a distraction. A liability.
Now, watching Harin quietly study him from across the room…
> Maybe I was wrong.
---
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him.
Jin Kyungho — his uncle — towered beside him with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, well, our little star of the evening," Kyungho said, crouching. "That was quite the speech earlier, Hyunwoo. I wonder who taught you those big words."
Hyunwoo blinked innocently. "Are you asking if my mother's lying about me being gifted?"
"No, no, just curious." His tone stayed light, but his eyes darkened. "Sometimes a child's too smart for his own good."
Hyunwoo leaned forward, voice soft.
"And sometimes uncles forget their place in the line of inheritance."
The smile cracked.
"Excuse me?"
Hyunwoo tilted his head. "Should I repeat it slower?"
His mother gasped, "Hyunwoo!"
But the crowd around them laughed.
"He's so cheeky!"
"Look at that face! Like a tiny emperor!"
Kyungho stood, straightened his tie, and walked away stiffly.
> One down. Many more to go.
---
Night Falls
The party ended as stars rose over Seoul's skyline. Hyunwoo stood by the balcony window of his private nursery suite, hands clasped behind his back like a mini-executive.
The moonlight traced over gold-edged toy shelves and imported plush animals. But he didn't care.
> This is my world now.
This is my empire in the making.
And none of them… not even Chairman Jin himself…
knows what I really am.
Behind him, the door creaked.
He turned.
Kang Harin stepped in, holding her tiny handbag like a trophy.
"Hey," she said, "I left my ribbon here."
He nodded and walked over to hand it to her.
She took it… but didn't leave.
"Why do you talk like that?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"Like you're older."
Hyunwoo leaned closer and whispered into her ear.
"Maybe I am."
Her eyes widened.
Then she smirked. "Liar."
She turned and walked out, swaying her ponytail like a flag of defiance.
> You'll come back, Hyunwoo thought.
We're not done, Harin. Not even close.
---
The Jin mansion at night was not quiet.
It breathed.
Marble hallways echoed with the silent footsteps of guards and maids. Curtains fluttered like whispers. Hidden cameras blinked like watchful eyes. And high above it all, inside a private study walled in black mahogany, the head of the empire sat in his chair — alone.
Jin Dojin, the Chairman.
He poured a glass of brandy, his movements slow, deliberate. The fire crackled beside him. Papers lined his desk: charts, security reports, market predictions — and, at the very center, a glossy photo.
A photo of Jin Hyunwoo.
Three years old. White hanbok. Gold dragons. But the expression…
Unsettling.
Too calm. Too controlled. Too aware.
> "He doesn't act like a child," Dojin muttered, staring at the photo. "He acts like… someone reborn."
"Exactly," a voice replied from the darkness.
A man stepped from the corner, his face veiled under a cap and coat. No name. No position. Just a ghost in the family's payroll.
Chairman Dojin didn't flinch. "What did the surveillance say?"
"He never once asked for toys. Didn't throw a tantrum. Memorized the names of 74 guests today. Predicted the stock ticker code of Jin Electronics before anyone mentioned it."
Dojin sipped his brandy, eyes sharp.
"He's not gifted," the stranger continued. "He's trained. Like someone who's lived another life."
"That's impossible," Dojin said, but his tone betrayed uncertainty.
The man placed a USB drive on the table. "This has every moment of his interactions today. Including a curious exchange with Kang Harin."
"Already?" Dojin raised a brow.
"They're children," the stranger said. "But they're not ordinary children."
Dojin stared into the flames.
> "Reincarnation?" he scoffed inwardly.
Nonsense.
And yet...
---
Downstairs — The Listening Prince
On the other side of the house, behind an old vent above the study ceiling, a pair of eyes blinked in the dark.
Jin Hyunwoo.
Clad in his silk pajamas, a tiny device strapped around his wrist — a baby monitor modified into a recorder.
> Got you, old man.
He had slipped away an hour ago, feigning sleep and drooling on cue until the nanny left. Crawled through the servant crawlspace. Disconnected one security wire. Found the vent. Easy.
In his last life, he once bugged a prime minister's yacht with less preparation.
Now? He was eavesdropping on the emperor of South Korea's most powerful family... while wearing socks with cartoon ducks on them.
> So they're suspicious. Good. Let them fear what they can't confirm.
He silently recorded every word: the suspicion, the analysis, the file transfer. His lips curled into a smile.
> They're watching me.
Which means they're already behind.
---
Later That Night — A Private Vow
Back in his nursery, moonlight spilled across his bed. Hyunwoo lay under a blanket of soft stars, the glow-in-the-dark ceiling above twinkling like a promise.
But sleep would not come.
He stared at the ceiling, eyes blank, mind alive.
> Three years old.
No freedom. No company registration. No legal authority.
Yet I already control more than they know.
He thought about his to-do list.
Short-term:
Begin asset movement using third-party IDs.
Gain trust from internal staff — maids, drivers, guards.
Practice public innocence, sharpen private deception.
Mid-term:
Secure academic acceleration.
Gain access to early computing systems.
Build connections with professors, investors.
Long-term:
Control the Jin family inheritance.
Merge or dominate Kang Group.
Break into global markets by age 16.
But one line on the mental list was circled in red:
> "Do not reveal true self until marriage."
He didn't plan to hide out of fear.
He planned to hide because mystery was power.
The world would see a sweet boy, a genius prodigy, a kind-hearted heir.
They would never suspect the puppet strings being pulled behind his soft smile.
And then…
When the time was right…
When the world thought they knew him…
> He would unveil the monster they created.
---
Outside — A Girl Watches
In a sleek black sedan parked outside the mansion gates, Kang Harin sat with her legs swinging, gazing out the tinted window.
She wasn't sleeping either.
Her mother sat beside her, murmuring into a phone. But Harin wasn't listening. Her mind replayed the way Hyunwoo had spoken. The way he didn't flinch when she teased him. The way he looked at her — not like a kid, but like a rival. Or worse.
An equal.
> He's strange…
But interesting.
She closed her eyes, and her lips parted with a whisper.
"Maybe I will marry him."