episode_0018

I’ll read it if you want me to.

From the first page, the challenging content intrigues me.

[“Welcome to Miss Chaewon’s body.”]

[“You are the 26th visitor to this body.”]

My body trembled as soon as I saw it.

“A-Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m fine. Just… feeling dizzy.”

“If it’s too much, you don’t have to finish it today.”

“No, I can read it all.”

Scientifically inexplicable.

The memories etched in my body were revealing the truth.

Initially, I thought it was a quirky restaurant where anyone could drop by and enjoy, given that they referred to visitors, but it was not the case.

“Multiple personality disorder…?”

The maid nodded quietly.

I see.

Now many things start to make sense.

The world-renowned conductor Min Seokhyun and the pianist Margaret Hebler, who almost won all three major concours in their prime.

The fateful meeting of these two individuals resulted in the birth of their illegitimate daughter, Min Chaewon.

She must have been exceptional from the start.

Before knowing about Dissociative Identity Disorder, her piano performances seemed impressive, but once the truth was revealed, they sounded different.

A genius girl who, at not even twenty, understood most music and played every piece as she pleased.

That was Min Chaewon.

However, despite having such a daughter, the Seokhyun couple rarely took Chaewon out for public activities.

[“When spring comes, Miss sometimes loses her existing personality and is reborn with a new one. You must have been very surprised to find yourself in a stranger’s body, right? We were quite surprised too.”]

Multiple personalities.

And you never know when, how, or as whom she might switch.

It had happened twenty-five times so far.

‘In other words…’

Could it be that the Chaewons I had met until now were not the same Chaewon?

“Can I ask something I’m curious about?”

“Feel free. That’s why this book exists, after all.”

“By any chance, did she switch in February this year too?”

“No, she was herself back then. She hasn’t had another personality emerge in recent years.”

“I see… What about when she was six?”

“You’ll find out as you turn the pages.”

“Thank you.”

[No.1 – 8th Birthday / Feisty Miss]

[No.2 – 20 days after the first switch / Playful Miss]

[No.3 – …]

Still, I’m relieved.

The Chaewon I’ve known since February was indeed real.

The Chaewon I saw when she was young is the same one I know.

I guess I got lucky.

When I didn’t recognize her at the café, I worried that I might have met a different personality and lost my memory, but I’m reassured now.

[No.25 – 15th Birthday / Miss skilled in black and white magic]

After turning fifteen, Chaewon hasn’t shown any signs of multiple personalities.

Four years later, here I am unexpectedly visiting her.

“This fact is only known by Miss’s parents, and me as the housekeeper.”

“I see.”

“The other maids and staff just think Miss has a colorful personality.”

“…But you and her parents couldn’t definitively know if she became someone else, right?”

Shrug.

The maid smiles after shaking her head.

“We’ve been friends since we were very young. If Miss doesn’t remember my name, we assume it’s a different personality emerging. It’s the only way we could make sense of it.”

“I see…”

She’s conscious of being ‘Min Chaewon,’ but her memories of others are absent.

The variety of Chaewons surprised Kang Hwi.

“For now, please finish reading it. Keeping up with everything will help in your daily life.”

“Well… Did all the personalities not listen as obediently as I do?”

“When she was young, not at all. She’d throw tantrums and hit. I’ve had my share of headaches dealing with her.”

Kang Hwi must have had a hard time.

“Even so, as one ages, their changing personality seems to somewhat follow the lady’s mental maturity. That’s why it was somewhat bearable a few years ago… Ah.”

Perhaps recalling a bad memory, Kang Hwi trembled, clutching his face with both hands.

“To be honest, when Lady Acklert… No, the Dark Master of Shadows, Lady Acklert, came in, I really didn’t know what to do.”

Lady.

Acklert.

“Pfft… Psh.”

I barely held back a burst of laughter.

“The name Acklert… It’s been a while since I heard it.”

Calming my racing heart, I slowly continued reading the next part.

There was the love story before the marriage of Min Seok-hyun and Margaret Hebler, and Chaewon’s story growing up with them.

Next were the stories of those who worked for the Min family.

As I flipped the page, a familiar face popped up.

“Song Sung-hyuk….”

Twenty years old, one year older than Chaewon.

He joined the Min family around the age of eight.

Margaret Hebler, then Margaret Min, met Song Sung-hyuk for the first time at an alternative school charity concert.

“They’re like siblings. Different last names, but grew up like brother and sister.”

Before the concert began, Song Sung-hyuk stood blankly by the piano on stage.

Seeing him, Margaret asked, “Do you want to play the piano?” Immediately after, he surprised her with a remarkable performance.

Unbelievable accuracy and musical understanding for an eight-year-old.

He even possessed exceptional talent for ‘reinterpretation,’ a skill hard to find in kids his age.

Having lived with the only old piano at the alternative school as his family, that day, he took Margaret’s hand and became part of the Min family.

“I think I know the reason…”

Chaewon must have played the piano well.

No, if she had practiced diligently, she could have become a world-renowned pianist like Sung-hyuk.

But a fatal flaw hindered her external activities – dissociative identity disorder.

Margaret seemed to care for Chaewon sincerely, but she couldn’t resist her desire to teach someone.

So, she brought Sung-hyuk home.

To let Chaewon live freely and pass on her will as a classical pianist to Sung-hyuk.

“But, did Sung-hyuk ever say he was Maestro Min Seok-hyun’s son?”

“You know quite well…?”

“Well… I looked into it.”

Maid Kang Hwi shrugged.

“He never said he was legally his son.”

“He wasn’t adopted?”

“No. They’re just in a foster relationship.”

I had a ridiculous thought just now.

“So, Sung-hyuk could marry Chaewon….”

My ego 992, which brought up useless thoughts, was immediately executed.

Other egos were resentful.

“That, due to Young Master Sung-hyuk’s opinion, couldn’t be helped.”

“What opinion?”

“He didn’t want to ride on Maestro Min Seok-hyun and Margaret Hebler’s fame. That’s what he said.”

Damn. He said it coolly.

In reality, with his skills, he becomes the winner of the Chopin Competition two years later.

“So until he turns twenty-five legally, this situation will continue. The young master visits the lady often, but they have separate living spaces.”

Since my ego 992 kept stirring up anxious thoughts, I sent in a suppression squad to make a muzzle.

Don’t come out.

Don’t think useless thoughts.

We’re in the middle of an important story.

I turned the pages again.

The mansion’s location. Parents’ contact information.

Emergency contacts. Housekeeper Kang Hwi’s contact information.

Next, the original Chaewon’s lengthy letter of instructions remained.

“Please read.”

Maid Kang Hwi comforted me, telling me not to be afraid.

I never imagined that the meeting of my newly born personality and the original body’s owner would happen like this.

[ Welcome, No. 26.

I’m Min Chae-won. You can call me No. 0 briefly.

It might be confusing and disorienting.

But you are aware that you are Min Chae-won too.

We just perceive each other differently; both No. 26 and No. 0 are me.

Before you read further, remember this point.

You must have been quite surprised by this sudden change, right?

But there’s nothing to worry about.

You just read the book, didn’t you? That should be enough.

I used to lose my memory occasionally when I was young.

Turns out, every time that happened, friends like you borrowed my body for a while.

At first, it was terrifying and scary.

There were times I feared that someone else would control my body, and I would disappear forever, crying through the night.

But as time passed, I realized.

We just perceive each other differently; we are all the same Min Chae-won.

There was no reason to fear the friends who came to me in succession.

In fact, each friend who came had remarkable talents!

A friend who likes the violin, a friend who likes the flute… they were all so cool.

So now, I’m not afraid anymore.

You are just another me, and we have always been one, and we will be together in the future.]

The content that could only be written after a girl, who experienced confusion for nearly 20 years, established her identity.

She could have mentally broken down.

Probably because of her parents, Kang Hwi, and Strelka, who provided a lot of emotional support.

I think I’ve become the current Chae-won, not the completely shattered Chae-won.

[ Well, with the frequent body changes, external activities became difficult. But I didn’t just idle away inside the house.

I’ll tell you what you need to do every day from now on, so please listen carefully. You are me, and I am you. Got it?

Of course, if you find it bothersome, you can always pass it on to Kang Hwi.

Kang Hwi will gladly help you.

First off, Strelka.

Were you surprised when you first met him because he’s so big? He’s a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. Half of him is a wolf. So, he needs a lot of exercise because he’s kind and gentle. Don’t be scared; treat it like morning exercise and run with him every day. If he sees you getting tired, he’ll naturally slow down. He’s a clever one.

Next… nothing!

Sorry, I made it sound like I had a lot to say, but I don’t really have any requests.

Still, it feels odd not to write anything….]

Below that, there was a large drawing of Chae-won’s dog.

[ I don’t know what kind of Min Chae-won No. 26 is.

Whatever it is, do what you want to do, things that make you happy.

So, do what you’ve always wanted to do, feel the happiness deeply.

Get rid of the annoying and tiring things and prioritize only your happiness and joy.

But, just one thing.

Understand this one thing.]

Gulp.

I turned the page, swallowing saliva.

[ We have someone we’ve liked for a long time.

So, we can’t allow our bodies or hearts to anyone else?

From No. 1 to No. 25, everyone has protected this pure love unanimously.

As you are also the same existence as us, instinctively understand this.]

An important story.

A very important story emerged.