Deciding to give up my pursuit early, I got into the car I had parked near the station and headed home.

I wanted to have dinner with her, the one eagerly waiting for me.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

As I entered the house by punching in the door code, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.

“Dad!”

Sure enough, there she was, greeting me with a bright smile.

“You’re home early today!”

Her lightly tied wavy black hair framed her petite, fist-sized face, adorned with sparkling, lively eyes—a face that resembled a cute bunny.

This was my beloved daughter, Han Na-gyeong.

“…I just finished work a bit early,” I said, avoiding her gaze. After all, I couldn’t exactly tell her I had taken half the day off to tail one of her classmates. Instead, I feigned exhaustion.

“You worked hard. But… what’s that?”

Na-gyeong naturally took my bag from me and glanced at the white envelope in my other hand.

“It’s a present.”

“A present? For what…?”

Inside was a popular convenience store dessert that had been trending lately.

“Oh! I’ve been wanting to try this!”

“Figured you’d like it, so I made sure to remember and pick it up.”

“Wow!”

Overjoyed, Na-gyeong gave me a quick peck on the cheek, grabbed the bag, and dashed off into the house with a skip in her step.

Seeing her so happy, I was glad I had stopped by the convenience store. It also eased a little of my lingering guilt.

“Dinner’s ready!”

“What? You’ve already set the table?”

After taking a quick shower, I emerged to find the living room greeting me with a dining table overflowing with dishes.

While I was in the bathroom, my diligent daughter had prepared dinner all by herself.

“I rushed to finish up so I could help, though.”

“Hehe, I figured you’d do that, so I set it up even faster.”

Na-gyeong grinned in satisfaction, placing a cool glass of water at my spot.

Without a doubt, there wasn’t a daughter more thoughtful than her in this world.

‘I really lucked out with this kid.’

As a student at a specialized academy, Na-gyeong had been cooking dinner for us every day for years.

When she was younger, I used to prepare all her meals. Now, she insisted on taking care of me instead.

I had tried to persuade her otherwise, worried it might be too much of a burden for her.

“No way! Why would we order food when I’m here to cook for you?”

With her odd insistence that she had to be the one to cook my meals, she completely took over the kitchen.

At this point, anyone watching might have mistaken her for my wife.

“Thanks for the meal.”

“Eat up!”

As always, the two of us sat across from each other at our small dining table, sharing our dinner.

We talked about the events of the day and exchanged little bits of joy.

“This afternoon, I visited a client’s house, and their daughter also attends your academy.”

“Whoa! Really?”

Of course, I didn’t mention what had happened earlier that afternoon.

“I heard she’s in her second year. Her parents were bragging that she ranked 19th when she got in.”

“Oh, second year.”

“I almost bragged that my daughter ranked first, but I held back.”

“Aw, you should’ve just said it!”

“What if they got upset and filed a complaint?”

“Hm, you’ve got a point there.”

After finishing dinner, we cleaned up the table together, then sat side by side on the small sofa to enjoy the dessert I had brought.

“Dad, say ‘ahhh.’”

“Mmm.”

“How is it?”

“It’s better than I expected.”

“Okay, now you feed me!”

“You’re holding the fork yourself.”

“Come on, feed me! I fed you first!”

“Are you a kid or something?”

“Yup!”

“Only at times like this…”

“Hehe.”

Since she was little, Han Na-gyeong had always loved clinging to me whenever we were home.

She might act mature and responsible, saying things like she was “helping around the house,” but moments like these reminded me she was still just a child.

‘What a luxurious life I lead.’

Looking back, I realized I’d been blessed with a life full of fortune.

Not that it had come easily—there were countless hardships along the way.

At seventeen, I was summoned to another world.

A world where dragons flew across the skies, and beings like elves and dwarves roamed freely.

Summoned alongside a group of kids my age, I was given the grandiose title of “Hero” and tasked with defeating the Demon King.

Even with the goddess’s blessing, we were far too weak to face the Demon King head-on.

So, we set off on a journey to grow stronger.

Being around a group of teenagers brimming with youthful energy, it didn’t take long for things to get… complicated.

At some point, I found myself falling for a girl.

‘Well, technically, Kim Yoo-bin made the first move.’

Either way, we became a couple, and over the years of adventuring together, our bond grew deeper.

“I’m pregnant.”

“What?”

Perhaps we’d taken things a bit too far. In the middle of our journey, we ended up having a child.

That child was Na-gyeong.

“What do we do? I think I’m already going to be a doting dad. She’s so beautiful.”

“What if you start crying at her wedding?”

“No way. She’s not allowed to marry anyone weaker than me.”

“Wow, you’re already such a dad.”

Becoming parents changed everything. From then on, we fought the Demon King with everything we had, desperate to survive.

And yet…

“Yoo-bin!!”

“Don’t… ever forget me, okay?”

“Don’t say things like that! Just hold on, I’ll heal you—”

“I… love you…”

“Yoo-bin!!!”

I lost my wife.

Though I managed to defeat the Demon King, I gave up every reward offered to me.

All I wanted was to return to my original world with Na-gyeong.

By some twist of fate, we returned to the exact moment we had first been summoned.

Except now, as an orphan about to start high school, I suddenly had a daughter to raise.

“Daddy’s off to work now.”

“Okay! Bye-bye!”

Having become a parent so young, I gave up on school and started working right away.

Fortunately, the skills I’d honed in the other world helped me find my footing faster than I’d expected.

As life barreled forward without pause, twelve years slipped by in the blink of an eye.

In that time, I had managed to secure a modest rental apartment on the outskirts of Seoul and a stable enough job to make ends meet.

And, most importantly, I had raised a daughter so beautiful that she could easily be mistaken for the twin of her mother.

By anyone’s standards, it would have been a fairly successful life. But to me, without my wife, it was always incomplete.

She had been my everything when I had nothing.

...And yet.

Perhaps, in acknowledgment of my devotion, the heavens decided to grant me an unexpected chance.

“Hero Han Do-hyun.”

It happened just last weekend, on a quiet morning while Na-gyeong  was out shopping for groceries.

Sensing a presence in the living room, I stepped out to find a mysterious woman, radiating with a divine aura, floating serenely in the air.

I recognized her immediately. She was the same type of being as the Goddess of Fortune I had encountered in the other world.

“I need your help,” she said.

Introducing herself as the “Goddess of Prosperity,” she explained her purpose.

“Please guide the new hero to prevent the resurrection of the Demon King.”

She wanted me, a former hero, to become the mentor for the next one.

“Sorry, but I’ll pass.”

I refused outright.

There was a reason I had hung up my sword—praised for a decade as the Dark Knight—and settled for life as an artifact repairman fixing air conditioners.

I no longer wanted to fight.

All I desired was to clock in at 9 a.m., clock out at 6 p.m., and enjoy peaceful dinners with my beloved daughter.

So, I tried to send the goddess away.

“Look, my kid’s going to be home soon. I think it’s best if—”

“Don’t you wish to see your beloved wife again?”

“…What?”

That’s when the goddess began weaving her deceitful words.

“Hero Han Do-hyun, do you not still love Hero Kim Yoo-bin?”

Why were goddesses always so adept at manipulating people’s hearts?

It was the same in the other world.

The Goddess of Fortune had dangled sweets in front of an orphan on the verge of being cast out of a shelter to coax him into fighting the Demon King.

And now, the Goddess of Prosperity was no different.

“Hero Kim Yoo-bin, newly reincarnated, has been chosen as the next hero.”

The answer was clear from the start.

“If you refuse, someone else will be given this chance.”

All I had to do was give my response.

“What will you decide?”

It was impossible to say no.

After my meeting with the Goddess of Prosperity.

“Do-hyun, where are you going?”

“Oh, just out for a bit.”

Having scarfed down the pasta Na-gyeong  had lovingly prepared for breakfast, I hurried to get ready to leave.

I was heading out to search for my wife’s reincarnation, as revealed by the goddess…

“Hmmm...”

While I was getting ready, Na-gyeong scrutinized me closely, narrowing her eyes as if interrogating me.

“You’re going to meet Aunt Yeon-jung, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

Her question startled me so much that I couldn’t help but flinch.

“See? I knew it!”

She clicked her tongue, scolding me like a wife catching her husband sneaking off somewhere.

“My dad isn’t the type to fix his hair just to go out.”

Her remark made me feel oddly self-conscious.

“…It’s just a quick errand.”

“Of course, it has to be!”

Na-gyeong added with a scoff that there was no way I’d be meeting her without a reason and then began pestering me about when I’d be back.

It seemed she still didn’t like Yeon-jung.

‘I told her we’re just friends.’

Choi Yeon-jung , one of my comrades from the other world, was one of the few people I kept in touch with.

She was what people nowadays would call a “girl friend”—just a friend who happened to be a girl.

After seeing so much of each other’s worst moments back in the day, we were now as comfortable as guy friends.

I firmly believe that men and women can just be friends. Though, judging by Na-gyeong’s reaction, she didn’t quite agree.

“I’m heading out now.”

“Don’t drink any alcohol! I’ll come looking for you if you do!”

Dodging Na-gyeong’s fiery warning gaze, I escaped into the creaky elevator, pulling out my phone as I went.

Scrolling through my sparse list of contacts, I found her name and sent a message.

[Me: I’m on my way.]

Within seconds, the message was marked as “read,” and a reply came almost immediately.

[World’s Most Beautiful Woman: I’m in the middle of a shoot, so take your time.]

As an S-rank explorer, Yeon-jung was easily the busiest among our old comrades from the other world.

A studio somewhere in Gangnam, Seoul.

After navigating through Seoul’s frustrating traffic, I arrived at the meeting place, only to face an unexpected hurdle.

“Excuse me, do you have an entry pass?”

“Uh… no, I don’t?”

“Sorry, but without a pass, you cannot enter.”

I couldn’t even get past the lobby, let alone meet Choi Yeon-jung.

“Well, you see, I’m actually…”

As I fumbled for my phone to explain my purpose, a familiar voice called out from inside the lobby.

“Do-hyun!”

Turning toward the sound, I saw her.

Her perfectly styled brown hair flowed like silk, complementing her elegant and commanding presence.

Her unrealistically proportioned figure, glowing brighter than the luxury brands she was wearing, instantly drew every gaze.

It was none other than Choi Yeon-jung, my only female friend and one of the few S-rank explorers in the country.

“Yeon-jung! Over here!”

I waved enthusiastically, causing the security guards to glance at each other nervously.

As Yeon-jung approached with a subtle smile, her mere presence silenced the guards, who quickly stepped aside to let me through.

This is why it pays to have the right friends.

“Traffic was awful, huh?”

“Don’t even get me started. There was an accident halfway through—ugh.”

“Sorry about that. This shoot’s been scheduled for a while.”

“No need to apologize. I should’ve given you more notice.”

As we stepped into the elevator, Yeon-jung apologized again for making me come all the way to Gangnam, even offering to buy me dinner.

Knowing her, it’d probably be some ridiculously expensive meal I’d never otherwise afford, but…

“No thanks. I promised Na-gyeong I’d be home for dinner. She’s making kimchi stew tonight.”

Unfortunately for her, I was already taken—by my role as a devoted dad.

“Of course, the dad of the year wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Yeon-jung chuckled softly before her gaze shifted, her tone growing more curious.

“So, what’s the deal? Why’d you reach out first for a change?”

She was quick to catch on.

“You wouldn’t contact me just because you missed me… so, what do you need?”

Her intuition was as sharp as ever.

“Yeah, I need your help.”

“Help? With what?”

She looked puzzled as I explained the reason for my sudden visit.

“I need to find someone.”

Specifically, my wife’s reincarnation.