The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 116

The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 116

As time passed, it became increasingly difficult to distinguish the participants from the characters in the game.
Just as Kang Arin had warned, once the limit was lifted, The Root became far more than just a board game.
Everyone had completely projected themselves onto their characters.
Thoughts, emotions, even desires.
In the sense-blurring mixture of reality and virtuality, before they knew it, they were truly enjoying life.
And Jeong Haein was no exception.
@
A hazy morning at a countryside farmhouse.
The home of a farmer in a frontier village.
Sunlight streamed through the small but warm window of the master bedroom, softly spreading over the bedding.
Jeong Haein slowly opened his eyes.
A familiar warmth and a gentle scent.
As if by instinct, he turned his head—and there she was.
“Are you awake, honey?”
A drowsy voice.
Cheon Yeoul rubbed her eyes lightly and turned in bed.
Sunlight settled over her shoulders, and beyond her tousled hair, she smiled brightly.
A beloved wife. Last night had been a night of shared love.
In truth, nearly every night was.
Of course, that didn’t mean it had actually happened.
Even in an adult game, there were limits to how far it went.
It was simply a morning scenario that followed the implication that they’d shared affection.
There were no explicit descriptions whatsoever.
However, the fact that this was an adult game was undeniably revealed by her outfit.
Sunlight poured in, and over her body, the light softly rested.
Cheon Yeoul was completely naked.
Beneath the blanket, her bare form, adorned with no accessories, gently revealed its silhouette.
Jeong Haein took in a breath.
It was a beautiful sight that he could never quite get used to, no matter how often he saw it.
Smack.
Without warning, Cheon Yeoul leaned in and kissed his cheek.
A warm heat lingered where her lips had touched.
Through her fallen hair, faint red marks were visible on her neck—left behind during the night.
When he slightly lowered his gaze, those traces disappeared under the blanket.
“Take your time waking up. I’ll make breakfast.”
Saying so, she slipped on some clothes and carefully stepped out the door.
Even after the door closed, her scent gently lingered in the room.
Jeong Haein quietly inhaled the remaining fragrance.
He closed his eyes for a moment to feel the warmth, then slowly sat up.
Already one year since they got married.
They were still in their honeymoon phase.
A breakfast table filled with sincerity.
The two sat /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ side by side, chatting.
“You seem busy today?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back a bit late. Go ahead and sleep first.”
The demand for their specialty crop, blueberries, had been rising by the day.
It was his turn to deliver the harvest.
He needed to travel to the central city and sell the entire stock.
Today was going to be a busy day.
“...No.”
Cheon Yeoul spoke.
With a slightly shy expression, she set her spoon down and met his eyes.
“Today... is an important day, remember?”
Jeong Haein’s hand paused.
After thinking for a moment, he soon nodded with an “Ah.”
They’d certainly shared love many times and cared deeply for each other, but no blessing had yet arrived for the couple.
Between them... there was still no child.
That’s why, on the calculated “important days,” they had promised to be together—no matter what.
Of course, in reality, it was just because the sum of the two dice hadn’t exceeded twelve....
But for those immersed in this world, there was no way to know that, and so concern had begun to build between the two.
After finishing the meal, Jeong Haein placed a blueberry in his mouth and gently patted Cheon Yeoul’s head.
She closed her eyes, quietly accepting the touch of his fingers.
“I’ll be back.”
“Please come back safely, honey.”
With that short exchange, Jeong Haein put on his coat and stepped outside.
It was the start of another lively day.
@
However, there was one person who was anything but lively.
A woman watching the entire scene unfold—with a clear head.
“...Shit.”
Yoon Chaeha uttered the strongest curse she could muster.
It was now her turn to roll the dice.
But she had no anticipation 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 Yoon Chaeha.
They all acted like they were actually living that life.
But for Yoon Chaeha, that was impossible. She could reach a certain level of immersion, but her eyes blocked it.
Her eyes only showed her the “truth.”
They prevented her from becoming too absorbed in the simulation.
Thanks to that, Yoon Chaeha had to watch Cheon Yeoul and Jeong Haein’s love-fest from beginning to end with full awareness.
She was the only one still sane.
Which meant she was also the only one who witnessed that ridiculous farce.
“Let’s just end this quickly...”
Eventually, she rolled the dice again.
She was only thinking about how to end this game as soon as possible.
***
Noon, at the center of the city’s marketplace.
As usual, Jeong Haein unloaded crates of blueberries.
He had made a deal with a wholesaler in the central city and was helping out personally for the day.
When he lifted the lid, the ripe blue fruits shimmered under the sunlight.
That was when it happened.
A white parasol slowly approached, parting the crowd.
‘...A noble.’
Her hair was neatly arranged, and though her dress was modest, the air around her was different.
She wore simple clothes, but something about her could not be hidden.
It was obvious at a glance—she was no commoner.
Usually, nobles had it written all over their faces.
I am of noble blood.
But she was different.
A calm expression, deliberately imitating a casual tone.
She was pretending not to be a noble, as if trying to blend in with the crowd.
Jeong Haein noticed it immediately.
Even though she tried to hide it, it was plain to see.
She stared intently at the crates of blueberries stacked on the table, then picked one up and looked at Jeong Haein.
“...Is this really good for your skin?”
“Try it and see for yourself.”
Jeong Haein replied with a smile, and Ha Sion’s face turned red.
Ha Sion—the cherished youngest daughter of a duke’s family.
Her household was probably in chaos by now. She had snuck out.
Raised under a strict father, it was the first time she had ever received a man’s smile so directly.
Jeong Haein delicately wiped a blueberry and handed it to her.
Ha Sion blushed and accepted it.
‘...It’s delicious.’
Though she had tasted every delicacy under the sun...
This flavor was new to her.
“How is it?”
When Jeong Haein asked with a smile, Ha Sion couldn’t meet his eyes.
His speech was that of a commoner, but it was imbued with inexplicable confidence and warmth.
Ha Sion tried to tell herself to turn her head away, but her gaze kept returning.
He smiled, his expression confident.
He was clearly a commoner.
His behavior was unrestrained.
A man of status completely incompatible with her own.
And yet, for some reason, she found herself drawn to him.
Her hand lifted.
“I’ll take one box.... No, two.”
“Sure.”
Jeong Haein nodded and picked up a towel, beginning to wipe the boxes.
Thick fingers, sinewy wrists, calloused palms.
As Ha Sion stared at his hands, she quietly opened her mouth again.
Almost like a whisper.
“...No... Just give me all of them...”
At that moment, the nearby merchants turned their heads.
“All of them?”
“Yes... all of them...”
Ha Sion’s face was flushed crimson.
In the end, the noble girl, blind with love, bought all the blueberries.
But the man in question—
‘I bet she’ll be happy if I get home early.’
Was only thinking about getting back home.
***
Hero Yu Hana had just returned from a year-long expedition.
Starting from Balak, then the demon commanders... and eventually, even the Demon King.
All had fallen beneath her blade.
The royal palace wanted to appoint her as the highest knight.
But she refused.
Yu Hana was tired.
She had pushed herself too hard.
She longed for a human life.
A life where she could breathe like a living person, feel the sunlight in the morning, turn off the lights at night, and fall asleep peacefully.
So she rejected the position of royal knight and became the lord of a rural village.
Many tried to dissuade her.
The land was barren, unworthy.
But what greeted her was far from what she’d expected.
The land, which was supposed to be rough and desolate, was rich.
The people, both in appearance and spirit, were kind.
“It’s the blueberry guy!”
“Give me one too!”
At that moment, from afar, dozens of children rushed toward one person.
“All right, you little rascals.”
A sturdy figure.
Tanned skin, muscular arms, and even a handsome face.
Without exaggeration, he was among the finest-looking men in the empire.
But this man was smiling as he handed out blueberries to the children, one by one.
She observed him carefully.
No matter how noisy the children became, not once did he show any sign of weariness or irritation.
He gave piggyback rides, sang strange songs, and played pranks.
Watching that, Yu Hana felt something warm stir in her chest for the first time in a long while.
It was as if the wounds in her heart were beginning to heal.
Eventually, as the sun began to set and the children returned home one by one, Yu Hana slowly approached him.
“Hello?”
He turned to her with a smile.
“Yes, hello. I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before...?”
He glanced briefly at her outfit.
His eyes flashed for a moment.
Then, casually wiping his palm on his pants, he extended his hand politely.
“Jeong Haein. I run a farm here in the village. Pleased to meet you, my lady.”
Yu Hana was slightly surprised.
Even if he had heard a new lord was arriving, recognizing it just from her clothes wasn’t easy.
‘He’s perceptive...’
He was growing on her more and more.
Seeing no point in hiding, she nodded and accepted the handshake.
The sensation through her fingertips was firm—and warm.
“...Pleased to meet you as well.”
Yu Hana responded.
Jeong Haein looked at her for a moment, then glanced around and spoke.
“If you don’t mind....”
“Yes?”
Yu Hana tilted her head slightly.
“I’d like to offer you a meal.”
His tone was still polite, and his smile relaxed.
As a village farmer, it was easier if he made a good impression on the new lord.
So he extended the invitation.
Then quickly added:
“Oh, no other intentions. Just... to greet you properly. You probably aren’t familiar with the village yet. I’d like to introduce you to a few places.”
Yu Hana smiled at his words.
It was surely for his own benefit, but she didn’t feel bad about it.
Even though she felt like she was being charmed... strangely, she didn’t mind.
“...All right.”
Jeong Haein lightly bowed.
“Then... this way. The path’s a bit uneven, so watch your step.”
As she watched his back walking ahead, Yu Hana muttered inwardly without thinking—
‘...Broad.’
A few minutes later, they arrived at a farmhouse that was much larger than it appeared from the outside.
“Honey~ I’m home~”
At those words, Yu Hana unconsciously stopped in her tracks.
‘Honey?’
A faint disappointment crept in from somewhere.
But the house was quiet.
Jeong Haein peeked inside and muttered,
“Maybe she went to pray...?”
He was right.
Cheon Yeoul, expecting him to come home late, had gone to church to pray.
To ask for a blessing for their marriage.
“That’s fortunate. Actually, I cook a little better.”
Jeong Haein smiled as if it was nothing and guided her inside.
Before long, fresh food began to fill the table.
The two of them sat across from each other.
They poured a bluish liquor into their glasses and began to talk.
“This one’s special to me.”
Jeong Haein smiled and lifted the glass slightly.
His gaze through the rim was warm.
The more Yu Hana talked with him, the more she found herself drawn in.
A comfort she couldn’t even remember the last time she felt.
But at the same time, the fact that he had a wife kept tapping at a corner of her heart.
Jealousy... was growing.
As their drunkenness slowly built, the night deepened.
Of course, Yu Hana, being a Hero, could handle her liquor.
But the one who got drunk—was her heart.
Jeong Haein was now nearly intoxicated.
Yet he wasn’t a troublesome drunk. If anything, he became even more gentle.
“You know... I’ve had a lot on my mind...”
His words were careful.
His gaze dulled, his voice lowered.
He began to confide in Yu Hana.
“Well... I guess it’s all my fault, huh. Haha...”
A year of marriage. And still no news.
That was his concern.
Jeong Haein looked off into space with a bitter smile.
Yu Hana listened intently.
He blamed everything on himself.
Even the smallest gestures of consideration for his wife.
Something in her chest quietly stirred.
And then... a desire to cross the line began to grow.
Yu Hana was drunk enough—and she was a greedy person.
Quietly, meaningfully, she asked:
“...What’s the key to successful farming?”
A sudden question, but Jeong Haein answered without hesitation.
His eyes were pure, and when it came to farming, he was utterly serious.
“You need good seeds... sunlight, water... but in the end, the most important thing is...”
Counting on his fingers, he finally clasped his hands together.
“...You need good soil. Rich, healthy soil full of nutrients.”
Yu Hana smiled faintly.
She slowly wrapped her hand around his.
When their fingers touched, Jeong Haein blinked.
“If that’s the case... maybe the problem is...”
With her lips curled into a knowing smile, Yu Hana whispered,
“...the soil’s not good enough?”
Yu Hana was a Hero.
To put it bluntly—she was humanity’s finest soil.
And when she wanted something, she got it.
After all, it wasn’t uncommon for attractive men to have multiple wives.
“...Snore.”
But Jeong Haein never heard that last line.
He had already dozed off.
“Hmph...”
Yu Hana silently looked down at his face.
It didn’t matter. The night was long.
She turned her head.
Her gaze moved to the shelf.
There stood a photo frame.
In it, Jeong Haein and his wife stood in front of a small garden, smiling at each other.
Not a speck of dust. Clearly cleaned every day.
You could feel the love in it.
Without a word, she stood up and took out a handkerchief.
Fwp.
She quietly draped it over the frame.
A high-quality cloth embroidered with white lace.
It was her signature.
“...Honey, mm...”
Jeong Haein murmured unconsciously.
It was sleep talk.
Yu Hana quietly smiled.
“...Yes.”
And slowly approached him.

.
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Chapter 116