Why am I the Princess?

“Hello~”

“Oh my, Si-yoon, you’re so adorable~~~”

Kim Sun-hwa cooed at me before turning to Dad.

“Were you sleeping? I feel terrible for disturbing you,” she said apologetically.

Dad, who had been zoning out, snapped back to attention and replied,
“It’s fine, really.”

“Dayeon, say hello!”

“Hello, Uncle!”

“Hello, Dayeon~”

Dad clearly found Dayeon adorable. Meanwhile, I, still wearing my bear hood, stumbled over to the couch and collapsed onto it. Dayeon, ever the mimic, followed suit and flopped down beside me.

“I saw your latest song release,” said Kim Sun-hwa.

Dad, now more awake, began to focus on the conversation.

“Oh! You saw it?”
“Wow… now I understand why everyone keeps saying, ‘Jiho this, Jiho that.’ You’re incredible!”
“Haha, thank you so much.”

Kim Sun-hwa started unpacking the clothes she had brought with her.

“I was shopping for Dayeon and kept thinking about Si-yoon. These are perfect for when she turns five!”
“Oh, no, you’ve already given us so much…”

Still sprawled on the couch, I pulled out my phone and interrupted Dad mid-sentence.

“Just take them. Dad’s taste in clothes is awful.”

“…..”

“…Pfft.”

It was true. The clothes Kim Sun-hwa picked were more my style. She seemed to understand what I liked: cute but not overly frilly, flashy yet natural. Her personal fashion sense was practically my ideal. Seeing my blunt comment, she smiled warmly.

“I have to admit, I’m so envious of this apartment.”

She glanced at the massive window, taking in the view as she continued.

“The branding, the scenery, the amenities—this place is absolutely the best apartment complex in the country, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” Dad asked, playing it cool.
“Of course! I’ve been waiting for a chance to move in here for ages. It’s my dream.”

The idea that even a family from Hanseong Group, the second-largest conglomerate in Korea, was waiting for a spot here caught my interest.

“If I’d known how fierce the competition was, I’d have bought a unit just in case, even if I didn’t use it. But back then, Jung-yeon was just a newborn.”

That made sense. This wasn’t just any apartment—it was Tower Palace. Even as a four-year-old, there were rooms in the apartment I hadn’t explored yet. One room was entirely filled with shoes, a testament to how much my parents loved collecting them.

“Should I make a reservation for you?” Dad suddenly offered.
“Oh my goodness, really?”

The conversation between Dad and Kim Sun-hwa suddenly took a serious turn.

The thought crossed my mind: There’s no way this apartment is under Dad’s name… right?
I remembered Grandma once asking him if he even had enough money to raise me. Maybe she’d underestimated just how rich Dad really was.

Then again, it wasn’t hard to believe, considering his personality. Dad always wore tracksuits, but I knew he had a lot of money. His music was so well-loved that people abroad described it as “reliable and worth listening to.”

As Sun-hwa admired the clean and meticulously organized home, she said,
“My husband prefers detached houses, but I’ve always wanted to live in an apartment. Thank you so much.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, but it does depend on availability…”
“Even being on a priority list is more than enough for me!”

Dad smiled at her, and Sun-hwa turned to me with a playful expression.

“If we become neighbors, Dayeon and Si-yoon can go to the swimming pool all the time!”

“…?”
“You didn’t know? There’s a swimming pool on the 40th floor,” said Kim Sun-hwa.

I glanced at Dad.

The 40th floor? Sure, our apartment is on the 68th floor, but could there really be a swimming pool in this building? The thought briefly crossed my mind. Now that I think about it, I’ve noticed some elevator buttons were a different color.

“There’s also a kids’ cafe and so much more,” she added.

Dad was watching me nervously, and I couldn’t help but smile at him.

“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” I said.

Dad’s face filled with unease as he watched my reaction. I turned to Dayeon and grinned.

“Want to explore the apartment?”
“Yes!”

The complex consisted of five massive towers. Starting from the fourth floor, they were separated but connected by bridges here and there. When I first saw the apartment, I thought it was impressive, but it had never crossed my mind that Dad might own any of it.

Am I… am I actually living a chaebol life?

I looked at Dad.
Considering how quickly he writes hit songs… maybe this all makes sense.

I would later learn the truth: Dad hadn’t known what to do with his excess money, so he had invested in this project through a friend. The building was designed by Korea’s top architect, with two major conglomerates—Hanseong Trading and S-Trading—competing to bring it to life. Dad had never anticipated the building would become such a renowned landmark.

The property’s value skyrocketed far beyond his initial expectations. Four years later, he had undoubtedly recouped his investment many times over. The building was a gold mine, filled with tenants and a waitlist a mile long. The land itself was under Dad’s name, making him a true gapjil-proof landlord king.

Still, I chalked this up to my overactive imagination. Surely, it couldn’t be true, right?

We arrived at the 40th floor.

When the doors opened, I froze, utterly stunned by the sight before me.
I had expected a simple swimming pool. Instead, I was greeted by an extraordinary view.

The bridge connecting the buildings wasn’t just a walkway—it housed a sprawling swimming pool with glass floors and walls overlooking the Han River. There were signs of frequent parties, with a wine bar and cafes tucked in one corner. Even with the lights off, the design screamed opulence. Surrounding the pool were other lavish amenities, making me feel like I was witnessing the pinnacle of modern architecture.

“This… this is the future,” I murmured.

“Huh? What did you say, Si-yoon?” asked Kim Sun-hwa.

I looked around and, almost jokingly, asked,
“Is this… Dad’s?”

It was a playful remark, but Dad scratched his cheek awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.
That was all the confirmation I needed.

I turned to Dad, seeing him not as my clueless, well-meaning father but as an untouchable landlord king.

Oh, dear God… You may have taken two precious things from me, but this is one way to make it up to me.

I suddenly understood why Dad never seemed concerned about money. With the kind of rent this building brought in monthly, why would he be?

This wasn’t just any apartment—it was Tower Palace, infamous for its sky-high rents. I had once worried we might get kicked out of here, but how naive I’d been. The owner of this palace was none other than my tracksuit-wearing dad, smiling awkwardly at me.

As we toured the amenities—kids’ cafes, saunas, and more—I couldn’t help but wonder if this was really the present or some utopian future.

I should’ve realized earlier.

I should’ve known when Dad handed me an 1.8-million-won smartphone as casually as if he were giving me a bag of snacks. I should’ve figured it out when he bought wagyu beef without even glancing at the price tag. Or when he paid 1.8 million won per month for my daycare like it was nothing.

I wasn’t just born with a silver spoon—I had a platinum one.

At this point, Dad’s personal wealth might rival Hanseong’s from 20 years ago… or even surpass it.

The kicker? This wasn’t company money. It was his personal wealth.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Were we… rich?”

Kim Sun-hwa chuckled softly, watching me with amusement.

Dad turned to me with a playful grin and said,
“What do you think?”

“Dad’s the one who’s rich, not you, Si-yoon.”
“But… but I’m your daughter!”
“Well, if you keep being Dad’s daughter… maybe you’ll get rich too?”

I’d always felt like I had the upper hand with Dad, but now… his hastily blow-dried, slightly messy hair started to look as though he’d just stepped out of a salon. Even his usual tracksuit pajamas, which I’d always thought looked lazy and plain, suddenly seemed like trendy vintage fashion.

Normally, I’d have snapped back with something like, “Then I won’t be your daughter anymore!”
But today was different.

I, Kang Han-seong—who had once relied solely on my pride, my two fists, and two other important parts that no longer existed—was out of options.

Today, I surrendered to capital.

Still in my pajamas, I dramatically plopped onto the floor, sitting cross-legged with theatrical solemnity.

Dad looked completely bewildered as I tilted my head down and said,

“Your humble daughter kneels before her noble father.”