The urgent, whispered conversation took place under the heavy shade of a tree in a secluded corner of the Palace courtyard. Mi-Reu was staring intently at the translucent panel that had appeared before her, displaying its new, active functionality.

  [Memory Archive Store (Current Balance: 500 Yang)

  Cost: 300 Yang - Quick Recall: search memories from past life archive for a specific, short snippet of information

  Cost: 2000 Yang - Re-watch: enter and view a specific archive memory in detail

  Cost: 5000 Yang - Paused Memory: enter a specific archive memory and freeze it ]

  “It really unlocked!” Mi-Reu squeaked, her voice tight with giddy anticipation. Gi-Reu, standing close by, was equally fixated on her reaction. “Come on now! Tell me, what does it do! What is it saying?!”

  “It allows me to access my deep memories of my past life… in exchange for Yang?” Mi-Reu murmured, the realization dawning on her.

  “But… don’t you already have memories of your past life?” Gi-Reu asked, completely confused. “I thought you could remember your old world just fine.”

  “I mean, it’s not as though I remembered every single detail in perfect clarity! The human brain doesn’t work that way,” Mi-Reu explained excitedly, waving her hand dismissively. “This System, however, is a tool! This actually lets me re-experience and look at specific, high-detail information again! Think of it like this, Gi-Reu: I can feel the entire life, but I can’t easily access the precise knowledge without effort.”

  She paused, formulating a suitable analogy for her eight-year-old brother. “Think of it like this: My complete memories of my past life are a vast, deep pond, while my small brain right now is only a little clay pot.” Mi-Reu gestured emphatically. “The pot can see all the water in the pond, but it can’t process the huge volume of information because the water is not contained within it yet.”

  Gi-Reu nodded, his bright eyes following the logic. “And since the pot is much smaller than the pond, you can’t just pour all the water in at once. You can only dip in and take out the right amount of water you need.”

  “That’s absolutely right!” Mi-Reu confirmed, pleased with his quick understanding. “If my interpretation is correct, then the Cognitive Bandwidth number it shows is the current maximum capacity, or the size of my 'pot.' The more we manage to increase that number through intense focus, the bigger the pot becomes, and the more information I can process quickly.”

  She paused, thinking internally: ‘It’s really more like my entire past life is on an external storage drive, but my current processor is tiny and slow. The System is the interface that allows me to access that drive, but the speed of access is constrained by my processor’s ability to decode the data.’ She dismissed the thought; that explanation was far too complex for this world.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “So… we went through all that trouble, risked punishment from Father, and you still can’t even use your special power without money?” Gi-Reu asked, his initial enthusiasm draining away into sharp disappointment.

  “It’s called a Store, Gi-Reu,” Mi-Reu replied, her own voice betraying a small, similar sigh of letdown. “Of course it was always going to be a trade.”

  Mi-Reu then turned sharply to face her twin, her expression shifting from disappointment to genuine curiosity. “But speaking of trouble, I didn’t realize you paid any attention whatsoever in our daily lessons. How in the world were you able to hold your own against the Inspector General and those senior ministers? I honestly thought you were an idiot when it came to state history.”

  Gi-Reu immediately flinched her forehead playfully with his index finger. “The true idiot is you, Mi-Reu. How can you not remember the teachings when the old master annoyingly repeats them the same way every single day?” He stood up, stretching his small limbs. “You try too hard to memorize everything, and still don’t quite grasp the basics. It’s simply too boring to listen to once you know the pattern.”

  Mi-Reu blinked, confused at first, but then a realization dawned on her. Gi-Reu had already effortlessly absorbed the core principles and facts of the lessons, which was why he never paid attention to the subsequent, boring repetitions. In contrast, she, the more serious student, had been so focused on note-taking and analysis that the fundamentals hadn't truly integrated.

  'I can't believe my eight-year-old brother is smarter than me, even though I used to be a fully grown adult?' Mi-Reu thought, the humbling truth of her twin’s natural intellectual gifts sinking in.

  Gi-Reu, oblivious to her internal crisis, continued enthusiastically. “Now, now. You once told me you had 500 Yang from your New Year’s allowance hidden in a chest in your room, didn't you? We should use it right away and see how the System actually works!”

  “That’s true!” Mi-Reu stood up, her strategic mind immediately focusing on the prize: 500 Yang was enough for at least one crucial Quick Recall. “But wait a moment… The aliens said they are strictly prohibited from interfering physically in another world. So, if I buy a memory, how exactly do I pay the money? Does the System magically take it from the chest?” Mi-Reu questioned.

  Before she could delve further into the problem, a cheerful, familiar voice called out from behind them.

  “Ah! Here you are, you two!”

  Both Gi-Reu and Mi-Reu turned in unison and said, “Brother Min-Soo!”

  Their older brother, Prince Min-Soo, walked toward them with an easy, engaging stride, his Eunuch and Ladies-in-Waiting trailing behind him. He was wearing a deep crimson ceremonial robe, a Dopo similar to the Crown Prince’s, but his was embroidered with slightly less formality, suggesting a military or administrative track rather than the Heir’s ultimate authority. He smiled broadly. “It’s officially my turn to keep an eye on you two little troublemakers now!”

  He reached them and, without warning, expertly swooped the two smaller twins up by placing one arm around each of their necks, pulling them into a tight, affectionate squeeze. “Come with me! We are going to the training grounds, you two need some physical conditioning after all that sitting!”

  With that, the eleven-year-old Prince Min-Soo playfully dragged the eight-year-old royal twins away toward the dusty, outdoor training grounds, putting a definitive, physical halt to their next plans.