[A man wearing a bishop's robe, his hair the same golden color as Barbara Pegg's, walked over.]
["Barbara, is this little one alright?"]
["Father, his leg is injured."]
Barbara's father?
The so-called "Cardinal of Daybreak," the bishop of the Church of Favonius?
[Barbara crouched down, staring anxiously at the wound on your knee.]
["Let me see." Seamus Pegg knelt in front of you, pressing his hand over your knee. After a flash of light, the stinging pain in your leg vanished.]
[When Seamus removed his hand, the wound on your knee was already completely healed.]
[Seamus asked why you were wandering the woods alone.]
[Growing up among the Treasure Hoarders, you'd always resented the rich. You understood all too well—why were some people born clutching wealth, while people like you had to risk your life every single day just to eat?]
[The father and daughter before you were dressed in fine clothes, exuding the air of those born to privilege.]
[By all rights, they should've been the type of people you hated most.]
[But maybe it was the compassion shining faintly in their bearing, or maybe it was just the genuine kindness in their eyes—it was nothing like the way wealthy people usually looked at you, as if you were garbage.]
[Against your better judgment, you told them why you were alone in the woods.]
[After hearing your story, Barbara gasped and clapped her little hands over her mouth in shock.]
[She'd been raised in comfort from birth; she couldn't even imagine that someone could live such a miserable life—forced to be exploited by adults at such a young age.]
["Father, Kael's so pitiful. Let's bring him home." Barbara's teary eyes pleaded with Seamus.]
[Seamus couldn't bear to leave a child alone in such a dangerous forest, so he agreed.]
["From now on, let the Church of Favonius care for you."]
[Still shaken from the Hilichurl attack, you didn't hesitate to accept Seamus and Barbara's invitation.]
[You'd already realized—you were in no state to survive the woods on your own.]
[Once you arrived at the Church of Favonius, you learned that Seamus Pegg wasn't just any priest—he was the bishop himself, a man of great status.]
[From then on, you lived in the Church's orphanage, beginning your new life.]
[Age 10: When you first entered the orphanage, the other children ganged up to bully and exclude you as the newcomer.]
[But you'd grown up among the Treasure Hoarders. While you hadn't killed or burned, you'd done plenty of thieving and trickery.]
[In both strength and wits, you were far beyond the average orphan.]
[Thanks to your heavenly singing voice (your Talent Beethoven activating passively), you caught the eye of the priests of the Church.]
[You became the lead singer of the choir.]
[In public, you were all courtesy and manners, the picture of a sweet and well-behaved child.]
[Behind closed doors, you pinned down the kids who bullied you and beat them half to death.]
[Because the priests and nuns had such a good impression of you, no one believed the other orphans when they tattled.]
[Within just a few months, you'd cowed the entire orphanage into submission.]
[You became the boss of the Church of Favonius orphanage.]
[Age 11: By now, you looked nothing like the pitiful child Seamus and Barbara had picked up.]
[As the choir's lead singer—the very face of the choir—the priests and nuns prepared far finer clothes for you than for the other orphans.]
[You had a natural craving for high society.]
[You envied their refined speech, their polished dress, their life of luxury.]
[You wanted to become one of them.]
[Every day you cleaned yourself up to perfection, pairing your doll-like delicate looks with impeccable grooming.]
[To anyone who didn't know better, you looked like some noble family's young master. Who could believe that just two years ago, you were a starving child scrounging to survive in the wild?]
[Since Barbara had brought you to the Church, she often came to the orphanage to check on you.]
[To her, you were the very first person she'd ever saved.]
[She felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility toward you.]
[As you saw each other more often, Barbara began treating you like a dear friend, often coming to share pieces of her life.]
["Kael, I'm really so stupid... Why can't I ever be as good as my sister? No matter if it's studying or swordsmanship, she picks it up instantly. No matter how hard I try, I can never catch up to her..."]
[Little Barbara sat on a bench, looking utterly dejected.]
[By now, the angelic filter through which you'd once seen her was long gone.]
[You couldn't understand what she had to complain about. Her family, her resources, everything she had—those were things you could never even dream of having.]
[To squander such good fortune without knowing how to use it properly—it was infuriating!]
[You were thoroughly impatient with Barbara's whining, but considering her family background and her father's position in the Church of Favonius, you knew you couldn't let her see your true feelings. Keeping on good terms with her meant more benefits for you.]
[So you buried your irritation and put on a mask of sincerity, gently comforting her: "You don't need to follow in your sister's footsteps just to beat her. You're two different people. If these things aren't your strengths, then find something that is."]
["Really?" After hearing you out, Barbara looked even sadder. "But... I'm not good at anything."]
["Then is there something you like to do?"]
["Yes. I like music!" Barbara's eyes lit up, sparkling. "My favorite thing is listening to the choir every week. Kael, your voice is so beautiful! If only I could be like you...! I want to try singing! My sister never sings—maybe in this, I can be better than her!"]
[Barbara gazed at you with pleading eyes. "Kael, will you teach me how to sing?"]
[Teach singing?]
[For you, singing was as natural as drinking water—pure instinct. You'd never studied it yourself, and you had no idea how to teach anyone.]
[But to stay in Barbara's good graces, you gave her a warm smile. "Of course. You can come to me anytime."]
What can you say? Family and upbringing really do shape a person's growth.
In the previous runs of the Life Simulation, Kael had always ended up playing a more positive role.
But this time—growing up among the Treasure Hoarders, surrounded by their influence—he'd turned into someone selfish and self-serving.
Kael couldn't help but worry. At this rate, was he going to grow up into some kind of well-dressed beast?