[Age 15: As you grew older, you started thinking about your future.]
[Singing in the choir earned you a monthly wage, and since you were still living at the Church of Favonius orphanage with food and shelter provided, you had more than enough to spend.]
[But your ambitions went far beyond that.]
[You wanted more money, a life among the upper class, and the respect of everyone around you.]
[In Mondstadt, there was only one path to reach that goal—]
[Joining the Knights of Favonius.]
[Once, you'd despised the Knights of Favonius, since it was because of them that your parents had died.]
[But you'd been taken in by the Church of Favonius, which itself was under the Knights' authority.]
[By now, your feelings were too tangled to sort out.]
[After much thought, you finally decided: you'd join the Knights of Favonius.]
[Only as a knight could you fulfill your ideals.]
[In life, you have to learn to choose.]
[And you chose what mattered most to you.]
[Besides, ever since you'd seen Jean Gunnhildr once at Barbara Pegg's home, you hadn't been able to forget her.]
[Her figure filled your mind.]
[If you became a Knight of Favonius, you'd have more chances to get closer to her.]
Kael frowned. The version of himself in this Life Simulation really didn't seem like a good person. He was swallowing even his parents' grudge, willing to do anything for his goals. On one hand, cozying up to Barbara, and on the other, scheming to approach Jean.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Kael highly doubted that someone as upright and noble as Jean would ever be swayed by this kind of person.
[Age 16: With your heavenly voice, you'd become something of a minor celebrity in Mondstadt.]
[Many in the Knights of Favonius were your fans—even Grand Master Varka himself enjoyed your singing.]
[Thanks to that, you entered the Knights of Favonius with ease.]
[You were now a member of the Fourth Company's reconnaissance squad.]
[Your direct commander: Captain Eula Lawrence.] (my eula)
[Since you'd just joined the squad, there was still much to learn.]
[In the beginning, you shadowed Eula closely, getting used to the work.]
[From then on, you lived a rough life out in the wild, sometimes going an entire month without returning to Mondstadt—let alone getting close to Jean.]
Huh?
When Kael first saw Eula's name appear, he thought it would trigger his Prefers Older Sister Types Talent. After all, compared to Jean, Eula's figure was… well, even more impressive.
But unexpectedly, the System skimmed right over that.
It seemed the reason "he" liked Jean in this run wasn't just because of the Talent. Maybe it was because growing up among the Treasure Hoarders, all he'd ever seen were petty crooks and scum. So someone like Jean—powerful, righteous, untouchable—hit his weak spot perfectly.
[One day, you accompanied Eula on a mission to clear out Hilichurls near Mondstadt.]
[With a dagger in hand, you crept up behind a Mitachurl and took it down with a single assassination strike. (Talent: Thief passive triggered.)]
[That night, you and Eula camped on a plain, building a fire to rest.]
["This is the first time I've seen a knight use daggers as weapons. Most of us in the Knights of Favonius use swords."]
[Normally Eula carried herself with businesslike coldness. For her to initiate small talk was so unexpected you were caught off guard.]
["I don't know why, but it feels like I hit harder with daggers than with swords. Doesn't matter what the weapon is—as long as it feels right in your hand, that's what counts."]
[Eula looked at you in surprise.]
["Do you know my background?"]
["I do." After all, in Mondstadt, everyone knew about the Lawrence family.]
["And yet you still talk to me? I thought you disliked me. We've worked together this long and you never once started a conversation."]
Isn't that because you always act so cold and unapproachable that I didn't dare?
You grumbled inwardly, but didn't say it out loud.
[After thinking a moment, you told Eula, "It's like swords and daggers. No matter what your background is, as long as you truly protect Mondstadt, that's all that matters."]
[Hearing that, Eula showed the tenth smile you'd seen from her since meeting her.]
[Later that night, you were woken by the crackling of flames.]
[Opening your eyes, you realized the space beside you was empty.]
[Where had the captain gone?!]
[Life in the wild with Eula had made you hyper-alert. The moment you noticed her absence, you assumed danger.]
[Grabbing your dagger, you scanned the ground for tracks and followed the trail.]
[It led deeper into the woods.]
[You gripped your dagger tighter, expression growing more serious as you went.]
[Carefully, you followed the trail until you reached the lakeshore.]
[And there, your eyes widened.]
[A pale, bare back emerged before you.]
[A slender waist, curves flowing down to where round hips dipped below the surface of the water, half-hidden, half-revealed, all the more enticing.]
[Shocked, you stumbled back and snapped a twig underfoot.]
[The sharp sound rang out in the silent forest.]
[The figure in the lake quickly sank beneath the water, vanishing in an instant.]
[Panicked, you bolted back toward camp.]
[When you arrived, Eula was already seated by the fire, waiting.]
[Her short blue hair was damp, beads of water trailing down her neck and disappearing beneath her shirt.]
[Firelight painted her cheeks red, its flickering glow dancing in her eyes.]
[She glared at you, furious, her breath uneven, chest rising and falling with anger.]
["Kael!!!!!!!!!"]
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A/N — I'll update twice a day from now on~ And every 50 PS means one bonus chapter for you guys!