The World Is Not Equal

I had spent twenty-five years enduring the hardships of orphanage life as the villainous twins’ backstory. As an adult, my existence had been remarkably uneventful. Maybe that was because I had tried so hard to live well. There was no stress at work. Living alone meant I had just enough money—not enough to buy a car or a house, but enough that I had no real complaints. Still, life felt a little dull. There wasn’t much excitement. My only pleasure was coming home after work, ordering something delicious, cracking open three or four cans of beer, and reading web novels.

But even that small joy had turned into nothing but frustration today. The novel I was reading was a typical academy story. From the very beginning, the author had fed readers nothing but bitter disappointment. The protagonist’s name was strange, too. Still, I had stuck with it. That was how boring my life had become.

“...Ha. Even so, this is just...”

But now my patience was wearing thin. If there was one reason I had kept reading this novel at all, it was the characters. Whether they were the heroines around the protagonist or his allies, they were three-dimensional and interesting enough to keep me hooked. Honestly, I had only been reading for the characters. Yet those very characters were constantly being torn apart by villains who had zero charm whatsoever.

“....Ah… this is too annoying.”

The villains were twin sisters. The older one was the family head, Asena Freister. The younger was Kirsi Freister. For the simple crime of going against the Freister Duchy, the pair mercilessly crushed everyone around the protagonist. As if putting their family motto—Do not let anyone touch us—into practice, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they thoroughly destroyed anyone who caught their eye. They showed no mercy. They seemed like people born without emotions.

Why drag the story ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in this direction? The twins’ inner circumstances were never explained. Without any buildup, if Asena or Kirsi decided to attack, that character was simply finished. It felt like the author lacked the skill to develop the plot naturally and was just using these two twins as convenient tools to eliminate characters who needed to be removed for the story’s sake. Like executioners. That was how they were being used.

Today, my favorite character, Daisy Hextor, had been brutally trampled by the Freister twins and shoved off into the background of the novel. In the end, I took action.

I deleted the supportive comments I had left with tears in my eyes—‘Daisy is too cute!’ ‘Daisy stans, assemble…’ ‘I really love Daisy!’—then downed my beer in one go and placed my hands on the keyboard.

‘Dear author, I can’t understand the villains at all. Honestly, I think they lack any charm. This is where I stop.’

I pressed enter.

And just like that, I was possessed.

Out of all the novels in existence, the character I ended up possessing seemed like the most absurd choice. Of course, that was entirely my personal opinion.

The person I had become was a boy named Caiden, who was growing up in the Hextor Orphanage. To be honest, I didn’t even know who he was. If it hadn’t been for this very orphanage—sponsored by the family of my favorite character, Daisy Hextor—I probably wouldn’t have realized I had been sucked into the novel Border Noble Academy.

That was how little the novel’s main characters appeared around me. It didn’t seem like they ever would. The academy that served as the story’s main setting was a distant place to someone like me. In this strictly hierarchical world, a commoner orphan like me had no way of getting involved. After all, only nobles could attend that academy.

No matter how I thought about it, I was someone completely unrelated to the story. Which was exactly why this was so maddeningly absurd. If this was going to happen, why possess me of all people?

Still, I didn’t fall into despair or wander aimlessly. As time passed, I simply came to accept this life. There was nothing else I could do.

For the next two years, I took care of the children at the orphanage. It wasn’t difficult for me, since I had the mind of an adult. I gradually began to find meaning in it. My belief was that young children must be treated with unconditional care and precious attention. Only then could they grow up well. Perhaps it was the duty of adults.

So I poured my affection into the orphanage’s younger siblings—loving them, scolding them when necessary, and joking around with them. Honestly, I came to love those kids a lot. The pure-hearted girl Ewin, Nox who dreamed of becoming a cook, Kiela who loved flowers, and so many others… They returned the love I gave them in equal measure.

The sisters at the orphanage looked upon me fondly. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They always praised me, saying my behavior was remarkably mature, almost like that of an adult. …Well, it wasn’t much of a compliment to someone who really was an adult inside.

And then that day arrived.

One of the sisters called for me and led me to the reception room. For some reason, the sisters were trembling violently. It was the first time I had seen them like that. Soon we reached the small room. Inside sat an elderly woman.

“Hello, Caiden,” she said. “My name is Liana Freister.”

Liana Freister had been tormented by grief. Her son, the former duke, had passed away along with her daughter-in-law. She didn’t know how many tears she had shed. Not wanting others to see, she would lock herself in her room and cry in secret. A powerful house like Freister could not show weakness. She missed her late ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠husband and, at times, even envied him. No parent should ever have to bury their child. The pain was too great to endure alone.

After a brief time of secretly writhing in agony, she realized the Freister family could not be allowed to weaken. The legacy her husband and son had protected could not collapse here. Other families were already watching them with greedy eyes. So Liana Freister gripped the reins of power with her wrinkled hands.

Do not let anyone touch us.

She repeated the family motto to herself. Fortunately, her husband and son had left behind many things, so the Freister family was able to regain its balance more easily than expected. She quickly extinguished the fires that had flared up in her son’s absence, strengthened their alliances, and bought time.

Only then did she notice what she had been too busy to see. It had been three months since her son’s death. Her granddaughters—Asena and Kirsi, the legacy her son and daughter-in-law had left behind. Only now could she truly look at them.

She had been so busy protecting the family that she had neglected her own blood. The girls still could not accept that their parents were gone. Day by day they grew thinner. Their emotions faded. Their eyes were slowly dying. Liana Freister had tried to approach them, but it was not easy. Their relationship had never been affectionate to begin with. She loved her granddaughters, but she had never expressed it in front of them. That had been the role of their parents. While they showed love, she had chosen to display the dignity of the family. Such a relationship could not change overnight.

If she had known this would happen, she would have shown more love… Such regrets were already too late. She didn’t know what to do for the children. To Liana, this felt far more difficult than politics.

Another month passed despite her efforts, and she realized she could not become their support. The wall built by their long-established relationship was too solid. Instead of relying on her, the children only grew more wary. The twins maintained stiff expressions whenever she appeared. It seemed Liana’s rigid way of speaking only made them uncomfortable.

That was when the butler, Tein, made a suggestion. Since they seemed unable to reach the girls, perhaps they should look for someone new. Someone who could become both servant and friend. If children their own age stood by their side and gave them strength, perhaps they could stand again.

Liana had no choice but to nod. Whether the plan would succeed was uncertain, but she could not simply sit idle. She sent servants from many families out into the world. They searched orphanages and villages for children who seemed diligent and kind-hearted.

After several weeks, she received a list of promising candidates. During that time, her once flower-like granddaughters had withered even further. Lately they were so weak they could barely sit up and spent most of their time lying in bed.

Liana decided to act. Rather than waste time, it would be faster to go see the children with her own eyes. The results were disappointing. None of them touched her heart. Perhaps it was inevitable—commoners lacked proper education. Many of the children behaved like wild animals, acting purely on instinct.

Even so, Liana was compromising in her mind. In the end, she would have to choose someone. It was hard to pick a clear favorite, but she was narrowing down the candidates.

And then they arrived at the last orphanage. The one sponsored by the Hextor family.

The moment they arrived, she heard bright laughter from the children. Laughter and innocent smiles. It was a sight rarely seen in any orphanage. It was exactly the kind of innocence she wanted to see in her own granddaughters.

Liana stood there, mesmerized. At the center of it all was a boy named Caiden.

She had only meant to watch for a moment, but she ended up observing him from afar for hours. The more she watched, the more she liked him. He was considerate, thoughtful, and mature. After several hours, she began to feel it would be a waste to use him merely as a servant or friend for her granddaughters. He had the potential to become their guide.

A child who could grow up so well without parents would shine even brighter with the support of a great family. Even though he was a commoner, he would be an asset to the house. Liana erased every other candidate from the mental list she had painstakingly made. Now she wanted only this boy—Caiden.

She went to speak with the sisters at the orphanage. Once she revealed her family name, things went smoothly. The sisters bowed deeply and told her everything. Caiden was an even greater gem than she had imagined. She heard countless stories and incidents that had left the sisters in awe.

So Liana made her decision. She would adopt Caiden and make him the older brother to her granddaughters. He might be a commoner, and it would certainly cause controversy… but Caiden was outstanding, and her granddaughters were in danger.

After that, she adopted the boy named Caiden. It was regrettable, but she had gone through the adoption first. Only afterward did she meet him in person. No matter what she had to say, she was confident she could make him follow her. She was prepared to grant any request he made. But on the other hand… she wondered if he might actually like the idea.

The Freister family was wealthy. He wouldn’t have to wear rags or eat food fit for dogs. It was an opportunity that would never come again. A wise child like Caiden would surely understand that.

“Hello, Caiden. I have decided to adopt you.”

So Liana introduced herself.

“My name is Liana Freister.”

She revealed her family name and told him she wanted him to become part of their family. She spoke of her twin granddaughters and asked him to look after them the same way he cared for his younger siblings at the orphanage.

His expression filled with shock.

…Liana found it slightly strange. For some reason, he seemed most surprised at the word “Freister.” Still, she didn’t pay much attention to such a small detail. What mattered more was changing Caiden’s mind.

Caiden refused her offer. He said he was worried about the younger siblings who would remain at the orphanage. It seemed like he was hiding another reason… but at least the part about worrying for his siblings didn’t appear to be a lie. Moreover, his answer made Liana smile. To turn down a comfortable life for the sake of his younger siblings. How reassuring it would be if this boy became her granddaughters’ older brother.

This was not a difficult negotiation for Liana. If he cared so much for the orphanage children, she simply needed to become their strength.

“Caiden, if you come with me, I will take care of your younger siblings at the orphanage.”

She promised to spare no support so that his siblings would never starve, even in years of poor harvest. She had seen how thin they all were on the way here. Providing food for them for Caiden’s sake was no difficult task for her.

There was no falsehood in the way Caiden looked at his orphanage siblings. And if that heart was sincere, then right now there was no other choice he could make.

“...I’ll go.”

And just as Liana had predicted, he agreed. She smiled at her new grandson and said,

“From now on, your name is Caiden Freister.”