Nakamura began his long speech, spouting nonsense to the children and telling them the benefits of being beloved. The words rolled off his tongue like honey and poison at the same time—sweet enough to entice, but deadly to those who truly understood the whole picture, like Satoru.

"My precious children," he began, his voice carrying across the massive hall with perfect clarity. "Today marks another milestone in your journey toward greatness."

He gestured grandly with his arms, as if he were a speech of hope rather than addressing a room full of traumatized children who had been forced to survive in conditions that would make even criminals weep.

"Each of you has faced challenges that would break lesser individuals. You have walked through fire and emerged as diamonds."

"The path of the beloved child," Nakamura continued, a warm smile on his face, "is not merely about privilege."

"Oh no, my dear ones," he demonstrated, spreading his hand wide open. "It is about acknowledgment of your superiority over the common humans who populate this world."

"Failure," he said softly, "is simply not an option. It is impossible to fail on a path you are building by yourself.

"You will make mistakes and adjust—that is what I want from you. Allow your mistakes to shape you toward your right path.

"You see, my dear children, the world is divided into two types of people: those who make excuses, and those who make history. Which type of person would you prefer to be?"

"I'm the kind that would not make any excuses for not killing you when I get the chance," Satoru spoke out a little too loud to be heard by Nakamura, and that earned him a glance.

"Damn you, brother," Yuki gritted his teeth as he quickly raised his hand upward to divert their father's attention.

"What about those who don't become beloved children, Father? What happens to them?"

"Ah, an excellent question. You see, my son, not everyone can be a diamond. However, some stones are destined to be... useful in other ways...

"Those who truly desire greatness will find a way to achieve it, no matter what obstacles stand in their path."

"But let us focus on positive possibilities, shall we?"

Nakamura's voice brightened again as he continued. "Each of you has been given gifts—unique talents and abilities that set you apart from ordinary children.

"Some of you have developed...

"Blah, blah, blah..."

The words Nakamura was spouting faded away for Satoru. His hands clenched into fists so tight that his nails drew blood from his palms.

Every word Nakamura spoke was like salt being poured into wounds. The man was describing the destruction he was inflicting on their childhood as if it were some kind of gift.

He spent the time advising and praising them—the same traditional speech he gave all the time to the children.

Satoru had grown bored of these repeated words long ago, but today something felt different. Today, the speech felt more hurtful, more personal.

"My wonderful children," Nakamura finally spoke, and this statement was something Satoru had been anticipating. It was the phrase Nakamura spoke when approaching the end of his speech.

"Once again, I'll inform you all of something that should be engraved in your hearts and minds."

Nakamura lowered his head a bit, casting a shadow over his face as he concluded with a seriousness that seemed more genuine than anything else he had said so far.

"I am in support of whatever path you take. However, ensure you choose the path that aligns with your nature for the best result."

"I assure you, if you do that, you'll have a greater chance of becoming a beloved child."

Nakamura then turned around and walked away, saying, "I'll be looking forward to hearing of your progress."

As he moved toward the exit through which he came, he added with casual authority: "My servants will be coming to escort you shortly to your respective rooms."

Nakamura's voice trailed off as he walked away the same way he came, his footsteps echoing through the silent hall.

Just as he had promised, multiple servants dressed in exquisite uniforms began to swarm into the hall.

Starting with respectful bows toward the assembled children, they then began directing the children to their individual rooms across various floors.

The mansion was massive, easily large enough to accommodate all the hundreds of children with plenty of rooms to spare.

Satoru, with his teeth still gritted from sitting through Nakamura's speech, stormed off with his assigned servant. His feet struck the marble floor with more force than necessary.

Nakamura wasn't the only one who had noticed Satoru's hateful glare during the gathering. Someone else had been monitoring from afar.

Yuki was being escorted at the same time as Satoru, but his expression was completely different. His eyes were practically glittering as he stared around the mansion with admiration.

The beautiful chandeliers, the expensive artwork—all of it seemed to fill him with a kind of excitement that made it seem like he owned them.

"Satoru!" he whispered in a hushed but enthusiastic tone, pointing at one of the fancy frames hanging in the hallway they were passing through. "Have a look at this!"

The frame contained an enormous painting of a unicorn in a mythical forest setting. The artwork was probably worth more than most people's annual earnings.

"It's a picture of a unicorn!" Yuki continued, his voice carrying the kind of wonder that most children his age had beaten out of them long ago.

"This place is as ugly as hell," Satoru growled through clenched teeth. "All this wealth won't divert my interest from revenge."

The words were delivered with such cold finality and were all Satoru uttered in response before he was directed to a different corridor, leaving Yuki standing and staring until his brother disappeared from sight.

This was the same character Satoru had been displaying every time he entered the mansion since they lost their mother, yet Yuki just couldn't get used to it.

The transformation was so complete that it was like watching his younger brother become a completely different person.

Outside the mansion, Satoru could still laugh, still play, still show affection and warmth. But the moment he set foot on Nakamura property, he became something cold.

The words he had just uttered were dripping with firm resolve and seriousness that no other words he ever spoke possessed. The sincerity in his curse was nothing like the casual tone he used when they played around together.

*Sigh*

"That boy isn't so different from me in terms of stubbornness, in my honest opinion," Yuki murmured to himself as he watched the empty corridor where his brother had vanished. "His heart is as hard as stone."

Yet even as he said this, Yuki couldn't help but feel worry for his younger brother. Satoru's determination was impressive, but it was also dangerous.

The kind of hatred that burned in Satoru's eyes could make him do crazy things, and would definitely cause him trouble.

The servant who had been assigned to escort Yuki cleared his throat politely, reminding the boy that they needed to continue moving.

After a short walk through hallways lined with artwork and decorations, they finally reached their destination.

Yuki nodded with his chest puffed out in a display of authority that would have been comical if it wasn't so heartbreaking.

Here was a homeless child trying to assume the kind of natural command that he believed wealthy people possessed.

"You may leave my sight now," he said, waving his hand dismissively at the servant.

"Thank you, young master," the servant responded, then bowed respectfully and hurried away.

Yuki entered the room and carefully locked the door behind him, turning the crystal knob to shut the door. Only then did he allow his carefully maintained facade to disappear.

What came next was a loud squeal of excitement that he desperately tried to suppress, covering his mouth with both hands.

"Oh my!" he whispered to himself through his fingers. "I wish Satoru was here to see the authority in my tone just now!"

Yuki fell backward onto the bed, his arms spread wide as he sank in relaxation.

"I gave a rude command to adults who are way out of my league," he muttered aloud, staring up at the ceiling, "and yet they all obeyed and scurried away like I was someone important!"

"This is what power feels like," Yuki said to himself, his voice filled with wonder and determination. "I'll make sure I get it, no matter what it takes."

He rolled over on the bed, burying his face in pillows that smelled faintly of expensive perfume, and allowed himself to dream for a moment about what life could be like if he enjoyed this luxury permanently.

"Maybe when I finally get enough power, I could show Satoru that there's no need for revenge or reminiscing about the past."

The idea filled him with hope. He could picture it so clearly in his mind—him and Satoru, living in luxury, never having to worry about food or shelter or safety ever again.

They could have anything they wanted, do anything they pleased. They could be kings of their own little world, if... only if I become a beloved child.

"If I get the power and wealth—enough to share with Satoru so he can have a taste of it—then I know he'll definitely change."

"Maybe he might consider following the path of our father, or find another way that can help him gather strength and achieve greatness so he could also live a good life. That would be amazing!"

"Our father was only trying to make us the best," he concluded. "He's preparing us for success in a world that shows no mercy to the weak.

"Satoru just doesn't understand that yet, but he will. Once he sees what's possible, he'll understand."

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