Chapter 33: Humble Bragging!
Jean was different from the petite, gentle Barbara. Jean was the pride of the Gunnhildr family, a powerful and outstanding older sister.
In Barbara's eyes, Jean was like an impossibly high mountain she could never reach. Because her sister was so exceptional, Barbara had always looked up to Jean as her goal, wanting to surpass her just once, to prove herself.
However, whether it was swordsmanship or studies, she could never match Jean. This left her feeling incredibly disheartened.
That's when she realized that people are born with different talents. No matter how hard she tried, she could never be as tall as her sister, nor as strong.
Even her physical development... seemed less "blessed" than her sister's.
People with talent could surpass ordinary folks even without trying too hard. And Jean? Jean was a warrior who pushed herself to the absolute limit. This made Barbara feel even more dejected. Could she really never surpass Jean?
Later, following Alice's advice, she decided to forge a different path becoming an idol and achieved great success. She was happy, but with it came immense self-doubt.
To sign autographs for fans, she sacrificed her personal time. As an idol, she no longer had her own private world; her every move attracted attention.
It felt like she was no longer living for herself, but rather living up to others' expectations, trying to be the person they wanted her to be.
She had her down moments too, but to maintain her "perfect" image, she couldn't tell anyone.
"This profession, being an idol... unknowingly, you start living as the person others want to see, not your true self."