Albert usually just endured it, but gradually, she began to get used to speaking with her fists.
It could be said that on the streets of the Issaron district, every child, regardless of gender, had been beaten by Albert.
Albert also started deliberately doing things to make herself look like a thug.
She began to resemble her father, teasing girls from as early as twelve, even lifting a girl's skirt in church.
The girl's embarrassed, flushed face, he remembered it for a lifetime:
"Albert... you naughty boy."
Perhaps this was the harshest word she knew.
His reputation started to worsen, especially at thirteen, after his mother died of illness, his father completely forgot about him.
The house left by his mother didn't make Albert like a beggar, but many times, people tried to take over his mother's house.
Some tried to forcefully take it, others tried to trick him into signing some terrible contracts.
Even people from the casino claimed that Albert's father owed debts that had to be paid with the house.
If force didn't work, they would use gentler means, befriending Albert, eating and drinking with him, but ultimately, their goal was to make Albert leave the house.
These people were like vicious dogs circling around a piece of meat, all wanting to take that house away.
Albert only made himself unpleasant and vile to avoid being bullied.
His fists grew more unreasonable; sometimes he would respond to a stranger's kindness with his fists.
Because he didn't know if conspiracy lurked beneath it. For he believed, more than kindness, that others would want to harm him.
Undoubtedly, Albert at that time held a loathing attitude towards the world.
Even though back then, the sky wasn't the dome of the Bunker, the sea didn't require climbing a tower to view, and the streets were filled with the scent of coffee beans.
The world was beautiful, but the unfortunate have neither the time to appreciate it, nor the ability.
Yet destiny didn't solely inflict suffering upon Albert.
At thirteen, one winter, while rummaging to find warm clothes...
The nun from the church brought him warm clothes.
Upon hearing the knocking on the door, and his name being called as Albert instead of "Napolitano's naughty child"...
His first reaction was resistance.
He brutally beat nun Martina. He resembled a hedgehog, assuming anyone approaching wanted to hurt him.
He always found joy in the terrified faces of others.
The tough, fighting Albert, the one who would attack enemies at any cost, that's how he deterred many from provoking him.
But the next day, Martina again brought Albert food.
Albert could see Martina's face was bruised, from his beating.
Yet Martina still brought food and tried to bring medication to treat Albert.
Albert panicked a bit and drove Martina away with rough words.
He also refused Martina's food, fearing it might contain poison.
That was his experience; he didn't trust these people.
Yet for half a month, Martina kept bringing food.
Even a familiar face came along to read stories to Albert.
The girl whose skirt he lifted in church was named Alessia.
Alessia was actually an orphan adopted by the nuns.
After being bullied by Albert, she complained, but nun Martina told Alessia that Albert was actually a pitiful person.
It was life that turned him into such a defiant one.
Alessia, unknowingly, began silently observing Albert.
In her eyes, Albert was a lonely Lion, sometimes crazy, sometimes detestable...
But all the madness and detestability had reasonable explanations.
He was scared of this world; this world hurt him, and he longed to tell everyone with a tougher attitude that he couldn't be hurt.
Gradually, Alessia found she seemed to understand Albert.
Upon learning of Albert's mother's death and his father's disappearance...
That winter, Alessia began to plead with Martina, hoping they could help Albert.
Martina was moved by Alessia's kindness. She didn't expect this child whom Albert bullied to help him without bearing a grudge.
Thus, future church girl Alessia and nun Martina started changing Albert together.
In what should have been the coldest winter, Albert felt the first trace of kindness since his mother.
Like sunlight breaking through the ice and snow.
After keeping his eyes closed for so long, the sunlight was piercing; he feared the sting, using his fists to drive them away.
But they seemed determined to help Albert, even if chased away multiple times, they still came.
One brought warm clothing and food, the other told Albert stories.
"Why, why are you so annoying! Annoying to death, I'm a bad guy, I'm a bad guy, don't you know! Are you a bitch, do you like me lifting your skirt?"
Albert finally began to panic once, wondering if these people might genuinely be good to him?