"Turing Altria!"

As the top few names were announced one by one, Turing's name was finally called.

Not surprisingly, Turing was once again in first place.

It has always been this way, and will always be this way.

The Altria family once again upheld their supreme honor in the envy-filled eyes of the crowd.

Merka went up on stage and received the prize.

Seeing Diana's sorrowful expression in the audience, Merka truly felt heartbroken.

But there was no way around it, he had to play the role of Turing.

The real Turing would not comfort Diana.

Merka knew this himself.

"You won."

Oedipus stood next to Merka with a smug smile, his hand resting on his shoulder.

"You didn't fall into the trap I designed."

"I have a newfound respect for you."

Merka's heart quivered, wanting to say something.

But Oedipus quickly interrupted him.

"Alright, everyone!"

"The hunting competition is over."

"But due to Galleher's negligence in the competition, some innocent participants lost their lives in the forest."

"Although I declared before the start of the competition that it was dangerous."

"We did not hope to see such unfortunate sacrifices."

"Therefore, I announce that the families of the fallen in this competition will be granted titles and honors provided by the Galleher family."

Oedipus led the applause with a beaming smile as Merka looked on in astonishment.

To Merka's surprise, the people in the audience were cheering too.

It was insane! Absolutely insane!

Some of them were even regretting that it wasn't themselves who died.

Are they joking?

Do they really think that with their actions,

After they die, the gods will accept them?

Merka was extremely furious at these people who didn't cherish their own lives.

Just like Mulan!

Nothing has made Merka this angry before.

But he had to hold back his emotions and not let the anger spread.

Diana in the audience was also angered by Oedipus' words shifting the blame.

But she couldn't explode in anger either.

After all, she was the one who lost, wasn't she?

After finishing his speech, Oedipus handed the microphone back to the host.

Supporting Merka, Oedipus went backstage and whispered a few words into Merka's ear.

"You go home first."

"I have some business to attend to."

Oedipus smiled elegantly.

——————————————————————————

Within the snowy landscape covered in white mist, hidden among the stubborn decaying reeds and meandering frozen riverbeds.

Looking across the river, Turing saw her lover from her dreams, rolling a snowball that was gradually solidifying.

"Merka..."

Merka sensed something.

He looked away from the snowball in his hand and turned his gaze to Turing.

With a frown on his face, he managed to force a smile.

"Turing."

"Survive..."

"Promise me."

"Even if everyone in Acadia is dead."

"Do not give up hope."

"Although I advised you not to defy fate."

"But I only hope that you..."

Turing blinked his snowflake-filled eyes, and in an instant, the surroundings changed completely.

The glacier melted, the snow evaporated, and even the snowball in Merka's hand disappeared.

In its place was a sphere.

An intact metal sphere.

Turing could tell that it was a backdrop.

A familiar scent of ancient wormwood forcefully entered Turing's nostrils.

"Run fast."

Merka made a throwing motion, as if even the heavens paled in comparison.

The river between them was instantly filled with surging blood, and the horns of death roared like a roaring tiger in Turing's mind.

Merka exerted all his strength and threw the backdrop towards Turing.

But he didn't see the angel's shadow that appeared behind him in an instant, already revealing its scythe-like fangs.

Ready to decapitate him.

——————————————————————————

"...Turing."

"You're awake?"

"Do you have a headache?"

Turing sat up from the makeshift bed, his head pounding as if he were hungover.

Painful enough to make him want to go back to sleep.

Looking around, all he could see were dilapidated walls and peculiarly damaged buildings, but Turing could still vaguely make out that this was Tartarus Castle from the faint traces.

Tartarus Castle was almost half collapsed, the glory and luxury of the sunset long gone, and it looked like a pile of blocks knocked down by a mischievous child.

At this moment, Turing was lying on a bed next to the aside machine.

Despite the fact that the memories of the past were still hazy like smoke, Turing had managed to arrange them in a relatively neat order.

Raphael stood beside Turing, holding a bowl filled with mangosteens.

Her delicate fingers, untouched by the troubles of life, now gracefully danced between the mangosteen peel and flesh.

"Raphael..." Turing called out the name of the person next to him with a dry and throbbing voice.

"Hey."

Raphael looked at Turing with a heartbroken gaze, her eyes somewhat melancholic.

"What about Joseph... Have you treated him?"

Turing asked eagerly, as if she herself was not the one injured at the moment.

"Don't worry... He has been treated."

"Now his body is very healthy."

"But he can't see his master, so he's a bit melancholy."

Raphael peeled open the top half of a mangosteen and put it by Turing's mouth.

"The key is you."

"You've been asleep for two weeks."

"Quickly replenish your energy and hydrate."

Upon hearing the news that Marcy had recovered, Turing breathed a sigh of relief.

He tightly closed his eyes, and his eyelids trembled as his restless and anxious heart finally calmed down.

"I don't want to eat... Let me rest for a while."

Raphael froze.

Looking at the half-peeled mangosteen in his hand, Raphael withdrew his hand and placed the fruit back in the bowl on the bedside table, which had been recently set up.

"Turing..."

"I'm sorry."

"I treated you like that before..."

"Three years ago, I said such unforgivable things to you on the court."

"Now, looking back... maybe it's all our fault."

"When will this cycle of revenge end?"

"I thought I would never take the same path as my grandmother did in the laboratory, throwing a stone at my own feet."

"But in reality... I'm not much different."

"You can blame me, blame our family."

"It's all our fault."

"It's us who made you and your mother suffer so much."

"Even if you hate us..."

"That's understandable."

Raphael's eyes had dark circles, just like Turing, almost as if she had applied some eye shadow.

After her touching tragedy, there were countless moments of reflection and remorse beside Turing night after night.

It's really painful...

Raphael thought.

Clearly, this is all Oedipus's fault.

I didn't fight against someone stronger.

Instead, I bullied Turing, who was also abused by Oedipus.

How foolish I was.

"..."

Turing opened his eyes and glanced at Raphael.

Somehow.

Turing felt like he suddenly understood human relationships.

Why was Raphael even sadder?

Because he didn't eat the mangosteen she peeled for him?

That's right.

She wanted to make it up to him, which is why she peeled the mangosteen herself.

Otherwise, why not let the servants do it?

[She just wants to atone for her sins.]

The threads of simple human interaction became clearer in Turing's mind.

"Just give me some to eat."

"I feel thirsty."

Turing pushed the blanket aside and struggled to sit up from the bed, saying.

"Really?"

Raphael was overjoyed and looked at Turing in surprise.

She quickly held the bowl under Turing's cheek and fed him the peeled mangosteen.

"You don't have to sit up, just lean against the headboard."

"Be careful not to choke."

"Don't rush, there's plenty more."

Gently stroking Turing's back, Raphael smiled.

Raphael took care of his bedridden sister just like an older sister would, with extreme tenderness and attention to every detail.

"Let me take care of you these days."

"You can continue to rest for a few more days, and then you can attend the horse racing competition at the fireworks festival."

Turing smiled and nodded, leaning against the back of the bed and closing his eyes.