"Here is Altria-sama's ward."

"Yes, Maria-sama."

"Turing-sama is... a bit strange in appearance."

"Did we bring the wrong person?"

"That clearly doesn't look like the Altria family daughter."

"No, don't worry."

"The person is right, it's just that..."

The faint voices seemed to come from outer space, murmuring in Turing's ears like the soft whispers of a broken string, lingering and circling.

Turing silently stared at the dim pear blossoms and distant fireworks outside the window, paying no attention to anyone who entered his ward.

"Turing."

Maria smiled as she pushed the door open, and upon seeing the syringe and hanging drip attached to Turing's hand, she discreetly frowned.

"I told you not to give her anything besides the tranquilizer three times a day, don't you understand?"

Maria lowered her voice and sternly whispered to the nurse behind her.

"But... she seems to be in a lot of pain."

"I only gave her some glucose and painkillers."

With a sigh of helplessness, Maria waved her hand.

"Don't do anything unnecessary."

"Go back, and remember that no one except you, who takes care of Turing's daily needs, is allowed in this room."

"Do you understand?"

The nurse bowed anxiously, silently leaving the room.

Only Maria and Turing remained in the ward, and the atmosphere suddenly became cramped and suffocating.

Trying to control her gaze, Maria walked naturally towards the windowsill that Turing was looking at.

"I've sent everyone away, and your body has mostly recovered."

"Can we have a good chat now?"

With one hand resting on the window frame, Maria turned her face to look outside.

Fireworks burst in the sky like clusters of lilies.

Each trail of smoke unfurled like a little cat paw stretching out.

The phantom-like scent of roasting filled the air, coming through from wherever their gazes met.

The festive atmosphere hung in the air like a shopping list in the hands of a housewife, calculated in every aspect, permeating the hearts of everyone in Acadia.

"I heard you won the competition again, Turing."

"You're really amazing."

Instead of discussing heavy topics like motherhood, love, or magic, Maria chose a more low-key and approachable topic.

"..."

Maria discreetly glanced at Turing, who remained silent, and realized she had chosen the wrong topic.

So she changed the subject.

"Oedipus held Theresa's funeral."

"She spoke at the funeral, believing that you were not the culprit."

"She said... she was proud to have a daughter like you."

Turing didn't react.

Maria felt a little embarrassed. Even if her limbs were chopped off and she hung upside down in front of her own door for seven days and nights, she wouldn't turn into someone like Turing now.

Since Turing woke up, he hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three days. The only thing he did every day was to prop up the body of that monster and sit on the bed in a daze.

It seemed as if nothing in the world had anything to do with him anymore.

"Merka misses you too."

"To the point of obsessing day and night."

"I told him to take a good rest and relax his mind."

"But he just keeps wandering around the hospital building every day..."

"Like a lost puppy without its owner."

Maria glanced at Turing again and noticed that her cracked lips were trembling slightly.

Feeling happy in her heart, Maria resumed her revealing of secrets in that direction.

"Merka is truly infatuated with you, Turing."

"He picked Bell Flowers all over the Montecristo district for you."

"These fresh flowers, piled up like snow at the nurse station."

"He thought it would heal your wounds like that one time when you competed with Diana in the beginning."

"But in reality, Bell Flowers were just secondary. If it weren't for your angelic constitution, there's no way you could have survived."

"It must be quite..."

"Bishop Maria."

Turing's swaying tentacles behind her kept transforming and splitting.

Those extracellular tissues, like tails, seemed to express Turing's emotions as they silently danced.

"Call Merka over."

"I want to see him one last time."

Turing tightened her cheeks, lowered her eyelids, and had no expression on her face.