"Diana... it's her."

Turing seemed to be familiar with the person in front of him, yet at the same time, she felt like a stranger to him, gently shaking his head.

"She is an acquaintance of yours, isn't she."

"She must have come to visit you."

Watching the lonely little girl sitting by the flower bed in the distance, Merka lowered her voice and softly spoke to Turing.

Looking at the peach colored figure, Turing nodded slightly and furrowed his brow.

In Turing's memory, her relationship with Diana was not quite that of acquaintances; it was more of a slight enmity.

【If she has come for herself this time... it's probably not good.】

【I don't have many stories with her, the only noteworthy competitive relationship we have is due to familial inheritance.】

【But there is one thing I still don't understand.】

【Just one little thing.】

"..."

【On the day of the equestrian competition, why did that child call me sister.】

Turing shook his head, deciding not to think about that person who had almost no connection to his present self.

"No need to bother about her."

"Probably nothing good anyway."

"Let's go home."

Adjusting his appearance slightly, Turing lowered the umbrella's canopy and swaggered towards the lake next to the Royal Hospital.

"But maybe she's not waiting for you."

Merka grabbed Turing's sleeve, pleadingly holding onto Turing who seemed to be in a hurry to leave.

"Look at her pitiful appearance, holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand."

"In this deep winter, she will catch a cold sitting here."

"Are you really not going to take a look?"

Lowering her gaze, Merka held onto Turing, gently speaking into Turing's ear.

Merka's requests were usually met as much as possible by Turing. But for some reason, when Diana was mentioned, Turing began to feel increasingly restless, and his body was unwilling to stay longer.

It was as if something deep within his soul was reacting to Diana's figure in Turing's eyes, causing a faint ache.

"..."

"Merka, you don't understand, you..."

Turing wanted to say something, but the words choked in his throat.

She dared not look into Merka's worried eyes, and lowered her head slightly.

"You have missed out on many people, Turing."

"Perhaps I don't understand you."

"But in my chest, this heart that loves you completely tells me that every day, you suffer in many unspeakable soul pains and hidden mental ailments."

"In order to surpass Oedipus, you have already lost too much."

"Diana may have brought you much suffering in the past."

"But with all this suffering, she has established such a strong connection with you."

"If one day you miss even Diana."

"When you truly remember everything from the past, you will surely regret it."

Merka spoke a lot in one breath, but Turing just sat there with a gloomy expression, sighed.

"Let it go."

"You want to leave?"

Merka asked.

"No, I don't want to."

Turing self-mockingly chuckled, gently pulling away from Merka's embrace.

"Though you've always been right before."

"But this time, you're really wrong, Merka."

"The conflict between us is irreconcilable."

"This has nothing to do with me and Diana, it's a family matter."

"Even if I tell her I won't compete anymore, it won't make a difference."

"After all, humans are social animals."

"She's been brought up in that family and educated to see me as the biggest obstacle on her path to progress."

Turing averted his troubled face, looking lonely in Diana's direction.

"In fact, we're both like that."

"Treated as tools to brainwash, as instruments of manipulation."

"I just broke free, she hasn't yet."

"As long as she remains bound by these chains, we can't extend an olive branch."

"Even breaking free wouldn't work."

"After all, the wounds of childhood require a lifetime to heal."

"Sigh."

Turing ended his lengthy discourse with a deep sigh.

"You talk to her, I won't go."

"After all, she doesn't know you."

"If she's really waiting for me, tell her."

"We won't meet again."

As Turing finished, Merka glanced helplessly in Diana's direction.

He felt things shouldn't have ended this way.

Was it possible that from now on, Turing had left him as the only peer?

But he knew Turing was stubborn, and at this point, it was almost impossible for her to change her mind.

So, Merka promised Turing and walked alone towards Diana sitting on the stone bench.

"Sister... has sister come?"

Diana seemed to be half asleep, awakened by Merka's footsteps, she rubbed her bleary eyes and clutched a big bunch of flowers in her hands, looking up at Merka.

Fake flowers?

Approaching, Merka realized that the bouquet was made entirely of artificial flowers.