"Child, whom are you looking for?"

Merka's innocent and gentle smile usually had a great charm on teenage girls, but this time it fell flat with Diana.

"Child? Please watch your words."

Diana lightly hummed, immediately putting away the lazy expression that had slipped due to the cold winter, and adopted a proud posture towards Merka.

Inadvertently, almost like a declaration of status, Diana slightly raised her head, revealing the dark golden crown on her forehead that symbolized supreme power and honor.

But her proud expression seemed to carry a hint of regret that she couldn't quite contain, carefully concealing this subtle change of emotion.

"Heh."

"Sorry, I must be blind."

Merka chuckled helplessly, standing in front of Diana and bowing respectfully like a noble.

Diana, seeing the perfectly executed noble gesture, was momentarily taken aback, then quickly suppressed any hint of panic and returned the gesture promptly.

Merka took another step forward, crouched half-heartedly in front of Diana as if showing weakness, and in a gentle tone, asked her a question as if she were talking to a child.

"May I ask what brings you here alone on a day like this, in the freezing cold?"

"Someone of your noble stature should not be suffering like this."

"And without even a single guard..."

"I wonder who could be so heartless as to allow such a beautiful lady like yourself to come to this place of sickness and misery all alone."

Merka was accustomed to saying things that would please women, which stemmed from his difficult upbringing.

"Just... taking a walk, yes, a walk."

Diana's eyes glanced unnaturally to the right as she pursed her lips slightly.

Even though she had faced numerous hardships like Turing, Diana was actually only around twelve or thirteen years old, and it was clear to Merka that she was almost transparent in her thoughts before him.

She just wanted to see Turing.

Now that Turing was no longer in the hospital, rumors persisted that he was injured during a court dispute involving two factions and was now recuperating.

That's why Diana had come here.

"Then your steps must be quite firm when you walk."

"You didn't even notice all this snow piling up on you."

Merka brushed away the snow on Diana's shoulder, cleared a spot next to her, sat down gently next to her.

He reached out and removed the snow on Diana's shoulder without any sense of class distinction, but his handsome face and gentle actions made Diana not feel any overstep in his touch.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me why you are sitting in front of the hospital's main gate?"

"I have some friends at the Royal Hospital. If you have any needs, perhaps I can help you."

Merka's tone was sincere.

"...I want to see Turing. Can you really help with that?"

Diana said impatiently.

"I can't even see him myself..."

"The reception nurse at the hospital told me that so many people want to see Turing now, you can't even get in line."

"And now Turing is also having some psychological issues, so to take care of her mood, the number of guests is limited every day."

"I wonder when that guy can recover his condition...if the next competition will still be possible." Diana frowned deeply, gritting her teeth as she glared at the hospital behind her, as if harboring deep hatred towards the building that obstructed her from meeting Turing.

Her gaze fixed on the silent white walls of the hospital, slowly losing focus. Staring through the towering pillars and bare walls like a giant, Diana felt as though she could imagine the scene of Turing meeting her.

She would definitely explain the misunderstandings clearly, why she always ignored Turing's existence during school, why she denied the happy memories they had together.

Could it be that she was only blinded by the family's affairs...

"I understand, young lady."

"Because the hospital limits visitors every day."

"...So you're standing here at the hospital entrance, hoping to be the first visitor tomorrow morning?"

"And buying fake flowers too, probably because the real ones froze in this cold weather."

Merka almost burst out laughing for a moment, struggling to contain her amusement, and laughing on the spot.

Turing wasn't in the hospital at all, the medical staff were obviously trying to deceive Diana.

She was deceived by a false lie.

"What, what? You dare to poke your nose into this?"

"You hurry up and go where you should go, don't be a nuisance here."

Diana seemed a little angry, raising her eyebrows and sternly reprimanding Merka.

After calming down the rolling waves of laughter inside her, Merka tried to make her expression more serious.

Seeing the pitiful Diana before her, Merka realized how fragile and genuine she was, despite the girl who once held a gun to her head in the mountains behind Erisburg.

Thinking about what she was going to say to her later, Merka felt a bit of reluctance.

Taking a deep breath, Merka finally got ready.

"Diana."

"Your sister won't come back."

Eyes wide, Diana stared at Merka in disbelief.

Slightly opening her mouth, she was momentarily speechless, her puzzled expression resembling dry cracked land, wrinkled and sharp.

And her surprised eyebrows, like a dagger, seemed to stab deeply into Diana's soft and vulnerable spot.

It was more painful than shedding blood and making sacrifices.

"......?"

Diana suddenly couldn't speak.

She seemed to have become a part of the vast expanse of snow in the sky.

Unable to speak.

Unable to utter a word.

Full of deep, deep sorrow all over her body.

"Believe it or not...my words have been delivered."

"I'll take a flower for her on her behalf for now."

"Princess Galleher."

"Take care of yourself."

Shaking her head, Merka quickly got up and left before Diana could react, plucking a fake sunflower from Diana's bouquet.

Gazing blankly in the direction where Merka had left, Diana saw a girl holding a large umbrella, walking away with him.

In the silent snowstorm, a card expressing love was nestled among Diana's bouquet, losing its meaning.

The words on the card fluttered in the wind.

I am filled with regret.

You are not my moon...

But I am grateful,

That this moonlight once shone upon me.