As Diana watched Turing hold the iron cigarette in her hand, which showed no signs of extinguishing, she frowned and almost bit her fingers.
Meanwhile, the temperature inside the room continued to rise without any mercy for Diana.
"Well, Diana, we really couldn't stop her, sorry," a girl who had just arrived at the exam room approached Diana and said.
"What are you sorry for? You're not even injured, and you didn't dare to stop her! What's the point of saying these now?" Diana replied sarcastically, her voice low and impolite.
Although Diana's grades so far were the best, not just in the East Court this year, but the best in the past ten years - burning half an iron cigarette.
But it was clear that it wasn't enough for Turing, who was currently taking the exam. Turing's iron cigarette was almost melting, glowing red-hot, with only a few ashes remaining, yet the fire showed no signs of going out.
With her indifferent expression, Turing seemed to be saying to Diana, "This is simply not enough to test me."
Diana's face turned pale, and her eyelids uncontrollably twitched. She looked like a volcano about to erupt.
A deafening explosion followed.
With a "pu" sound, Diana aimed her Mother-of-Lake like an arrow, rushing towards Turing. The immense force tore the remaining paper on Diana's Mother-of-Lake apart.
Then came another alarming impact.
Turing seemed prepared, as she raised her own Mother-of-Lake and barely deflected Diana's attack.
Though they were both less than ten years old, their fight resembled that of seasoned warriors.
"Do you want to kill me, Diana?" Turing strangely pleaded, her tone weak.
"With this power, why didn't you resist us in the first place?" Diana's anger erupted like magma.
Diana withdrew her red and blue Mother-of-Lake, which seemed to become faint and elusive against her white clothing, moving eerily.
【Swift Swordsmanship is Diana's specialty, I should temporarily avoid her edge.】
【But should I use magic here?】 Turing wondered, before a dangerous premonition spread throughout her body.
With a "whoosh", another impactful sound echoed, but luckily, Diana missed her target.
If her Mother-of-Lake, imbued with Diana's magic, had hit, it would have torn a hole through not only a child, but even steel plates, rocks, and even the Mother-of-Lake itself.
All of these violent actions took place in just one or two seconds.
"Diana, if you dare to strike again, you'll face consequences," Professor Nietzsche, the invigilator, finally spoke up. As one of the few male professors, he had no magic skills but was renowned for his wealth of knowledge and outstanding personal charisma.
Perhaps out of respect for Professor Nietzsche, Diana stopped.
She grunted in frustration, threw her stick to the ground, and walked towards the door, saying to Turing, "Don't think you'll always be in charge."
【Why do they always say that?】
【When did I ever take control?】
Professor Nietzsche slowly approached Turing, gently stroking her back, without saying a word...
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Elysburg, Overgrown Garden, Deep Winter, Light Snow
"Uncle, hurry up, we don't have much time left."
Acadia in December. It's too cliché to say it's like a warm-hearted woman, too bland to say it's like a devout monk.
The description of the winter country is difficult, but it is exceptionally gentle and holy.
Winter break at Acadia is also a holiday for students. The short vacation often becomes a good time for making connections.
Gorgeous young boys and girls, stepping on the thin snow, puffing on an early cigarette, warming a pot of hot tea, walking to the depths of the forest secret realm, making appointments in the vibrant morning light, and singing lightly in the snow-covered world.The happiness of the people of Acadia is abundant and endless, just like the sea.
Turing skillfully hid in the box and on Wednesday, as usual, tied the rope around the box, but only one or two twists.
Honestly, they had successfully escaped many times before, so it wouldn't hurt to relax a little, right?
But unexpected events soon unfolded.
On Wednesday, carrying the gardening box, walked to the entrance of the Erisburg gate and was greeting the guard when a caravan arrived from the road.
"Finished with your morning shift? Good job." Theresa, as if passing by coincidentally, got off the lead carriage and stood in front of Wednesday. Without explaining why, she simply stood her ground.
The ordinary people of Acadia had never experienced any major troubles in their lives, so they stumbled over their words in such a mentally challenging situation.
"Um... You, um, why are you outside?"
"Just doing my monthly inventory, but I did come earlier than usual today," Theresa said.
"You seem to be faster than usual too, I hope you've been doing your work properly?"
"Ah, yes, of course..."
Suddenly, the box shook vigorously.
[Uncle San is still talking to the gatekeeper sister? I'm going to be late.]
Turing, nestled in the box, was not sensitive to sounds from the outside and mistakenly thought that Wednesday was still chatting with the guard, so it shook the box impatiently.
"Hmm?" Theresa noticed something unusual about the box and quietly approached, carefully observing.
[Why is the breathing so close? Who is it?]
Turing finally sensed the tension and held its breath.
"Ah, the head butler, this is... a little cat I caught in the yard..." Wednesday didn't even get a chance to come up with a complete explanation before Theresa interrupted with a question.
"I say, do you know where Turing is?"
Turing's heart was suddenly in its throat, almost shouting out.
[It's Sister Theresa! If she catches me, Mom will definitely be very angry. The consequences would be unimaginable...]
"You mean Miss Turing? She went hunting this morning and is currently in the forest at the back mountain. Huh, she's usually so hardworking, and she's even working so diligently during the winter break."
Unconsciously, Wednesday looked towards the back of Theresa.
"Hmm? Is that so?" Theresa hummed lightly and turned her face away, walking past Wednesday.
The caravan behind her was like her long and powerful dragon tail, slowly entering Erisburg.
"Whew—" The pressure was finally lifted, and Turing let out a long sigh.
[That was terrifying. I should never use this method to go out again in the future.]
"Child, come down now."
Reached the hitching tree, Wednesday trembled and unsteadily placed the box down.
In retrospect, if he had answered poorly just now, he might have lost his job.
"Uncle, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Let's not do this again next time."
Wednesday's lips trembled, his expression awkward and lonely.
It was clear that he wanted to say, "It's okay, I'll take the blame next time."
But instead, he nodded and silently agreed with Turing's statement.
If Wednesday was just an ordinary gardener for the Altria Family, he would have never agreed to let this cute and pitiful girl be disappointed and upset in front of him.
But he was the Altria Family's gardener, and laziness would be punished, and mistakes would be fired.
Unlike the white-collar and blue-collar workers outside the Altria Family, where everyone would lazy together and make mistakes together. No matter what you did, no one demanded excellence from you, and no one forced you to be outstanding.
Wednesday now fully understood that the gap between the nobility and the commoners in Acadia was not simply about having money or not, or having power or not.
That difference was something they were born with, something that became apparent the moment they spoke, and their every move and gesture exemplified their distinction, as if they were two entirely different concepts.
In other words, even spiritually, they were on different levels, or rather, two completely different directions.Looking once again at Turing, who was already sorting out his clothes, Wednesday couldn't bring herself to say the words "girl doll".
Wednesday could only feel a sense of horror and alienation as if she was facing Oedipus up close. There was also an indescribable remorse and loneliness.
