"Ah, you're talking about this. I thought you were going to say something else." Merka touched his own eyeball, even when his fingers touched it, Merka didn't blink, as if it were a fake eye.

"This is called a prosthetic eye, also something from overseas. It is indeed fake. The idea is that when I reach the age where my illness worsens, I remove my original bad eye and replace it with a fake eye, so as not to offend others." Merka explained carefully.

"But it's not just for appearance. It's also a tool." Merka said, "For true mages, a tool is not necessary, but for us cursed children, it is necessary."

"Our tools are special, they are actually relics left by a true mage that we call 'Sacred Relics'. Theoretically, the stronger the magic power of that mage, the stronger the magic power we obtain."

"As for the specific reason for this principle, I don't know." Merka cleared his throat.

"The tools lose their magic power approximately thirty years after the death of the mage. Before that, as long as we wear the relics, we can inherit to some extent the magic power and the preferred style of spells that the mage was able to use. At that time, we are called 'Apprentice Mages'." Merka used another term that Turing couldn't understand.

"This eye of mine... it's a long story. But why it looks strange is because there is a black gem embedded in the prosthetic eye." Merka smiled bitterly. Merka's bitter smile was really hard to come by, "These two black gems are the so-called 'Sacred Relics'... they were given to me by my childhood friend."

[Turing realized that Merka's eyes were actually gems...] Turing thought of Merka's star-like, chaotic, swirling pupils and nodded in agreement.

"No wonder they look so beautiful."

"Wait a minute, true mages... childhood friends... isn't that definitely a girl? And she actually gave Merka something like this before she died..."

"Damn it, am I really inferior to a real girl?" Turing was about to ask Merka immediately about who the girl was when suddenly he remembered that he seemed to have once again deeply hurt Merka just now.

"Forget it, there should be plenty of time to ask later."

"Of course, female cursed children can also become 'Apprentice Mages'. Former cursed children have held significant positions in society because they can inherit the magic power of great mages..." Merka was interrupted by Turing.

"Wait, wait, based on what you're saying, cursed children don't need to be hated by society to this extent, do they?" Turing was a little puzzled and asked Merka, "What do you mean by 'Apprentice Mages', inheriting magic power, etc.? If that's the case, shouldn't they be highly sought after even if they end up disabled?"

Merka nodded and said, "You're right... from before I was born, it was indeed like that."

"But then, one day about a dozen years ago, there was suddenly a trend throughout the country." Merka took Turing's hand and walked towards the desk in the center of the room. "Public institutions, national organizations, even the church, all advocated treating cursed children differently."

"They said cursed children would bring bad luck, that they would spread diseases, and so on." Merka said, opening the book he had just placed on the table. "Although I don't know why this happened... I have evidence to prove that this is just a recent trend from a dozen years ago."

[This book is... the history of the orphanage?]

"You see, the Ospedale degli Innocenti was established fifteen years ago. According to reason, if this is a long-standing cultural discrimination in our country, the orphanage would not have been built until now, or else there would be nowhere to place so many orphans... huh?" From the unexpected words between the lines, Merka realized something surprising and frowned in surprise.

"Oshi... Yah? It seems to say here that there is a law requiring the construction of orphanages in every city nationwide, and it was all revised by the Altria Family."

[...Is it mother again?]

Turing's mind was filled with mixed emotions. The taste of bitterness was stuck at the back of his throat, choking him into silence.

Turing and Merka stood in silence for a while.

"Wow! This sister is so beautiful!" A little girl wearing a cute hat with rabbit ears and a dress suddenly appeared beside Turing and Merka, startling them.

"Are you big sister's boyfriend, big brother?" The little girl asked innocently, her voice sweet and milky.

Upon hearing the little girl's question, Turing, rather than feeling shy and unsure, quickly turned his head to confirm Merka's expression.

【What does Merka think about our relationship?】

【Merka must like me, right?】

However, instead of being embarrassed or hesitant, an expression of sadness appeared on Merka's face, a rarity for him.

Helplessly, ultimate sadness, even a child would understand once they grew up; that kind of sadness is something that no one can express, like a hoarse voice stuck in the throat.

【Why won't you answer?】

【Could it be that I'm not worthy of you?】

With this thought, Turing's frustrated mood suddenly relaxed.

【Ah, right, I don't really have any status anymore. I can't go home anymore, I'm no longer The Altria Family's... heir.】

Turing took a deep breath, composed himself, squatted down, and gently touched the little girl's head.

"Hello, little princess." Turing smiled warmly, just like how he used to treat noble girls from other families at parties.

"What are you doing here?" Turing's voice sounded gentle and pleasing.

The little girl didn't say anything, she just shook her head vigorously and ran towards the front door of the office.

【What's going on? Why is this person so inexplicable?】

Turing turned his head slightly to look at Merka and happened to see Merka looking at the little girl's departing figure with a longing and reluctant gaze.

"Do you want to go after her and see?" Turing asked.

"Ah, sure..." Merka replied.

Turing and Merka ran out of the door and coincidentally saw the little girl about to go downstairs at the corner.

"She's over there!" Turing said while running.

【Although I can use magic, using it for something like this would be too embarrassing.】

Turing and Merka hurriedly made their way through several strange rooms, going in and out of the dormitory and cafeteria, until they finally saw the little girl slowing down in a slightly larger room.

Finally, in a slightly larger room, the little girl stopped.

"I've got you!" Turing accelerated and ran over, hugging the slender body of the little girl, lifting her gently.

"Sorry, everyone... these two big brothers and big sisters were playing hide and seek too well!"

Only when the little girl spoke did Turing have time to take in the surroundings.

The whole place was filled with children who were cheering loudly, ranging in age and some even older than Turing.

Although in the eyes of adults, most children can be called angels, but most of the children here, let alone angels, didn't even have a normal human form.

Some of them had mutilated limbs and ruined appearances, but that was considered mild- some children had heads that were not even symmetrical, protruding on one side and concave on the other, regardless of how they looked, they were all deformed.

Merka remained silent, walked to Turing's side, took the little girl from Turing's hands, and held her in his arms, taking off her cute rabbit hat.

"Welcome, big brother and big sister, to the orphanage!" The little girl smiled sweetly. Even Turing was moved at this moment.

Not to mention hair, the little girl's head didn't even have skin, it was covered in a slightly transparent red membrane.

It looks like there is some evil demon tearing the little girl's hair from her scalp, along with her skin and ears.

[Turing thought to himself, "So... this child is deaf?"]

Merka holds the little girl tightly, biting her lip and closing her eyes tightly. Tears of despair and sorrow roll down Merka's face in large drops.