"Merka... Merka. Ah, I found it." Turing looked through the bookshelves one by one, following the order of surnames, and found the CD belonging to Merka.

Turing held Merka's CD and approached a massive machine. He carefully examined the steel behemoth and found what appeared to be the location of the mainframe. He then found the CD drive on top of it.

"aside..." Enormous English letters were engraved on the mainframe, as Turing silently recited them and placed the CD into the drive.

Afterward, Turing sat on a chair that came with the machine, gripping the handles as a profound weariness crept over him.

"Merka, such a kind person... Perhaps their childhood was also sweet and lovely? Unlike me." Turing thought blissfully, sinking into a deep slumber.

----------------------------------------------------

"Juliet...you're too fast. Look behind." A girl wearing a beret, with an additional layer of headscarf within her hat, was being pulled by another girl of the same age.

She had sharp eyebrows and fiery, passionate eyes. She carried two large buckets filled with water, and the swaying burden pressed heavily against the young girl's shoulders, causing her waist to bend like a wilted flower.

The girl looked back to see a long line of water-carriers extending behind her; most of them were young, strong women under 25 years old.

"I'm only concerned about my share...and Romeo's. You can take care of your own water; mine doesn't mix with yours." Juliet freed herself from the girl holding her hand.

"Don't touch me; I don't have the strength to argue with you." Sweat dripped down Juliet's forehead, her brows furrowed tightly. Her chest, impoverished by chronic malnutrition, slightly hollowed under the weight of life's burdens.

Though Juliet was not excessively thin, she was not far from emaciation. The girls following her were even less physically capable than Juliet.

At this moment, a dilapidated orphanage was rising slowly in the outskirts of Lacis City, surrounded by mountains and enveloped by serene lakes, creating a picturesque countryside scenery.

The dilapidated state of the orphanage was not merely due to years of disrepair. It was actually unfinished, with half of the courtyard wall built, and iron pillars without proper reinforcement that were already bent. The overall appearance looked as if a giant had trampled on half of it.

The construction crew had absconded with the funds. Perhaps they didn't want to come this far or they found it easy to mistreat the cursed children, but they disappeared after completing only half of the construction. The residents of the orphanage had no choice but to make do with the unfinished portions.

In reality, they desired to live closer to the city center, but the closer to it they were, the greater the risk of their courtyard being vandalized. Even though there was nothing valuable left to steal.

They had to relocate beside a lake called Lake Mora. Even though no one would casually stroll around there, the children still had to endure the daily toil of fetching water from afar.

Around Lake Mora, mugwort flowers grew abundantly, making it a typical mugwort lake. Not only was the lake water undrinkable, but even the act of washing clothes or wearing wet clothes increased the risk of heart failure due to mugwort's sedative effects.

Although Lacis City functioned as an autonomous region, every publicly-funded institution required national funding approval and strict regulation from Oedipus.

Maria did not want that, so she funded the orphanage herself. However, as of late, she had made enemies with numerous forces due to her dissatisfaction with Oedipus policies. Her finances were on the brink of bankruptcy.

In the oil-stained kitchen of the orphanage, filled with burnt black marks everywhere, a masked young man approaching the age of twenty stood, stirring a pot of soup with a ladle. With one hand, he stirred the clear water seasoned only with salt and oil in the iron pot, while in the other hand, he cut potatoes and carrots into chunks and added them into the pot.

At the entrance of the kitchen, a man with delicate and handsome features sat on a stool, leaning over the door panel. His ears, neck, chest, and other private areas showed varying degrees of scars, old and new.

In his left hand, he held a handkerchief stained with red powder, while his right hand held a syringe. Skillfully, he inserted one end into his nostril and cautiously pressed the other end against the handkerchief.

Breathing in the red powder greedily, even though his expression didn't appear very happy.

The boy cooking glanced at the man, sighed and continued with his work.

"Brother Romeo, I finished all the tasks you gave me. Is dinner almost ready?" A five or six-year-old boy with an eye patch suddenly entered the kitchen, asking the cooking boy in a nasally voice.

Romeo turned around in surprise, not stopping his work. "Did you empty the bucket collecting rainwater? Did you find the signboard for our courtyard? Did you wash the clothes for the younger siblings?"

"I couldn't find the signboard, but I finished everything else... Brother, can we eat now?" The little boy held the door with one hand and his stomach with the other.

"Of course, of course, you're amazing, little Merka." Romeo picked up a piece of firewood from the corner of the kitchen and added it to the stove.

Out of the corner of his eye, Romeo saw the man at the door smiling and making eye contact with Merka. He frowned and walked to the door, warning Merka, "Children shouldn't casually enter the kitchen, okay?"

Romeo gently pushed Merka out and closed the door.

"You too, don't do such things in front of children as if nothing happened. It's not good for them." Romeo scolded the man with a spoon in one hand and his hands on his waist.

The man closed his eyes and didn't look at where Romeo was, but Romeo knew that even so, he could still see him.

"Oh, Romeo, you will make a good husband." The man leisurely inhaled the red powder, and his conversation with Romeo was filled with casual indifference.

"Osiero, you..." Romeo blushed cutely, "What are you saying? Don't change the subject like that." Obviously, Romeo fell for it.

"You go ahead and continue working. I'm going to tell Juliet a few words." Osiero, the man, put away the red powder, rubbed his sore waist, slowly propped himself up, and pushed the door open.

The dim hall, although clean, couldn't hide the sense of dilapidation caused by missing bricks and tiles.

The red and white cross-shaped tablecloth was haphazardly spread on the thin black wooden table. Two large rectangular tables had scattered seats for more than thirty people. Although these tables could be considered the most valuable assets of the orphanage, they were still a bit too high for the younger children and too short for the adults.

Merka sat in his seat, staring blankly at the empty and broken dishes, lost in thought. Juliet, on the other hand, sat opposite Merka, forcefully massaging her swollen feet.

"I'll lend you the silver pipe. Come with me this afternoon to see if we can earn some money." Osiero placed the silver pipe next to Juliet's plate and noticed Juliet tending to her sore feet. "Did your feet blister?"

Juliet ignored Osiero, still looking down, kneading her small, calloused soles.

Osiero understood and patiently tapped Juliet's shoulder, making her see his mouth shape the words again.

Juliet, a patient with the Demon's Curse of missing a portion of her skull and both earlobes and eardrums, could hardly hear any sound and could only rely on lip-reading.

"It's nothing, just a minor thing." Juliet adjusted her sitting posture, carefully placed the pipe in her bosom, and carefully observed Osiero's face. "Is it still the same? Should I go steal while you handle things, or should I try my luck in crowded places?"

"I have a relatively wealthy client tonight..." Osiero looked worriedly at Juliet, "But your foot is injured. Take a break and let Romeo apply some medicine for you?" Osiero even felt that his concern sounded fake. The so-called medicine was just some nearby herbs collected based on traditional recipes. Whether they worked or not was another matter.

Romeo took a small sip of the soup and felt satisfied as he carried the pot outside.

Other than Osiero, Romeo was probably the only person in the orphanage who appeared healthy. his affable and gentle nature unconsciously led him to assume the role of a father figure in the orphanage.

The children relied on him.