"It's too tight, Your Grace," Turing said as she sat gracefully in the elegant seat, facing the mirror on the dressing table. Maria was diligently combing her hair behind Turing.
"It's much inferior to the Yanling's doing," Turing remarked.
This was a scene that would astonish any Acadia citizen.
"The young lady has quite a temperament," Maria chuckled. "I thought you always carried yourself like a little adult no matter what you did."
"If I can manage to tie it, that's already good enough. My hands don't move well," Turing replied.
"They certainly can't match up to your little servant," Maria teased.
Spring was just around the corner, along with the art competition of the Fireworks Festival.
After a few days of Oedipus' visit, she didn't immediately return home after the meeting, but stayed in the bustling city of Lachésis.
She said she wanted to stay in Lachésis to accompany Turing back to their hometown.
Most nobles would send their subordinates to pick them up, but Oedipus decided to stay herself.
Easy to invite a god, difficult to send them off.
Just when Turing finally had a few peaceful days with Merka, she had to live in constant anxiety again.
To avoid being secretly monitored by her mother, Maria suggested that Turing come to her place every day for a thorough check-up.
After all, she had deep knowledge about angels.
"Why did my mother send angels to my side in the first place?" Turing asked.
"Come to think of it, I have no idea how the angels suddenly appear and disappear," Turing said with indifference.
"Even if I use the most advanced monitoring magic, I cannot find their whereabouts," Turing said casually.
"If I tell you now, would you believe it?" Maria glanced at Turing's face, still unable to detect any change in her emotions, and let out a sigh.
"The angels have actually been with us all along, never leaving," Maria explained.
"They possess some powers bestowed by the gods, which allow them to hide their forms in front of humans."
"They have always been silently protecting us, unbeknownst to us."
"As for why Oedipus sent angels to monitor you, and why the angels only chase after Merka," Maria paused for a moment. "I think, maybe it's because Oedipus is a first-time mother and wants to be more cautious about her future son-in-law..."
"Okay, done," Maria finished braiding Turing's hair and gently touched her head, her tone varying between seriousness, tenderness, and wisdom, as if telling a fairy tale.
["What nonsense. I shouldn't take her words seriously," Turing thought to herself.]
"Ugh, why does braiding take so long?" Turing shook her head, playing with the two braids at the back, carelessly grabbing a handful. Her demeanor was no longer calm and gentle like when she was getting her hair done earlier.
"I'm leaving, Merka is waiting for me." Turing stood up, ran to the door, waved at Maria, and turned around to leave.
Maria smiled helplessly, waved goodbye as well, but Turing was already out of sight.
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In fact, for the Fireworks Festival's competition, honestly speaking, besides the magic contest and the beauty pageant of the Smoke Fairy Festival, other boys could participate.
But rankings don't matter, the gods couldn't possibly marry a boy.
Boys can also participate in the competition, making the already overcrowded Lachésis City, which is already burdened by an influx of outsiders, even more crowded.
"After all, if boys are good at painting, they might even get a teacher." Scarlett sat next to Diana, boredly looking out of the window. The bumpy carriage ride and the tiresome journey made Scarlett have to carefully look for anything that could distract her and be interesting outside the carriage.
But in the flowing crowd, besides boys and girls rushing to the exam hall with their bags, there was nothing else worth seeing.
"A bunch of fireflies, dare to compete with the bright moon." Diana rested her head on the carriage's headrest, closing her eyes, as if even a single glance at those commoners on the roadside would stain her own eyes.
"Really, why pretend to be so arrogant?" Scarlett leaned against the window with one hand and propped her chin up with the other.
"Turing isn't arrogant." Scarlett muttered softly, "That's why I say you're not observant, even if you study, you can't be like him."
"What did you say?" Diana usually didn't react to Scarlett's various impolite jokes, but today she was particularly sensitive because of the competition.
And irritable.
"Hey, look, that person seems a bit familiar." Scarlett pointed to the window on her side and raised her voice loudly to Diana.
"Don't try to change the subject..." Diana got closer, originally intending to question her, but she still took a glance outside the window.
This glance was like replacing all the blood in Diana's body with vinegar. It made Diana unable to move, and the scene in front of her also stirred up an endless sense of sourness in her blood.
"That is, sister... Turing? But how is that possible?" Diana said incredulously.
In Diana's eyes, a girl with a faint shadow of Turing was dancing gracefully with a boy next to the music fountain in the square on the roadside.
The elegant and slow waltz seemed out of place in the sunlit square, contrasting with the cliché music, but when put together, it had a carefree and leisurely meaning.
"Tell the driver to stop, hurry, right now!" Diana shouted towards the front of the carriage, her emotions clearly getting out of control.
"Are you crazy? Diana! We're almost late!" Scarlett quickly rushed the bodyguard who wanted to come in to see what was going on.
"I was just joking, can't you tell? It's almost time for the exam, that can't be Turing!"
"Don't you understand that woman who values victory as much as her life? She wouldn't be dancing with random people at a time like this."
"Especially not with a man."
Scarlett tightly held Diana's arm, waiting until she felt the latter's strength gradually weakening before slowly letting go.
"I know... I know," Diana sat back in her original position and closed her eyes, "I just can't believe it..."
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"The exam should be starting soon, Turing." Merka looked at the hurried people on the roadside and helplessly said to the person held in their embrace.
"What do you know," Turing grinned and looked up at Merka's eyes, swaying with them in the repetitive song.
Peach-colored braids are like willow branches, like fish floats inserted in the sunlight, drifting in the air, quietly yet brightly colored.
"Just in time for this last moment of rush."
"If I want to go to the competition, I can fly there in three or four seconds using magic." Turing paused and hummed softly.
"Life is about stealing leisure amidst the busyness…"
Along with the music, Turing sang and danced freely, allowing their voice to take root in the soil and spread in the air.
