"I don't know... we don't know why either," swollen and lifeless Joseph lay on the veterinarian's operating table. If the doctor hadn't said it still had a heartbeat, Turing would never have thought this was a living body.

After a series of rescues, Joseph had been brought out of shock and his heart had been restored, but there was still no sign of consciousness returning.

"We can't figure out why it's still alive... all we can say is that it's a blessing from above," the veterinarian took off her yellow gloves and lowered the fence that prevented outsiders from entering, gesturing for Turing to take a closer look.

"Magic didn't work, blood tests, ultrasounds, nothing showed any abnormalities. In any case, it's a miracle that this child is still alive," the veterinarian gently stroked Joseph's swollen back without any hint of disgust.

"...Although I can't be considered a real doctor, I still feel like it's similar to the Demon's Curse," Merka stood beside Turing, looking at Joseph's faint breaths with concern. "Since even the doctors can't make a diagnosis, should I let Lady Maria know? Lady Maria is quite familiar with cursed children."

"C... cursed child?!" For a moment, the veterinarian recoiled as if she had been electrocuted, as if Joseph were covered in some kind of plague.

Turing glared fiercely at the doctor, but Joseph's tense condition prevented her from acting immediately.

"It's okay, Turing, I'll be back soon," Merka reassured Turing, patting her shoulder and giving a smile that wasn't particularly sweet, then quickly walked out the door.

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The following is the translation of Maria's ancient text*:

{Separation is the universal pain - I console myself when I am tormented by my love for you.

So much pain, so much loneliness, perhaps it is all what I am enduring for you, and the gods will see it.

But what saddens me is that these burdensome hardships, these contrived contradictions, are the very reasons why we met.

Fate without a conclusion is like kindling that cannot feed the fire, like a door frame that cannot withstand a wooden hoe.

But even so, life may still have its meaning, even if you are willing to give me another promise, I will regain that unwavering passion until death.

I am because you are.}

"Lady Maria!" Merka burst into Maria's office, scaring Maria, who was translating ancient texts, and causing her pen to tremble.

"Could it be that this was all part of your plan? Why do I always feel like everything is too coincidental?"

"How could that... how could it be? What are you talking about?" Maria quickly put the documents and drafts she was translating into a drawer on her desk.

But it wasn't just putting them in the drawer, Maria's actions of hiding them in a secret compartment within the drawer were also clearly seen by Merka's detection magic.

"I've had this feeling from the very beginning."

"Hamlet never went to school or studied law, so how would he know that Oedipus the Great was the one who established the Enshrinement Decree?"

"He's also not at the age of maturity, how would he have the strength to hate the one who caused the cursed child to be born several decades ago? It's as irrational as hating the person who first brought a cursed child into this world."

"And you arranged our dormitories together, hoping that Hamlet and I would clash, right? You wanted us to be unable to communicate in a timely manner, which eventually led to Hamlet developing a murderous intention towards Turing. I had no idea either."

"And Joseph just fell ill right after arriving at Lachésis, even the timing of his illness was just right, coinciding with the time Oedipus is supposed to take Turing home."

"Did none of these things have your leadership?"

"What are you going to do next? Are you planning to use the Demon's Curse formula to coerce Turing into following your arrangements?"

"Putting aside whether Turing would obey just because of a mere horse, if you really have a way to treat the Demon's Curse... why didn't you tell us at the orphanage back then?"

"There is no reasonable explanation, I absolutely... absolutely will not easily forgive you." Merka's eyebrows seemed to flash with a killing intent for a moment. His face, which had always been gentle like water, would stir up intense waves whenever his painful past was touched upon.

"Sigh, you..." Maria revealed an anxiety that a person in control should not show. She waved her hands in confusion, wanting to grab for something, but the table had just been tidied up by her, completely clean.

"Don't be in a hurry. Actually, I don't remember what exactly I arranged. Many of the plans were assigned to my trusted men to carry out in stages..." Maria spread her hands and anxiously tapped the table with her index finger.

"Besides, it may not necessarily be something I did... you just mentioned Turing's beloved horse fell ill, right?" Maria asked puzzled, "By your implication, it contracted the Demon's Curse?"

"I can almost be certain..." Merka spoke with a desolate expression, "And it is a skin-type Demon's Curse. I have seen so many curse children, and patients with skin-type Demon's Curse are the most likely to perish, with almost no survivors."

"The Demon's Curse clearly has five different types of symptoms, but Joseph happened to have the incurable skin-type disease. So Turing won't be able to rely on surgery to treat it, right?"

"This is too much of a coincidence." Merka looked at Maria, pinching his nose, wondering why she, as the mastermind, had a headache instead.

Did he get it wrong?

"I do have a solution, and it's written in my diary..." Maria supported her forehead, continuously pulling at her hair. Her hair had become more and more messy, giving off a pale feeling.

"But it's really far-fetched, to the point where I doubt if I wrote it myself."

"But my plans have already reached this point, and I am like an arrow on the string, I have to release it."

"If it succeeds... believe me, both Turing and I can get through this adversity. Although I dare not even think about the consequences of failure. Are you willing to bet with me?" Maria had a dark expression, looking at Merka seriously.

"Oh... could it really be that serious? Even if Turing temporarily changes to another horse, there's no guarantee he won't lose in the next race, right?" Merka asked.

"Do you think this is just about a horse? Do you really think it's just about a horse?" Maria raised her voice.

"If Oedipus forces Turing and Joseph to go back, she will definitely investigate the cause of the horse's illness."

"If I really did something, with her magical talents, how could she not notice?"

"She can use this to accuse me of interfering in the competition. By doing so, she will gain the upper hand in both obvious and hidden party rights. She will firmly believe that I have rebellious thoughts."

"This is no longer just a matter of the competition. It may be a conflict between two families, namely Altria and Agio, and it is the largest in scale."

"This is a serious internal division! It is the spark that ignites a dreadful civil war!"