Early 1086.
At this time, only the cold wind still blew, and the miners still toiled.
Suffering and tears of blood were transported out, processed, and sold, becoming capital for nobles to flaunt and topics of conversation at their tables. But unfortunately, none of this had anything to do with the miners; they weren't even here voluntarily.
Death was the norm.
No noble family would treat them kindly, and neither did Koschei.
"Hurry up, you've rested long enough!"
That was the foreman's shouting, accompanied by the cracking of a whip.
"(ursus curse word) What's he rushing for?"
Those were the miners' complaints, along with cries of pain.
And amidst them, a discordant figure moved through the crowd.
"Miss!" Yelena called out, walking through the mine, searching for the Red Dragon's shadow.
Talulah was standing among the miners, talking with them, a notebook in her hand. She heard someone calling her name and looked back.
"Yelena, what are you..." Her expression showed some surprise.
"I shouldn't know you're here, should I?" Yelena said with some helplessness, "You're always going out to sketch, and you don't allow anyone to accompany you. If something were to happen to you..."
"Alright, alright, nothing's happened to me yet, has it?"
"I'm worried about you, Miss. If Koschei were to find out you secretly ran off to the mine, he might lock you up in the Duke's Mansion for several months."
"Heh, he loves the Infected so much, why doesn't he allow me to become one too?"
Talulah sneered, looking back at the mine, muttering to herself,
"The Infected shouldn't be like this, never should be like this."
Flames burned in the Red Dragon's eyes.
"Miss? What did you say?"
Yelena didn't hear Talulah clearly.
Talulah hesitated, staring at Yelena's blue eyes, and finally spoke,
"Yelena. I said if one day... one day, if I... no, never mind."
Talulah averted her gaze, not daring to gather the courage to look at Yelena's still gentle eyes.
"Miss!" Yelena took a step forward, taking Talulah's hand and holding it in her own.
Talulah could feel the silk rubbing against her hand.
The gentle Elafia said with a smile and courage, "Wherever Miss goes, I will follow. After all, I am Miss's person."
"Yelena, you don't have to be so..." Talulah shook her head, wanting to refuse Yelena's devotion.
But Yelena interrupted her.
"Miss, this morning, Mr. Butler confessed to me that my parents actually passed away two years ago, and the letters I received afterward were merely sent by Mr. Butler on their behalf."
Yelena's voice became a little choked.
"They... didn't want to cause trouble for me..."
Cold liquid dripped onto Talulah's hand.
"So, Miss, you can't leave me again."
"Yelena... I don't know what to say."
Talulah's eyes darted away.
"Then don't say anything, Miss. It's getting late, let's go home."
Yelena wiped her eyes and walked in front of Talulah.
"Mm, let's go home," Talulah replied softly.
But is this really my home?
Do the Infected have a home?
If the Infected don't have a home...
A few days later.
It was still that mine.
But Yelena arrived late.
"Miss..." Yelena lowered her eyes, her expression unreadable.
Talulah sat on the ground, her shoulder exposed and still bleeding.
Yelena looked beside her, where a black "stone" was lying.
But Yelena said nothing, merely walked to Talulah, knelt down, and placed her hand on the wound.
A green light flickered.
"Yelena?" Talulah looked at the servant healing her. She had her head bowed, her hair perfectly concealing her emotions.
A moment later, Yelena finally looked up and asked,
"You still took this step, didn't you?"
And she received a firm answer.
Yelena said with a slight tremble, "Miss, how can you joke with your own life?"
Talulah merely shook her head.
"Yelena, I am already Infected. Whatever Koschei wants to do with me, he's dreaming. Yelena, he deceived me, cultivated me, and wants me to be his pawn. I will never let him succeed."
Talulah stood up.
"I will kill him, Yelena. I don't want to implicate you."
She was about to pick up that stone.
But the stone was gone.
Talulah looked up in surprise, Yelena was standing in front of her, smiling.
She held the Originium shard in her left hand, and her right glove was already removed.
"I told you, Miss, I am willing to follow you forever."
"Yelena!" Talulah reached out to stop her, but it was already too late.
Red flowers suddenly bloomed in the snow, one after another, clustered together, forming a veritable bush.
The stone fell onto the flowers, but the flowers were not crushed; they still bloomed.