Talulah, I'm still a child.

Suzume's head was practically steaming. Although she was shy, what Su Xue'er said was very attractive to her. This older sister, who had a somewhat wicked personality, always liked to manipulate her dreams, using Mei Xue as an experimental subject to make Suzume quickly gain experience in her dreams.

After finishing the hot milk in one gulp, Linglan lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, hoping for a good dream tonight.

[Speaking of which, Suzuran, have you ever felt jealous of Talulah?]

Before going to sleep, Su Xue'er couldn't help but ask this question. Because of her overly serious tone and the incongruity of her previous behavior, Linglan doubted whether she had misheard.

However, after a brief moment of thought, Lily nodded.

Yes, I have.

Of course there would be; in fact, it would be strange if there weren't. Aside from Theresa and Dr. Reiwa, almost every girl who likes Mei-xue would feel jealous of Talulah to some extent. This is not only because she is the recognized main wife and is pregnant, but also because she holds such a high, unshakeable position in Mei-xue's heart.

"But now, I don't feel that kind of jealousy anymore... I feel like I can't compete with Talulah at all, or rather, I don't have that kind of courage."

Lily looked at her hands. Talulah had taken the blame for hundreds of lives and stained her hands with blood for Mei Xue. Although everyone knew those people deserved to die, if they had been standing there at that time, how many of them would have been willing to take action for a complete stranger?

Of course, everyone can confidently say they can, but killing takes courage and cannot be accomplished by mere anger. Linglan could do it too, because she loves Meixue now. But if she and Meixue were strangers, she would at most try to help Meixue escape, rather than slaughter the entire village.

But Talulah did just that. At that moment, although she was angry, she did not lose her mind. She used flames to express her despair and pity for Mei Xue, and then burned everything. She did not deny what she had done.

[If it were just talk, anyone could do it, but not everyone has the courage to do it. Of course, when it comes to a complete stranger, our moral compass makes it impossible for us to turn a blind eye, while cowardice and fear make us subconsciously want to forget it.]

[Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is nothing to be ashamed of. Talulah is indeed rare, which is why I was smiling when I saw her standing next to Mei Xue in the future before I died.]

"So, my sister also foresaw that future all along?"

[It wasn't just me; Mei Xue saw it too, and then calmly accepted this future. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore, go to sleep.]

Perhaps realizing that this topic was not suitable for discussion before bed, Su Xueer decisively stopped talking about it.

Goodnight, lily of the valley, sleep well.

"Okay, goodnight, sister."

Linglan closed her eyes; this time she was truly going to sleep. However, Su Xue'er was somewhat uneasy, sensing that the loopholes and contradictions in this new world, which had been gradually decreasing, had actually increased just now.

Fortunately, the growth momentum of loopholes and contradictions was quickly suppressed again, and the newly emerging contradictions and loopholes were being repaired rapidly. However, at this rate, it would probably take Mei Xue an extra whole day.

However, Talulah, who was deep in her dreams, was unaware of all this. She even doubted whether it was a dream or not, because compared to the hazy and illusory dreams that one could not remember anything after waking up, this was too real. She could even feel some pain when she pinched herself.

The winds in the Ursus snowfields are very cold. In Talulah's world, Ursus is not like this. Although it is located in the north and has longer winters, it can still be considered a habitable place. This environment is far too harsh.

She didn't think too much about it. The fact that she and Mei Xue met meant that things weren't as simple as she thought. She even began to wonder if the world she was in was a dream, otherwise she wouldn't know how to explain some things.

The village was very strange. Although everyone had a happy smile on their face, Talulah felt an inexplicable anger burning in her heart when she saw it. She even felt nauseous.

Moreover, logically speaking, in such a remote place with snow all year round, it should be very difficult to obtain food, but judging from the appearance of these people... they don't seem to be starving.

Thinking it over, Talulah took a few steps to the village entrance. When the villagers saw her, they were obviously a little flustered, but they didn't show anything.

"Excuse me, sir, what brings you here?"

With utmost respect, even a hint of servility, Talulah glanced at her clothes and finally understood why these people looked at her with such fear in their eyes. It seemed that the Ursus officers in this dream were not so friendly.

"Old man, don't worry, I'm not an officer from Ursus, nor am I some kind of scout. I found these clothes; I'm just a merchant."

Upon hearing Talulah's words, the man who was clearly the village chief was taken aback. He then looked her over carefully and finally noticed something was amiss. Talulah's uniform was old and worn out; the Ursus scouts' uniforms wouldn't be this old.

After realizing that Talulah wasn't lying and that she really wasn't an officer from Ursus, the villagers were no longer as panicked and tense as before, and their attitudes even changed.

"Do you have any food here? I'd like to make a trade..."

"No! We have nothing here!"

Before Talulah could finish speaking, the old man at the village entrance immediately refused. Talulah found it strange; they seemed to be worried about something. Yet, she clearly saw a woman carrying a basket of meat out of the warehouse.

"Please don't worry, I'm really not from the disciplinary team. I just wanted to exchange for some food. I still have plenty of flour and vegetables here."

“I said no, and that means no. You should go to another village.”

The old man was very firm in his stance, even raising his stick to drive Talulah away. Talulah didn't really want to resort to violence, so she had no choice but to take a few steps back.

"……OK then."

With that, Talulah turned and left. The old man at the village entrance watched him disappear from his sight, but he didn't relax. He ran out again, took another look, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he was sure Talulah was gone.

"Village chief, why didn't we deal with that person just now...?"

A hunter in the village made a "I understand" gesture, which earned him a glare from the village chief.

"You think I don't want to? But didn't you see the sword at his waist? If he's not an officer from Ursus, why would he dare to wear that kind of uniform? He's definitely not an ordinary person."

Touching his gray beard, the village chief's already wrinkled brows furrowed even more. Of course, he also wanted to eliminate the threat completely and ensure that no one would know the village's secret. However, the greatsword at Talulah's waist made him choose to retreat. Combining this with the Ursus scouts' question about "suspicious individuals" that came some time ago, he had a rough idea of ​​Talulah's identity.

"If a fight really breaks out, we might not be a match for them. Let's urge them to finish the banquet quickly and leave."

"But village chief, that boy's flesh is growing very slowly..."

"Just feed him some swill, as long as he doesn't starve, that's fine. You didn't have this kind heart when it came to cutting him."

As he spoke, the village chief couldn't help but look towards the warehouse. He closed his eyes; the last trace of conscience had long since vanished in the past few days. But what did it matter? Conscience? Could conscience allow them to survive on this frozen land? If not, then let it be!

The villagers' madness at the desire to live, to live well, was so intense that an indescribable emotion lingered in their eyes.

"Oh, and tell them not to let the children see what's in the warehouse."

"okay."

New World 17. The Nightmare Where Talulah Is No Longer Here

"I didn't see Mei Xue, but... this should be the place where we met."

Talulah didn't leave; she simply took a clever detour, hiding in a blind spot from the old man's perspective to ensure she wouldn't be seen. With her speed, that was easy.

This is where she and Mei Xue first met, but Talulah didn't see Mei Xue. She glanced around and saw that the entire village, from the oldest to the youngest, consisted of Ursus people, with no Volper among them.

"Furthermore, the name Mei Xue clearly belongs to someone from the Great Yan... not someone from Ursus. Therefore, he wouldn't live in this village, but rather..."

What could it be? The absence of Mei Xue, the villagers' strange attitude, the abundance of food in such a snowy place, and the basket of fresh meat she had seen back then—all of this seemed to collide violently in Talulah's mind, almost making her lose her balance.

"No, no, I have to go and see."

The basket in her hands was unconsciously dropped to the ground. Talulah knew she couldn't take the main road this time, so she chose to go around to the side of the village.

Because it seemed that the village was going to hold a banquet today, they only set up some crude traps nearby, which were no match for Talulah's steps. She climbed up the hillside behind the warehouse.

Looking inside, Talulah noticed that the warehouse windows were sealed shut, making it impossible to see what was inside. However, she could see people constantly going in and out of the warehouse.

Everyone who went in carried an empty basket, and came out with a basket full of fresh meat, as if they had just slaughtered some prey, with some silver hairs still clinging to it.

"Silver fur..."

A familiar scene suddenly echoed in Talulah's mind, like the sound of shattering glass. Memories flooded back, one after another, from her arrival in the village to everything that followed. She went through them like watching a slideshow.

Yes, how could she forget these things? She shouldn't have forgotten them; she should remember them no matter what.

"damn it!"

Talulah already knew what was going to happen next, because this was her memory, her most unforgettable memory, even more profound than the separation from her sisters back then. She had dreamed of this day countless nights, and the spirits of those people seemed to be questioning her all the time, while the children who did not know the truth were also crying.

They struggled, they questioned, they said: We just want to live.

"..."

Tears streamed down her face. Talulah picked up her sword, looked at the butcher who was about to enter the warehouse, and decisively raised her sword and threw it, piercing his chest with a single blow.

She was crying, but her tears did not blur her vision. She stood up and slowly walked down the hillside. The surrounding temperature suddenly rose, and the snow quickly melted and evaporated into water vapor.

"Village chief, are we really going to move away?"

The older woman handed a piece of roasted meat to her young son, and then looked at the old man in front of her. The village chief nodded helplessly.

"Let's move out. We can't stay here any longer. We have enough to eat, and it won't be difficult to rebuild the house."

"Mom, it's so hot."

The child, who had no appetite, casually threw the piece of meat on the ground and reached out to unbutton his clothes. For some reason, he felt that the temperature was very high at the moment, as if he were sitting next to a stove.

Just as they were thinking this, wails and screams reached their ears.

"Help! Help me, you bastard!"

"No! I don't want to die, fire! Water!!"

Upon hearing the sound, before the village chief and the others could even go outside to see what was happening, the roof made of dry grass above them instantly burst into flames.

The flames seemed to have a life of their own, spreading rapidly, first burning the door to block the way, then sealing the windows, trying to trap everyone inside the room to die.

For Talulah, this was just the beginning.

The tears that slid down her cheeks quickly dried under the scorching heat of the flames, leaving only tear stains. Her left cheek was filled with anger, and her right cheek with compassion. Even though she was about to burn these people to ashes once again, she still felt genuine pity for them.

These people, everyone here, chose to degenerate into beasts devoid of morality and humanity simply to survive.

This time, she won't accuse them of being immoral, nor will she announce the stripping of their rights as human beings. She won't say that they lack human conscience and morality, using this to comfort her own conscience and legitimize her actions.

Of course, understanding them doesn't mean Talulah feels any guilt about what she's doing right now. She has no regrets and no remorse, which she certainly wouldn't have done before.

At that time, as the leader of the Reunion Movement, she said she would lead everyone out of the snowfield and that everyone would have the right to live an equal life. However, her hands were stained with the blood of Ursus civilians. Under such circumstances, she would dream of such scenes every night without Mei Xue, dreaming of these people's questioning and wailing.

But so what? Even if she dreams of this scene again, Talulah's actions will not change.

"Damn it, damn it, we just wanted to live, what did we do wrong!"

Under the scorching flames, the original villagers transformed into something else entirely. They became twisted and black, like living shadows. In their eyes was a look that Talulah knew all too well—a pitiful yet tragic look, a look of desperate struggle.

"Do you understand that feeling, when your own child is abandoned on the snowy plains because there's no food, and becomes food for some wild beast that comes from who knows where!"

"My father broke his leg while fighting a wild rabbit and never returned from the snowfield. He became food for those damned wolves."

"Every year, all the grain goes to those noble lords, how are we supposed to eat! If this continues, we'll all starve to death! We'll all starve to death!"

"You say we're wrong? Are you clean? Look at your hands, how much blood is on them!"

One by one, the shadows revealed their true forms under the scorching flames. They did not continue to wail, but let the flames burn them. They spoke of their misfortunes, as if interrogating Talulah's heart.

For hundreds of nights, Talulah had met their cold stares in the same way, but this time she did not remain silent.

"Dracowillalwaysguardhertreasure."

Draco will forever protect her treasure, a vow Talulah made. She looked at the ring on her hand, knowing that on the inside of the ring given to her by Mei Xue was also engraved a line: Fate will forever favor my beloved.

"So, I understand your difficulties, I sympathize with your situation, and I know your pain... But I will not allow anyone to hurt my loved one, no matter who he is!"

Talulah reached out and pulled the sword from the ground. Her eyes shone brighter than ever before. The flames at her feet suddenly intensified and coalesced into a towering fire dragon behind her. Behind Talulah was the warehouse.