I'm on the Ark, and I start out as Gretchen.

"...Is there something you need, Yelena?"

Talulah, who had initially thought it was Alina returning, showed a hint of surprise upon seeing who it was.

"Alina went to bandage her wound, I came here to bring you food." After explaining briefly, Yelena placed the food she was carrying on the table.

"So that's it."

"..."

After putting her things down, Yelena didn't rush to leave. Instead, she looked at a little girl who was painting.

But when his gaze swept over the thin white dress, the exposed legs, and the delicate, snow-white feet, his expression was exactly the same as Alina's at that moment, his face filled with disapproval...

There are quite a few children in the Reunion Movement, and most of them are taught and read by Alina. But this is the first time Yelena has ever seen a child dressed so scantily.

However, after noticing that Gretsch wasn't cold, Yelena immediately categorized this seemingly cute and harmless little girl as special, implying that she must at least possess some abilities.

Just like herself, the reason she wasn't dressed heavily was because of her raw stone craftsmanship.

My body temperature is much lower than normal...

After making a quick assessment, Yelena withdrew her gaze and prepared to turn and leave.

But then, as if suddenly remembering something, she stopped and asked, "Do you know what Alina encountered on this trip?"

“I don’t know, Alina hasn’t told me yet. This child… seems to be immersed in painting as well.” Talulah simply shook her head helplessly in response to Yelena’s question.

"Then let's ask her properly when she gets back. I think you probably have the same suspicions as me." After saying that, Yelena turned and left the tent without lingering.

Unfortunately, Gretchen was completely absorbed in her painting and had no time to pay attention to the outside world. Otherwise, she might have tried to persuade the white figure to stay, after all, it was the living Frostnova...

"..."

After watching the person leave the tent, Talulah slowly lowered her eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them, making it impossible to discern her feelings. A wave of lingering fear and dread washed over her once more.

Actually, she could guess... Although she didn't know exactly what happened, she knew... that she might have been so close to never seeing her little deer again.

"call--"

"I'm back, Talulah. Hmm? Why do you look so worried? Did something happen?"

Just as Talulah was feeling down, the tent flap was opened again. Alina returned and immediately noticed her best friend's strange expression.

"..."

But Talulah didn't answer Alina's question; instead, she quickly stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

"?"

;?;

Alina gave a helpless smile when the dragon girl suddenly hugged her, then gently patted her back to comfort her.

P.S.: I had some things to do the past two days, so updates were a bit slow. Today I'm back to my normal double-update schedule. The plot is progressing a little slowly, but I'll try to write faster.

;?;

Chapter 6... What are you doing?

In the quiet tent, after Gretchen picked up her brush and placed the last touch of color on the canvas, her thoughts began to slowly withdraw from the painting, leaving behind the colorful world she saw.

The blank white canvas, after Gretchen's efforts, was transformed into a perfect painting.

The warm yellow sunlight shone on the verdant trees, casting dappled patterns.

On a forest path, a snow-white fawn lay peacefully on the ground, as if asleep. Passersby instinctively slowed their pace, not wanting to disturb it.

However, upon closer inspection, some unidentified black, hard substances were faintly visible on the fawn's snow-white fur, and in the shadow behind the fawn, these hard substances blossomed into a raw stone flower with a cold gleam and messy leaves...

Having completely pulled herself out of her immersion, Gretchen put down her palette and brushes, gently blinked her dry eyes, and decided to rest for a while.

"Goo~"

She had only just put down her paintbrush when Gretchen's ever-hungry stomach began to protest again.

At the same time, the hunger that had been suppressed because she was immersed in drawing surged back into the little girl's heart.

Then, just as Gretchen got up from the stool to go find something to eat, the orange landscape that had been blocked by the easel suddenly came into view of her large violet eyes.

"?"

Then, a big question appeared in the little girl's eyes.

"Sister Alina... what are you doing?"

As soon as the little girl's voice rang out, the two who had been hugging each other instantly pushed each other away...

"Ahem... It's nothing, I was just comforting your sister Talulah..."

Although it was the truth, for some reason, under Gretsch's innocent gaze, Alina suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt.

It gave her the feeling that she had just been doing something shady with Talulah...

"Yes, yes... Alina is right, she was just comforting me... Cough cough, little one, are you done with your drawing?"

After agreeing with Alina's words, Talulah, ignoring her slightly flushed face, quickly turned her head and changed the subject.

Like a little deer, she initially felt nothing... but when she met the little girl's innocent gaze, she suddenly felt ashamed and guilty.

"Um... Sister Alina, I'm hungry."

After listening to their explanations, Gretchen looked at them for a while before nodding her head slightly.

"Let's eat then, Yelena has already brought it over." After gently patting Gretsch's head, Alina took her hand and led her towards the table.

"Yelena...?"

Although she was being led by Alina, Gretsch, upon hearing a certain name, acted as if she had recognized a keyword, her little ahoge (a tuft of hair on her head) twitching... and her mind became active.

To be honest, Gretchen, who was so engrossed in her painting, didn't even notice that Frostnova had come by; otherwise, she might have gone to get close to the White Rabbit.

After all, before she transmigrated, she was a Doctor who cried because of Frostnova's death...

"Didn't little Gretsch see Yelena just now?"

Seeing the little tuft of hair on Gretchen's head suddenly spring to life, Alina didn't...

He resisted touching it again before asking.

"When this little guy is drawing, he only has eyes for the drawing and doesn't look at anything else or pay attention to anyone." Before Gretsch could answer, the voice of a dragon girl came first.

"Oh, I see. I'll introduce you to Greta later when I have the chance. Don't let Yelena's seemingly cold demeanor fool you; she's actually a very nice person."

"Alright, let's eat. Hmm... it looks a bit cold, I'll go out and get you a fresh one. Wait a little longer, little Greta."

After saying that, Alina picked up the food in front of her and walked quickly outside, leaving Talulah and Gretchen staring at each other.

But soon Talulah seemed to remember something. Her expression changed, and after giving Gretchen what she thought was a friendly smile, she carefully moved closer to the little girl.

"Little one, your name is Gretchen, right?"

"Um... Tarua, is there something you need?"

Seeing Talulah's expression, Gretchen tilted her head slightly and asked in a calm tone.

"Tarua...? Never mind, little Gretchen, can you tell your older sister what happened to Alina before?"

This wasn't the first time Talulah had heard Gretsch address her by that name. Although she was a little curious, it was clear that something else was more important to her.

"What happened before? Hmm... My sister Alina and I encountered bad guys, and then... the Knight protected us."

Although somewhat surprised that Alina hadn't told Talulah, Gretsch, after a moment's thought, chose to answer truthfully.

"Does Gretsch know who those bad guys are? And the Knight?" After hearing Gretsch's answer, Talulah asked anxiously.

“I don’t know him… Mr. Knight is Mr. Knight. Does Tarua want to see Mr. Knight?” Gretchen shook her head and said earnestly.

"I……"

"Alright, come and eat, Gretchen, it's getting late."

However, before Talulah could ask any more questions, Alina's voice came again, and she entered the tent carrying food.

Upon seeing the fawn, Talulah temporarily abandoned her plan to ask further questions.

"Hmm...it's here."

……

After dinner, Gretchen went to her easel, which she had been using, and took down the painting she had just finished.

;?

She now plans to give the painting to Alina, who provided the colors.

"Here, the painting... is for you."

With that, Gretchen gently lifted the frame and handed Alina her first work in this world.

"Little Gretchen finished a painting so quickly, that's amazing, the painting is..."

Alina, who was about to praise Gretsch's work after receiving it, suddenly fell silent halfway through her sentence... and swallowed the rest of her words.

The reason Miss Deer lost her composure was because of the painting in her hand.

It's important to know that Gretchen's painting this time is no ordinary work. In addition to being a beautiful and excellent piece of art, it also possesses special power.

Although Gretchen can paint ordinary paintings, when she incorporates someone's colors, she subconsciously uses that person's colors in her creations...

In such cases, the paintings acquire a magical quality. They can distort perception, revealing, or even materializing, the deepest fears in people's hearts...

However, everyone's sense of color is different, so the "intensity" or result of the painting will also be different. Therefore, even Gretchen doesn't know what Alina sees in the painting at this moment...

All I know is that this painting won't depict anything strange or unusual.

P.S.: Something came up and I was delayed, so the second chapter is being updated a bit late.

Chapter 7 Promise me, Talulah.

As Alina gazed at the painting, almost instantly the painting, the people and environment around her distorted and disappeared.

Instead, there was a snow-covered forest and a blood-soaked, mangled body lying helplessly by the roadside, clutching an empty basket tightly in its hand...

"..."

Looking at the scene before her, Alina's eyes revealed disbelief and confusion. But she quickly understood... because the scene before her was all too familiar; this was the place where she had been attacked before...

As for what she was seeing, Alina figured it was probably her fate without Gretchen's help... to be cruelly murdered by the departed infected for a few meager supplies...