The fifth doll, Shinku, possessed a stunning appearance and an air of nobility, coupled with an arrogant and self-important personality and an extremely strong sense of self-esteem. Although she was the fifth sister among the Rozen Maiden, her innate queenly aura and formidable strength commanded a degree of reverence even from some of her older sisters. Yet, beneath this exterior, she was not without gentleness and kindness.

This aspect was evident in her interactions with Suigintou.

Initially, Suigintou was not bestowed with the Rosa Mystica; she was an incomplete doll, moving solely through her intense love for Father. However, due to her physical incompleteness, movement was cumbersome, and she possessed no combat ability; she was fragile to the core, both mentally and physically.

It was precisely at this juncture that the one who extended a helping hand, cared for her, and assisted her in standing on her own and walking like a normal person, was Shinku—the very doll who should have been vying against her for the chance to become the perfect doll, Alice.

Shinku, the noble queen, kept her true feelings deeply concealed, making it impossible to ascertain the precise nature of her emotions toward Suigintou at that time. Yet, it was undeniably genuine care. Suigintou, as a child who felt "abandoned," had never experienced true tenderness, so when someone treated her sincerely, she responded with equal sincerity. In those moments, for Suigintou, Shinku was undoubtedly her best friend.

Regrettably, their friendship bloomed quickly and withered even faster.

The catalyst occurred when Suigintou inadvertently became entangled in a battle between Shinku and Souseiseki one day. By stepping in to plead for Shinku and claiming to be the first Rozen Maiden doll, she was treated as a rival by Souseiseki, defeated, and submerged into the Sea of Unconsciousness. Just as she neared death, the Father she had long sought finally appeared and granted her the Rosa Mystica.

From that moment, Suigintou became a complete Rozen Maiden. Knowing she could finally hold her head high and proudly declare herself the first Rozen Maiden, she rushed immediately to Shinku, hoping her best friend would acknowledge her and share in her triumph.

However, seeing Suigintou, who should have perished, alive and possessing the Rosa Mystica—a near-miraculous occurrence—truly astonished Shinku. For a moment, she couldn't maintain her usual composure; her words and expression betrayed a disbelief that the incomplete doll, Suigintou, could actually become a true Rozen Maiden.

Likewise, Shinku's reaction greatly wounded the intensely proud Suigintou, leading her to believe that Shinku had only helped her out of sheer sympathy and pity, that Shinku merely cared for her out of pity to satisfy her own sense of superiority. Although Shinku vehemently denied and argued against this, Suigintou, whose self-esteem was severely bruised and who felt insulted and hurt, could not heed any explanation. Moreover, Shinku's failure at that time to fully acknowledge her as a Rozen Maiden sparked Suigintou's resentment and jealousy toward Shinku, who possessed innate advantages from birth.

All these negative emotions festered deep within, causing her to lose control of the surge of anger and unwillingness. She forcibly unleashed her black wings, manifesting formidable combat power, and instantly injured the unprepared Shinku, who had let her guard down. She then snatched the brooch—the most treasured gift from Father that Shinku held dear—and brutally crushed it right before Shinku’s eyes.

The destruction of her most beloved possession left Shinku's grief unspoken yet palpable. Overwhelmed by rage, she lost her reason and instantly developed a deep hatred for Suigintou, hurling vicious words like "trash" and "waste" at her, unable to tolerate the offense.

The actions and words of both dolls transformed their past friendship into outright enmity. Although the intervention of Laplace's Demon prevented them from fighting, forcing them into a dormant state, from that moment on, their bond was irrevocably broken.

Now, an indeterminate amount of time had passed. The two finally met again.

"Shinku!" Seeing the all-too-familiar figure, Suigintou's gaze shifted instantly, and she called out the other's name in a low voice. Although she had previously convinced herself she could stop hating Shinku, upon meeting her face-to-face, she realized it was utterly impossible. The memories of the past flashed like a rapid-fire slideshow in her mind, things she could never forget.

"Suigintou!" While less pronounced than Suigintou’s reaction, Shinku’s expression was equally grim, revealing clear caution mixed with a subtle thread of hostility.

"Since I invited everyone, are you the only one who showed up?" Suigintou’s expression softened as she spoke, slowly drifting toward Shinku.

Shinku maintained her composure, bracing herself. "Me alone is enough. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Heh heh, is that so." Suigintou offered no further comment, stopping a few meters in front of Shinku, and smiled. "That confidence, that arrogance—as expected of Shinku. Still the same... irritating!"

"What exactly do you want by summoning me?" Shinku asked in a low voice.

"What a foolish question." Suigintou glanced at her and stated matter-of-factly, "The Alice Game, of course. Have you already forgotten after such a short time?"

"I haven't forgotten, but... I don't want to fight you."

"Heh heh, not wanting to fight me, what a strange thing to say." Suigintou grinned widely, then her eyes sharpened suddenly, and countless black feathers shot towards Shinku, slicing the air like sharp blades with a distinct swish-swish-swish.

However, Shinku was already prepared. The instant Suigintou launched her attack, Shinku rapidly retreated backward while countless rose petals erupted around her, completely intercepting every single feather.

"Suigintou! You..."

A flash of anger crossed Shinku's face, but before she could finish speaking, Suigintou laughed triumphantly. "See? This talk about not wanting to fight—it's all meaningless. Our battle was predetermined, not just because of this Alice Game, but also because... I loathe you, and you wish you could kill me, right?"

"Perhaps you are right, but..." Shinku didn't know how to respond and fell silent.

Seeing her like this, Suigintou seemed to realize something herself and also ceased speaking.

A brief silence enveloped the air.

Shinku questioned herself: to say she held absolutely no hostility toward Suigintou was impossible. After all, the precious brooch—filled with her yearning for Father—had been crushed by Suigintou's own hands. That was not something easily dismissed.

Yet, she was no longer the girl she once was. Since awakening in this era, countless events had unfolded, making her realize the profound hurt her own words had inflicted upon Suigintou.

While it was undeniable that Shinku felt a degree of sympathy and pity for Suigintou back then, confronting a pitiful girl who, despite her broken body and the constant risk of collapse, relentlessly pursued Father while enduring her own suffering—any person with even a sliver of kindness would feel sympathy. But the crucial point was... what Suigintou needed was not pity or compassion, but recognition.

Shinku knew perfectly well that if, when Suigintou came to her after receiving the Rosa Mystica, she had acknowledged her as a true Rozen Maiden instead of viewing her with eyes clouded by pity and suspicion, such a tragic event might never have occurred, and they would not have become enemies.

It was true that she held hostility toward Suigintou, but Shinku also understood that she carried a deep sense of apology toward her. Furthermore... setting aside the brooch incident, she knew clearly that she cared for Suigintou in her heart as well.

But... what had happened could not be undone. Even if a shattered mirror could be rejoined, or spilled water could be gathered, could their broken relationship truly be mended?

Shinku did not know, which is why, in this very moment, she was unsure how to face Suigintou with what mindset.

Shinku’s emotions were complex and tangled, but the same was true for Suigintou.

As the saying goes, without love, there can be no hatred. The very reason she despised Shinku so intensely was because, before that, she had loved her so deeply. If a stranger had scornfully called her trash, she would have only done one of two things: kill them on the spot or ignore them; she certainly wouldn't have held it in her heart so tightly.

It was precisely because she cherished Shinku so much that the hatred born from being hurt by Shinku became so immense.

The depth of love dictates the magnitude of hate.

This was why she had always been hesitant to return to this world; it was because Shinku was here, and she didn't know how to face this sister she both loved and hated. But now, because of Lin Luo, she had no choice but to come, to face Shinku again, and even... she had to raise her blade against her!

Because of a moment of carelessness, anger overwhelmed reason, causing both to step over the other's boundary and inflict deep wounds. What a regretful, what a sorrowful thing this was.

Yet, the die was cast; nothing could be retrieved.

"Shinku..."

After a moment of silence, Suigintou finally spoke again, but as soon as she uttered the name, she seemed to sense something, instinctively raising her head to gaze into the distance.

Simultaneously, Shinku also felt a premonition and turned to look.

At the spot where both girls were gazing, four small figures suddenly emerged from a slowly swirling grey vortex. They tumbled out, squeezing and jostling each other, their clumsy movements preventing them from using their flight abilities normally, causing them to fall towards the ground with several soft thuds onto the lush grass.

"Little Brat Megu! Canary! You two idiots, that hurts!" Crushed beneath the others was a cute girl with heterochromatic eyes, waist-length-colored hair tied with white lace, and dressed in a long, voluminous green princess gown. As she struggled to push the ones on top of her off, she complained loudly.