In the county of Manse, the city of Lymon. Jasmine wrapped her scarf around her face and stepped out of the apartment door. She had heard that the annual Lymon Festival had begun, and she wanted to go over to the city square to see it. Last year, due to the war, the festival had not taken place, which had left Jasmine quite disappointed. After that, she had endured her most severe personal trauma and had stayed at home, unwilling and unable to go out. Perhaps because she had been self-contained for too long and confined to the narrow space of her home, Jasmine had recently found herself longing to go out and walk around the streets, just as she used to. In a single glance, she saw herself reflected in the large glass windows of a shop on the street: entirely black, with no other colors, her long dress reaching to her ankles, the lace of her hat covering most of her face, and a scarf wrapped from beneath her eyes down to her neck, with both hands wearing knitted gloves. This could not have been more different from the vibrant, cheerful version of herself that Jasmine remembered. During the war earlier, a shell had destroyed her family's original home and triggered a fire that severely burned her face, leaving her body riddled with injuries. If she hadn't been extraordinarily lucky, Jasmine would have died from those injuries long before now—yet even then, she felt as though her life had been abruptly ended at that moment. Now, her nose is gone, replaced only by two dark holes; her face, neck, and hands bear numerous marks from the flames, making her appear like a demon when walking through the night. Jasmine clearly remembers the first night she moved into this apartment: after she had finished bathing in the public restroom and stepped out of the door, she saw a young boy approach—and the boy, too, noticed her. Under the glow of the crimson moon, the young man displayed an expression of profound fear, as if he would leap up, turn around, and rush away at any moment. In the end, he managed to steady himself, taking just a few steps aside, unwilling to meet Jasmyn's gaze once more. This pierced the fragile core of Jasmyn's soul. From that day on, she ceased to leave her home, even when she needed to bathe, she would wait until the night had grown deep. In this regard, she was deeply grateful to her parents, who had said nothing, quietly maintaining their daily life, relying on their original savings and later secured employment to keep the household afloat without requiring Jasmyn to earn an income outside the home. After walking a little distance, Jasmyn spotted the main venue of the festival—the Limon Municipal Square. The throngs of people, the outpouring of emotions, the vibrant atmosphere there all caused Jasmyn to instinctively halt her steps. She hesitated to approach, afraid of being noticed for her odd appearance, afraid that at any moment her scarf might slip off. After a few seconds of hesitation, she came to a complete stop, finding a clean spot by the sidewalk and sitting down, her gaze fixed on the city square. She didn't realize how long it had been before she noticed someone had joined her. It was a young man dressed in a black robe, wearing a high-crowned hat—like a magician from a circus. The city square was over there… Jasmine had meant to mention it, but after several attempts to speak, she simply couldn't bring herself to open her mouth. She didn't want or dare to speak to anyone. Yet, the young man approached on his own, removed his hat, and bowed slightly. "Madam," he said, "do you know what this machine is for?" The machine? Jasmine instinctively raised her head,茫然ly following the young man's gaze toward the adjacent area. Under the gas lamps, a small, wardrobe-like machine had appeared there at some point. It has a brass-like surface, set with several glass panels that lack transparency. The gears, bearings, rivets, and metal pipes are exposed directly, giving it a rugged appearance. Jasmine turned her gaze away and shook her head, indicating she didn't know what the machine was for. This gesture also conveyed her intent to remain aloof. "It's called the 'Fully Automatic Wishing Machine,'" the young man smiled, introducing it. "It's my invention—it automatically fulfills the wishes of the operator. By the way, I forgot to introduce myself—I'm Merlin Hermes, a traveling magician." "The Fully Automatic Wishing Machine"... Jasmine found that she understood each word individually, yet struggled to put them together into a coherent sentence. "You're welcome to try it as the first experimenter—free of charge," said Klein, now transformed into Merlin Hermes, with a warm smile. Jasmine shook her head again, declining to engage. Klein showed no signs of discouragement. He glanced at her and said, "For instance, you could wish to return to your original form." The words struck like a sharp arrow, piercing Jasmine's heart. She stood up abruptly, hurried backward, and tried to retreat, suspecting that he had already seen her current state. "How can you know whether the wish will come true unless you try? And you'd need to make no sacrifice at all," Klein said, speaking calmly and at a steady pace as he watched her back. Jasmine's steps gradually slowed, and eventually came to a halt. If she could return to her original self—even at the cost of a substantial sum—she would certainly pursue it. Yet she knew that some deep-seated desire within her could never be fulfilled by money alone. No sacrifice... a free attempt... what if it actually came true? Her thoughts swirled like those of a devil tempting her, and she slowly turned her body. "Really?" she asked, her voice hesitant. Caine pointed to the machine: "I can step back ten meters, and all you need to do is turn the wrench on the machine. 'No need to remove your hat or scarf.'" The last sentence touched Jasmine, who quickly nodded: "Okay." Only after Merlin Hermes had stepped back a few meters did Jasmine approach the machine, carefully reaching out and grasping the wrench on the "doorframe." She was actually quite concerned that turning it might result in some prank—like getting drenched in water—something that happens every year during the festival, when her friends and she used to play such tricks on others. But, compared to the magic of fulfilling wishes, she thought that was manageable. Even if, in the end, no such magical wish came true, it would still count as a memorable festival experience. "Remember to make a wish before you turn it," Caine reminded her from a distance. Jasmine steadied herself and spoke her wish almost silently: "I want to return to how I was before I was burned." As she said it, she turned the wrench with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. The next instant, the "fully automatic wish machine" opened its "door," extending a simple, plain wooden-handled cane that gently touched the top of her head. Meanwhile, without her noticing, a golden ring set with a ruby appeared on her hand. When the wooden cane retracted back into the machine, the ruby ring vanished as well. With the sound of gears turning, Jasmine watched the machine's "door" slowly close. So that was it? She felt a bit bewildered. She hadn't experienced the usual sense of fulfillment, nor had she encountered any trickery—everything had seemed so strange. "Congratulations, your wish has come true," Klein returned, lightly clapping as if he were a witness. Her wish had come true... How was that possible? Just as Jasmine had thought this, she suddenly felt something extra beneath her scarf. Again, at the spot where there had only been two black holes, something had risen up! With hesitation and slow movement, Jasmine lifted her hand and gently touched her face, clearly sensing the presence of her nose. The experience of breathing further confirmed this. She quickly turned around, facing away from Merlin Hermes, and walked to the front of a shop, directing her gaze toward the glass window illuminated by the gas streetlamp. Then, one layer at a time, she removed the scarves covering her face. In the window's reflection, she saw the face of a young girl with moderately sized eyes, a slightly flat nose, moderately full lips, and a few spots. Without realizing it, Jasmine raised her hand to her mouth, her eyes filled with both light and mist. After a few seconds, she lifted her arm, wiped her face with the sleeve of her dress, and turned to Merlin Hermes and said, "Are you a god?" "I'm just a magician who enjoys creating miracles," Klein smiled, pointing to the machine beside him. "You should thank it most of all—the fully automatic wishing machine." "Fully automatic..." Jasmine's emotions surged, and she repeated it instinctively. Klein nodded. "Yes, a fully automatic wishing machine that operates on its own, requiring no assistance. You can think of it like a gas meter—just drop a coin, and your wish comes true as naturally as receiving gas. The process is simple: insert one penny, state your wish, and turn the handle. Remember, it can only fulfill three wishes." While explaining, Klein quietly chuckled to himself: If one day I不幸 pass away and become a sealed object, I hope it will be something like this fully automatic wishing machine. — After leaving the capital city of Kainstern, Cline changed the way he fulfilled others' wishes to avoid boredom: one always learns to find joy in routine work. What a miracle this truly is... Jasmine couldn't find the right words to express her feelings. Her intense emotions had settled down considerably. "Will it, I mean, this 'fully automatic wish machine,' stay here?" Jasmine hesitated and asked. Cline smiled. "Not forever. It might stay here for three days, or perhaps not that long—maybe it will vanish when the sun rises. But it won't disappear completely. Perhaps one day, you'll spot it again at a street corner." Jasmine's mind was swirling with thoughts, and she couldn't quite organize her thoughts. So, she bowed sincerely to the machine. "Thank you, Mr. Fully Automatic Wish Machine." Then she bowed to Caine once more: "Thank you, Mr. Hermes." Before she had finished speaking, Jasmine remembered what Merlin—Hermes—had just said, and asked with a mix of anticipation, delight, and slight embarrassment: "Can it be three wishes?" "Yes, but after that, it will no longer be free—coins will be required." Caine responded calmly.