Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Starships and vessels capable of crossing star systems travel at incredible speeds. With the warp drive set to maximum, the journey from the remote Carol System back to the capital planet took only thirty to forty minutes—just enough time for the three of them to get their things in order.

Ludwig’s room wasn’t far from Lorca’s, located at opposite ends of the same floor. Having left in a hurry, he hadn’t brought any official business to handle, so with nothing else to do, he simply followed them back.

Eve was still the one pushing the wheelchair on the return trip. Ludwig offered to take over, but she refused.

“I’m just getting used to my future job,” she said pointedly.

Ludwig: “...”

Couldn't his family afford dedicated servants?

Fortunately, something else soon captured his attention.

“Second Young Master,” a servant hurried over and whispered a few words to Ludwig, occasionally shooting strange looks at Eve along the way.

Eve found it amusing and could roughly guess what they were discussing. She slowed her pace, waiting for the master and servant to finish their hushed conversation.

Ludwig listened with a bored expression at first, but after a moment, he turned to Eve with surprise. “Your teammate just took off in the ship. By the way, were there other people on that vessel?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why did only the two of you come back?”

“Why would everyone need to come?” Eve asked curiously. “You’re not the Emperor—do you expect us all to bow before you or something?”

Ludwig immediately had nothing to say.

The group soon reached Lorca’s room. Eve pushed him inside but couldn’t resist asking, “Can you manage on your own?”

“...No need to worry so much about me,” Lorca replied, somewhat uncomfortable with her excessive concern—it hadn’t been like this back at Viper Fang. He gestured to the attendants around him. “It’s not like I’m actually disabled, and there are others here to look after me.”

Eve rubbed her forehead, realizing she might have overacted a little.

After adding Lorca as a terminal friend, she and Alice returned to their rooms. Though their sudden inclusion hadn’t been anticipated, the Oliver Family’s starship was fully equipped with basic necessities, and the servants soon delivered two sets of clean, well-fitted clothing.

As Ludwig was still only the heir, once they returned to the capital planet, the two would have to formally meet the family head. They would likely be questioned about their experiences at Viper Fang, so a proper appearance was essential.

It was only after entering the bathroom that Eve finally removed her mask. She took a shower, washing away all the blood and grime, watching as the water swirled red down the drain. Staring at the few streaks of gold mixed in with the crimson, it took her a moment to remember—that was Agnes’s blood.

But what kind of creature has golden blood?

A medical device was also available in the room. After drying off with a towel, Eve activated it. A warm blue light glowed, and her minor wounds, softened by the water, healed one by one, accompanied by a faint itching sensation.

The delivered outfit lay on the bed—a dark green dress. The servants of great families were observant; noting her utility jacket with its many pockets, they had guessed her preference for keeping items close. Though the dress appeared simple, its lining was discreetly stitched with several pockets, and the leather belt came with an attached pouch. Eve arranged her various self-defense items, then tucked her trusty lightsaber—the companion of her many battles—into the belt.

A knock came at the door—it was Alice.

“Are you changed, Xiao Qing? Young Master Ludwig is asking for us.”

…What does he want now?

“I’m ready,” Eve adjusted her cuffs, put her mask back on, and opened the door. “Any idea why he’s calling us?”

Alice shook her head. “Not sure, but I suppose he just wants to ask about our personal situations.”

Makes sense. Usually, on the first day, bosses like to chat casually with new hires to learn about them and subtly introduce the company’s values.

She opened the door to find Alice wearing a deep blue gown, her brown hair braided and draped over her shoulder, face free of makeup, looking naturally lovely.

Eve studied her for a moment, then said, “You can let your mental influence loose now.”

Since they couldn’t openly use Spiritual State within the Oliver Family, it was better to release that subtle, imperceptible positive influence first.

A little extra goodwill would make things easier.

“Will you keep wearing the mask?” Alice asked.

“My identity is a bit special, so I need to keep my face covered.”

Alice chuckled. “Alright, you’ve always been mysterious. I’ll do my best to back you up. But I have a feeling I might actually get to learn your real identity this time.”

Eve neither confirmed nor denied it. “Maybe.”

After all, the Oliver Family was the stage and stepping stone she had chosen. An actor could remain mysterious behind the scenes, but there was no sense in pretending once on stage.

Besides, it wasn’t something she could hide from Alice for long. Once the novel’s plot reached Imperial Academy, they would meet there eventually, and Alice would learn her true identity as Eve Medici.

Eve knew Alice possessed a strong curiosity—it was the root of her quick learning. As long as Alice remained unaware of her true identity while watching her employ one surprising method after another, her curiosity and desire to uncover the truth would grow, eventually transforming into a sense of dependency.

—And that was precisely Eve’s little trick for handling the protagonist.

Ludwig had chosen a nearby lounge to wait for them. The moment Eve stepped inside, she knew he’d picked this spot for a casual chat before getting down to business.

Sure enough, Ludwig asked about their personal information, chatted idly about the past, and after much small talk, he finally arrived at what he really wanted to know.

“So what exactly happened at Viper Fang?” Ludwig asked, puzzled. “As strange as it is that my brother ended up in a human trafficking organization, I’m even more curious why such a small organization would risk provoking the Oliver Family by kidnapping him. What were they after?”

No ransom, no torture—what was the point? He couldn’t make sense of it.

Eve thought to herself that it was clearly a strange and unprofitable deal, so it must have been his brother who tricked them.

She averted her gaze slightly and replied, “I don’t know. I was kidnapped later on myself, and I just happened to rescue someone. Only afterward did I find out he was the eldest young master of the Oliver Family.”

“Really?” Ludwig seemed skeptical that it was all a coincidence. He eyed her suspiciously. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“Of course not.”

Her confident answer left him somewhat displeased, but he changed the subject. “Fine. Then let’s switch topics. Can you tell me about your backgrounds? I could look it up myself, but since we’ll be working together, I’d prefer you be honest.”

Eve furrowed her brow slightly at that.

This would be tricky to fabricate—the Alchemy part alone would be hard to explain.

Knowledge was heavily monopolized in the Interstellar Era. While basics could be self-taught by civilians, high-barrier fields like Alchemy required resources and hands-on mentorship. Unless you were someone like Alice—blessed with a protagonist's halo and lucky enough to stumble upon a Grand Alchemist’s manuscript—there was simply no way to learn it.

Moreover, Alchemist ranks had to be certified and recorded by the Alchemist Association. Eve felt a wave of relief that she’d never been there—otherwise, she would’ve been exposed long ago.

Though Ludwig phrased it politely, he had undoubtedly already privately checked both of their backgrounds.

There's no way to explain this, but staying silent would seem suspicious.

Eve thought for a long while and finally decided to wing it.

She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her gaze was filled with unexpected sincerity: "Actually, Alice and I are not biological sisters."

Ludwig was taken aback: "Huh?"

He knew that already—Alice had been active on Black Star for over a year, while Upside Down Wonderland only had a new recruit join a little over a month ago, namely the mercenary in front of him. There was no way they could be sisters.

Under his puzzled gaze, Eve thought to herself, "Sorry, Frank, I’m borrowing your backstory for reference."

She mentally prepared her script and then began spouting nonsense: "Actually, my father is a high-ranking official of one of the Four Great Families, and I am his illegitimate child. Because of my birth, I was treated poorly in the family. The elders discriminated against me, and my half-brothers wanted to harm me. I couldn’t stay any longer. Fortunately, my grandfather still had some influence, and with his help, I escaped to Black Star and met Alice. We hit it off immediately and have been referring to each other as sisters ever since."

"That’s precisely why," Eve took Alice’s hand, secretly taking advantage of the other’s spiritual influence effect, and said firmly, "I brought her along to the Oliver Family to fulfill her dream of becoming an alchemist—I must bring happiness to Alice!"

Alice, who was forced to have her dream "fulfilled": "......"

This story sounds so familiar, but who would believe such an obvious lie?!

Then, to her disbelief, she saw a thoughtful expression on Ludwig’s face.

"Although it sounds unbelievable, illegitimate children being oppressed is actually quite common in major families."

Eve didn’t turn her head, just whispered: "Besides, if you think about it carefully, this excuse can explain a lot of things, like why I know so much about the inner workings of the Four Great Families. Smart people often like to take unconventional paths when searching for answers—the more unlikely something sounds, the more they believe it’s the truth."

Although, in reality, most things that sound impossible are actually false, just like the perfect crimes fabricated in detective novels.

Real things have flaws; only lies and assumptions can be perfect.

"Alright, although it sounds a bit strange, such a background does explain why your origins have been so well hidden."

No, the reason their origins were well hidden was purely because they were both undocumented immigrants, and Upside Down Wonderland was something of a local power on Black Star—Frank must have helped cover their tracks in their records.

Ludwig was still thinking rapidly: "I see. I’ll investigate this further, but the two of you can head back for now."

Eve showed no sign of guilt and replied very naturally: "Okay."

As soon as they left the room, Alice tugged at Eve’s sleeve, looking anxious: "Xiao Qing, he said there would be an inspection later. Will the story you made up in there be exposed?"

"Don’t worry," Eve reassured her, "The so-called inspection is just taking a truth serum. He won’t find out anything."

It’s just answering questions after drinking the truth serum and then swearing loyalty to the family—a little trick like that can be handled with some last-minute mental conditioning.

"Sounds like you’re quite familiar with the Oliver Family’s methods."

Someone suddenly spoke from not far away.

The sound of rolling wheels grew closer—it was Lorca.

He looked thoughtful: "To be so familiar with the Four Great Families, even knowing about the truth serum... So what exactly is your background? Ordinary members wouldn’t have such access."

Eve blinked at him: "Guess?"

"Haha..." Lorca laughed softly, "Actually, I’m not that interested. I was just curious—no need to be so guarded."

Eve was still deeply impressed by his actions back at Poison Fang, so she instinctively remained highly vigilant about his deliberate proximity.

But just as she turned away, Lorca called out to her again.

"Are you two heading back to your room now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"We’ll be arriving at the capital planet in less than ten minutes. What’s the point of going back now?" Lorca said, his expression very calm. "Stay here and keep me company for a while."

"Don’t you have any attendants with you?"

"Nope."

Lorca tilted his head slightly, letting her see that there was indeed no one behind him.

Eve: "......"

So walking without making a sound is really unnerving—she hadn’t even noticed when the person who pushed him here had left.

She was somewhat reluctant, while Alice, beside her, was completely baffled by the back-and-forth between these two. However, her sixth sense urged her not to stay any longer. Seeing this, Alice whispered: "Is one person enough to keep you company? Should I head back first?"

"Sure."

"No."

Two voices spoke in unison—the first was Lorca’s, the second was Eve’s.

"......"

Alice had always been good at reading the room, and this was no exception. Her eyes shifted between the two before she decisively made up her mind: "The boss gets priority. I’ll head out first. Bye, Xiao Qing!"

The brown-haired girl dashed off in a flash, leaving only a stone-faced Eve and a gently smiling Lorca. Fortunately, when Lorca said he wanted company, he really meant just company.

He quietly gazed out the viewport at the deep, dark universe, not saying a word, and seemingly unconcerned that Eve was absentmindedly fiddling with her ear and zoning out beside him.

Actually, Eve wasn’t zoning out—she was using the alchemy communication device disguised as an ear clip to message the friends she’d left back in Medici.

Right now, it was afternoon on the capital planet, the time when the children were undergoing training. Only Luo Lin was slacking off, replying the moment Eve sent her message.

Neither of them were talkative, so they just briefly exchanged updates on their current situations. Luo Lin mentioned that Cecil had been unusually quiet lately.

"Luo Lin: Big Brother has been very gloomy lately. Although he still interacts with us, his attitude is very harsh. Last time, just because a branch family member said something he found offensive, he broke that person’s arm.

Luo Lin: But after hitting them, he used Spiritual State to heal them, so aside from scolding him, the family head didn’t do anything else."

Compared to Cecil’s usual habit of taking out his anger on others just because he was upset, the fact that he actually bothered to heal them after disciplining them was what surprised Eve more.

Could it be that he’s actually developing a conscience?

It's hard to imagine.

"Eve: That doesn’t seem normal. Be careful. Cecil isn’t a good person, and he’s targeted you before.

Eve: If you run into trouble, you can tell me. I’ll help however I can."

"Luo Lin: Mm, I know.

Luo Lin: Thank you.

Luo Lin: Are you still on Black Star? If you need help, I have a senior who holds an important position at the Alchemist Association in the Carol System."

"Eve: No need. I’m not on Black Star anymore."

"Luo Lin: Where'd you go?"

"Eve: I'm back on the capital planet ^^"

"Luo Lin: .......? "

Luo Lin, who was ducking training at the other end of the training ground, couldn't help but glance at the date on her terminal in confusion.

She remembered it had been less than two months since she went to the Black Star.

—So, what was the point of going through all that hassle to get there, only to come back so soon?