Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Family Head Oliver remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "Since you are an alchemist, why haven't you healed the scars on your face?"

Eve had long prepared her response and answered directly: "Keeping the scars helps me remember the past humiliation."

The family head nodded and said nothing more, so Eve knew she had cleared this hurdle.

The face had actually been temporarily scarred by Eve herself. Anticipating that she might not avoid removing the mask, she had asked Alice beforehand to help create a face so disfigured that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her. Alice, having a mercenary background, was experienced in wound care and quickly crafted a perfectly layered pattern of old and new scars.

As for the pain of slashing her face?

The hypnosis provided by the Queen Bee was of trustworthy quality.

She had calculated well—her original face would only be needed when she returned to the Medici family. By then, a dose of medicine would heal it completely, conveniently resolving any future concerns with the Oliver family—preventing her mask from accidentally falling off and revealing her true identity.

Later, she would have to drink truth serum. Eve had preemptively prepared herself through self-hypnosis, and since Alice had never lied and held no ill intentions toward the Oliver family, Mrs. Luo asked a few routine questions, and they easily passed this stage.

Just before leaving, Family Head Oliver called Eve back.

"Are you still taking that job in the black market?" he asked.

Eve: "Yes, and I have already gained a preliminary understanding of the young master's condition."

"There is a Five-Star Alchemist in our clan, Lorca's clansman, who has been treating his condition. Due to his research focus, he cannot completely resolve Lorca's issues, but given his Five-Star expertise, if you encounter any problems during the treatment, you can seek his guidance."

He rubbed his temples, a weary parental expression crossing his face: "We have failed too many times over the years, so even if you fail this time, we won't be surprised. Regardless, we hope you will do your utmost. If successful, you will be handsomely rewarded."

Eve remained silent for a moment, not answering until the family head had given up expecting any assurance: "I will do my best."

"Very well, we will also cooperate with you as much as possible."

The family head waved his hand, indicating that she and Alice could leave. Lorca and Ludwig stayed in the living room to talk with their parents.

Though it was called a conversation with parents, it was essentially Lorca's critique session.

Just before stepping out, Eve took one last glance inside and happened to meet Lorca's eyes as he looked out.

The handsome black-haired, green-eyed young man smiled faintly at her.

She paused, offered no response, and turned away to follow the housekeeper.

From the moment Family Head Oliver made his request, Eve suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

To be fair, Eve was not a jealous person by nature, but witnessing certain innate happiness still made her feel an uncontrollable discomfort.

Fortunately, she was still wearing her mask, hiding the suddenly complex expression on her face.

-

The housekeeper, Mrs. Rui'en, was a detail-oriented and capable lady who took everyone's needs into account when arranging rooms.

Based on the room assignments, Alice was placed in a room near Mrs. Luo, indicating Mrs. Luo's genuine fondness for her. Eve's room, on the other hand, was right across from Lorca's, aligning with her earlier statement on the starship about needing easy access to care for her employer.

When Mrs. Rui'en found the key and opened the door for her, she smiled and explained: "Originally, we intended to place you next to the young master, but he mentioned you liked the mansion's garden view, so we moved you to the opposite room. Opening the window here looks out directly onto the flower field in the courtyard."

Eve: "...Thank you, I appreciate it."

When she entered earlier, her attention had been entirely captured by the Alchemical Cipher carved on the walls, so she hadn't paid much attention to the garden flowers.

However, the room's lighting was indeed excellent. Eve, like every practical person viewing rooms, highly valued natural light, so overall, she was satisfied.

After bidding farewell to Mrs. Rui'en, Eve flopped onto the bed.

A cool sensation slid gently over her wrist, traveled up her arm to her neck, and finally settled under her chin. The shrunken Wall-Imprisoned Serpent raised its upper body, its green vertical pupils fixed on her. Only then did Eve realize why Lorca had given her that subtle smile when she left.

—She had inadvertently taken his Spiritual State with her.

Eve: "..."

Recognizing her mistake, she grabbed the snake by the scruff, opened the door, tossed it out, and closed the door.

It could return to its owner's room.

Following Mrs. Rui'en's advice, she pushed open the large Gothic-style bay window and leaned out to look. Outside, the window faced vast stretches of rose fields in the courtyard, a mix of red and pink, as beautiful as a painting under the sunlight. Several gardeners, dressed in work clothes, moved among the roses, spraying them with a peculiarly colored purple alchemical solution.

Eve stared at the potion barrel for a long time. Her intuition as an alchemist told her this was an alchemical solution.

How lavish—even watering flowers with potions.

She didn't watch for long. After basking in the sunlight for a while, she changed clothes and prepared to meet the Oliver family's Five-Star Alchemist.

She changed into a black robe, the unofficial but stereotypical uniform of alchemists.

Who would have thought that just a few months ago, she was worried about finding someone to teach her the Alchemical Cipher? Now, she had already met half of the empire's total of four Five-Star Grand Alchemists.

Life's opportunities truly know no limits. Eve felt that with a bit more effort, it might not be impossible to meet the remaining two.

The Oliver family's Five-Star Grand Alchemist was named Louis Oliver, the family head's cousin. In the novel, he was the female lead's first formal alchemy teacher and eventually guided her to become a Four-Star Grand Alchemist.

Unfortunately, the female lead later entered politics and married the crown prince, cutting short their master-disciple relationship.

It was said that Louis was born blind, but in contrast, his alchemy talent was exceptional. The first time he encountered the Alchemical Cipher under his teacher's guidance, he memorized all of it in one go. By the age of ten, he had already reached the level of a Three-Star Grand Alchemist, and his progression skyrocketed from there, entering the highest level of Five-Star in his thirties.

Like other members of the Oliver family, this alchemist preferred quiet environments. Due to his prominent status as a Five-Star Alchemist, he had an independent small tower within the family estate.

The tower door was surrounded by lush vegetation. After the servant led her there, they quietly withdrew.

A somewhat hoarse yet gentle male voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"I am the new alchemist here to treat the young master's poisoning," Eve replied. "The family head asked me to pay my respects to you."

"Please wait a moment."

A faint rustling sound came from inside the room. Moments later, the door opened from within. Accompanied by a "Please come in," a strong current of air suddenly surged out, swirling around Eve and pulling her inside.

The moment she entered, the door closed automatically, the energy dissipated, and she landed lightly on the ground.

It was like magic.

Eve's curiosity about this Five-Star Alchemist grew immensely, and she couldn't help but look up to observe the tower's interior.

The tower had been arranged by Louis himself. Every wall and every corner was covered in dense Alchemical Cipher, swirling and coiling like the oldest star charts. Reagents, materials, and precious Cipher all hovered just above head level.

A spiral staircase attached to the wall led to the dome-like tower top. Tiny golden specks floated in the air. Eve reached out to touch them—they felt cool like water droplets. She couldn't identify what they were, but their golden, beautiful hue felt profoundly mystical.

Only after entering Louis's laboratory did Eve finally understand why Agnes had always been so critical of the laboratory at Venom Fang.

For a Five-Star Alchemist accustomed to high-end laboratories, the makeshift one at Venom Fang must have felt stifling.

Why would she endure using an unfamiliar lab and stay at Venom Fang despite the discomfort? Eve really wanted to know what Agnes hoped to gain by sacrificing so much.

A voice tinged with laughter sounded from nearby, asking, "What do you think of my lab?"

Eve turned and saw a man who appeared quite young seated behind a desk, wearing a dark green alchemy robe with five stars stitched on the collar.

He had golden curls that fell just past his shoulders, and his green eyes were somewhat hazy, out of focus when he looked at people, yet they accurately faced her direction.

"It's very impressive," Eve replied truthfully.

Louis chuckled softly with pleasure. He gestured for Eve to come closer and asked, "How much do you know about Lorca's condition?"

Eve pondered for a moment, then pared down what she knew. When it came to the internal condition, she paused, skipping over her intrusion into Lorca's spiritual world, and simply said, "Young Master Lorca's poisoning seems to be a type of neurotoxin, and it has already begun to cause some mutative effects on his Spiritual State."

Louis hummed in acknowledgment and remarked, "Your skills seem a bit mediocre."

Eve: "..."

Although she had expected to be looked down upon, she hadn't anticipated him being so direct.

Louis continued, "I thought anyone daring to take on this task would at least be at the Four-Star rank, but you appear to be only a Three-Star."

Eve widened her eyes in surprise.

Is the gap between Three-Star and Four-Star really that big? How do these people recognize her rank at first glance?

"I advise you to drop this job now."

Louis tucked his hands into his sleeves and said gently, "You're still so young and already a Three-Star. Even in the Oliver Family, you'd be someone they’d invest in. But if you brag to Family Head Oliver that you can solve Lorca's problem and fail, it will greatly affect his opinion of you, which isn't beneficial for your future development."

He spoke slowly, "It's normal for young people to have ambition, but excessive arrogance isn't very likable."

His tone was somewhat similar to Lorca's—both soft and relaxed, and the content of his words seemed entirely considerate of the other person.

But Eve keenly picked up on a faint sense of displeasure and disdain in his words.

Those with high-level mind control abilities have strong emotional perception, and Eve was no exception. She observed Louis, who sat across from her wearing the guise of a concerned elder, feeling both surprised and intrigued.

This was the first time since waking up in this story that she had encountered such direct dislike. It wasn't that a Five-Star Alchemist couldn't look down on a Three-Star, but this dislike didn't seem directed at her abilities—it felt just personal.

If she wasn't mistaken, it seemed Louis hadn't disliked her so much when she first entered, but after she finished explaining her understanding of Lorca's poisoning, he developed hostility toward her.

Eve reflected on her earlier words and found nothing amiss. Upon further thought, this reaction was quite interesting. At the very least, Eve felt that even if she could cure Lorca, Louis had no reason to worry about her threatening his position.

She stood there for a moment. Just as Louis thought she would either leave silently or retort indignantly, Eve suddenly said something entirely unrelated to the situation.

"Speaking of which, the moment I saw you, I was reminded of a phrase I once read in an alchemist's manuscript."

"Oh?"

Louis thought to himself, *Is she trying to flex in front of a Five-Star Alchemist? Just as I thought, young people are prideful—can't handle a few criticisms without trying to save face.*

He responded with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "And what did you see?"

"The author of that manuscript said that the essence of alchemy is creation, and alchemists are essentially stealing the authority belonging to the Creator. Therefore, the more top-tier the alchemist, the more prone they are to misfortune—and only those who are broken can reach the pinnacle of this path."

Eve deliberately slowed her speech, giving it a sarcastic effect, while closely watching Louis's hazy green eyes, not missing any expression on his face. "From the moment I saw you, I've been wanting to ask: do you ever feel that your gifts are so formidable because they were exchanged for the sacrifice of these beautiful eyes?"

As soon as these offensive words left her mouth, Eve herself broke into a cold sweat.

She had actually mocked a Five-Star Alchemist's physical disability to his face, and in his own alchemy laboratory at that! With just a flick of his finger, countless alchemical weapons could descend from above at any moment, instantly punishing her, this reckless loudmouth.

It was a risky move, but Eve mustered her courage and took the gamble.

Because these words were the preface to Cionanado's manuscript collection. She was certain that since Agnes had read this book and had a deep impression of it, the author couldn't be a nobody—any alchemist remembered by a Five-Star Alchemist must either be another mysterious Five-Star or one of the most top-tier Four-Stars.

This meant there was a high probability Louis had also read this book or was at least familiar with this argument.

She waited for Louis's reaction.

The room was filled with silence. In this unsettling quiet, time seemed to stretch for an entire century before Louis finally made a sound.

He wasn't angry, nor did he display any of the emotions Eve had anticipated. Instead, he asked calmly, "Who is your teacher?"

Eve was taken aback by this unexpected response. "What teacher?"

"Daring to test me but afraid to admit who's behind you?"

Louis let out a short laugh, but his expression was anything but friendly. With the mask of kindness removed, the arrogance and coldness of a Five-Star Alchemist were fully revealed. "You might as well say it directly. Who is your teacher? I’d very much like to know who dared to break the rules and on their own whim share the teachings of the Divine Realm Lord—meant only for Four-Star Alchemists—with their mere Three-Star apprentice."

Eve: "??"

He had spouted a bunch of mysterious and vague words, and she only caught the term "master."

Where did this "master" come from?

Was it the one from the Divine Realm, or did he mean Family Head Oliver? But regardless of who it was, hearing this word from Louis, a Five-Star Grand Alchemist, was utterly out of line.

...Speaking of which, you Senior Alchemists seem to be involved in some very weird stuff.

Seeing her feign confusion, Louis snorted, stood up, and looked down at her with his unfocused green eyes. "Hmph, such matters are strictly forbidden within the entire Alchemist Association. Anyone found leaking this information will be sent to the Divine Realm for a century of confinement, and you will be dealt with alongside them."

Feeling confident of victory, he reached out to grab Eve's black robe.

"I told you you're too young. Recklessness will only ruin you... Hiss! What is that?!"

Just as Louis's hand was about to touch Eve, a massive beastly shadow suddenly roared out from the black robe, scaring Louis back several steps and causing him to collapse back into his chair in terror.

The moment the *Wall-Imprisoned Serpent* struggled to materialize, Eve sensed something was wrong. She quickly restrained the frenzied Spiritual State. The serpent, which had initially seemed ferocious enough to devour someone, slowly calmed under the soft pressure of her palm, returning to its normal state. It let out one final hiss at Louis before slumping dejectedly back onto the shoulder of the girl in the black robe.

The *Wall-Imprisoned Serpent* had a gentle temperament. Though it looked intimidating, its aggressiveness was actually low, which was why Lorca allowed her to carry it around.

It was rare for it to actively frighten someone like this.

Eve observed the green-robed alchemist, who hadn't yet recovered from the shock. His once refined handsome face was twisted grotesquely by fear.

She stood up, now taking her turn to look down at him. This perspective felt much more comfortable.

"Your psychic energy level seems somewhat average," Eve concluded. Louis merely stared at her in dismay, finally realizing that this girl was not the typical low-combat-power alchemist.

She was... just like that inhuman kind!

A sense of impending danger seemed to loom in the air. Louis's face turned pale. He was about to activate the laboratory's defensive spells, but Eve was faster.

She pointed a finger between his eyebrows, reminiscent of martial arts masters from old-world legends. Her psychic energy, channeled through that single tap between his brows, surged into Louis's mind like a bursting flood. The green-robed alchemist's untrained spiritual world immediately shattered, forced to welcome the arrival of its new master.

"Logically, killing you would be the safest option, since only the dead can keep secrets. But that would draw too much attention, making it more trouble than it’s worth."

Though she seemed to be deliberating, Eve didn't give Louis any command requiring a response, so he could only stare blankly into the air, unable to offer any reply.

"If I can't kill you, you should at least have some other use," Eve bent down, looking into the utterly bewildered eyes of the man under her finger, and issued her command. "Answer a few questions for me. The first question—what is the name of that Divine Realm Lord?"