Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Tap-tap.

The pen glided across the paper as Eve diligently noted down her recent schedule, then she scratched her head in despair.

Her original plan had been simple: help resolve Lorca’s ailment in exchange for the benefits promised by the Oliver family.

But now, not only was Lorca’s condition far more severe than she had anticipated, she was also forced to assume Frank’s identity. Her schedule was flooded with new tasks, all while she remained vigilant against the overt and covert attacks from the Medici family.

Even under these circumstances, she had to diligently maintain her true identity, striving to find a balance amid the chaos of misunderstandings, lies, and mutual exploitation among the various parties.

Where did all these troubles come from? She remembered that when she first arrived at the Oliver estate, she had only intended to take a break and relax for a while.

Eve considered her definition of "rest" quite broad: being able to calmly focus on one thing at a time during a certain period was already a relaxing way to rest for her. Too much idleness would corrode one’s will, and she was accustomed to always having something to do.

—But that didn’t mean meticulously planning escapes, fighting, getting captured, and planning escapes again was normal, even though the latter seemed to have become the norm of her life.

This kind of life was thrilling occasionally, but going through it daily was exhausting.

Knocking sounded at the door. Since Lorca wasn’t around, she had to get up and answer it herself.

After Eve’s identity was "exposed" by the Oliver family head, through continuous probing and Eve’s deliberate compliance, the family head became increasingly convinced that she was a genius just as talented as Alice. After discussing with Mrs. Luo and Lorca, it was decided to include her in the family’s courses as well.

Of course, due to Eve’s sensitive identity and her firm refusal, it wasn’t under the pretext of being an adopted daughter but rather under the guise of a nominal apprenticeship—and the nominal mentor was none other than Louis. All of this was because the family head deeply felt that the identity of a Five-Star Alchemist was prestigious enough to serve as a perfect public front.

Initially, out of wariness of Agnes and to prevent her from coming after them and implicating innocents, Eve had intended to refuse this proposal. But after learning who the nominal mentor was, she changed her mind and accepted.

After all, both were Five-Star Alchemists. Surely, any retaliatory fallout from Agnes wouldn’t be too difficult for Louis to handle, right?

Correspondingly, with more opportunities came more responsibilities. Her schedule became busier, making it impossible for her to tend to Lorca every day.

Originally, the family head wanted to assign other alchemists to share the caregiving duties, but Eve rejected all of them. She remembered Gu Zhaoxi’s ambiguous hints that there was more to Lorca’s poisoning, so she didn’t trust handing him over to other alchemists.

After some back-and-forth, the family head finally decided that only the check-ups every three days would be performed by other alchemists. The rest of the time, whether it was administering medicine or implementing treatment plans, everything would be handled entirely by Eve.

Unfortunately, today happened to be one of Lorca’s check-up days.

Eve opened the door to find the housekeeper standing outside. This meticulous middle-aged woman was dressed in a black-and-white uniform, her hair neatly combed. She bowed first before smiling and announcing, "Miss Lu, it’s time for class."

The class she referred to was the multitude of courses Family Head Oliver had assigned to Eve as a way to make things difficult for her.

"......" Eve forced a smile. "Wait for me while I gather my things."

She turned back, quickly stuffing what she needed into her backpack. She didn’t have many belongings, and most of her needs could be handled with her terminal. This was just an excuse to stall for a bit longer.

The total number of participants in the Oliver family’s classes was considerable, but when distributed across different courses, the numbers were small. Unlike the Medici family, which pursued perfect generalists with everyone taking the same courses, the Oliver family focused more on nurturing specialists—a necessity, since the majority were alchemists. Alchemy classes were packed, but when it came to courses like mecha or politics, only six or seven people remained: Eve, Alice, Ludwig, and the latter’s followers.

The first time Eve saw Ludwig’s followers, she raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had expected Ludwig’s subordinates to be mature, capable family employees, but they were no different from the entourages of other young masters and misses in the capital planet—followers of similar age, with blond hair and green eyes, likely children from the Oliver family’s branch families.

Unexpectedly, they were even more surprised than she was.

"You... what are you doing here?" Ludwig, who had been somewhat drowsy, widened his eyes in shock upon seeing Eve seated behind him, like a round green apple. "This is our family’s class!"

Eve found his reaction amusing. She set her things down, propped her elbows on the desk, and said dismissively, "But we signed a contract, didn’t we? Aren’t we considered part of the same family now?"

How could that be the same!

Alice was his mother’s adopted daughter, and the other followers all bore the Oliver surname. This person had only signed a one-year contract—how could she be counted among them?

Besides, her actual identity was that of some other family’s illegitimate daughter!

Seeing that Ludwig wasn’t paying attention in class and kept sneaking glances at her, Eve sighed. During break time, she poked the young master on the back with her finger.

The young master of the Oliver family was quite short, shorter than her, so it was only natural that he sat in front of her.

"What do you want?"

Ludwig finally turned around with justified indignation, eyeing her warily. "I warn you, we’re in a classroom."

Eve ignored his "pot calling the kettle black" act and asked, "Do you want to hear an earth-shattering secret?"

"What kind of big secret could you possibly know?" Ludwig scoffed. But within two minutes, unable to contain his curiosity, he turned back with a stern face. "What secret? Tell me."

"Do you want to know why your father treats me differently?"

A bit curious, Ludwig hesitated before nodding. Then he saw the masked girl slightly lift her chin, her pitch-black eyes, like black pearls soaked in water, absorbing all light. After a moment, she leaned in close and whispered to him.

"You know, actually, my original surname is Luo. I’m your biological cousin."

"......Do you think I’m an idiot?"

It was obvious she made that up on the spot.

"You actually figured out I made it up? Fine, I was joking."

Eve tilted her head, her voice carrying a tone of innocent malice. "But don’t you ever think sometimes? Look at your hair color—blond. But your brother has black hair, your mother has black hair, and I have black hair. If we went out together, people might really think I’m part of their family."

Before she could finish, a sharp bang interrupted her.

Ludwig hated it most when people joked about his hair color. Behind his brilliant blond hair lay the fact of his mother’s failing health and his brother’s life tormented by poison.

Everyone would say the second son of the Oliver family perfectly inherited his father’s appearance, but they always avoided mentioning the poisonings his mother and brother had suffered.

He stood up, his face flushed with anger, chest heaving. Glaring hatefully at Eve, he gritted his teeth. "—Do you have a death wish?"

His reaction was beyond Eve’s expectations. She knew her words were deliberately targeting Ludwig’s sensitive topics, as her intention was to provoke him, ideally causing enough conflict to legitimately withdraw from the courses Family Head Oliver had forced on her.

But his level of agitation clearly exceeded her expectations.

Eve hadn’t realized how important family was to Ludwig. She pressed her lips together, quietly adjusting her future strategy toward him, and quickly apologized. "Sorry, that was out of line."

Harm shouldn’t extend to family. She knew she had overstepped and didn’t try to justify herself, adopting a posture of complete submission.

"......"

Ludwig closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths on the spot. He knew that given Eve’s current status, even he couldn’t easily do anything to her.

But he could still administer some minor punishment.

Ludwig understood that Eve’s intention was likely just to tease him with a joke, never expecting to push too far.

He sat back down, not even glancing at the still-standing alchemist, and said coldly, "Go back. For now, don’t leave your room unless it’s to tend to my brother—I don’t want to see you for the next month."

Eve meekly lowered her head, putting on a convincingly apologetic expression, and said with pressed lips, "Sorry... I understand."

Ludwig just waved his hand, too irritated to even acknowledge her apology. His temper had never been good, and now he simply motioned for her to leave quickly.

Before Alice could grasp what was happening, she saw Eve being kicked out by Ludwig. She instinctively wanted to stick up for her, but Ludwig anticipated her move, his voice icy: "If you want to be put on lockdown with her, feel free to beg on her behalf."

Alice immediately shut up.

Others might be scared of Ludwig's cold demeanor, but Alice was not afraid.

She stayed quiet only because, while glancing at Eve out of the corner of her eye, the latter subtly signaled her to stay out of it.

Leaving the class was her goal alone; there was no need to get anyone else in trouble.

She picked up her bag, which had remained unopened from the start, and walked out under the tense or curious gazes of everyone. Leaning against the door, she let out a long sigh.

Eve wasn’t too bothered about the situation.

After all, it was the Oliver family's patriarch who was meddling too much.

His intention to train her up was genuine, as was his desire to feel her out. Although she had left the Medici family, Eve still bore many of its marks—the knowledge she had acquired, her combat skills, and even her Spiritual State. Actions speak louder than words; she could make up a perfect lie, but the language of her body would gradually give her away.

Moreover, Eve couldn’t fully trust him. Who knew if his current friendliness was only because his son’s life was still in her hands?

Once Lorca recovered, what if he changed his mind and decided to get rid of her once she was no use?

For every door that opened, another could slam shut. The more people took a liking to her because of her talents, the more likely she would become the first to get hit if their attitudes shifted.

And the true ace in the hole is something that must never be fully revealed to others.

As for Ludwig’s so-called house arrest... For Eve, such a trick was all too easy to get around.

Under the working cameras, she returned to her room, set down her bag, and took out a signal transceiver, installing it inside the door. If anyone knocked, the signal would immediately be sent to the terminal on her wrist, which would then mimic her voice to temporarily hold them off.

The Luna Butterfly, which hadn’t been out in a while, could finally reveal itself. It circled in the air as if breathing in the fresh air, then settled back on Eve’s shoulder. She gently tapped its antennae, and a soft white light emanated from its wings, enveloping both the girl and the butterfly.

A light wind blew.

Click.

The transparent window, which had been left slightly ajar, swung back and forth in the wind. The room, however, was now empty.

Meanwhile, in front of the Oliver mansion, a silver-white stretch hovercar slowly came to a stop. Hanging from the front was the clematis family emblem, known throughout the entire empire.

The steward of the Oliver family stood by, quickly stepping up to open the heavy car door. A long, slender leg stepped out first, followed by a good-looking young man who emerged from the vehicle. His demeanor was elegant yet arrogant, and as he stood before the vibrant blooming rose bushes, his beauty rivaled that of the flowers.

Looks that stunning were not something anyone dared to admire for too long.

The steward only glanced politely before bowing respectfully along with a line of servants behind her. "Welcome, Master Cecil," she said courteously.

"Mm."

Cecil responded indifferently.

He had come on a job for his family, aiming to discuss the calling off of the verbal engagement between Loryn and the eldest young master of the Oliver family. Since Loryn’s Spiritual State had "unexpectedly" evolved to Mist Cloud Vine, the Medici family was no longer willing to send her out for a political marriage.

Some time ago, due to Lorca’s disappearance, the Oliver family had been dodging the question. Recently, the Medicis learned of the eldest young master’s safe return and specifically sent someone to discuss the issue.

It would be best to either call off the engagement or replace Loryn with someone else. If the Olivers were unwilling to give up Loryn, then having Lorca marry into the Medici family was also an option.

These were the very words left by the Medici Patriarch before departing.

The task falling to Cecil was actually a coincidence. The Medici Patriarch had left the capital planet a few days earlier on important business, accompanied by the First Steward. Loryn herself had to stay out of it to avoid gossip and could not represent the family directly.

After much consideration, the job ended up going to her own older brother.

To be fair, Cecil very much wanted to marry off his younger sister. It would not only eliminate a major competitor but also benefit the family. Moreover, marrying into the Oliver family would guarantee a life of nobility for her, which, in his opinion, was a decent outcome for his sister.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. Loryn had unexpectedly regained her strength, making it absolutely impossible for Cecil to allow Lorca to bring such substantial assets into the Medici family through marriage.

Cecil rubbed his temples, annoyed, and ordered, "Lead the way."

Perhaps it was because the usually quiet courtyard had suddenly become so crowded, but a flock of white birds took off from the lush foliage as if startled, their snow-white wingtips appearing almost translucent under the bright sunlight. Cecil’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to them for a moment.

The tall, stern Oliver mansion was surrounded by a garden of interwoven red and green, and from the outside, the black estate was enveloped by layers of deep greenery.

The tree from which the white birds emerged stood right beside a room on the third floor. The occupant of the room seemed pretty forgetful, having left the window open. The transparent tempered glass swung back and forth, refracting sunlight like diamonds.

"Did you see something interesting, sir?"

Noticing his distraction, the steward followed his gaze. Her memory was excellent, and she immediately recognized it as Eve’s room. "Oh, Miss Lu’s window was left open."

"Miss Lu, or Miss Luo?" Cecil turned to her and asked, "Does your family have relatives with the surname Lu?"

"Not exactly. It’s Miss Lu Qing, a consultant of our family," the steward replied meekly.

Lu Qing.

Cecil was certain he had never heard this unfamiliar name before.

Yet, for some reason, the moment he heard it, his long-dormant heart suddenly began to beat violently, stirring a secret sense of unease.

Though he remained outwardly composed, inwardly, Cecil was in turmoil.

"A good name," he bit the tip of his tongue and slowly revealed a deceptively charming smile, radiantly beautiful under the sunlight.

Cecil smiled slightly and said, "For some reason, the name sounds familiar. This Miss Lu must be an alchemist, right? I wonder if, after my discussion with your family’s head, I could have a private conversation with her."