Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Lorca picked up two tubes of brown potions of identical hue; a dozen more of the same kind lay on the table beside him.

At that moment, a certain alchemist, who had once insisted on the principle of "freshly brewed daily," had, after replicating a small stack of time-release potions, turned her attention to the ingredients for another type. She was so engrossed in her work that Lorca felt compelled to interject, "Why did you suddenly decide to make so many potions?"

"I might be away for a few days and not at home."

Eve continued working without pause, her left hand placing materials on a small silver scale while her right hand fluidly scribbled line after line of alchemical formulae. Multitasking, she explained, "So I need to prepare your potions in advance. I'll leave them here, and you must remember to take them daily. I’ll have Ludwig keep an eye on you."

Just as Lorca was about to say something, Eve, as if anticipating his response, cut in first, "Alright, I know you don’t have the key to the lab. Later, I’ll speak with Family Head Oliver and ask him to return Louis's key to you."

Mid-sentence, as if suddenly remembering something, she stopped what she was doing and looked up uncertainly, "You won't deliberately cause trouble in the lab this time, will you?"

Her hesitant expression was like that of a pet owner going on a trip, entrusting their cat to a friend with both concern and worry.

Lorca fell silent for a long moment, unsure what to feel, before finally saying, "I won’t... What are you going out to do?"

"Something bad, very, very bad," she replied with a sly smile, casually adding, "Don’t ask too many questions—is there anything you want? I’ll bring it back for you."

"No, just come back early," Lorca said, suddenly realizing how familiar their conversation felt.

It was almost like a wife speaking to her husband about to leave on a business trip.

Lorca: "..."

Unfortunately, Eve remained completely unaware of his inner turmoil and simply lowered her head to continue brewing potions.

Outside, the sunlight gradually shifted from platinum to rosy dusk, while another batch of pale blue potions, seemingly copied and pasted, lay scattered haphazardly on the table to Eve’s right.

She placed the finished potions into the freezer preservation unit in the corner of the lab, then neatly sorted and stacked the slow-release toxin suppressants and body-regulating potions. After dusting her hands off, she took off the black robe she used as a work uniform, slipped on the trench coat hanging on the rack by the door, and walked out while putting on the sleeves.

Only when she reached the doorway did Eve notice with some surprise that Lorca was still there: "Why are you still here?"

Unwilling to admit he had been ignored the whole time, Lorca changed the subject: "I was reading... Never mind, are you heading out?"

Eve nodded, and naturally reached out her hand to him, saying, "Stop reading. It’s dinnertime—come with me."

Their hands touched, and a weight transferred through their warm contact. Since his health had improved somewhat, Lorca had recently stopped using a wheelchair, but his constitution remained weak, and he disliked being touched. Mrs. Luo had thus provided him with a cane so he could manage on his own.

Though it still looked somewhat odd for a young man in his youth to be using a cane, Lorca valued being able to walk himself much more than wheelchair life.

Eve hadn’t thought much when she reached out—it was simply an act of kindness, an instinctive compassion for the vulnerable, even though she knew the other party wasn’t as frail or harmless as he appeared.

But when Lorca placed his hand over hers, he felt secretly bothered. He disliked being pitied as weak, even if it was the truth. In response, he squeezed Eve’s hand firmly, secretly shifting most of his weight onto her as a form of retaliation. It was a childish little act, but he felt somewhat pleased after doing it.

During dinner, Eve indeed brought up her request for leave. Unlike the caught-off-guard Ludwig and Alice, who both widened their eyes and turned to stare at her intently, the adults’ reactions were much more restrained.

Ever since investigating Eve’s identity, Family Head Oliver had already informed his wife about the matter. Thus, with Cecil having just left the Oliver Family and Eve immediately requesting leave, anyone would find the timing far too coincidental—even Cecil’s sudden, unexplained rush to return home seemed suspicious.

Mrs. Luo exchanged a subtle glance with her husband. Lowering her eyes, she slowly cut into a perfectly grilled steak with gilt silverware, the tender juices oozing out along the knife marks, as she gently asked, "Is it so urgent?"

"If I don’t go back soon, I’m afraid it’ll be too late," Eve replied with a light laugh.

After all, she always believed that speed is key in warfare.

Mrs. Luo seemed to understand her resolve and nodded slightly, "Then take care of yourself. If you need help, you can ask me."

There was indeed something she needed help with.

Eve pondered for a moment before saying, "While I’m away, could you give the key to the Alchemy lab to Lorca?"

Lorca, who had been quietly eating with his head down, was suddenly addressed. He looked up at Eve, his eyes slightly wide with confusion. Eve gave him a reassuring look, indicating she had everything under control.

She continued, "Although I don’t know what he did before that made you take the key away, I believe he won’t do anything like that again. Besides, Louis hasn’t been treating Lorca for a long time now, so keeping the key with him is just a waste."

"I might not be home for the next few days," Eve concluded. "Since the lab will be empty anyway, why not return the key to Lorca?"

At this, Family Head Oliver’s face showed a subtle, peculiar expression. Just as he was about to say something, Mrs. Luo suddenly stretched her leg under the table and kicked him, causing the words that had reached the tip of his tongue to be swallowed back. She spoke before he could, smiling, "Of course, it’s not a difficult request."

Lorca’s gaze shifted to Mrs. Luo’s face, seeming a bit surprised that they were so easily persuaded.

Eve nodded. With Mrs. Luo’s approval, she felt relieved and focused entirely on finishing her meal. After eating, she was the first to rise. Just as Lorca was about to call out to her, she seemed pressed for time—slipping on her coat, she walked out decisively.

As Mrs. Luo passed by the doorway, she saw her eldest son standing there looking somewhat dejected. Tucking back stray hairs by her cheek, she asked concernedly, "What’s wrong, dear? You seem upset."

"I’m fine," Lorca shook his head.

Mrs. Luo then scrutinized her eldest son carefully. Seeming to notice something, she chuckled softly but said nothing more before leaving as well.

Unaware of everything that had happened after her departure, Eve returned to her room, changed into a dark trench coat, picked up the suitcase she had prepared earlier, pushed open the window, and jumped straight from the windowsill.

The third-floor balcony was about ten meters high, but she landed light as a feather without a sound.

The night was dark and heavy. Behind her, the Oliver castle contained its lights within high walls, while outside, only the artificial moon emitted a soft glow. Dressed entirely in black, Eve had her slightly grown-out hair tied into a low ponytail that hung behind her. In the darkness, only the silver mask on her face faintly reflected a silvery light.

The car sent by Qin Mengde was already waiting outside the Oliver estate. Eve got in and saw her sitting in the driver’s seat, leaning back with one arm resting. No one else was in the vehicle.

Seeing Eve, Qin Mengde first handed over a chip, saying, "I planted a system vulnerability in the simulated combat system. This chip is the access command linked to it. Find a device that can connect to the simulation system, insert the chip into the reader, and it will automatically initiate a 30-minute unlogged session. Afterward, both the chip and the login record will automatically erase."

Hearing this, Eve took the small chip and examined it—a tiny, unremarkable black square the size of a fingernail, with a faint gleam.

She carefully stored the chip and said, "Thank you."

The hover-car drove out of the Oliver Family’s vast plains and headed toward Qin Mengde’s private residence in the central district. Leaning against the window, Eve watched the lights of the capital city outside while making small talk with Qin Mengde: "So, have you left the Cavendish family now?"

"Mm."

"Does Cavendish know why you’re leaving?"

"Yes," Qin Mengde turned the steering wheel, and the hover-car turned left, dropping slightly in elevation. She continued, "From the day they brought me back, they should have known this day would come."

"Do you resent them? After all, it’s only now that you can finally reclaim your identity as a princess, and the Queen’s behind-the-scenes schemes are partly to blame."

"There’s nothing to resent. Regardless, Cavendish’s kindness in taking me in was genuine. The Queen had already begun drifting away from the family long ago, which is why the family head adopted me in the first place."

Eve thought to herself, if you were truly as forgiving as you say, then why go to such lengths to destroy the Cavendishes in the story.

After a moment’s thought, she changed the subject: "Why only mention the family head? I thought you’d talk more about Isabella. I heard you were her lady's maid—does she know you’re leaving? Does she know about your background? Actually, were you assigned to her side because—"

"Screech—!"

Before she could finish, the hover-car abruptly braked. The sudden force sent Eve lurching uncontrollably toward the front windshield, forcing her to stop mid-sentence and brace herself against the glass to keep her balance.

The sudden jolt startled Eve: "What are you doing?"

"Urging you to get out," Qin Mengde shot her a cold glance. "You’re asking too many questions, and it’s endless."

Her reaction made it clear that mentioning Isabella had hit a sore spot. Eve smirked knowingly, certain that she and Isabella had had a falling-out. Not even bothering to respond, she simply grabbed her suitcase—filled with props she had prepared earlier—and got out of the car.

Before setting out, there was definitely extra prep work needed.

Tonight's plan sounded complicated but was actually pretty straightforward. It all started when Eve specifically asked Luo Lin to arrange for Cecil to "accidentally" receive news that he had a never-before-heard-of illegitimate brother outside, who also seemed to have awakened the silver moon clematis—a Spiritual State identical to that of the Medici Patriarch. This silently confirmed the other's bloodline while also bringing Cecil unprecedented pressure.

The threat of the silver moon clematis was far greater than Luo Lin's Mist Cloud Vine. Cecil immediately got antsy and rushed back to discuss countermeasures with his subordinates. Although Eve hadn't yet gotten her hands into his operations, based on her understanding of Cecil, he preferred to act as early as possible to wipe out threats early. Therefore, he would undoubtedly organize a targeted interception tonight—the very day mentioned in the message for Frank's return.

Coincidentally, the Medici Patriarch was away from home, and Cecil would never pass up such a perfect opportunity.

But what he didn't know was that all this information, including the photographic evidence proving the illegitimate son's identity, was intentionally put out by Eve. Even the Luo clan employee who came forward with the crucial evidence was intentionally allowed by Frank to do so.

A few days ago, when Frank mentioned this to Eve over the terminal, she thought it was a perfect opportunity and asked him to first keep the person under control and continue sending messages to the capital planet. She would then use this as bait to set a trap to catch them.

In reality, Frank's return had long been canceled. Tonight, all Cecil would intercept were Eve and Qin Mengde waiting ready.

The number of participants in this operation couldn't be too large, as too much commotion would alert Cecil to something amiss. However, with fewer people, the skill level required from each participant naturally went up.

Qin Mengde, having been meticulously trained by the Cavendish family for years, was undoubtedly highly capable. Although Eve didn't have much of a reputation, her unique Spiritual State Ability ensured she could at least get away safely.

As for the two people brought from the Oliver Family, Eve had already instructed them to wait outside the port. One would be responsible for observing the battlefield and relaying messages, while the other would act as support, seeking help from Luo Lin or the Oliver Family if things went wrong.

This deal was really worthwhile for Qin Mengde. Cecil had recently started a new feud with Ludwig, so regardless of success or failure, Qin Mengde would gain favor from the Oliver Family simply by participating. On the other hand, this operation was essentially a physical manifestation of the Medici family's succession struggle. By taking part, she was choosing a side in this conflict. If Luo Lin were to gain power in the future, she would undoubtedly receive payback support.

In light of these deeper layers of interest, Qin Mengde's original demands from Eve seemed almost childish and superficial in comparison.

It was indeed a high-risk, high-investment endeavor, and Eve had cut the operation down to bare bones. After careful calculation, the number of participants was limited to just the two of them, with Frank making a cameo and two background players from the Oliver Family—totaling only five people—thus reducing the risk of unexpected mishaps to a minimum.

After mentally weighing the pros and cons, Qin Mengde found herself glancing over at the young girl beside her, who was carefully putting on a wig. She was facing the mirror, tucking a stray strand of black hair back under the wig, as smooth, long, straight silver hair gradually replaced her original black locks.

She knew, of course, that silver hair was a characteristic of the Medici family, but she didn't understand why Eve was specifically changing her hair to silver.

Was she trying to frame this as an internal struggle within the Medici family?

However, as the adjustment continued, the expensive, beautiful silver wig gradually fit perfectly on the alchemist's head, looking as natural as if it were her own. From behind, the strikingly similar figure suddenly tugged at a memory string in Qin Mengde's mind.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized what the other was trying to do. Her eyes widened in shock, and she exclaimed, "You..."

How did you know about that person?

"Shh."

Before she could say more, Eve, as if guessing what she was about to ask, turned to her with a calm gaze. Even behind the mask, those seemingly innocent yet mischievously deep blue eyes were exactly as she remembered.

Eve smoothed the silver hair falling to her waist—it had been too long since she'd had hair this length, and it felt somewhat unfamiliar. She glanced at Qin Mengde's shocked expression with a smile and slightly raised her chin. "Alright, stop staring. Let's go."

"Why are you dressed like this?" Qin Mengde's face was full of doubt and unease.

"Why?"

Eve repeated the word softly, then let out a low laugh. As she chuckled, she said, "Just consider it my weird sense of humor."

Fighting a life-and-death battle while constantly suspecting whether the opponent is a companion who once died before your eyes... isn't that a brilliant psychological tactic?