Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Even as she was being gently pressed onto the bed, Eve insisted she wasn't tired and could still burn the candle at both ends for work: "Honestly, I'm feeling pretty good right now, just a little drained—and I haven't finished my questioning!"

"Mm-hmm," Lorca humored her with a serious expression, pinching the edge of the soft down comforter and pulling it up to cover her face until only her bright blue eyes were visible. "If you're not sleepy, you can still close your eyes and rest. I'll wake you in half an hour."

Eve blinked. "...But lying like this makes it really easy to fall asleep."

Didn't that just prove she was tired? Lorca found her question utterly adorable, so he merely chuckled softly without replying.

Half an hour later, the person on the bed was already emitting soft, even breaths.

So much for her claimed "pretty good shape."

"..."

The room temperature might have been set a bit too low. As Eve slept, she buried her head deeper into the soft comforter, leaving only her silver hair trailing across the pillow. Lorca, who had been sitting by the bedside the whole time, worried she might have trouble breathing. He pulled her out from under the covers twice, but each time, she burrowed back in after a moment, "unyielding" even after he adjusted the room temperature back to normal.

She resembled a recently weaned kitten—already capable of walking, yet still instinctively seeking the warmth of its mother's embrace.

Considering the background he had uncovered about Eve, Lorca couldn't help but feel a touch of tenderness.

Although the capital was rife with speculation about whether Eve was truly the Medici Patriarch's biological daughter, as someone partially in the know, Lorca was certain they couldn't possibly be father and daughter—even if he didn't understand why the Medici Patriarch would claim her as his own. Sparti had genuinely tried to matchmake Eve and Cecil before; no matter how eccentric the Medici family's customs were, they wouldn't go so far as to breach ethics by pairing biological siblings.

If this relationship was false, then the information about Eve's life before coming to the capital was likely true.

Losing her mother at a young age, her father remarrying, family favoritism—even if she was fortunate enough to join the main family, the Medici household was not a place known for deep familial bonds. Judging by how protective Eve was of Alice and others, her heart wasn't truly cold; she deeply cherished the bonds she formed with others.

Although Eve never showed any signs of feeling unloved, Lorca had already concluded inwardly that it was simply due to her resilient nature.

He slowly leaned down, propping his chin in his hand as he intently studied Eve's sleeping face.

Half of her face was buried in the comforter, but the half that remained visible was even paler than the fabric, like pristine new snow, her gentle breath settling over Lorca's heart.

Just because she didn't ask for it, did that mean he couldn't offer her the love she had never known?

Lorca reached out to gently smooth her hair, his gaze growing resolute.

Eve had no idea that, in the span of a single nap, she had been deemed a pitiable figure in someone else's eyes.

After a full day of strenuous activity during the competition, followed by a hot shower and being forced into bed shortly after returning, she had slept incredibly soundly. When she opened her eyes again, she was still disoriented, unable to tell whether it was day or night.

But her mind quickly cleared. She flopped around on the bed like a fish—the bed was large and soft, and she felt as though she might melt into it. This was clearly not the standard guest bed on the starship but her own bedroom in the princess's residence.

As she slowly sat up, the door opened with a soft click. Lorca entered, one hand holding a tray and the other pressing the light switch on the wall. Soft light spilled evenly from the ceiling. Lorca set the tray of food on a nearby table and very naturally reached out to feel Eve's forehead. "You have a slight fever."

"That means I slept too long," Eve said, throwing off the covers and hopping out of bed. Just before her bare feet touched the carpet, a puddle-like shadow swiftly slid a pair of slippers under her feet.

"..."

After a suspicious three-second pause, Eve slipped her feet into the slippers and asked without looking up, "Why are you the one bringing me food and drink? Where's Sophia?"

She didn't ask how he had managed to get into her bedroom or how he had tricked Sophia into handing over such an "important task" to him. After all, for Lorca, coming up with excuses to people was as easy as breathing.

—He really was a very cunning person, but at least he wasn't malicious.

"Sophia is still investigating the signal failure during the competition with Qi Ying. They've mostly narrowed down that the source of the tampering with the training planet's signal structure was on the starship, and it was a pre-set anchor point, so it must have been one of the instructors from the Fourth Army assigned to oversee the military training," Lorca explained. "But they still need to figure out exactly who it was, so they're occupied for now. Since I didn't have anything to do, they asked me to look after you."

He seemed to feel this explanation was lacking, hesitated for a moment, and then added, as if seeking credit, "It's not that I haven't been doing anything. You asked me before you fell asleep to find out how the Luo family previously tamed the Dragon Maiden. I've already gotten the details from my mother and Luo Wenqing."

"So quickly?" Eve was surprised. She had thought that, as a top-tier S-class Spiritual State, the Dragon Maiden would have at least some level of secrecy within the Luo family. She hadn't expected it to be so easily uncovered.

But on second thought, the same applied to other top-tier S-class Spiritual States like the Silver Moon Clematis and Mist Cloud Vine in the Medici family—basic abilities and forms didn't seem to be heavily guarded. These were legacies centuries old; there was only so much one could hide... So, after all this, it wasn't that the Luo family didn't want to expose the Dragon Maiden—they just didn't want to expose the fact that Luo Wenzhou couldn't control it.

Unfortunately, after this incident, the Luo family and Luo Wenzhou were destined to become notorious overnight.

If there really was a mastermind behind this competition incident, the Luo family would likely hold a grudge long before Eve even had to lift a finger.

"It's mostly some manipulation secrets, but Luo Wenzhou can't use them. The rest is about suppression—using starfall black iron, engraving it with Alchemical Cipher, and then soaking it in a special potion. It's very effective at suppressing the Dragon Maiden, but only during rampages. It's a Spiritual State prone to rampages, and the Luo family has plenty of experience dealing with it."

Eve listened intently while poking at her food with her utensils. "Where is Luo Wenzhou now?"

"In the underground prison of the Fourth Princess's residence," Lorca said. The Oliver family's cooperation with the Fourth Princess was fairly solid, and although this was his first time formally entering the princess's residence, Sophia had already briefed him on everything he needed to know. "I've already locked him up using a secret method. Once you finish eating, we can go see him."

"You're really merciless toward your cousin," Eve said, half-jokingly. "But how did you know I wanted to interrogate the Dragon Maiden?"

"I guessed. While you were asleep, the other students returned to the First Empire Academy. But Alice came to see you before she left. Since you were still asleep, she asked me to pass along a message."

"What is it?"

"She said," Lorca's expression grew somber, "while performing spiritual calming on Luo Wenzhou, she noticed a needle mark on the back of his neck. It wasn't obvious, but given her background as a mercenary, she's always sharp about these things. She's certain it was a needle mark, and based on the size, it was likely connected to a 5ml syringe."

Eve's hand, holding the spoon, froze mid-air.

-

The training planet borrowed by the First Empire Academy had been sealed off by the military for investigation shortly after the incident, so Eve didn't hold out hope of returning to the scene. Instead, she had instructed her subordinates to inform the Luo family of the situation and have them investigate through their vast commercial empire, focusing especially on the black market.

If Luo Wenzhou's Spiritual State rampage had indeed been induced by drugs, the substance responsible was likely contraband and wouldn't be readily available on the market. The Cavendish family didn't have any dominant industries in pharmaceutical development anyway.

After outsourcing the troublesome investigation, she took Lorca and descended via a high-security elevator to the prison hidden beneath the princess's residence—this was also why Sophia had felt comfortable telling Lorca about it. Without the passcode and a guide, it would be difficult for him to enter alone.

The underground prison wasn't as grim as one might expect. Rather than a dungeon, it resembled a secret laboratory. Beyond the elevator was an expanse of pure white, with few people coming and going. Those present wore clean white lab coats and would stop to salute when they saw Eve, though she waved them away after asking for Luo Wenzhou's location.

This was Lorca's first time here, so he couldn't help but look around curiously. Noticing his interest, Eve casually explained.

"This is the central junction. The four directions—east, west, south, north—lead to different areas. East is where the researchers work. South, west, and north are where prisoners are held, but they're categorized and located based on danger level. Someone like Luo Wenzhou is in the south section, which requires special containment."

Lorca asked, "Does the princess's residence usually have people to detain?"

"Of course," Eve replied, looking at him with some surprise, as if she hadn't expected this cunning snake to ask such a naive question. She smiled. "Not only do we detain people, but we also carry out private punishments. Spies and assassins sent by others, or people we capture out of necessity... well, they end up here for interrogation. But we never kill anyone."

"Just a few lashes, maybe some drug testing, and then we release them."

Compared to the dark little dungeons of other estates, Eve felt that the princess's residence's practice of tending to prisoners after punishment was quite humane and compassionate! So, as she explained this to Lorca, her tone carried an odd note of pride.

"..." Lorca ultimately restrained himself from commenting on this behavior and changed the subject. "Let's go see Wenzhou first."

Luo Wenzhou was held in the room at the very end of the south wing. There weren't many prisoners requiring special treatment, so the two only encountered him on their way.

The staff had already followed Lorca's instructions and bound him beforehand. In the all-white room, a slender figure lay on the bed, eyes closed. Having just had blood drawn, Luo Wenzhou looked weary. His situation differed from that of the other detainees; there were no signs of mistreatment. A small table beside the bed even held a few plates of snacks. Ignoring the surroundings, the atmosphere almost felt like that of a guest room.

Incidentally, the chains used to bind him had been lent by the Luo family themselves. Sometimes, Eve really wondered what kind of life Luo Wenzhou led in the Luo family.

"Snap!"

A sharp clap sounded beside his ear. Luo Wenzhou jolted awake with a gasp, his eyes flying open to take in the bright white walls and ceiling. Blinking in discomfort, he struggled to turn over and saw Eve sitting smiling in a chair by the bed, with Lorca leaning against the table nearby.

Eve said politely, "Good evening, Luo Wenzhou."

Taken aback by the kidnapper's courtesy, Luo Wenzhou stammered after a moment, "G-good evening... Eve, and... cousin."

Seeing he looked like he had many questions to ask, Eve quickly raised her hand, stopping the torrent of questions: "Alright, I know you have a lot of questions, but we don’t have much time. Let’s get straight to the point—can you summon your Spiritual State now, Wenzhou?"

"Ah?" Luo Wenzhou seemed to recall something, his face instantly turning deathly pale. "No, are you sure? My Spiritual State is very dangerous and highly likely to go berserk. It..."

"I know, which is why I’ve used special restraints to tie you up," Eve interrupted him. "And even if it does go berserk, I have a way to control it."

After all, when it came to individual Mind Control abilities, she and Alice were on par with each other.

Seeing that his protests were futile and the girl still wore an expression of confident victory, Luo Wenzhou resisted for a moment before obediently beginning to summon his Spiritual State.

Lorca suddenly spoke up, "Do I need to leave during your interrogation?"

"No need," Eve replied indifferently, her attention still fixed on Luo Wenzhou’s eyes, whose whites were gradually taking over. "We’re on the same side now, so it’s fine for you to listen in."

Reassured, Lorca leaned back beside Eve.

Luo Wenzhou’s spiritual energy seemed truly weak, as this time, Dragon Maiden effortlessly took over his body—the so-called "Spiritual State berserk." The moment it opened its eyes and saw Eve, it was a case of "seeing an enemy makes the eyes blaze." But before it could lunge forward with a sinister laugh, the meteorite iron chains binding Luo Wenzhou, which had seemed lifeless, suddenly tightened, making Dragon Maiden shriek: "It’s these chains! These damned chains! You did this!"

"Yes, yes, I’m the one who slapped you during the match, I’m the one who locked the chains, and I’m the one who woke you up from Luo Wenzhou’s body again," Eve frowned, annoyed by its noisy screams. "Can you quiet down? I just want to ask you a few questions."

Dragon Maiden’s eyelids twitched, clearly itching to stir up trouble, but then it heard Eve continue, "And don’t pretend to be crazy or stupid—I know full well that when Spiritual States like you are clever, your intelligence is no less than that of humans."

At the very least, she felt that Luna Butterfly was smarter than many humans.

"......"

Dragon Maiden stopped screaming. When it wasn’t causing a fuss, even with Luo Wenzhou’s usually harmless face, its expression remained gloomy and terrifying: "What do you want to ask me?"

"Well, under normal circumstances, I should ask if you remember anything unusual happening before you last emerged, hoping to get some clues I desperately need right now."

Meeting Dragon Maiden’s chilling gaze, Eve tapped her arm twice before unhurriedly continuing, "But I think, rather than that, there’s something else I’d rather ask."

Dragon Maiden let out a disdainful snort: "Foolish. Do you really think I’d cooperate with you?"

"Not necessarily. What if I ask something that interests you?" Taking advantage of the fact that Dragon Maiden was bound by chains and couldn’t harm anyone, Eve leaned forward slightly, her pale face almost face to face with "Luo Wenzhou’s."

There was something indescribable flickering in her eyes, and coupled with that familiar yet no longer neurotic face, even her calm expression instinctively made Dragon Maiden retreat slightly.

Realizing it had been intimidated by this human, Dragon Maiden felt a surge of frustration: "What exactly do you want...?"

"I just want to know an academic question. After all, it’s rare to find a Spiritual State with self-awareness that can articulate clearly," Lorca glanced over at her words, but Eve remained oblivious, her expression earnest and sincere as she asked, "—What exactly is a Spiritual State?"

"No book has ever clearly explained what a Spiritual State is. It’s as if, from the moment the New Cosmic Era began, Spiritual States grew in people’s spiritual worlds like trees in the soil. But after researching, I discovered that the first documented Spiritual State coincidentally appeared during the First Zerg War."

"Some say Spiritual States evolved in humans to counter the Zerg, but Zerg venom has a stimulating effect on Spiritual States. If it were truly an evolution, that shouldn’t be the case."

"So, please tell me. I think this question is ten thousand times more important than the scheming and plotting among human nobles," Eve’s blue eyes stared unblinkingly at Dragon Maiden. "What exactly are you Spiritual States?"

If eye movements could be seen in the whites of the eyes, Eve would have been able to tell from the extreme trembling just how panicked and fearful Dragon Maiden was at that moment.

When it looked at Eve, it wasn’t as if it were seeing a human girl with excessive curiosity or anything else explainable in the present world. It was more like witnessing the reappearance of some shadow of the past, as if fate were once again lowering its tentacles—soft, yet unavoidable—onto everyone’s shoulders.

"Hahaha..." It suddenly burst into sharp, maniacal laughter, its frenzied appearance startling Eve, who was leaning in close.

Lorca gripped her shoulder, pulling Eve back into her seat, and frowned, "It seems... not quite right."

Anyone could see that... Eve had a feeling of having her line stolen. She was about to say something more but was cut off by Dragon Maiden’s look of loathing.

"It’s you. You’ve returned. When I first saw you, I thought things had returned to the starting point, but now I realize nothing has changed," Dragon Maiden’s muffled voice seemed to be squeezed from the depths of its throat, raspy and filled with stifled resentment. "You’re still so... hehe... If you want to know about the match, I can tell you. But don’t ask anything else, because I won’t tell you a single word."

...What nonsense. Eve frowned. Though she didn’t understand a word, she still seized the opportunity to think about the difference between "returning to the starting point" and "nothing has changed."

But she didn’t interrupt Dragon Maiden’s immersive recollection.

"I won’t tell you a single word."

Dragon Maiden repeated it emphatically, then started chuckling: "If you want to know? Perhaps you can ask Him... How strange. For an incomplete being like you to use the word 'thing' to describe us..."

"—We're clearly the same kind of 'thing.'"