Chapter 252

Chapter 252

The capital planet in December, with skies as clear as if freshly washed. Though it was winter, the weather felt no different from the other three seasons of the year. Green foliage swayed gracefully along the pathways, and most pedestrians wore only light coats and thin trousers. A few wisps of white cloud drifted across the azure expanse, and the faint golden circuits of the planet’s protective shield were vaguely visible on the horizon.

"One Blue Moon River, full sugar, no toppings."

A hand emerged from beneath a pure white cloak, its skin unnaturally pale, holding a pure black cash card between two fingers.

It was none other than Eve, who had just emerged from the Divine Realm.

Her true body remained in the Divine Realm, undergoing repairs by Cionanado, and the comms unit and other personal items were temporarily unusable. Fortunately, Eve was always cautious by nature and carried a high-denomination cash card, so she wasn’t reduced to borrowing money from the Divine Realm Lord.

The capital planet boasted a thriving economy; even ordinary milk tea shops were equipped with card readers. After a swift swipe, Eve pocketed her card. Moments later, the android server delivered her drink. She offered a polite thank you, plunged the straw directly into the chilled fruit tea, lifted a corner of her mask, and took a couple of quick sips.

The God of Death Butterfly, perched on Eve’s shoulder, was, as usual, trying to make conversation: "Aren’t you afraid of gaining weight from full sugar? Don't people like you usually watch what you eat to stay in shape?"

Entering and leaving the Divine Realm required a key, and crafting a key required a Philosopher's Stone. It wasn't that four-star alchemists were unqualified for multiple entries; rather, their sheer numbers, combined with the fact that only five-star alchemists could create Philosopher's Stones, meant limited resources necessitated an equal restriction on everyone's access. However, beyond conventional keys, the God of Death Butterfly itself possessed the ability to traverse time and space, serving as a key. Thus, Cionanado had Eve take it with her upon her departure.

The God of Death Butterfly was ecstatic. It had grown utterly bored of the Divine Realm's eternal, unchanging scenery, no matter how vast and magnificent. From the moment it set foot on the capital planet, its chatter hadn't ceased—which was precisely why Eve had bought the drink; her explanations had left her parched.

"I’m genuinely curious how long it’s been since you last interacted with normal people," Eve said, her eyelids drooping with fatigue. Traversing time and space was no less exhausting than a long journey. "This amount of sugar is nothing for someone with a high training load. And given my current physical condition, what is there to be particular about?"

Cionanado had stated that this body was largely repaired, but the moment she inhabited it, Eve sensed something was amiss. No matter how robust its foundation or stored energy, prolonged inactivity had inevitably led to muscle atrophy. Any movement felt acutely weak and sore.

"Is it good?" the God of Death Butterfly persisted, its voice shrill like a child’s. This typical phrasing often appeared in scenarios like a student sneaking snacks into school, with a classmate in the back row asking with a mix of nonchalance, curiosity, and pointed interest.

"......"

Eve lifted the lid of her fruit tea without a word. The butterfly, invisible to anyone but her, skimmed the surface of the tea like a dragonfly touching water.

Having gotten its wish and stolen a sip, the God of Death Butterfly waved its antennae, its demeanor somewhat reminiscent of a human smacking their lips, and remarked with stunning tactlessness: "It’s a bit too sweet."

This butterfly was truly asking for a beating. The corner of Eve’s mouth twitched, and she ignored it, turning her head away.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians. The capital planet was never short of tourists and idlers. Yet, as she strolled, no one seemed to notice how oddly dressed this young person was, cloaked in a wide white mantle and wearing a mask.

The Luna Butterfly significantly lowered Eve’s presence. Unhurriedly, she held her overly colorful fruit tea, standing by a public information screen—a government-sponsored public service—catching up on the news that had emerged during her absence.

The most prominent item on the electronic screen was the top news story: the Empire-Alliance tournament had ended unexpectedly. Since no Alliance students had died—most injuries were superficial and treatable within the Empire—and the firewall system managed by the Alliance’s Master Brain had failed, the Empire firmly rejected all compensation proposals from the other side and, keeping its temper in check, saw them off properly.

But while external issues were resolved, internal ones remained.

Although monitoring and live broadcasts became meaningless in the latter half of the tournament, those outside weren't entirely in the dark. Some cameras in the tournament were specially treated Alchemy cameras that functioned normally even in extreme conditions like heavy fog.

Moreover, there were other students in the competition. The public is perceptive. Once the competition ended, the first surprising controversy was the questioning of Crown Prince Anthony’s Spiritual State Ability.

The second wave of criticism was directed at the Fourth Legion, responsible for competition security, and its commander.

"This Fourth Legion is really jinxed," Eve overheard two people nearby discussing in low voices while watching the news. "Hasn’t the new Legion Commander been in the role for less than a year? And something’s already happened?" "Didn’t the last Legion Commander also get promoted not long ago? I remember he lasted less than three years before being ousted."

Eve thought, that really is jinxed. Whoever takes the position seems to lose their mind.

"Your former boss seems to have been taken away for investigation," the God of Death Butterfly said in its thin, childlike voice. "What do we do now? Everyone thinks you’re dead. Who can we turn to?"

"What’s the rush? Smart people don’t put all their eggs in one basket. I have more than just this former boss."

Eve finally finished her drink at a leisurely pace, tossed the crushed empty cup into an automatic sorting trash can, and said calmly, "Just follow me. Stop asking so many questions."

-

Not far west of the imperial palace lay the residences of the high nobility, the most prosperous core region of the capital planet.

The road was bustling with traffic. The evening rush hour had traffic at a standstill. Unica leaned her head against the car window, her deliberately maintained composure instantly crumbling. She rubbed her temples and gazed blankly at the towering buildings dotted with lights outside. As night fell, the capital planet’s evening was just beginning.

The First Princess’s husband was driving. Their family had always been known for their simple lifestyle, minimizing reliance on staff wherever possible. Among the current public figures of the royal family, aside from the Governor Prince who insisted on being stationed at the outer interstellar borders, the First Princess probably had the best reputation.

"Has Anthony’s situation not been resolved yet?" Lin Zhengfeng glanced at his wife, who looked weary. "You’ve never been summoned to the palace so frequently before. My father says the Crown Prince is beyond saving."

The Empire's Lin family was distinct from the Alliance's Lin family. Though not part of the core circle of high officials and nobility, as one of the subsidiaries of the Medici family, their information was surprisingly well-informed at times.

"His lack of an oath Spiritual State is a minor issue. The problem is that he and the Empress concealed it from everyone for so many years. This time, in a critical moment, his performance was even worse than Jessica’s. Coupled with the backlash from his long-maintained good reputation, the consequences are something neither he nor the Empress can handle."

Thinking of the cabinet’s arrangements regarding this, Unica frowned but continued, "And most importantly, the cabinet no longer supports him. A crown prince facing collective opposition from the cabinet has no chance of retaining his position."

At this, both fell silent.

During the tournament, Eve Medici had gone missing, and Cecil was severely injured, still uncertain if he was out of danger. Although it wasn’t Anthony’s fault, the furious Sparti was clearly taking it out on him.

Moreover, what even the First Princess, Anthony’s own sister, didn’t know was that the alchemist brought back from the competition arena had once been hired by Anthony as a guest advisor. With such irrefutable evidence, Unica had no way to clean it up. Reading her mother’s evasive words, she felt only waves of exhaustion.

Lin Zhengfeng comforted her: "Don’t worry too much. The royal family’s affairs shouldn’t affect your research institute. Just go home and rest."

Would they really not affect it? Unica smiled tiredly and didn’t directly respond.

After being stuck in traffic for a while, the flow of vehicles finally started moving again. The blinking traffic lights resembled winking eyes. Seeing she didn’t want to discuss it further, Lin Zhengfeng turned the steering wheel and changed the subject: "By the way, why didn’t you discuss hiring a tutor for Ling Ling with me? That girl seems quite young, still a student herself, right? If she hadn’t brought the credential you gave her when she visited today, I would have thought she came to the wrong place."

"What tutor?" Unica turned her head at her husband’s words, a puzzled frown on her brow. "I didn’t hire a tutor for Ling Ling..."

Before she could finish, she suddenly remembered something she had temporarily forgotten and gasped softly.

She indeed hadn’t hired a tutor for her daughter, but not long ago, she had taken on a rather unorthodox teacher.

Lu Qing—the name echoed in her mind. On the surface, this was another student missing from the tournament. But combined with the conditions the other party had proposed before the competition, the First Princess, being a researcher, had a quick mind. An incredible idea soon formed in her heart.

"What’s wrong? Is there a problem?" Lin Zhengfeng asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Unica said, steadying herself. She rubbed her face and forced a cheerful smile. "I did hire a teacher for Ling Ling. I didn’t expect her to start so soon. Is she still at home? There were some terms we hadn’t finalized. I think I might need to discuss the conditions with her again tonight."

If Lu Qing was really Eve, then this girl harbored too many secrets. Unica needed to get to the bottom of it before daring to employ her.

The porch lights were bright. The First Princess and her husband returned to their residence under the night sky. Only half of the house was illuminated. Crossing the low threshold of the main gate, the butler took their coats. Just as he routinely instructed someone to bring up a light, warm soup for the evening, Unica interrupted him: "What about the girl who came today to apply as Ling Ling’s tutor?"

Lin Zhengfeng: "She’s in Lin Ling’s room. Don’t you want some soup first? I specifically asked the butler to prepare it before we left. You—"

"Oh, I’m not in the mood for soup," Unica said irritably, brushing aside her husband’s outstretched hand. Without further ado, she slipped on her slippers and hurried off, her footsteps pattering. "You go ahead and drink it! I’m busy."

"?"

As the princess’s only daughter, Lin Ling’s room was located in the east wing of the palace, occupying a small annex complete with a loft and a garden. When Unica arrived, the night sprinklers were still humming on the garden lawn, misting the damp night air. Under the warm orange light of the corridor, before she even entered, she heard voices inside—one somewhat unfamiliar, the other very familiar, her daughter’s voice.

Lin Ling seemed to be reciting something, stumbling through a long passage. After the person beside her said "Very good!", she giggled. Unconsciously, Unica placed her hand on the door, hesitating to push it open. She was about to listen a bit longer when she heard a surprised greeting from a maid behind her: "Your Highness! Why are you standing here alone?"

"Shh!"

Unica quickly made a silencing gesture. Unfortunately, Eve had already heard the commotion outside. With a snap of her fingers, the door swung open, revealing two familiar figures in the spill of bright white light. Recognizing who it was, Lin Ling put down her textbook, happily ran over, and threw herself into Unica’s arms: "Mommy!"

"Huh? Oh," Unica had no choice but to pick up her daughter. Straightening up, she met Eve’s amused gaze. Feeling embarrassed and annoyed, she turned to the servant and said sternly, "You may leave. I have something to discuss with this young lady. Take the young lady away as well."

"Mother?"

Lin Ling looked up in surprise, her green eyes gazing at her mother like a young animal, seemingly unable to understand why she wasn't as affectionate as usual today.

Unfortunately, a child's wishes are often the least considered part of a parent's decision-making. Soon, Lin Ling, powerless to resist, was taken away by the maid. As they left, the attentive servant thoughtfully closed the door to the annex. With only two people left in the room, Unica cleared her throat lightly under Eve's gaze, smoothing imagined wrinkles on her clothes before asking the masked girl before her, "Should I call you Lu Qing or Eve now?"

"Is there any difference?"

Eve chuckled softly, removing the mask covering her face to reveal a familiar, fair, and handsome face. She smiled, her eyes curving gently, and said in a relaxed tone, "Whichever you're accustomed to calling me is fine."

"Alright, Miss Eve," Unica nodded, walking over to sit on the soft sofa in the center of the room. "Then may I ask why you're here in my home now?"

"Of course, to fulfill my promise."

Under the First Princess's scrutinizing gaze, Eve shrugged and said in a light, casual tone, "After all, I received your benefits in advance. Now that I've mostly recovered, it's better to start work early."

The spacious Princess residence certainly had no shortage of empty rooms for Eve to use temporarily while working, but Unica didn't believe she was really here just to fulfill her teaching duties. For one thing, seeing someone everyone assumed had gone missing suddenly appear safe and sound in her home was shocking enough.

"Aren't you returning to Chris?" she asked.

Eve raised her slender eyebrows slightly, as if puzzled that someone so intelligent would ask such a question. "...Rather than that, I’d like to know who reported her?"

She had clearly reached an agreement with Maria. Besides Maria and the AI Tai'a, who else could have accessed the relevant information without being involved?

Unica didn’t hide it from her but instead gave Eve a deep look before saying, "It was Frigga who reported it personally."

So that was it, Eve realized. If Frigga had taken action personally, it was no wonder Qin Mengde had been exposed so quickly.

She stood up and said, "I won’t continue serving Chris for now. Staying elsewhere could easily expose my connection to you. If possible, I’d like to request your help in arranging a new identity under the First Princess's residence. As compensation, during this time, I will do my best to teach what I know to Miss Lin Ling. If you have any other needs, please feel free to be direct—if I can help, I will."

After scrutinizing her for a moment, Unica finally called for a servant to arrange a room for Eve.

"Take the next couple days to rest," she said, her expression softening slightly. But before Eve could express her thanks, Unica added, "I don’t believe that someone with your relationship with Chris would break ties so easily. The day after tomorrow, come with me somewhere. Whether your intentions are true or false will become clear then."

Eve smiled. "No problem."

Changing jobs always requires vetting—she got it.