Chapter 278

Chapter 278

—“I swear not to seek revenge against the Empress and her son. Not because I don’t hate them, but because I hate all nobles.”

—“The deceitful royal family, the high-and-mighty Four Great Families, and all the other nobles who grovel before their superiors while trampling on commoners—I won’t spare a single one.”

These were the exact words Qin Mengde spoke to Eve on a distant night.

Qin Mengde hated nobles the most, which begged the question:

Where in the empire were the most numerous and cruelest great nobles gathered at this very moment?

And what place stood as the greatest testament to the nobility’s sins?

Far away, yet right before their eyes.

—The Imperial Palace, the New Year’s Glory Ball.

From the very beginning, this was the target of Qin Mengde, also known as Chris Otto.

Eve, arm in arm with Lorca, calmly ascended to the second floor. Due to the emperor’s sudden death, the hall was in chaos. Some, relying on their status, had followed upstairs to witness the assassin’s ruthlessness, but most were anxiously trying to leave, only to be stopped by imperial guards who refused all entry and exit under the pretext of investigation.

Amidst the commotion, Eve and Lorca’s composure stood out as particularly unusual.

“Please stop right there, Miss Eve.”

An arm blocked Eve’s path. She turned her eyes to see Isabella, her face tense, studying her with wary and serious eyes.

Eve asked, “Senior Isabella, I came to see Her Highness the Princess, but what is the meaning of this?”

“My apologies, I just find you somewhat suspiciously dangerous,” Isabella said. Though young, she already possessed a measure of her mother’s authority and caution.

She pressed assertively, “You were once Chris’s closest advisor, and now you show no reaction to His Majesty’s death, as if you already knew. I strongly suspect that you are also Chris’s accomplice in today’s chaos.”

That she would suspect Eve at this critical juncture was unexpected. Not only did Luo Wenqing raise an eyebrow in surprise, but Eve’s own expression was quite complicated.

Lorca was displeased: “You know that was in the past.”

Isabella: “Then why aren’t you surprised by His Majesty’s death?”

“Because it’s obvious that more than just I knew Qin Mengde would appear today. What surprises you isn’t that she killed someone, but that the victim was the emperor,” Eve said, her lips curling, though her eyes held little mirth. “You initially thought she would assassinate the Empress or Anthony, didn’t you? But have you forgotten? Long ago, Qin Mengde made an alchemical vow not to harm the Empress and her son.”

“Cousin?!” Anthony exclaimed in surprise.

Isabella was aware of the alchemical vow, but she had assumed Eve had already found someone to break it, especially since the Oliver Family, who specialized in dealing with alchemists, were among Qin Mengde’s supporters.

Seeing her embarrassed expression, Eve guessed what was on her mind: “Such a vow cannot be broken, no matter how skilled the alchemist—the result would be the same.”

“Alright, Isabella, ease up now,” Unica, being her cousin, couldn’t bear to see her like this and gently lowered Isabella’s arm. “I don’t think Eve means me any harm. She probably just wants to discuss something with me. There’s no need to worry too much.”

There was an empty lounge nearby, and what Eve needed to say next wasn’t for others to hear. She pushed open the door to one of the lounges and gestured for Unica to enter.

Once the door closed, separating the inside from the outside, Eve patted the sofa cushion beside her, signaling for Lorca to sit, then addressed Unica, who stood by the wall with a worried expression: “The Fourth Princess’s target tonight is definitely not just the emperor.”

Hearing this, Unica’s surprise deepened, but she suppressed her unease and asked, “How do you know?”

“Didn’t Isabella just say why? I was once her closest advisor.”

Eve spread her hands helplessly: “Qin Mengde despises nobles and is resolute by nature. The emperor was the first to be sacrificed—consider it an honor. As for the rest of us small fry, I suspect she will directly deploy some large-scale, high-damage weapons.”

“...” Unica’s face paled further. “She wouldn’t use orbital weapons, would she? One missile, and we’d all be finished.”

Eve: “Nuclear weapons are military-grade; she shouldn’t have the authority to deploy them now. But we can’t rule out other high-impact artillery. I previously asked Lorca to borrow a military force stationed in the southwestern suburbs of the central city.”

“We’re not members of the royal family and don’t have the authority to call them into the palace, so they can only remain outside the suburbs. If you want to suppress tonight’s chaos, Your Highness Unica, you must, as a princess, command them and grant permission, and arrange for their urgent deployment.”

Unica had no experience commanding soldiers. She was purely an academic—able to discuss strategy on paper but hesitant when it came to real soldiers.

Seeing her troubled expression, Eve knew what she was worried about: “If you really can’t, ask Isabella and Luo Wenqing to coach you. Actually, I don’t think the commander’s personal combat ability matters much. As a princess, what you need is to be a symbol.”

With things put so bluntly, Unica gritted her teeth and took the military communicator from Lorca: “I’ll try my best.”

Eve: “You need more than just your best—you must succeed.”

Qin Mengde wouldn’t give up so easily, especially since this was her last chance. Eve understood this well. But preparing weapons took time—the more powerful they were, the longer it took. So, summoning the military was still possible.

With several Legion Commanders from the military present, by the time Eve finished talking with Unica and stepped out, the situation on the first floor had largely stabilized. A few eloquent officials were negotiating with the guards at the entrance to open the doors—those gathered here were either elites educated as nobles or sharp people who had risen from the bottom. Their composure was exceptional; even after the emperor’s assassination caused a brief panic, order was quickly restored.

Eve found it strange that she hadn’t seen the Empress today, but soon, she had no time to dwell on it.

A strange smell wafted through the air. Lorca tightened his grip on her hand: “Smoke.”

“There’s a fire,” Eve pointed to the thick smoke rising from both the north and south ends. Despite her anger, she almost felt like laughing. “What a champion of justice, preparing to execute us with fire.”

In the culture of the Old Era, fire symbolized purification and the burning away of impurities—wasn’t this basically comparing the privileged class to filth?

Every lounge on the second floor had thick curtains, and red drapes connected the rooms. The curtains on both sides of the hall, the flags on the walls—once these caught fire, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Thick smoke billowed, and the scorching heat made everyone desperate to escape. Even the imperial guards realized that, compared to investigating the emperor’s death, it was more important to open the doors and save those inside.

But soon, they discovered to their horror that the doors had already been locked from the outside.

The doors weren’t the only way out. Some tried jumping from the windows, but as soon as they landed on the grass and before they could reassure those still inside, a flying arrow pinned them to the spot.

Blood splattered. Those inside screamed and immediately shut the windows tightly.

Even more eerily, the signal in the hall was gone. They couldn’t even call for help.

A spreading despair gradually engulfed the area. Some cried, some prayed, and others sought out the Medici Patriarch and Prince Philip, offering their help in capturing the culprit.

Throughout this, Eve remained standing at the edge of the second floor, observing the suspicious figures.

“Eve! Lorca! Finally found you,” Anthony emerged from one of the lounges, sweating from worry. Seeing Eve and Lorca was like seeing family, and he hurriedly called out, “Help us find Ling Ling! There’s a child here!”

“Ling Ling?” Eve was stunned, unable to believe it. “You brought a child here? How could you lose track of her?”

“Ah, don’t ask! Children get sleepy easily. She said she wanted to nap shortly after arriving, so a maid took her to a lounge. But when we went to check, both the maid and the child were gone—I haven’t dared to tell my sister, afraid it’ll affect her.”

Anthony was about to cry, clutching his head in frustration. Eve was completely exasperated. She glared at Anthony: “You can’t even keep track of a child, and you dare to cry? Hurry up and find her!”

“I was wrong! Oh heavens, please help me!”

“Let’s split up to cover more ground.”

“Alright.” “I’ll keep searching this area then.”

A life was at stake, especially that of a defenseless child. Even if Qin Mengde spared her, a child could easily get injured in a fire-filled environment.

Even Lorca didn’t stick with Eve; he knew what was important. Once Anthony outlined the areas he had already searched, they divided up the areas and plunged into the smoke and flames.

Frigga held her sword, her face unreadable, pushing against the crowd.

She had just seen Qin Mengde. After their clash, in a moment of carelessness, she let the injured Qin Mengde escape. With that cheat-code-like Oathtype Spiritual State, once someone slipped away, it became nearly impossible to track them down.

Knowing it was likely hopeless to find her now, she felt frustrated but still dutifully checked lounge after lounge, pushing open doors to see if Qin Mengde might be hiding inside. When she reached one particular room, Frigga saw a girl with dark red hair curled under a blanket, watching her warily.

"..." There weren't many girls in the Otto royal family, and this child was actually related to her. Frigga casually called out the girl's nickname, "Ling Ling, what are you doing here?"

Lin Ling blinked, not recognizing who Frigga was, and simply shook her head.

"Don't remember me? Do you want to come with me to find your mom?"

Lin Ling shook her head again, remembering her mother's teachings about strangers.

"Why are you shaking your head at everything?" Frigga began to suspect her niece's child might be a mute. "Are you planning to wait here for your mom then?"

This time, Ling Ling nodded.

At least she's not simple-minded, Frigga thought with relief, reaching out to close the door for Lin Ling. "Alright then, stay right here. I'll go tell your mom you're here and come back for you later."

No one would suspect an innocent child, so the moment Frigga left, Qin Mengde hurriedly slid out from under the bed. Lin Ling sat on the bed, curiously watching this severely injured woman.

"Hey, kid," Qin Mengde lifted her clothes, glanced at the dinner-plate-sized scar on her waist, and with no particular emotion let the fabric fall back as if the injury wasn't her own. "Whose family are you from?"

Ling Ling stuck to her mute routine and shook her head again.

As much as Qin Mengde hated the nobility of the empire, she wasn't crazy enough to harm a child. She glanced at the door Frigga had just pushed open—the banquet hall was no longer safe, and it was better to escape sooner rather than later.

In one swift motion, she took Ling Ling by the scruff of her neck and lifted her.

Lin Ling: "???"

"Stop staring. It's smoke-filled and dangerous in here. Wait for your mom outside."

With that, Qin Mengde scooped the girl up, pushed open the window, and a bluish light flickered past—her own Spiritual State, the Blue Bird.

The banquet hall had high ceilings; even on the second floor, the window sill was at least ten meters from the ground. But this was no problem for Qin Mengde. Where the Blue Bird flew, it created a mini-cyclone, and using this invisible cushion of air, she touched down softly on the grass with a light step.

Qin Mengde set Lin Ling down and instructed, "Wait here for your family. Don't go back inside, understand?"

This older sister didn't seem bad...

After a moment's hesitation, Lin Ling spoke up, "Thank you, sister."

"So you're not mute after all," Qin Mengde ruffled Lin Ling's hair, not dwelling on it, then turned to look at the banquet hall, half-engulfed in flames. Without a second thought, she slipped back inside. "I'm leaving now. Goodbye, little one."

The scale of the fire was enough to draw attention from the central district, and with the military Unica had summoned, Qin Mengde had to admit, however reluctantly, that tonight was destined to end with few kills.

One thing neither Unica nor Frigga had anticipated was that Qin Mengde wasn't that keen on surviving the night.

What would survival bring? She’d still be a tool for the empire on the battlefield. If lucky, decades of service, leaving her with a body full of scars, becoming a warlord prince in some remote star system. If unlucky, she’d end up dead on the battlefield. Neither outcome sounded particularly appealing.

Might as well have some fun tonight.

The flames, fanned by the wind, climbed all the way to the palace's spires. The centuries-old, magnificent structure was being destroyed at a terrifying pace—painted surfaces peeling, gold leaf melting, exposing the gray filler beneath. The fire brigade was frantic but helpless.

This was a special kind of fire source she’d obtained from Zuo Li, not easily extinguished.

Qin Mengde looked up at the boundless night sky, the roaring flames, and the distant lights of thousands of households. None of it left a mark in her cold, indifferent eyes.

It had snowed during the day, and the night wind was bitingly cold. Lin Ling clutched her blanket, staring blankly at Qin Mengde's retreating figure. Behind her, a tall purple silhouette stood on a tree branch.

"How interesting," Agnes murmured. "When it comes to madness, no one tops GoldSilverCup. When her time was almost up in her previous life, she immediately arranged her reincarnation... So this is what she exchanged."

A butterfly with asymmetrical wings perched on her shoulder, its voice in her mind sharp and thin: "The master allowed it. You barely get out of the divine realm for some fresh air; don’t do anything unnecessary."

Agnes said, "How annoying. Why isn’t anyone stopping GoldSilverCup from sneaking in extras to her reincarnation?"

"Don’t be jealous. Her current body is very fragile; without protection, she could easily die young. Why else would she line up protection in advance?" The God of Death Butterfly snorted. "If you were willing to reincarnate, you could add your own twists too. It’s one of our company’s benefits."

Who would want to reincarnate and start over from scratch, throwing away a lifetime of effort? Agnes ignored it.

"Ling Ling!"

A young woman's voice called out as she leaped from the window ledge. The oath rules originally set in the grand palace were triggered, and arrows shot from all directions, only to be deflected by Eve, who drew a gem-encrusted tube from her waist that elongated into a sword.

Eve ran forward, scooped Ling Ling up, and asked with a mix of anxiety and confusion, "How did you get out?"

Hadn’t Qin Mengde already set the rule for the banquet hall—enter but not leave?

"A sister brought me out," Ling Ling explained honestly, her clear green eyes looking up. "She said it was dangerous inside and told me to stay out."

Only one person could bring another child out of this palace unscathed—the one who set the entry and exit rules.

Eve's gaze shifted, but she pressed Lin Ling's head gently, pretending to scold her. "Don’t run off like that again. Your siblings were searching everywhere for you."

Lin Ling: "I understand. I'm sorry."

"And that sister who brought you out," Eve asked casually, "do you remember where she went?"

"She went back."

Just like in the original... just like the definitive ending in her past life.

Eve sighed softly, carrying Ling Ling toward the front of the banquet hall. The Luna Butterfly's power quietly shielded them—on this special day of the New Year's Honor Ball, hundreds of dignitaries in the capital were trapped in a blazing venue. It was beyond abnormal, and she wasn’t ready to face the media’s scrutiny yet.

Coincidentally, from her time working under Qin Mengde, where she’d often set fires during vendettas, Eve always carried a special Alchemy Potion for extinguishing fires in her pocket.

She wondered if Qin Mengde had chosen this method to provoke the royal family on purpose.

Passing a fire truck, she uncorked the bottle and poured the inky blue liquid into the water source used for firefighting.

"Did the fire get smaller?"

"The hoses are working! Hey, increase the flow, focus on suppressing the east side first!"

Thick black smoke rose to the sky. A young firefighter nearby lamented the loss of the historic building. "I wonder if it can be repaired, but even if it is, it won’t be the same," he complained. "Why didn’t the government apply fire-resistant coating to this historic structure?"

Even if the fire was put out, some things lost to the flames would never return.