Volume 1 Chapter 113

Volume 1 + Chapter 113: Death Sentence

Magic is undoubtedly quite useful. In the current situation, without magic, Eve truly wouldn’t know what to do.

This expensive apartment was still borrowed for their stay. If it really got dirtied, Eve would probably have to resort to selling herself to Her Highness the Princess to afford the compensation.

After all, this is an apartment in the most bustling area of the imperial capital. With Eve’s current financial means, she would likely struggle to afford even a single floor tile.

But to be honest, while magic could solve the problem of black smoke and the soot-stained walls, it couldn’t solve the current dilemma…

Eve looked at the four dishes on the table that were utterly unrecognizable in shape, and then at Leah’s exceedingly expectant eyes, twinkling like stars.

For a moment, Eve felt bewildered and at a loss.

Pipim beside her was too scared to even approach the table, while the usually steady Zhizhi couldn’t hide the discomfort in her expression.

Looking at these four dishes before her, aside from their different shapes, Eve thought their smell, appearance, and likely even their taste… were all the same.

All were blackened, lumpy masses emitting a charred odor.

“Sweetheart, what did you make?”

Eve felt rather awkward, her slender hand holding the chopsticks was visibly sweating.

Her chopsticks hovered mid-air, uncertain whether to reach for the food or not.

Eve was even worried… if she placed the chopsticks on that plate, would they just melt?

“This is roasted sausage.”

Leah wiped her grimy little face and excitedly explained to Eve.

“Now that you mention it… it does kind of look like it.”

Eve nodded, truly at a loss for how to praise her daughter. No matter what, she absolutely couldn’t crush her confidence.

After all, it was rare for her to put her heart into cooking for her… but, but…

Eve somewhat suspected that maybe it would be better to discourage her a bit, to make her give up cooking entirely.

For neighborhood relations and social stability, whether Leah cooked or not played a pivotal role.

“This is tomato and beef stew, but it was cooked too vigorously, and all the broth is gone.”

“Ah, how wonderful.”

Eve praised in a somewhat flat, reading-aloud tone.

“This is…”

“Alright, sweetheart, no need to introduce anymore. Why didn’t you go to work today? Don’t you still have to protect the imperial trade routes?”

Eve forced a faint smile and asked quietly.

“I went this morning, but it was very quiet all morning. The guild sister said I’m very capable and don’t need to keep staring, they’ll call me if there’s danger. I get paid as usual, and they even said they’d give me a raise.”

Leah picked up a fork, casually speared a black object of unknown origin but probably the roasted sausage, and nonchalantly put it in her mouth, startling both Eve and Qianzhi.

Yet the dishes that made Eve frown deeply, Qianzhi recoil, and Pipim too scared to even approach the table, Leah ate with great relish.

What difference was there from chewing charcoal?

“I see, that’s impressive.”

Eve nodded. She certainly knew why the imperial merchant guild’s trade routes were so peaceful.

It was all thanks to Eve. Worried her precious daughter might encounter danger while escorting caravans, she had given a little warning to those small beasts, minor magical creatures, sentient man-eating plants, and road-blocking bandits.

Most likely, none of the above would dare show their faces for quite some time.

Originally, she had intended to look out for her precious daughter, but she never expected Leah would have so much free time that she started venturing into the kitchen.

Leah was excellent at housework, but clearly, she was not at all skilled at cooking.

This wouldn’t do. If her precious girl kept staying at home, she might accidentally burn the house down one day if they weren’t careful.

Burning the house down was a minor issue, it was her alchemy-like cooking method that was worrisome. If she ended up creating a new species, that would be truly not good.

“Um, sweetheart. Listen to me, from now on, leave the cooking to me.”

“Because… Pipim is very picky. She only eats the food I make, because my cooking tastes a lot like her mother’s.”

To be honest, Eve knew well that one shouldn’t lie to children, but for the sake of world peace, she had to use a little white lie.

Pipim, hiding nearby and not daring to approach the table, seemed quite quick on the uptake. As soon as Eve said this, she began nodding eagerly.

After all, she was also afraid—afraid that Leah might one day create a monster, and afraid that she would be responsible for eating that monster…

“Is that so? Alright then. But when Mom is very busy, let me help occasionally.”

Leah nodded understandingly. Eve secretly sighed in relief, and Qianzhi and Pipim beside her also let out a sigh of relief.

Even the little black cat Maodou, hiding in the corner of the living room belonging to Pipim, couldn’t help but let out a relieved “meow.”

“About Pipim…”

Baby Zhizhi instinctively glanced at the pitch-black dishes on the table. She deliberately moved her chair a bit farther away before continuing:

“About Pipim’s mother, I’ve found out.”

Whether to change the subject or because she had long intended to tell Eve about this, Baby Zhizhi deliberately steered the conversation towards Pipim.

“She’s currently locked in a prison cell…”

Halfway through her sentence, Qianzhi, as if remembering something, quietly leaned close to Eve’s ear.

It must be said, the scent on Eve was particularly captivating to her, but now wasn’t the time to smell it—though she could sneak a whiff, but it wasn’t quite appropriate to do so now…

“Zhizhi?”

Eve looked at Qianzhi, who had leaned close to her neck and was continuously twitching her fair nostrils as if savoring something.

Had she come close… not to whisper something, but to smell her scent?

“Ah? I… I mean, Pipim’s mother is imprisoned in the death row cell. She’s scheduled for execution in about a week.”

Hearing Qianzhi’s words, Eve couldn’t help but be taken aback.

Although she had been mentally prepared, she never expected the matter to be this serious.

Execution in a week meant most things were already set in stone, all procedures and conditions were in place, and there was basically no room for reversal.

After all, Eve was someone who had been sentenced to execution once before.

She was somewhat familiar with this process…

But Eve wouldn’t die, unless it was by fire, and fire execution had already been inexplicably abolished on grounds of inhumanity even before she herself was sentenced to death.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely certain. I asked my aunt to have someone verify it.”

As Qianzhi spoke, Eve instinctively looked at Pipim beside her.

At this moment, she still didn’t know what was happening. When her eyes met Eve’s, she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a slight smile.

“What’s the charge?”

“Not too clear. After all, as you know, time was short. Just finding out Pipim’s mother’s whereabouts was already quite an effort.”