Volume 1 Chapter 123

Volume 1 + Chapter 123: Agreement

“Eavesdropping? Eavesdropping on what?”

Alice blinked, her face full of innocence as she tried to play dumb and muddle her way through. Unfortunately, there was no way Eve would fall for it. She simply stood there in silence, saying nothing, her gaze sharp as a blade as it locked onto Alice, as though she had already seen straight through her.

The pressure of that silence made Alice’s scalp prickle, and a fine sheen of sweat even appeared at her temples.

“I—I wasn’t eavesdropping…”

Alice instinctively waved her hands in denial, but her tone had already betrayed a hint of guilt. What was worse, Eve had not even accused her yet, and Alice was already panicking—an unmistakable sign of a guilty conscience.

“Alright… just a little bit.”

In the end, she could not withstand Eve’s sword-like stare. Lowering her head guiltily, she confessed in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. Even so, Eve did not withdraw her oppressive gaze, continuing to stare at her, which only made Alice more flustered, her fingers twisting together nervously.

“Really, just a little bit. Believe me!”

She hurriedly added, her tone pitiful, blinking her eyes as she tried to win Eve’s trust. “With the relationship we have, don’t you trust me?”

Alice took a step forward, her voice tinged with sincerity and disbelief.

But precisely because she knew Alice so well, Eve understood exactly how to deal with Alice’s so-called three stages.

Just glare at her.

“I heard everything. Sorry…”

In the end, Alice completely surrendered, deflating like a punctured balloon. Her whole body seemed to go slack, her voice so soft it nearly vanished into the air. From beginning to end, Eve did not say a single word—she merely looked at Alice in silence, and that wordless pressure was far more unsettling than any scolding.

The maid at the side watched the scene quietly, her eyes filled with shock. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. The princess… actually admitted fault so obediently?

No coquettish acting, no arguing back, not even an attempt to bargain? She secretly swallowed, marveling inwardly. As expected, someone acknowledged by both the Emperor and the Empress was no ordinary figure.

Miss Eve’s calm, understated sense of intimidation was truly awe-inspiring.

Of course, if the princess could also take the opportunity to tidy up her clothing while backing down, it would have been even more perfect.

Alice, however, paid no attention to the gazes around her. She cautiously lifted her eyes to look at Eve, her voice a little unsteady, tinged with a hint of coquettishness. “I just… saw that you came but didn’t come to see me right away, so I got a bit jealous…”

She muttered softly, almost in a pout, and even Eve could not help feeling her heart soften slightly at the sound.

Alice looked like a pitiful little creature, the kind that would stir sympathy in anyone who saw her.

But clearly, this was merely Alice’s protective coloring, and Eve had no intention of indulging her.

“Don’t be angry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

Alice said carefully.

“Mm, I know.”

Eve nodded lightly, her movement gentle and natural. She then picked up a jacket and draped it over Alice’s shoulders. In that moment, the soft fabric, carrying the warmth of Eve’s fingertips, settled against Alice’s body, making her pause slightly as an inexplicable warmth spread through her chest.

Alice froze for half a second, then blinked. A smile slowly bloomed across her face as she leaned a little closer, asking in a tentative, coaxing tone, “Hehe… then can I come along too?”

“Sure.”

Eve replied calmly, her tone so casual it was as if this were nothing more than an everyday matter. She casually picked up a magic book from the table and placed it in front of Alice.

Alice had not yet processed what she had heard, assuming Eve had once again rejected her in some roundabout way, as usual. But in the next instant, she froze, as though rooted to the spot.

Eve… had actually agreed?

Her eyes filled with disbelief, and she even wondered if she had misheard. She stared blankly at Eve and hesitantly repeated, “I… I said I wanted to go with you.”

“Mm, I know.”

Only then did Eve slowly lift her head. Her clear, deep eyes met Alice’s gaze, carrying a faint warmth but not the slightest hint of jest. In that instant, Alice felt as though her heartbeat had skipped.

It caught Alice completely off guard.

“Going out together to see more of the world isn’t a bad thing. And frankly, I think it’s a bit inappropriate for me to travel alone with your mother.”

Eve cleared her throat and spoke with slight awkwardness.

“But since it was your mother who proposed it, it’s not my place to say much. You’ll have to talk to her yourself.”

Her voice remained even, her gaze calm as water. “I agree—but before that, you still need to obtain her consent.”

Alice paused slightly, her mouth opening as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she swallowed her words.

She understood Eve’s meaning perfectly well. After all, if two of the three great figures of the imperial household were to travel together, even something done casually required careful consideration. Security alone was of paramount importance—any misstep could shake the entire empire.

But with Eve present, the matter became much easier to handle.

It would also serve as an opportunity to assess Alice’s true strength firsthand. After all, mere theoretical discussion was never enough.

As for how strong Eve truly was, only Alice herself knew.

Thus, how to obtain her mother’s consent became the real problem.

Alice could not help frowning, her thoughts now completely detached from Eve’s lesson.

Taking advantage of the short break after the first half of the class, Alice changed into her princess dress and hurried toward her mother’s chambers.

With something weighing on her mind, her steps were light, like a deer in the mountains—lively and full of energy.

During Eve’s lecture, she had been carefully choosing her words, pondering how to bring the matter up to her mother.

But when she finally reached Chancelianne, panting slightly, she suddenly did not know where to begin.

“Mother, I heard you’re going on a long trip with Miss Eve?”

“Yes. Do you want to come along?”

“Huh?”

Before Alice could even speak, Chancelianne brought it up herself.

Things were going far more smoothly than Alice had ever imagined.

“Is that alright?”

“Of course. It’s a good chance to take you out and let you see more of the world.”

Chancelianne was flipping through a thick stack of documents as she spoke, not even lifting her head.