Volume 1 Chapter 119

Volume 1 + Chapter 119: Something Amiss

Pipim’s mother sounded like a researcher in the Empire’s magitech field, and judging from Chancelianne’s tone, her position had not been a low one.

Whether in terms of status or academic achievements, she was clearly not someone an ordinary person could easily reach. Yet Eve had no recollection of her at all.

As a former cardinal of the Church, Eve had once come into contact with many important figures connected to the Empire, especially against the backdrop of intertwined interests between the Church and the imperial court.

Even so, this name still felt unfamiliar to her, which inevitably stirred a trace of doubt in her heart.

Perhaps it was because her former identity belonged to the Church faction, and her relationship with the imperial royal family had always been delicate, one might even say faintly adversarial. As a result, many hidden matters were things she never had the opportunity to learn in depth, which was not particularly strange.

“After all, such a valuable scientific resource… to execute her so easily feels a bit…”

Eve sighed softly, her tone carrying a hint of confusion and reflection.

She knew that for the Empire, researchers capable of making achievements in magitech were extremely rare and precious. If someone of such importance truly met such an end, then there must be far more hidden beneath the surface.

“Miss Eve, I think you should understand. This is not really an execution, but a form of protection.”

Chancelianne’s words were calm and rational, as though she were stating an irrefutable fact.

Yet upon hearing this, Eve’s heart gave a slight jolt, and she froze for a moment. Indeed, she vaguely remembered that such a notion existed within the Empire, that certain key researchers would be ‘protected’ for reasons of secrecy or otherwise, removed from the public eye.

But no matter how grand the explanation sounded, such ‘protection’ was, in reality, a cruel deprivation for the people involved and for their families.

Lowering her head in thought, Pipim’s small, thin figure could not help but surface in Eve’s mind.

The Empire might be willing to sacrifice everything for the advancement of magitech but what about Pipim?

What would become of that child’s future?

Having lost her mother’s care, her life had already fallen apart. Thinking of how, at such a young age, she had wandered the streets of the imperial capital just to survive, racking her brains for food, even figuring out which trash bins were most likely to contain leftovers. Eve felt as though something were gripping her heart tightly.

To the Empire, this might have been nothing more than a justified ‘protective measure,’ but to Pipim, it was an unmitigated nightmare.

“Of course, I understand what you’re thinking, Miss Eve. As long as the issue is resolved, this mother and daughter will soon be reunited.”

“But… this child has no one to take care of her right now.”

At Eve’s words, Chancelianne’s hand trembled involuntarily. A few drops of red tea splashed out, landing on her fair skin and leaving a conspicuous red mark from the scald.

“No one to take care of her?”

Chancelianne ignored her burned hand, setting down the teacup as she asked softly.

“How is that possible?”

Hearing Eve’s concern, Chancelianne shook her head lightly, confidence and certainty in her eyes. Her tone was even, revealing her deep understanding of the Empire’s internal affairs.

“For magitech researchers of the Empire, the treatment they receive is extremely generous.”

She paused briefly, as if organizing her thoughts. “Their work is crucial to the Empire’s future development. Naturally, the Empire provides abundant resources and guarantees, even sparing no expense to ensure their research proceeds smoothly.”

However, her tone shifted slightly, carrying a hint of helplessness.

“Yet for the families of these researchers, life is no longer as peaceful as before. Especially when these researchers ‘disappear’ after being sentenced to death, their families may face tremendous pressure, and even hostility and isolation from the outside world.”

She sighed softly, seeming to understand the cruelty involved.

But she quickly regained her composure, her voice taking on a tone that defended imperial decisions. “Still, this is a necessary sacrifice for the Empire’s future and progress. As for the families of those researchers, the Empire naturally makes proper arrangements, ensuring their safety and basic living needs.”

Her tone was steady, as if emphasizing that this was the greatest assurance the Empire could offer.

Just like Pipim, although Chancelianne had never met her, everything in her life from childhood onward had already been arranged by Chancelianne herself.

Chancelianne was meticulous by nature, and matters of this kind within the Empire were all handled by her.

For the children of imperial researchers, Chancelianne had considered many things. Even without ever meeting them, she had long regarded them as her own children and raised them as such.

As for Pipim, being the daughter of an important imperial researcher, she was entitled to various benefits and subsidies, all distributed on schedule. Every month, Chancelianne personally reviewed whether these provisions had been properly delivered.

In the future, if Pipim proved capable, she could rely on her own strength to enter the Imperial Academy or the even more advanced Church Academy for further studies.

If she wished to follow in her mother’s footsteps and specialize in magical formulas, then at the Imperial Academy where the royal family wielded considerable influence, even more preferential treatment could be offered.

It could be said that although Pipim had lost the mother she once depended on most, in other aspects her life should have been far better than that of most children her age in the Empire.

After all, as the child of an imperial magitech researcher, her birth alone had destined her living conditions to be vastly different from those of ordinary citizens.

Despite the tremendous blow of her mother’s ‘death,’ with the social standing her mother left behind and the resources provided by the Empire, Pipim should never have fallen into a state of having no one to care for her.

Eve’s brows knit slightly as the questions in her heart continued to multiply.

“How could she possibly have ended up with no one to look after her?”

She murmured to herself, filled with confusion. Yet what Chancelianne said next instantly threw her thoughts into disarray.

“Not only that, she was even scavenging trash in the imperial capital for a very long time.”

“What!?”

Chancelianne’s voice shot up abruptly. She no longer cared about her bearing, even standing up on the spot.

Her eyes widened, her face filled with shock and disbelief. Her voice cracked slightly, as though she could not accept such an unimaginable fact.

“After Pipim’s mother was taken away by the Empire, you should have arranged for someone else to be responsible for her guardianship, right?”

Eve could roughly guess the purpose of the many orphanages funded by the Lorraine family.

Children who could find guardians would naturally be sent to live with them, while those who could not would be taken into orphanages for care.

Yet either outcome was cruel for children who knew nothing of the truth.

“Yes. I remember… it was her uncle and aunt.”

Chancelianne truly had taken this matter to heart. Without consulting any documents, she was able to accurately answer the information Eve sought.