Volume 1 Chapter 132

Volume 1 + Chapter 132: Doubts

“Maybe you’re overthinking it? But it’s true that the weather is about to change.”

Eve gently lifted her head and glanced at the sky, a faint trace of concern flickering in her eyes.

In the direction of the royal capital, the sky had gradually grown gloomy, dark clouds pressing low as though a storm could sweep in at any moment. She frowned slightly, an indistinct premonition stirring in her heart.

“If these clouds don’t disperse, I’m afraid there’ll be heavy rain very soon.”

She spoke softly. The scene before her suddenly reminded her that the Empire had gone a long time without rainfall.

She remembered that in the past, the rainy season had always arrived with such torrential downpours, and once the rain passed, the temperature would drop sharply, ushering in the chill of autumn almost overnight.

“No need. I’m not cold.”

Alice shook her head, her tone carrying an indistinct anxiety. “It’s just… for no reason at all, I feel a bit uneasy.”

She unconsciously leaned closer to Eve, as if seeking some wordless comfort.

Eve noticed her abnormality, her gaze darkening slightly. Alice’s restless demeanor stirred a few questions in her own mind as well.

By all logic, if this were any other time, when Alice leaned close, her most natural reaction would have been to take a gentle breath, letting the faint fragrance on Eve’s body help soothe her tense emotions. But this time, she did not do so.

It was obvious that something was weighing on her mind.

Yet Eve did not know what that something was, nor did she know how to comfort her.

At least in Eve’s view, safety should not be an issue.

As for everything else, Eve truly could not account for every detail. After all, Alice was, one way or another, a young woman. Aside from Alice’s rather obvious improper intentions toward her—which were easy enough to guess—the rest was much harder to read.

Upon entering the villa, Eve and the others were warmly invited to sit down by Pipim’s aunt.

Chancelianne had been forcibly holding back her anger the entire time. As she surveyed the villa’s interior décor, a clear trace of displeasure flashed through her eyes.

So much subsidy had been granted by the Empire, yet instead of being spent on the child, it had all been poured into this place…

Especially the decorations and furniture—there were even several pieces made entirely of gold. These were things even Chancelianne herself would be reluctant to use.

“Your Highness the Empress, please have some tea.”

Pipim’s aunt respectfully presented a cup of warm tea. Then she carefully took out a letter from her bosom and held it up with both hands before Chancelianne. “Additionally, this is the letter His Majesty wrote to us back then.”

Chancelianne accepted the letter with a composed expression, her fingers brushing along the edge of the envelope as she lowered her gaze to examine it carefully.

At first, she merely glanced at it casually, but the longer her eyes lingered on that familiar handwriting, the more something felt amiss.

The letter did not appear to be forged. Whether it was the texture of the envelope, the royal gold-embossed insignia, or the date at the signature, there was nothing suspicious. And when she unfolded the letter and saw the strokes of handwriting, each line brimming with a familiar presence, an inexplicable doubt quietly arose in her heart.

The contents of the letter were indeed written by His Majesty himself—there was no flaw to be found.

Yet upon closer inspection, the ink had long since dried, taking on a slightly aged hue.

If it were merely fading due to time, that would be one thing. But judging by the date written on the letter, it should have been delivered a year ago. And based on the degree to which the ink had dried, the time it was written was likely close to two years ago.

That was precisely around the time before and after the execution of the Crimson Witch…

Chancelianne remembered that incident vividly. When the Crimson Witch was executed, because no one knew how deeply she had infiltrated the Empire, those who feared and hated witches replaced everything that might have been connected to her.

From certain high-ranking figures within the Church and the imperial royal family, down to the smallest items—paper, fountain pens, even ink.

The ink used on this letter had already been replaced long ago. In the entire Empire, it was now impossible to find a single bottle of this kind of ink.

Which meant that this letter was most likely written more than a year ago, nearly two years in the past.

During the period of the Crimson Witch incident.

But why would His Majesty write such a letter, send it to such a remote place, and be so certain that she would arrive here on this very day?

“Who delivered the letter?”

Chancelianne lifted her gaze slightly, fixing her eyes on Pipim’s aunt. Her voice was calm, yet carried a subtle probing undertone.

She lowered her head again to skim the contents. The letter merely explained one simple matter—foretelling her arrival and instructing Pipim’s uncle and aunt to receive her properly.

However, beyond that, the entire letter contained no important details at all, nor did it reveal a single piece of useful information, as if it were nothing more than a casual notice left behind.

Even stranger was the fact that the letter had been delivered over a year ago, while judging from the ink, it had likely been written nearly two years prior.

Such a long span of time made even Pipim’s aunt appear hesitant, as though she herself still could not quite believe that the Empress Consort would truly appear in such a remote place.

“It’s been too long. I’ve already forgotten.”

Pipim’s aunt lowered her head slightly, an apologetic expression appearing on her face, tinged with helplessness.

“Forgot everything?”

Chancelianne’s tone was even, yet her questioning carried a deeper meaning. Her gaze remained fixed on the woman’s face, as though waiting for her to recall more details.

“Yes… I’m truly sorry.”

“Then what about Pipim?”

Chancelianne took a deep breath. Her voice turned low and cold as she shifted her gaze away from the letter and looked directly at Pipim’s aunt. For the moment, she did not pursue the matter of the letter further—clearly, her attention had been seized by another, far more important issue.

Pipim’s aunt frowned slightly, as though searching her memory. “Pipim… that child—we haven’t seen her for quite some time either. Before, it seemed that someone took her away, saying they were sending her to reunite with her mother for a while.”

She paused, a complicated emotion flashing through her eyes. “But Pipim’s mother… wasn’t she sentenced to death?”

There was a hint of unease in her tone, as if her recollection of the news back then was still somewhat unclear.

“I heard the execution was imminent, which is why people from the imperial royal family came to take Pipim, saying they would let her see her mother,” the aunt continued. “We were even thinking of going to the imperial capital after a few days to bring Pipim back.”

Hearing this, Chancelianne’s expression darkened instantly, her heart jolting violently. She suddenly stood up, the abruptness of her movement startling those opposite her. Her eyes were sharp, filled with barely restrained anger and confusion.

Clearly, judging from Pipim’s aunt’s account, Pipim’s situation was not what they had believed—it was someone else who had taken her away.

This detail filled Chancelianne with deep unease and doubt.

Eve, standing nearby, was also momentarily stunned. Looking at Pipim’s aunt, she did not seem like a harsh or malicious person.

Eve could not shake the feeling that this trip had been in vain, yet at the same time, it felt as though someone unseen had driven them to make this journey.

Whether it was the various delays encountered along the way, or the way events unfolded, it all felt as if someone… was deliberately keeping them away from the imperial capital… while ensuring that their return would be delayed as much as possible.