Volume 1 Chapter 145.1

Volume 1 + Chapter 145.1: The Emperor Has Passed Away

From the moment she returned earlier, Eve had felt that something about the atmosphere in the imperial palace was off.

The imperial palace, usually lively and bustling, was eerily quiet—so quiet it was almost frightening. At the time, Eve had already sensed that something was wrong, though it was also possible that Chancelianne and Alice were simply in low spirits.

Eve didn’t say much and quietly went home.

After all, the matter of Pipim had still not been fully investigated, which had left Chancelianne quite distressed.

Now, with someone coming to see her so late at night, it was most likely related to the imperial palace—and at this hour, it certainly wouldn’t be good news.

With that thought, Eve opened the door, her heart filled with unease.

Standing outside was none other than Alice’s personal maid. Her face showed clear anxiety, and the composed elegance she usually carried was nowhere to be seen.

“Miss Eve, may I have a word with you in private?”

The maid stood at the doorway with her head slightly lowered, yet her eyes instinctively swept the surroundings, as if checking whether it was safe. She was so tense that she almost neglected proper etiquette, even her bow appearing somewhat flustered.

Eve raised her head and smiled faintly, her tone gentle yet polite. “Please, of course.”

She knew she was only staying here temporarily—there was no reason to turn someone away at the door.

The maid paused briefly, pressing her lips together, her expression growing even more anxious.

“This matter… I must speak with you alone. How about the bedroom?”

Her tone carried urgency, and there was an unmistakable unease in her eyes. The moment she finished speaking, Eve froze—straight to the bedroom as soon as they entered?

This… was that appropriate?

Eve blinked lightly, a subtle ripple passing through her thoughts, yet she still replied calmly, “O-of course. Please.”

She stepped slightly aside, gracefully gesturing for the maid to go first. Though she felt some confusion, seeing the maid’s obvious anxiety made it clear—there was no room to refuse under these circumstances.

Eve frowned faintly, curiosity rising within her.

For the maid to be this urgent and secretive about speaking to her alone, the matter was clearly no small one.

She said nothing more and quietly followed behind the maid, ignoring Leah’s utterly shocked gaze. Eve led the young maid into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

The room instantly fell silent. Leah stood where she was, staring unblinkingly at the door, her mind filled with nothing but confusion and astonishment.

She couldn’t help but think to herself—being able to call Eve into the bedroom so easily, and Eve not only unable to refuse but showing no sense of impropriety at all… what a masterful technique. She would have to learn this well in the future.

Take notes! Take notes!

The bedroom of this luxurious apartment was designed with great care, the bedroom in particular being especially distinctive.

To ensure the owner’s rest was both quiet and comfortable, the soundproofing was taken to an extreme.

No matter what happened outside, once the door was closed, the room seemed completely cut off from the world beyond. Almost no sound from outside could enter, and conversely, even if chaos erupted inside, not a single sound would leak out.

It was precisely for this reason that Alice’s personal maid chose to speak with Eve alone in the bedroom.

“Miss Eve, the situation is urgent, so I’ll be brief,” the maid said, her voice low and hurried. “His Majesty, the Emperor of the Empire… has passed away.”

The moment Eve heard those words, she froze. It was as if her hearing had suddenly failed her—she almost suspected she had misheard.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but the words caught in her throat.

Looking at the young maid before her, at her tense and solemn expression, all of Eve’s doubts vanished in an instant. The situation was clearly far more serious than she had imagined.

“Has he… truly passed away?”

Eve’s voice carried disbelief. She knew how powerful the Emperor was—how could someone of his strength die so easily? The suddenness of the news felt unreal.

“Yes, Miss Eve.”

The maid nodded, her expression still grave. Carefully, she took out a delicate handkerchief from her bosom, the object wrapped inside handled with great care.

She slowly unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a shattered crystal within. The fragments lay scattered, emitting a dull, fading glow, as if most of its brilliance had already been lost.

“This is…?”

Eve carefully lifted the crystal fragments, examining them closely. Faint traces of magical fluctuation still lingered on the surface, extremely weak—like the last remnants before vanishing entirely.

Beyond that, she sensed nothing else.

“This is a magical crystal used exclusively by the imperial family to monitor the health of the empire’s highest officials,” the maid explained solemnly. “It reflects their physical condition in real time. If there is any abnormality, the crystal reacts immediately—and it can even transmit a signal of death.”

“If it shatters… it means the person being monitored has already died.”

Hearing this, Eve’s eyes widened at once.

“Th-then this means… this belonged to His Majesty the Emperor?”

Eve could hardly believe it, yet with the evidence right before her, she had no choice but to accept it.

“Yes…”

At these words, clear sorrow and pain surfaced on the maid’s face. After all, the Emperor’s achievements were known to all—without him, the Empire would not be what it was today.

“Could there be a mistake? Even magical crystals have a chance of malfunctioning,” Eve said softly, pressing her lips together.

She wasn’t wrong—but the probability of such crystals malfunctioning was vanishingly small, perhaps not even once in millions of uses.

And a failure of this magnitude—shattering outright—was even more unthinkable.

Moreover, these crystals were carefully selected by the Empire itself. One need only look at Chancelianne to know that the imperial family’s standards were far from low. Such strict selection further reduced the chance of error.

“No,” the maid said, taking a deep breath. “All imperial officials throughout history have used these crystals. There has never been a single case of error.”

She paused briefly, then continued, “In fact, properly laying to rest the shattered crystal is an important part of the imperial funeral rites.”

Only a very few people were qualified to have their health monitored by such crystals to begin with, making the possibility of a life-and-death level error even more remote.

“I see…”

Eve let out a soft sigh, her emotions tangled and complex. She felt she ought to offer words of comfort, yet didn’t know how to begin. The heavy silence left her slightly at a loss, though she understood clearly that the situation was already far beyond her control.

“My condolences…”

She spoke gently, her tone tinged with helplessness and sympathy. “Then… should the authority of the Empire now be handed over to Princess Alice?”

Although Alice was still young and had yet to experience such power struggles, this was the harsh reality she would have to face. If she chose to avoid it, someone else would certainly seize the opportunity and claim the vacant power.

Especially those factions suppressed by the Emperor for decades—most notably the Church. For them, the Emperor’s death was nothing less than a golden chance to rise again.

After all, the Emperor had passed away—but the Pope had not. The Empress Dowager was, in the end, still only the Empress. She lacked true authority, largely because her position was not fully legitimate.

But the Pope was different…

“At present, this news has not been made public,” the maid replied heavily. “Imperial affairs are temporarily being handled by the Empress Dowager.”

Her brows were tightly knit, clearly weighed down by the complexity of the situation.

“However, such an arrangement cannot last long. The truth will eventually come to light. When that happens, the Empire will inevitably fall into turmoil, and the consequences are impossible to predict.”

Eve listened quietly, already considering what might come next, but she did not interrupt.

“I came to see you not only because the imperial family trusts you one hundred percent and is willing to tell you of the Emperor’s death,” the maid said, her tone suddenly growing even more solemn. She paused slightly, as if preparing to deliver a crucial message. “There is also something else—something extremely important.”

She took a deep breath, her gaze deep and steady. “The Empress Dowager hopes that you will step forward and assist Princess Alice.”

Her eyes shone brightly, as though Eve herself were the Empire’s hope.

That gaze was filled with expectation and urgency, as if Eve’s involvement could alter the future of the entire Empire.

The Emperor’s sudden death had placed enormous pressure on the Empress Dowager. Coupled with the responsibilities she already bore, she simply did not have the energy to handle matters of state beyond her own duties.

And Princess Alice was still very young. Although she had already begun learning how to inherit the throne, her growth and capabilities were still far from sufficient to deal with the complex situation now unfolding before them.