Volume 1 Chapter 92

Volume 1 + Chapter 92: Crimson Red

“We’ll talk about that once I’ve found her.”

Pipim stuffed a piece of broccoli into her mouth and replied in a muffled voice.

Her words made Eve feel a bit deflated. Wasn’t that no different than asking for nothing?

Still, this little girl did have quite the appetite. She wasn’t picky at all.

“You’ve been looking for so long without finding her, and you’re still going to keep searching?”

Eve looked at the ravenous Pipim, and for some reason, the sight of the dirty little girl devouring food made her seem rather pitiful.

“I’ll keep looking for another month. If I still can’t find her, then I’ll stop.”

Pipim lowered her head and spoke softly. For some reason, Eve could clearly sense that when she said this, her tone carried a trace of disappointment and helplessness.

She looked as pitiful as a small animal stuffed in a cardboard box and abandoned by the roadside.

“Why?”

“Because if I can’t find her, then it’s meaningless.”

Hearing Pipim’s words, Eve was momentarily at a loss for words. She felt like she could already guess what this little girl was seeking her for.

Most likely, it had something to do with her mother.

But Eve truly couldn’t recall who Pipim’s mother was. After all, Eve had helped far too many people before.

To humans, witches were absolute villains—existences that could never be accepted by mankind.

But if the good deeds Eve had once done were to become public, then this stereotype might be completely overturned.

Some people’s faith might even shift from the untouchable gods to the witches…

After all, under the Church’s teachings, the gods whom people worshipped had never answered a single prayer.

Yet the reviled witch Eve had truly, selflessly helped humanity.

How ironic…

“I see. So, is it because your mother is sick?”

“……”

Pipim didn’t answer. Instead, her expression grew even more aggrieved.

Though it was obvious she was doing her utmost to hold back her tears, not letting them fall, that pitiful expression and her trembling little body betrayed the feelings hidden deep in her heart.

From her reaction, Eve could already see through a bit of the truth. It wasn’t as simple as her mother being sick.

After all, if her mother had still been around to care for her, then no matter how sick she was, no mother would allow her child to fall into such a state.

“Mama was taken away—taken away without any reason.”

Pipim pursed her lips. The big teardrops she could no longer hold back slowly slid down her cheeks.

“I want to save Mama, but I can hardly even find her. All I know is that she was taken to the Imperial Capital, and a month later she’ll be executed.”

“Someone sent me a letter. They said Mama had committed a capital crime, an unforgivable sin, and must be executed.”

“I don’t understand. Mama is just Mama. How could she commit a capital crime… My Mama is gentle and kind, she… wu wu…”

Pipim could no longer continue speaking, but Eve had mostly understood what she meant.

Her mother must have been taken away by someone, and from Eve’s perspective, most likely she had been seized as a scapegoat.

After all, such things were quite common—at least in this empire. The further one lived from the Imperial Palace, the greater the danger.

All kinds of things could happen at any moment…

And those whom Eve helped were certainly never villains. Eve did have her standards when helping others.

The world was full of poor people, some honest farming families lived in poverty, and even a bandit who hadn’t managed to rob any wealth for a month could fall into poverty.

Eve couldn’t just help someone simply because they were poor.

That wouldn’t be charity—it would be sheer foolishness.

Fortunately, there were still many in this world truly worthy of Eve’s help. And those who bullied them were rarely mountain bandits or local thugs.

More often than not, the ones who oppressed them came from so-called “higher classes,” the so-called upper society.

Just like Leah back at the Church Academy.

“Eat first. Eat a little more.”

Eve’s tone carried a trace of helplessness. She didn’t know how to comfort Pipim in front of her.

The matter was still unclear, and Eve felt it necessary to learn more.

But truth be told, resolving Pipim’s problem might not be too difficult.

With Eve’s current status, it would be nothing more than saying a word to Alice.

Though Princess Alice was not serious by nature, when it came to important matters, her heart still held a sense of justice.

If there really was foul play in this matter, Alice’s reaction would likely be even stronger than Eve’s.

This would also be a chance to test whether Alice was truly fit to inherit the empire. To let her see how much darkness and injustice hid beyond her sight.

“Later, I’ll take you to buy some proper clothes. Then you’ll stay at my home for now. If there’s any problem, I’ll help you solve it.”

“But…”

Pipim looked at Eve through tear-filled eyes.

To be honest, her adorable appearance combined with her habit of targeting only gentle and beautiful big sisters—Eve had heard this sort of story more than once.

But Pipim had rejected them all, because none of them were the real Crimson Witch, and none could help her.

Yet before Eve, Pipim inexplicably felt a sense of reassurance.

Come to think of it, this Miss Eve in front of her even shared the same name as the Crimson Witch Eve.

Was it because of that?

Or perhaps it was that familiar warmth about her… like Mama, like a long-distant memory of being held gently in Mama’s arms.

“But you’re not the Crimson Witch Eve. I’m afraid of troubling you.”

After much thought, Pipim still refused.

Her problem could only be solved by a witch.

“It’s alright, really.”

Eve gently patted Pipim’s head as she spoke tenderly.

“Just come with me later. Also… though I can’t remember who your mother is, nor do I know why she trusted me so much…”

“But since things have come to this, there’s something I still want to tell you.”

Eve clenched her fist and placed something into Pipim’s palm.

Pipim looked at it curiously. She didn’t know what Eve had given her. But when she opened her small hand and saw the fiery red strand of hair lying in her palm, she froze completely.

“Scar… scarlet red?”

Pipim stared at the strand of hair, dumbstruck. It was clearly just a hair, and yet the way it lay quietly in her palm was like a piece of art.

This feeling could only come from the Crimson Witch herself.

“Now, can we have a proper talk?”