Volume 1 Chapter 97

Volume 1 + Chapter 97: Of Course It Was A Joke

Listening to Chancelianne’s words, Eve only felt a bit ashamed, even embarrassed to the point she didn’t know where to put her gaze.

After all, Eve thought that between friends, it was still better to maintain at least a little distance. Even if not that… at the very least, there was no need to cling to that closely, right? Your Majesty the Empress…

Of course, this was something Eve didn’t dare to say out loud, because she knew very well, if she dared to speak so presumptuously to the Empress, her life would probably come to an end.

“Anyway, please keep some distance from me first, don’t keep leaning closer.”

Eve instinctively stepped back a little, realizing only then that the Empress had already leaned in, and her perked-up chest was only a few centimeters from touching Eve’s own.

Luckily, Eve stopped her in time. But strangely, Eve felt as if she detected some unusual emotions from the Empress.

Was that… disappointment?

Not certain. Look again.

It really did look like disappointment!?

“What I mean is… you are the Empress, and in the end I’m only Alice’s private tutor.”

Eve explained somewhat awkwardly.

“Maintaining respect and distance from members of the royal family—that’s a regulation written in black and white into the Empire’s law code.”

At that moment, Eve came up with it on the spot. Fortunately, back when she served as a church cardinal deacon, she had memorized the Empire’s statutes very well.

As it turns out, reading ten thousand books really does mean inspiration flows when writing. See, at such a critical moment, wasn’t it useful?

“Then Miss Eve, are you not aware of another law?”

Looking at the slightly embarrassed Eve before her, Chancelianne couldn’t help but feel a bit of mischief rise within her.

After all, Eve’s flustered, at-a-loss appearance really was too cute.

“Another law?”

Eve blinked in surprise. Was there really a clause in imperial law that even she didn’t know about? That shouldn’t be possible…

“In the imperial palace—especially within the rear garden—there are no restrictions from any of the Empire’s statutes.”

Chancelianne casually spoke a line that, at first hearing, was clearly something she had just made up. It left Eve utterly dumbfounded.

“That’s obviously something you just made up on the spot, isn’t it? That’s not in the law book at all.”

“It will be tomorrow. Understand?”

With that one sentence, Chancelianne left Eve frozen in place.

Looking at the alluring face before her, curved into a playful smile, at this moment Eve finally understood what it meant to be one of the Empire’s “Three Giants.”

So long as Chancelianne willed it, she could amend the law right now, and make Eve into a dog kneeling at her skirts—probably without anyone daring to object.

“Haha, it’s just a joke, don’t be nervous.”

Chancelianne chuckled softly, breaking the awkward atmosphere, and Eve could only give a sheepish laugh in response.

“So it was a joke.”

Eve echoed in a small voice, but she had the distinct feeling that if she didn’t begin earnestly going along with the Empress, then it would stop being a joke.

“Sigh…”

And thus began Eve’s endless sighing.

After about half an hour passed, until the sky had grown faintly dim, Eve finally walked dejectedly out of the imperial palace.

Looking at the measurement chart in her hand that had now been completed, her feelings were all mixed up.

She instinctively lifted her hand closer to her nose and sniffed. The fragrance—gentle and soothing—made her feel a little intoxicated.

It was the Empress’s most private scent, even carrying with it a faint sweetness of milk…

Eve found it strange. Had she bathed in milk? Why else would there be such a fragrance?

“No matter what, I should head back first. Pipim must already be anxious waiting at Umi’s mom’s shop.”

Eve took a deep breath. But just as she had only taken a few steps, she spotted, curled up by the corner of the high palace wall, two familiar figures, one big and one small.

“Pipim? That cat?”

Eve was very surprised. She had clearly entrusted Pipim to Umi’s mother, so why was the girl here?

Upon seeing Eve, Pipim stood up reflexively, nervously rubbing at the hem of her dress.

The cat, Maodou, was not shy at all. It bounded over and rubbed its fluffy little head again and again against Eve’s stocking-clad legs.

Not only rubbing, but meowing nonstop as if acting spoiled.

It made one wonder—was this cat perhaps really some scheming girl pretending in disguise?

“Why did you come here?”

Eve crouched down, looking with concern at the nervous Pipim.

“I… I was afraid you’d leave me behind and run away, so…”

Hearing Pipim’s words, Eve felt both amused and distressed.

A child without a mother—finally gaining a little sense of safety from Eve—it was only natural she would feel she was walking on thin ice, terrified that Eve was only humoring her, and might abandon her at any moment.

Chances were Pipim had already experienced such despair before.

Thinking of this, Eve’s heart tightened even more.

“Don’t think too much. Didn’t I tell you? Wait at that auntie’s shop for me for a while—I’d come back soon to fetch you.”

Eve stroked Pipim’s head. She lowered her gaze without saying a word.

“Did that auntie not like you?”

“No, no!”

Hearing Eve say that, Pipim hurriedly explained.

“Auntie was very good to me, very warm… just maybe a little too warm, I wasn’t used to it.

“She also kept saying strange things, like… she wanted to hand her shop over to you, and I didn’t know how to respond.”

Hearing Pipim, Eve felt a bit bewildered.

But then again, it did fit with Umi’s mother’s personality. In any case, Eve knew she should go thank her properly.

And since Pipim had run off, Umi’s mother must have been quite worried.

“That auntie’s temper is a little unusual, but she isn’t a bad person. Let’s go thank her, then I’ll bring you home, alright?”

“Until your mother’s situation is resolved, you can stay with me.”

Eve’s words made Pipim instinctively lift her head, gazing up at her with wide eyes.

Looking into that child’s innocent gaze, Eve only smiled gently and patted her head.

That smile made Pipim dazed for a moment—the tenderness to the very bone was exactly like her own mother’s.

“Mhm, alright. Sorry for troubling you. Once I grow up, I definitely won’t forget your kindness, Miss Eve.”

That made two great debts Pipim owed Miss Eve now… she quietly noted in her heart.

So small, yet she already longed to grow up quickly.

Though many had told her the adult world was not beautiful, even tragic… Pipim had indeed experienced its harshness, knew its bitterness and hardship. But for the sake of repaying Eve’s immense kindness twice over, she felt enduring hardship was worth it.

Or perhaps… repayment didn’t necessarily have to wait until she grew up.

Thinking this, Pipim tilted her little face up, looking at Eve’s hand holding her own so tenderly.

Even from below—such a “death angle”—Eve’s refined face looked nearly perfect.

“Miss Eve, do you really like breasts?”

In almost an instant, Eve felt her knees buckle, nearly collapsing to the ground.

She practically forced herself upright with all her strength.

“Wh-why would you ask that?”

Eve’s expression held some embarrassment, but more than that, panic.

“When I followed you here just now, I climbed the wall, and I just happened to see you touching a very beautiful lady’s chest…”

“Mmph!”

Before Pipim could finish, Eve swiftly clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Shh!”

Eve looked extremely nervous, glancing around instinctively. Thankfully, this was a main road leading to the imperial palace, with very few passersby.

And those that did pass were always in a hurry. If Pipim had said such things back in the commercial street, “eye-catching” would hardly cover it.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Seeing Eve so nervous, Pipim asked honestly.

After all, she was still a child—she had a bit of shrewdness, but not much.

Eve truly didn’t know how to answer. She could only keep waving her hands.

“This matter—you absolutely mustn’t tell anyone else.”

“Oh…”

Pipim nodded, though Eve couldn’t tell whether she actually understood or not.

That left a heavy cloud of worry in her heart.

“Then, Miss Eve, do you like—”

“Don’t bring up that topic again.”

Eve was truly afraid of this straightforward little girl.

“No, I only wanted to ask if you like little cakes.”

As she spoke, Pipim’s eyes drifted toward the cake shop by the crossroads up ahead. At that moment, a batch of freshly baked little cakes was being set on the shelves, still steaming. Their sweet fragrance could be smelled even from this distance.

Seeing Pipim’s mouth almost watering, Eve could only sigh.

“Fine, fine, I’ll buy you little cakes. But in exchange—you are not allowed to tell anyone about what you saw on the wall.”

Eve warned in a low voice. Pipim, brimming with confidence, patted her flat chest that showed no signs of development yet.

“Leave it to me.”

She nodded firmly, all the while reaching a conclusion in her little heart… It seemed Miss Eve really did like breasts.

Too bad hers were still too small. Once she had the chance in the future, she’d repay Miss Eve with her own.

So she needed to grow up faster.

Mom had said—eating lots of delicious things would help her grow quickly. So she would start with little cakes.

On the way back, Pipim held Eve’s soft white hand in one of hers, while clutching a cream cake in the other, her face soon smeared with white frosting.

The two walked hand in hand to Umi’s mother’s butcher shop. At that hour, when the shop should have been busiest, the sign instead read “Closed.”

The door hadn’t even been shut, and both Umi and her mother were nowhere to be seen.

Eve was puzzled, so she went next door to ask. Before she could open her mouth, the neighbor’s proprietress called out loudly.

“Umi’s mother! The little girl you were looking for, and that white-haired lady you fancy—they’re right here!”

Before the words had even faded, Umi’s mother’s flustered voice came shouting back from the other end of the street.

“Ah! What nonsense are you spouting? Didn’t I tell you not to spread that around?”

Dragging Umi along, she came running back.

Seeing Pipim safe and sound, hand in hand with Eve, Umi’s mother finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“You little girl—vanishing without a word, you scared me half to death. I dragged my daughter everywhere looking for you…”

“I’m s-sorry.”

Clearly, Pipim hadn’t realized how much trouble she’d caused.

She had only run off because she didn’t want to burden this kind auntie.

“It’s fine, so long as you’re alright.”

Umi’s mother waved it off, brushing the hair from her damp forehead. That refined, maturely beautiful face was beaded with sweat.

When her eyes met Eve’s dazed gaze, the atmosphere instantly grew awkward.

So much so that the neighbor proprietress quietly left her own shop to give them privacy.

“Ah, Miss Eve… please don’t misunderstand. I just… you know how people in the commercial street are, idle gossip and such.”

“They even say, the Princess herself actually likes women. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“If the royal family ever heard such a thing—especially the Princess—honestly, the entire street would suffer.”

“So, so…”

Noticing Eve’s calm expression, Umi’s mother immediately felt uneasy.

Of course she couldn’t possibly know that the reason Eve wasn’t laughing was… because it was true.

“I understand, I understand.”

Eve cleared her throat and mumbled to smooth things over.

After all, she had already caused Umi’s family quite some trouble, disrupting their business at the busiest hour.

Closing the shop just to search for Pipim—it was clearly a favor done for her sake.

“That’s good, as long as you understand. Please don’t think too much of it—it’s just silly gossip. Me fancying a white-haired lady, how absurd.”

“I’m already a mother. How could I possibly…”

“But Mom, last night you even talked in your sleep. You said—”

Clearly, Umi wanted to speak up. But before she could finish, her mother silenced her with a glare.

Umi, who had been about to chatter on, fell instantly quiet.

Yet it was plain she still had a great deal bottled up inside.

“Well then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first. I’ve truly troubled you today.”

Eve offered a very earnest apology to Umi’s mother, and also had Pipim apologize. But the woman didn’t seem to mind.

She simply waved it off, told Pipim not to worry, and even welcomed her to visit again.

Which made Pipim feel a bit embarrassed, since she had been the one to cause trouble.

Before leaving, Eve made sure to ask after Umi’s studies in magic, and reminded her mother there was no need to consider the outrageous “thirty gold coin guaranteed admission.”

Umi had the ability to enter the Church Academy on her own. Hearing this, Umi’s mother was moved to tears.

She had worked hard for so many years, single-handedly, all for the sake of her daughter.

If not for encountering Miss Eve, her daughter might not have awakened even after another ten years.

Before Umi’s mother could finish expressing her gratitude, Eve had already taken Pipim away—worried that the woman might insist on giving her something again.

They already had more food than they could eat for a while. And Umi’s family depended on those things to live—Eve couldn’t bear to take any more.

So she pulled Pipim along and didn’t look back.

When they reached the front of the luxurious apartment, Pipim hesitated for a moment. Looking around nervously, she tightened her grip on Eve’s hand before daring to step through the grand doors.

“Miss Eve, you really live here?”

Her wide eyes were full of awe.

“Yes, I live here with my daughter.”

Eve replied casually. Speaking of which, she suddenly remembered she also had a job as the apartment’s manager.

But ever since she started, she hadn’t done a single bit of work.

Collecting a salary for nothing—it didn’t seem right. Stranger still, no one had ever come to reprimand her for slacking off.

Surely even the most leisurely apartment manager had duties to perform?

She was idle to death, while the staff in the management office seemed busier than ever…

“I really should take some time to understand what my actual job is.”

Holding Pipim’s hand, Eve fumbled with her keys and opened the apartment door.

The room inside was completely dark. But by the light from the hallway, even before stepping into the living room, she could already see on the sofa… a pair of delicate feet.

No—not food, but jade-like feet.

The flawless stockings, the graceful lines—she instantly knew whose they were.

“Zhizhi?”

“Mm?”

Hearing Eve’s voice, those feet trembled slightly. As the lights flicked on, there sat Qianzhi, her hair a bit tousled, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Miss Eve, you’re back?”

Qianzhi yawned deeply, looking very drowsy.

“Why did you fall asleep here? Where’s Leah?”

Hearing Eve’s question, Qianzhi looked a bit dazed. She instinctively glanced around, indeed not seeing any sign of Leah.

“Leah? I don’t know… I don’t think I’ve seen her since around noon.”

Still groggy, Qianzhi had spent her time idling away in Eve’s home, napping endlessly.

At some point, she’d even changed into a cuter pair of stockings, dissatisfied with the earlier ones.

And it seemed from then on… Leah had vanished.