Volume 1 Chapter 146.1

Volume 1 + Chapter 146.1: Let Nature Take Its Course

Eve fell silent for a moment, as though weighing her next words. At last, she spoke slowly. Her tone was calm, yet carried an unmistakable firmness that left no room for doubt.

“I don’t actually need the Empress Consort to promise me anything.”

Her gaze swept lightly over Chancelianne. Her eyes were placid, without the slightest ripple, as though she had never expected any form of recompense in the first place.

“I am simply helping Alice.”

Her words were concise and direct, without unnecessary ornamentation, yet they still conveyed a depth of meaning beneath their surface.

Eve’s attitude toward the Empire had always been consistent. To her, the Empire’s glory and wealth held little appeal. From the beginning, she had never come for fame or profit. She had already received more than enough protection from the imperial family, and in her heart, there were far more important matters.

That Leah’s situation could be resolved smoothly owed much to the help of Alice and Chancelianne.

“Alice is someone very important to me.”

Eve lowered her gaze slightly, her expression softening. A trace of warmth flickered in her eyes.

“She is well-behaved, sensible, and she possesses the potential to become a leader. I promised you that I would cultivate Alice into a qualified ruler.”

Every word she spoke carried the weight of a profound commitment. It felt less like mere speech and more like she was laying the groundwork for Alice’s future.

Chancelianne listened quietly, her heart deeply stirred.

She had initially believed that Eve’s involvement was driven purely by rational calculation. Yet Eve’s genuine concern for Alice moved her profoundly.

There was no trace of pretense in her words. Every bit of care and every promise sounded sincere, so much so that one could almost feel how deep Eve’s affection for Alice truly was.

That attitude—like treating Alice as her own daughter—filled Chancelianne with warmth.

After all, at this point, the only thing Chancelianne truly cared about was her precious daughter, Alice.

Anyone who treated Alice well would naturally earn her goodwill.

“To think so deeply for Alice… your sincerity truly moves me.”

Chancelianne felt an unconscious sense of relief, as though the heavy stone pressing against her chest had finally been lifted. Ever since His Majesty’s sudden passing, her heart had been unable to settle, filled with uncertainty, fear, and an oppressive sense of the unknown.

But now, seeing Eve’s steadfastness and gentleness, her heart finally found a measure of peace.

“Thank you, Miss Eve.”

Chancelianne’s voice caught slightly, a glimmer of tears flashing at the corners of her eyes.

“With the Empire in such peril, you can still remain true to your original intentions. I really…”

Her words trailed off unfinished as her eyes reddened. The long-suppressed grievance and bitterness transformed into silent tears that slid down her cheeks.

“That’s enough, Empress Consort. This is not the time to grieve.”

Eve’s tone grew steadier, edged with cool clarity. “Right now, the most important thing is to maintain stability.”

Her gaze fixed unblinkingly on Chancelianne, as if gauging her response.

“We must reduce the turmoil and impact caused by His Majesty’s death to the absolute minimum and ensure the Empire does not fall into immediate chaos.”

She paused briefly, her voice growing even firmer. “At the same time, I believe the Dragon God plan should be accelerated. At the very least, we must see tangible results in the short term.”

Eve’s eyes sharpened, carrying the keen edge of someone seasoned by countless battles. “Not only to show the Empire’s citizens, but also to send a clear signal to those external forces watching us closely—that the Empire’s rule has not wavered.”

“Without His Majesty, internal unrest within the Empire is almost inevitable.”

Her voice was low yet powerful, as if it pierced straight through every hidden anxiety.

“After all, His Majesty’s overwhelming strength was the cornerstone of the Empire’s stability. His magical aura could envelop the entire imperial territory, and it was precisely this hard power that ensured his policies could be enforced.”

Her tone remained calm and analytical. “Whether suppressing the Church or building an orderly Empire, all of it relied on that power.”

Eve’s gaze remained steady, yet Chancelianne’s doubt seemed to touch upon something subtle within her.

“Miss Eve… how do you know that His Majesty’s magical aura could cover the entire Empire?”

Chancelianne’s voice was low, tinged with a barely perceptible tension. Her brows knit slightly as a sense of unease spread within her. Eve’s words struck at the heart of the matter, yet also raised suspicions.

Chancelianne’s conjectures grew stronger. She had long suspected that Eve was extraordinary. If she truly knew the precise extent of His Majesty’s magical range, then Eve’s true strength was likely far beyond what she had displayed.

Moreover, Chancelianne suddenly recalled something—

In her bath chamber earlier, she had once accidentally picked up a silver strand of Eve’s hair.

At the time, she hadn’t paid it much mind. But later, when she returned to her bedchamber and relaxed in the warm bath, she noticed that the strand quietly changed color beneath her fingertips. The originally silver-white hair suddenly turned a striking, fiery red.

That phenomenon had shaken her to the core. She vaguely sensed that the secrets hidden within Eve were far beyond her original understanding.

Chancelianne fixed her gaze on Eve. A thought flickered faintly in her mind. As she looked at the woman before her, she could not forget that color-changing strand of hair. Eve’s fiery red hair stirred deep suspicion within her.

She lowered her head, lips pressed together in silence. Her thoughts were complicated, yet she still did not voice her doubts.

“Alice told me.”

Eve’s reply was brief, her tone carrying a hint of impatience, clearly unwilling to linger on the topic.

She shifted the subject instead. “That’s about all the leads we have for now. Alice must be in a very poor state of mind. I’ll go check on her first.”

She turned away cleanly and decisively, her movements tinged with subtle urgency.

Clearly, Alice mattered more than anything else. Eve’s voice remained calm, yet her concern was unmistakable. Losing her father, Alice had undoubtedly suffered immense pain—and Eve could not set aside her worry.

“Alright. Then I’ll leave Alice in your care, Miss Eve. And also…”

Chancelianne was about to continue, hesitation flickering across her face as she weighed her words. However, before she could speak, she was interrupted by the sudden intrusion of a young maid.

“Y-Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Someone is causing trouble outside the imperial palace!”

The maid rushed in, panting heavily, her voice urgent and flustered. Panic was clear in her eyes as she stood at a loss.

Chancelianne and Eve froze almost simultaneously.

Causing trouble outside the imperial palace?

They exchanged glances, confusion and doubt flickering between them.

At this moment, neither of them could understand how such a minor-sounding incident could occur.

Making trouble at the gates of the imperial palace? One couldn’t help but wonder what kind of nerve that person must have.

Chancelianne frowned slightly, irritation evident in her tone. “Does this kind of matter really need to be reported to me? Can’t you see I’m discussing state affairs with Miss Eve? Just have the knight order to arrest him—won’t that solve it?”

Her voice was cold and authoritative, tinged with impatience.

“Your Majesty, this isn’t an ordinary disturbance. The person appears to be a chubby beggar. He claims… that he is a descendant of the Howard family, a noble, and that he was very close to His Majesty.”

The maid’s voice trembled as she spoke, as though still trying to process the information. “He said… he came to pay his respects to His Majesty, and he also asked why His Majesty’s funeral hasn’t been held yet.”

Chancelianne froze at those words, her heart jolting violently.

Her brows drew together, wariness flashing in her eyes.

The news of His Majesty’s death hadn’t even reached the palace guards of the Royal Knight Order—so how could a ragged beggar, claiming to be of the Howard family, know about it in advance?

And to dare raise such a pointed, mocking question at such a sensitive time—this was simply unbelievable.

“Your Majesty, does the Empire even have a Howard family?”

The maid’s voice shook, her face filled with worry. “I really can’t tell. I don’t know how he learned this news. Faced with someone like that, I truly don’t know what to do.”

Her eyes brimmed with confusion and helplessness, even tinged with grievance, as though she were on the verge of collapse.

Chancelianne looked at her, her gaze turning cold…

“What are you panicking for?”

Chancelianne frowned. Though her own thoughts were in turmoil, she forcibly steadied herself.

“As expected… the thing we feared most has finally happened.”

Eve murmured softly. Her words were light, yet laden with heavy resignation.

Her expression remained calm, as though she had long been mentally prepared—knowing that some things were bound to happen, only not expecting them to come so quickly. She knew all too well that whenever a great upheaval struck the Empire, there would always be certain people favored by fate—those with absurdly good luck—who would rise amid the chaos to profit from it.

The imperial family’s secrecy had always been impeccable. Yet this time, some information had inexplicably leaked out, giving those with hidden agendas an opportunity.

Eve’s brows knitted slightly as her suspicions solidified. There was only one possible explanation—

This had everything to do with the Dragon-Pride Protagonist.

She had always believed that this man had long since faded away with time—either frozen to death or starved in some forgotten corner, his trace erased long ago.

Yet she never expected his vitality to be so tenacious, for him to resurface at such a critical moment just to disgust everyone again.

In a way, it was yet another display of humanity’s stubborn resilience.

Now, not only was the Dragon-Pride Protagonist still alive, he had returned, trying to scavenge benefits amid the Empire’s chaos. Truly infuriating.

“Causing trouble at a time like this…”

Chancelianne muttered under her breath, anger flickering in her eyes.

Even Eve couldn’t help but marvel at how smooth the Dragon-Pride Protagonist’s life was—almost as if the entire world existed to clear his path.

She herself possessed immense magical power, yet had never enjoyed such favor from fate.

She knew all too well that to achieve her goals, she had to pour in far more effort and sacrifice.

And the Dragon-Pride Protagonist? He lay there doing nothing, and someone would deliver food straight to his mouth. Honestly, that kind of disparity was enough to make anyone feel envious.

“No matter what, we must bring him inside first,” Chancelianne said sternly. “We can’t let him spread rumors everywhere. He must be controlled, or the situation will only worsen.”

“I disagree.”

Eve gently shook her head. Her voice was calm, yet impossible to ignore.