Chapter 22: Seeds of Doubt

“Alright, considering what you went through last night, you should get some proper rest today. Training is over for now; I’m heading back.”

“Huh? So early again today?”

Lucia expressed a touch of surprise. For two consecutive days, their training had been remarkably light. In the past, Lovelenica would push her until evening, but lately, she had been allowed to rest by the afternoon.

“Yes, after all, Lucia, you fought last night. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Teacher, see you tomorrow!”

With those words, Lovelenica departed the training grounds alone. Though she heard Lucia’s voice from behind her, Lovelenica did not turn back, merely offering a slight wave of her hand in acknowledgment.

“Lucia.”

Only after Lovelenica had walked a considerable distance did Imeline turn to Lucia and speak.

“Don’t you find their relationship rather strange?”

“Strange? Their relationship seemed quite strained to me.”

Tilting her head, Lucia recalled the recent scene. Lovelenica and Julie’s confrontational exchange, surely that indicated their relationship was anything but good?

“It’s not that simple.”

Imeline rested her chin in her hand, appearing lost in thought.

“Lucia, you must understand the distinction between direct and collateral lines within noble families, correct? In houses like ours and the Crimson Family, the disparity in status between the direct and collateral branches is vast. Collateral members typically hold very little sway, and the Crimson Family is no exception.”

“When the main Crimson Family fell into decline, the collateral branches offered no assistance. Later, when the main family rose to prominence once more, they developed an extreme aversion to their collateral kin. To even consider bringing someone from a collateral branch back into the main house became unthinkable.”

“Yet, Lovelenica is an anomaly. Not only was she brought back into the main family, but she also possesses a peculiar temperament. By all accounts, such an individual should hold no position within the main house. However, Lovelenica dared to insult Julie directly to her face—a truly unprecedented occurrence.”

In just a few concise sentences, Imeline had laid bare the suspicious inconsistencies surrounding Lovelenica and the Crimson Family.

Lucia, however, appeared not to have considered any of these points.

“Perhaps it’s because Teacher is quite powerful? She’s not particularly old, yet she’s already nearing the sixth rank in her twenties. Maybe the family recognized her potential? Is that why they’ve been somewhat kinder to her?”

“Hmm… yes, I suppose. Well, you’re not entirely wrong.”

After a moment of contemplation, Imeline decided to let the subject drop.

Lucia was currently quite enamored with Lovelenica, and without decisive evidence, she would never harbor doubts about her. Therefore, discussing Lovelenica’s suspicious aspects with Lucia at this moment served no purpose.

From Imeline’s perspective, Lucia’s explanation was entirely off the mark; the Crimson Family members were far from friendly towards Lovelenica.

Firstly, Lovelenica’s talent, while notable, was not extraordinarily heaven-defying. There were other prodigies like her; Imeline recalled the Crimson Family’s eldest and second daughters possessing comparable gifts. Thus, Lovelenica did not appear particularly special in their eyes.

Secondly, Julie’s tone of voice distinctly treated Lovelenica as a mere servant. Yet, Lovelenica had retorted sharply, even managing to silence Julie at times, pushing her to the point of threatening to complain to higher-ups.

While Julie regarded Lovelenica as a subordinate, she also seemed to harbor a degree of apprehension towards her. Their exchanges often felt like a veiled riddle, and by the end, Julie appeared to have somewhat backed down.

Furthermore, the punishment meted out to Lovelenica was merely the deprivation of a single meal. Such a penalty would be considered rather lenient even for a direct descendant, let alone a collateral member despised by the Crimson Family.

In summary, Imeline continually sensed a subtle tension in the relationship between Lovelenica and the Crimson Family. It did not resemble a typical familial bond, but rather that of two reluctant collaborators who harbored mutual disdain.

Now, Imeline not only found Lovelenica’s identity questionable but also suspected some hidden machinations within the Crimson Family itself.

Imeline yearned to expose the true face beneath Lovelenica’s deceptive mask. However, her puppet familiar had been discovered just yesterday, making continued surveillance too risky in the short term. Consequently, to uncover Lovelenica’s true identity, she would have to pursue a more circuitous route.

Thus, Imeline resolved to commence her investigation by examining the various enterprises owned by the Crimson Family.

The Crimson Family was deeply involved in medical research and industries. Additionally, they operated numerous orphanages across various regions. Given that orphanages were relatively easier to investigate, Imeline decided to visit the royal capital’s orphanages in the coming days to assess the situation.

In fact, Imeline’s current line of thought mirrored the original perspectives of both Lucia and Imeline in the source material.

Both of them had similarly detected something amiss in Julie’s attitude towards Lovelenica, leading them to suspect that the entire Crimson Family was problematic. This prompted them to launch a comprehensive investigation into the family’s extensive holdings.