Genevieve carried herself with an air of aggrieved self-importance as she trailed behind Marguerite. Her arms remained firmly crossed and she surveyed every inch of her surroundings, likely trying to find signs of her missing notes.

  “What is it you’ve been working on, Lady Genevieve?” I asked in what I hoped came across as a conversational tone. The silence was getting a little too awkward for my taste and the sooner we solved this conundrum, the better.

  “I’m afraid much of my work is beyond the understanding of anyone who treats alchemy as a hobby as opposed to a calling.”

  “I have no doubt that someone of your station, with your access to resources and education, would have no trouble explaining even the most complex of concepts in simple terms. That is a mark of intelligence, is it not?”

  Marguerite let out a polite cough into a handkerchief to cover her snort of laughter as Genevieve straightened in the face of my most polite reproach.

  “You are correct,” she said. “I am unused to speaking of my work with those outside of the society, but I will endeavor to do so with you.” For a moment I thought I had taken things a step too far, but she seemed to be taking it as a challenge instead of a threat.

  “I am most honored,” I replied, adding more balm to her ego. Marguerite sent me a brief nod of approval.

  “Are you familiar with the work of Alfonse Deleon?”

  “He’s the one who sought to use his work to create great warriors and heroes, if I am remembering correctly. I haven’t encountered any of his creations myself, but I am familiar with the stories.”

  “I am descended from him on my mother’s side, and it has been my life’s work to take his creations and improve upon them. Much of what I do is theoretical, of course, but I have been able to make subtle improvements using more modern techniques in combination with traditional theory.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “Fascinating. What have you managed to accomplish so far?” I didn’t have to fake my interest, because not many in the more official circles were willing to take steps like that. If her work ended up being successful and others could replicate it, the effect on the wider community would be very fun to see.

  She launched into a long-winded, not particularly simplified explanation of the different iterations of her experiments and what she planned to do with it moving forward. While I had her distracted, Marguerite took advantage of the chance to do a thorough scouring of the room in an attempt to find any signs of the missing notes. This continued as we moved from room to room, only occasionally interrupted by an introduction to the room and its history.

  “Most recently I have been working on an iteration of his constitution enhancements to create something that will be more long lasting,” Genevieve explained. “I am on track to extend the human lifespan by the end of the year. Or, I was until my work was stolen.”

  “And how many people know that you are working on this?” I asked.

  “Not many outside of my family. I know the value of discretion when an idea is in its infancy.”

  “And is it still?”

  “I have not yet started to share my research, no. There is still work to be done before I am ready to reveal my discoveries,” she said. Something in how she said it felt rehearsed, like she had dropped a similar line many times before. Which indicated some amount of bragging. Which meant others would know she was working on something, if not the specific goal and project.

  That still left the question if this was a case of intellectual property theft or attempted sabotage. I found the former more concerning than the latter, but both would cause havoc within the Mayfair Alchemist Society. There was also the chance that this was a ruse of a different kind to hide lack of progress in the face of an upcoming assessment. I still didn’t know enough about the recognition to make an educated guess, but the suspicions were there.

  A bell rang softly throughout the manor, breaking the gentle tension and bringing a smile to Marguerite’s face.

  “I believe it is time for us to retire to the dining hall. Our cooks have prepared a most wonderful lunch for us,” she explained.

  “Lunch sounds like a fantastic idea,” I said. “Let us rejoin the others. Perhaps time and food will help smooth the conversation over.”

  “Perhaps it will.” Marguerite sounded so desperately hopeful, it made me wonder just how long fights between Elmer and Genevieve could last. This rivalry didn’t feel new, that’s for sure.