Living as the Villainess Stepmother

Chapter 86 - Mysterious Letters (2)

She took the letter off the table and sat again, her back straining in the process from the expensive yet uncomfortable chair Madame Marshmell had placed for her own use. Lila felt like her back hurt much more as the days went by.

'Lacias would surely have comfortable chairs lying around.' Even though Lila had enough money of her own, she did not want to spend much since it was also Hir's. It was his own asset as much as hers. She really hoped that there were comfortable chairs in Lacias' manor.

She studied the card and wondered if Lacias was the one who sent it. However, the Wipere crest was not etched onto the paper, and she realized that she had already seen this before. It was the same anonymous ones Madame Marshmell had kept like it was a prized possession.

Her mind turned, finding it odd that the cards still continued to come. She hastily took the sealed wax off the card with a blank face.

The sender would most definitely have something to do with Madame Marshmell's past, and her mind drifted to the thoughts of Enrique. Everyone who had been in Madame Marshmell's life was nothing short of unpleasant and suspicious.

Lila opened the card and read on, eyes growing wide at what was written.

[Hello, it's about time that we meet.]

Aside from the brief message, the time and location where the meeting would take place was also written in small inscriptions. Lila flipped the card over and saw nothing else.

It's exactly a week until her meeting with the person behind this. Her heart thumped in anticipation, wondering if the sender and Madame Marshmell's meet-ups were a regular occurrence.

Would the sender notice that someone else was inside Madame Marshmell's body?

The thought threw Lila into a worried state. The only reason why Enrique didn't immediately notice that something had changed simply because he didn't see her for quite a long time, but in the end he still noticed it nonetheless. It was only a matter of time until the sender would also spot that something's amiss.

She willed herself to stay calm. Even with how afraid she was to make an appearance, she would still attend the meeting just the same, seeing that it was her chance to finally see who it was behind the cards that Madame Marshmell had kept.

And if the person was somehow skeptical of her and found her suspicious, it doesn't matter since she was Madame Marshmell in shape and form anyway.

Not only that, the sender had sent the card directly to the Wipere manor, which meant he or she had been keeping an eye out on Lila. If the person by any chance noticed that there's something strange about her, Lila then would be at a tight spot. Still, the sender was the one who initiated to meet up and there was absolutely no reason for Lila to decline. Lila scanned the card once again before storing it inside the drawer and went downstairs.

Now that she had seen the grandness of Lacias' manor, her own house appeared to be much simpler and small in comparison.

Lila saw the maids cleaning the space dutifully, all glued to their respective tasks but Jane was nowhere to be found. She asked the maid closest to her and was told that Jane was inside the kitchen preparing food. Lila remembered that she did ask Jane to prepare Hir's favorite dishes.

Jane was humming to herself as she cooked when Lila made her way to the kitchen. Her steps were light, however, that Jane noticeably flinched when Lila tapped her on the shoulder.

"You surprised me there!" Jane exclaimed with a palm placed on her chest.

Lila smiled. "What got your attention so much that you didn't even notice me arrive?"

"I was checking on the lamb dish I prepared for the young master. It is one of his favorites." Jane said, carefully stirring the pot before closing the lid.

It was the first time Lila heard of this, not seeming to recall if Hir said anything about the meat. She nodded at Jane and remarked, "It looks delicious."

"Thank you." Jane beamed gratefully. "Is there anything I could do for you?"

"I need to use a carrier pigeon." Lila said in a resolute voice.

"I'll show you where it is." Jane led Lila to where the carrier pigeons were kept. She took a pigeon out of the cage and held it down to prevent it from moving.

Lila latched the note onto the pigeon's leg. After deeming it secure and tight, she scooped the bird on her palms and prodded it to fly. The pigeon flapped its wings as it immediately scurried away.

The bird was gone in seconds. Lila made her way back to her room and sat on her chair once again, facing the pile of documents that lay waiting for her.