Living as the Villainess Stepmother

Chapter 127 - An Unlikely Interception (1)

Shouldn't I be the one scowling here?

The frowning boy emerged from the, his freckled face only scowled further when he took a proper look at her. Lila remembered him being from the party hall thanks to his signature expression but she didn't recognize him as someone she knew.

Lila found it hard to believe that he slipped past the guards at the party hall entrance without being noticed. He must have used some sort of magic.

An unusual scene unfolded between them. Once Lila got closer, she realized that the boy was actually a young man who had childish features. He was still glaring at her from the safety of his bush, and after a long moment of silence he threw out the first question

"What are you staring at?!"

The boy's sharp words offended the confused Lila, she didn't expect someone who looked much younger than her to sound so rude. She uttered her contempt by saying 'Ha!', along with a cold sneer on her face.

Lila, who had remained still without budging an inch from where she stood, had come striding forth while the boy promptly got himself out from the bushes.

"Who in the world are you?" Lila asked with a raised voice after coming to a stop in front of him, "Why are you prowling about the place? And how did you manage to escape the surveillance?" Lila retorted dismissively, eye for an eye. Besides, he looked no more than a boy who's only a few years away before reaching his manhood, at best. More so, he didn't appear to be noble-born by the way he dressed, so it shouldn't matter.

"Why would you care if I've been prowling around? Just mind your own business and get out of the way!"

What an imprudent young fellow he is. She felt the stiffness at the nape of her neck getting all riled up by his rudeness. "I don't want to."

His anger was becoming evident as well. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who wishes for the party to end with a success." She answered simply.

Instantly, his lips stiffened a little. The boy studied Lila head to toe. There was now a fine difference in his countenance from before.

"What do I have to do with the success of your party? Just get out of the way, I don't have time for this."

"Well, maybe because I have seen you at the party hall. Your eyes met with mine earlier, don't you remember?"

The boy scratched his head for a moment, looking genuinely confused. "I don't think so, this is the first time I'm seeing you, and what party? I've never been to this party."

Lila was more suspicious now than ever, she knew for a fact that she saw him at the party, and now that he lied, she trusted him even less.

In a bid to intimidate him, She put on her fiercest glare, but her efforts transpired to nothing but a scoff from the boy. He thought to himself that no matter how much she strained her eyes, a meek and tender-looking woman could never mean him any harm.

Lila noticed this and called him out. "Why even bother to lie? You clearly remember seeing me at the party hall."

"I think I've already made myself clear already, I didn't. Forget it, just step aside. I'm in a hurry and you're in my way."

The boy was without doubt a skillful liar. He managed to keep a straight face even though she accused him of lying twice.

"I don't think I can let you pass before I find out about your shady scheme," said Lila with a grin.

The boy's nose had twitched as if her grin came as a great offence to him.

After sizing up Lila with a glance, the boy turned his wrists sideways, clearly trying to intimidate her with his muscles. "One more word and I'm going to have to push you out of the way."

He did sound intimidating to the average person, but Lila wasn't the least intimidated by his words. "The moment you do, you'll be taken away by the guards for insulting a noble."

"Ha! Do you really think that some dumb guards can find me when you're own knights failed to do so?!"

Lila's tone was still stern but collected. "Now that you mention it, how did you know the knights were mine?"

"..." The boy shook his head after realizing his slip-up.

"Especially after you've strongly claimed never being at the party."

"..."

"And why is it that you've been hiding from my knights despite knowing nothing at all?"

The boy roughly rumpled his hair from annoyance. He began scanning his surroundings for a possible escape route, but his eyes eventually fell back into the pull of Lila's pair of eyes.

"Where do you intend to flee to? You're not going anywhere."

"You think you alone can stop me?" The sound of his scoff was vivid to her ears. The boy snickered on as if he was truly amused by the sight of a woman who believed she had a chance of standing in his way. "I can easily knock you out in one blow."

With his chin lifted high, he purposely looked down over her with a scornful look. Although he was yet to grow out of his boyish features, there was no denying that he was bigger than she was. His remark did come as a threat this time because it seemed like he wasn't bluffing about it.

She would have to admit that she felt shivers go down her spine when the boy gave her the cold stare which made him seem almost emotionless.

The boy took this chance to move forward and intimidate her further. "I'm afraid your guards don't come as a threat to me at all."

It was clear that he had nothing to lose.