Living as the Villainess Stepmother

Chapter 133 - Deja Vu (2)

The nobles started crying out for help as they noticed the knights' emblem. Some of them even gracelessly scrambled out from the crowd towards Roxana out of fright. However, they all ended up being restrained by Lugar.

"We'll escort every one of you safely out of the hall. It has been verified that there are no terrorists in this party hall. Everything is under control so please remain calm," said Roxana in her best reassuring voice.

Roxana and Lugar were then charged by Lucias to evacuate the nobles safely out of the hall. In ones and twos, the nobles emerged from the hall while heaving sighs of relief. Meanwhile, Lacias and Lila remained to take a look around.

"I don't see Senior anywhere," questioned Lila, while scanning the hall.

"She must be staying low somewhere," suggested Lacias.

"Somewhere, could that be...."

Having an inkling to where Senior could probably be hiding, she pointed to a direction, in which the Hiln private parlor was. It was indeed the same place where Dawson invited her earlier during the party.

"She must be somewhere there," said Lila, urging Lacias to follow her.

"Let's go."

Suddenly it occurred to Lila that maybe all of this was part of Dawson's plan. It was Dawson who told her about the private parlor and it was also him who'd told her that the party wouldn't end with a success. Not to mention how confident he was while saying it.

She wondered if the suspicious boy she had encountered in the party hall for the first time was nothing but a distraction to avert the knights' attention, to make them leave the party hall while the real Shadows remained to prepare for a terror attack.

But from what she remembered, Dawson had never come across as someone bold enough to show such an ability. He was no more than an ordinary man who got easily swayed by Lila's words and had to reveal what his emotions were hiding.

There must've been someone behind Dawson after all! Thought Lila diligently. Someone who had been giving orders to Dawson behind a black curtain.

Nevertheless, if Lila's speculation was indeed true, she had no idea who that 'someone' could have been. As there were a limited number of characters who appeared in the original story, it seemed like no one other than the Emperor could instigate Dawson into such a plan.

If everything was the Emperor's doing after all, then why have things gone differently from the original story?

Enrique Akhibalt was indeed one of the original characters in the story. So he might have turned evil to win Lila over to his side.

But still, what would Enrique gain by ruining the party? in for Enrique by ruining the party?

She still had many unsolved questions in her mind, but without finding the relation between Enrique and the party, Lila had to continue with looking for Senior.

After arriving at the private parlor, the two stopped by the door.

Knock, knock.

Shortly after Lacias's careful knock, they heard a faint droning coming from inside.

Lacias nodded to the sound. "There's someone in there for sure."

"Could it be the Senior?" Asked Lila, "if so, why isn't she opening the door?"

"Well, we'll find out once we get this door opened." With that Lacias thrust his shoulder into the fragile door and broke it open in one push.

On the other side stood one person with a light-headed expression on their face.

Lila squinted to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Senior?"

"Ugh...ah..." she groaned in response.

"Senior!" Lila rushed over to her favorite Hiln to examine her.

Senior Hiln, whose face was as white as a sheet, stood in the center of the room groaning in pain as she clutched her crown with both hands.

"Senior, are you alright?" asked Lila anxiously.

The hands clutching her head were trembling involuntarily just like someone who had been seized by great terror.

"Uhh ... Li-Lila? Is that you?" She spoke in an almost drunken slur.

"Yes, this is Lila, are you alright?"

"Ha ... I feel so dizzy. And it's hard to breathe."

Senior was in a state of complete confusion like she was not in her right mind. She couldn't even walk properly by herself. As she tottered on insecurely, Lila quickly went up to her and supported her by the shoulders.

"Calm down and try to take a deep breath. Like this, huhh ...." Lila demonstrated taking a deep breath.

"Huuu...." Mimicked Senior.

"You're doing very well," said Lila, patting her on the shoulder.

Senior then sagged into Lila's arms as if she was left with no energy in her body. "Huuu ... huh...."

She seemed to have collected herself more than before, after taking a few deep breaths. Slowly, Lila stroked Senior's leaning back with a gentle touch.

She's still shivering. She must be having a hard time relaxing her body.

As there was nothing else she could do for her, Lila summoned her ring to provide some warmth for Senior's shivering.

"Ugh...!" Senior looked visibly more troubled as Lila's ring touched her body. She instantly backed away and moved her hands to her mouth as if bracing for nausea while panting for a breath of fresh air.

"Senior!" Shouted Lila from worry. "Are you alright?"

Senior held out her palm towards Lila, as though telling her not to come any closer.

After taking a few more deep breaths, Senior finally seemed to calm down. Lila, who was waiting patiently for Senior to regain her composure, glanced over at Lacias. And just as she expected, he was staring at her instead of Senior despite all the fuss. He even smiled back when their eyes met.

Eh-hew. She swiftly shook her head from side to side and pointed back at the door signaling him to leave.

Looking displeased by the gesture, he narrowed his eyes to display his discontent to Lila. But as Senior's condition looked serious even in his eyes, he reluctantly left the parlor to give them privacy.

As Lacias left the room and closed the door behind him, Lila guided Senior to the nearby sofa. After seating Senior on the dark-brownish sofa, Lila looked down to the Senior while she remained standing. "What happened here?"

"I don't know as it's not been long since I've regained my consciousness." She was still clutching her head, but she seemed to have recovered her speech impediment.

"You mean you passed out?"

"Yes, I did."

Lila touched Senior's arm in an attempt to comfort her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. The whole situation was somehow familiar to Lila.

"Hir...?" Instantly, the image of Hir's face had glimmered before her eyes. A strong sense of deja vu had arisen as Lila recalled the incident that had involved him not too long ago. It was exactly the same as Senior's.