Chapter 106 – A Budding Head
“So what I’m trying to say is-”
“Yes Lila, I get it.” Senior rolled her eyes at Lila trying to explain for the third time.
“Please wait-”
“Exciting party! Meet new people! You want me to work on those, right?”
Lila held her fists close to her mouth as if she were coughing. “I told you the party shouldn’t be … ‘exciting’” Lila’s violet pupils began to tremble. Senior who was examining her playfully could not hold in her laugh.
“I’m joking! It’s a joke! I fully understand the purpose of the party.”
Lila narrowed her eyes. She seemed too excited to be joking. There was a touch of seriousness in her mood.
Senior opened her mouth again after Lila’s silent glare. “Anyways, I’m sure that wasn’t the only thing you came here to talk about today, am I wrong?”
“Yes that’s right, take a look at this.” Lila handed Senior an important-looking piece of paper.
“Huh … ?” The paper had detailed information of a woman whom Senior was also familiar with.
Senior tilted her head. “It’s Nepeli’s daughter. What about her?”
“She’s our new partner,” Lila said bluntly.
“Huh … Nepeli’s daughter? Since when?” Senior was struggling to understand. What benefit was the simple-minded daughter going to give them as she became the head of Hiln? “Was a compromise made between you two?”
“Not quite yet. However, Nepeli might ask for a deal. I’m planning on meeting her today. I hope everything goes smoothly, if not, I am going to avoid everything regarding our partnership. I just wanted you to be aware of this. In case Edith wants a reward, what would it be?”
“Hmm….” Senior nibbled on the hoisted bones of her knuckles as she became lost in thought. Edith Nepeli’s daughter was well known by many to be a social butterfly, but now her private information was secured and unveiled. After a while of pondering she couldn’t wrap her head around a proper reward.
Senior shook her head with a long face. Lila got a gist of it and nodded her head. “Don’t worry too much. She has been pretty hospitable to us, so why don’t we just first try meeting her?”
It was no secret that Edith was interested in Lila, and fortunately, that interest was a positive one. However, if Edith somehow found out that it wasn’t actually the original Lila in her body, she wasn’t sure how Edith would react.
Until then I’ll just complete the contract and see what she actually wants.
Even though the owner of this body was different, the contract would stay valid as long as she could give Edith what she wanted.
Lila pulled out another paper. “Here, have this first.”
“What is it?”
“The contract with Edith. It needs your signature, Senior. The purpose of this contract is to eventually name you the head of the Hiln family.”
“Oh okay, one moment.” Senior brought a pen, and without even skimming through the contract, she signed it beside her printed name.
She looked back up to find a frowning Lila. “…? What are you doing?”
“You told me to sign it, right?”
“You should still read it though”
Senior sighed to herself before putting the pen down. “Don’t worry, I trust you, Lila. If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have held your hand that day.”
Lila blushed a little and looked down when she met Senior’s glistening eyes.
You should still read it though.
Although Lila did not find Senior and her antics annoying, when she looked down at herself she started developing a migraine. She felt that, without her help towards the budding head of the Hilns, she’d get kidnapped by another family. With that in mind, Lila had to keep reminding herself that she was not here to do a good deed but to help for her own needs.
* * *
The reply came back sooner than expected. With the invitation in hand, she gradually stood up and pushed her chair back.
“You got this!” Senior, who noticed Lila’s getting up, swung her two fists up in the air and Lila lifted her brows.
“What’s with the encouragement?”
“Aren’t you on your way to meet Nepeli’s daughter? I was cheering you on for the contract.”
Lila blankly stared at Senior for a moment, then let out a light chuckle. She sighed and gently knocked on the desk.
“Senior, you will also be coming. Please stand.”
She immediately recoiled at the statement. “What! Me too?”
“Yes. Senior, you’re a part of the contract. How could you be absent from this? Plus, It’s a good chance for you to get familiar with her. It wouldn’t hurt to get closer to her.”
Senior pouted at her convincing tone, however, her mind was forming around how it would be beneficial for herself to become friends with Edith who had all sorts of information from various sources.
After turning away, Lila closed her eyes and tried to remember the first time she saw Edith at the Hilns’ party. She controlled the audience so naturally that she must have had experience with crowds in the past. At the teahouse, she sat smiling in front of her with a moody face, but she, too, must have been thinking about the number of cases in her mind. Just like Lila herself.
“You’re, but I’m a little overwhelmed, I did not expect to go see Nepeli’s daughter today. So uhm … Why me all of a sudden?”
Lila suppressed the urge to blurt out that without her, she was too gullible to be taken seriously by others. “You should try to get the hang of acting like the head. Don’t forget that our contract is only a year long, so you’re going to be on your own from then onwards.”
Senior almost looked perplexed at hearing the truth. “Ah! … That is true,” she said as if expecting Lila to be by her side forever.
“How could I forget? It’s only a year … that’s right ….”
Lila was bewildered. Why does everyone around me forget about their contracts?
The perfect example was Lacias. He regularly acted like the contract didn’t exist. He would often act and talk as if he drew a future with her. Lila didn’t understand Lacias, but she did not bother questioning his actions. As the contract comes to an end, they would naturally begin to distance each other. Also, she didn’t want to break his hopes down. The latter was the bigger reason.