Chapter 2.27: Struck by Sickness and Cross-Examination

The walk back to Leila's room was hectic. Passengers saw the spectacle and gawked, making Leila curse again in her head. They nearly got stuck in the traffic of the busy halls, making it into a back stairwell at the very last minute. The whole situation was spiraling wildly into something much bigger. Leila grits her teeth, inwardly panicking. Despite this, she hurried the man onward to her room, making sure to lock it behind them once they made it in. This way the heiress wouldn't get any more surprises along the way. Liliko'i was laid down on the closest bed with her state not as dire as before. Still, she was drenched in sweat and hadn't woken up from fainting earlier.

This worried the dark-haired woman. If Lili was about to be hit full force by the roots, she might die. Or worse, became so ill they had to turn back home. Both options left the heiress feeling a pit grow in her stomach. She rubbed at her arms with a tense look in her eyes as she watched the blonde's chest move up and down. At her side, the man gave her a suspicious glance. Clearly, he wanted answers about what exactly he had been dragged into. Leila sighed. This left her with another loose end to deal with. She gave him an expression identical to that one in the store and sat. The man noticeably tensed up once the aura of the room shifted in the dark-haired woman’s outward mood. This could turn for the absolute worse.

"My sister isn't used to traveling by boat. She was always a very anxious woman and pregnancy along with sea sickness hasn't helped much." She muttered in a shaky tone. Purposefully trying to come off as unfocused and scared to earn his trust momentarily.

Leila continued before he could get a word out. Her legs crossed over another as she looked him in the eye. "That's why I was so cross with you that day in the store. The smallest of confrontations harm Liliko'i emotionally and make her even sicker with worry."

The man digested her explanation before asking some more questions. They dug a little deep. "If that's the case, why take her to the highest part of the ship?"

"I had no idea it was that high." She frowned, feeling annoyed by the sudden interrogation. This odd man wouldn't fall for the white lotus act she was used to.

The staff member shrugged his broad shoulders and scratched at his chin. His gaze became focused on the blonde again. "Still, it's careless to take someone with such a rough pregnancy on a slippery, wet ship deck."

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Well, it truly seemed like the mask had been taken off and a nosy bastard solely remained. This bastard was either holding a grudge or assumed she purposely hurt the timid woman. A young woman, the man didn’t even know that well. Leila was positive that the first time the pair ever met or spoke to the man was in the store. He didn’t know the dynamic between them at all. It just drove her mad that this guy randomly started treating her like some criminal. Unless he knew who she was and the allegations, it made no sense to think of her that way. And even if he did know of the claims against her, the man was right in front of them when Lili passed out. So he saw she did nothing to her, making the allegations even more ridiculous. God, this was all so goddamn strange and confusing.

Leila crossed her arms. "My sister didn't misstep and fall onto the ground. She fainted from becoming ill from the putrid smell of the sea and morning sickness." Both were highly suspicious of one another, but Leila had no idea why he even suspected her of causing this.

"I didn't mean to offend ma'am," He put his hands up once more than a show of giving in. Still, he had a sly look in his eyes that made her skin crawl. "I was out of line. I sincerely apologize, it just seemed, unlike any morning sickness I've seen before. That's all."

Those sharp snake-like eyes chilled her from the core and made the heiress glare right back. It was clear that something was off about this man. Beneath the surface, under that mask of a helpful, chivalrous minimum-wage worker, was a viper. He just oozed fakeness now that the blonde was out of the way. From this encounter and the one from before, the heiress knew they would not get along. As always, her natural vibes of a person were never that far off from the actual truth. She was grateful that he helped get Liliko’i to safety and she planned on compensating him for it. But now, the dark-haired woman simply laughed and pointed towards the room door. The noblewoman wanted him out. That way she could nurse the blonde back to help the best she could and then handle the two-faced bastard privately.

"You didn't offend me, but you're testing my patience," the noblewoman smiled and showed him out. “I think it would be best for you to leave. I’m incredibly thankful for the help you gave my sister-in-law, but you’re still a stranger to me. So, asking such detailed information about my intentions is none of, and will never be your business.”

The man could only let out a nervous chuckle as his hands were in his pockets and made his way out. He made sure to brush his side against her body, pushing her back a bit into the wall. This display of aggression suddenly caused her eyes to widen. Whoever the hell this man was, he didn’t like her. But Leila knew better than to let this asshole see her sweat. No one could intimidate her even when she was in a new place with no cheats to use to her advantage. With this in mind, she raised an eyebrow at his antics and let the door close in his face with an eye roll. The immaturity was so gross and weird. She needed to dig deep into who he was and get whatever information she could in case he liked to play dirty.