บท 28: A Desperate Search
I slowly awaken, feeling a slight headache and blurry vision. As my eyes cleared, I realized I was in my room, but where were is Liam or my mom?
I sat up, massaging my temples, and noticed something wrapped around my head, causing discomfort.
What was that?
I tried to stand, struggling to maintain my balance, and made my way to the door. Just as I was about to open it, someone else pushed it open, Diana.
She entered with a tray of food, "how are you feeling, Layla?" She asked from behind me.
I turned to face her, watching as she placed the tray on my desk.
"Where is Liam?" I asked, unable to hide my concern.
Diana's expression faltered, and she hesitated before responding, "Oh, he's not home right now."
"Where did he go so early?"
"He came home last night, didn't he?"
She avoided eye contact, "layla, you should eat and freshen up, you've been asleep for too long, and it's already noon."
"Noon?" I repeated.
"That's how long I slept?"
"Yes, you should eat some food."
"I'm not hungry. You haven't even answered my questions yet."
"Liam was the one who brought me to my room, right?" I asked again, my eyes fixed on Diana's face.
"Uhm, Layla..." she began, before trailing off.
"What's wrong, Diana? Where is he?" I insisted, my voice rising. "Say something!"
"Fine, I'll tell you," She relented
"Yes, tell me."
"Liam didn't come home last night."
My eyes widened, and a sharp pang pierced my chest. The room seemed to spin as I processed her words.
"It was one of the guards who brought you to your room," she continued.
"He might be busy, I don't know, but he didn't come home, and he hasn't reached out to any of us."
I furrowed my brows, trying to make sense of this information. "Is this really true?"
Diana nodded solemnly, her eyes filled with concern. "It is. Please, Layla, you need to eat and take care of yourself."
But I couldn't shake off the feeling of Liam's absence.
"He didn't come home last night?" I repeated.
"Where did he go? Is he really upset with me?"
Diana's expression turned sympathetic. "I don't know, Layla. If his disappearance is related to something you did, I'm sure he'll return to you. He can't just leave you like that."
"Where do you think he might have gone?" I asked.
She hesitated, her eyes darting around the room. "No one knows, Layla. No one."
As she turned to leave, I felt a surge of panic. "Wait, Diana!" I called out, but she was already gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts of Liam's whereabouts.
I had no appetite, and how could I? My mind was preoccupied with Liam's disappearance.
I took off whatever white cloth was tied around my head, and pulled out my clothes from the wardrobe then hurried to the bathroom with my towel, my heart racing with every passing moment.
I didn't linger in the bathroom, knowing every second counted. I had to find Liam, and I had to find him fast.
I rushed out of the bathroom, applied my body cream and perfume, and hastily got dressed. I didn't even bother to tie my hair, letting it fall behind my back as I stepped out of my room. The effects of Liam's hair oil that he gave me, is working really well, and I'm just noticing how long my hair has grown now.
Where could my mom's room be?, I haven't seen her at all since I woke up.
"Ma!" I called out.
"Maaa!" But there was no response.
I made my way straight to the elevator, feeling a slight throbbing in my head from the injury. I descended to the last floor and finally got out, but there were no maids around. Maybe they were outside.
"Mom!" I shouted as I headed towards the exit.
But just as I was about to step out, a guard stopped me. "Where are you going?" he asked, standing firm with his colleague on the other side of the entrance.
"Uhm, I'm just looking for my mom. And Liam, where did he go?"
"Go back in, Layla," the guard on my right said. "They're both not at home, and his highness instructs that we do not let you out without his permission."
I turned to him, frustrated. "Liam?, But why? My mom is new here, and Liam is nowhere to be found. I need to find them, and you should be letting me. In fact, you should all come along with me. Isn't he the prince?"
"You have a point, Layla. Your mom will come home soon, and so will Liam. Do not worry too much," the guard on my left spoke up.
"I'll get someone to address that injury on your head," he added, "so go back in."
"No, I have to go find Liam and mom, they could be lost!" I exclaimed.
The guards exchanged a knowing glance, and one of them smirked. "Nothing would happen to your mom, and his highness, he's the prince after all, who in their right mind would want to harm him. Except somebody," he said, his eyes hinting at me.
I pretended to be oblivious to his insinuation, but my mind raced with a plan. "Oh my star," I pointed at the blue sky.
"What?" they asked in unison, their eyes following my gaze.
"Look! An alien, ahhh!!!!" I faked a scream.
Instantly, I sprinted out of the entrance, leaving the guards stunned.
"Ah ha! Fooled ya!" I laughed, my feet pounding the ground as I ran as fast as I could.
The guards shouted behind me as they ran behind me.
"Stop Layla!" one of them yelled.
"Come back!"
"Stop already! His highness would kill us if anything happens to you!"
But I didn't listen. I kept running, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I won't stop until you tell me where I can find both of them!" I shouted back.
The guards' responses grew fainter, and I knew I had left them behind.
I continued to run, the maids along the way staring at me in surprise as I rushed past them, determined to find Liam and my mom.
"Layla!" I heard them call from behind.
"Come back layla!"
"Layla!"
I ran through the winding compound, my feet carrying me on autopilot as my mind raced with the thoughts of Liam's whereabouts. Where could he be?, Why doesn't he want to come back home?, Is he really upset with me?.
There was a gate ahead, probably leading out of the mansion, and I approached it. But suddenly, two pairs of hands grasped my arms, holding me in place.
"You think you're smart, huh?" one of the guards sneered, his grip tightening.
I struggled and squirmed, trying to break free. "Argh! Let me go! Leave me alone!" I demanded, but they only held me tighter.
"You have to go back, Layla," the guard said. "Stop being stubborn."
I looked to my left, and my eyes widened in shock. Ethan was holding my other arm.
"Ethan?" I asked, surprised. "What are you doing?"
"Sorry, Layla," he said, his eyes apologetic. "I can't disobey His Highness's orders."
"Really?" I asked. "Isn't Liam missing? He didn't come home last night, and you're worried about some order not letting me out?"
Ethan's expression turned sorrowful. "I'm sorry, Layla. I truly am."
"Well, if you guys know where he is, you should tell me."
"I want to apologize."
The guard on my left snorted. "You can do that when he comes back."
"Let's go back into the mansion, you're bleeding," Ethan said.
"Bleeding?" I reached up to touch my forehead, and winced as I felt the wetness. "Hsss...I hadn't even realized."
"Argh, Layla..."
"Argh, why are you so fast?" I turned to see the two guards who had been chasing me, looking like they had been running for their lives, finally catching up to us.
"You caught her...argh," one of them panted, clearly out of breath.
"How could she have escaped so easily?" the guard holding my right arm asked.
"She fooled us," one of the guards replied, his face red from exertion.
"You better be careful this time," he added, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at me.
"Take her now," the guard ordered, and I struggled as the two guards holding me handed me over to the other two.
"You can't fool us this time," one of them sneered, gripping my arms tightly.
"We'll be on our way now," the guard on my right said, leading me through the gate.
"Hey, let me go! Aren't you worried about Liam?" I asked, trying to wriggle free.
"Why would we be? We know he's fine," the guard replied nonchalantly.
"But how do you know when he hasn't reached out to any of you?"
"He doesn't have to. We know he's fine and will return," the guard said confidently.
I suddenly felt calm, "Are you sure?"
"We are."
"Okay, then what about my mom?"
"Uhm...she went to meet...li...uhm...she went to see the queen," the guard said, then laughed nervously.
"Why does it sound like you're lying?" I asked, my suspicions raised.
He coughed. "Hmm hmmm, I'm fine, I just have a cough. I've been running too long, you know."
"Exactly!" the other guard exclaimed. "You made us run too much...he had a cough."
They're acting suspicious, I don't think they're telling me the truth.
"Hmm hmm, it's now sour, hmm hmm, I have a sore throat." The guard spoke up.
"I knew it! I knew it was a sore throat and not a cough!" I exclaimed.
"You should take warm water, it might help."
"Hmm... thanks," the guard laughed again, still sounding a bit off.
They led me back into the mansion, and I couldn't help but feel a growling hunger in my stomach. I needed food!
"Go in, and don't even think of fooling us again, Layla," the guard warned as I stood by the doorway.
"I won't," I replied. "But if I don't see my mom and Liam stepping in this evening or today..."
"He would come, he would come, don't worry, I'm sure you'll be suprised because...." the other guard started to say, but suddenly winced in pain. "Oww!"
I was taken aback. "Why would I be surprised?" I asked, confused.
The guard who had hit his colleague quickly intervened. "Don't mind him, haha... uhm... it's his sore throat, and it can sometimes make him blurt out nonsense, haha... don't pay him too much attention."
But I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.
The guard who had been hit looked suspicious, sweaty, and red.
"Are you also sure you don't have a sore throat?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.
"Hmm hmm... I think I do, hmm hmm, it hurts, ouch!" he replied, wincing.
"I knew it!" I exclaimed. "You should also take hot water too."
"We would, we would," they both said in unison.
"Okay then, goodbye," I slowly turned around to leave, but my suspicions were still raised.
"Phew!" I heard one of them exhale, and I quickly turned back around, my eyes narrowing.
"I knew you didn't just have any sore throat, it's another kind of sore throat," I accused.
"It is?" they asked, trying to sound innocent, but their nervous glances gave them away.
"It is!" I insisted, my voice rising.
They're hiding something, and I'm going to find out what it is!
The guards shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting back and forth, and I could tell they were trying to come up with a new lie. But I wasn't going to let them get away with it.
I walked around in circles, with the guards at the center, my eyes fixed on them with a knowing glint. "I know what's going on," I said, my voice low.
"W-what?" one of the guards stuttered, exchanging a nervous glance with his companion.
"There's nothing going on, Layla," the other guard tried to assure me, but I could see the fear lurking behind his eyes.
"Oh, but there is," I said, my smile growing wider as I raised my arms to touch their shoulders from behind. They both flinched, and I could feel their tension.
"You both have Gloopernack's Sore Throat!" I exclaimed.
"Glooperwhat sore throat?" the guard on my left asked, his voice shaking slightly.
"Gloopernack Sore Throat," I repeated, my eyes gleaming with mischief as I stepped in front of them.
"What's that?" they asked in unison.
I let out a dramatic sigh, my hands clasped behind my back.
"Hmph, I remember when I had that... I was just 15, and I was forced to do all sorts of ridiculous things to get rid of it."
"All sorts!" they repeated.
I turned my back to them, my voice taking on a melancholic tone. "The worst moment of my life... I had this sudden, uncontrollable urge to sing ancient sea shanties."
"Ancient sea shanties!" they exclaimed, their faces pale and sweaty.
I spun around to face them, my eyes sparkling with fake tears. "Yes, ancient sea shanties. Many people laughed at me... They called me wierd because I always complained of having a small, furry creature in my throat!"
The guards' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as they took in my "traumatized" expression.
"You...you had a furry creature in your throat?" the guard on the left stammered.
I nodded solemnly, my eyes wide with fake trauma. "Yes, it was a dark time. But I survived. And now, I can see the symptoms in both of you."
The guards took a step back, their eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape from the "curse" of Gloopernack's Sore Throat.
"You...you have to help us!" the guard on the right begged, his voice trembling.
I smiled sweetly, my eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, I'll help you. But first, you have to tell me the truth about Liam and what's really going on in this mansion."
The guards exchanged a nervous glance, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of guilt in their eyes. But then, their expressions hardened, and they shook their heads in unison.
"We can't tell you anything," the guard on the left said.
I shrugged, my smile growing wider. "Suit yourselves. But remember, I've been through the horrors of Gloopernack's Sore Throat. I know the signs. And I won't hesitate to use my knowledge to 'help' you both..."
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