The food tasted just like any ordinary food Layla had eaten before. However, the real danger behind the food started showing itself when Layla took the second bite.
"So, how's the food? Do you like it?"
Henry's eyes looked sharp, and his focus seed imasurable as he looked at Layla with a keen eye.
The poison made Layla's mouth go numb from pain. But that did not feel like an excuse she could make.
"It's good."
Layla deliberately dragged her words out to give herself more ti to adapt to her numb tongue.
Speaking was a hassle, but the pressure of being watched was even heavier for her to bear.
"Is that so? Well, I am glad that you like your food. I will personally complint the chef about outdoing himself today."
Maybe it was her lack of reaction, or maybe Layla showed an uncertain reaction on her face, but the breakfast went off quietly from then on.
None of the older kids showed any reaction on their faces as they entirely ate their food. But the feeling of eyes looking at Layla's back did not diminish even a single bit.
'A world of Romance Fantasy, huh? What a twisted fate for the world of love to be so cruel.'
This was the first of many tis Layla had such a thought, but sohow, she knew this would not be the last one for her.
...
"Ugh, that shitty food! Without my desire to get through this dinner, I would have thrown that plate at Henry's face. That food was torture."
Layla cursed as she emptied her stomach with Mary's dicine.
The dinner had gone as well as Layla had hoped, and by the ti she took her tenth bite, her throat and stomach had gone numb. Her hands moved, but Layla had no recollection of eating the food.
She stopped waiting halfway, but no one asked her any questions. They all just looked at Layla with their burning eyes of scrutiny.
"Miss Layla, are you done by now? You have been in the bathroom for about half an hour now. If you throw up all your precious breakfast, you won't have any energy to walk around for the rest of the day."
Mary spoke these words lightly, but Layla's tone mocked her for showing such a reaction.
Layla pushed herself away from the basin. She was emptying her stomach, and she looked at her face.
Her eyes looked bloodshot, and it made her look sick.
'I feel sick right now. But showing any weakness might get killed in his place.'
Seeing how even the kids were out to get each other, Layla knew that her only ticket to survival was to lay low and use Mary.
"I am fine now. The dicine you gave cleared out my stomach. But will all my als contain poison like this? Sohow, that does not sound like an optimal solution to ."
Layla spoke with confidence as she kept walking.
"Hmm, I know what you an, and I agree with you. That's why the Duke ensures only the breakfast contains this specific poison. You will be fine if you eat other als."
Layla was unsure how much she could trust Mary, but she felt confident that the older female was not out to get her…for now.
"I see…"
'Of course, I survived that poison. This body belongs to one of the villainesses. It won't die that easily unless the opponent is not the male or female lead.'
That was good.
If only one al out of the three in a day was poisoned, then Layla could endure it.
"On a happier note, your body took to the poison well. You didn't even break a fever like most kids do—about a third of the new kids that eat the first breakfast end up dying. Aren't you a lucky one?"
Mary asked in the sa cheerful voice.
Either the maid did not realize how carelessly she chatted about death or did not care. In any case, Layla knew that the best way to proceed would be to pretend that she did not hear what Mary said.
"Mary, can you take to the library first? I'd like to look at all the books this place has to offer."
Layla quickly changed the topic from the dangerous territory it was heading into. She had a feeling that Mary was testing her out right now. And the smile on Mary's face told Layla that she had succeeded in getting her attention.
"Hmm, alright! If you want to go to the library first, then I will take you. Is there anything specific you want to look in there?"
There was a lot Layla wanted to look at, but she was not going to tell Mary this.
"Just this and that. The more I know, the better my chances of survival, right? Then I should do whatever I can to ensure that I live."
Mary's eyes shined with a knowing light, but she did not speak more.
'Perhaps I should tone down my behavior and act more like a kid. But I don't even think I am capable of doing that. Heh, doing too much work has destroyed any sense of fun I had.'
That might be the case, but work was also the only reason Layla survived her previous life of loneliness.
It kept her busy enough not to notice what was happening around her.
Mary led Layla to the library, but she took far too long to be optimal.
Layla noticed how they passed through the sa corridor twice, but the older lady did not ntion it.
"Here is the library level you are permitted to use. Would you like to stay with you while you browse the section you want?"
That was a loaded question with a simple answer- no!
Layla would prefer to browse the library alone and would also like Mary to be as far away from her research as possible.
But she had also realized that Mary would find a way to keep an eye on Layla, even if she sent her away.
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