Chapter 211 Planned Answer
Lucia was worried about Aleshia's well-being since she remained unresponsive. However, she had a class to teach, so she pushed her worries to the back of her mind while she managed things around the camp. As the day went on without any sign of Aleshia waking up, Lucia's nerves began to fray. Her panic only worsened knowing she had a meeting with Daniel, who would likely suspect something was wrong if she attended without Aleshia in control.
Unsure of what to do, Lucia tried to invent an explanation. "I could say that Aleshia was exhausted from restoring and curing all the curses and needed to sleep it off, giving me control in the meantime," she thought, trying to find a way to alleviate Daniel's potential suspicion. "Or I could suggest that Aleshia was off in her soul, sprucing up the place," but she reasoned that wouldn't make sense to Daniel.
Lucia took some time to reflect on her options while teaching the children. There were only occasional moments when she forgot or rushed through her thoughts about what she discussed with the class. She believed these interruptions were barely noticeable. However, the children seemed to pick up on the slight change in her demeanor and became worried, wanting to ask her what was bothering her. Nevertheless, they kept their concerns to themselves and remained engaged in the lessons that Lucia provided.
Lucia had finished teaching for the day, and evening had arrived. She ultimately decided to stick with her original idea. As she wrapped up the class, she watched the children filter out of the room. Some stayed behind, freely using the boards to practice what they had learned that day and during previous lessons. A little while later, Lucia heard a door open from outside, which prompted those who were still writing on the boards to wrap up their work and leave with the rest of the class.
Soon after, Daniel entered the room and briefly chatted with the students who had just exited. When he walked in, he posed the same question as before, to which Lucia immediately replied, "The hat."
Daniel didn't seem bothered by the answer and asked, "So when will she be returning?" A murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
Lucia sensed his killing intent and responded with her carefully crafted response, trying to sound as genuine as possible without stuttering. "It seems that the earlier time Aleshia was awake has worn her out. On top of that, after curing the curse several times, her body hasn't yet adjusted to the procedure. I'm sure you can relate to that. I believe she won't take more than another day or two." Lucia believed that her voice flowed smoothly, showing no signs of concern or doubt.