Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 394: The art of palace intrigue

"Uh… sorry, I've got something I need to do," Lila said to Sophia.

But to her surprise, Sophia just smiled warmly.

"It's no big deal."

Lila didn't think much of it and hurried into Ethan's room. She quickly found a set of his clothes and threw them on without much care.

However, there was a bit of a problem—Ethan's clothes were way too big for her. Getting them to fit was no easy task.

Just as Lila was struggling with the oversized outfit, Sophia stepped in to help.

With a gentle touch, Sophia adjusted the clothes on Lila. While the overall look was still a bit off, at least the pants wouldn't fall down anymore.

"Ah, thanks," Lila said, grateful as always.

"No problem. Are you going to see Ethan now? I'll come with you," Sophia suggested.

"But…" Lila hesitated.

"It's fine. I'm friends with Ethan too, you know. Really close friends, actually. I mean, I did spend the night in his room," Sophia added, emphasizing the word "friends" with a playful tone.

"Uh…"

Lila couldn't help but wonder if there was something off about Ethan's reputation. Why was it that every time they swapped, she'd find some beautiful girl at his place?

Could it be that Ethan was… a player?

Sophia continued, coaxing her gently, "Besides, in your current state, it might be hard to go out alone. With me around, it'll be much easier."

"Well… okay, I guess," Lila agreed, thinking Sophia made a good point.

After that, the two of them freshened up quickly before heading out.

Sophia, not one to worry about money, opted for the convenience of a taxi.

When they finally found Ethan, he didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Sophia. His lack of reaction left her feeling a little disappointed.

She had planned to jump out and confront him, to let him know she was onto his secret and catch him off guard.

Ethan, now reunited with his clothes, changed in a public restroom at the park. He finally breathed a sigh of relief—walking around in pajamas had been a bit awkward.

Sitting on a park bench, Ethan shot Sophia a disdainful look. "You really followed us, huh? Just like I thought. You're so predictable. What a boring woman."

"I'd rather not hear that from you," Sophia retorted, crossing her arms and staring him down. "But seriously, aren't you going to explain what's going on?"

Ethan scratched his head. "You really want to know? If you do, I don't mind telling you."

"Go ahead," Sophia replied, knowing full well that if she said no, he'd never spill the truth.

"Alright then." Ethan shrugged and casually draped an arm over Lila's shoulder. "As you can see, sometimes I swap bodies with this kid. Though, I'm not sure why things turned out the way they did today."

Body swapping?

Sophia's mind immediately flashed back to the strange behavior she'd noticed in Ethan a few days ago. So, that weird version of Ethan she'd seen… was actually this girl inside his body?

The more she thought about it, the more it started to make sense. No wonder she'd misread the situation!

This sneaky guy had totally played her!

"That's the deal. Anyway, it's time for school," Ethan said, standing up. He glanced at Sophia and wrinkled his nose. "Sophia, did you not shower?"

Smack!

Sophia's face twitched at his rude expression. Even if she hadn't showered for a day, she still smelled good, okay?!

"Oh, by the way, I wanted to talk to you yesterday about how we could help Nessa, but unfortunately, your little… episode kind of derailed things," Ethan added.

Sophia's face flushed red at the memory of last night's excruciating massage. As painful as it had been, the results were undeniable—she still felt light and relaxed even now.

In fact, she was almost tempted to go through it again. What the hell was wrong with her?!

"Let's talk about it after school," Ethan said, pulling out his phone to add Sophia as a friend.

Sophia, though reluctant, especially since it involved Nessa, gritted her teeth and accepted the friend request.

"Sophia, Riverside High and Westbrook Academy are on the same route. Could you give Lila a ride?" Ethan asked, sounding a bit too casual for a favor.

Sophia didn't mind. She was planning to take a taxi to school anyway, and having one more person didn't make much of a difference. Of course, if that person had been Ethan, she would've kicked him out without hesitation.

Lila, on the other hand, was very uncomfortable. She wanted to refuse, but Sophia, with her no-nonsense attitude, had already whisked her away before she could protest.

Meanwhile, Ethan waited by the road outside the park. After a few minutes, a sleek, black stretch limo pulled up in front of him, and the door swung open.

As he climbed in, he greeted the passengers, "Good morning, ladies."

"Good morning, sir," replied Charlotte Langston, the eldest daughter of the Langston family, with a graceful nod. Read now on m_vl_em_p_yr

"Thanks for the ride. I had a bit of an unexpected situation this morning," Ethan said, expressing his gratitude.

Charlotte shook her head gently. "It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to help you, sir."

Sitting across from Ethan was Mabel, the Langston family's maid. When she noticed Ethan looking her way, she spoke up, "Regarding the task you assigned me earlier, I've made some progress. You should have the results by tomorrow."

"Thanks," Ethan said, nodding in appreciation.

Mabel shook her head modestly. "Compared to the help you've given us, this is just a small matter."

As for how Ethan knew Charlotte, it was due to a few minor incidents in the past. The Langston family was one of the most prominent families in the country, but Ethan's own status was far from ordinary. He carried the responsibility of safeguarding the world from unseen threats.

This world had a side far removed from the mundane, and certain families in this country were tasked with eliminating those hidden dangers. Ethan was more than happy to act as a supervisor for these families.

Because of his unique role, Ethan often found himself rubbing shoulders with some of the most elite circles. The Langston family was just one of many. In fact, in a way, it was more of an honor for the Langstons to hire Ethan than the other way around.

However, the Langston family had hired him to be Charlotte's private tutor, which seemed to have some ulterior motive behind it.

Not that Charlotte needed much tutoring in the traditional sense. So, Ethan chose a subject that suited her perfectly: the art of palace intrigue.

It didn't take long for Charlotte to master it, and she had already achieved some impressive results in her "training."