The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Chapter 133 Why so Smug?
Hera stirred from her peaceful nap, yet she kept her eyes closed. Someone gently nudged her several times while calling her name, their voice so tender and melodious that it only deepened her sense of comfort.

Struggling to open her eyes, Hera heard a soft chuckle beside her, like the whisper of a gentle breeze through the leaves of the tree. Its lightness mirrored the tranquility of the surroundings, offering a soothing and healing effect.

She took deep breaths and stretched her limbs after a satisfying nap, her lips forming into a small smile as she listened to the soft chuckle beside her. But wait, ‘beside her’? It was only then that her body perked up, realizing there was someone sitting beside her.

Her eyes flew open, her head snapping to the side to find Xavier comfortably seated beside her, wearing a doting smile. If she didn’t know better, she might have thought Xavier had a crush on her or something.

Realizing her train of thought, Hera chuckled to herself. “How long have I been sleeping?” she asked Xavier.

“Not that long,” Xavier responded, glancing around. Hera followed his gaze and noticed the other participants arriving one after another. Some were already seated, waiting for everyone to gather. At some point, Xavier pulled his chair to sit beside Hera. She also noticed the pillow placed behind her head, prompting her to look at Xavier, who met her gaze without saying anything.

Their attention was drawn to the Director’s voice as he gathered everyone and began to speak. “Alright, everyone, great job! It seems like most of you have completed the scavenger hunt. However, for those who didn’t quite make it, don’t worry. There may be another opportunity for you soon.”

As soon as Hera and Xavier spotted the Director walking into the center, flanked by the crew, they quickly stood up and grabbed their bags from where they had been placed at their feet. With determined strides, they joined the others, eager to hear what the Director had to say.

The Director signaled to the crew trailing behind him to begin checking each participant’s backpack and cross-referencing the items against the list. To ensure transparency and prevent any accusations of cheating, the participants stood beside the crews during the inspection. Each participant’s cameraman diligently recorded every action, ensuring a thorough documentation of the process.

As the crews inspected the bags, a collective gasp rippled through the group, prompting Hera to lift her head and glance over. There, she witnessed a crew member holding up a colorful egg, clearly belonging to Alice.

Alice wore a demure and humble smile, but beneath it, Hera could detect a hint of smugness in her eyes. Alice’s gaze swept through the crowd until it met Hera’s, where she offered a subtle smirk before shifting her attention elsewhere, not even waiting for Hera’s reaction. Her eyes roamed for a while until they settled on Xavier, who was standing behind the crew and the cameraman assigned to him. They had been blocking her view, explaining why she hadn’t noticed Xavier’s presence earlier, despite him standing so close to Hera.

Alice waited eagerly for Xavier to glance in her direction, her hopeful expression not escaping the notice of those around her, including the viewers. In her anticipation, she conveniently overlooked the events of the previous night and the damage it had done to her reputation, not just in Xavier’s eyes but across the internet. However, Xavier’s gaze never strayed towards her; instead, it remained fixed on Hera’s face.

He, too, awaited the conclusion of the inspection, eager for the ranking declaration so he could finally relax. Originally, he anticipated seeing nervousness in Hera’s expression, but as he observed her calm demeanor, doubts began to creep into his mind.

“So it seems, Alice has found an Easter egg,” the Director declared. Alice’s initial gloominess from being ignored by Xavier dissipated as she heard the cheers from everyone. Not one to miss an opportunity, she even managed to give Hera a subtle, taunting smirk amidst the commotion.

Hera couldn’t help but find it amusing to see Alice act so proud. After all, finding an Easter egg was indeed an achievement to be proud of, especially considering the limited number scattered around the village. Hera herself had spent considerable time scouring the entire village in search of Easter eggs, which explained why she was later than she had anticipated.

The moment Hera experienced the joy of finding two Easter eggs, she became addicted to reveling in her luck. Aware that such opportunities were rare, she eagerly sought to test the limits of her good fortune. And to her surprise, she found herself luckier than even the original female lead, Alice.

As Hera observed Alice’s triumphant smile while flaunting her Easter egg, she struggled to contain her amusement. Suppressing her laughter, her eyes turned into crescents, tears of mirth welling up. However, Alice misinterpreted Hera’s expression as tears of defeat.

Xavier, however, was keenly aware that Hera had something up her sleeve. He could clearly see the mischievous glint in her eyes as she glanced at Alice. Shaking his head in resignation, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

As the crew on Hera’s side proceeded with checking the items in her bag, he was stunned to see four Easter eggs nestled on top of the wool, while flanked by duck and chicken eggs on both sides covered in hay.

Momentarily flustered, the crew momentarily forgot what to do next. However, when he finally regained his senses and was about to announce the discovery, Hera tapped his shoulder. She then placed her index finger to her lips in a gesture signaling to keep it a secret for now, all the while grinning playfully.

“Ah! An Easter egg!” Zen exclaimed loudly, seemingly unaware of Hera’s subtle gestures. But in truth, he had seen Hera’s actions, he became curious about what she was trying to conceal from with crew. To his surprise, he discovered that Hera had more Easter eggs hidden in her bag.

Alice’s joy was abruptly extinguished, her smile fading into a frown as the others turned their attention to the sudden commotion.

This was precisely Zen’s intention when he shouted so loudly. Witnessing Alice’s subtle provocation aimed at Hera simply because she found an Easter egg, Zen was determined to wash her smugness out of her face, even though he was aware that Hera might have her own strategy. In this instance, his mouth was faster than his brain.

And when he came to the realization, it was already too late. His impulsive declaration about Hera’s Easter eggs had already been made, drawing everyone’s attention to the four conspicuous eggs now in the crew’s hands. Despite the awkwardness stemming from their conflicts the previous night and their evident biases, most participants offered Hera their congratulations. This time, their reactions seemed different—whether it was a genuine desire to mend bridges and be closer to Hera or simply an act for the cameras remained uncertain.

After the brief commotion over the Easter eggs, they resumed the checking process, and soon after, the rankings were announced. Xavier claimed the top spot, followed by Hera, Zen, and two male actors. Alice and two female artists, Alexi and Minerva, rounded out the rankings.

After the rankings were announced, Xavier eagerly approached Hera for their bet.

“Since the rankings are in, let’s see what rewards are inside the Easter eggs,” the Director declared, causing Xavier to pause mid-movement because another twist in the event unfolded and Xavier wasn’t sure if this will work against his rank or not.