Arc 2: Chapter 28

Elenor returned back to the estate around dinner time which did cause her to get her ear nagged off by her brother who was feeling antsy the whole time when she didn't arrive back at the usual time.

"Could you prepare a bath for me?" Elenor asked one of the servants as she headed upstairs to her room.

"Certainly Lady Elenor."

After taking a bath and dinner with her family, she returned back to her room. She wasn't that surprised when Alec was waiting in her room, preparing the usual tea for the night. Walking inside, she passed by him and sat on her bed.

"Milady," he quietly spoke, placing down the tea.

Elenor stared at the liquid inside the teacup, trembling ever so slightly. She could see her reflection through it and for some reason, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"You are off duty for the next couple of days. You don't need to serve me." Elenor spoke as she picked up the teacup but not drinking it, only staring.

"But-"

"You seem to have a lot of things on your mind," she cut him off.

"So I decided that it was better for you to get a break." she said, rubbing the teacup with her finger.

"Please forgive this insolent servant. I will do better to never let this happen again." Alec bowed deeply.

"How cold.." Elenor whispered to herself before placing the teacup down.

She adjusted herself on the bed before speaking again. "Raise your head Alec. There is no reason for you to apologise."

Slowly, his head rose. Elenor had a sympathetic smile on her face before looking away.

"Just go and take a break. Come back when you're feeling better."

"I am perfectly fine milady." he tried to reason but she was having none of it.

"No you're not." Elenor retorted back.

Alec kept quiet. She sighed before dismissing him with a wave of her hand. Before he closed the doors to her room, she spoke once more.

"If you come back here and try to serve me, I will deduct your payment for this month." she warned.

"...Understood. Have a good night's rest milady." Alec bowed one last time before the doors fully shut.

Elenor released another sigh before falling down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling, getting lost in her thoughts. She couldn't help but wonder if what she had done was the right thing to do. Dismissing Alec and giving him a break- though it was more like forcing him to take one. As much as she wanted him to stay by her side, she knew doing that wouldn't be good.

Alec rarely lets his true feelings or thoughts be shown but Elenor was able to tell he had been lost in his thoughts. However, he still did his job perfectly as if that wasn't happening. If she didn't observe him deeper, she wouldn't have noticed either and continued living in vain.

Flipping over to her side, her eyes slowly flutters shut, letting her body relax into the soft mattress underneath her. She can only hope he will stop distancing himself from her.

"If he continues to do that, I might cry," Elenor grumbled, fake crying to herself before falling asleep.

The next morning, Elenor woke up to someone knocking on the door. Sleepily rubbing her eyes, she allowed them to come in.

"Good morning Lady Elenor, I will be taking care of you today." a maid said, walking inside her room.

Stretching her arms, she nodded and got up to her feet. She allowed the maid to get her dress for the day before she headed down for breakfast. Looking left and right, Alec was nowhere to be found which meant he followed her orders. Her day continued normally with nothing interesting happening around her.

"Being rich has so many perks huh…" Elenor muttered to herself as she sat outside in the balcony, letting time fly pass by while she read.

She gazed up at the sky, the clouds leisurely passing by. It was so peaceful and tranquil that it made her wonder how was the people back in her world doing. Her co-workers that she would sometimes go out and drink with, her parents who were now retired and spending their old lives together peacefully, siblings she used to fight with for fun and her close friends she loved deeply. She wondered what they were doing now and if they were living well without her.

She also pondered about her previous body, if it was burned into ashes after they pronounced her as dead. Did the people she loved and cared cried and mourned over her? If her body was now turned into ashes, will she be able to get back? Was she stuck in the world she created forever? These thoughts kept her occupied until she snapped back to reality, noticing the sun was now going down.

Elenor felt tired yet she couldn't sleep. Her body was awake yet all she wanted to do was hibernate. By the time she gave up on trying to sleep, it was already two in the morning. Wearing shoes this time, she walked to the back of the estate. Walking further from the estate, a small wooden gate could be seen under the light from the lamp she was carrying.

She pushed it and walked past it. Under her feet were fallen leaves and branches. The soft crunches echoed as she made her way to the place nobody visited nor knew. Brushing past the overgrown branches and leaves, she finally made it in. The moonlight shone onto the meadow creating a beautiful effect and atmosphere.

She set her lamp aside, afraid the flowers would catch on fire before making her way to the tree where she and Alec had a picnic once. Touching the trunk, she glanced at the leaves which shined under the moon. Staring at the tree, she had a sudden urge to climb it.

So she did. She pulled her nightgown dress up and climbed all the way to a sturdy branch she could sit on. Adjusting her position on the branch, she then gazed up at the stars twinkling in the night sky.

Elenor brooded on the idea that perhaps someone from her world was looking at the night sky just like her. Although it would never be the same one, just thinking about it made her smile. Elenor continued to stay there until she felt sleepier which caused her to sleep in until the afternoon.