Five

The next morning, Eloise woke up a little before her mother came to get her up. Today was an important day as she had to find a partner for a mission on Thursday. She pondered on finding someone strong or simply asking someone who would be interested. Alice, a girl in her class, seemed like a practical choice.

"Eloise, you're already awake! What a miracle. Usually, you prefer to sleep in, and now you're up and ready," remarked her mother when she entered the room. Eloise couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise in her mother's voice. Was it really that strange for her to be awake, bathed, and dressed for school?

"Yes, Mom. I've decided that it's time for a change. I'm not a child anymore, and I can't depend on you," Eloise replied confidently as she stepped out of her room.

"See you later, Mom."

"Have a good day, my dear, and see you tonight," her mother bid her farewell. However, before leaving, Eloise had to find her grandmother. There was something important she needed to ask her.

Eloise made her way downstairs and immediately spotted her grandmother, engrossed in reading a journal and sipping her coffee.

"Grandma, I need your help with something important," Eloise said, approaching her and taking a seat next to her.

"Tell me, what's troubling you, Eloise?" her grandmother responded, setting aside her journal.

"I need to find a partner, and I'm thinking of asking a girl in my class. The only issue is that she's part of the royal family," Eloise explained, a hint of worry evident in her voice.

"Then all you need to do is buy some flowers—roses, to be precise—and offer to go on a mission with her," her grandmother suggested, exuding a sense of confidence in her advice.

"Are you sure, Grandma? It sounds more like a declaration of love than a request for a mission," Eloise questioned, feeling a tinge of uncertainty about her grandmother's suggestion.

"Don't worry, my dear. It will work splendidly. I have plenty of experience, you know," her grandmother reassured her.

"Well, okay, Grandma," Eloise relented, accepting her grandmother's counsel. With that, she left the house. On her way to school, she stopped at a flower shop and purchased a bunch of roses.

Eloise believed that Alice would likely be in the park, so she headed there. Spotting Alice, she approached her with determination.

"Oh, hi, Eloise. What are you doing here?" Alice greeted her cheerfully, seemingly in good spirits.

"Well, I'm here to ask you something," Eloise began, revealing the bunch of roses in her hand.

Alice appeared somewhat embarrassed, and Eloise couldn't help but notice. Perhaps it was the roses that made her uneasy.

"Would you like to..." Eloise started, but before she could finish her sentence, Alice interrupted her.

"No, sorry. I can't do that," Alice responded hastily and swiftly turned away, running off.

Confusion and disappointment washed over Eloise. She hadn't even been able to ask Alice if she wanted to join her on the mission. The school bell rang, signaling the start of classes, and Eloise made her way to the classroom.

What did she do wrong? She had followed her grandmother's advice meticulously, so why did Alice leave? Despite the lingering questions, Eloise resolved to ask Alice during class. However, things took an even worse turn throughout the day.

"Alice, Alice, Alice, answer me! Why are you ignoring me?" Eloise pleaded with frustration, desperate for an explanation.

"Please leave me alone," Alice responded, her tone indicating a mixture of distress and apprehension. It appeared that Alice might have developed strong feelings for Eloise, leading to her unexpected behavior.

Eloise resorted to writing a note, hoping to get through to Alice. She handed it to her, and Alice reluctantly read its contents.

Note: Meet me in the park after school. I want to tell you something important.

"Well, now we can finally talk quietly, but please don't run away this time. Stay until the end. What I want to tell you is really important," Eloise expressed earnestly, unsure of Alice's current thoughts. She hoped that Alice wouldn't reject her solely based on her lack of wealth.

"Well, let me start first. I don't want to disappoint you, but I don't want to become your girlfriend. I know you're a good person, but I only met you yesterday, so I'm really sorry, but I don't feel the same way," Alice confessed, her voice filled with regret.

Eloise was taken aback by Alice's response. It wasn't her intention to pursue a romantic relationship with Alice.

"Oh no, I think you've misunderstood. I don't want you to be my girlfriend," Eloise clarified, genuine surprise evident in her voice.

"But I don't understand. You've been trying to talk to me all day, and you had a bouquet of roses with you. I thought you wanted me to be your girlfriend," Alice explained, her confusion palpable.

"No, actually, I was just following someone's advice," Eloise admitted, realizing that her grandmother's counsel had led to this misunderstanding. She couldn't help but imagine her grandmother laughing at the situation, having unintentionally given her misguided advice.

Grandma's point of view

Atchoo! "I think it's a bit cold today, or perhaps someone is talking about me," Grandma mused with a playful smile.

Eloise's point of view

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to join me for the mission on Thursday. Sorry for the confusion," Eloise clarified, scratching her head in acknowledgment of the unfortunate situation.

"Yes, I would love to. After all, you are very powerful," Alice responded, her previous confusion slowly dissipating.

"Great," Eloise replied, relieved that Alice agreed to accompany her. With their misunderstanding cleared, Eloise decided it was time to visit Orobarian, having missed their meeting the day before. As she arrived at the forest, she noticed something was amiss—Orobarian was nowhere to be seen.

"Orobarian!" Eloise called out, her worry mounting as her calls went unanswered. Something was definitely wrong.

"Orobarian, where are you?" Eloise shouted repeatedly, her voice echoing through the stillness of the forest. Suddenly, a figure approached her and launched an attack. Eloise swiftly dodged the assault, realizing it was the same stranger who had attacked Orobarian. The assailant quickly retreated, leaving Eloise stunned. She rushed to Orobarian's side, finding him injured and in his human form.

"Orobarian, what happened to you? Why are you in this state? And who was that person? Why did they attack you?" Eloise bombarded him with questions, concern etched on her face.

"Eloise, it's you," Orobarian managed to say, his voice strained and filled with pain.

"Yes, tell me what happened," Eloise urged, her voice filled with genuine worry.

"Someone appeared out of nowhere. They wore a cloak and a mask, making it impossible for me to see their face. They attacked me unexpectedly," Orobarian explained, his injuries testifying to the strength of their assailant.

"I think they ran away when they saw you, but they were truly formidable," he added.

"Let me help you heal," Eloise offered, doing her best to provide comfort and aid. However, Orobarian managed to heal himself using his own abilities.

"Thank you so much, Eloise," Orobarian expressed his gratitude, though Eloise felt that she hadn't done much. Realizing she was already late for her training session with Alana, Eloise bid Orobarian farewell.

"Well, I have to go now. Alana is probably waiting for me for our training session. Goodbye, Orobarian," she said, concern still lingering in her eyes.

"Goodbye, and please take care of yourself," Orobarian whispered, his voice filled with appreciation, as Eloise turned to leave.

As Eloise contemplated the identity of the attacker, she vowed to make them suffer for harming Orobarian. Determination burned within her, and she was resolute in her pursuit of justice.