"Milady what have you been thinking about?" Alec asked as he placed desserts in front of her.
Elenor snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him. Giving him a brief smile she picked up her pastry fork and began eating the dessert. In truth, she had been having dreams. Dreams of Elenor abusing him. It was vivid images of how it had been done. Those were nightmares to her, every morning she would wake up with goosebumps and cold sweat down to her spine.
She knew it wasn't her responsibility and that she shouldn't blame herself for what has happened in the past before she came into this body. Despite that, she still felt guilty for it. How could she not especially when she became the said person who did all of those deeds.
"Mi.." she could faintly hear someone speaking to her but she was too lost in her thoughts to notice the voice.
She could feel herself growing more tired as the days come. She already knew it was because of her dreams waking her up in the middle of the night and after that she wouldn't be able to sleep. A sigh nearly fell out of her lips when a thumb brushed over it.
Elenor physically jumped, startled by the contact. She gazed at who had touched her. Alec's face was closed to hers, dangerously close.
"Hyejin." he called out her name.
She could feel her heart beating against her ribcage. It sounded really loud and she hoped he wasn't able to hear how loud and fast her heart was. She gulped as she stared into his eyes. He rarely used her name but when he said it, it was soft and gentle. As if her name was a valuable treasure to him.
Her eyes fell on his lips. They were closing in slowly. Too lost in the moment, her eyes fluttered shut waiting for what was to come. Maybe it was fine giving in to him.
"Elenor!" a voice shouted for her name.
Instantly she gathered back her thoughts and snapped back to reality, quickly running away from Alec. She turned to who had called her.
"Isabella?" she puzzledly spoke.
"Yes now hurry up!"
"For what?"
Isabella sighed exasperatedly before stomping over to her, grabbing her hand and dragged her.
"Did you forget? You agreed to follow me to the capital today!" she grumbled, angry that Elenor had forgotten about their hangout today.
Elenor blinked before finally remembering that letter Isabella had sent to her asking her if she wanted to go out to the capital with her.
"Ah I remember now. Sorry," Elenor sheepishly said and smiled.
Isabella glared at her and said nothing until they got onto the carriage. Before they left, Isabella spoke and pointed outside.
"Are you not bringing your butler?" she questioned.
Elenor turned to look outside to see Alec only standing there, seeing her off and not getting on the carriage with her. She pressed her lips into a thin line before looking away.
"Not today. It will be you and I only."
"Huh, alright then let's go." she signalled the carriage to begin moving.
Elenor shot one last look at Alec who had a smirk on his face. She knew the reason for it and looked away.
"Hey why is your face so red?" Isabella pointed out, confused.
"What?"
"Your face is red."
Elenor held her hands up to her cheeks which were burning hot. She glared at the ground, punching Alec into a pulp in her thoughts.
"It's nothing, today's quite hot that's all." Elenor smiled, waving it off.
Isabella raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting Elenor get away with it. Elenor on the other hand, was lost in her thoughts. If Isabella didn't come in time she and Alec would have kissed. Thinking about it made her ears flush red but thankfully she could cover it up with her hair that was let down.
'How embarrassing…'
When they reached the capital, Isabella immediately dragged her into a boutique. Elenor who came here with Rosina not that long ago already knew what was coming. In the end they stayed in a boutique for a long time before moving to another boutique due to Isabella wanting to try other dresses.
"I want to look good in front of his highness!" was what she said when Elenor asked.
In the end, Elenor kept silent and told her opinions about any dress Isabella showed her. On the third boutique, Elenor was about to drop dead but noticed a familiar figure just close by the boutique they were about to head into.
"Ah Lady Rosina." Elenor softly said but surprisingly caught the other's attention.
Rosina turned to them and brightly smiled once she saw Elenor. "Lady Elenor! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!!" she beamed, walking over to where Elenor and Isabella was at.
"Why did you call her over?" Isabella whispered towards Elenor with a frown.
"What's wrong with that?" she whispered back, raising an eyebrow.
Rosina noticed how close they were. "Lady Elenor are you close with Lady Isabella?"
"Well-"
"But of course! I'm her friend after all." Isabella cut her off and spoke proudly.
Elenor stared at her. There was no reason to be proud of this. She sighed and turned to Rosina wanting to apologise for how Isabella was being but paused when Rosina had her head down.
"Lady Rosina..?"
"..How?" she mumbled.
"Sorry?"
She looked up with an envious look on her face, "How did you become friends with Lady Elenor so fast!?"
'Ah.'
Isabella had a smug smile on her face as she looked at Rosina, "Because I am Isabella Luna Moore, of course she would want to be my friend!"
"Actually it was you." Elenor butt in.
Isabella turned and glared at her, her ears tinted red. "Keep your mouth shut!"
Rosina lightly tapped on Isabella's shoulder, "Lady Isabella please teach me how you became friends with Lady Elenor!!"
Isabella let out a 'hmph' before replying, "Why should I help?"
Rosina had a sad puppy look on her face. Isabella stared at Rosina with a disgusted look on her face before turning to Elenor.
"Do something!" she mouthed.
Elenor shrugged, letting Isabella handle this. She didn't feel like interfering with their interaction. Isabella turned back to Rosina before heaving out a sigh. She pushed Rosina away before speaking but never once looking at her,
"F-fine! But only because I can't take that stupid look on your face!"
"Your ears are really red Isabella." Elenor pointed out again.
"Shut up!!" she shouted angrily, glaring at Elenor who was having fun.
"Thank you Lady Isabella! I hope we can become friends as well!" Rosina beamed happily like a cute puppy.
Elenor stifled back her laugh once she saw Isabella stunned, unable to reply back to her. Elenor knew Isabella completely forgot her hatred and anger towards Rosina once she heard Rosina asking her to be friends.
It wasn't hard to realise that Isabella was actually quite lonely despite having many followers around her. They weren't really her friends. That could also be one reason why she tried to befriend her once more, due to loneliness.
Elenor clapped her hands in order to get the attention of the two ladies, "I know you two are having a lovely bonding session but why not we move to a cafe to do that?"
Rosina nodded eagerly, "As expected of Lady Elenor! Incredible!"
Elenor's smile twitched, "Lady Rosina I still don't think we can be friends."
Without batting an eyelid, she nodded again, her optimistic aura never once changing, "I know but it doesn't hurt to try." she smiled.
"Now shall we go to a cafe to rest?"
"As expected of milady, always know how to handle situations well." Alec spoke behind her.
"Alec?!"
"Didn't you say he wasn't coming along?" Isabella asked.
Alec shot a small smile, "I had some duties I needed to do."
"Like?" Elenor asked.
Alec, who still had a smile on his face, leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Protecting you from danger and being by your side."
Elenor slapped her hand onto her ear and glared at Alec. She was about to speak back when he lifted up a large paper bag.
"I was getting some supplies that were needed in the estate."
She bit her lip back before looking away. "Let's just go to the cafe."
Not good, her mind keeps going back to the incident before this.
The three ladies found a seat inside a cafe and ordered a few cakes and beverages. Alec was still by Elenor's side never once leaving.
"Alec."
"Yes milady."
"Please leave."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that."
Elenor shot a nasty glare at Alec who briefly smiled in return. Rosina and Isabella were talking about..stuff that Elenor did not want to hear either. She rolled her eyes at Alec.
"Why are you even here? You weren't supposed to follow."
"It is my duty to protect you." he answered without hesitation.
"Just let your butler follow us." Isabella barged in, tired of seeing the two go back and forth.
"But-"
"Yeah Lady Elenor, letting your butler follow us is also a good thing!" Rosina agreed with Isabella.
"Who said you were going to follow us?" Isabella frowned.
Rosina blinked, "You did Lady Isabella."
"..."
Elenor heaved another sigh. She turned back to Alec, "You." she pointed at him.
"Act as air."
Alec held back his chuckle and bowed, "Understood milady."