Chapter 34 - CHAPTER 33

Bright light coming from the window woke Eli up. Trying to get more sleep, she tried blocking the light from her face by covering her face with her blanket, but it was no use, she can't go back to sleep anymore.

And so, she decided to finally start her day. She was about to go fix her bed and blanket when the door to her room opened. A girl in her mid-20s with auburn hair and ocean blue eyes entered her room and with a smile, she greeted her.

"Good morning young miss, my name is SESERA. I will be your personal maid starting from today. Please bear with me", then she bowed. Eli doesn't know what to say so she just smiled at her and said a small "Good morning" back to the maid.

"Please let me help you prepare for today", the young girl looked at the maid with questioning eyes.

"Huh? But all I have to do is take a bath and dress up. I can do that by myself though", but what she said didn't do anything. For after Sesera made up her bed, she then automatically started preparing her despite her insisting that she can do it by herself.

And after all that, now she was finally dressed up in a lilac and white dress that is decorated with purple ribbons on it. She also insisted in wearing boots instead of doll shoes,

'I'm kinda more comfortable with boots and rubber shoes rather than wearing doll shoes even when I was still Ammiel'

She then was escorted by Sesera towards the dining room. The dining room is also painted in white paint with gold strips. Neatly tied Royal blue curtains were present on the windows, chandeliers brighten up the room, and there are paintings decorating the walls. And in the long table, many foods are already waiting for Eli the moment she entered the room.

"Good morning miss", the kitchen servants all greeted her. A butler even escorted her to her seat and helped her sit. She can't help but ask, "Umm, where is the young…I mean my brother and father?", the kitchen staffs all looked at the head butler who entered at the right time just enough for him to answer the question.

"Your grace and the young master are sorting some things, young miss. They wish they could eat breakfast with you but unfortunately they can't, please understand", Eli nodded and looked at the food in front of her.

Yesterday after arriving at the mansion, after they escorted her to her room she unconsciously fell asleep because she' still too tired from the journey. But now that she already had enough rest,

"Umm, sir Aiden, after eating this meal, may I have a tour around the mansion?", the head butler nodded its head towards her. She was about to take a bite of the first food that she wants to try on her plate when she noticed that everyone present in the room were all staring at her. And it's awkward, being watched while she eats.

And so, "Umm, how about you all? Have you all eaten breakfast yet?", she asked making them all surprised. Aiden, being the one who was able to recover first answered, "The servants all have their own time to eat their meals, miss. You don't need to worry"

Eli nodded her head in understanding, not knowing that the servants present in the room are now looking at her with soft and gentle eyes, like adults looking at an innocent kid. She was about to take her first bite when she, yet again, felt their entire gaze on her.

And finally, Aiden who FINALLY noticed that Eleanor is uncomfortable with all those people watching her as she eat, signalled them all to leave. After all of the servants left the dining room, Aiden bowed as well, "Enjoy your meal miss", and with that, he as well exited from the room.

Silence filled the whole room, but that silence made Eli feel comfortable, at peace. And finally, she was able to eat to her heart's content.
















Right after eating, due to her habits when she was still Ammiel and when she was still a commoner, she fixed the plates and put all of the dishes that need to be washed on top of the tray carts on the side.

She doesn't know what to do because there are still some left-overs, but her problem was solved when at that exact moment, maids came inside the room, taking the dishes out and the left overs as well before cleaning the table. And soon enough, in a blink of an eye, the table was all clean again even before Eli could do anything.

And now that she's done with her breakfast, she's free and energized to do anything she wants and needs to do now. That's when she remembered something, the box containing some gifts that were given to her by everyone before she left.

Sesera accompanied her back to her back to her room and after entering the door she immediately went and searched for the box after the maid left. That's when she noticed something on top of her dresser that she didn't notice earlier. It was a familiar silver ball. She smiled and took the ball before pushing the familiar button on it. And seconds after that, a familiar puppy appeared in front of her.

"Did you have a good rest, Riku?", Riku came close to her and rubbed its head on her leg making her laugh. "Master is healthy", it said after scanning her. "Yeah I am I promised everyone that I'll stay healthy so I have to", and that made her remember the box that she was searching for earlier. She then gets back to finding it when she noticed it next to her dresser.

"Phew! Now…", She slowly opened the box with Riku peeking from behind her, and her eyes lit up after seeing lots of things inside.

5 small boxes were inside the big box. She first picked the purple box out. A note was stuck on top of the box. She took and opened the note, and turns out, it's from Meridia. She carefully opened the box and inside, she found 6 kinds of different kinds of liquids in different kinds of bottles.

She also found another note on the very bottom. 'The potions on the top are special kinds of potions that you can use to nourish your beautiful self. Haha, you're already a young lady, my dear, so learn how to take care of yourself more', she laughed and looked at the potions on top before opening one. A wonderful smell entered her nose.

"Oh! Perfume! Haha!", she laughed wholeheartedly before continuing in reading the note. 'And well, the 6 potions on the bottom are potions you can use in case of emergency, like if you're running from something/ escaping, or maybe to defend yourself in case there is danger'

She looked at the potions in the bottom of box and recognized one of them. "This is one of her most cherished potion! The one that works like smoke bomb!", and Eli can't help but admire how magnificent the potions her master made and gave to her.

She then proceeded to take the 2nd box, a green one, after putting the potions on top in the bottom drawer of her dresser, and putting the potions in the bottom on a separate cabinet that has nothing on it yet.

On top of the green box is yet another note. It's from Historia and the guild. She opened the box and started screaming like a fangirl when she saw 4 books inside. 'These are the books that you've always wanted to have. Books about different kinds of abilities, how to control and strengthen them, book about the history of Sirthyna, and theory book about other realms. Enjoy!', is what is written on her note.

Eli's door burst open, making her and Riku jump in shock, as the panting Lucian came in together with Lucius, some knights, and servants. All of them looking at her in panic. "We heard you scream, are you okay?", the duke immediately asked while coming close to where she's seated on the floor like a kid.

"Oh I'm sorry about that du..father. I was just, umm, excited", she said trying to hide her embarrassed face. 'I just screamed like a girl…wait, I AM a girl!'

"Excited about what?", Lucian peeked at what's in front of his daughter. "Oh, I opened the box full of gifts from everyone for my birthday", Eli said with a small smile.

Lucian saw books on her arms; she's hugging them so carefully. He then sighed and smiled. He looked behind him and dismissed the servants and knights who closed the doors of the room after going out, while Lucius on the other hand also peeked inside the box curiously.

That's when the 2 men realized something. "Wait, did you just say birthday?", Eleanor nodded to her brother, focused on the books again. The 2 men looked at each other. "I just turned 18. I don't know exactly when my birthday is but we always celebrated it at the end of winter since we know that a year already passed after that day, that would mean I also grew older for a year", Eleanor stated to the two of them.

And that's when they both realized something, the duke and Lucius' both felt disappointed once more. 'I really am too late when I found her, so much for being a father'

The duchess died at the end of winter 18 years ago, so that means… "You're 18 already", Lucius whispered. They missed their sister/daughter's debut. The day she celebrated her birthday is coincidentally accurate to her real birthday, but that also means they missed it.

Not only her 18th birthday, but all of those 18 years' worth of birthdays, they missed it all.

Eli caught up on everything after hearing Lucius' whisper. 'So they're worried about that', she sighed mentally and stood up, and she surprised both of the 2 men when she hugged them both from behind.

'It's not their fault that they weren't able to find Eleanor immediately. Originally, they won't be able to find her because she's already dead, because she's an extra. But because I possessed her body, everything turned out to another direction'

"E-eleanor?"

"It's not your fault, it's okay. I'm already home anyways, that's what matters. No need to dwell in the past, what's more important is the present for us to be able to create a great future"

The two men went silent after hearing their youngest said those words. The warmth on their backs spread to their whole body as they both said, "Yeah"

The 3 of them stayed like that for a very long time before breaking it up. Lucius looked back at the big box on front of them. He then sat right in front of it, on the floor, and patted the space beside him, signalling for Eleanor to sit in between him and his father who is now sitting on the floor as well. The quiet Riku just stared at them in front. He was seated in front of Eli, the box in between the two of them.

"Now, why don't you continue opening these boxes?", Lucian encouraged her taking out the next small box, which is a pink box. Eli took the 4 books and put it on the shelf next to her other books that were all arranged upon her arrival, before returning to where both of the 2 men are seated.

But before sitting, she remembered something, "But sir Aiden told me that you two need to finish important things today", the 2 men shrugged it off, "A small break is good for one's health you know", Lucian said after clearing his throat.

"Besides, it's better to stay here for now so we can at least relax before getting stressed out again", Lucius seconded making Eli laugh at their lame excuses. Eleanor then sat between the 2 men and took out the note. "Oh, from Ane…I mean, Priest Anette!", she exclaimed carefully opening the pink box only to reveal to her a neatly folded pink off-shoulder dress with a pair of shoes, but not any kind of shoes. Not flat shoes or heels, it's…

"Boots! And it goes well with the dress!", Lucian and Lucius laughed at Eli's cute reaction, she really does love boots huh?

'Stay pretty my cutest best friend', is what the note said, so Eli expected Anette's gift to be cutesy, but she didn't expect her friend to gift her something cute but is still in her own style.

Eli carefully put the dress and boots on her walk-in-closet, which is still kinda awkward for her for she never had a walk-in-closet even as Ammiel. She then came back to her 2 gentlemen and obedient dog. Lucian lifted a blue box while Lucius lifted a red one. The remaining 2 boxes.

Eli pondered for a moment before taking the blue box first as Lucius held on to the red one. There are no notes found in the box and so, she doesn't have a choice but to open it first.

And just as she was expecting, the note was inside. 'May this help you remember that no matter where the both of us are, we will always be connected', Eli's heart thumped upon gazing at the gift Ren gave her, and it thumped even more after realizing what he meant.

"Connected….connected by the same sky where we look up to", she said that made the two men and even Riku, not understand what she's talking about. "Connected? This brooch?", Eli just laughed Lucius' question off and took out the moon with a single star brooch. She then pinned it carefully on the clothes she's wearing at the moment, caressing it gently for the last time.

She then faced Lucius who gave her the last box, the red one. A note on top of it, 'Got you a surprise, I know only you know how to use it', and with that mysterious note on it, she opened the box and what's inside made her eyes widen and almost pop out of its socket.

That is a…"Brass Knuckle with taser?!", Eli who can't seem to stop herself screamed in surprise as she carefully took out the brass knuckle out of the box. "What is that?", Lucian asked with Lucius looking at it like it's something that never existed before. Yes, it never really existed before in Sirthyna, for what Daniel gifted to his best friend, Eli, is a newly found/discovered Holy Object.






















On the other side….

"Mother! Father!", the young man's shout echoes throughout the whole place. The walls are all cracked up, the furnitures are broken, and the roof is missing. The whole house…the whole mansion, is a mess. But not only that, even the towns, the villages, the cities, they're all messed up badly.

The young man gritted his teeth so hard, his fists clenched so hard making his hands pale, and his body started to shake in anger as grey scales started appearing on the side of his face.

"Young master Ren...no….here in Agathar it should be…young master Callisto", Rostum called out to him. "My parents, everyone, what happen to all of them?", with his cold voice he asked. Rostum sighed as he watched his master's black hair and eyes started changing their colors.

The previous black colored hair turned into silver, and his eyes that were previously as black as the night was replaced with sky blue ones that now have anger present in them.

"We've contacted some of the servants here. Based on the information we got from them before they evacuated from this place, it seems like there was an attack when we're away from the mansion", Rostum flinched after a loud *bang!* was heard at the end of his statement.

But he still tried to continue his report. "Some also said that during the attack, some servants were killed and some of them were captured just like…."

"Just like?"

Rostum sighed for the nth time, "Just like the madam and the master"

Another loud bang was heard. Rostum looked at the enraged young master. The young master who was sent to Sirthyna spent 10 years staying in a kingdom that has hostility towards them. The only communication he had with his parents is through letters, but no matter how much he wanted to see them, he just CAN'T.

Fortunately, he met THAT girl and he improved compared to how he was when he first came to that kingdom. But now, now he can't stop it anymore; he had to go see them, his parents who sent him to that kingdom without any explanations to him.

He was planning on asking them the reason, bond with them, and catch-up with the time they lost, but now, he can't. He can't do any of those things.

"The whole territory was invaded sir. Everyone has been evacuated on the undergrounds but they still have to hide in order to keep themselves safe", Rostum continued.

"Please calm yourself, and once you did, we can finally go to the undergrounds and check on them", Callisto tried to calm his breathing and emotions. No matter how much he wants to get angry and lash out, he can't, his parents left him thousands of people to take care of, so he can't afford to be reckless during this time.

He sighed after finally being able to calm himself and looked at his butler waiting for his next command. "Let's go"























"Hmm, I wonder how Daniel managed to find this brass knuckle", Eleanor started her day by staring at the present she got from Daniel yesterday. The brass knuckles that she only saw being used by thugs and those who fight is now on her hands, it even has a taser on it.

"Good morning miss. We should get you prepared now. The master is waiting for you in his office. He said he needs to talk to you about something important"

Eleanor looked at her in wonder but stopped after realizing that she might not know what the duke wants to say to her.

Sesera helped her clean herself up and make her presentable. Wearing a black dress paired with some shoes, she made her way towards the office where the duke awaits her.

Aiden opened the door after hearing a knock and greeted Eli upon seeing her before letting her get inside the office. "Have a seat", Lucian said as he stood up from his chair and sat to one of the couch he has in his office, opposite to where Eli sat.

"Young miss, would you like some tea?"
"Oh, thank you"

After serving her tea, Aiden bowed politely before exiting the room. The 2 were now alone with each other. "Ahem! So basically, I called you here to give you something"

Lucian reached out to his pocket, taking out a lilac envelop designed with flowers on both sides and a butterfly in the middle. Eli accepted it from him and slowly opened it. Inside is…an invitation.

"Hmm, invitation. Are we going somewhere?", Eli can't help but asked as she continued to read the letter. Lucian on the other hand didn't answer her and instead continued sipping his tea that Aiden served to him earlier.

"Oh it's for someone's coming of age and introduction", Eli said yet again still continuing on reading the invitation. After a few minutes…

"Oh, so it's an invitation for someone name Eleanor Josiah", she said finally looking up to the duke who's staring at her. "Your grace?", but he just looked at her.

Her mind buffered for a minute when she just realized something. 'Eleanor Josiah….Eleanor Jo…..Eleanor", she looked at the invitation again, 'Eleanor Josiah Donati' …. "Is there another Eleanor in this house?", but the duke just grinned at her. No she's the only Eleanor in the Donatis, that means.

"Belated Happy Birthday"
"Ehhhhhhh?!!!!!"