"..."
Eleanor and Alger remained locked in a silent stare, even though neither could clearly see the other's expression due to the distance.
What was Alger thinking upon seeing his little sister standing there, wrapped in bandages, looking fragile and weak? Eleanor had no way of knowing.
But she knew her thoughts were a tangled mess right now.
Would his return be a hindrance, limiting her ability to move freely in the estate? Or would he, unknowingly, become an ally?
Alger had barely appeared in the novel. The plot had never focused on the Gwendolyn family beyond the bare essentials of Eleanor's downfall. With so little information about his personality, Eleanor couldn't predict how his presence would affect her future plans.
Fortunately, the real Eleanor's diary—and the lingering traces of her memories—had given her some insight.
Alger, at the very least, cared about his little sister.
But just how deep that care ran, Eleanor wasn't sure.
She needed to be cautious.
"..."
Soon, her decision was made.
Even if her body had miraculously healed overnight, she couldn't let anyone realize it. If someone suspected that she wasn't the real Eleanor, everything would be over.
Since she had no idea where her younger brother was in this vast novel world, Eleanor knew she still needed her identity as the Marquess's daughter to move freely and gather information.
So for now, she would continue pretending.
As Eleanor wondered how the real Eleanor would typically react to greeting her second brother after such a long time, she considered her reserved and introspective nature, especially toward her own family.
A sharp knock on the door startled her.
Before she could turn, it swung open, and Tina, her personal maid, entered.
"My Lady—!" Tina's voice was filled with concern as her gaze landed on Eleanor. She hurried forward, followed closely by two younger maids, all of them looking equally alarmed.
Eleanor barely had time to react before they rushed to her side.
"My lady, you mustn't be standing for so long in your condition!" Tina scolded, her voice firm but clearly worried.
The younger maids, pale-faced, immediately fussed over her, guiding her away from the window. Before she knew it, Eleanor was being carried back to her bed as if she were a fragile porcelain doll.
"Tina, I—" Eleanor nearly blurted out that she was fine but caught herself just in time, covering her mouth before the words escaped. She had almost forgotten—she was supposed to be pretending she was still in pain.
Trying to maintain a neutral expression, Eleanor let out a reluctant sigh and gave in, allowing the young girls to tend to her.
They gently set her down on the bed, fluffing her pillows and adjusting her blankets with meticulous care. One of them hurriedly closed the curtains, cutting off her view of Alger outside.
Then the young maids began to gather Eleanor's essential toolbox, which contained clean, disinfected bandages. They carefully replaced her old head bandage, still stained with blood, with a fresh one. Meanwhile, another maid gently combed through her soft, smooth ginger hair, which had become slightly tangled from the bandage.
"I was only looking outside for a moment," she murmured.
Tina placed her hands on her hips, clearly unconvinced. "Even so, my lady, you mustn't push yourself! The physician said rest is most important."
The other maids nodded furiously in agreement.
Eleanor resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
She did appreciate their concern, but their excessive fussing was becoming a little too much.
Deciding to change the subject, she asked, "That noise outside… It's because of my second brother, isn't it?"
Tina straightened, nodding. "Yes, my lady. Lord Alger has just arrived. The Marquess and Marchioness are personally welcoming him."
Eleanor hummed in acknowledgment.
Another moment of silence passed before she asked, "Should I… go greet him as well?"
Tina blinked, clearly surprised by the question. Then, she shook her head. "Oh, there's no need. The Marquess and Marchioness have already told me that you should rest. If you push yourself, it might delay your recovery."
Eleanor nearly sighed in relief.
That meant she could avoid seeing Alger for now.
She wasn't ready to deal with him just yet—especially since she wasn't sure what kind of person he was or how the two of them would actually communicate.
"Okay," Eleanor said, settling back against the pillows.
The maids had gone to prepare the light snacks that nobles typically enjoy before breakfast and Tina is replacing the medicinal-smelling diffuser with a new one.
"..."
All this time, she hadn't been able to enjoy this rare luxury comfortably due to the pain throughout her body and the constant throbbing in her bandaged head.
But now, almost all of her terrible pain had faded!
She made up her mind to spend the day as she had before—relaxing in her room, indulging in expensive desserts and fragrant tea, while pointedly ignoring the noise outside.
And so she did.
For over an hour, the clamor from the courtyard continued, but Eleanor tuned it out, sipping her tea and nibbling on delicate pastries.
She felt she should enjoy this relaxing day as much as possible, savoring it before she would inevitably become busy dealing with the troublesome original plot.
It was only when the sound finally faded into silence that she considered getting some rest.
She turned to the maids. "I'll take a short nap. There's nothing else for me to do right now."
The maids bowed. "As you wish, my lady."
Just as she was about to close her eyes, a soft knock echoed from her bedroom door.
Eleanor frowned.
Then, the calm, measured voice of the head maid came from outside.
"My Lady, forgive the intrusion. May I come in? I wouldn't wish to disturb your recovery."
"..." Eleanor's fingers tightened slightly on the edge of her blanket.
Something told her this wasn't just a simple visit.
Eleanor felt the urge to answer immediately, saying that she was sleepy and had no time to chat or do anything of the sort with her, but she hesitated.
The head maid's visit could only mean one thing—it was related to her mother, the Marchioness. And if that was the case, ignoring her wasn't an option.
With a resigned sigh, Eleanor lifted her hand slightly, gesturing for Tina to open the door. She didn't bother answering the headmaid's question.
Tina hesitated for a brief moment before obeying, stepping forward to unlock and pull open the heavy oak door.
Through the doorway stepped a middle-aged woman with her hair neatly tied up, her uniform crisp and immaculate. She bowed respectfully.
"Good morning, Lady Eleanor."
Eleanor nodded in acknowledgment, her expression carefully composed.
As the head maid stepped inside, the maids hurried to assist Eleanor into a sitting position, arranging pillows behind her so she could lean comfortably against the headboard.
Eleanor took a deep breath, ready to ask why her rest had been disturbed—she was still supposed to be recovering, after all.
But before she could speak, the sound of multiple footsteps reached her ears.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the edge of her blanket.
These weren't the steps of a lone servant. Someone else had followed the head maid inside.
Slowly, Eleanor lifted her head.
A tall young man stood just behind the headmaid, his bright red hair striking even in the dim morning light. A pair of sharp blue eyes met her own.
Those same eyes that had stared at her from the courtyard only moments ago.
For the first time, Eleanor and Alger Gwendolyn looked at each other at close range.
Eleanor felt her throat tighten slightly.
She hadn't been prepared for this meeting—not so soon.
Her lips parted, and before she could stop herself, a name slipped out in a quiet voice.
"Brother Alger…?"