Eleanor slowly opened her eyes revealing Cole who was shirtless embracing her as he burrowed his face in her hair, "Sorry, did i wake you?" Cole said noticing her opening her eyes.
Eleanor rubbed her eyes, shaking her head as she smiled, "Good morning!"
Cole leaned in to kiss her but was stopped by Eleanor covering her mouth, "What's wrong?" Cole said furrowing his eyebrows.
Eleanor moved away from him, "Shower." She said getting up but eventually failed feeling the pain in her area.
"Ow--!" She sat on the floor while Cole furrowed his eyebrows even more, "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"
Eleanor glared at him, "Of course it does! That was my first time...and you didn't go easy on me!" Eleanor puffed and turned her head away from him.
"I'm sorry." Eleanor still didn't say anything and tried to get up.
Cole sighed, got up from the bed and princess-carried her to the bathroom. "P, put me down!" Eleanor squirmed in his arms but he seemed to be unaffected by it as he didn't struggle to hold her.
Eleanor had no choice but to put her arms around his neck for support while he placed her down in the bathtub, "Get out." Eleanor pointed to the door making Cole laugh.
"I'll bathe you, You don't have to be shy i saw everyth---"
"OUT!" Eleanor said her face fully red, Cole held in his laughter and walked out.
"Pft--- How is she so cute." Cole laughed huskily putting on a shirt to take a bath elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Eleanor was flustered.
"GOSH!, We're still not married yet and we..." Eleanor flushed again.
"But...It's normal if we consider it in modern time...but---" She slapped her face.
"It's fine...We're getting married anyways.." She convinced herself and continued bathing and continuously flushing red every now and then.
***
"Aren't you busy?" Eleanor said now dresses but her hair is still wet. Cole grabbed a towel and dried her hair as Eleanor sat on the bed in between his legs, he was also down showering.
"I am."
"Then why are you still here?"
"Because i miss you."
Eleanor turned her head around with a 'are you freaking serious' face.
Eleanor turned her head back and Cole continued to dry her hair. They were silent for a while, it wasn't awkward but comforting.
"Come to think of it.."Eleanor spoke out, "I'm still not married yet i did 'that'" Eleanor realized what she said and covered her mouth.
Cole froze for a second then putting the towel down and back-hugged her. "Should we get married tomorrow then?" He said inhaling her scent.
Eleanor's eyes grew wide, "Absolutely NOT!" Cole froze again.
"Why..? Do you not like me anymore, well you don't have a choi--"
"Cole what are you saying!" She covered his mouth and frowned.
"Of course i love you, but we need more time to plan the wedd--"
"It's already planned."
"..? Since when?" Eleanor tilted her head.
"Since we were young."
Eleanor put on a baffled expression, 'Don't tell me he planned it when we got engaged?!'
"..." Eleanor was speechless.
"So should we?" Cole whispered in her ear then she remembered something.
She pushed Cole away and got away from him, "Don't you have a new fiancee already?"
Cole furrowed his eyebrows, "I do?"
Eleanor was speechless yet again, 'don't tell me he forgot?!'
"Lady Lilian." He furrowed his eyebrows even more.
"My father announced it without telling me." He ran a hand through his hair. "And she's not my fiancee."
Eleanor noticed him getting upset and went to cuddle with him.
She went back to her place in between his legs as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Then let's get married on the eleventh of September." Eleanor said which was in 3 months.
Of course Cole refused, "How next month?" She suggested again and he refused again.
"...Next week." Cole whispered and Eleanor turned her head towards him.
"That's too soon!"
"...on the 23rd?" He said which was in 2 weeks.
Eleanor sighed, "Do i have a choice?"
Cole then smiled handsomely and tried to kiss her before Eleanor noticed the time, "Aren't you busy? You should go now, I'll meet you later."
Eleanor said getting up and dragging him out of the room, "You should go back to the palace now, Bye babe!" She then shut the door in front of his face.
"...Babe?" He laughed covering his flushed face.
***
Eleanor went to talk to Physician Monte and Gaur, They talked all morning and Eleanor promised to visit him often.
"Thank you so much, old man." Eleanor hugged Physician Monte tightly as he did the same.
"Don't fret it child, although we're gonna miss someone bothering us every minute in this mansion." He laughed with his old voice and patted her back.
"Still thank you.." She said and hugged him one last time, in her heart he will always be her grandfather.
She smiled at him and went to Gaur to do their handshake, "I'll beat you fair and square next time Gaur!" She laughed and hugged him. He was like her dad in the household.
She said goodbye to Cath and everyone, hugging the old man again and running to her carriage in which Constantine prepared for her.
She waved them goodbye in her carriage as their figures slowly disappear.
"Can we go to my father's grave?" She said to the coachman, "...Yes, my lady."
***
She bought flowers and slowly went to her dad's tombstone.
"Daddy...How are you up there?" She kneeled down and put down her flowers. His grave was on a hill and the sunset was beautiful up here.
Tears built up her eyes, "Well..I'm doing good, I'm still alive and well." She smiled tears flowing on her face.
"I really miss you..I wish i could've seen you one last time.." She choked.
"I'm sorry...For suddenly disappearing..I'm...S,sorr..." She couldn't finish as she sobbed kneeling down on the ground.
"Thank you...for raising me up, for giving me food to eat, for loving me..." She said while sobbing.
"I hope i'll become a person your proud of." She said through her cracked voice, unconsciously her hands formed into fist.
"I promise to avenge you.."
"I will find the one who poisoned you."
"I will..." She broke down again. She talked to him for an hour.
"...It's already this late, I'll come back again dad, I love you.." She touched his tombstone before she turned her hills and left.
***
"Welcome back, Lady Eleanor Chrysantia!" The maids and butlers were all lined up at the entrance of her mansion while they greeted her happily.
"Welcome back, my lady." Emma said walking to her and curtsied while smiling, some of her hair turning white.
"Yes...I'm back." She hugged Emma.
"Sweetie.." Her mom said with a smiling Constantine beside her.
"Mom, Brother." She hugged both of them.
"Let's go inside." Her mom said taking Eleanor and Constantine's hands.
***
Eleanor stared at her vanity mirror, "I'm finally back." It was already midnight.
She couldn't sleep, she brushed her hair and noticed the compass on her bedside table.
She was about to grab it before a knock interrupted her causing her to jump.
"Yes?" She said and the door opened revealing her mother.
"Zira? Is that you sweetie?" Her mother said while crying.
"Mom? What's wrong?" Her mother suddenly enveloped her into a hug.
"My poor baby, I knew you'd come back, shhh." She caressed her hair and shushed her.
"Your not gonna leave me are you?" Her mother suddenly said as her eyes reddened. Her hands that were placed on Eleanor's wrist and hair suddenly tightened making her wrist red and her hair getting pulled at.
"Mom! your hurting me!" She said and her mom noticed.
Her mother let go of her, "I'm sorry baby, Mommy's sorry.." Her mother hugged her again and cried.
"Everything fine...We're fine as long as your here.." Her mother whispered.
"..Mom are you okay?" Eleanor said noticing her mother wasn't drunk.
Her mother furrowed her eyebrows, "What are you saying dear?"
"You think I'm also sick like what they said?!" Her mother suddenly shouted and slapped her.
"PAK!" the sound of the slap echoed through the room, Eleanor slowly touched her face.
"What!! Your gonna leave us again?!!!" Her mother gripped Eleanor's shoulder's shaking her, her mother's fingernails burrowed on her skin making it bleed a little, Eleanor hissed in pain.
"Are you?!" Her mother said with red eyes full of tears as she grabbed her hair.
"No mom...I'm here now...I won't leave.." Eleanor said in pain with tears on her eyes.
Her mother then smiled and let go of her, "That's right..you should stay with mommy always." Her mother enveloped her in a hug as Eleanor cried silently.
***
"Ow.." Emma put ointment on her face and applied band aids on her cuts.
"Is my mom...sick?" Eleanor slowly said.
Emma froze and nodded, "It started when you disappeared...It wasn't this bad before..she would just cause a ruckus but after your dad died it got worse...she would occasionally go to your bedroom and pretend your there...Then she forgets everything in the morning.."
Eleanor tightened her grip on the sheets. "I'm sorry, my lady.."
Eleanor shook her head and smiled, "No..It's fine...Just make sure no one knows about this."
She said talking about her cuts and Emma slowly nodded. "Thank you Emma.."
Eleanor held back her tears as she stared at the portrait of her family altogether smiling happily.
"If it wasn't for the emperor..." She murmured, her eyes darkening before shaking of the thought. What would happen to Cole if i did something to the emperor? she thought, her heart breaking every time she thinks about it. Should she let Cole go?