Chapter 12: Slipping Sand

Crown Prince Alastor had taken her to a guest room in the Crown Prince's royal palace after the banquet. He waited eagerly beside her after tending her wounds. His heart ached on seeing her in pain. It took a lot of effort to stop the bleeding. The royal doctor had to stitch up the wound to close it.

Hael stood at the foot of the bed in which Eleanore layed. He felt helpless and useless at the same time. What he as a brother was supposed to do, was done by a stranger. He had always ignored the matters between Caelestis and Eleanore for he loved both dearly. But today he regretted his action. Had he stopped one of them from acting like a complete jerk, this situation could have been avoided.

While they stood there waiting for Eleanore to regain her consciousness. The crown prince turned to Hael. "Have they always been like that?" He asked.

Alastor knew too grievances and tension between them but to this extent. In reality, he was shocked how insensitive and shortsighted Caelestis was. He had always liked Eleanore, her strange act felt like a way of letting out her pain, just like him.

"Ma!" Eleanore's sudden longing scream for her mother, attracted both the gentlemen's attention toward her.

Hael was pushed back on hearing that. For years, Eleanore has never mentioned their mother. It was as if she had completely erased her from her memories. But today—

"Duke Sinclair, why is lady Eleanore calling out her mother?" The crown prince asked, but went silent on seeing a face that had a concerning and confused expression.

"Ma!!" Eleanore jerked out of her dream and opened her eyes in the same unfamiliar world. 

Immediately as she opened her eyes, the translucent window appeared in front of her eyes.

|| You have completed your Task 2:

Stella is in danger. Save Stella.

Reward: Reputation increased by 1000

Coins: +100000

Total Reputation: - 200000

Total Coins: 100000 ||

Alastor caught her, when she was about to fall back on the bed, by placing his hand behind her back. He gently laid her down.

"Are you alright, Lady Eleanore?" He asked, as he noticed her scared complexion changing back to normal. Eleanore nodded, while clearing her aching throat to speak. She had no idea why she felt like crying all of a sudden?

"How's Stella?" She asked, ignoring the crown prince's question.

"She is fine. Grand Duke Lancaster took her to his mansion." Crown Prince Alastor explained.

"What? Why?" She asked in desperation.

"He wanted to. We couldn't stop him." He lied. All he cared about at that time was the unconscious Eleanore in his arms. He didn't pay attention to what Caelestis was doing and where he was taking Stella to.

"But—" Eleanore's worried words died inside her when her brother cut her off.

"Elle, aren't you already over him?" Hael asked, before finding himself sitting at the edge of the bed. His expression looked worried and angry at the same time.

"Brother. Believe me when I say I am over him, I am only worried about Stella. " She insisted.

"Since when did you start caring about Baroness Stella?" Her brother was confused, he couldn't understand this behavior of hers. Stella had always been her love rival and for that he hated her. He hated the fact that this no name commoner was trying to take away what belonged to his sister.

And if all that was not enough, he was further puzzled about the fact that his sister called out for their mother in sleep. It is a word Eleanore avoids the most, even when she is unconscious.

"You know what kind of person Grand Duke Lancaster is, right? He is a —" Eleanore paused midway on seeing the translucent window appear again with a new notification. A sad one.

|| You failed to complete Quest 1: Prevent Stella's Kidnapping.

Penalty: 

Coins: decreased by 10000

Total Reputation: - 200000

Total Coins: 90000 ||

Eleanore let out a sigh, pressing her fingers against her temples. 'After everything I did, I still failed to complete the quest.'

"Elle? You were saying something.Tell me, what's wrong?" Hael got back her attention to the discussion, she had left midway.

"Brother, I would like to remain alone for a while." She looked away from her brother, about whom she had very little knowledge. What did she even know about him, apart from what was described in the web novel. It's true that Hael loved her deeply and that she was precious to him but now she is not that sister he loves. She is an imposter. 

'How would Hael feel about that?'

"But—-"

"Please, I need some privacy brother." Eleanore said in an annoyed tone.

Hael gulped on hearing that. He was hurt, but also understood her inner turmoil to some extent. He wanted to know what was going on in her mind, but also wanted to give her some space. Yet deep down he felt hurt on learning that his little sister that once shared all her desires, pain and happiness with him, was now drifting away from him, turning into a complete stranger.

"Take care, Lady Eleanore." Said the crown prince before leaving the room along with the Duke of Sinclair.

Eleanore touched her wound and tried to remember that night. She had no idea that someone else would push Stella, if not her. Does that mean things won't change no matter how much she changes Eleanore's character?

'If so, then why would the dumb author make such a request? Then again, does the system really belong to the author or not? Who is behind this system?'

"Ugh! This is too much. I should take some rest." Eleanore closed her eyes wondering what new quest the system would raise next.

***

||Chapter 1: Kidnapping Of Stella

Caelestis Lanister, one of the pillars of the country Seraphine, grows obsessed with his best Friend Stella. On the occasion of the Crown prince's 20th birthday, he finally confesses his love to Stella. However, Stella refuses to accept his confession by rejecting him in front of the whole crowd. Enraged by this, Caelistis kidnaps Stella from the party.

Eleanore Sinclair plays a very important role in getting Stella kidnapped by Duke Caelistis Lanister, making people think she was only recovering at his mansion.

Quest 1: Stop Stella's Kidnapping.

Task 2:

Stella is in danger.

Save Stella.

Do you accept the quest?

Yes|No||