Chapter 16: Entering The Villain's Mansion

"Is that so?" Eleanore's red eyes gleamed stronger, surrounded by a threatening aura and her heinous smile had fallen. "What about your siblings?" She asked after straightening her back and folding her hands around her chest.

"That— I do not have any." She revealed the truth.

"Ohh! So not only are your parents still alive but you do not even have any siblings to begin with." Elenore's fingers reached for her temples, her eyes falling shut, when the next question escaped her mouth. "How about this; Is your father really a gambler, Marina?"

"No, my lady." Marina, who would lie conveniently, depending on her situation, was enveloped by fear. Lying anymore would be contagious to her life. So she told the truth. "He is a very fine man. He sells fruits in the market."

"I see, that means you are a certified liar?"

"My lady, please don't kill —"

"Marina, I have no such hobby of killing pitiful maids. So please drop this act of yours, cause I can tell from the conversation we had earlier, that you are not in any way near to a pitiful, scared little maid, you present yourself to be."

"My—"

"One more time you put on that act, Marine. I will make sure to make every word you utter out of that dumb mouth, turns true. Understand?"

"Yes, my lady." Marina gulped and got back up. She quickly grabbed the remaining luggage and left the room.

Lancaster Mansion was hardly any far from Sinclair Mansion. Within an hour which is the least distance between any family residency, was the time it took in a slow carriage to reach there. 

'Strange, how the two dukes live so close by. It is said that the two families were close for generations. Then a rift occurred after that ancient bond. Sad!' Eleanore thought as Hael helped her out of the carriage in her extremely uncomfortable red gown, which made her feel like she was about to attend a ball again.

"Are you okay?" Hael asked, as he carefully held her arm tightly.

"Yes, of course. Couldn't be better." Eleanore replied, feeling exhausted from running her brain all the way here.

"Don't tell me that you are having second thoughts about this?" Hael estimated, knowing how uncertain, Eleanore gets when her decisions are concerned with Caelestis.

"No, no. I'm just tired of this huge dress." Eleanore revealed her discomfort. "It's a mess!"

Her brother was dumbfounded, he had always thought that Eleanore loved looking lavishing and luxurious. Then what has changed, that she no longer likes all these expensive gowns and jewelry.

"I think I need to buy something more comfortable." She sighed, turning to her puzzled brother and coming to her senses. She stopped running her mouth like a headless chick.

Seconds later, Eleanore let out another sigh on seeing Caelestis at the door waiting to welcome them. "Since when did he start welcoming people?" Eleanore said, which was very true, even Hael was confused by his behavior. He had never come out to even greet his best friend like this before. Hael felt like he had entered into an alternate reality, as both the people around him were acting opposite to their personality. 

Once they were close enough to have a short chat, Caelestis said, "You are early."

"Are we? I'm pretty sure I mentioned that we would arrive at seven in the evening." Hael replied, with a smile, extending his arm with an intention to hug his best friend.

"I meant to say that you should have waited for my reply." Caelestis' icy expression, and grunting teeths had made it quite evident that he didn't want them here.

"Do you not wish to welcome us in your home?" Hael asked, bringing down his arms, disappointed by that rude statement.

"No, I never said that. I just do not wish to welcome your sister." His gaze turned to Eleanore, as he spoke.

"Caelestis, you do know that she had done nothing to Stella."

"No, I do not." He turned back to face an angry Hael, which seldom lashes out on anyone.

"Grand Duke. There has been a misunderstanding." Eleanore began. "I suggested that place knowing what kind of woman Stella is. I merely wanted to help you get your love. Think about it, if you were rejected by her in front of a crowd of dozens, how would that have felt?" 

"How did you know that she rejected me?" One of Caelestis' eyebrows raised in suspicion, that he refused to let go.

"Because Stella is very prideful yet romantic at the same time. She would never marry a man she has no feelings for." Eleanore resisted herself from mentioning that she was under the balcony. That would increase Caelestis' anger and suspicion.

"Fine then let me ask you this—" Caelestis tilted his head in her direction. "How did you know she was in trouble? What made you dash to her balcony?"

"That—-" Eleanore hesitated. That was a question that forced her to reveal the truth that she was in the balcony below theirs. "I was merely there for fresh air, Grand Duke. I didn't hear anything because at that time I was waiting for Flora, outside." She lied.

Caelestis remained silent for the next few seconds, contemplating on everything Eleanore had said, and finding an answer for Hael's request.

"Grand Duke, I believe you would be the safest person after my brother, knowing that someone wishes to kill me." Eleanore revealed, making Caelestis who had already come to a conclusion, change his answer.

He sighed. Then revealed his answer. "I shall let you stay here for three months, while your brother is out on the field. However, in return I do not wish for you to disturb me in anyway.Is that possible?" 

"Yes! Thank you." With that, Eleanore finally entered the Lancaster Mansion that was mentioned in the web novel as another maze mansion that was difficult to crack for strangers.

'Why are all this mansion and palaces a maze?'

|| You have completed Task 1:

 Enter the Lancaster Mansion

Reward: +100 coins

Total Reputation: -200000

Total Coins: 90100 ||