Twelve

Panicking, Maria attempted to flee, but Eloise pursued her. "Come back here right away!" Eloise shouted, recognizing resemblance to the person Orobarian had described as his attacker.

Cornered near a tree, Maria hatched a plan. She quickly removed her hood and mask, strategically placing the mask a short distance away to make it appear as if someone else had been there.

Breathless, Eloise caught up to Maria, questioning her. "Where are you running off to, Eloise?"

"I'm chasing after a bad guy. He had a knife, and I think he wanted to kill me," Eloise explained.

"I saw someone pass by, and it looked like he dropped his mask over there," Maria pointed towards the mask she had placed.

Eloise picked up the mask, grateful for Maria's help. "Well, thank you for your assistance. But what are you doing here? It's getting late. Let me escort you back to your room," Eloise suggested.

"Thank you very much. Let's go," Maria accepted the offer.

As they walked together, Maria asked Eloise about her aspirations. "So, what do you want to do in the future, Eloise?"

Eloise responded with enthusiasm, "I want to be a captain. And you?"

Maria hesitated, her mind clouded with uncertainty. She found herself standing in the hallway, facing Eloise. "That's great," she finally spoke, her voice laced with a hint of hesitation. "As for me, I'm not sure yet." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her eyes flickering uncertainly. "Why don't you go to your room?" she suggested, her words carrying a faint sense of urgency.

Eloise's response was tinged with bitterness. "I'm not going to be able to go into the bedroom because, thanks to you, Alice kicked me out," she retorted, her voice laced with resentment. The disappointment in her eyes was evident as she glanced at Maria.

Maria's face fell, a pang of guilt washing over her. "I'm really sorry," she uttered, her voice tinged with feigned regret. "Just give me some time, and I'll go and talk to Alice." With her resolve firming, Maria started to make her way towards Eloise and Alice's room, determined to rectify the situation.

She approached the door, raising her hand and gently knocking. A muffled "Come in" drifted through the wood, inviting her inside. Stepping over the threshold, Maria entered the room and her eyes fell upon Alice. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a bedside lamp casting a warm hue over the space. Alice lay on the bed, her eyes open and betraying her lack of sleep. It was clear she had no intention of finding solace in slumber.

Maria's gaze met Alice's suspicious stare, and she took a moment to study her deeply. Sensing the tension, Maria seated herself beside Alice, a slight hesitance in her movements. She cleared her throat, her voice steady but tinged with insincerity.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," she began, her words dripping with a false sincerity. "There's absolutely nothing between Eloise and me." However, despite her words, Maria's true feelings about the situation remained hidden beneath her mask of contrition, the whole ordeal an inconvenient charade for her.

Alice regarded Maria with surprise, her guard slowly lowering. Uncertainty mingled with guilt within her, for it would mean that she had unjustly banished Eloise from the room. "I don't really know what to say," she confessed, her voice tinged with a mix of confusion and remorse. Maria's unexpected act of taking her hand caught Alice off guard, intensifying the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her.

Maria tightened her grip, seeking to manipulate Alice's emotions. "I understand that you're angry," she murmured softly, her eyes brimming with calculated earnestness. She wanted Alice to understand her supposed sincerity, to manipulate the situation to her advantage.

"I thought she was your girlfriend, so I thought Eloise was just an infidel," Alice blurted out, her words tinged with vulnerability. The realization of her wrongful assumptions washed over her, dousing the flames of anger that had consumed her. "I don't have any feelings for her," she added, her voice now laced with a touch of remorse.

A hint of a mischievous smile played on Maria's lips as she teased Alice gently. "But if you want , I can give you a kiss too," she offered, a twinkle in her eyes. The unexpected flirtatiousness of her comment caused Alice's cheeks to burn a deep shade of crimson, her embarrassment palpable.

Alice quickly shook her head, her voice firm and resolute. "No," she replied directly, her blush deepening. Maria, undeterred, leaned in and pressed her lips against Alice's, the brief touch a calculated move to manipulate her further. She then pulled away, rising from her seat.

"I'll leave you now," Maria whispered softly, her voice carrying a mix of regret and deceit. As she stood up, Alice remained frozen, her face flushed and her mind filled with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

Stepping out of the room, Maria's gaze fell upon an empty space where Eloise had once been. She noticed Eloise's absence but found herself surprisingly indifferent to her whereabouts and well-being. Whether Eloise was fine or not had ceased to be Maria's concern, as her thoughts and feelings now revolved solely around Alice and the manipulation she had successfully employed.

Maria nodded and headed towards her room, while Eloise contemplated the events that had unfolded. "I don't know who attacked Orobarian, and today someone tried to kill me. For now, I won't take any action. I want to see how far this goes," Eloise thought.

Inside her room, Maria focused on her own thoughts. "Now I have to come up with a new plan to kill Eloise. I didn't expect her magic to protect her. I'll have to find a way to bypass it," she resolved.

The next morning, Eloise's grandmother, known as Grandma, prepared to leave. "I'm going out, Lucy. See you later," she informed her granddaughter.

Lucy nodded, bidding her farewell. "Yes, see you later. Have a good day, Grandma."

As Grandma made her way to the castle, she chose to enter through the main door this time instead of breaking in as before. Her destination was her son, Alana's father.

"Mother, you're here already," Alana's father remarked upon her arrival.

Grandma replied firmly, "Yes. Give me the documents I asked for regarding that guard and let him in. But don't tell him that if he doesn't tell the truth, I will kill him without any hesitation."

"Okay, Mum," Alana's father complied, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Following her instructions, Alana's father called in the guard. Trembling, the guard stood before Grandma, unsure of what was about to unfold.

"Do you know who Lucie is?" Grandma inquired, her voice firm.