Chapter 142 - 141: The Slithering Knife That Pierces Her Heart

Stella stood at the gate of the Lancaster Mansion. She had come to meet Eleanore and if possible, give her some advice on staying away from Caelestis. The gatekeeper saw her and immediately let her in.

One of them went to inform Caelestis, who came rushing out of his study to welcome Stella. The butler himself was standing steady at the entrance and soon Caelestis joined him.

"Stella —" Caelestis began but was cut off.

"It’s duchess or Madam for you. I am married and am no longer your friend either." She speaks in hostility.

"Why are you being like this? Yesterday—"

"Yesterday, I was trying to make Eleanore realise that you are a mad obsessor who will never stop obsessing over me." Stella’s demeanor had changed drastically.

Not once, he had that thought in his mind. How could she say that in such a harsh tone?

"I am here to meet the Grand Duchess. If you may?" Stella gestured to let her in, but Caelestis didn’t budge. He stood there like a statue, so the butler took over.

"The Madam is on the third floor." He says, directing her to the stairs.

"Thank god, you two don’t live in the same room." Stella closes the distance between her and Caelestis. "This proves, everything she said was a lie."

She walks past him. "I was so sure that was a lie. It was written all over her face. Hael was stupid enough to believe in that trash, not me."

Soon, Stella was standing in front of Eleanore’s previous room. She remembered the days they spent together and the fun they had. There was a time when Stella couldn’t sleep at all and Eleanore’s situation was also somewhat similar. They sang various songs all night and with every song Eleanore’s face turned into a surprised on, as if she believed she might not know the lyrics at all but somehow knew each and every one of them.

The butler knocked on the door and Marina opened it. She was stunned to find Stella here. Her shocked face melted into a smile as she opened the door fully.

"Madam has a little headache." She informs as she bows and greets the new duchess of Sinclair.

The worry in Stella’s eyes was pretty evident, as she walked to the balcony from where a cold glare was welcoming her.

"Why are you here?" Eleanore asks, as she takes another dose of her medicine. "To insult me?" She places the small bowl aside, as she gets out of her table and walks to Stella.

"I wasn’t trying to insult you." Stella had expected a similar kind of hurtful words from her, but when they actually reached her ears, she was sent back to the time when they were enemies.

Eleanore laughs at that. "Ha! Asking my husband for his first dance after his marriage was not an insult? Calling me to your reception only to make me look like a fool is not an insult? After all that Shameless standing in front of me, firmly as if you did nothing? Is this also not an insult?"

She was towering over Stella and when their eyes met, all of Stella’s confidence washed away. She was shaken by this coldness; she hadn’t felt for months.

Eleanore takes her eyes off her and sensing the fear in them, she scoffs. "Marina, I tried to become good, but look at these people, now they are taking my place and turning into evil." She says, with a devious smile, Stella hadn’t seen for long.

It was then that Stella knew she made a mistake. No matter how noble her purpose was, the way she was executed was trash and sloppy. Her way of trying to show Eleanore that she made a mistake by marrying this man called Caelestis was so hurtful, that she had somewhat made up her mind to turn into her old self.

"I— um— I—"

"What? I— what? Do you perhaps have an explanation for the stunt you pulled?" She asks.

Stella gulped on that; she had gone blank. For a long time, she simply looked at Eleanore, when something in her said, ’You were going to be her best friend, show her the right path.’ It was her inner voice that truly cared for Eleanore.

"I did it, to help you understand that no matter how hard you try to change some people, they never change." Stella explained her reasons firmly.

"Why? Are you a god?" Eleanore invaded Stella’s area. "Who do you think you are trying to show me what I can do, and I cannot?"

Even after all her efforts, Eleanore wasn’t able to shake Stella even a little, her resolve was too strong. "I am your friend. I might not be your best friend, but you are mine."

"Oh! Please." Eleanore turned away.

"You helped me a lot, Eleanore. You were there whenever I was in trouble. So, please let me help you this time, when you clearly are stuck into something unexplainable. Please, don’t take away this chance from me." Stella practically begs for answers, but Eleanore had none to offer her.

"I am not in any kind of trouble. Like any other dumb woman, I too believe in the misconception that I can save the man I loved. Only to be proven wrong with his insulting acts." She swirled around to face Stella one last time. "However, Stella, that does not mean you can mess with my husband. You have a loving one waiting for you at home. So be happy with that and stay away from mine."

"Eleanore—" Stella tries to explain that she has no interest in Caelestis.

"If you are done, then you can leave. My head is hurting from all the chatter." She bluntly asks Stella to leave the room and the mansion as well.

And Stella feels defeated. She could argue more and try to have her say the truth, but she knew it won’t work. The harsher words she speaks the more hurt she gets. Stella wasn’t the one who was taking the slithering knife, Eleanore was. So, she gave up. But just for now.