Eleanor hated her eldest brother, Seth. Numerous reasons which influenced her perception of him.

Just like her brother Keith, she also hates Seth because their mother always remained partial toward her firstborn. She didn't only allow him to make his life decisions from a very early age but she also always encouraged his wrong decisions as well. Whereas, when any other of her child made any error, more than a glare and sometimes scolding their mother offered nothing.

She somehow shared the emotions Keith suffered from. She didn't feel inferior to Seth since she never compared herself to him. But the feeling when you hopefully try to close the distance between your siblings only to be ignored or thrown away leaves a scar on the relationship which only expands with time.

Seth not once or twice but every time Eleanor tried closing the distance between the two through any means, he always treated her like a pebble at the side of the path and disregarded her very existence like she wasn't his sister at all.

She endured and endured and before she knew the difference between the two elevated to the point of hatred.

Despite how Seth was acting all loving and caring with Liliana and has been trying to become a responsible big brother to Keith, Eleanor knows that it all was nothing but a facade. An act to gain something that no one knows about.

Seth has always been like this so one day if he betrays everyone including their mother, Eleanor wouldn't be too surprised. Liliana was too young to understand what was real and what was not but Eleanor has learned through experience, whom she could trust and who should never be trusted. And her dear brother Seth comes in the latter.

"We need to talk, Eleanor. " Eleanor sprang up on her feet since it was too startling for her to see the person she was ranting about in her mind appear out of nowhere.

"Y-You can't just walk in a lady-" She didn't get to say her thing before Seth interrupted her with his tone turning a little colder than before.

"Now Eleanor has become rude enough to regard her elder brother as "you' huh..." Eleanor flinched at that before she saw Seth taking the chair opposite her.

It was a guest room with a bed and a study table. Eleanor was near bed and Seth had taken a chair from the study table to sit just in front of his sister and have a talk.

"Sit down." Eleanor remained frozen in surprise for a moment before she heard his commanding tone and with a grit of teeth, she reluctantly sat back on the bed.

Seth remained silent for a bit which made her feel irked but she didn't say anything needlessly and waited for the lord brother to finish his obligatory business here.

Suddenly, Seth rose from his seat and began walking in her direction. Eleanor didn't have a good feeling about it as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Put your hands forward."

Eleanor frowned, "Did Liliana say-"

"I said stick your hands out, Eleanor. " Seth's tone was firm, with no room for argument left.

Eleanor cursed inwardly before throwing her both arms forward. She should have known how her little sister would immediately spout everything.

'I should have been more cautious!'

Regardless of what was going on in her head, Seth took a small vial of pale pink shade and began pouring the solution over her arms.

"Sss... " Eleanor hissed in slight discomfort feeling the burning sensation over her arms before the artificial skin she had planted over her arms began to get torn off.

Seth didn't wait for long before he pulled the whole extra layer of skin off her which Eleanor put on to hide something.

"These scars...I assume not your arm has them, right? "

Dark blue and black cuts and bruises were spread all over her pale white arms like she had some tattoo engraving. And the way she kept her head hung low, Seth knew it wasn't just her arm being harmed in this manner.

Liliana told him how Eleanor leaves the mansion at night when the Duchess remains away and when Eleanor returns, she always seems to be covered in blood and wounds.

"You never was given any combat training other than basics yet you try to fight beasts of the forest all alone without a care in the world, huh Eleanor?"

Even though the girl was a healer by affinity, she was working as a freelancing hunter for some reason. Seth was surprised that she wasn't caught until now by their mother...or maybe the lady knew that's why Eleanor was still alive?

Eleanor remained silent before Seth felt her body shaking a bit and hot drops of tears falling down her cheeks.

"What do you expect me to do then?! Mother won't let me work as an adventurer just because I am a girl and a healer by class! Is it my fault that I am not a man and didn't awaken a more useful skill?! "

Seth was surprised to hear such a tone from Eleanor for the first time but he wasn't offended. He knows now how she must be feeling and to coax her, he needs to be patient and calm.

Kneeling in front of her, Seth took hold of her hand gently, before he looked at her watery eyes and wiped her tears with his psychokinesis.

"Have you asked Mother to let you have more physical training?"

"I did but she said, I am not prepared! She deems me worthless!"

Her sobs only grew louder with each syllable as Elenor cried her grief being asked by someone about her circumstances for the first time.

Seth looked at the little girl with a warm gaze before he chanted a Calming spell to help her regulate her heartbeat.

"Did mother ever say you are worthless?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Just answer me. "

Hearing the insistence, Elenor averted her gaze before shaking her head in denial.

"*Sigh* Listen to me, Eleanor. It's not any kind of consoling or anything but if Mother really would have considered you worthless, she wouldn't have appointed three instructors for you in the first place. "

"She just doesn't want you to partake in physical activities much now since you were really weak during your early age and being a mother, she cares for each of her children equally. For you to say she doesn't want a girl to become stronger even though our mother is the pristine example of how a woman can also stand on the same level as a man...I think you have got it all wrong, El. "

Eleanor was provided with instructors just like Keith. She not only gets academic knowledge but a very responsible nun comes to teach Eleanor the true essence of Healing Magic as well.

Her hatred toward Seth and Valarie's partial behavior toward him changed Elenor's perception completely about almost everything. Seth could not blame her completely since at her age she wanted attention from the person she adored the most yet she was left alone.

Eleanor remained silent. Her mind was in chaos, Seth could tell.

After a short while, her tears seemingly dried up, Eleanor looked at Seth for the first time before she whispered in a weak tone, "What should I do?"

****

A/N: - Average girl with mama issues.

Drop a comment if you liked the family development. We will get back on the plot from the next one.