"Two people didn't come to Alice's funeral. One was George, and another was you. Even Eric and Erika came, skipping their exams.
People said George didn't come because he was heartbroken and depressed. After all, he had lost his wife years ago and now his only daughter… but I begged to differ.
I was actually… angry when I didn't see you at the funeral. I searched for you, but you weren't there. Mind you, Alice saw you and still sees you as her mother."
"..."
"You often got teased in public places whenever you took Eric, Erika, Alice, and me out when we were kids. People always asked if you had four kids. They actually thought of you as their sister at first since… Well, you were young.
But Eric and Erika would always yell, 'Mom! I want this. Mom! I want to eat that!'. But then… we slowly stopped hanging out as we grew up. But that's a stage of life every kid has to go through."
"Hmm. I remember that. I mean, all the things you mentioned about your childhood also happened in this world," Eleanor explained herself.
"Anyway, after the funeral was done and everyone started to leave. Eric, Erika, and I were still standing in front of Alice's grave. Eric comforted me and said she was in a better place.
'I wish we would have been there when she needed us. Only if we had kept in touch with her she wouldn't have committed suicide. We should have been there for her.' Eric had said.
Only I knew that… the reason for Alice's suicide was most likely me. Yes, she was already depressed and all, but my behavior that night pushed her this far. I couldn't tell that to Eric or anyone.
And then, out of the blue, Erika mentioned, 'Mom's flight landed.'
I asked her if you were on your way here, but Erika didn't respond to me. You know… I think Erika knew that Alice loved me, and she suspected and blamed me for her suicide.
Eric said that you had already arrived and left from the funeral after giving her last greetings and blessings. I think… you didn't want to meet me, and hence you… I don't know.
My mind was thinking about all the bad and negative things. I was already going through a lot, and I had no idea what to do. I lost my unborn child, Elise was in a serious condition where her life could be in danger, and Alice's suicide.
I was so lost and depressed at that time that… I also thought of committing suicide. But… obviously, I couldn't. I didn't have the guts or courage to do that."
"No… you had the guts and courage to live. You were brave. Rudy… you were also the victim. Stop blaming yourself for everything that happens around you. Please… you will end up getting hurt… which would also hurt the people you love.
Listen… you are still a kid. The other world's Rudy was 23 when he got into an accident, but you only have his memories, I don't see you as a 'mentally twenty-three-year-old in an eighteen-year-old body.'
You are still a kid to me. And you have so… so… so many responsibilities in your head. You are a Lord… the entire universe's existence depends on you. And today's eighteen-year-old kids are chasing after skirts, playing games, fapping all day, obsessed with celebrities and idols, immersed in social media, and daydreaming about cars and bikes.
And all that alpha, sigma, beta, sigma grindset, millionaire mindset and all shit they are into… just illusionary delusional immature kids. And that's okay. I mean, I am nearing a billion net worth, and I would become a multimillionaire if my mega resort truly ends up making ten times its opening day.
I spent half of my fortune making that resort.
You don't have to be so hard on yourself. Take it easy. It's okay if you mess things up, but just make sure that you don't end up making the same mistakes again. I know I don't need to tell you this, but we can't save you if you don't want to be saved, you know?"
Eleanor was the only person in Rudy's harem who was mature and experienced in all fields. Yes, Rias and Jane were older than Eleanor, but they were childish most of the time. While Nyxia was… unavailable.
That was the charm of Rudy's harem. They understood each other and helped them when in need. They fought all the time but were united when the time needed them to be. And Rudy was the reason for all that.
Rudy kissed Eleanor's hand and continued, "Elise's treatment continued for months. They kept her at the hospital for the first two months, but then they permitted us to take her home. Elise's family hadn't come to see her, but I had talked with them, and they were paying for her treatment.
So I told them that they had given permission to take her home, and they said they would talk with the doctor first. After I took her home, I had to take care of her every need. I had no complaints.
Even when she said I don't have to do it and that I could assign a nurse for her, I helped do everything. Not because I didn't want to waste money on the nurse but because I just liked taking care of her.
That's what love is—taking care of each other and being there for each other when in need. That's real love. She would often wake up at night and cry for hours. She could bite the pillow, so I don't hear her grunting in pain.
It was hard… really hard. Because I knew everything but pretended not to notice. She was trying her best to smile and hide her pain in front of me because she knew that if I learned of it… she would feel like a burden to me.
Of course, I never thought of that. But… It's normal for people to think like that when they feel hopeless.
One day, I returned from the university and found her passed out on the bathroom floor. I called an ambulance and She was shifted to the hospital again."
