Elenore Baker

**Elenore Baker (エリノア・ベイカー, *Erinoa Beikā*)** is a main character in the Madlax anime series. She is the household maid and keeper of Margaret Burton, who always calls "Ojou-sama."

## Biography

A few years older than Margaret, Elenore has already graduated high school. In appearance, she is a petite young lady with short, dark brown hair and brown eyes. She always speaks correctly and very politely. Despite looking innocent at first, Elenore can be surprisingly strong and skilled in a fight. She seems to know some martial arts techniques, based on her fight with Moreas Lopez in episode 6. Way later, in episode 23, it's made clear she has no problems handling guns.

## **Relationships**

* Margaret Burton is Elenore's ward and the one she serves. By all accounts Elenore loves Margaret dearly, worries about her all the time, and will do anything to protect her. Some viewers have suggested there is romantic attraction between Elenore and her maid. It's true that Elenore vies for Margaret's attention and can seem jealous whenever Margaret takes a liking to someone new. It's also not hard to believe the two have some physical side to their relationship, since they are incredibly close and have lived alone together in the same large apartment for their whole lives. However, whether or not there is anything physical about their relationship, Elenore states that Margaret is her "family" in episode 24.
* Vanessa Rene is Elenore's neighbor and friend. Though they seem to like each other, Vanessa and Elenore worries whenever she thinks Vanessa might be in trouble, the two women tease each other often. For example, Elenore pretends not to remember Vanessa at their reunion in episode 2. In turn, Vanessa takes advantage of the maid's accommodating personality and makes her cook and prepare the bath for bath for her. The biggest thing Vanessa and Elenore have in common is their love for Margaret.
* Elenore's grandfather (name unknown) was the butler for the Burton household seen in flashbacks in episode 6. As far as we know, her grandfather was her only living relative. Sadly, he passed away sometime between twelve years ago and the present. When he lay dying, the old man entrusted Margaret to Elenore, saying that the Bakers have "always" served the Burtons. When her grandfather passes away, the granddaughter's tears and sobs make it clear that she loved him. Elenore's love for her grandfather is part of the reason she swore to always protect Margaret.

## **Personality**

Throughout the early episodes, we see plenty of evidence that Elenore is a very patient woman. She takes care of Margaret, after all, who is constantly falling asleep, spacing out, talking about things that don't make sense, or doing things she shouldn't. Elenore almost never scolds Margaret and is never seen getting unreasonably angry--at Margaret, anyway. When it comes to anyone she views as a threat to Ojou-sama, Elenore is suspicious, unforgiving, and sometimes spiteful. When Margaret says her wrist was hurt by Moreas Lopez in episode 6, Elenore stomps on Lopez's hand/wrist ferociously, even though the boy is already unconscious and defenseless. Elenore has a good sense of humor and can appreciate Vanessa's jabs at her and tease her in turn.

   Elenore's love for Margaret cannot be overstated. Her intense and unwavering devotion to Ojou-sama is a big part of the maid's identity. She is always perfectly loyal, and only ever has Margaret's best interests in mind. Regardless of the danger, she accompanies Ojou-sama into the war-ridden Gazth-Sonika, and even into the areas where battles are actively taking place. In a flashback in episode 24, Vanessa remarks on how unusual it is that Elenore spends virtually all her time with Ojou-sama and doesn't hang out with friends her own age. She doesn't seek to marry anyone or go to college or start a career either. Her life's purpose is to care for Margaret.

## **Character Resolution**

### *Warning: Spoilers Below!*

At the end of episode 21, Friday Monday captures Margaret and starts using some kind of mind control on her. Elenore, Vanessa, Madlax, and Naharu set out to save her. However, Elenore gets separated from the group and by the time she meets up with Madlax in episode 23, Vanessa has died. After burying her dear friend, Elenore begs Madlax to let her come along on the mission to rescue Margaret. Madlax warns her that she will die, but Elenore says that's fine. In this episode, Elenore fights soldiers and uses guns for the first time. In episode 24, she separates from her mercenary companion because Limelda Jorg holds up Madlax's progress. Elenore continues alone, and it looks like she has things under control when she's fighting only two soldiers. Unfortunately, backup arrives, and Elenore has no choice but to run for her life from the squad of Enfant agents posing as the King's Army. Just as she reaches the edge of the jungle, the maid is shot in the back.

A less determined person would have died almost right away. However, Elenore is driven by an unbelievably strong love for her mistress. She crawls through a field of flowers until she sees Margaret. Much to the maid's surprise, Margaret doesn't know who she is, temporarily under the mind control of Friday Monday. When Elenore points her gun at the masked man, he used the words "Elda Taluta, Sarkus Sark, and Ark Arukus," on her. This causes her to be tempted by a dark impulse deep her unconscious mind: the desire to be free of the restricted life of a maid, and to kill her mistress. She points the gun at Margaret.

However, because of her boundless love for Ojou-sama, Elenore overcomes the temptation and points her gun at Friday again. At that moment, Margaret starts to break free of the mind control and remember Elenore. She slowly walks toward the maid, who puts her gun down. Both girls hold out their hands to one another, but before they can touch each other, Elenore gasps and falls backward. Her back is soaked in blood. She dies in seconds. Right before she passed away, she reflected on her years of service to Margaret. She says that she did every bit of it not because it was her duty, but because it was her wish. She furthermore states that Margaret is her one and only family. Although her life had a sad and untimely end, Elenore died doing exactly what she wanted to do. She also proved once and for all how much she loved Margaret Burton.