Chapter 697 - Sneaking Around

Yvonne had fallen asleep while she was still deciding how she would prepare for the plan she had come up with.

The match with Topher had indeed taken a toll on her which had caused her to fall into a deep slumber even when her mind desired to remain sharp.

The nap lasted for over two hours and only around four in the evening did the little girl get out of her bed.

Roselie was standing in wait for her to wake up and as soon as she heard some movement inside the room, she knocked before entering it.

Yvonne had already given strict instructions that Mrs. Jacinth should rest for longer as she was already well into her old age now.

Though she insisted that she was fine, both Roselie and Yvonne knew that she was only saying so to ease their worries.

However, the Young Miss had stayed adamant to ensure that the older maid would rest her aching knees for longer instead of standing outside while the child slept during the day.

Thus it was only Roselie who was present now and helping her get dressed.

"Miss, the Young Master asked if you would like to visit the Piano room today." The young maid repeated the query that the heir of this family had asked her earlier.

When Yvonne was still sleeping, Howard had snuck out of his room and came over to this corner of the floor.

His aim was to figure out her schedule so that he might keep her away from the other boys who wished to snatch her away from him.

Yvonne chuckled as ever since she had played for him back when they weren't yet on amicable terms, her elder brother had taken a liking to her piano skills.

He would often ask if she would play some pieces for him and praised her once she did the same.

They had been in their Summer estate all year round where there was no Piano for her to practice on thus now that they were back in their home, he wished to listen to her calming music once again.

Yvonne gave her maid a nod, asking her to convey this reply to her brother so that he might be ready by the time she got changed into presentable clothes.

There were still guests in their estate so she could not just roam in her loose-fitted nightwear and hence would have to be dressed in an appropriate way at all times.

The child picked up the necklace that Sevenz had gifted her and secured its clasp around her neck before glancing at the mirror to appreciate how it looked on her.

Though it wasn't the prettiest one she owned, she liked it better than the rest ever since she had discovered its special properties.

The breeze was getting warmer in the afternoons as Summers was right around the corner so wearing this strange-looking necklace was the right choice in her mind.

The moment the pendant touched her skin, a gentle and cooling breeze surrounded her entire body, ridding her of the earlier heat which was all around the room.

Yvonne once again praised the gift and the one who had given it to her.

However, she soon frowned when she recalled a certain matter concerning that person.

When Yvonne had gone to visit Sevenz after returning to the Capital, there wasn't anything odd about what they had discussed.

However, when she was about to return from there, that man had mentioned something which had distressed her back then.

'He has some doubts.' She bit her lips when thinking of how she would explain the actions she had taken in the past.

Not only Sevenz but even Topher Tanner had tried to pry into the events of the past but she had managed to divert his attention during their match.

'But how long will I be able to avoid them and their queries?' She fell into another daze of what she would do when that time came.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Roselie returned to the room, snapping Yvonne out of her thoughts.

The maid informed her that Young Master Howard was already ready and was waiting for her right outside this room which made her hurry to help her Miss get dressed.

In no time, Yvonne was well-dressed and ready to head outside.

Howard smiled when the door was pushed open and instead of greeting her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Shhh…" He whispered when he saw her opening her mouth.

Yvonne's surprised words did not leave her lips after being shushed and all she could do was silently follow after him.

Roselie did not accompany them and stood outside the room, watching the siblings as they strode away from the corridor.

Only after turning around the corridor and heading down the stairs did Howard let out a sigh.

The little girl glanced at her hand which was still in his grasp but did not mention anything about it as he wasn't hurting her nor did she dislike it which had come to her as a surprise.

As the siblings reached the bottoms of the stairs, Howard peeked from the corner, glancing both ways to make sure that no one was around.

'What is he up to?' She giggled at his amusing behavior but soon saw him turning around with his eyes wide open, gesturing for her to stay silent.

The little sister zipped her lips in response but found that her brother was looking at her with a bewildered expression.

'Right… They do not have zips here.' She grimaced and shook her head, gesturing that it was nothing at all.

Still confused, Howard gave her a reluctant nod before he checked his surroundings once again.

Only after making sure that there was no one around did he resume his hasty journey along with his little sister.

Yvonne and Howard soon reached their destination which was the Piano Room that had been left unused for a long time now.

"I cannot wait to listen to your beautiful music, Vonny." The elder brother chirped as he personally held the door open for her.

He had commanded her maid to not follow them as he wished to spend some time alone with her which had been impossible since they had returned to the Capital.

Therefore, the siblings were the only ones here which gave him the perfect opportunity to play the role of the kind and doting elder brother without any interruptions.

Yvonne smiled at him and curtsied to display her gratitude, playing along with his little charade which made him chuckle in response.

The brother and sister were in a much better mood than what they had been in during lunchtime and the proof of that was visible on their faces.

However, one smile faded in the next instant and the cause of this was the voice which echoed from behind.

Yvonne had not yet entered the room so all she had to do was turn around to take a glance at who had appeared here.

"Brother Taylor!" She greeted with a jubilant smile, contrary to the sullen face of her elder brother.

Walking in their direction were a small group of boys and their presence only made Howard's face darken.

'That persistent fool!' He scoffed at his best friend who had appeared out of nowhere and even brought the others with him.

Earlier, he had put in so much effort to ensure that he would have some alone time with his sister.

He had snuck out while the twins were still in their rooms and even made it a point to not alert this fool who was now walking in their direction.

However, his efforts had gone down the drain as right now, those same boys, with the addition of Young Master Topher had come to a halt before them.

Topher was the only one whose expressions weren't filled with hostility like the rest.

The twins and Taylor were leering at Howard for trying to sneak away with their sister and having the audacity to scoff at them after being caught red-handed.

While Howard was shamelessly leering back at them, wondering how to send them away, Yvonne was stuck in a dilemma right now.

'Will the seats inside be sufficient for them all?' She calculated the people here and the seats inside the Piano room they were about to enter.