Chapter 741 - Interruptions

Ever since Marquess Samed had taken on the role of the Royal tutor, he had to lower his workload elsewhere in order to focus on the education of the Royal Princess.

Therefore, to those who he taught outside the Palace, he would only visit them a few times a week in order to pass on the curriculum they needed to learn and also to test them on those same lessons later on.

Elna Leopold was one of the girls whose lessons had been cut short so that he might accommodate the Princess and her playmates.

However, everyone was well aware of his favorable opinion on someone else who always received preferential treatment from him.

That person was none other than the daughter of the St. Claire family.

He did not cancel his classes with her, instead, he had done quite the contrary and increased the number of hours he tutored her.

If he wished to then he could have used those extra hours to accommodate other girls into his busy schedule.

However, he did nothing of that sort and chose to give his attention to the Princess, her playmates, and Yvonne every day. 

The rest of his pupils would only get to meet him on certain days and the time they had together was too short.

The people here had all heard that Yvonne St. Claire should have been one of the playmates but due to her ill health, she had respectfully declined.

Even then, the Marquess continued to tutor her for three hours every day when the other girls outside the Palace would be grateful if he could stay for the full hour.

Due to this reason, the most sought-after tutor in their Kingdom was dubbed to be the exclusive tutor of the Royal family and the St. Claire family.

Everyone assumed that it was because the Earl was willing to pay him high tuition fees but that wasn't the entire truth.

While Rutherford did pay him generously, the real reason Marquess Samed continued his three-hour lessons with Yvonne every single day was the unique interaction they had during their classes.

She wasn't passive and he could have a normal conversation with her, discussing their lesson and various other topics without a lack of understanding between them.

Therefore, when his workload increased due to his classes with the Princess and his playmates, he asked the other families he taught to find other tutors who could check on their child's work.

He still handled their curriculum and their assessments but did not teach them every single day.

Thus Elna too had no idea if what Yvonne had mentioned earlier was even the truth.

However, she did not take the chances of giving the wrong answer and had revealed that she was just as clueless as the rest.

The old man did not chastise his grandchild for not knowing the answer but his desire to test the true intentions of the young miss of the St. Claire family had faded by a large portion.

He still needed to observe her to be sure of what she truly was like but from what he had noticed until now, she did not appear to be pretending to be innocent to get on his good side at least.

"Miss Yvonne, may I speak with you for a moment!?" 

While their group was now silent, this sudden request that had come from behind startled them at how loud and improper it was.

Even without turning around to take a look, Yvonne knew just who this voice belonged to which had caused her to grimace.

Until now, Elna had been trying hard to control her facial expressions because she was in the midst of too many people who had their eyes on her.

For this reason, she was doing her best to appear calm and collected but the moment she heard this outrageously loud voice, her calm facade shattered.

A frown formed on her face and she did not hesitate to click her tongue at the one who was now walking towards them with such a proud expression.

While the adults had all turned towards this same person, Yvonne was the only one who had caught this impolite action coming from the young miss who claimed to be better than the rest.

It was undeniable that she too clicked her tongue and scowled at people she did not like but she had never criticized anyone for behaving in this way while claiming to be above the opposite person.

Since Elna had always preached about maintaining proprietary and respecting the hierarchy observed in their society, Yvonne let out a scoff at this blatant hypocrisy she had just witnessed.

It was wrong for others to behave this way but when Elna did it herself, she would turn a blind eye towards her actions?

'She needs to correct herself first.' She shook her head at Elna's behavior but chose not to focus too much on it.

Looking away from her, Yvonne's gaze fell on the one who had now reached their position.

By now, even other groups who were focusing on their interactions had fixed their eyes on this person.

Meanwhile, the nobles who were eavesdropping on the conversation between the old man of the Leopold family and the daughter of the St. Claire's family were now more interested to see what happened next.

"Pardon me for disturbing your conversation but may I take Miss Yvonne with me?" A soft voice, unlike the one from earlier, sounded in the silent garden.

____

Many minutes ago,

'Who would believe that this room belongs to a boy?' Howard scowled as he glanced around the room he had just entered.

He did not need any help in finding this room as he had been here numerous times in the past.

However, every time he entered through this door, the appearance of this place never failed to astonish him.

The large glass door that led to the balcony outside illuminated the entire room thoroughly.

To his right was the large couch with too many plush cushions than one would need and the shelves on the wall behind that couch were filled with delicate-looking trinkets which were not easy to find.

Finally, when Howard turned to his left, he found the one he had come looking for.

"Why aren't you dressed yet!?" He grumbled while walking towards the massive bed on which sat the boy he called his best friend.

Taylor Tanner glanced up only to find Howard striding in his direction with a fierce look on his face.

This prompted him to shut the book in his hand but not before making a mental note of the page he was currently on. 

"Why are you here?" He questioned while tilting his head, his confused face angering Howard further.

'His mother organized a party at his house yet he asks me why I am here…' The heir of the St. Claire's family rolled his eyes as he came to a halt next to the bed.

"Did you forget what day it is?" He retorted with another question and even pointed his chin towards the beautiful glass door in the room.

The door was shut but the sounds of constant chatter coming from the garden below reached their ears even then, implying the number of people who were gathered there.

While Taylor turned in the direction of the door, Howard sneaked a peek at what was laying on the bed.

Surrounding the younger son of the Duke were books of various kinds, some big and some small but there was one thing common in all of them.

'How much did he study in just a few days?' Howard wondered as they looked worn out already.

According to his perception of Taylor, that boy was a slacker whichever way he looked at it.

Throughout their years together at the Royal Academy, Taylor borrowed the notes from his classmates, especially Howard, and was seen holding a pen only when it was time to write their assignments and assessments.

Therefore to see the different books with notes scribbled over them in his handwriting was a shocking sight for Howard but he soon found a silver lining in it.

'Looks like I won't have to work too hard.' He surmised based on what he was seeing right now.

He had already decided to force Taylor to study harder in order to keep up with the hectic schedule they would soon be following when the Academy reopened.

However, now it appeared that his best friend did not need his constant reminder to study.

He was already brushing up on the lessons that had been mentioned in the letter they had each received from the Royal Academy.

This discovery led him to shoot an approving yet surprised gaze at his friend who was now looking at him.

Taylor had a faint blush on his cheeks and the top of his ears when he saw Howard's appreciative gaze.

"I know what day it is but why are you here?" He coughed to alleviate his embarrassment for being caught studying when he had rarely done so in the past.

Howard did not reply but chose to alternate his gaze between the books and his best friend's reddening face, waiting for an explanation for the sudden change in his lazy attitude that he was viewing right now.

Taylor too fixed his eyes on the books around him, recalling that he had vowed to become serious in his studies and also in his practice in order to possess the ability to protect the ones he held dear to his heart.

However, he had not yet revealed the purpose behind his actions to his best friend but now that he had been caught, Taylor decided not to keep it a secret any longer.

Thus, looking at Howard with an unexpected resolution in his eyes, Taylor confessed about the decisions he had made a few days ago.