Chapter 34 - Party?

Raylene shook her head when she saw her daughter's confused face.

"Tomorrow you will not have any classes because you two are going to accompany me to buy new clothes." She smiled at them.

Yvonne was happy that she could go shopping in this new world.

'I wonder what kind of stores are here? And I would love to change my current wardrobe. These frills and bows are nauseating!' She cringed inwardly.

Howard on the other hand was protesting against this torture that he always faced when his mother decides to visit the stores.

"Can I buy new clothes for myself?" Yvonne cut him off and fluttered her lashes at her father.

Rutherford was overjoyed when he noticed his Vonna's cute behavior.

'Vonna still likes to go out, just as when she had her memories!' He nodded to agree with her request.

"You can buy anything you want. You will have to wear it at the party this weekend, so let's buy matching clothes. Mommy and baby will look great together!" Raylene squealed as she imagined walking in with her daughter and making all the heads turn.

Yvonne whiplashed to face her mother when she heard this.

"Party?" She asked, not certain of what she was talking about.

"It's the gathering that the nobles have before the next academic year starts at the Royal Academy." Raylene explained the details.

'I keep forgetting that she does not remember the past.' Raylene smiled sadly at her.

Every year at the end of summer vacation, one of the noble families at the capital would host a grand party for all the children who attend the Royal Academy.

The ratio of nobles to commoners was less in Rosenhyde. So all the sons of the nobles attended the same school.

Though they could gain entrance easily, staying till they graduated depended on their own capabilities.

Not many of the boys could stick until the end because the Dean of Royal Academy would kick out certain students at the end of every year who could not keep up with the teaching pace of their academy.

No amount of money or connections could allow you to continue in that place if you were not up to the mark.

Every child must attend a total of ten years at the academy to successfully graduate from the academy. They would join when they turn five and stay until they are fifteen.

After their time at the academy, most of them would go back to their fiefs and learn to manage them while the rest could do as they pleased.

Howard had been attending the academy since he was five and now he was eight years old.

Every year he would make a fuss about attending the party because he hated to socialize with the other bratty kids who thought they were better than the others.

'Just like this snob right here!' He pursed his lips and glared at Yvonne who was tapping her fingers on the table and it looked like she was in deep thought.

Yvonne was right now thinking about how she should decline this invitation and stay in the safety of her room.

"This time the party will be at Marquess Kiron's house, right Ray?" Rutherford's query brought Yvonne's attention back to their conversation.

According to what Yvonne had learned from Sullivan Samed, Marquess Kiron was a neighbor and his house was just a few minutes away from the St. Claire mansion.

He had three sons and two daughters. Two of his sons had already graduated and this gathering was for the last son who was in his final year now.

"Yes, Marchioness Kiron had sent the invite before we had left for our summer estate." She answered with a nod.

"They are of a higher status than us. So, Howie, we cannot reject her invitation without any valid excuse. That means that you have to attend this year." She sternly spoke to him.

Though St. Claire's were richer than most of them, they still had to pay attention to the social hierarchy that was prevailing in the society.

Howard's head drooped when he heard this and he gave her a disheartened nod to show his acquiescence with the situation.

'There goes my biggest hope for skipping the party.' Yvonne looked at Howard and her plans for making some excuse to miss the party were thwarted.

Seeing that her children did not object to their plans, the couple nodded and then after lunch they all withdrew to their own rooms.

--

Yvonne sat at the desk by the window and was scribbling on the worksheet that Marquess Samed had prepared for her.

Her hands moved at a fast pace and she was already halfway through her homework.

It was an essay that she had to write about the things she learned this week.

'Will everything be alright if I attend the party?' She stopped writing and looked out of the window at the bright blue sky.

She thought of the main four people that she needed to avoid at all costs.

'It's a gathering organized by a Marquess family, so it is safe to assume that the Prince will not be gracing us with his presence.' She smirked.

Prince Fritzen's mother, Queen Ravina was very strict with his upbringing and rarely allowed him to socialize with the other children. 

Therefore, the noblesse citizens of Rosenhyde could only meet their prince at the Royal ball or at the Royal Academy that he studied in.

'Duke Brodie has no sons so it will make no sense if he shows up with his daughter, Glennise.' She recalled the temperament of the Duke from the story.

The man hated seeing other nobles flaunt their heirs and indirectly mock him. 

So he always avoided situations where it could be pointed out that he only had a useless daughter rather than a son that could support him in the future.

'The heroine, Hilda will right now be in some countryside town with her parents. So she is out of the question.'

After Hilda's parents had accepted the Prince's token of gratitude which was a big bag of gold coins they had moved to a far off land to start their own business, a lodging of sorts. 

There Hilda and her parents took care of the passers-by that rented a room at their inn. 

There would be no sign of her until Yvonne turned fifteen. This was the only thing that she was sure of, that she wouldn't meet Hilda before that.

'The last and worst of them all is my so-called future husband, Draco Roschester. Hmph!' She clenched the pen in her hand.

This man was not mentioned much in the beginning. Only that he was often sent on missions by his elder brother, King Ophire.

'I have no idea whether he will make an appearance now. But if I recall correctly, he must be on a mission until the next academic year begins.' She sighed because this meant that she wouldn't have any chance encounters with him as well.

"It might not be as bad as I am expecting it to be. With all the main characters absent at this party, I'm sure I can have some fun.' She nodded her head and went back to her history assignment.