Chapter 41 - Ara Ara

Yvonne looked at the young boy who was just a few inches shorter than Howard.

He had fierce red hair and soft brown eyes, a stark contrast but it did not look bad on him.

'Based on my deductions, this little boy can only be the younger son of the duke, Taylor Tanner.' She recalled the name she had heard about from Sullivan.

Though Asmodeus had mentioned that there was a second Ducal family in his story, the name of the Tanner family was never once mentioned in it.

He had only focused on the people who would come in contact with the main characters and had omitted everyone else.

'That blue bird really did not pay attention to anything other than the cringe-worthy couple!' She sneered when she thought of him.

The red-headed boy looked in Yvonne's direction and sweetly smiled at her.

Her senses were momentarily stunned when she saw how refreshing his smile.

Howard rolled his eyes when he saw this and walked in the boy's direction.

"Don't bother with her. Let's go!" He held onto the boy's collar and dragged him away.

The women all gaped with eyes wide open when they saw the Earl's son dragging the Duke's son without any remorse.

"I apologize for my Howie's misbehavior." Raylene quickly turned to the Duchess and apologized with a meek smile.

"There's no need for that, Countess. Taylor often speaks about his friend and it is good to see that they get along so well." She smiled and held Raylene's hand.

The Duchess was not offended in fact, she was happy to see her son make friends who weren't trying to take advantage of his status.

'That brat sure seems to be close to the Duke's son. I wonder how that happened?' Yvonne glanced in the direction that the two boys had run off in.

"However I am more interested in conversing with this young lady right here." The Duchess' words made Yvonne turn to see who she was referring to.

'Who is this Duchess interested in?' She turned her head around and glanced at the other kids and women but couldn't find anyone worth being interested in.

"Sullivan was right! She is a precious little thing!" The lady gushed when she saw Yvonne's little head that was turning everywhere.

'Sullivan? Marquess Samed?' Yvonne looked up and found that the Duchess was staring right at her.

'You were talking about me?' 

She pointed a small finger to her nose and tilted her head in question.

"Oh my…! Can I hug her?" The Duchess had tiny hearts coming out of her eyes as she stared at the little girl's face.

'That face looks like the animes that Vince used to watch in my previous life! All that is left for her is to say 'ara ara'. Yvonne hurriedly hid behind Raylene's legs.

She could tolerate being robbed of her personal space by her family, but certainly not by some woman she had just met.

Seeing the guarded look on her face, the Duchess covered her mouth with a fan and laughed to her heart's content.

"Looks like I scared your daughter." She spoke to Raylene and then looked at the head that was peeking from behind her mother's legs.

"I have two sons who are boorish and wild. So I wanted to see how hugging a daughter felt like for a change." She smiled at Yvonne and then stepped away to let her calm down.

'I don't care even if you have six sons. No hugging!' Yvonne's face showed her disagreement with the Duchess' proposal.

The hostess, Patrina Kiron then escorted the Duchess to her seat which was at the best table in the garden.

The other Marchionesses were fighting for the seat next to them when the Duchess invited Raylene and Yvonne to sit with her.

"Countess St. Claire, I would like to speak to your daughter for a while so why don't you join us?" She gestured to the seat right next to hers.

The other ladies, especially Marchioness Yona was burning with jealousy when they saw how easily Raylene had nabbed that chance because of her daughter.

This made them angry and they glared at the young girls who were with them.

This in turn set off a chain reaction, which made the little girls glare at Yvonne who was now sitting between her mother and the Duchess.

They had no other choice than to go back to the tables that were assigned to them.

Raylene and Yvonne should have sat on the third-best table in the garden but because of the Duchess' favor, they were now at the best table.

"So tell me, how was your experience learning with Sullivan?" The Duchess asked as she placed a cookie on Yvonne's plate and gestured for her to eat it.

Yvonne first finished the cookie and only after wiping her lips did she answer the lady's question.

"He is not the easiest person to be around but his teaching skills are unquestionable." Yvonne's soft voice spoke such big words.

The woman who had mocked Yvonne for being 'dull' fell her jaw drop. 

However, when she heard the subtle snide remark hidden in her words, the woman sneered at Yvonne.

'Did she just insult the Duchess' younger brother?' She turned to look at the Duchess' reaction to see if this ignorant child would be punished.

Raylene choked on her tea when she heard Yvonne's straightforward answer.

"Vonny! That is no way to talk about your tutor!" She chided her daughter.

'Sheesh! What is the big deal? Everything I just said is the absolute truth. Try spending three hours in a closed room with him first then you might understand what my words mean!' Yvonne shook her head in disapproval.

She did compliment his teaching skills so Yvonne was confused why her mother was glaring at her.

Their little staring competition ended when they heard the Duchess' hearty laughter.

The women who were waiting for her to punish the mannerless child were all speechless when they witnessed this scene.

"Don't chide her, Raylene." She wiped the tears that formed in her eyes and looked at Raylene.

"Can I call you Raylene?" She remembered her manners and asked for permission which she received without any problems.

"Oh, then please call me Beatrice as well. We are friends now!" She in return asked Raylene to call her by her first name as well.

Duchess Beatrice Tanner held her cheeks as she stared at the chubby face who was not interested in their talks but was more bothered about polishing off the cupcakes placed on the table.

'Can she stop staring? I am trying to eat here!' Yvonne looked up when those eyes just wouldn't move away.

"My brother is a difficult person to get along with. I cannot deny that but I am happy that Yvonne spoke the truth rather than praising him without restraints." Beatrice smiled at Yvonne and wiped the cream that was stuck to her nose.

Yvonne's brows furrowed when she heard what Beatrice had called Sullivan just now.

"Brother?" She repeated that word and stared at Beatrice for some answers.

'She truly is a fearless one. Sullivan wasn't lying when he said that she had changed.' Beatrice smiled and nodded her head.

"Sullivan is my younger brother. My name was Beatrice Samed before my marriage." She explained and was amused to see Yvonne nodding her head.

'I see… The Tanners were never mentioned so obviously I wouldn't know. But how come that big-mouthed tutor failed to mention this?' Yvonne fell into contemplation.

'He spoke about the previous King's wives in great detail but failed to mention his elder sister? Do all the men in this world dislike their sister?' Her thoughts went back to her own 'sister-hating' brother who had vanished for quite some time now.

Beatrice was observing every change in expression that Yvonne's face was making.

'Yvonne St. Claire doesn't seem like a bad option. She might be the one I am looking for.' She smiled and handed another cupcake to her.

Yvonne gratefully accepted and gobbled it up but little did she know that these sweet desserts would soon make her day sour.