Chapter 65 - Their Little Game

'Something happened to Governess Bloom!' 

This thought entered Yvonne's mind the moment she heard what Marquess Samed had revealed.

Oblivious to the thoughts in her mind, Sullivan continued with his story.

"I was asked to tutor the Royal Princess and her playmates however this was never my job to begin with." He acknowledged and shook his head in annoyance because his workload had increased drastically since accepting this new job.

'But there is no way that I could have said no to the King unless I wished to face the wrath of the entire Kingdom, which I don't!' He lamented over his sad fate and let out a long and defeated sigh.

Yvonne was least bothered about his distress and her impatience increased with every second this man chose to spend rubbing the bridge of his nose rather than speaking of what might have happened to cause this change.

"What happened next, Marquess?" She posed a question when she saw that he was lost in his thoughts once again.

Sullivan growled at her when he saw the lack of empathy she had for his sorry state and after scoffing at her, he revealed what had happened when he was summoned to the Royal Palace of Rosenhyde.

"It was a bright summer's day, one where the birds were happily chirping as they flew across the sky…" He began reminiscing about that fateful day.

Now it was Yvonne's turn to press and massage the bridge of her nose in exasperation when she heard him narrating in length about the weather on that day.

However, her sharp ears were still paying attention to every word he uttered.

'So this happened during mid-summer? Was this during the time I was in the St. Claire fief?' She speculated, trying to place this event on her timeline.

Her assumption was right as the King had summoned Marquess Sullivan Samed to discuss this issue while Yvonne was still enjoying her time in the fief.

"King Ophire had planned to employ the same person who had taught him and his younger brother during their childhood." He confessed what the King had disclosed to him upon his arrival at the throne room.

Sullivan rubbed his arms to reduce the goosebumps that had risen on them when he thought back to the chilly atmosphere inside the throne room.

The throne room was the place where King Ophire met his citizens after they arrived at the Royal Palace.

He was a wise and diligent King but only a limited few had the honor of meeting him in person as he was also a man who loved his privacy.

So the shock Sullivan felt when he received the summons for his appearance before the King was very high.

His feet still trembled when he remembered the suffocating pressure that filled the entire room.

King Ophire and Sullivan were the only ones inside the room but he was sure that the infamous Black Knights were watching over them hidden in the dark corners to ensure the safety of their King.

The intricate details that the King had disclosed to him were not something he could reveal to Yvonne but he most certainly could give her the basic gist of what their conversation entailed.

"Our King had set his mind on his previous caretaker and tutor to take over the matters concerning the education of his beloved daughter, Princess Felicia." He finally spoke up which gained a triumphant sigh from Yvonne that he had finally answered her question.

Sullivan was not surprised by her reaction because he had spent a good few seconds lost in his thoughts about the events that had happened that day.

"Do you remember the person who taught the King and his little brother? If yes, then tell me who and why?" Marquess Samed, ever the good tutor, did not forget to quiz Yvonne to make sure that she was not lagging in her history lessons.

Yvonne was ready to answer his question at the drop of the hat because this issue was discussed both in her classes with the Marquess and in blue bird's movie script.

"Governess Bloom had been the one who catered to the King and his younger brother, the Grand Duke's upbringing and education." She answered him and raised her chin when she saw him nodding his head, approving that her answer was correct.

"And why was that?" Marquess Samed did not let her celebrate too soon as he tossed the second half of his question back to her.

Yvonne tried to recall the history books she had read and finally came up with a reply.

"The then Queen Romania, King Ophire's mother was not from our Kingdom and hence she was not knowledgeable enough to teach the heir apparent. Hence, a replacement was sought to take that place." She analyzed the information she had and then responded.

"Why couldn't the Royal Concubine Yuliza, the most talented woman in the Kingdom not take that place?" He retorted with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying this little game of back and forth they were playing.

Yvonne was not one to back down from a challenge and therefore she smirked right back before giving out her reason for why the Royal Concubine was not chosen.

"By the time that King Ophire was born, the bad blood between the two women had amplified and hence the Queen might have strongly refused the very idea of the Concubine being the tutor of her only son." She explained her reasoning in a calm and collected manner.

Sullivan was pleased with her deductive skills because such a thing had really happened.

However, what most people did not know was that Governess Bloom was a member of the intellectually acclaimed Roschester family.

'Though Queen Romania did not want her son to be taught by Concubine Yuliza, she was ignorant of the fact that the tutor being chosen for her son was none other than the Concubine's older cousin who had married into the Bloom family for a very long time.' He shook his head at the naivete of the previous Queen.

Previous King Greggor had no ill intentions for keeping her in the dark other than the fact that she seemed to have an unexplained repulsion for anything and anyone connected to her sister-wife after giving birth to her baby, Prince Ophire.

A major contribution to this bad blood between them could be given to the maids who constantly filled her mind with negative thoughts about how Concubine Yuliza and her family were planning to snatch her son away from her.

Now, thinking of how the biggest benefactor and well-wisher of her son was none other than a member of the Roschester family whom she despised so ardently was ironic, to say the least.

His thoughts were disrupted when he heard Yvonne's soft voice completing her answer.

"As for the reason why Governess Bloom was called to teach the young Grand Duke years later… " She rubbed her chin while uttering those words.

The wide age gap of 16 years between the two royal brothers did not slip out of her mind while answering this part of his question.

"Well, the Royal Concubine had died during childbirth and she could not come out of her grave to teach her son, now could she?" Her sarcastic reply shocked Sullivan and his eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

"How impudent? Do not disrespect the dead!" He chided her firmly.