Yvonne had yet to comprehend and compile the large amount of information that she had received about this tutor yet now she was already being rejected?
'What? Why?' She raised her brows and tilted her head as she gazed at the man who was intently gazing back at her.
Rutherford was confused when he heard the contradictory statement from his friend.
"What do you mean, Des? Did you not just call Vonna your student?" He interrogated with a stern expression forming on his face.
Yvonne could notice his confusion and anger after hearing Captain Reel's rejection because she was feeling those same emotions right now.
While they were waiting for Captain Desmo to speak up about why he had said those words of rejection, the three boys were clueless about what was going on here.
Taylor and Topher shared a glance and then looked at the man whom they met and interacted with every single day of their lives.
Damien was silent as he watched the child in her father��s arms and then at the man whom he had heard a lot about from his brother and best friend as well.
"Captain, why are you here?" Taylor inquired as he stepped closer to the man.
Captain Reel nodded at the boy who was now by his side and then pointed to Yvonne with his chin.
"I was called to teach this child." He gave a brief answer.
Yvonne patted her father's shoulder, indicating that she wished to be let down.
Rutherford felt that the rejection she had received from the Captain had caused her to be disheartened and thus she refused to stay in his embrace.
This thought made him glare at his friend who was making him look bad in front of his lovely daughter.
Desmo raised his brows and pushed the gold-rimmed glasses higher on the bridge of his nose as he maintained eye contact with the child who was now staring straight at him.
Yvonne stepped forward and stood in front of him with a firm and resolute expression on her face.
"May I ask the reason why I am being rejected?" She questioned him without an ounce of nervousness or anxiety on her face.
Taylor and Topher were surprised when they heard the reason for the scary Captain of the Red Scorpion Knights to appear here.
But what surprised them more was the fearless attitude that Yvonne was displaying right now.
Desmo was also impressed with her behavior but he still related it to the high headedness and pride that was in every noble's blood.
'She seems mad but that is because she was rejected.' He surmised and then a mocking smile appeared on his face once again.
That smile was annoying Yvonne to no end and she felt frustrated that she was not being taken seriously at this moment.
"May I know the reason please?" She repeated her words and this time Desmo gave her a lazy nod.
"What else can be the reason other than you…" He stopped and looked her over from top to bottom and then nodded.
Yvonne did not shy away from his scrutinizing gaze, instead, she stood with her head tall.
'Grandpa always taught me that if you hide yourself under someone's gaze then that is a sign of weakness and cowardice.' She recalled his strict words and followed his teachings.
"You will give up in an hour at most." He ridiculed her even after seeing her confident stance.
He did not want to waste his efforts on someone who was doing this because she was bored with sitting at home and doing things that women are supposed to.
"How sure are you that I will give up within that time?" She interrogated and raised her brows back at him.
Captain Desmo Reel was amused by her confidence but soon shook his head.
"All talk and no action. I can say for sure that you will ask me to let you go before the hour passes." He reassured her that she would do just as he had imagined.
"What if I don't give up even after an hour?" Yvonne was not one to back down especially when she was so blatantly being challenged.
'I���m sure that he thinks I cannot last that long because I am a girl. What a chauvinist!' She sneered at the man who was watching her without blinking his eyes.
The only people who had seen her arrogant and haughty appearance just now were Taylor and Captain Reel as they were standing opposite her.
The rest of the people were facing her back and hence had missed the glint of evil arrogance that had passed through her eyes.
However, Taylor being Taylor, associated her evil appearance with that of her being a cute doll.
But the Captain was a different case as his interest had piqued in the child who dared to act in such an impudent manner in his presence.
'So this is the angelic daughter that Ford was fussing about in his letter?' He smirked at the blind father and then at the daughter.
Rutherford had been worried that his Vonna would cry and make a fuss that things didn't work out in her favor like what she would always do.
'I keep forgetting that my Vonna is now so intelligent and diligent ever since we returned from the fief.' He sighed since he sometimes missed the bratty little girl who would cling to him all the time.
But this did not mean that he disliked the current Vonna, he just wished that she would sometimes let him handle things for her like this present crisis.
Sadly, Rutherford will miss many such opportunities since the Yvonne St. Claire he now knows and interacts with loves to do things in her own way.
"If you can go through the first hour without whining and crying for your Papa… Then we can continue." Captain Desmo spoke in a deriding manner which made Rutherford narrow his eyes.
'Just you wait till I get you alone, Des!' He gnashed his teeth as he glared at his friend who was acting like a jerk to his daughter.
Yvonne frowned when she heard him mocking her but decided that saying anything now was worthless.
'I'll show you what I am capable of!' She sneered once again and gave him a nod.
"When can we start?" She polled and this time Captain Desmo let out a chuckle.
Yvonne watched in silence until he was done with his little chuckle and stood with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Good… Good! I hope you have that arrogance when crying to be carried by your father." Desmo mocked her and shrugged the deadly glare he was shot by the Earl.
Yvonne rolled her eyes at him and gave him the same lazy nod that he had given her earlier.
The boys who had been watching from the sidelines finally connected the dots of what was happening here.
"You…. Do you want to learn from Captain Desmo? W-why?" Topher cried out with a terrified look on his face.
Yvonne and Rutherford gave him a puzzled look which made him sigh in exasperation.
'They don't know the nickname he is being called by everyone in his squadron!' He speculated after seeing their clueless faces.
Taylor had a similar frightening pale face and he shot the cute little girl a pitiful look.
'Why is he looking at me like that?' Yvonne wondered but she did not receive any answer from him.
Howard could not stop shooting daggers at his sister, which were oozing with envy and heartburn.
'Father invited such an awesome man from the Red Scorpio Knights for this brat! She will surely waste this chance and then Captain Reel will have a bad opinion about our family!' He lamented over his sad life.
Damien had a neutral and unaffected expression yet his troubled eyes told otherwise.
'Does that man not love his daughter?' He wondered while staring daggers at Rutherford.
'I mean… I get that she is annoying and obnoxious. She also has that smug face which makes me want to vomit. She tries to act cute which is bothersome.' He began stating all the things he disliked about the girl.
While Damien was going on a tangent of everything about Yvonne that pissed him off, she was glancing at Topher with curious eyes.
"What does Young Master Topher mean by those words?" She inquired after seeing his strange behavior.
'Do the brothers know something that I am missing here?' She hit the target right at the bull's eye.
Topher was now sure that they were ignorant about the gossip was still unknown about this scholarly looking man.
"Well, I don't think you know this but-" He had just begun his explanation when he froze.
Captain Desmo Reel shot him a cold stare which made Topher freeze mid-sentence.
The words that were about to leave his mouth were swallowed back down as he looked away from the amethyst eyes which were sparkling with curiosity and interest.
'What? Tell me what it is that I don't know!' Yvonne stared at him yet couldn't meet his gaze.
"Don't you have to leave for your first day at the Royal Academy?" Captain Reel interrogated the tanner boys who nodded their heads like chickens pecking grains.
'But I haven't received my answer yet!' Yvonne glared back at the Captain who shrugged as though he did not care about the little girl's opinions.