Chapter 312 - First Step - Accomplished!

Yvonne's trick worked like a charm as Rutherford could not bear to be the cause of his family being in distress.

His wife was eager to meet their son and his daughter had requested to meet him as well so how could he deny them something they had asked after so long?

Therefore, he gave them permission to visit the Royal Academy this weekend itself.

Yvonne's smile extended as she beamed at her father for the big-hearted announcement he had made.

She turned to her mother and found her with an equally exuberant smile.

"We get to meet Howie!" Raylene whispered in excitement to her daughter who nodded in admittance.

However, Rutherford did not share the same excitement as them.

Instead, he had a stern face which made the mother and daughter quiet down as they felt that he wasn't as pleased with this news as they were.

Of course, the Earl was not too enthusiastic about this.

The reason for this was that not only would he not get to meet his son due to the massive workload he had but he would also not have the chance to escort his wife and child.

The journey from their Mansion to the Royal Academy was not too long but it was also not too short.

They would have to travel for a few hours on terrible roads before they could arrive at the Academy which was pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

The surroundings of this great Academy were uninhabited and had been so from generations of old.

There was also a small forest surrounding the Academy which was used as the grounds for wilderness training.

Though its thickest part was on the other side of the Academy, a few of the wild animals in that forest were caught venturing outside on rare occasions.

Though these instances were few and scattered, the anxious father and husband only needed an excuse to be worried about their safety.

'Not to mention that they might encounter bandits or assassins.' He reckoned as his mind began overthinking about situations whose probability was extremely low.

It was true that only the wealthy noble families of the Kingdom would be the frequent travelers on that road but these families also had the resources to hire guards and protect themselves.

So trying to rob someone on these roads was impractical and only a fool would try his luck here.

Therefore, the chances of encountering thugs were negligible but the Earl was nonetheless worried.

"I will assign my men to escort you safely to and from the Royal Academy." He declared without giving them any chance to retort or decline his orders.

Yvonne and Raylene nodded as they too did not wish to take any risks while traveling on unfamiliar roads.

They had never ventured to the Royal Academy so they were happy with the arrangements that he was making for them.

'We might take a few hours in the morning to get to the Academy and meet Howard following which we will take another few hours to get back home.' The little girl mulled over the time taken for this journey.

If everything went according to her calculations then Paula would have enough time to accomplish the task that she might have in mind.

But how could this little girl be sure that the maid would make her move in their absence?

'Butler will have to look after that part of the plan.' She recalled the tasks she had given to him, hoping that he wouldn't mess things up for her.

Rutherford had no idea about the schemes that were swirling in his child's mind as he rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"The journey might tire you out." He muttered, glancing at his daughter, about whom he had just spoken.

The journey from their fief to Amarthea after celebrating her birthday in the Summer Estate was still fresh in his mind.

The way she had fallen ill during the long journey and her pale appearance was another cause of his worries.

'My Vonna might fall ill again.' He fretted for her health which had been excellent these past few months.

Therefore, he did not wish to see her suffering due to the tiresome journey she wished to make with her mother.

"At a short distance away from the Academy is the inn that is used for lodging of the nobles who come from far off fiefs to visit their children." He explained which confused them.

'Why do we need that place?' Yvonne tilted her head as she waited for him to continue what he wished to say.

"After your journey, you can rest there." He suggested but they knew that they had no other option but to follow his words.

According to his plans, the carriage would take them to this inn where they might rest to straighten their backs after the trip.

In the meantime, the carriage would reach the Royal Academy to pick Howard up and bring him over to the inn.

"The three of you can spend time together and share a meal there." He proposed which seemed like a good idea to Raylene as she nodded instantly.

"And we can talk for longer if we stay at the inn!" She exclaimed, forgetting all about her husband who would be left alone at home.

Yvonne nodded to this suggestion as her plan would commence once they left the Mansion.

The amount of time they spent at that inn did not matter to her.

Rutherford glared at his wife who was so happy to leave him and venture outside but shook his head while sighing when he caught sight of the smile which had bloomed on her face after many days.

'As long as she is happy.' He smiled back while placing her happiness above everything else.

'I hope you can continue to look at her in the same way as you are right now.' The little girl who was observing this scene in silence wished that things did not change after this journey.

She was aware of what the consequences might be if things went awry during this plan, but she needed to know the depth of the feelings that this man claimed to have for his wife.

'If he cheats then…' She gritted her teeth, however, stopped as she was getting ahead of herself.

Calming her over-imaginative mind, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and not to make hasty decisions until she had valid proof in her hands.

"So it has been decided! We will meet Howie this weekend!" Raylene's enthusiastic proclamation pulled her away from her thoughts.

Rutherford gave a reluctant nod while Yvonne smiled widely at her mother who was finally happy after a long time.

The little girl, however, prayed that this smile never faded from her mother's face as that would truly be a tragedy if that were to happen.

Once again, turning her gaze to her father, she narrowed her eyes and gave him a look over.

'You better watch it, Mister!' She glowered at the man who was concentrating on his wife's beaming face.

However, the Earl felt a sharp glare which made him turn to his daughter who seemed to be the source.

'Was that my hallucination?' He wondered in confusion when all he found was his smiling child.

Fixing his eyes on her, he felt that there was something odd about the smile she had right now when compared to the smiles she flashed him every day.

The little girl noticed his scrutinizing gaze and decided that it was best if she went back to her meal to avoid his searching eyes.

'First step of the plan has been accomplished.' She affirmed while shoving a spoonful of pasta in her mouth.

With this first step, her grand scheme had been set into motion.

Now, she would have to wait for further news from the Butler to know about the progress of the second but equally important step.

Rutherford shrugged his strange thoughts away when he noticed how obediently his daughter was finishing the food on her plate.

He then turned to his wife and began conversing on whether she would like to take something for their son when she goes to meet him this weekend.

The couple then started discussing what would be needed for their journey while Yvonne chose to remain silent, lost in her thoughts.