Chapter 406 - Her Achievement

As the Festival came to an end, the changes in the weather were quite drastic.

The days got considerably shorter and the breeze surrounding the city got colder.

Even before it was four in the evening, the sun began to set which made nights longer and also meant that the work hours got shorter.

Lake Poliza froze overnight and would remain that way until the ice thawed when spring arrived after a couple of months.

Winters in Rosenhyde, especially in the north where Amarthea was located, would face a severe drop in temperature.

Those who could afford a steady supply of firewood or had trees in their back garden were spared but those who did not were not so lucky.

The Royal family supported the citizens of the land by allowing them to purchase firewood at a subsidized rate and these logs to keep them warm was provided by various noble families who wished to offer their aid to the King.

Though some offered their assistance for the sake of the safety and well-being of the citizens, many did it to get into the King's good books.

Even if not many of them were doing this good deed with a clear conscience, King Ophire accepted their offer and thus the Winters in Amarthea were bearable for its citizens.

Yvonne too spent longer hours snuggled under her thick and warm comforter as this was her first time facing such a teeth-chattering cold climate.

This only increased her appreciation for the luxury of advanced technology that she had taken for granted in her previous life.

As days progressed, there was snowfall throughout the night and then it took hours during the day, trying to shovel the heavy layer of snow to make a path.

As per her instructions, Butler Limo sent out an order to the stable hands that every horse in their estate should be fed a steady amount of hay each day to keep them warm and healthy to survive the winter.

He also did the same for Demon whose health the young Miss was most worried about.

'Grandpa taught me that trick.' The little girl recalled when she heard from the Butler about how many livestock would perish due to the frigid weather.

This caused her to panic and she was only relieved when she recalled a fun fact her grandfather had taught her.

That was, that feeding hay to horses in winter would increase their body temperature, thus helping them survive through the heat their body generated.

She also made sure that not only Demon but also the other horses in their estate were well taken care of.

While people in the North were trying their best to cope with this frigid weather, those in the South were in a better condition.

Winters in the South were better in comparison to the North as they were prone to smoldering hot summers while it was the opposite for the North.

The Royal Academy also began to function as it was before, with no changes other than extra heating being provided in the dormitories and classrooms.

The boys were expected to attend their classes as per usual and then promptly return to their rooms to avoid getting sick in this cold temperature.

As weeks passed, the weather got worse with snowstorms hitting the Northern half of the Kingdom which hindered and halted most of the trades that took place.

Even Yvonne's early morning classes with the Captain which started with the Sunrise were moved to after breakfast hours which still happened to be too cold for her.

However, the trainer who was famously known as 'Neo's spawn' showed her no mercy as he trained her hard at this later hour.

Seeing her children working hard in their respective areas, Raylene with the maids decided to weave woolen sweaters for them in order to keep them warm while they continued their classes.

The thought of doing something for their Young Miss and Young Master energized the maids who worked with Raylene in this task, thus completing the work sooner than expected.

Soon, matching sweaters made of the thickest wool found in their fief were sent over to the siblings who did not hesitate to put them on.

One residing in the estate while the other resided in the Royal Academy but they wore the same sweater that was handwoven for them.

All along, Yvonne's classes were as per usual with the only change that she now had an extra free hour each day when her piano classes used to be held.

'I got freedom from the scary grandmother!' She rejoiced while thinking of how it took her an entire week to play each piece of the folder to Governess Lester before she declared that they no longer needed to continue this class.

Raylene was proud of her daughter and a feast was held when Howard managed to return at the end of the month in celebration of the little girl's achievement.

Upon Howard's insistence, Yvonne even agreed to play for the parents after dinner and the family was in high spirits that day.

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Winters in Rosenhyde would last for two and a half months before the next season would arrive, announcing the beginning of a fresh year.

Since the Royal Academy would have a week-long holiday in view of the new year's arrival, the boys were allowed to travel back home.

The snow had now subsided and the season of spring was upon the Kingdom of Rosenhyde.

Trees were beginning to sprout new leaves which resembled the meaning of spring while the weather though chilly wasn't too cold as before.

For the New Year's celebration, the St. Claire's were invited to dine with the Tanners and they gratefully accepted the invitation.

Throughout the dinner, Taylor kept doting on his new little sister and boasting about the presents that he had prepared for her.

Yvonne was on her best behavior on that day as it was her first time meeting the man with robust red hair known as Duke Obinn Tanner.

Raylene and Duchess Beatrice Tanner got along well with each other so they were conversing during dinner while the Duke spoke to the Earl but his eyes flitted towards the four children at random intervals.

Yvonne sat between her two brothers, Taylor on one side and Howard on the other while Topher sat by his father's side.

Raylene and Beatrice sat opposite each other and then came the three other children.

The dinner was close to a feast as these were special guests to the Tanners.

After dinner, Duke Obinn Tanner chose to have a word with the little girl who had been monopolized by the two 'brothers' until now.

Yvonne was a little nervous at first considering how the man had a stern aura surrounding him but recalling how strict her grandpa was, this man was soft in comparison to him.

Therefore, when the Duke questioned her about how her classes with Captain Desmo were, she answered them truthfully and even added what her latest training modules were.

As the Duke and Duchess were still ignorant about her awakening and the existence of her etcher, she steered clear of these topics.

The parents and the boys too chose to remain mum about Demon's existence just like Captain Desmo and Marquess Samed, people who were close to the Duke and Duchess had done in the past.

The more Duke Tanner conversed with this little girl, the more favorable opinion he had about her.

"You may go back now." He suggested and watched how she walked away in the direction of her mother who had called her over to feed her some dessert.

Turning his sneaky gaze towards his wife, Duke Tanner nodded while smiling at her.

'She seems to be a good candidate.' He appreciated his wife, Beatrice's insight as she was an expert at spotting the best, no matter if it was a person or an item.

Duchess Beatrice blushed after noticing his gaze and nodded with him as her eyes then turned towards the little girl who was eating the chocolate truffles with great enthusiasm.

'I liked her from the day I met her.' She gleamed while cupping her cheeks, taking in the view of the little girl who was enjoying the treats that had been made especially for her.

Though Yvonne had felt their gazes, she was too busy gobbling up the desserts to bother about them.

Thus, New Year's for the Tanners and the St. Claires ended with their attention being fixed on the little girl who had visited them for the first time but certainly not the last.