Topher was pleasantly surprised to see Yvonne answer this trick question however, he frowned when he saw the look of disgust that was apparent on her face when she took the Grand Duke's name.

Though he felt something amiss, he did not think about it any further and gave her an approving nod.

"Yvonne has answered correctly." He declared and then walked towards her.

"Congratulations on winning." He smiled as he raised his hand and gently patted her head to which Yvonne responded with a soft giggle.

'I remember my dad doing that in the past.' She recalled the last time she saw his face before the fateful accident that claimed her parents' lives.

Her sad emotions did not appear on her face because this incident had happened a long time ago when she was just 10 years old.

Grandpa Leo had taught her to forget about that loss and deal with the things in the future, so now she did not feel that her not mourning for them was such a bad thing.

'Now that I think about it… Grandpa taught me some questionable things.' She shook her head to remove the thoughts of her quirky yet strict grandfather.

"Since Yvonne won fair and square, it is only fair that she gets to become Princess Felicia's playmate." Topher's sudden announcement made Yvonne's eyes widened and she stepped away from his hand.

'Wait… When did this happen?' She stared at him with a bewildered look in her eyes.

Before she could say anything in her defense, a loud wail emanated around them.

Topher and Yvonne turned in the direction of the sound and found Rika holding her older sister's dress and weeping as she hugged her.

Aleena glared at Yvonne but Topher took a step forward and shielded her from those vicious eyes.

"There is no need to blame Yvonne for your sister's shortcomings." He sternly admonished her.

His playfulness had disappeared when he saw how Rika was sobbing because she lost her chance to be with the princess.

Howard on the other hand was trying hard to stop his feet from jumping.

'Now people won't look down on us. I knew that this sister of mine would be good for something!' He gave Yvonne a rare look of approval.

But sadly, that wouldn't last for much longer.

"I agreed to this silly game because Miss Blaise challenged me and nothing more." Yvonne's serious voice shifted their attention from the crying child.

Everyone glanced at her and all had the same expression of confusion.

"I never said that I wanted to become Princess Felicia's playmate." She reiterated her words to help them understand what she meant.

Howard's smile froze when he heard her refusal and his brows were scrunched together.

"If you would have let me finish what I was about to say then none of this would have happened!" She looked up at Topher who was to be blamed for this.

"Marquess Samed already informed me about this and I have given him the reason why I am unsuitable for that position." She slowed down her words to let them sink into their brains.

"The Princess and Miss Glenisse are a year older so they might have to slow down for me to catch up to their level." She gave them the most logical answer to stop whatever thoughts they might be having at that moment.

She took a sigh of relief when she noticed the light of understanding flash in their eyes.

'That and I don't want to be in contact with anyone from the Royal family.' She did not disclose the main reason for her refusal.

"Also, Master Topher… Can I ask why exactly are YOU deciding who will be Princess Felicia's playmate?" She tilted her head to one side and asked with an innocent smile on her face.

Damien almost choked on air when he saw how she had just mocked him without letting the others realize it.

Topher being an airhead did not realize the faint trace of ridicule in her words and gave her a sincere reply.

"Because this problem was caused by my uncle, Marquess Samed who also happens to be the Royal tutor of the Princess." He responded with a serious face.

This time it was Yvonne's turn to choke when she heard this new identity of her tutor.

'Sullivan is the Royal tutor? But how is that possible? The story said that it was an old lady who taught the three girls until they were old enough for their debut.' She frowned and looked at Howard for confirmation.

Topher instantly scowled when he saw the lack of faith she had in his words that she had to find someone else to confirm them.

Howard gave her an affirmative nod which further deepened the frown on her face.

'Why is it different from what happened in the story? I remember there was an extremely heartfelt moment between the three girls and their Governess.' She recalled the bond between them.

The three girls she was talking about were none other than Princess Felicia, Glennise Brodie and Yvonne St. Claire from the story.

Their bond in the story was something that had braved the storms of the rivalry, the rumors and silent wars that were common in the noble society.

Though Yvonne was pleased that they stuck together until the bitter end rather than ripping each other apart, she was not one to jeopardize her own future because of this.

'I hope that what happened back then does not repeat itself now.' She wholeheartedly wished for a better future for the two girls whose fate would only worsen once they debuted into society.

Her thoughts were derailed when she felt Rika's intense gaze on her.

Yvonne turned to look her way and tilted her head to ask what she wanted.

"You really don't want to compete with me for the playmate position?" Rika asked in a wary voice.

Seeing her vigilant face, Yvonne recalled Howard's ever-vigilant face and she chuckled.

"No. I have no interest in it… Because I am not the right choice for it." Yvonne's real intentions had almost leaked out but she managed to catch herself in time.

Howard was indignant when he heard her resolute answer but eventually, he sighed in defeat.

'I know what it feels like to be pushed into doing something when I have no interest in it so I wouldn't want her to experience the same thing.' He glanced at her with a rare tenderness in his eyes but looked away before anyone could notice it.

Taylor hid the smirk that appeared when he saw this minute change in his best friend's face.

'I knew it! You care for her but refuse to admit it!' He was now thinking of ways on how to tease him in the future.

Damien and Topher glanced at each other, absolutely confused when they saw her rejecting this generous offer.

Becoming a close aide of the Princess meant she could have close ties with the Royal family and their backing as well.

So they turned to Howard in hopes of having him convince his little sister but were dismayed when they saw him shrug his shoulders.

"She can do what she wants. It doesn't matter to me." He calmly declared that he did not care about her.

Yvonne was used to this indifferent behavior of hers so she did not get offended.

However, Rika looked at her with pity overflowing from her eyes.

Rika and Aleena were immensely doted on by their three brothers so she felt bad that Yvonne had such a rude boy for her brother.

Yvonne was also shocked to see the sudden change in Rika's eyes.

'She was just accusing me of stealing her opportunity and now she's looking at me with such love?' She was confused seeing these contradicting attitudes.

Their attention shifted when they noticed that someone had arrived at their present location.

"Young masters and Young misses, Marchioness has called everyone back for lunch. Please follow me." A maid stood before them with her head bowed.

Topher nodded his head and everyone silently followed after Aleena and Rika because they were the hosts for today's party.

---

Note:

I just wanted to add this short note at the end of this chapter to avoid any confusion about Yvonne's personality.

First, she still doesn't know that Prince Fritzen did not acknowledge Hilda as his 'Black-haired savior'.

(She was distracted by Hilda's parents at that time.)

So she is still in the illusion that the same thing she had seen in her dream the previous night has happened.

Slowly she is realizing the butterfly effects that her choices are causing and how they are changing the plotline that she knows too well.

Next, Yvonne was raised to be a coldblooded leader by her grandpa Leo. She only cares about herself and her immediate family members.

In her previous life, it was Vince and Leo. Now it is Rutherford, Raylene and Howard. No one else.

Also, she may have the consciousness of a 28 year old but she still is in a child's body, sometimes it affects her behavior and makes her act different from her usual aloofness.

Hopefully, this explains a few things.

Do leave a comment if you still have any queries.