*Blegh*

Hunched over with her arms holding her stomach, Yvonne began retching.

'That was a really bad idea!' She cursed herself for greedily gulping down the contents of the glass just before her class.

At that time, she was not aware of the drastic and dangerous task that she would be assigned.

Hence she had thoughtlessly accepted the kind offer made by the Butler who also was unaware that such a cruel fate would follow their little miss.

The old man wanted to serve his little miss a glass of refreshing juice since they were in the hot sun but now the same juice was being thrown up.

*Blegh*

The red liquid which was spewing out of her mouth and onto the dirt-filled ground made the three elders concerned for her tiny soul.

While the source of her pain, Captain Desmo felt no remorse as he sipped the same juice which the little girl was regurgitating.

"This truly is refreshing!" He commented as he swished the juice in his crystal glass.

He then took another sip as his eyes turned towards the child who was hunched over at the far end of the ground, away from everyone.

Rutherford could no longer watch his pampered and spoiled daughter struggling in this way and he rose from his seat.

He had treated her as the apple of his eye since he had held her soon after her birth and now seeing her in pain was not something he could bear.

Butler Limo's frown as he watched the little girl who was always polite and kind to him being put through this torture turned to a jubilant smile when he saw his Master's actions.

Raylene did not waste a single second as she too hopped up from her seat to accompany her husband.

"I am coming along!" She declared and then stepped forward without waiting for a reply.

Rutherford was surprised at this dominant behavior from his usually submissive wife.

'She looks so delectable when her maternal instincts take control of her.' He remarked and held her hand, indicating that he was not going to stop her.

Their plans of going to the aid of their lovely daughter who was vomiting in the corner came to a screeching halt when they heard a lazy voice coming from behind.

"I would not do that if I were in your position." Desmo leisurely uttered as he continued taking another sip from the glass.

He had been watching the girl's stubborn behavior as she carried on even though she was tired.

It had been her eighth round when she suddenly halted on one end of the track and began vomiting the contents that had filled her stomach.

Rutherford turned around and glared at the man who was responsible for this sad state of his Vonna.

"What do you mean by those words? Make yourself clear!" He demanded as his eyes narrowed.

Desmo was neither scared nor flustered when he saw three pairs of eyes aimed at his face as they bore daggers at him.

"You going to help her would mean that she had failed her task." He mentioned this rule that he had conveniently made up a few seconds ago.

"Is that what you want? For she struggles up until now to be all in vain?" Desmo raised his brows and polled which made them freeze in their places.

They had seen how she had been huffing and puffing with sweat pouring down her face as she ran past the canopy where they sat in comfort.

Now knowing that their interference might wipe away all of her efforts the parents did not know what else to do other than glaring at the man who had caused this entire mess.

Desmo was least bothered about the glares he received and then turned towards the butler who stood behind them.

"Can we get more juice? This is great and get some for them as well." He ordered and then gulped down the remaining juice in his crystal glass.

Butler Limo glanced at his Master since he was the only one who could order him around.

Captain Desmo did not take offense when he saw the subtle glances between the master and servant as that was the way things moved around in this kingdom.

Rutherford did not wish to decline a guest who had come to his mansion since it would go against his noblesse duties and hence he gave a nod to his butler.

Receiving the command from his master, Butler Limo carried the empty jug and hurried to refill it.

"Take a seat and watch," Desmo suggested and then pointed in a certain direction with his chin.

Following his actions, they noticed a little figure trudging forward.

Yvonne wiped the sticky residue from her lips with the end of her sleeve and then looked up at the sky.

The red-stained dirt made her feel queasy every time she glanced down and so she decided that moving away from this place was the best plan.

'Stupid strawberry juice!' She cursed as now her breath smelled like strawberry which in turn reminded her of the shameful thing she had just done.

The last time that she had vomited was after a night of heavy drinking during a pool party that she had been forced to attend by her grandfather in her previous life.

Though the missing hangover was a relief, she was not appreciative of the twisting sensation that she could still feel in her stomach.

She had completed eight rounds of this vast track by forcing herself through sheer willpower.

The burn she felt in her calves had now intensified as she began slowly stepping ahead.

"Two more and then I'll be done." She muttered to herself as she gave herself a pep talk.

She was not new to being trained until she lost feeling in her hands and legs.

Grandpa Leo was a hard taskmaster who did not pity his only granddaughter when she whined and cried to be spared.

He was ruthless in his teachings which taught her that people would not feel bad for you when you're down and not everyone would reach out to give you a helping hand.

"Some hands are stretched to push you further down." She whispered the line that she had often heard.

The life lessons he had taught were something she staunchly followed in her previous life.

However, in this life, she was beginning to feel as though she did not have to be vigilant and skeptical at all times, that she could relax sometime and let the others watch over her.

This was because she could feel the worried and concerned eyes that were following her as she now began jogging ahead.

"I am not giving up!" She screamed in a hoarse voice thanks to the vomiting session that she had just concluded.

Raylene could not hear the scream her daughter made from that large distance though the same could not be said for the two men.

They had clearly heard what she had screamed out in a frustrated and annoyed voice.

'That is my Vonna! So hardworking and diligent!' Rutherford felt a delighted warmth spreading throughout his entire being.

He was worried about where she would give up and then be disheartened but now all those worries were washed away with the pride he felt in this daughter of his.

'What is wrong with her!?' Captain Desmo Reel had the exact opposite reaction to that of his old friend, Rutherford.

He could not believe that she was willing to go through so much just for the sake of relieving her boredom from her usual classes.

'Was she serious when she said that she wished to learn under my tutelage?' He pondered but his heart was not willing to accept such an absurd idea.

What would a girl do even if she learned these skills?

The answer was NOTHING since she would always be shielded behind the protection of her father or her husband.

This was something that Desmo was confident about as he had never seen a single girl in the kingdom who had shown an interest in this kind of thing.

However now, his view of the world was being shattered as his eyes intently gazed at the little figure who was coming closer to their position.

Her clothes were drenched in sweat and she was now pathetically dragging her body along to complete the last two rounds.

Thinking of the last two rounds which were remaining, Desmo took a sigh of relief.

'She will give up sooner or later!' He believed and then continued watching her as she approached them.

He convinced himself that there was no way a girl of her age could complete this task with that little body of hers.

Yvonne's ankles were swollen as she could feel them throb inside her boots as she took the next step.

'The last two rounds!' She gratefully exclaimed as she was so close to her target.

When she reached the canopy, she gave her parents a weak smile before turning her attention to the track she was running on.

The moment she ran past the canopy, her ninth lap had commenced and the last two laps seemed closer than ever.

With renewed vigor, she leaped forward as she was still tied to a time limit of one hour.