Yvonne could feel the strange energy that the two etchers blocking her way were emitting.

'What is their problem?' She narrowed her eyes and pulled on the reins of her etcher.

Demon's eyes were darkened and appeared to be a deep wine red as he galloped ahead.

Feeling her tugging on the reins, he reduced his speed fast enough and made sure to not injure anyone around.

Fryght and Precious were prepared to take on the bigger etcher but sadly they never had the chance to do so.

Their keen attention was on the bigger horse and they witnessed how the menacing eyes he had until now began regaining their usual composure.

Demon was now close enough and his speed had lowered considerably which meant that he could not harm anyone with this pace.

The pair of etcher and etched came to a halt before the two other beasts, making them take their steps backward.

Captain Desmo and Earl St. Claire shared a glance and there was confusion hidden in their eyes.

The four young boys were staring at the massive and magnificent yet slightly scary-looking beast which stood tall before them.

Demon stomped his feet on the ground and neighed a couple of times while nodding his head.

He had managed to bring his master over to her brother's side before the allotted time had ended so his stomps of joy were justified.

While the horse was celebrating their victory, the rest were watching him with wary eyes.

"You did well, my good Demon!" A childish and saccharine sweet voice was heard from nearby.

The newcomers stared at the horse with wide eyes as their jaw dropped at this surprise.

"The etcher spoke!?" Taylor blurted in alarm as his eyes were as big as the moon.

This dumb statement granted him a smack on the head from his elder brother who was shooting him a mocking stare.

'Where did I get this idiot as a bother from!?' Topher scowled and sneered at his brother who only knew how to look and follow pretty things.

If he had used his tiny brain for even a split second then he would have noticed how ridiculous his statement was.

The Tanner boys were glaring at each other while Damien had his eyes fixed on the horse.

'She's here…' He recognized that voice from earlier as it could only belong to the little girl who was a bad luck charm, a jinx for him.

Among the people standing there, the adults were able to look at the child who was seated on the horse but the same could not be said for the children.

Demon's massive body and tall height in addition to the boys' shorter stature made it difficult for them to discern the figure of the girl who remained hidden due to the etcher's body.

Yvonne had to peek her head to the side and look down. Only then did she notice that there were unexpected guests in their estate.

'Oh… So he is also here…' She noticed the boy with the brown hair she had met a couple of times before.

The pair of amethyst eyes met those forest-green eyes as they were looking at each other at the same moment.

Yvonne soon remembered that when she had looked into those eyes the last time, she had felt a strange and excruciating ache in her heart.

'Huh? This is strange…' She scrutinized the situation with a frown.

She had prepared herself to feel that familiar yet unfamiliar ache but to her surprise, she did not feel a single thing even when she continued to look into his eyes.

Forgetting about everything else, the two children remained in the same position and even their eyes did not move away from each other.

'Maybe, I am having a slower reaction today?' Yvonne was examining why the pain had not yet arrived.

However, her impromptu experiment was misunderstood by everyone present there.

When the little girl had peeked her head out to take a look at them, the Tanner boys had received the shock of their lives.

They knew that their previous trainer, Captain Desmo was the one who was teaching Yvonne some new skills.

They had predicted that one of them might be horse riding but never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that her ride was an etcher.

'Does this mean…' Topher's mind thought of a certain possibility which was frightening to even imagine.

Taylor on the other hand was not on the same track that his brother was on.

Instead, he was staring at the little girl who sat on the huge horse's back with sparkling eyes.

The worshipping look he had was fixed on the girl who had risen by leaps and bounds in his sights.

'So beautiful!!!' He exclaimed at the incredible sight that his eyes were feasting on.

For a person who loved beauty, Yvonne on the horse was the best sight he had seen for quite some time.

The little body on the massive horse was like a scene from the heroic tales his father used to narrate when he was still a child.

The image of the war hero returning home on his mighty steed after defeating the rebels from the neighboring Kingdom was being projected onto Yvonne, his best friend's little sister.

'Will they stop staring at my little Vonna!?' The big muscular man growled in his heart when he took in this sight.

As much as he wished to remain watching the beautiful face of his child, something needed to be done before he lost his mind.

Thus, he did not hesitate to take a step forward towards his child.

Surpassing the two etchers who still stood between the two groups, he reached his daughter and her etcher in a few steps.

"Come." He called and stretched his hands out to her.

Yvonne was in a great mood after she had completed her first trial and also had the best ride of her life.

Therefore, she did not refuse his goodwill and accepted to move into his arms without any objections.

Turning around after she had taken her place in his secure hands, she patted her etcher who had done a great job today.

"You did exceedingly well today, Demon. I couldn't have done it without you." She praised him which he responded with a neigh.

The previous fierce nature had vanished and the aura that had surrounded his entire body was now long gone.

Yvonne had already felt that surge of energy that had shot through her body, dissipate when she and her etcher had finally come to a halt after reaching their destination.

'Looks like I have a lot more to learn.' She reckoned because of a few things that she had noticed.

Demon's sudden surge in power and his monstrous speed was something she had expected but she never knew that she would feel the energy flowing through her body as well.

That mysterious power coupled with the two etchers who appeared out of nowhere was proof that she had missed something vital here.

However, right now, her attention was required elsewhere.

Demon had received the praise that was due to him hence he was ecstatic.

He did not grumble or throw a tantrum when his master was carried away by her father instead, he stayed vigilant as he watched her keenly.

The main reason why Rutherford had come forward to carry her was to move her from the horse's saddle and also to shield her from those boys' gazes.

Sadly, he was set up for failure as Yvonne was very much interested in conversing with one of them.

"Big Brother Howard! Did I pass?" She questioned while still in her father's arms.

Before her brother could speak a word, she widened her eyes and then pointed her finger at the cloth tied around her arm.

"Don't worry, I have the handkerchief!" She reassured him that she had done what he had asked her to.

Howard's eyes observed the cloth for a second and he was sure that it was his.

'Proof that I finished the task since you do not believe a word I say.' She sneered at this doubting young boy.

His midnight-blue eyes moved towards the etcher who stood behind his father and sister before looking at the cloth with their family's crest on it.

"Yvonne St. Claire has cleared the first trial of her assessment." He announced in a loud voice to let everyone hear what he had to say.