'Wasn't much surprise in that.' Yvonne smirked when she heard the announcement her brother had made before the masses.

Though she wasn't surprised by her victory, the others present were surely rejoicing for the little girl who had managed to complete her first task.

Howard did not refuse to give out praises where it was due.

Therefore, he stepped closer to his father who was carrying the little girl in his arms and looked up at her.

"You did well." He praised her with her nod.

'That is correct! I might not be too wrong if I say that I have done great!' She added in her heart as she smiled at her brother with glee.

Sadly, her smile stiffened when she heard his next words.

"Though I should be praising your etcher who has done all of the work in this trial." He scoffed at her and turned towards the beast.

Demon had his eyes set on his master so he had observed the changes in her emotions while the young boy was speaking.

'Will nothing ever be enough for him!' The girl in her father's arms was growling in anger at the boy who was finding fault in everything she did.

Yvonne's smile faded completely as she did not hide the animosity that had taken over her face.

It was true that her etcher had been her biggest help in this task as she could never have reached the goal on time if she was on any other horse.

'I won because it was Demon.' She knew of this truth which she was very clear about right from the start.

But to be told that she never would have won without his aid was implying that she was nothing without the etcher.

Captain Desmo and Rutherfod frowned when they heard his misleading statement.

"You are wrong to think in that way, Howard." The Earl spoke with a stern tone.

He shook his head at the boy who had not yet learnt everything about these rare beasts and had still denounced his sister's efforts in succeeding in this trial.

Captain Desmo took a step forward and stood before the boy while his Precious stood next to him.

"Only an etched can bring out his etcher's true potential." He revealed a truth that not many had knowledge about.

Howard and the other boys paid close attention to what was being said as this could be important for them in the future when they would meet their own etchers.

"It is true that Demon has great power residing in his body which made this trial seem easier than what it truly was." He began his explanation of what had taken place.

The Tanner boys and Damien were ignorant about the trials and had confusion clear on their faces while trying hard to keep up with what was being spoken.

"But Demon could never use his power if it wasn't for his master, Yvonne." Captain Desmo Reel disclosed a surprising fact.

An etcher had powers hidden in their bodies which would only be revealed when they are with their master or their master needs them.

If Yvonne had never asked Demon to lend her his strength then he would not have tapped into the powers that laid dormant in his body.

This same power was what had surged through Yvonne's little body, giving her the strength to keep up with his monstrous pace without losing her consciousness which might have happened if it was any other person.

"If Yvonne wasn't the one handling her etcher then there is no way that Demon could ever have recognized his true potential." He concluded his speech while keeping a large portion of the truth hidden from them.

'The rest is what I have to discuss with my pupil and not with them.' He decided that others were not privy to the information he had kept aside for his student.

Rutherford was aware of what his old friend was planning and hence he did not interrupt or add anything further to what had been said until now.

"So Vonny is this huge etcher's master!?" A startled voice broke them from their thoughts.

Yvonne looked at the red headed boy who was using her nickname as though he was very familiar with her.

'We do not know each other well enough that you have the permission to call me Vonny!' She snarled at the younger son of the Tanner family.

Topher and Damien could feel the daggers coming their way from the men in the St. Claire's family but it appeared that Taylor, the main culprit, had no clue about it.

Oblivious to the leering eyes of Rutherford and Howard, he continued to stare at the little girl with sparkling eyes.

'That was exactly how my brother Vince used to stare at the TV screen while watching those Esports live streams.' Yvonne let out a chuckle when she saw his eager face.

Taylor Tanner was reminding her more and more of her little brother back in her old world which was making her recall the sweet memories she had with him in the past.

She had forgotten that he was staring at her with wide eyes but was focusing on the fact that he was so similar to her younger brother, Vince.

This made her annoyance to the younger son of Duke Tanner to reduce by a great amount.

'Why is she so cute!' Taylor squealed in his heart as he felt the same organ thumping louder than ever after witnessing her blossoming smile which was only for him.

Howard glared at his friend who was grinning like the fool that he was and then at his sister who was smiling back at him.

'You never once smiled at me in such a way but for him your smile is so wide that it almost reaches your ears!?' He scowled at this traitor in his family who was kind to everyone else but him.

"Yes, that is her etcher now can we move onto the next trial?" He let out an exaggerated sigh as though he was tired of this already.

Yvonne turned her eyes away from Taylor and blinked at the boy who was behaving as though it was she who had forced him to conduct this assessment.

'You are one to talk!' She scoffed at him and tapped her father's shoulder.

Understanding what she was trying to convey, Rutherford placed her on the ground right before his son.

Howard and Yvonne stood face to face and stared at each other without blinking.

There was silence around them as they looked at each other's faces.

'What will she say now to make everyone think badly about me?' He fretted as this was what she was famous for in his eyes.

Every time he disagreed with her on any matter, she would throw a tantrum and make it appear as though he had bullied her to the extent where her tears couldn't stop flowing down her cheeks.

So, right now he was waiting for her to twist the facts and make it seem like he was the culprit, the enemy that everyone needed to shield her from.

This was the biggest reason why Howard had grown to hate his little sister whom he adorned once upon a time.

'What is he thinking about?' Yvonne wondered when she noticed him staring at her with gritted teeth, making it appear as though he was enduring some hidden suffering in silence.

Shrugging that weird thought out of her mind, mostly because she did not want to bother herself with playing the therapist for him, she smiled at her brother.

"Here you go." She chirped while raising her hand in his direction.

Howard was stunned to see that she had not spoken a single word against him but had raised her hand towards him.

Looking down, he noticed his handkerchief which he had used as the token for the trial tied to her wrist.

In a daze at this strange outcome, he paused and then went ahead to untie the cloth from her hand.

"I shall prove to you that I am worthy of continuing my training." She whispered in a soft voice which was only between them.

The young boy looked up into her eyes and gulped when he saw the flames of determination in those beautiful amethyst eyes that belonged to his little sister.

For the first time in a long while, he actually felt that his sister was speaking the truth without any schemes hidden in her sweet words.