The remainder of their afternoon together was spent with Raylene informing Howard about the events that took place during his absence.

Following that was Howard's narration of how he had spent his month with Taylor at his side at all times.

"He stuck close to me all day long!" He grumbled but the smile on his face when he said these words were proof that he wasn't against this arrangement at all.

'He likes people but will not accept it.' The little girl scoffed at his contradicting behavior.

It had been two hours since lunch had ended but the little girl was once again hungry.

Therefore, Raylene had instructed a maid to fetch a fruit platter for them.

While the mother and son went back to their conversation once the maid brought over the plate filled with an assortment of freshly cut fruits, the little girl pounced on it.

'So cold!' Yvonne exclaimed as she popped a chilled strawberry into her mouth.

An assortment of berries, chunks of watermelon and other melons, neatly cut pieces of pineapples, and the best fruit of them all was the juicy mango chunks.

She was overwhelmed with how sweet and cold these were that she had lost focus of the conversation taking place around her as she began gorging on the fruits.

The Summer heat was higher now in the noon hours and these chilled fruit chunks were the perfect way to beat the heat in her opinion.

When Howard turned her way, the first thing he saw was the large chunk of watermelon that she had stuffed into her mouth.

'Just how much can that tiny stomach hold?' He wondered in bewilderment as he scanned her.

She was the same size as the last time that he had last seen her.

No difference in her height nor was there any difference in her size.

Yet, looking at the way she was gobbling the fruits on the platter, it was safe to say that her appetite had surely increased by leaps and bounds.

He had witnessed how she had eaten her fill at lunch a few hours ago and now again she was stuffing her face with fruits.

This caused him to narrow his eyes at her as a certain thought popped up in his mind.

'What would she look like if she became like that watermelon she is eating right now?' He wondered and even imagined how she might look if she did put on massive amounts of weight due to her overeating habits.

A rounded Yvonne with her cheeks and her belly bulging out, finding it hard to take a single step without huffing and puffing was the image that his brain had conjured.

This projection of what her future self might look like if she continued in this way made him shudder.

'Forget about wielding a sword, she would need help to even stand upright.' He scowled at the future sister whom he might have to face each day.

"Would you stop eating so much!?" He glowered at her, stunning the two ladies at his unexpected outburst.

Yvonne who was just about to pop a blueberry into her mouth paused as she tilted her head.

"Did I do something wrong?" She questioned, innocence and confusion written all over her face.

Howard alternated between his mother's frowning face and his sister's confused one and was at a loss for words.

'Please tell me that he did not just try to dictate how much I should eat!' The little girl's anger was simmering inwardly but she made sure it did not appear on her face.

Howard coughed to alleviate the awkward air surrounding them but it did nothing to help him out of the situation he created for himself.

"You might choke if you eat in such a hasty manner." He made up an excuse to ease the tension in the atmosphere around them.

Raylene made an 'O' face and nodded to agree with his concern for the little girl.

However, Yvonne was not so easy to fool as she continued to gaze at him.

"I will be careful when I eat… " She assured with a smile but Howard felt a chill running down his spine when he caught that smile she had directed towards him.

"And make sure to eat until I am full." She completed her sentence with the smile deepening.

Howard nodded in a daze at the evil look which had appeared on her face.

"So big brother doesn't have to worry about it." She giggled, with the innocent grin reappearing as though that scary smile was just a figment of his imagination.

'Don't ever tell me to eat less!' She sneered and popped that blueberry into her mouth which she had been holding all along.

Raylene had failed to notice the threat that her daughter had conveyed to her son and she too reached out to fork a piece of the fruits on the platter.

Yvonne smiled and moved the plate between them to share it with her.

Howard remained frozen, learning a lesson from this brief encounter.

'Never tell a girl how much she should eat.' He gulped in fear of the scary look she had on earlier.

Yvonne scoffed and went back to eating without giving him a single glance for the rest of their afternoon together.

Raylene could not figure out what had gone wrong between the siblings when just earlier they were so friendly and caring towards each other.

With the atmosphere between the siblings remaining frigid, it was soon time for them to make their move from the inn.

"I wish we could stay for longer and have tea together but that wouldn't be possible if we follow your father's itinerary." Raylene pouted as she gazed at their son.

If she stayed back for tea time with Howard then it would most certainly get dark by the time they reached home which the Earl wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Father will be worried if you are delayed." The young boy agreed with what she had said.

However, the little girl remained silent as she observed their conversation.

'I wonder whether he will be mad at us for arriving later than planned or he would be relieved that we took longer to reach the mansion.' She contemplated on what the Earl's thoughts might be.

She had forgotten about the test she had organized for her father and also about what the situation back at the Mansion might be.

Did the maid succeed in obtaining what she desired or did she fail?

Yvonne was curious to gain answers to the numerous questions in her head.

Therefore, when she heard Raylene complaining about their nearing departure, the thoughts of the events occurring in the mansion returned to her mind.

"I will make sure to return when I am free." Howard announced once again when he saw his mother rising from her seat.

Raylene smiled at him and offered her hand to Yvonne who accepted it without hesitation.

"The coach driver will take you back to the Academy first and then he will be back to drive us to the Capital." She revealed the plan that the Earl had thought of for them.

Howard nodded as there was no other way that he could return to his dorm if not with the same carriage that he had arrived in.

The mother and daughter had not carried any luggage with them for this trip, only a few things that were still in the carriage.

Hence, they did not have to worry about leaving anything behind in the room they had used today.

'Do we have to go see him off?' Yvonne grumbled as this trip had already cut into her weekend and her afternoon nap.

So it was a given that she was getting cranky now due to her lack of sleep.

However, the moment they walked out of their room and exited the corridor that led them to the main hall of the inn, her exhaustion and objections faded away.

The reason for this was the man who was seen entering through the main door of the inn.

"Oh, Miss Yvonne and her mother are here." Jasper Brodie greeted as he walked in their direction.

Howard felt that this face was familiar but he could not recall if they had met before.

Yvonne's cheeks flushed when she saw his beautiful face covered with a thin layer of sweat as he was just entering the inn from the hot atmosphere outside.

But this did nothing to diminish his beauty in her eyes.

'Snap out of it!' She snarled at her mind when she remembered a certain aspect she had speculated about him.

When this thought popped up, she stopped her blushing moment and stood with her back straight.

"We were about to head out, Master Brodie." Raylene disclosed and then went on to introduce her son to the young man.

Howard could not help but frown when he noticed how this new man was constantly glimpsing at his little sister.

Much to his annoyance, he found her gazing back at him.

'Is he really a pedophile?' Yvonne, who was trying to figure Jasper out, was being misunderstood by her brother.

Not liking this situation one bit, Howard glanced at his mother but when he caught sight of her clueless appearance, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Gazing at Raylene while pouting his lips, Howard did something that he had not done in a very long time.

"Mama, will you not accompany me till the gates of the Academy?" He pleaded while trying his best to act cute.

His actions surprised everyone present there but the one who was stupefied was the little girl.

'Did a ghost possess his body!?' She whiplashed towards him with her eyes opened wide.