'Can he stop staring at me?' Yvonne scowled in her mind when for the hundredth time she felt a gaze on her coming from a certain direction.

Right now, the little girl was following her mother and the Duchess's plan of mingling with the rest of the guests to expel any false rumors about her ill health.

Raylene took up the responsibility of taking her daughter around and introducing her to her group of friends.

This was to prove to them that her child was in perfect health and that there was nothing wrong with her.

While Yvonne was smiling and answering the numerous questions coming from these ladies, she had already felt how a certain someone was leering at her everywhere she went.

She could not understand what she had done to gain his attention but she was not liking it one bit.

However, as she was speaking with these women, she had to be on her perfect behavior and thus could not turn around and scowl at the creepy stalker who was staring at her without a pause.

"May I ask, Miss St. Claire, who has taught you how to play such beautiful music?" A certain Viscountess Zavanth inquired which brought her attention back to the conversation at hand.

Yvonne smiled and nodded before she revealed the name of her Piano instructor.

When the ladies heard the name of Governess Lester coming from her mouth, their direction reflex was to glimpse at her hands.

'So even they have heard about that scary grandmother's cruel methods!' Yvonne exclaimed in her mind after discovering this fact.

The ladies who noticed that there were no bruises on her knuckles were once again stumped.

While some were skeptical about whether Governess Lester was truly her tutor, the others were impressed that she had no bruises indicating that she was a model student.

"How come you do not have any bruises?" A young girl whom Yvonne had recognized as Silvia Zavanth, the earlier Viscountess's daughter questioned with an aggrieved look on her face.

Viscountess Zavanth glared at her daughter for her rude inquiry and glanced at Raylene with an apologetic look on her face.

Raylene smiled and shook her head to display that she was not offended by this and it was a perfectly reasonable question from that little girl.

'Looks like she is also one of the victims of that scary grandmother.' Yvonne surmised after taking a single look at young Silvia's bruised fingers.

"Because she no longer teaches me." She revealed which brought frowns on everyone's faces.

Just earlier, they were thinking highly about her since she was under the tutelage of the finest Piano tutor in Amarthea, Governess Lester, but now she announced that she was no longer a student.

Silvia too frowned at this while alternating between their hands, one bruised and slightly swollen while the other's was perfectly fine and pretty.

Raylene shot her daughter a blank look for making things complicated by not explaining the entire truth.

However, Yvonne was more interested in having a conversation with the boy who was still staring rather than boasting about her skills right now.

Therefore, this task fell upon the mother who took great pride in correcting the misunderstanding that they seemed to have formed about her.

"My Vonny has finished her entire Piano course and that is why she is no longer learning under Governess Lester." She revealed the truth and smiled while the women showed expressions of shock and surprise.

Silvia too had her eyes wide open while gazing at the little girl who most certainly was younger than her.

"I haven't completed a third of my lessons and you have completed the entire course?" She gasped with admiration evident in her eyes.

Yvonne snapped out of her thoughts of confronting the stalker boy when she heard this and nodded her head in answer.

"When?" Silvia interrogated while stepping closer to her.

The little girl took a moment to recall the exact date when she had attended her final class with the Governess in order to give her an accurate answer.

"A week after Our King's birthday banquet." Yvonne revealed, eliciting another gasp from her and the ladies with her.

The King's birthday had taken place more than three months ago which meant that this little girl who was just five years old had managed to complete a course which was supposed to end when the girls were usually ten or twelve.

This revelation along with the fact that they had witnessed her play a piece to perfection without any scores to look at, they could not help but believe in what they heard.

Raylene stood at the side and watched how these women and Silvia continued to probe her daughter about various matters regarding her piano skills.

'Mission accomplished.' She proclaimed as just like that, they had forgotten about her daughter's rumors and were now focusing on her skills which had impressed them.

Glancing in the direction of Duchess Tanner who was also conversing with another group of women, they nodded at each other as their plans were coming to fruition through their efforts and the little girl's excellent display of her piano skills.

__

On the other side of the hall where the boys were gathered, most of them were divided into two groups.

One surrounded the birthday boy to greet him and present their gifts to him while the other was surrounding the heir of the St. Claire family to inquire about the little girl who had performed.

Topher was busy greeting his classmates and friends while Howard was boasting about his little sister's talented fingers.

Any questions that arose about her health from the curious boys, he simply answered that she did fall sick often but they were common colds due to her weak constitution.

This was a valid explanation for all the tea parties that she had missed and also struck out the claims that she was severely ill.

The boys were all praise for her and even expressed their anger at the ones who had exaggerated her common colds into something so serious.

While these two heirs of the Tanner and St. Claire families were surrounded by their peers, two other boys were sitting idle in another corner.

"You need to stop staring, Big Brother Damien." Taylor smirked while propping his chin on the table before him.

Beside him was the older boy who was his brother's best friend and was currently rolling his eyes at him.

Damien turned away and focused his attention back on the little girl who was now being forcefully hugged by another little girl with whom she had been conversing until now.

Taylor raised his brows at being ignored but he did not mind as he too turned in the direction that the other boy was gazing in.

These two had been here for quite a while now and ever since they had taken their seats here, Taylor had noticed one thing.

"If you don't stop staring then I'm going to think that you are interested in my little sister, Big Brother." He spoke up once again and this time, succeeded in attracting the older's attention.

'Sister?' Damien furrowed his brows but soon recalled what he had heard from Topher, that the little girl had called this brat as her brother.

However, none of that mattered to him but what Taylor had said did make him scoff.

"Aren't you being delusional?" He spoke up for the first time since they had arrived at this table.

Taylor shrugged his shoulders, not minding the harsh words coming from Damien as he knew how this person was.

Unlike his older brother who was vocal and did not hide his mean and sarcastic side, Damien was the opposite.

He rarely spoke and had a milder temper which meant that there were fewer things that could get on his nerves but when they did, he was worse than what Topher could ever be.

Unfortunately for him, Taylor was already immune to these snide remarks thanks to years of living with Topher who spouted mean words each time he opened his mouth.

"Just stay away from my sister, Big Brother. That would be best for everyone." He added before walking in her direction, not waiting to hear what Damien might have to say in response to his warning.

Seated in the same spot, Damien scoffed at the boy whom he now confirmed was suffering from delusional tendencies.

'Me and her?' He scowled and shuddered in absolute rejection of the very thought.

'I am just curious!' He then exclaimed in his defense though there was no one here to hear his thoughts.