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nAfter the initial shock and excitement faded, Howard was curious to know why he had been summoned to this room.

nThis feeling, his younger sister also shared as she too was intrigued by this sudden invitation to speak in the office room.

nRight now, the two siblings were seated next to each other with their father sitting on the couch opposite theirs.

nThe table had been cleared after Howard declined the other glass of milk that had been served for him.

nButler Limo was the one who personally took away the tray which held the snacks he had arranged for the children before he handed it over to Roselie to send it back to the Kitchen.

nHe then shut the door from the outside and gave the three family members their privacy to converse as he and Mrs. Jacinth guarded the door as they stood outside.

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nInside the office, Rutherford alternated his gaze between the two children.

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"Do you know why I have called you here?

" He inquired and they shook their heads in answer as they were ignorant of his reason.

nHoward was eager to know what might have caused him to be invited into this room while Yvonne was trying too hard to stifle her yawn.

n'I ate the cookies and milk because I had worked up an appetite after playing music for so long but…' She regretted her earlier choices as her eyelids began to weigh down due to her drowsiness.

nHer gluttonous greed to gobble up the treats was now coming back to bite her in the ass.

nAs Yvonne sat ramrod straight next to her brother, she blinked her wide eyes repeatedly to wipe away the sleepiness from them.

nRutherford's eyes were focusing on Howard so he had failed to notice her silent struggle to stay awake.

nThe child's body was accustomed to following the same schedule for many months now.

nTherefore, her body was shutting itself down to get some rest as this was her usual nap time.

nHoward sat still to control his eagerness at what his father might announce as this was his first time visiting this office that belonged to all the heirs of the St. Claire family.

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"Our King's birthday is on the last day of the next week.

" He announced the reason for summoning them here.

nAll lethargy vanished from Yvonne's eyes after she heard the name of the man her father had mentioned.

n'Whose birthday?' She gulped and waited to hear what he might say next.

nHoward nodded as he was already aware of this fact.

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"His Majesty's birthday always falls during the Festival week which also makes the Festival a grander occasion.

" He added to what his father had just said.

nYvonne shifted her gaze to her brother after this new piece of information was uncovered.

n'That man once again forgot to fill me in on all the details!' She growled at her tutor who spoke at lengths about the Festival but forgot this crucial detail that came along with it.

nThe practice she did each day while sitting before the mirror had come to her aid as she did not exhibit any expressions of anger or surprise on her face.

nThe father nodded in agreement after what Howard had elucidated and turned his gaze to his daughter.

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"On this day, the King meets all the Fief Lords of the Kingdom.

" He revealed something new to her.

nHe was aware that his daughter might not know this information and this was why he had called her here.

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"The present Fief Lords along with their future heirs must make an appearance before the King.

" He continued and just as he had thought, he saw her brows furrowing together.

n'Is she still thinking about becoming the heir?' He sighed as he already knew the answer to his rhetorical question.

nYvonne and Howard were surprised as they did not know about this tradition.

nHowever, those who frequented the Palace were well aware of this secret tradition that the noblemen followed.

nSo, the father helped them understand what this tradition was.

nThrough the King's birthday, the noble families would announce their next heir in the most subtle of ways.

nThe one accompanying the Fief Lord to this meeting with the King would then be considered as the next heir to that respective fief.

nThis was especially useful in cases where there was rivalry among the children as to who would become the heir after the death of the current Fief Lord.

nHowever, Rutherford did not have to give it even a second's thought as his only heir was Howard.

nAfter hearing his explanation, the little girl had many thoughts in her mind but she did not make them known to them.

n'Is he trying to hint something here?' Yvonne gazed at her father with contemplative eyes as she tried to gauge his intentions for doing so.

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"I am bringing Howard along with me to this year's birthday celebration.

" Rutherford's next announcement cleared all of the doubts in her head.

nThe siblings held similar expressions of shock after hearing this sudden decision he had made.

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"But Papa, Big Brother wants to-

" Yvonne's protest was cut short when she heard a voice coming from the seat beside her.

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"I would be honored to, Father.

" Howard bowed in gratitude to their father's plan.

nYvonne's eyes widened at this reversal and she turned towards him in a slapdash manner.

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"What do you mean you would be honored?

" She yelled out, unable to control her surprise and her emotions at this moment.

nShe had already spoken to him about how she would help him achieve his dreams of becoming a knight.

nShe also had promised that she was not doing so to steal any of his inheritance as she would work hard to earn more money than the St. Claire family.

nSo hearing him say that he would follow their father to the King's birthday banquet with the identity of the next heir was infuriating her.

nRutherford was surprised to see her abrupt outburst but for once, he did not rebuke her straightaway.

nThis was because he had witnessed the scene of the two siblings in deep conversation on that fateful day when he had discussed the matter of becoming the heir.

nHoward on the other hand was an active member in that heart-to-heart conversation with her so he could discern what she might be feeling right now.

n'So everything I had said that day was all for nothing?'

n'Does he still think that I am unworthy of his trust so he chose to become the heir himself?'

nHer eyes were narrowed as these thoughts appeared in her mind.

nShe did not hide her anger as she glared at the boy and waited for his response.

nA moment of silence took over the room and after a while, Howard looked her straight in the eye as he was finally ready to give her the answer that she was waiting for.

n'I've delayed this long enough.' He decided as their conversation had taken place more than three months ago and he had only been procrastinating from having this conversation.

nA subconscious part of him knew that once he rejected her offer, his dream of becoming a knight would be gone forever.

nThough he was trying to lie to his heart, he could no longer deny the fact that this decision was the most painful thing that he had ever made until now.

nHe also realized that he would have regrets, just like his father now has but this was the burden he had to bear for being the only son of the Earl.

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"I will become the heir, Yvonne.

" He declared after gathering all the courage he could find in his heart.

nThese words were uttered with great resolve, both to be responsible for his duty as the son of the St. Claire family and as the elder brother who had once vowed to protect his younger sister.

nHe would protect her, even if it had to be from herself.

nHearing him calling her by her full name, the little girl understood that he had made his decision and there was nothing that she could do to make him change his mind.

nTherefore, only one word left her lips which were pursed in annoyance at the present situation they were in.

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"Why?

" She interrogated as she fixed her eyes on him.

nHer lips had just uttered one word but her eyes held many questions which he needed to answer.

n'Why do you want to give up on your dream?'

n'Why are you just accepting your fate instead of fighting for what you love?'

nThe most important question of them all was the one that was hurting her the most.

n'Am I so horrible that you could not even trust me?'

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