"Indeed,

" Damien uttered while narrowing his eyes at the girl.

If she had not walked without watching where she was going then none of this would have taken place.

She had endangered her life and even the lives of these diligent squires who were just practicing their archery skills.

If the Earl or even Captain Desmo were to find out that she had been injured from the arrow shot by the squire then it would be a miracle if they are left unscathed after this incident.

Therefore, Damien leered at the girl who had caused this entire mess by endangering her life and those around her.

"No one else is at fault here except for you.

" He added to ensure that she knew what she had done wrong.

Yvonne frowned when she found his accusing words and eyes being aimed at her.

'I already accepted my mistake so what is he so angry about!?' She glowered, disliking his gaze even after she had admitted her mistake.

If one was stubborn and did not accept their mistake, shamelessly believing that they had done no wrong then this kind of behavior would be acceptable.

However, Yvonne had straightaway admitted her folly and even acknowledged her responsibility in this incident yet Damien was glaring at her as though she was a sinner without remorse.

"There is no need to escalate this any further.

" Topher stepped in when he found the two glaring at each other.

Yvonne narrowed her eyes at him one last time before she averted her gaze.

Yet, Damien had the audacity to scoff at her while rolling his eyes.

'Ignore him.' She decided and turned her gaze to the young squires who were trembling.

"I earnestly apologize for interrupting your practice.

" She bowed to express her sincerity.

She should have looked where she was going but she had not and this blunder had almost cost her her life.

Yet, she could not find fault with the squires as they were practicing their skills and the arrow had been shot before she had stepped into its path.

Her sudden emergence into the path between the arrow and the target had caused this entire mess, therefore, she did not hesitate to apologize.

The squires were frightened to see that a child from noble upbringing was bowing before them without displaying any expressions of disgust or reluctance.

They had not expected this behavior from her and they were moved that she was not trying to pin the blame on them.

Therefore, they hurriedly shook their heads in order to get her to stop apologizing to them.

However, before they could even voice out their honest opinions about this matter, someone else had spoken ahead of them.

"If you are regretful of your actions then make sure you don't wander around without paying attention to your surroundings.

" Damien scoffed once again with his arms crossed over his chest.

The condescending look on his face was enough to indicate that he was not pleased with what she had done today and he had also been vocal about his thoughts all along.

Taylor narrowed his eyes at Damien and Topher wished he could just seal his friend's lips shut so that he might not worsen the situation any further.

Meanwhile, Howard agreed with what Damien had said as this was good advice yet at the same time, he felt that there was something wrong with the way those helpful words were said.

Yvonne's lips curved into a strained smile as she nodded stiffly at the young boy who only got on her nerves each time they conversed.

"I shall take note of that.

" She muttered to end the conversation between them before she lost control of her emotions and gave him a piece of her mind.

'Gentle and concerned, my foot!' She scowled at the thought from earlier that Damien resembled the man she had seen in her dream.

Turning towards the squires, she reassured them that she was fine when they looked troubled by what had happened earlier.

She also promised that she would not blame them for what had happened and only then did they appear relieved before they went back to their training.

Yvonne then had to convince her brothers and Jax that she was unharmed and that Damien had also helped her from getting injured due to the fall.

Thus, Howard and Taylor looked up and thanked the other boy even when Taylor had an extremely reluctant look on his face.

Damien felt amused at this sight but he did not bother with Taylor as he nodded at Howard's words.

Topher then hurried them along and led them to the final destination where the Duchess and Countess would be waiting for them.

The ladies were ignorant of what had taken place while the children were in the training grounds so they welcomed the youngsters with wide smiles.

Duchess Beatrice had already explained what had taken place since Yvonne had arrived at this mansion with her father.

Therefore, the mother shot a worried glance at her daughter who in return smiled to reassure her.

The children were seated according to their preferences and the Duchess ordered for snacks to be served.

While they munched on the snacks, the men finally returned from the discussion which they had engaged in inside the mansion.

The Duke had already been informed of everything that had taken place with the girl, from her entry in the riding field being obstructed to the accident which might have endangered her life.

Earl Rutherford and Marquess Samed had been with him at that time so it was natural that they had also heard about it.

Therefore, the first thing that the anxious father had done upon his return was to hug the child for she had faced some tough situations today.

Even last night was not a good memory for her which only made his heart ache further for her.

Raylene and Beatrice were surprised to see that Yvonne was patting her father's shoulders, to coax him while repeating that she was alright.

To help them understand better, the man with a big mouth, Marquess Samed, recounted the reports that he had heard during the discussion between the Duke and the Earl.

'Nothing can stay safe with him.' Yvonne rolled her eyes at her tutor who had caused the women to panic as they too rushed to check on her.

It took a while for her to reassure the ladies next and finally, she got a moment's rest once they found that she was unharmed.

Howard and Taylor sat on either side of Yvonne, placing different snacks on her plate for her to enjoy and she accepted them willingly as she had not yet had her breakfast.

While they were busy, she could hear bits and pieces of the adults' conversation and from what she heard, she had confirmed one piece of information.

'You ratted me out!?' She glared at her tutor who immediately averted his eyes due to his guilty conscience.

She had revealed the contents of the dream she had last night to make sure that he did not set out for the trip with his sister and nephew.

However, she did not expect that he would spill everything before the others which made her cheeks blush thanks to the embarrassment she felt right now.

She had created such a scene in the morning and even cried so many times since last night.

Now, they all were aware of the reason for her tears which made her wish to bury her head in the ground somewhere far away from everyone.

'Won't they think that I am superstitious to believe the contents of a mere dream?' She groaned as this was not how she wished people to think of her, as someone who believed in things without a valid explanation behind them.

However, she could never let them know that she was aware of the authenticity of the dreams she was having from time to time.

The biggest proof of her dreams holding truth was the incident where she had found the waterfall at the Valente estate when she had never visited it before.

This incident proved that the visions she was having in her dream were true and she could not just dismiss them as mere fleeting thoughts which held no meaning in real life.

Therefore, she could only hide her face in the dessert plate and let them assume that she was a superstitious person who believed everything she saw in her dreams.