Chapter 143 - The Tutor's Weakness
Demon had gone back to the stream that he and his master had visited with the other pair of etcher and etched.
While he was enjoying a fresh drink of water, he heard his master calling out to him which made him leap with joy.
Knowing that he had been called upon, he wasted no time and rushed in the direction of the soft voice that had echoed in his ear.
Galloping at the fastest pace that he could, he was soon able to see the small figure of his master standing next to a man whom he had never seen before.
By now, demon had recognized and familiarized himself with the sight and smells of some of the people in the mansion who were close to his master.
The last time that he had growled at Captain Desmo and Earl Rutherford were lessons for him to not get agitated at every stranger he sees.
Since both times, he was reprimanded and this was not something he wished to experience once again.
Thus, when he had seen that this new stranger had shielded his master from him, he lowered his pace to a soft jog.
Halting before the man whose knees were visibly shaking yet he continued to cover the body of his master, Demon knew that this man did not mean any harm.
A man and a beast stood still as they looked into each other's eyes. Both had similar eye colors yet could not be more different than the other.
"Marquess, meet my new pet." Yvonne's words made the man and the beast glance at the head that was peeping out.
Though Yvonne was mad that her view was obstructed by her tutor's posterior, she kept her annoyance aside and leaned to the side as she said those words.
She had noticed the trembling body of this man and now the confusion and bafflement on his face made a chuckle escape her lips.
'He is more terrified than what mother was!' She chortled as she shook her head.
Sullivan could not believe that this crazy beast which looked so scary was the new pet that his pupil was talking about.
'One moment I am waiting for a small and cute pony to appear and the next moment I feel as though I am about to die of fear!' He narrowed his eyes at the little girl who had succeeded in fooling him.
However, Demon's neigh caused him to yelp as he jumped away from the horse.
This comical reaction made Yvonne laugh louder as she held her round tummy.
"Miss St. Claire is enjoying my misery a little too much, isn't she?" He sneered while patting his chest as he tried to calm the erratic beating of his heart.
The little girl covered her mouth in a feeble attempt to stop her laughter as she moved towards the large horse.
Since Demon had not tried to leer or grunt at the new man, this benevolent master of his granted him the best kind of chin rubs which he was thoroughly enjoying.
Marquess Samed could not believe his eyes as he silently watched the massive beast bending down to accommodate the short child as she rubbed his chin.
Turning around, Yvonne continued rubbing the horse's chin as she smiled at this man.
"Marquess Samed, meet Demon, my new pet, and my etcher." She revealed with a brilliant and proud smile.
This new piece of information that had been revealed made the man drop his jaw as he stared at the child and then at the beast which was just introduced as an etcher.
He knew what etchers were and hence he could not believe that he was seeing one with this little girl.
As he analyzed the horse, he realized that this beast would most certainly not be an ordinary beast just by taking a proper look at it.
'Those eyes are terrifying!' He declared while shuddering a little, averting his eyes from those crimson orbs.
"Is Marquess afraid of my adorable little pet?" The child's mocking words made him glare at her.
However, when he saw the beast standing beside her, he dared not say anything in fear of what this horse might do to him.
"How did you find this etcher?" He questioned instead to divert her mind from the earlier inquiry and he succeeded in his attempts.
Yvonne gave him a brief summary of what had happened and then giggled at her luck.
"I found an etcher without lifting a finger." She haughtily declared while raising her chin high.
As he had nothing to add to that as this was a topic sensitive topic to him, the gossip-loving young man did not speak a word in this regard.
"But how did the etcher come here?" He inquired which made both Yvonne and Demon to scoff.
"Doesn't matter!" She yelled out, exasperated that she had heard the same question too many times today.
Sullivan raised his hands in defeat when he saw the annoyed look on their faces.
Though Marquess Samed visited the Palace every day for his classes with the Princess, he had never seen or heard anything about an etcher being kept in the Palace grounds.
Hence he was just as ignorant as Yvonne was about the origin of this etcher.
Yvonne smiled as she patted the horse's side and then stepped away from him.
"Go back to what you were doing." She instructed her etcher who held his head low, not wanting to part from his master so soon.
As Marquess Samed observed their interactions, there was a single doubt in his mind which he was dying to know more about.
"Don't they say that only worthy men can gain etchers? Then how come you have one?" He queried while rubbing his chin.
This was an anomaly that he could not make sense of and so he decided to poll his pupil about the same.
Yvonne thought about it for a second and then shrugged her shoulders as she did not know why she was given the opportunity to form the bond with this majestic beast.
"Maybe, Demon thought that I was worthy to be his master." She muttered and received an eager nod from the horse.
Sullivan disregarded the answer he had been given and continued to stare at them in search of answers.
The scrutinizing gaze that was being aimed at her was not something that she was pleased about.
"So, does Marquess think that I am not worthy of gaining an etcher?" She tossed that question towards him as she pouted her lips.
Though she looked sad, Demon could not find any such emotions of sadness emanating from her body which made him sigh.
The aggrieved look on her face made Sullivan Samed feel bad but that feeling faded after hearing her next sentence.
"Then does Marquess have an ether that he hasn't revealed to me yet?" Her innocent words made Sullivan to grit his teeth.
After all, the smartest man in Amarthea had never met the etcher that was fated for him and this was a wound that Yvonne was currently trampling on without being aware of it.
Yvonne had no clue about this fact but her inquiry had struck a nerve on the tutor's weakness.