Thrown Into A New World: Let The Punishment Begin!

Yvonne sat by her window which was her usual spot to study in her bedroom and gazed at the lakeside they had used as their venue for yesterday's evening tea.

'Why am I still thinking about that!?' The little girl groaned as she flipped through the pages of a big fat book.

The memory of a pair of green eyes was what had flashed in her mind, causing her to get distracted.

It had been a day since that incident and today was the second day of the long weekend that her brother would be at home after which he would return to the Royal Academy on the first day of the week.

Many things had taken place yesterday.

She was granted permission to continue her classes with her trainer which was something that had pleased her immensely.

She had been fretting to look into Damien's eyes in the afternoon but by the evening she was fine even when she was glaring at him.

Although, ever since she had seen him show that ounce of concern towards her, she had not been able to shake that image out of her head.

"Forget about him and concentrate on your studies!" She chided herself and forced her brain to think only about studies.

Those green eyes which flashed with worry for her was what she was recollecting every time she let her mind wander away from her book.

'I cannot blame my mind for this... History is already such a boring subject.' She blamed the subject for her distractions.

Since it was the second day of the weekend, she could do anything she pleased but she had to spend her time studying thanks to the home assignments that the Marquess had burdened her with.

*Knocks*

Yvonne raised her head from the book and glanced at the door that had been pushed open before she could give her permission for the outsider to enter.

"Can I come in?" The young boy inquired as he pushed the door open wider.

'You need to ask that before you walk in like you own the place…' The little sister smiled however she was sneering at his inconsiderate actions in her mind.

Though Howard had been polite enough to ask for permission to enter the room, her answer did not matter as he was already inside and walking in her direction.

The young boy's inquisitive eyes glanced around the room that he had not been inside for many years now.

Ever since he had realized that his sister was the evil incarnate who was brought into this world to make life a living hell for him, he had refused to ever step foot into this room.

However, he had ventured inside of his own volition today.

The cause of his sudden appearance was in connection to the plan of reconciliation that he had discussed with his friend, his idol, and the other boy after the assessment he had conducted for his sister.

'They asked me to try harder to get close to her…' He recalled their words of advice.

"Mother is calling you for lunch." He muttered upon coming back to his senses.

Yvonne did not argue with him and shut her book before getting to her feet.

Since she was at home and it was still the peak time of summer, she opted for a thin dress that did not have many layers to avoid getting a heat stroke.

'How I miss my centralized ACs!' She lamented for her weak body which had to bear the heat waves that got severe at times.

While moving towards the dining hall, the brother and sister walked next to each other in silence as they were still awkward around the other.

The brother was beginning to make amends for how he had treated her in the past while the sister was willing to speak to him as long as he did not infuriate her.

'I like him better when he doesn't speak.' She nodded as they walked along in perfect silence.

"I thought that he would come back…" A soft mutter was heard next to her, making her look in the direction of the voice.

'You had to break the streak already?' Yvonne rolled her eyes at the boy who began speaking, thus disrupting their silent moment.

Thankfully, Howard had not noticed her disrespectful action as his eyes were straight ahead.

"Who?" She questioned as she had no clue who he might be talking about.

In response, the brother scoffed when he recalled the memories of yesterday.

"That idiot of a friend." His frown appeared as he said these words to describe the one he had been referring to.

'Oh, I get it!' 

Looking at her nod, he nodded that she was quick to understand his words.

"What about Young Master Taylor?" She inquired about the boy who acted like her younger brother at times.

Howard had been waiting for his friend to reach out with an excuse to get closer to the little girl but even after waiting all morning, he received no word from him.

Though he was wondering what might have caused this change in his friend's behavior, his mind was more bothered about her question.

'Why do you care?' Suspicion was clear on his face as he stared down at her.

This prompted Yvonne to give up on this horrible excuse of a conversation and returned to the silence that enveloped them earlier.

Howard realized that his sister did not wish to interact further so he too maintained the silence between them.

When they reached the dining room, Butler Limo held the door open for the siblings who had come together for the first time in forever.

This was a warm sight for him to behold as he had watched the children grow apart over the years due to their individual differences.

But now, he had hope that things might get better between them.

Raylene and Rutherford smiled when they saw their children walking into the room together.

Howard took his seat next to his father and Yvonne next to her mother.

Lunch was soon served and the family of four had a peaceful lunch which they had not done in a long while.

The silence sometimes broke when the parents had questions for their children regarding their studies.

Howard was excited to narrate incidents from his Academy life to his family which they paid attention to with wide smiles on their faces.

The parents did not neglect the daughter and asked her about her rigorous training with the Captain as well.

In answer, Yvonne did not let them know that he was a cranky man who never allowed her to rest when she was exhausted during training.

Hearing the high praise she had for his old friend, Rutherford was also proud that he had found the right person to train her.

Howard did not squander this chance and began inquiring how she trained with the great Captain and also exchanged some tips with her.

The family of four was enjoying this meal with light conversation every few minutes.

'This isn't too bad…' The little girl smiled as she scanned the people at the table whom she called her family.

"You will return when the week begins and won't be back for another month." Raylene recalled with a sad smile as her son would have to leave soon.

The atmosphere dampened with her reminder which made Yvonne shake her head at her ditzy mother who pretty much ruined the pleasant environment around them.

"I can come back often… During weekends, if you miss me!" Howard suggested when he saw his mother's reluctant face.

Immediately, joy returned to the mother's face as she nodded in eager acceptance of this offer.

Howard then turned to face his sister and found that she did not have any expression which displayed her aversion to this news.

'As long as we get a chance to get to know each other better, we might be able to mend our weak relationship.'  He hoped that they could become like real siblings who cared for each other.

Yvonne had no idea about the thoughts in his mind as she smiled and nodded, indicating that it would be great if he could return home often.

However, the reason for her nod was completely different from his.

'I can spar with him often that way!' A tiny sword junkie in the making was excited for what the future might hold.