Chapter 465 - Hello, Master
Once Roman and Knox completed their inquiry about everything they wished to know about Amarthea and the families that resided there, they finally decided to head out for their horse rides.
Yvonne reminded them that she could not ride in her dress and she would have to return to her room in order to change into the riding outfit her mother had gifted her today.
Roman nodded as they would have to bring their horses out as well which gave her time to change into a new outfit.
Mrs. Jacinth and Roselie hurried to help her into the gift that their Madam had prepared for the Miss and were stunned to see how well it fit her.
Yvonne stood before the mirror wearing an all-black ensemble which made her look fierce but her adorable face negated all the fierceness coming from the outfit.
Therefore, right now she had the aura of a valiant warrior but the appearance of an adorable hamster with her rounded cheeks.
The maids were squealing on the inside but managed to maintain their composure as they escorted their Miss to the main entrance of the Mansion where the boys were already waiting for her.
The adults had been informed of this beforehand so they were allowed to move outside the estate.
However, when Rutherford heard of this, he called on his secret guards who had been following them in the shadows all along, and assigned them the task of protecting the four children once they ventured outside.
Since these guards had been guarding the Valente estate from the outside, they had been ignorant of what had been taking place inside the estate until now.
Now that they had been summoned by their Master, they would keep a stern eye on the children to make sure that no harm came to them.
Unknown to the secret orders the Earl had given out, the children were all seated on their horses and were ready to go.
The servant who had been instructed well by Butler Limo had helped Yvonne in placing the saddle onto Demon despite his fear of the etcher.
Then Roman stepped forward and helped her onto the horse which displeased Knox as he had played his 'older brother' card.
Once on their horses, the four began their short trip outside the estate.
Since Demon was the only etcher and the others were regular horses, he had to lower his speed considerably to ensure that the others were not left behind.
Yvonne paid attention to her surroundings while enjoying the ride just as Captain Desmo had taught her.
The moment they left the estate, Roman led the group onto a different path which ensured that they would not meet anyone along the way.
This path was a little uneven which meant that pedestrians and carriages would not use this one often, implying that it was perfect for them to use for this ride.
The plain fields on both sides were a different scene for the children who lived in the Capital which was filled with people and buildings everywhere they looked.
The fresh air and the warm summer breeze made it an enjoyable experience for the four who were beginning to increase their speed to a quick gallop.
Howard had already informed the twins of Demon's monstrous speed which made them pick the fastest horses they had in their stables to be able to keep up with him.
Roman was in the forefront, Howard and Yvonne came next and at the rear was Knox.
The twins acted as the guardians so that no harm might come to them while they rode along.
Yvonne breathed in the clean air which smelled like the flowers and grass which they were passing by.
'I love this sense of freedom!' She exclaimed in her mind as her lips curved into a smile.
'I feel the same way, Master.' A voice echoed in her mind which almost made her fall off her etcher's back.
'Master, please be careful!' The gruff manly voice was heard once again and this time it held traces of anxiety and concern hidden in it.
Yvonne looked around to try and find the source of the voice.
Howard and Knox were the first to notice the abnormality in her and shot her questioning glances.
'Did they not hear that?' She wondered for they appeared to be clueless as they continued to look at her.
'Only Master can hear Demon's voice, Master.' The voice answered her question which succeeded in widening her eyes.
Ignoring her brother's gaze, she looked down at her horse and saw him nod and neigh as he continued to gallop at a low pace.
'Demon?' She called out to test her theory and to her surprise, she received an answer once again.
'Hello, Master.' Demon answered using the same voice she had heard earlier.
"Can etchers speak to their Masters?" She turned to her brother with this question.
Howard froze for a second in contemplation as he did not have much knowledge since he had not yet found his etcher.
However, Roman and Knox were not the same as they had watched their father dealing with Hakka on numerous occasions.
"Yes. Once the etcher and etched form a deep connection, they can converse through their thoughts." Roman revealed as their father would only look at Hakka and the etcher would understand what to do next at times.
"Did you just hear Demon's voice?" Knox inquired after thinking back to how she had just reacted.
The nod he received brought excitement to the boys as this meant that their sister and Demon were now completely connected.
The bond the etcher forms with its Master could only be called complete when the two are able to converse through their thoughts, proving that their minds were connected.
Though Demon could understand everything that Yvonne said to him out loud, there was no way that the etcher could express his thoughts to her.
Now that they had connected entirely, the two could express their thoughts without even opening their mouths.
Demon could use human language to speak to Yvonne and she would be able to understand him.
"Usually takes a longer time to form this connection." Roman muttered as he had heard that it took his father years before he heard Hakka's voice in his head for the first time.
However, Yvonne, a six-year-old who had only formed a bond with her etcher for less than a year, was already able to do so.
This made them proud and even motivated them to find their etchers soon.
The twins were already sixteen so the chances of them finding their etcher were bleak but they did not lose hope as now they believed that anything was possible after seeing Yvonne's case.
On the other hand, Howard was excited to see how and where he might find his etcher.
The twins decided that they would have to inform their father and uncle about this when they returned home but right now, they had places to visit.
"We will have to ride faster now." Roman announced and in the next instant, his horse galloped at a high speed and created a large gap from the rest.
Yvonne smirked at Howard who shot her a warning look to not use Demon's full potential.
'Demon, catch up~' She commanded in her mind while keeping eye contact with her brother.
'Hold on tight, Master.' The etcher accepted the command and shot through the air to reach Roman's position.
Knox chortled after seeing how Howard's face contorted in anger before he urged his horse to rush ahead.
The last was the younger twin as he made his horse gallop faster to keep up with the rest of the group.
Roman was not in the least bit surprised to see Yvonne appear next to his horse in the next second.
"Straight ahead?" She questioned and just as he nodded, she left him behind as her etcher moved at a faster pace.
"Vonny!" Howard yelled when he saw how she had left them all behind but Yvonne was enjoying the breeze against her face to even hear his voice.
Right before their eyes, her body was becoming smaller as she was already too far from them by now.
Roman and Knox shook their heads and with Howard, they rushed at top speed to catch up with her.
The elder twin was worried as the path that she had disappeared in soon passed through the woods where she might encounter some wild animal.
Much to their chagrin, Rutherford's secret guards also could not possibly keep up with the etcher's monstrous speed.
Thus, Yvonne was alone on her way towards the thick woods ahead.