Thrown Into A New World: Let The Punishment Begin!

Several minutes earlier,

"Why did Young Master Topher want to be alone with me?" Yvonne inquired once they were away from the others.

They had just separated from the earlier group and had made their way towards the posterior portion of the mansion.

Her mother and aunt along with the Marquess must have returned to the mansion while she and Topher Tanner headed in the other direction.

Jax and the three etchers, Demon, Fryght, and Rouge were following after them as well.

As soon as they were out of everyone's sight, Yvonne did not forget to question the older boy about the reason for his strange request.

If he wished to speak to her then he could have done so even in everyone's presence.

However, he had proposed to take a stroll together which implied that there were certain matters that he did not wish to disclose before the elders.

Making this inference, Yvonne had accepted his request and followed him but the moment they were away from the others, she interrogated him about his intention for speaking alone.

Topher did not stop walking as he took the lead in this stroll even after facing her interrogation.

Gazing at his back which was moving forward, Yvonne scowled wordlessly before following him.

With Jax and the three etcher's walking behind them, they came to a halt upon reaching the back garden.

"I have a lot to talk about, Miss Yvonne." Topher Tanner finally replied to the question she had posed quite a while ago.

In response, Yvonne only tilted her head and blinked her wide eyes, wondering what exactly he meant by that statement.

As far as she was aware, she did not have too many interactions with the heir of the Tanner family.

'Except for the times that I visited the Tanner estate or when he appeared here for his brother.' She recalled the only instances they had come in contact with each other.

'No wonder Mother and that fool squeal every time her name is mentioned.' Topher shook his head while chuckling at her adorable reaction.

Seeing the boy laughing at her for the second time today, Yvonne narrowed her eyes, unwilling to be appreciative of his actions.

The heir of the Tanner family was quick to notice this anomaly and managed to compose himself soon after.

"Ahem." He coughed before donning a serious expression.

Yvonne nodded when she saw that he was finally about to reveal the reason for his strange request.

"How did you spend your days during the lockdown?" He questioned, trying to ease into the conversation that he truly wished to have with her.

However, Yvonne frowned when she realized that he was beating around the bush the moment he was done speaking.

"I'm sure that you have not come here to discuss my past itinerary." She retorted without giving him any proper answer to his query.

Topher admitted that he could not go round in circles with this child and decided to get straight to the point.

"Miss Yvonne, you must recall the last time we met before the plague began." He mentioned and saw her nod.

How could she forget about it as she had cried her eyes out on the last time they had met?

She had behaved in such an embarrassing manner that she wished to forget all about it but could not do so even now.

Topher had noticed her grimace and knew that they were on the same page.

"So you should have realized why I wished to speak with you, haven't you?" He added which made the child freeze.

'Ah! Looks like she had not grasped the reason for my sudden arrival.' He smirked at this discovery but now he knew that she had done so after receiving that hint from him.

Yvonne was so bothered about that embarrassing memory of her sobbing to visit the Tanner household then breaking down upon meeting Taylor and Howard there that she had forgotten about the reason she had insisted on going there.

Now that she had been reminded of that matter, she looked away from the young boy who seemed to have noticed something that he should not have.

"I do not know what Master Topher is talking about." The little child did what she felt was the best for this situation.

Since she could not reveal any of the secrets that she had kept until now, she decided to play the fool.

Sadly, her adorable face and her impeccable acting skills could have worked on those who admired her but they did nothing for the boy standing before her.

Topher watched in silence as the child tilted her head and blinked those wide amethyst eyes in an attempt to distract him from the conversation he was trying to initiate.

He could see that she was unwilling to spill what he wished to hear, however, he was not one to give up.

Therefore, he chose to change strategies for now.

Looking around, he saw that they were standing in the middle of the vast garden which was not far from the training ground which she used for her classes with the Captain.

His eyes then rose to the sky and found that the Sun was almost at its highest position which brought another smirk on his face.

'Hmm… Two birds with one stone.' He surmised that his plan would work out great in his favor.

"Miss Yvonne, shall we test how much you have learned until now?" He proposed which made the child's brows furrow, this time in real confusion.

Without giving her time to understand what he meant, the young boy leaped in her direction.

Yvonne's eyes widened at his sudden action and in the next second, she jumped away from him.

'He wants to spar!?' She gaped at him before glancing down at her dress which restricted her movements.

Topher too noticed her series of actions before shaking his head.

"Do you think the enemy will wait for you to change into more comfortable clothes before he can attack you?" He mocked her openly for having such naive ideals.

When the young master had attacked Yvonne out of nowhere, the two etchers were left surprised.

Jax was astonished as well because Topher had made no movement which might have indicated that he was about to attack his Boss.

Out of nowhere, after he was done speaking, he had leaped in her direction which Jax had not expected.

Thankfully, while he was unprepared for that sudden attack, his Boss had taken the necessary steps to avoid his attack.

Yvonne's widened eyes had narrowed dangerously by now after noticing the seriousness on Topher's face.

'Stand down.' She commanded Demon who was ready to intervene.

What Topher had said just earlier had struck a chord with her.

She was learning under Captain Desmo to be able to defend herself from any sudden attackers but what use would it be if she could not even move in her dresses.

His taunts were right as no one would wait for her to change into more comfortable clothes before continuing with their attempt to hurt her.

Therefore, Yvonne wished to use this opportunity that had presented itself to test if she truly could defend herself when unprepared.

'As long as he forgets about his previous question.' She added as his attention seemed to have been shifted from his inquisitive queries from before.

While she was mulling over this matter, Topher Tanner had his eyes focused on the girl's etcher.

'Good that she knows.' He praised her for commanding her etcher to not interfere.

Unlike him and the other boys, Yvonne St. Claire had to keep the existence of her etcher a secret from the rest of the world.

'Or at least till people stop being so hostile towards that idea.' He shook his head at the animosity everyone had against women in places of power.

No matter the reason, it was undeniable that she could not bring Demon with her everywhere without exposing the truth about their relationship.

Therefore, she needed to be able to handle such matters without the assistance of her etcher who could not be by her side at all times.

His eyes fell on Rouge who was laying on the ground at a short distance from the pup and the horse, uninterested in what was going on.

A smile popped up on his face but he wiped it away before glancing at the child who had dodged his attack.

"Too slow.." He remarked when he saw that Yvonne was still in her thoughts and soon pounced in her direction.