Chapter 760 - Jealousy, A Misunderstanding, And The Scapegoat
'They will faint if they meet my Keira!' Marquess Samed harrumphed, burning with jealousy at the sight before him.
His adorable etcher was wandering around in some other place for a mission he had sent her on so she wasn't here with them today.
This allowed Rouge to gain everyone's attention and right now, those girls were squealing while admiring the little red fox.
While they still maintained their distance from the etcher since they had just met, they were already making plans to visit the Tanner estate to build a closer relationship with the fox.
Their desire to pet the fox just like Yvonne had done was clear for every adult to see but they remained silent about it, not bothering to expose their inner thoughts.
Similar to his uncle's dissatisfied thoughts, Topher also did not look too pleased with this outcome.
"You might not be able to meet Rouge every day since she will be training with me." He declared his subtle rejection of the plans those little girls were making.
"Eagerness in training to become the next heir is commendable." Duke Maldock Brodie disclosed his opinion after maintaining his silence for so long.
He admired those young men who were working hard to lessen the burden of their fathers, sharing in the responsibilities that would be theirs in the future.
Duchess Brodie and Glennise's faces froze upon hearing these words.
They knew better than anyone else just how much Duke Brodie favored boys over girls but were still hurt by his attitude every time.
"Duke should be proud." Ignorant to their thoughts, he added while shooting an appreciative glance at the other Duke of this Kingdom.
His praise made it clear that he was both admiring Duke Tanner and was also jealous of him.
After all, Duke Tanner had not one but two sons, any one of whom might succeed him in the future whereas, he was still thinking about which relative from the side branch he could elect as his heir apparent.
Glennise lowered her head, already used to facing the disappointed gaze of her father on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, Duchess Brodie glared at her husband who did not realize that his words had hurt their child's heart.
On the other hand, people were divided into two groups after the Duke had spoken.
Some sympathized with him for the bad cards he had been dealt by fate and some others felt that he should not have said so out in the open.
Everyone knew that Duke Brodie had no heir but to make such a public display of his dissatisfaction was not something that they could defend in their minds.
Rutherford and Marcus were among those who did not appreciate the Duke's noticeable dismay that his only child was a girl.
After all, the Earl's daughter was no less than any boy and the women from the Viscount's family too were excellent in every way possible.
Therefore, these two were the first to furrow their brows at what they heard.
Similarly, Marquess Samed pursed his lips as this was not the first time he had witnessed Duke Brodie's melancholic demeanor while speaking about his child being a girl.
Duke Tanner had faced such a situation numerous times and had learned how to only nod and not extend this topic.
However, Topher frowned as he had been connected to the topic that had soured the mood almost instantly.
"Pardon me, Duke Brodie but that is not the reason." He chose to correct the misunderstanding that seemed to have taken place.
His eyes flitted in the direction of a certain little girl standing beside her father for a split second before his attention landed on his etcher.
"Rouge and I are training together to beat a worthy opponent someday in the future." He announced the motive behind this decision that he had made just a few days ago.
Yvonne almost choked as she had been the one who Topher had glanced at before looking away.
'In your dreams!' Rutherford glared at that young boy whose words he had been able to decipher with ease.
Those who had been present in the St. Claire estate on the day Topher had sparred with Yvonne had already understood what he was hinting at.
With complicated expressions on their faces, they all stared right at Topher who was adamant about not meeting their gaze.
'You think that I will let you!?' Taylor's fury was only second to Earl St. Claire's.
Yvonne, on the other hand, was looking forward to this match and even planned on working harder with the Captain so that she might stand a real chance of winning this time, hoping to achieve success without Demon's help.
"Is that so? May I ask who this opponent is?" Duke Brodie broke the silence by inquiring about something that had caught his attention.
He often kept an eye on the talented individuals studying at the Royal Academy where his granduncle, Aramis Brodie was the dean of education.
Therefore, he was sure that Topher Tanner was just as capable, if not, even better than his father was at that age.
To hear that such a talented young man was working hard to compete with someone had made him curious as well.
Yvonne's eyes widened and she glared at Topher, signaling him to not utter a word about her involvement but the child's threats weren't needed as he had never intended to reveal her name.
"This young man right here, my close friend." He declared, patting the shoulder of the scapegoat he had used to avert their attention from the one he truly had in mind.
Rutherford heaved a sigh of relief just as Raylene relaxed the grip she had on her gown.
Duke Brodie's eyes met the young man's who had been named Topher's opponent.
Yvonne watched from the sidelines as Damien looked right at Duke Brodie without shying away from that man's leer.
A moment later, it was the Duke who broke their eye contact before nodding at the two youngsters.
"I would like to know the result of that match." He mentioned his interest to which Topher agreed with another nod.
With these final nods, the tea party had also come to an end.
The girls were disheartened that they would not get to meet Rouge often but Duchess Beatrice Tanner promised that they could see her when the Tanner household hosted another party.
This brought smiles back to their faces as they promised to attend the Duchess's tea party in the future as well.
The Duchess was ecstatic that her party was a grand success with the children while the men too seemed to have had a good time, discussing their business matters in the Parlor.
Thus she turned her attention to the ladies with a mysterious smile.
"I have prepared something special for the ladies." She announced, eliciting curious gazes from them as well as the rest present here.
Even the sons of the Tanner family were unaware of what she had prepared as it had been kept a secret until now.
Three servants carrying trays distracted them and their eyes were now fixed on what could lay beneath the cloths covering those trays.
"I hope everyone likes it." Duchess Tanner muttered before nodding at the servants who obeyed their Madam's commands and lifted the cloths immediately.
In no time, various kinds of scents wafted in the air around them.
There were sweet, floral, fruity, and woody, all mingling with each other to create further combinations of the fragrances they first sensed.
Yvonne too was curious to know what had brought such scents and lifted her chin but she was too short to take a peek at what the servants were holding.
However, the ladies all had a good view of what the Duchess had prepared for them.
On those three trays were tiny gemstones, the size that one would find in a brooch.
These stones were the source of the enticing fragrances they had just smelled.
"Please pick the one that fits your tastes." The hostess explained which made the women eagerly step forward.
Each stone had a distinct scent and in no time, every lady had chosen the one they liked the most.
"I should thank my beloved brother for helping me find these presents for my guests.." Duchess Tanner revealed, making everyone turn towards that man in the next second.
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