Corridor

  Veronique was a bit nervous as she walked to towards the Duke’s Study, Noah and Kain were trailing behind her along with Little drag, Clashing eyes and Hanging Jaw.

  However the last two of the group looked more like they hanging close to Noah in a threatening manner, it was something her Dead had started doing at random.

  while Lucia had been left behind to watch over Mos and Bos, because leaving the dogs with Rhea was a terrible idea if Penelope couldn’t handle them.

  Speaking of Rhea, she had tried to cheer up Veronique by saying that she didn’t do that bad, but the kid didn’t her see her make a fool of herself while talking to the Prince and leaving the Banquette wasn’t a small thing she messed up.

  ‘And I can’t even be excused for being a kid since Rhea is younger then me and she didn’t need to leave for the bathroom’ she had thought, yes, she had left the premises to get Bos out before a disaster happened but the Nobles didn’t know that, even if the Duke probably understood the issue, the truth always faded in the face of appearances and was subjective to anyone who elaborated the events happening before them.

  Every single person has their own truth and if enough believed the same thing then it became the reality of facts.

  Why else so many people would end up believing made up shit without any logic or rhyme? So to all the Nobles present, and no doubt the Aurelia’s own staff, Veronique had to take a bathroom break while her younger sister didn’t.

  The Duke will no doubt have to keep in account the impression she had left as whole on their guests, this together with her refusal to let Bos and Mos wear those flimsy collars and leashes wasn’t painting a good picture for her.

  She let out a sigh knowing it couldn’t have been avoided ‘whatever, I didn’t really want to live in the main wing anyway, hopefully Rhea wouldn’t be too upset’ she had resigned herself as the door to the Duke’s study got in sight ‘and we can think of something to have her have still have time with Bos and Mos’ with a sigh she schooled her face and entered into the lion’s den.

  Noah and Kain waited for her outside.

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  The Duke’s Study

  Upon entering Veronique was surprised to see that Hound Master Valentia was standing beside the Duke, who was seated as his desk as usually.

  “I am sorry your Lordship did I arrive too early?” she had asked assuming that she had accidentally interrupted a meeting between the two ‘great things are really piling in my favor’

  “No Veronique, you arrived just in time” the Duke answered, his face an undecipherable blank mask

  “But what” she glanced towards the Hound Master, not sure on how to question her presence without sounding rude

  “Did you forget our arrangement?” the woman reminded her

  “You said I had three months! You wanted to see how I handled them as grown ups, they didn’t grow up yet” the Hound Master gave her a look “okay they did, but they still got lots of more growing up to do”

  “I said that I would give you three months to prove yourself, not that I would test you in three months” Hound Master Valentia had pointed out with a smirk “and prove yourself you did”

  “Wait does this mean, this was why you insisted for Bos and Mos to be part of the Banquette!?” Veronique flumed “Are you insane? I still needed to work more on them before they can handle big events like that” then she realized who she was half yelling at “err sorry yesterday has been a lot” she quickly apologized with a bow ‘shit I haven’t had an outburst like that since I started taking the tea’

  “I will let it pass this time, but do try to keep yourself in check” the Duke conceded the slip up

  “I will my Lord” Veronique mentally sighed out of relief

  “The Banquette was a test of your character not only to me but also to her” the Duke started explaining the whole deal “It was meant to put you in stressful situations so that we could see how you dealt with them”

  “…so in short your Lordship put me in an ugly dress to see if I threw a tantrum” Veronique guessed, assuming that having Kain and Noah working in close proximity was also part of said test

  “No, your dress wasn’t supposed to be that awful, Amelia must have overdone it but it isn’t her fault we had instructed her to choose a dress inferior to Rhea’s” the Duke clarified that point

  “Why would I be jealous of a five year old?” Veronique might have felt a little envious when she saw Rhea’s dress but she wouldn’t have taken the child at fault over it, it was just a quick come and go sentiment

  “Oh for Luminance that hit to the head must have been very hard” Valentia had suddenly exclaimed laugher clear in her voice over some inside joke only she knew about

  “Did I say something wrong?” Veronique was a little put off by the display there ‘what could be so funny about it?’

  “You used to get very jealous of every little thing Rhea had more then you, resorting to pulling her hair over it, did you forget?” the Duke slowly explained, looking at her with intensity as if to catch some kind of lie on her face

  “…I can’t say I recall it” Veronique had slowly said and it wasn’t a lie because she really had no idea of any of this

  “I will have Doctor Copperfold keep a close eye on you just in case, anyway going back to the topic” the man had reached in one of his drawers “do you recognize those?” he let the objects fall on his desk

  “Yes, it’s the leash and collar you wanted Mos and Bos to wear” Veronique recognized them in their flimsy but beautiful glory.

  “Then why weren’t they wearing them?”