Corridor, just outside the Main Dinning Room

  Veronique watched with glee as Mos and Bos devoured the meat that Kain had been able to acquire from the staff.

  “Good thinking Kain, if they are full then they should behave” she gushed

  “Should?!” Penelope exclaimed sounding alarmed, after all the whole point of this was to avoid a public disaster

  “My old pup was never full, they would have kept eating forever if they could have” Veronique had explained as she recalled fondly…even if most of the memories included her fingers almost getting eaten with the food, which was why she usually ended up throwing it even if her poor little one was a bit dumb and needed some help to find it.

  “L-Lady Veronique had a-another d-dog?” Lucia had asked making Veronique freeze as the words she had just said fully assimilated with her brain, her own voice echoing in her head like a broken tape announcing her death sentence.

  The few Dead surround her at the moment were doing a collective face palm, while Hanging Jaw just seemed utterly defeated by life, its pose just giving a stance of I am so done with this shit kind of deal.

  “Kind of?” she slowly said feeling a bit sweaty all of the sudden, no words coming to mind to get herself out of this mess

  “I didn’t know that” Penelope had declared uncertain “but it makes sense” but ultimately concluded, just then the dogs had finished their meal

  “Oh look they are done, we should rush back” Veronique was quick to change the subject

  Main Dinning Room

  Veronique let a relieved breath as she was seated back in her spot and no more questions were made on the subject

  ‘I hope they will forget I ever mentioned another dog’ she had thought ‘I should try to make up something in case they do, but what?’

  “Lady Veronique are you alright?” the Prince’s calm voice had broke her out of her thoughts “You look as if you have seen a ghost” this time he was directly addressing her, their conversation more then a whisper

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Err I am just tired” Veronique had fumbled with her words, feeling quite nervous

  “Are you still having nightmares?” Duchess Lucretia had intervened “Do you need some calming tea for the night?”

  “Nightmares?” the Prince echoed that word with a frown

  “Only sometimes, no I don’t need the tea” the redhead had responded to the Duchess, knowing that if she drank more tea then she would end up needing to visit the restroom for real.

  Also the calming tea didn’t really work.

  “Oh if that’s the case I can help with that” Prince Leonard had declared

  “Help how?” Veronique was curios, was the old Prince some kind of psychiatrist? He sure looked the part

  “With my Unique Skill of course” she barely stopped her eye from twitching ‘of course the answer is magic again, how much does this world rely on Skills?’

  “Prince Leonard please don’t feel obligated” Duchess Lucretia had exclaimed politely, probably to give the Prince a discrete way out of it

  “Don’t worry Duchess Lucretia” he had assured her with a smile “I am glad to help, I don’t get many chances to use my Skill”

  “If you are sure” the Duchess didn’t seem too happy about it, almost apologetic

  “Duke Alfred do I have your permission to use my Skill on your daughter” the Prince followed the protocol and asked the head of the Household for explicit permission, the nobles had started to whisper between themselves

  “Is your highness really?” one had said “I thought he was too old to still use it” another said

  “I will allow it, but just this once” the Duke ended up agreeing “Veronique got to learn to deal with such things by herself” meanwhile the redhead was more confused then anything

  ‘What in the world are they scheming about now?’ it was frustrating to never know the full context of what was going on, but by Alexander’s disapproving glare Veronique would say it wasn’t something positive.

  Miss Hawking has taught them a lot of things about the nobles, but they never went over their Skills.

  “What exactly is the Prince about to-” “Exchange” the redhead tried to ask but the Prince had already tapped the middle of her forehand and done something?

  “Eh? What happened” Veronique wondered out of confusion holding on the spot on her forehead that he touched, all she felt was a small static shock

  “Nothing to worry about, you will enjoy a full week of sleep” the Prince had reassured her with a gentle smile.

  “Thank you, your highness” the redhead had said a bit uncertain since she didn’t feel any different.

  Probably because they had their fill, Mos and Bos had dozed off shortly after they came back and the Banquette went on without an accident till close to midnight.

  Staying awake as the event dragged on while keeping on her polite mask was the hardest thing Veronique had to do since nobody had an interest in talking to her

  ‘It feels as if I am some kind of decoration’ she had thought with a slight annoyed twitch of her brow, even if she was mostly glad for the lark of attention.

  After all she can’t make a mess if the opportunity wasn’t even given to her.

  “Veronique, go to my study first thing in the morning” the Duke had ordered her once all the guests had left the grounds of the Aurelia’s estate.

  “I will be there sir” Veronique had responded, feeling a bit nervous as he no doubt wanted to talk about the Banquette and tell her if her behaviour had been good enough to pass this test.

  A sleepy Rhea was being carried by Penelope, while Kain was holding both Mos and Bos in his arms, the dogs might as well be dead to world.

  Veronique was a bit nervous as she walked back to her shared room with Rhea, this was going to be her last night there and the Duke’s decision was going to change her day to day routine without a doubt.

  Yet she slept like a rock.