Thrown Into A New World: Let The Punishment Begin!

Chapter 835: Lively Atmosphere

When Howard returned home it was already well into the evening as he had stayed with Taylor and Sept at Sevenz’s mansion, eating and playing there until they got tired and the sky was beginning to get dark.

They had not planned to stay together for that long but one thing led to another and they had already lost track of time.

Thankfully, the butler of that mansion had inquired if they planned on staying for dinner which prompted them to rush back home.

Taylor’s face almost made Howard cackle for he looked as though he would cry at any moment now.

Looking at the time, it was clear that he had missed his mandatory evening training session set by his elder brother but that wasn’t the reason for his sullen look.

What Howard did not know was that even if it was beginning to get dark, Taylor’s elder brother who could be compared to a demon in his mind, would not allow him to enter the mansion if he did not complete his training.

This meant that while his best friend was enjoying his meal with his family, Taylor would be working hard to complete his schedule before he could be allowed inside.

.....

Since their close relationship with the nephew of the Ocular Caravan’s master was a secret from the rest of the world, even the Tanner family had been kept in the dark about their plans for the day.

Therefore, even if Topher had planned to look for his brother and drag him back home, he would not have been able to find him.

Taylor had been enjoying the time he spent with his two friends but now was full of regrets that he had lost track of time.

He was sure that once he returned, that demon-like brother would be waiting for him, eager to torture him.

Unaware of what would happen to his best friend next, Howard had dropped him off at his mansion before heading back home.

There he found a surprise waiting for him and was left wide-eyed upon meeting the one whom he had not seen for a very long time.

Grandpa Valente hugged his other grandson, observing how much he had grown since the last time they had met.

When Yvonne and her parents had visited him this summer, Howard had not joined them due to his hectic schedule.

The old man had been sad that he did not get to meet the young boy but was now glad that he had come by when the Academy was on a break which gave him a chance to spend time with his youngest grandson.

Howard found not just his grandfather but his cousins who had arrived long before he did.

The twins had been equally surprised when they heard the news from the St. Claire mansion, stating that their grandfather had arrived at the Capital.

They had even assumed that it was a joke being played but upon giving it a second thought, no one was distasteful enough to joke about such a matter.

Therefore, Roman had brought his brother along and hurried to the St. Claire mansion to meet their grandfather whom they had missed a lot in the past months.

They had arrived before lunch and had spent time together until their cousin finally got back.

“You should have sent word,” Howard muttered, aggrieved that he had missed so many hours that he could have spent with his family.

Raylene chuckled but it was the old man who spoke up, revealing that it had been his idea to not disturb the boy’s time with his friends.

Earlier, while they had been waiting for the twins and Howard to arrive, Yvonne had filled him up on the information he wished to know.

Through her narration, he had learned that Howard had gone to meet a friend he had been unable to see for many months and that he was excited to spend time with his little group.

Thus the old man had rejected Raylene’s suggestion of bringing him back when he had not returned even when lunchtime was near.

Grandpa Valente would be staying here for the next few months but from what he had heard, this friend was from a different kingdom and might return at any time.

Therefore, he had chosen to wait until Howard returned of his own accord and that happened only a few hours before dinner time.

The young boy was touched to hear this and was also relieved that his grandfather would be staying here for a while.

“If everything goes as planned then I might return once every two months from the Academy.” He suggested though he wasn’t completely sure how hectic their schedule would be in the next half of the year.

“Do not strain yourself, child.” Grandpa Valente patted the boy’s head, encouraging him to do his best but not overburden himself.

Howard nodded but had his own thoughts about what he needed to do.

However, he refrained from stating them out loud and decided to divert their attention elsewhere.

Thus the big family had reminisced about what the other had missed in the past six months that they had stayed away from each other.

Grandpa Valente spoke about the fief, revealing what the twins were eager to know about.

The St. Claire siblings spoke of their individual experiences, one in the estate while the other was mentioning his Academy days.

The twins also spoke about how they had been dealing with the change in their lifestyle and this new environment.

After all of this, everyone even made plans to show the old man around while Raylene reminded them to be mindful of his old age.

However, Grandpa Valente declared that he still had more than enough energy to have fun with his grandchildren, bringing chuckles from everyone.

The atmosphere in the St. Claire mansion was lively, something that it had not been for many months now.

At dinner, Raylene scanned her surroundings, loving the sight of the full table that she had witnessed after a very long time.

Despite Rutherford’s initial reaction, he too was swept away by this pleasant atmosphere that now enveloped them.

His smile only grew wider when he caught the satisfaction and happiness reflecting in his wife’s eyes.

This scene continued until after dinner and Raylene suggested that the twins and her father stayed back for the night and they could leave tomorrow morning after breakfast.

She did not take no for an answer and to her surprise, Rutherford had supported her decision.

Since the old man could not climb too many stairs, he was assigned the guest room on the ground floor which was next to the previous Earl’s bedroom.

The previous Earl too couldn’t stay upstairs due to his withering health so the rooms here had been renovated to be as comfortable and lavish as the ones on top.

Therefore, the act of assigning this room to his father-in-law proved that Rutherford did respect and cherish him but in his own way.

The twins had their rooms upstairs on the same floor as Yvonne and Howard while the couple’s room was a floor below theirs.

Therefore, they separated into groups to move towards their rooms after sending the old man to his.

Howard was tired after spending the day with his friends so he was the first to fall asleep as soon as his body hit the bed.

On the other hand, the rest took their time to fall into a deep and peaceful slumber after the happy day they had been through.

___

Meanwhile, in a place not too far from the St. Claire estate, someone was tossing and turning in bed.

Beautiful blonde hair was strewn across the silk pillowcase but the constant movement proved that the owner of this head full of hair was still wide awake.

‘Stop it!’ A loud roar was sent out but no voice was heard in the silent room.

Through the open window, the bright moon could be seen shedding its light into the room where the figure on the bed was trying to fall asleep but was failing miserably.

The second figure in this room, laid on the carpet below glanced up when this roar echoed in his head.

Astolfo whimpered his grumble before turning away but another sigh was soon heard in the room.

The young prince who was trying to fall asleep but couldn’t due to the constant sighs permeating in this room had now reached his limit.

‘Shut it before I throw you out of the room.’ He growled at the beast who was sharing this room with him tonight.

The threat worked wonders to silence the large wolf whose white fur reflected the moonlight falling on it as it made no sound in fear of truly being kicked out.