Each member of the St. Claire's family had their own thoughts as they sat around the dining table for their Saturday morning breakfast.

Last afternoon, the conversation between the father and his children had later reached the ears of the mother as well.

This was the reason why Rutherford had left his children outside the office and hurried away, to let his wife know about what had taken place inside that very same office.

At first, Raylene was stunned to hear about what her daughter had planned for her future.

She knew that her child was a brilliant genius who was even praised and held in high regard by the Royal Tutor, Marquess Samed but she had no idea about her high ambitions.

However, for some reason, the mother did not fret for her child as she had so many people looking out for her.

As the family now ate their breakfast in silence, she glanced at her daughter from the corner of her eye and smiled.

'I wish you luck in everything that you have planned.' She prayed for her success.

Ever since the incident with her previous maid and her subsequent disappearance without a trace, Raylene had matured a lot in a very short period of time.

She was aware of the perils that her daughter's decision might bring but she also had confidence in her husband that he would stand by her side to protect and shield her from all harm.

Glancing at the man who sat on the other side of her, Raylene smiled at him but in return, she found him huffing at her.

Rutherford looked away from his lovely wife's gaze when he recalled yesterday's conversation with her.

___

When the Master had returned to his bedroom after the conversation with his children, the Butler too was sent away to complete his remaining tasks.

Therefore, right now the couple had the entire afternoon free to spend as they pleased.

However, the very first thing that Rutherford did was embrace his wife and drag her to bed.

Raylene giggled when her husband laid her on his chest as they stared at the ceiling.

"How did the talk go?" She inquired about the conversation that her husband was set to have with their son.

In this big decision that he had made, Raylene was also involved as she too did not like to see their son giving up on something he deeply desired to do.

Therefore, when Rutherford had come up with this new solution, he had explained it to her as well who supported him wholeheartedly.

Therefore, now that she was asking about the success of his plan for the afternoon, the husband nodded in answer.

He then spoke a few words about how he had revealed his decision to his children but there was something bigger on his mind right now.

Thus, he looked down at his wife and pecked her forehead which made her look up at him.

"Ray, do you know what our daughter wants to become when she grows up?" He questioned, wondering whether she might have an inkling of what had been on their daughter's mind.

Sadly, the woman shook her head in answer as she had no clue about her daughter's future plans.

He had been blindsided by the sudden news he was exposed to in the office but he made sure to explain everything to his wife to ensure that she did not feel the same shock.

He was vivid in his description of what he had encountered and Raylene paid attention to everything that he was recollecting before her.

This improved his mood as he was sure that she would help him make sense of why this had taken place.

However, at the end of his narration about their conversation, all his wife did was chuckle while shaking her head.

"What is so funny about this, Ray? Our daughter's future and her reputation are at stake here!" He chided her in the gentlest of tones as he could not bear to use a harsher voice when speaking to her.

Raylene looked up and pecked his cheek before laying back on his chest.

"Don't you already have the plan to keep her safe from everything that might harm her?" She giggled when she noticed the man freezing under her.

"Whether she becomes a businesswoman or not is up to fate. But her safety is in your hands." She added in a whisper which echoed in his ears.

Nodding his head, he smiled at his beloved wife who was becoming wiser each day.

"Not to mention, that to me, it appears that you have already made your decision to support her dreams." Raylene's teasing words were the last he heard before he huffed and looked away from her.

For the rest of the evening, Rutherford chose to sulk and stay away from his wife who had read him like an open book but he refused to acknowledge this fact under any circumstances.

___

Rutherford thought that he was still on two minds about what his decision would be but his wife was sure that he would give in to their daughter's wishes.

This difference in their opinion was what had made the Earl puff up his cheeks and turn away from his wife's gaze.

The loving husband and wife were now stealing glimpses from each other, failing to make proper eye contact and conversation with each other.

The little girl who had been observing their silent interactions was confused as she turned her head towards the other person at the table.

'Do you know what's wrong with them?' She interrogated her brother through her eyes.

Her plate was filled with desserts which she popped in her mouth while she glanced at him.

Her eyes then fell on her parents who were now looking down at their plates then back at her brother.

Surprisingly, not only had the young boy understood what her gestures meant but he also shook his head in answer.

'Looks like Father is mad at Mother.' He scratched his head while holding up the glass of milk to his lips as he stated the obvious to her.

Yvonne rolled her eyes while shaking her head at him as she had already come to this conclusion without his aid.

Putting on a strained smile, she decided to let them be and then went back to thinking about the plans for her future.

Rutherford had told her to be prepared for when he might question her again so she did not wait to be a deer in headlights when that moment arrived.

Therefore, breakfast in the St. Claire house was a silent one with everyone deep in their thoughts.

____

However, the same could not be said for the other households in the Capital city, Amarthea.

The King's birthday banquet held great importance for each of these families which meant that preparations for the same were needed.

These preparations had begun from the day the Royal invite had arrived at their estates.

The King often used this banquet to interact with the Fief Lords and inquire about the current condition of the lands under their management.

However, with time, this tradition had been changed to a new one which people placed more importance on right now.

This new tradition was the one that Rutherford had informed his son about.

The banquet was not only a celebration of the King's birthday but now it was also the unofficial introduction of the heirs of their families.

Thus, many of them were busy training their heirs for this banquet which could be described as an evaluation as well as an introduction.

The noblemen would try to praise their sons and put them up on a pedestal to improve their impression in the eyes of their King.

After all, who would not want to have a favorable opinion in the sight of their Ruler?

However, this would not end there as they would also try to push someone else off the same pedestal using those same sharp tongues.

To be able to stand tall among all the young boys who arrived at this banquet was a pressure that most of them would be under.

The noblemen also tried to show off that their child was better than the other, a silly and sly comparison but a comparison nonetheless.

Therefore, in each of the households, the young masters were all being put through rigorous training to be able to shine among the cream of the crop that would be assembling in the Royal Palace at the end of this week.