The Duke’s Study

  “Then why weren’t they wearing them?” the Duke had asked sounding completely serious.

  Veronique felt a little intimidated by him, but at the same time out of all of her decisions of last night this one was the one she felt most secure about.

  “Mos and Bos hated them, they wouldn’t have behaved well if I forced them to wear them” she started explaining “I am aware those collars and leashes are up to Nobility’s standards but they are way too flimsy to be of any use” Veronique had the sudden urge to prove her point so she grabbed the items and pulled as hard as she could, the material ripped in two easily “As you can see they would have broke at the first hard pull, and I don’t know how the Nobles would have reacted to seeing Mos and Bos free” just thinking about what could have happened made Veronique’s blood boil out of rage

  “The Nobles?” the Duke’s apparent lark of oversight hit a nerve making the redhead instantaneously furious

  “Yes the Nobles! I know Mos and Bos wouldn’t attack anyone, but what if a Noble felt threatened and unsheltered their sword on them?!” Veronique had started yelling at this point, words just rolling out of her mouth without control “with all the respect Sir it was really a shitty idea!”

  “…a shitty idea” the Duke repeated slowly seemly stunned

  ‘What the fuck did I just say right to the Duke’s face!?’ Veronique’s soul might as well have left her body after she caught up with what she just did ‘what’s wrong with me today?!’ she had really done and fucked up and the way the Duke was staring at her just confirmed it ‘I am screwed, I am so screwed!’ she panicked under the man undecipherable stare as the silence stretched out, till a loud laugh broke out straddling her and making her jump out of surprise

  Somehow seeing someone as serious as the Hound Master blatantly laughing out loud in such manner was an upsetting sight to her

  “She really told you off Alfred!” Valentia had exclaimed between laughs at that the Duke just sighed

  “Got it out of your system?” the Duke had asked once the Hound Master had stopped laughing and composed herself

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  “Not quite, but I can hold it for later” Valentia coughed “anyway girl, you left the Banquette to stop your dogs from going crazy on the food, why did you neglect that part of their training?”

  “I usually don’t let Mos and Bos where I eat, so I made an mistake” Veronique had no valid excuse for this “I thought I had more time”

  “Alright, you convinced me, I will allow you to keep those dogs” the Hound Master had ended up saying, much to the redhead’s surprise

  “Really?!” she couldn’t believe such thing

  “But, I will check on your progress periodically and correct you if see you making a mistake” of course there was a catch, but a welcome one “and I want to teach you myself once your schooling with Miss Hawkings is complete”

  “Thank you Hound Master” Veronique was grateful ‘she can teach me more about dogs then any book could’

  “Don’t thank me yet, I am an awful teacher” and with that the woman headed to the door “I will leave you two alone to fill up the rest, I got to go feed my dogs” she left

  Silence penetrated in the room

  “Veronique, you have made your mistakes yesterday, even got some cutlery wrong” the Duke started talking “but I can’t deny that you have grown, the old you would have thrown a tantrum the moment the nobles started to form line to be greeted by Rhea” he admitted “and I can’t see a rational reason to not let you in the Main wing, however our staff hates you”

  “…I really messed up before, didn’t I?” Veronique wondered what kind of terror she had been on the staff and apparently on poor Rhea too

  “Yes you did, but you gained Miss Hawkings’s approval” Veronique was surprised to hear that, she didn’t think the old hag thought fondly of her “and you seem to have turned a new leaf, for those reasons I will allow you in the Main wing, but be prepared” he warned her

  “For what your Lordship?” the redhead was almost afraid to ask

  “You will be trained to fill the role of the Hound Master and become her official apprentice on your eleventh birthday” he dropped the bomb on her “Your residence in the Main Wing will only be till that date, after it you will live with the Hound Master”

  “What about Mos and Bos?” her dogs were the first thing she thought about, as her mind was in bit too much turmoil at the revelation and she didn’t really know what to think about it just yet.

  “They will follow you if you wish” the Duke reassured her “I have no intention of taking your dogs away without a cause”

  “Is this some kind of compromise so the staff doesn’t revolt?” Veronique dared to guess, knowing the Hound Master’s residence was in the Outer Garden, which would mean she would end up living basically outside of the household.

  ‘Wait would that be such a bad thing? I hate being a noble and I can take my puppies with me’ she reasoned in her head

  “Yes, in part it is, but the talent you have shown in training your dogs can’t be ignored” the Duke admitted it with hesitation and reassured her at the same time “Valentia wouldn’t have agreed with it if she didn’t see your potential” it was probably the nicest thing the Duke had ever said to her

  “Does this mean I won’t have deal with banquets and the such in the future?” Veronique asked for confirmation really hoping this was the case

  “Of course you will, it’s part of your duties” the Duke killed her dreams “People would talk if were absent”