Scorned Blue

Chapter Thirty

Aravena

Ever since I had agreed to train Valendard, life was not the same for both of us.

It was an experience I had never anticipated, however, embraced with wide arms.

There were times when I felt like it was better to teach a wall.

"That's a salad, Valendard."

Valendard frowned and stopped just before putting a forkful of greenery into his open mouth.

"So?"

He put down the fork on the white cutlery tray beside the black ceramic plate.

I suppressed a sigh. "That fork has two spikes. You are supposed to use the fork with three spikes for Salad."

"Oh! My bad." Valendard gave me thin smile.

He picked up a fork with four spikes, stabbed the salad, twisted them between the spikes, and opened his big mouth to gobbled them, making some crunchy noise.

All the while keeping his cold green eyes on mine.

Only Superior Strength knew how I had stopped myself from shoving that darn fork down his throat!

There were moments when I wanted to hit someone's head as well as strangle myself.

"No. If I was a countess you would address me as a lady."

"Wasn't it duke or duchess who we are supposed to call lord and lady?"

Valendard dragged a fat book from the scattering piles on the floor of Manor's library and flipped the delicate pages with brisk, rough caress.

"Easy. Easy. They are not your enemies, Valendard."

"They might as well be." He grumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!"

"Good."

It was never a joy ride on rainbows, true. However, it was not only chaos and mistakes as well.

"Is this good?" Valendard asked as he looked at me through the wall mirror.

I took a walk around him to check out his profile and stance with furrowed brows and finger on my chin.

Legs apart in a confident stance?

Good.

Straight posture?

Fine.

Strong shoulders?

Tense and hunched. Need to relax a bit.