44 Chapter 44

"Snowball" Alice whispered, "come here."

Snowball, who was being patted by Harrison Fogriever, turned towards his actual master, and walked towards her, ignoring Harrison.

"Woof" he barked at her happily.

"shhh…" Alice shushed him by keeping her index finger on her mouth.

The obedient and smart dog immediately understood. He sat there waving his tail and sticking his long tongue out. Alice then checked at the two visitors of greenhouse, Daniel and Liam. They were busy talking among themselves at the further corned.

Alice breathed out in relief.

How awkward will it be if her younger brothers catches her with some other man in a lonely greenhouse?

She then turned towards her dog, who was looking at her with sparkling eyes, and patted it on his head. Feeling satisfied, Snowball licked her hand in return.

"Snowball, go back to Daniel" she mumbled quietly.

Snowball looked at Alice and then again licked her face. Irritated, Alice now held his face her two hands and turned it so that it can see Daniel standing distantly.

"Go back to him" she said softly.

"Woof" Snowball barked.

It then ran towards Daniel, allowing Alice finally find some peace.

"Are you alright?" Harrison asked seeing her collapse on floor suddenly.

"I am fine" Alice replied.

She felt relived for solving one problem, just to know that the second problem is walking towards them.

"This is where we grow vegetables" Daniel said proudly.

"Woah… look at them. They look so fresh" Liam exclaimed with surprise.

They heard Daniel and Liam talking to each other at some distance. Alarmed, Alice opened her ears wide while Harrison enjoyed seeing her stunned.

"This is the last place. After this, teach me some sword skills" Daniel declared.

"Haa… why are so obsessed with swords. I heard that Duke of East do not even learn swords. They will always lock themselves among the pile of book. And here you are, learning those heavy weapons when you don't even have strength" Liam said in a lazy tone.

"That is because" Daniel said but his tone was different from his usual shelf.

There was a hidden anger inside them. And Alice can imagine how scary he might be looking from the seriousness of his voice.

"there is someone I must defeat. No. I have to defeat" Daniel said.

Alice was puzzled at his answer. Who? She can only question.

"Then challenge him to a fight and defeat him according to rules. You have been learning swordsmanship since young, though you can't defeat me but you can defeat the normal child from here" Liam suggested, not understanding the gravity of Daniel's feelings.

"But he is not a child. He is an adult. And he is strong. And if I have to defeat him, I have to become much stronger then him" Daniel said.

"You should have told me that first" Liam said, "then let's go."

"But there are still some places left" Daniel said.

"My fried is being challenged. How can I sit here and do sightseeing?" Liam said, patting Daniel's back, "what? Don't you want to practice?"

A smile finally appeared on Daniel's face and he returned to his normal self.

"Let's go" he said.

They walked towards the door of the greenhouse and left the greenhouse, followed by Snowball. After a while, Alice slowly stood up as she no longer heard any voices.

Harrison also stood up and looked at the door.

"What I heard is true I guess" he mumbled.

"What did you hear?" Alice asked.

"That the second son of Duke Etkinson feels inferiority towards the first son" Harrison said.

"What?" Alice asked in surprise.

Inferiority? Towards Stuart Etkinson? The original heir of Duke Etkinson? And Daniel?

Alice then remembered how he tries to behave maturely. And how he promised her to protect her. And how he much obsessed with being a perfect heir. She thought it was his childishness to grow fast so tries to act as an adult. But is there some other reason for that behavior?

She looked at Harrison with seriousness.

"I'm sorry" he suddenly pleaded pitifully, "I know I should not talk about him. Don't look at me so angrily. Please."

'I'm not' Alice wanted to say.

But then a thought crossed her mind.

"Stop talking nonsense. Daniel is only son in this family. And he is the first son, not second. Understood?" Alice shouted at him.

"Yes" Harrison nodded obediently.

She walked away, leaving him alone and he did not dare to follow her. As she walked alone, she thought about the conversation she heard earlier.

'Daniel must be talking about someone who might have threatened him. Why are there so many disgusting adults in this world? Let me find that person, I will choke him to death' Alice concluded.