"Aria Desmond, you have been quite rude lately. To have rejected 4 of my invitations to the banquets that I hosted." Donovan's cold and unwavering eyes pierced her soul. She felt uncomfortable, just like in her early years of childhood, growing up in this household.
"I am sorry, uncle. However, I've been busy with some important banquets of my own, as well as my actual job, which requires a lot of time and effort too, so I don't have much time to be playing around as well." She smirked, straughtening up her psoture and looking up at the taller man with confidence she didnt know where she got from. The older male, however, looked at her with his eyes full of disdain. He disliked her since she had the ability to take the place of the Head from his oldest son, even if she gave up her rights as one, she was still eligible to be a successor if the board of shareholders were to support her enough. And she could easily get their attention.
"You really resemble your mother... Especially with that vile attitude and that sharp tongue you've got. She never knew respect." Donovan replied curtly, insulting her origins. Generations upon generations, the Desmond family had children with distinctive appearance. Brown hair and striking dark chocolate eyes. Aria, on the other hand, had bright white hair and blue eyes, closely resembling her mother.
"After all, I am more like my mum, rather than my father, aren't I?" She said, lightly reminding the man of her origins once again. Her father wasn't a bad man, just pathetic in her eyes. He desperately longed for his parents' attention and wanted to become the heir to succeed the family and gain their favor. In the end, he failed miserably, but got engaged to the woman he loved and lived an average life in the end. Nothing remarkable, but failed dreams stacked upon one another, buried deep inside his heart, before he died tragically due to a heart disease in his early 20's, right after his daughter's birth. Her mother was one of the most beautiful noble women out there, but her status was pretty low, since they were from a mixed nobility family. Their family had long forgotten about bloodline purity, so they were looked down upon by some noble families. Not that Aria cared. She called herself a proud Desmond since her early childhood, starting from 5 years old, when her mother died of stress, managing their multiple businesses. After her death Donovan took over many of them and kept them steady afloat, before transferring them all to his niece, when she was of age. The sheer amount of money that filled her pockets were immense. Though her father failed taking over the household, he was a great businessman, who amassed great wealth during his prime. But, unfortunately, he couldn't compare to the amount that Donovan inherited from their family.
"At least my foolish brother had enough self respect to find someone from a noble family. Even if it is a fallen noble one." He said and stood up from his desk. The man towered the girl, which was only to intimidate her psychologically.
"Enough about my deceased family. What did you call me for?" She said, since she wanted to get over with everything as fast as she could. She didn't like the thought of her family, since they were mostly referred to her as incompetent. They wrighed her down both at work and in her home life. She was constantly looked down upon by her family, due to them shaming her name even in their death. She was ashamed of having them as parents.
"I applied Damian for the same academy as you and Demetrius attended. I need him to pass the entrance exams. You must ensure that he gets into that academy at all costs." Aria rolled her eyes.
"You could've just hired a tutor. Why me?"
"You have enough experience and I, unfortunately, have more faith in you, rather than some tutor. Make sure that he passes his exams with flying colors." Aria was shell-shocked at the fact that he just ordered her to do so. However, she kept silent. She had no choice but to comply, since that very man not only holds power in her business, but her entire social circle of the powerful political fugures and elites. With a flickbof his hand, he would be able to take everything away from her, if he pleased to do so.
If she isn't careful, he could ruin everything she built up up until that point.
"Fine, but I need some compensation for my time." She said and looked up at him confidently. He won't refuse it, even if he isn't obliged to. It was a mere play for him.
"Depends on what it is." He said, questioning her intentions. Donovan knew that she was a clever and an unpredictable woman. After all, she was the only one who could best his own son, who was going to become his heir and the only reason as to why he would be able to become one, was solely because of Aria's decision of not wanting to compete for that position.
"Don't worry. It's nothing big. I just want you to remember that you owe me a little favour in the future." She said and turned around. "The lessons will be held until the end of the entrance exams. Three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7pm sharp. Since you seem to like neglecting poor Damian, I will attend instead of you at the interview. Just don't forget to send them a letter of notice. Now, may I be excused? I have lot's of paperwork to sort through, because of whatever you are doing. Diplomacy between East and the West is in shambles.... and also, I will make sure Damian gets into Eden at all cost." She said and left before the man could answer.
The door was loudly shut and Donovan was the only one in his office.
"Good morning, Damian-chan!" Aria burst into the door of her brother.
"Nee-san! Why do you always do this? It's improper!" The little boy retorted and blushed a bit, embarrassed to be showered in sisterly love.
"I came here bearing gifts for my cute little Otouto!" She said and called for the butler to bring in everything she bought at the stores.
A gift followed after a gift. Damian looked quite shocked, but pleasantly surprised it seemed. He got whatever he wanted from his father, but those materialistic things couldn't replace the attention he lacked. On the other hand, Aria showered him with both her attention and money. The presents were given to him with all her heart.
"Open them! I spent my entire two months of salary! I hope it is to your liking!" She said and started squishing his adorable cheeks meantime.
"You're hurting my cheeks, Nee-san!" He said, but didn't have a heart to actually stop her.
"You've grown so much! How long has it been? Months, years since I have last seen your cute self?!" She exagerrated with hearts in her eyes. Pulling at his bruised cheeks with anime tears.
"Stop embarrassing me, Nee-san. It's only has been like three months."
"Longest three months of my life! How can I live without my sweet little Damian?" She said and picked up the boy with ease and hugged him. "You've gotten lighter! Have you been eating enough? We have to fatten you up a little." Aria said and smiled warmly at the smaller boy, spinning him a little. It made the boy smile back at his sister.
"Didn't you come here to tutor me though?" He finally asked, remembering the reason as to why she actually came here in the first place. She hasn't seen him for so long, but finally did when his father asked her to tutor him. In his mind, she just came back for him because of his dad. She instantly recognised the look in the boy's eyes and just patted his hair.
"Yes, and our first lesson will be on etiquette. Since the only one you would need is the etiquette for nobles, we will skip the one for royals and royal occasions for now. Winston, bring us to the dinner table. Our first lesson will be on eating etiquette and social etiquette. I will teach you to be just as influential, if not more than myself." He confidently looked and held the boy in her right arm, while pointing to herself with the other one.
Two hours later.
"Damian, I swear to god, I am so impressed. I just started noticing that our family generates natural prodigies like a factory or something!"
"But I am still nowhere near my Oni-san." Damian replied with a sad expression plastered on his face.
"Don't worry about that. Did I become better than him by constantly worrying about surpassing him? No. Damian, remember this. You will lose your footing, if you keep looking at other people and not noticing what's below you." She said and patted his head gently. "Now, when do you use spoons for and how do you use them?"
"Ice cream, soups and broths. You shouldn't make a sound and eat from the side of it, not the tip. Also it's bad manners to point your spoon at someone or flail it around." He calmly responded. Aria was fully satisfied with his answer. She placed her hand gently on his head and continued her assessment of what he has learned.
"How do you show that you want to pause eating to the staff?" She asked the little boy.
"Put your fork and knife on the plate in a cross position with your knife below the fork and fork tines facing down." Damian repeated what he remembered Aria say.
"Good job!" The woman exclaimed and gave him a quick hug. Her heart warmed at his intellect.
"You praise him too much for too little, Aria." A cold voice of the head of the family emergned from the other side of the door, making the woman's mood turn for worse. On the contrary, Damian was ecstatic to see his father for the first time in a while.
"And you don't praise him enough, Oji-san." She seethe through her teeth. She called him uncle as per her little brother's request. That is the sole reason as to why she stopped calling him Donovan-sama, as the rest of his people did. Damian just wanted to feel more like a family and she sympathised with the boy. Aria once was like that as well, but that past was long gone.
"Is Melinda-san at the volleyball club practice again? Shouldn't she be at least a little interested in her son's education?" Aria asked, gritting her teeth with anger.
"I don't like her meddling in important matters. Call for Winston, if you need anything and don't let me down." Donovan said and walked past the door to the dining room. Both the adult and the kid took the last sentence to heart. Damian vowed himself to not let his father down, while the older woman vowed to not lose the valuable figure on her chessboard.
Aria looked back at Damian, who just had a bright smile a minute prior.
"Don't you worry, you will get into Eden Academy no matter what. If I have to, I will bribe every one of the teachers and threaten the Dean. But I am sure that I won't have to do that, since I believe that you will easily pass the entrance exams." The girl said and pinched the boy's cheeks, which made the latter crack a small smile, looking up at his older sister.
"Thank you, Nee-san!" He said and hugged his sister.