The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 39

Lucianne's brows furrowed as she asked, "What do you mean 'approved' thesis, Ivory?"

Ivory chuckled apologetically, knowing all too well that the duke was probably going to give him a full hour lecture later, and Alissa gave him an encouraging pat on the back while she held back a teasing smirk before Ivory responded, "Dessa wrote another two prior to that, but they were rejected by the faculty." Please, no more questions. Please, no more questions. Please, no more questions. Prayers denied.

Lucianne asked, "And what topic were the rejected theses on, Ivory? Prisoner reentry into society in our Kingdom?"

Eyes bulged wide and eyebrows raised from everyone around her, except Greg. The duke wasn't surprised that she guessed that. Desmond, one of the four, muttered excitedly in Hailey's way, "She's good, ain't she?" Hailey pressed back a smile and nod subtly in his way. Ivory really wanted to wrap things up now so that Greg's lecture wouldn't be longer than it was already going to be. He murmured with a firm nod, "Indeed, ma'am.”

"I see," Lucianne uttered before she said, "If it's not too much trouble, I hope I can get a copy of those two theses. I don't know much about prisoner reentry either. It'll be great to hear from someone who has gone through the trouble to conduct the research." Everyone froze for a moment, even Greg this time before a smile replaced his frustrated features. He was touched, as was Ivory. Registering the silence, Lucianne asked doubtfully, “Unless the theses are no longer available?"

"No, Your Highness! They still exist. My wif- I mean, my ex-fiancé and I are still keeping the hardcopies, I'll fetch them on my next visit." A glimmer of hope appeared in Ivory's eyes when he said that. After so long, it felt like there was finally an authoritative figure who just...cared. "That would be great. Thank you, Ivory."

When Lucianne's sights moved to Hailey, Ivory sighed in relief after stepping to the side. Hailey smiled graciously as she shook Lucianne's hand and started speaking like a bullet train, "Hailey Hutchinson, ma'am. Former kindergarten teacher. Sued and found liable for civil negligenc after one of the children ingested six crayons during my supervision of a class of forty."

Lucianne blinked a couple of times before she asked in disbelief, "Six crayons? Did those have a particularly flavorful taste?"

Greg found himself snorting and chuckling at her question. Xandar was smiling too until he heard his cousin's irritating chuckles, making his grip around his wife's waist tighten.

Hailey had to control her own laughter at the queen's question when she said, "Well, um...I don't know about that, ma'am. But he did look like he was enjoying himself before I started panicking." Lucianne pondered for a moment before she muttered to herself, "So, surgery was needed."

"Oh no, ma'am. They gave him a laxative and got the feces out before sending it to the lab. I'm told that the substances in crayons are harmful to our digestive systems, but it's not fatal if it's removed within thirty-six hours. But my teaching career was over after that incident." Learning from Ivory's mistake, Hailey quickly added, "On the bright side, Your Highness, my negligence made kindergartens in many regions revise their operating procedure. One teacher for every ten children, to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening again. They didn't care about the extra costs of hiring more teachers anymore. The safety of the children finally came first, and not second to their own pockets.”

Lucianne's steady eye contact with Hailey held a degree of comfort when she asked, "But your own employment opportunities were hindered nonetheless, weren't they, Hailey? Even though there are numerous other sectors that didn't pose a risk of a child ingesting crayons." Like Ivory before, Hailey gave a firm nod before she muttered, "Yes, ma'am. Negligence is...well, it's not wanted anywhere. Mistakes are...neither celebrated nor commended in any sector. If anything, it's a flaw that, when serious enough, can scar one for life. Errors might be tolerated in our younger years, but not in the workforce, unfortunately...or fortunately, depending on whether you're the person offering or receiving the service."

"Would you still have been teaching kindergartners had it not happened?" Lucianne asked in curiosity.

No one had ever asked her that question. Hailey tilted her head and stared at the ceiling for a brief second as she said, "I think so. It seemed like the dream job. I was never one to go after those big, glamorous careers like being a doctor or lawyer. I just wanted a simple life. I do like baking. I guess I would've been a part-time baker and a kindergarten teacher, but I don't think I would do anything beyond that. I don't need a lot to be happy. Doing what I love keeps me happy, and teaching kids and baking muffins seemed more than enough." Lucianne cleared her throat to stop her voice from cracking as she said sincerely, "Teaching children is a big dream, Hailey. It may not be big and glamorous to some but choosing to dedicate your whole life to build the lives of future generations is not only huge, it's noble. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

Hailey's lips parted slightly but no words came out of her mouth as her eyes glistened. When she still had her dream job, it was never validated, valued or praised to be 'huge' or 'noble' by even her closest friends and family. Never in her wildest dreams did Hailey imagine that an authoritative figure would be the one to make her feel like she had dreamt big.

Lucianne touched her shoulder and whispered gently, "Are you alright, Hailey?"

Hailey was brought out of her daze, and she blinked away the tears and turned to wipe away the excess before she chuckled and said, "Y-Yes, My Queen. Thank you."

"No, Hailey. Thank you, for telling me all of this despite having just met me," Lucianne responded.

After Hailey offered her a gracious smile, Desmond pushed Alissa forward, his way of saying, 'You go first'. Alissa's eyes narrowed at Desmond before she turned to face the queen, shook her ready hand and spoke with a wide smile and zero filter, "Alissa Arden, ma'am. Arrested, tried and convicted for manslaughter after castrating my bonded mate and setting him on fire."