Semua Bab Provoking a Graceful Bloom: Bab 81 - Bab 90

At some point, a few spirited young men in the crowd had begun to shout "General Campbell!" under their breath. Gradually, the murmurs swelled into a roar, each wave louder than the last."General Campbell! General Campbell!"Even the young ladies watching the tall figure on the stage couldn't stop their eyes from slowly softening with admiration.After all, he was the son of Thomas Campbell, the Marquis of Whitgrave and Lara Smith, once hailed as the most beautiful woman on the border. And with his younger sister now praised as the brightest talent in the capital, how could the elder brother be anything less than striking?Rumors about his injuries had made people doubt his strength, but they had forgotten that Sebastian was a man whose very appearance could captivate. Now that they looked again, his tall, lean figure and strikingly handsome face stood out even under the blazing sun.It was easy to see why so many young women were captivated by him."General Campbell!" Selena sh

The square fell utterly silent.Lilia's whip lay on the floor, snapped cleanly in two. It had taken only a single move. She had lost. And so completely.Staring at the broken whip, Lilia's mind reeled. It was just one move! How could she possibly have been defeated so swiftly?Back in Dawnmere, she feared only her elder brothers. Otherwise, she was undefeated. Not even Damon could match her skill. And yet here she was, undone in a single strike by this man before her."Go and bring her back," Elias said, casting a glance at Jade Verde, Lilia's maid.Jade nodded immediately and hurried onto the stage. She helped the princess to her feet and said, "Your Highness, Prince Elias commands that you retire and rest.""I won't—""Prince Elias is displeased," Jade murmured.Though proud and headstrong, Lilia feared Elias more than anyone. She pressed her lips together and shot Sebastian a sharp, resentful glare.Sebastian had not anticipated such weakness. One move, and she couldn't eve

"Who does Lady Ruth have in mind as Prince Frederick's bride?" Sebastian's heart tightened with unease. "Lena, it can't be... could Lady Ruth still be targeting you?"Suddenly, realization struck him.Ruth had never given up on trying to gain control of the Campbell Regiment. No matter what had happened in the past, once Wilfred granted the marriage, all old misunderstandings would be water under the bridge.But Selena and Frederick were already deeply at odds. How could they possibly wed? With Selena's nature, she would never find peace in her life if she married Frederick."W-what are we going to do, my lady?" Sally whispered.Frederick couldn't be allowed to win!If he won, he could use Wilfred's earlier promise of a marriage edict to demand to marry Selena. If he did, the king wouldn't be able to refuse. And then Selena would be bound to Frederick, whether she wished it or not.It seemed that Ruth and Frederick would stop at nothing to seize the Campbell Regiment.What coul

Elias wanted to challenge someone else? Who did he intend to face?Whispers rippled through the audience.Nathaniel's eyes gleamed from behind his mask, dark and piercing as they fixed on Elias. That damn fool! How dare he act so recklessly?However, Elias deliberately avoided looking at Nathaniel. Instead, his gaze settled on where the people of the Duke of Blackmoor's household sat, a calm, confident smile playing on his lips."General Campbell is known for his exceptional skill. From what I observed just now, he truly lives up to his reputation. I would like to request a lesson or two. Might the general be so kind as to oblige?"Yet, in that brief moment, his eyes flickered and locked onto Selena.Earlier, Nathaniel had pinned her to the ground, distracting Frederick and securing his defeat. But the young woman may not realize that in all his years, Nathaniel had never allowed any woman to come near him.She was the first and only one. It was interesting indeed.There was a

Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd.Spear work required precise control. It was a far heavier and less forgiving weapon than a sword. Even with a sword, piercing eight out of ten layers of impossibly thin silk was all but impossible. And these ten layers were pressed together with no gaps at all.No one in the world could hope to do it.Suddenly, it all became clear. Selena's "contest" was called a duel, but was far from a conventional one. Yet somehow, it still counted. The skill being tested was their spear work, not brute strength.And if no one could succeed, then for both her and Elias, it made no difference. A tie would still be respectable.'Cunning to the extreme!'Elias roughly realized the point and snapped, "Very well! I'll make sure you lose so thoroughly that you can't complain!"A draw? That little minx thought she could match him? How amusing.His gaze sharpened as it fell on Andrew. The old man held up one of the stacks of thin silk, trembling slightly