Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 168 "Your Highness, we've confirmed that the one who ventured alone into the Mount Iron stone forest was indeed Lady Campbell. Or rather, she was only accompanied by her maid, a young woman named Sally Mauve." Joseph delivered the news while Elias was practicing with his spear. As before, Damon stood nearby, holding a stack of gauzy silk. With a single thrust of the prince's spear, the fabric split apart in an instant. Damon counted, eyes widening with delight. "Your Highness, that's eight layers! No more, no less!

It's perfect this time!" He could hardly contain his excitement, but that was only natural. For days now, ever since Elias regained the strength to rise from bed, he had insisted on drilling this skill, day in and day out. Three entire days had passed, devoted solely to spear practice, with nothing else to occupy their time. Elias had no need to concern himself with court affairs while he was in Aurensia, so time was something he had in abundance. On the other hand, it was sheer torture for Damon as each strike carried a biting chill.

Elias himself seemed unaffected, but Damon, whose inner energy was nowhere near as powerful as ---- the prince, felt as though he was going to freeze to death. But finally, the spear had sliced cleanly through exactly eight layers. This was surely a flawless success, right? Damon hurriedly presented the stack of gauzy silk to Elias. "Your Highness, look! It's truly eight layers. | swear I'm not lying!" For a fleeting moment, the prince's eyes gleamed with surprise. Then, his expression darkened. The ninth layer had been pierced, just slightly. Though the cut was small, he had still struck it.

Damon immediately realized that the prince was displeased and hurried to placate him, saying, "Your Highness, slicing through eight layers is remarkable already. Even Prince Nathaniel might struggle to achieve it." Elias snorted coldly. "He would manage it without difficulty." He seethed at the thought of that man, wishing he could kick him squarely in the rear. "Lady Campbell can do it!" the prince snapped. Damon broke into a nervous sweat. "T-that's merely a clever technique. Nothing remarkable. For a young lady to rely on skill rather than strength is only natural.

It's nothing strange at all." "Very well, then. Shall we have Lilia demonstrate for me?" Elias quipped, snorting again. ---- Damon quickly fell silent, not daring to utter another word. The moment they dared to drag the seventh princess to practice with a spear, she would surely strike them dead. Elias felt a pang of frustration. Three days had passed, and still he had not succeeded. How had Selena managed it? "What did you say just now? That Lady Campbell truly went into the stone forest alone to rescue Prince Frederick?" Elias asked. Of course, Sally might as well not have existed.

She was irrelevant to the tale. Joseph inclined his head gravely. "Yes, Your Highness. Lady Campbell separated from General Campbell's troops and went ahead to rescue Prince Frederick. She was so anxious about his safety that she couldn't bear the thought of waiting alongside the others." "Such devotion," Elias murmured, his eyes narrowing as a faint, teasing smile flickered across his face. "Has the Obsidian Monarch returned to the capital yet?" "He should arrive in time for the Autumn Hunt," Joseph replied.

Earlier, the bandits of Wyncreek had caused unrest, and the Obsidian Monarch had led a hundred elite soldiers to quell them. When Frederick marched to confront the bandits in Hartshire, Nathaniel was absent from the capital. Otherwise, he would ---- have been the one to rescue his brother. "The Autumn Hunt?" Elias considered this, tapping a finger against his chin. "There are still two days until the hunt begins. That is far too long. Have someone send the news at once. Tell him... Selena ventured into danger alone to save Frederick and was gravely injured." Damon hesitated.

"Your Highness, isn't that a bit much? The Obsidian Monarch is your friend, isn't he?" "Friends exist to be whipped, don't they? Have you forgotten what that wretched fellow did to me?" Elias retorted sharply, his eyes glinting with mischief. Besides, this was a good chance to see if Nathaniel's feelings toward Selena were sincere. Both Damon and Joseph exchanged helpless glances. This didn't seem like vengeance at all; Elias just looked like he was settling in to enjoy the spectacle.