Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 203 The Obsidian Monarch's team was unlike any of the others. At its head rode Nathaniel himself, a striking figure in a black robe, half his face hidden beneath a mask. At first glance, his manner seemed almost careless. Drawing his longbow, he nudged his horse forward, and the animal surged ahead like the wind. Nathaniel lifted the bow lazily, as though time itself were of no concern. But the horse had already galloped a considerable distance past the target. A murmur of disappointment rippled through the crowd. This was the famed monarch of the Northern Frontier?

The horse had already surged forward, yet he had still not nocked an arrow. Even now, he moved leisurely, fitting the arrow to his bow as though he intended to circle the field twice. But did this first circuit even count? He hadn't so much as loosed a single arrow. Sebastian's brow furrowed, his hands clenched tightly, tension radiating from him. Even Wilfred appeared momentarily vexed, taking a sip of tea as Andrew handed him a cup. At first, Selena couldn't make sense of it either.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "He's waiting for the trickiest angle before firing the arrow!" ---- No sooner had the words left her lips than a sharp whistle split the air. The Obsidian Monarch had released the arrow From that distance?! The onlookers all drew a sharp, startled breath. The arrow had come from the most remote, farthest corner of the field, where the horses would normally have already turned back. Yet the Obsidian Monarch had shot from that very corner! It should have been impossible to hit anything from that angle and distance. And yet.

The arrow had struck dead center! After a moment's stunned silence, the crowd erupted in a roar of astonishment and cheers. Sebastian joined in as he shouted in delight, "Prince Nathaniel!" He seemed on the verge of becoming Nathaniel's number-one admirer. Had his sister not tugged him back, he may very well have rushed forward to embrace his idol. Selena felt a faint throb at her temple. The Demon Lord was truly formidable. The more formidable he was, the more trouble she would inevitably find herself in.

---- The audience, still lost in awe over that single arrow, had not noticed that every member of Nathaniel's team had struck the target dead center. Not one had failed. "Well done!" Wilfred praised, finally finding his voice after a long pause. The Autumn Hunt occurred every year, yet perhaps only this particular prince could perform so remarkably. If only his face had not been scarred, what a brilliant heir he would have made! Wilfred's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. One moment, he felt it mattered little that Nathaniel's face was scarred.

After all, he possessed the skill and ability to match any ruler. Yet the next, he imagined the court bowing before a masked king, foreign envoys glimpsing his marred visage... Oh, how deeply conflicting it all felt. In a shadowed corner, Frederick's fingers tightened around his cup, unnoticed by anyone. It was not Nathaniel he was watching, but Selena, noticing that she had been staring at Nathaniel for some time! Though the awe or admiration that consumed the rest of the field was absent in her, Frederick saw undeniable astonishment in her eyes.

Had Selena been captivated by the Obsidian Monarch's mastery of the bow? ---- It was the first time he had ever seen such a look of wonder on her face for another man. He had never imagined that the moment her attention turned elsewhere, he would feel such pain and unwillingness to accept it. He had believed she would love him for life. Even if they were apart, her heart should have remained his. And yet, at this very moment, he felt with unbearable clarity that her heart no longer belonged to him. Behind him, Mira spoke softly, "Your Highness, it is our team's turn."