Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 210 Nathaniel's remark about her insisting on outdoing him had been a joke. He'd sounded cheerful and easygoing. But the man standing before Selena now was completely different. She smiled with a hint of irony and said, "Do you recall when | was twelve and we first went into battle together? | demonstrated my skill with the bow in front of the soldiers, besting you by a hair. Do you remember what you said that day or has it already slipped your mind?" Frederick obviously had forgotten. That was ages ago. She had been twelve, which would have made him barely seventeen or eighteen.

How could he possibly recall such a distant moment? "W-what did | say?" "You said it was improper for a young lady to show herself in public. The men cheered for me, but you sent me back to the camp. You were mad at me that day, and even refused to dine with me." Seated on her horse, Selena met his gaze with a cool, unreadable expression. "During that first campaign, you examined the tracks on the ground and claimed the enemy numbered over three thousand. | told you it was less than three hundred, but you refused to believe me.

---- "Later, you sent in a large force and lost more than a thousand men, only to kill barely two hundred enemies and let over a hundred slip away. When Mr. Klein merely said he should've listened to me, you were so furious you refused to speak to me for three days." With each word, Frederick felt as if something cruelly pierced his heart. William stood nearby, lowering his gaze. Some things, if left unspoken, were easily forgotten. But hearing Selena recount them now sent a shiver down his spine. Because somehow, he realized it was all true!

She continued, "And that same year, during the army's celebration, the men tested one another's skill. On a whim, | accidentally sent the sword in your hand flying. You were sullen for days afterward-" Frederick interjected, "So, what you're saying is that even your swordsmanship surpasses mine? That you're some kind of master?" He refused to believe it. He absolutely could not. Selena merely smirked. "| dare not claim to be more skilled than you with the sword, Your Highness.

My talents lie with other weapons." ---- "You speak nonsense!" Frederick nearly roared, a flush of indignation on his face. Selena ignored him, looking up at the sky. "I could have stayed as | was, but | changed myself for you. Yet in the end, you see me as just a sheltered girl who knows nothing, while another girl who is inferior to me in every way rides beside you. "You think she's exceptional and above everyone else. But to me, she isn't even worth the effort. Dealing with her would be a waste of my energy." Selena drew her reins taut, urging her horse forward.

The animal gave a startled cry and surged ahead in a heartbeat. In the blink of an eye, she was gone. All that remained in the air was her calm, indifferent voice, calling out, "Let's go to the Beastlands!" The sound seemed to linger, yet the rider and her horse had vanished entirely, leaving nothing but whirling dust in their wake. Sebastian stood frozen, eyes wide. "Heavens above!" When had his sister learned to ride like that? Her skill was utterly masterful. Aurora spurred her mount to follow, and close behind, Yvette and Qiana hastened to keep pace.

---- Sebastian bowed hastily toward Frederick. "Your Highness, | must take my leave. | fear | shall not catch up with them! Pardon me!" Without waiting for the prince to respond, he spurred his horse forward, chasing after the women with evident urgency, fearing he might truly fail to reach them. The group vanished like a gust of wind. Frederick watched Sebastian disappear into the distance, his chest heavy with a weight he couldn't quite name, leaving him momentarily speechless.