Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 84 Frederick harbored an affection he dared not confess? What could Ruth possibly mean? Hadn't he been betrothed to Selena of the Duke of Blackmoor's household, only for the engagement to be amicably broken just before the wedding? And rumor had it the reason for the broken betrothal was that Frederick had fallen for a young woman he brought back from the frontier. By speaking up now, was Ruth asking Wilfred to grant a marriage between Frederick and Freya? For a heartbeat, all eyes flicked about in confusion. Then, almost inevitably, their gazes fell on Selena.

Even Sally watched her closely. Selena's face had gone pale, confirming everyone's suspicions. Ruth was requesting a royal edict for Frederick to wed Freya! Sure enough, she continued, "Your Majesty, my love for my son makes me bold enough to request this. If Fred can achieve even a partial victory in today's contest, | humbly ask that you grant him permission to marry the lady of his choice." Of course, in the heat of a duel, one either won or lost. There was no such thing as a partial victory. Ruth's words were nothing ---- more than a show of respect for Elias.

Wilfred looked at Ruth, who remained smiling, After a brief hesitation, he suddenly laughed aloud and declared, "Very well! Your request is granted, my lady." Ruth sank back into her seat, satisfied. However, Adelaide looked extremely displeased. Once again, Ruth was scheming! Even among the crowd at the venue, a few people couldn't help but murmur in surprise. Frederick had only recently broken off his engagement with Selena, and now Ruth was asking Wilfred to grant him permission to marry Freya. That must be deeply hurtful to Selena. Sally's eyes burned with anger.

"They've gone too far." Sebastian regarded his sister with a mixture of concern and helplessness. He lowered his voice to say, "Lena, don't pay them any mind." Selena nodded slightly and looked down, saying nothing. Sally bit her lip, fury blazing in her heart. "| hope Prince Frederick loses miserably. Let's see how he'll still ask His Majesty to grant him permission to marry Ms. Talmar!" ---- Those shameless creatures! Anyway, Ruth had said it herself. Frederick could only request Wilfred's permission to marry if he won. If he lost, the request would vanish like smoke.

Sally couldn't stand to see Frederick and Freya's affection flaunted, not after the hurt they had caused Selena and Sebastian! On the platform, once pleasantries were exchanged, the duel quickly escalated into a fierce contest. Sally and Sebastian watched carefully, tense with every move. Yet despite appearances, the skill between the two combatants seemed closely matched Elias had an unusual sword style and was very skilled, while Frederick, as Aurensia's Warbringer, also had exceptional martial arts skills. For a while, the two fought on.

They were evenly matched, with neither able to get ahead. Sally leaned closer to Selena and whispered, "My lady, who do you think will win?" Selena shook her head. "I can't say." Sally mistook her for being upset and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry about them, my lady. If Prince Frederick wins, just consider it a ridiculous spectacle and don't let it upset you." ---- However, Selena quietly said, "If he wins, Lady Ruth will probably completely take over the Duke of Blackmoor's household." "What?" Sally blinked, and even Sebastian's expression turned puzzled. What did she mean?

Selena closed her eyes briefly and exhaled, her voice calm yet grave as she explained, "Lady Ruth may dislike me, but she would never allow Freya to become Prince Frederick's main wife. In Lady Ruth's eyes, a young woman of that background is little more than a tool to keep other women in check." A marriage edict for Freya? She was unworthy of such a thing. It was true that Ruth despised Selena, but from the start, she had never abandoned her pursuit of the Campbell Regiment!