Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whack!\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound of metal striking flesh echoed through the courtyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My blade had only hit Silas with the flat side, yet the impact was strong enough that his entire body jerked sideways. He groaned, stumbling, his boots grinding against the stone as he struggled to keep himself from falling. His breath hitched in his throat, but before he could fully steady himself, I moved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In one quick motion, I slid forward, twisted my wrist, and kicked the sword out of his hand. It flew from his grip easily, clattering loudly across the courtyard floor. His eyes widened, completely caught off guard, and that small moment of hesitation was all I needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pivoted and hit him square in the stomach with the heel of my foot. Right where his stance had been weakest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He folded with a harsh exhale and finally collapsed onto the ground, snow puffing around him. Before he could even attempt to rise, I stepped forward and pressed the tip of my blade lightly against his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI win,\u201d I said simply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silas just stared up at me, breathing hard, eyes wide. He didn\u2019t even blink. He looked as if he couldn\u2019t decide whether to be shocked, impressed, or terrified.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The entire courtyard fell into absolute silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn didn\u2019t move or breathe. She stood frozen in place with her mouth hanging open, looking at me as though I had suddenly grown a second head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I warned you to hold back, Selene. Now look at them. You\u2019ve practically traumatized them.\u2019 Mira chuckled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smirked and lifted the sword away from Silas\u2019s chest. \u2018I did hold back. If I hadn\u2019t, he wouldn\u2019t have lasted a single minute. I just needed to see how good he was.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to Evelyn, lowering the blade. \u201cWater, please.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn blinked rapidly, as if waking from a trance, before rushing toward me with the waterskin clutched in her hands. She held it out stiffly, still staring. I uncorked it and drank slowly, the cold water\/soothing my dry throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn wasn\u2019t looking at the water. She was staring at me, then at Silas. And at me again, horror and disbelief fighting for dominance on her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, she whispered, voice cracking a little, \u201cS-Silas\u2026. you went easy on Lady Selene, right? You have to tell me you went easy on her. There is no possible way my delicate lady could just beat you like that. So you\u2026.\u201d She gulped and pointed at him helplessly. \u201cYou went easy on her. Right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silas looked from her to me and then slowly shook his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn gasped so sharply it echoed. \u201cOh my goddess, are you saying she actually beat you?!\u201d She whipped her head toward me, eyes wide and sparkling with shock. \u201cMy lady! Where did you learn how to fight like that? I know I shouldn\u2019t say this but that was amazing! You didn\u2019t even look like you were using all your strength!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed the waterskin and handed it back to her, shrugging casually as if this were nothing special. \u201cThat\u2019s because I wasn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her jaw dropped even further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
ue, Dec 23\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned toward Silas, who still sat on the ground looking like the world had tilted sideways. His face was flushed, and breathing uneven. I studied him for a moment, wondering if he was embarrassed that I had beaten him so easily, or a gry at himself for failing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped closer and held out my hand. \u201cHere, let me help you up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silas stared at my hand, but instead of taking it, he shifted onto his knees and bowed his head so low his forehead nearly touched the snow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lady\u2026\u201d His voice darkened with resolve. \u201cPlease teach me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn and I both froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lifted his head enough to look at me, eyes unwavering. \u201cPlease teach me how to fight. Having fought you, I know how skilled you are, and how foolish it was for me to even think of going easy on you. You were holding back from the beginning. It felt like you were testing me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He clenched his fist against his knee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease train me. I want to become strong enough to protect you. Even if I can\u2019t protect you, then at least, let me become someone capable of fighting at your side.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him, momentarily speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was the longest I had ever heard Silas speak at once. The man was always so quiet, and composed, keeping his thoughts buried somewhere deep where no one could reach them. And yet here he was, humble enough to admit his shortcomings, but determined enough to want to change, and brave enough to ask for help despite the difference in our gender and age.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Men like him went far, and survived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the day came that I no longer stood beside him, I wanted him to stand strong on his own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A small smile tugged at my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSilas,\u201d I said. \u201cYou have a very nice voice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He blinked in confusion, eyes widening. \u201cW-what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed under my breath and repeated, \u201cYour voice. You should use it more. Evelyn and I wouldn\u2019t mind hearing it.\u201d I turned slightly toward her. \u201cRight, Evelyn?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn went scarlet instantly, her hands flying to her cheeks. \u201cY-yes! It\u2019s, um-it\u2019s very manly.\u201d Her voice cracked at the word, and she looked like she desperately wanted to jump behind a tree and hide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nearly laughed outright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn was adorable when she was flustered, and Sila\u2019s ears were pink now too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I extended my hand toward Silas again. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to ask me to train you. I was already planning to do that from the\u00a0<\/p>\n
start.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silas stared at my hand for a moment in something like gratitude, before he finally reached out and took it. His large hand wrapped around mine, and I helped pull him to his feet. When he stood, both he and Evelyn were looking at me with respect and awe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They must have had a thousand questions about what just happened, but they said nothing. They knew some things were\u00a0<\/p>\n
better left unanswered for now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth to speak, but a loud voice cracked through the courtyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:57 Tue, Dec 23 MG.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSelene!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I paused, already irritated, and slowly turned toward the source of the shout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A familiar middle-aged man stood rigidly at the entrance, his expression twisted in that same disapproval I remembered all too well. Standing behind him, practically glowing with self-satisfaction, was Sienna,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, Joseph.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His presence alone made me want to throw up. Joseph had been the assistant to my moonborn tutor in my past lives, a role that should have made him supportive, and helpful. Instead, he had spent nearly every breath he took tearing me down. To him, I had always been a useless, undeserving mistake of a moonborn, while Sienna could do no wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To this day, I suspected his bias toward her wasn\u2019t even about her talent. He simply worshipped her. He was the perfect little puppet to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms, leveling him with an unimpressed stare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph\u2019s face hardened even more the moment he looked at me. \u201cAll the things I\u2019ve heard about you were correct,\u201d he spat. \u201cI still cannot believe someone like you is the moonborn. You will waste Lady Isabella\u2019s training. You will waste everyone\u2019s time. Look at yourself, dressed like a boy, playing around with your maid and your guard, what a disgrace. You are a\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away before he could even finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t deserve my attention. Instead, I looked at Evelyn. \u201cLet\u2019s get changed for the moonborn training.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes sparkled, and she bowed slightly. \u201cYes, Moonborn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost snorted aloud. Evelyn never called me that. She had always called me Lady Selene, even after the entire pack discovered my identity as the moonborn. But she was doing it on purpose, rubbing the title in Sienna and Joseph\u2019s face like salt in a wound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph\u2019s mouth snapped shut. He stared at me as though he couldn\u2019t comprehend the gall of being ignored.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He opened his mouth again, probably to scold me or insult me again, but I\u2019d already turned my back fully and started walking toward my room. On my way out, I caught the tiny, triumphant smirk spreading across Sienna\u2019s face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rolled my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t have the patience or interest for background characters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u7530\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 68 Chapter 68\u00a0 Chapter 68\u00a0 Selene\u00a0 Whack!\u00a0 The sound of metal striking flesh […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27862\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}