Alpha Damien's Trouble Maker (by Ruby Anne) novel Chapter 201

201❘ You reap what you sow

Selene

The heavy doors swung open, and bright light flooded in, hitting my face directly. I squinted for a second before stepping forward with the others. The host and the staff walked out first, leading the way into the inner arena. Noah, the prince, his guard, and I followed right behind them.

As soon as we walked into the open space, the whole arena erupted.

Claps, yells, and shouts exploded around us, echoing off the high walls and filling every corner of the massive space. The noise was deafening.

“Hahaha, look at these powerful warriors! These candidates this year are so strong. They will make powerful warriors!” someone shouted from the crowd.

“They all showcased their talent,” another voice called out. “The most impressive talents for this warrior rite are the prince and that boy. They did so well.”

“Right, especially that boy, Noah. I can’t wait to introduce myself to him after the end of the warrior rite. I must bring him to our household!”

Their voices mixed together as people kept clapping and cheering. The excitement in the air was thick and electric.

Noah looked around, his eyes wide with shock and surprise. He clearly hadn’t

expected so many people shouting for them, calling their names like this. His mouth hung slightly open as he took it all in.

The guard beside him tried to keep her face straight, but it was obvious she was happy. Her shoulders were a little straighter, and there was a small spark in her eyes as she glanced around at the praising crowd.

Only the prince and I remained nonchalant.

The prince had won these rites for years, so this kind of praise was probably normal for him. And me? In my past lives, I had been a general. Thousands of people had celebrated me whenever I returned victorious from war. Cheers, feasts, songs in my honor, this was nothing new. It didn’t move me.

I didn’t pay attention to any of them.

The host finally stepped in front of the crowd and smiled brightly. She raised one finger to her lips, shushing them gently.

It was like magic. The entire arena fell silent almost instantly. Every voice cut off as they turned their attention to her, waiting.

“Woah, the crowd is so happy today,” the host said with a laugh. “You must all be very satisfied with today’s competition.”

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2011 You reap what you sow

The crowd cheered again, loud and enthusiastic.

The host smiled wider. “Well, today’s competition is not over yet. We still have to decide the winner.”

Many people cheered even louder this time, as if this was exactly what they had been waiting for. It was obvious what kind of fight they wanted, and who they wanted to see fighting.

The host turned slightly, her eyes moving across our group. I felt the prince’s gaze on me the whole time. His blue eyes were locked onto my face, intense, like he was searching for something hidden behind my calm expression.

I didn’t shrink away. I didn’t look down. I kept my eyes on him, tilting my head just a little as I met his stare directly.

The host continued, her voice carrying clearly through the arena. “We have four people left. We will pair two against each other to fight. Based on today’s competition and each warrior’s performance, the battle for first and second position will be between the prince and Noah.” She paused, letting that sink in. “And for third position, Miles and Angela will fight each other.”

She pointed toward the guard and Miles as she said their names.

The crowd erupted once more, the noise rising to a new level. Whistles and shouts filled the air as people reacted to the matchups.

I looked over at Miles. He was staring at the prince’s guard with a focused expression, like he was trying to figure out whether he could actually win against her or not. His brows were slightly furrowed, and I could tell he was already thinking through possible moves in his head.

Before he could say anything, the guard spoke up.

“I forfeit.”

Everyone turned to her at once, including me.

The prince looked at her, raising one eyebrow. “You forfeit?”

The guard nodded and bowed her head respectfully. “Yes. I forfeit because I already lost, your highness.”

Everyone stared at her in confusion. Miles blinked a few times, clearly thrown off. What are you saying?”

The guard straightened up, and turned to look at Miles. For the first time since I had met her, a small, genuine smile appeared on her face.

“I don’t need to fight against a true warrior to know I already lost,” she said softly. “You protected your subordinate even at the cost of your life. You pushed the prince out of danger while you were in danger yourself. You’re a true warrior even at a young age.

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