The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 29

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13:57 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The moment the words left his mouth, Ethan’s face turned bright red.

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He looked so adorably flustered that anyone who didn’t know what had just happened might have thought he’d done something embarrassing.

The girls, who had assumed Ethan’s big gesture was a love confession to Nova, froze on the spot.

The air went still, heavy with awkward silence.

Those who had always looked at Nova with hostility were all struck dumb, as if someone had hit them over the head.

Even Sophia was stunned.

‘What on earth is happening right now?‘ she thought. ‘Wasn’t Ethan supposed to confess to Nova? Why is he suddenly calling her his mentor?‘

“What–what the hell is going on?”

“No way. I really thought he was going to confess. Why is he asking her to be his mentor instead?”

“So Nova didn’t seduce Ethan after all? But then why does he treat her with such respect? Oh my god, did I hear that right?”

A wave of disbelief rippled through the crowd.

Then came the chorus of astonished whispers.

“Holy crap, a senior member of the Taekwondo Club just asked the sister of Free Combat Club’s captain to mentor him?”

“Wait–does this mean the two clubs are finally making peace?” Someone in the crowd shouted, and that opened the floodgates.

Students started talking all at once, their voices a chaotic buzz of gossip and excitement.

What most of them didn’t know was that this wasn’t the first time Ethan had asked Nova to be his mentor.

He’d asked before, more than once–but Nova had always turned him down.

After all, the mercenary group Bloodforge had never taken on students.

Besides, Nova had thought Ethan, a pampered rich kid, was just curious.

That his admiration was nothing more than a passing fancy.

But right now, in front of the entire school, he looked utterly sincere. He didn’t care about pride or appearances,

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13:57 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 29

Nova lowered her eyes slightly and asked quietly, “Are you serious about this?”

“Of course, I am,” Ethan said earnestly. “I can handle anything you throw at me, Nova. Please.” For someone who lived such a comfortable life, Ethan’s obsession with strength was unusual. Nova had never met anyone quite like him before, and that intrigued her.

She lifted her chin slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She decided to give him a chance.

“Well then,” she said, “we’ll see how you do in the survival training.”

‘If he does well, maybe I’ll consider it, she thought.

‘She’s giving me a chance?‘ Ethan realized, his heart leaping.

His whole face lit up.

“I won’t let you down, Nova,” he said solemnly, his tone obedient and sincere.

Their short exchange was simple enough, but the students watching felt their hearts racing wildly.

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‘What’s so special about Nova that even Ethan would swallow his pride just to be her student?‘ they wondered.

Having spent so many days around Nova, Sophia found her even more of a mystery now.

Sophia swallowed hard, unable to tear her gaze away.

Before anyone could process what had just happened, the head instructor of the survival training stepped up to the microphone on the platform at the front of the field.

He adjusted the mic, cleared his throat, and began, “Hey guys, I’m Sayer Lawson, the head instructor in charge of this year’s freshman training. You can call me Mr. Lawson.

“You’ve probably already been told that this year’s program won’t be standard training–it’s been replaced with wilderness survival. I’ll be leading all of you through a seven–day, seven–night survival challenge. Now, I’ll go over the rules, so listen carefully.”

He added, “This concerns your safety and, frankly, your lives.”

The words wilderness survival sent a chill through the crowd.

Everyone knew it could be dangerous. Still, since it was a school–organized event, there had to be safety protocols.

No one really believed they’d be thrown into an actual life–or–death situation.

Even so, the mention of possible danger from the wilderness survival made every student tense up.

It was not with fear–but with a strange, electric excitement.

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13:57 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 29

A17

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For kids who’d spent their lives in the comfort of campus routines, danger was the kind of thrill that made them feel truly alive.

Sayer’s words lit a spark of excitement among them.

Even the students who had been gossiping about Nova and Ethan a moment ago were now holding their breath, hanging on to every word from him.

No one was paying attention to Nova anymore.

For her, though, this so–called wilderness survival training was hardly exciting.

If she were being honest, even the head instructor standing on the platform–Sayer Lawson himself–didn’t have half the real combat experience she did.

Nova shifted her gaze away from the podium, letting her eyes sweep lazily across the crowd of students in front of her before lowering her lashes in disinterest.

But just as she was about to look away completely, something at the edge of her vision caught her attention.

Two tall figures stood in the far corner of the field, half hidden in shadow.

The man in front was tall and broad–shouldered, his athletic build impossible to ignore even though he was deliberately staying out of sight.

He wore a black mask that covered the bridge of his nose and most of his sharply defined features.

His short hair fell slightly over his forehead, giving him an air of mystery–and arrogance.

Beside him stood another man, clearly one of his subordinates.

The man in the mask was her only true rival in the international underworld–Damien Thorn.

Nova’s eyes narrowed slightly. She knew exactly who he was. He, too, was currently disguised as a student at Saint Laurel Royal Academy.

Not long ago, they had just clashed.

‘But why is he here?‘ she thought.

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