Chapter 203
Leon’s team was a bit different from the others. Leading them was the man in a jet–black robe, wearing a half–mask, the enigmatic Prince Leon himself His demeanor seemed rather casual, almost indifferent.
He lightly squeezed his horse’s flanks with his legs, and the steed took off like the wind. Leon slowly raised his longbow, taking his time.
But before he even lifted the bow fully, the horse had already galloped past the archery range, speeding right by the target. Immediately, it had run far
beyond.
A wave of disappointment spread through the onlookers. They thought they had overestimated the King of the Northern Borderlands.
The horse had already passed the target before he even nocked the arrow. They thought he was planning to circle for another lap to try again.
However, that lap would be counted as a miss, since the arrow wasn’t even released.
Even the King looked slightly disappointed. He accepted the coffee handed to him by Andrew and took a quiet sip.
Garbisch’s brow furrowed, his palm clenched tight, He was very nervous.
At first, Jessica didn’t understand either.
But then, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed in awe, “He’s waiting for the most difficult and challenging angle… and only then will he release the arrow!”
Just as her voice fell, the arrow from Leon’s bow whistled through the air.
The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath.
Leon had waited until the horse reached the farthest, most off–center point on the track.
It was the kind of position from which it was impossible to hit the target.
After that moment of suspended breath, a wave of shocked admiration exploded from the audience.
It was a bullseye, a perfect shot. The entire field erupted.
Garbisch stood stunned for a second, then burst into cheers. “Prince Leon! Prince Leon!”
He looked ready to become Leon’s number–one fanboy.
If Jessica hadn’t pulled him back in time, he might have run over to hug his idol in front of the whole imperial court.
Jessica’s temple throbbed faintly. She admitted Leon was terrifying.
The more formidable he was now, the bigger problem he would become for her in the future.
The rest of Leon’s team soon completed their demonstrations as well. But everyone was still too stunned by that one arrow to notice that all five team members hit the bullseye, not a single miss.
“Excellent! Excellent!” Even the King was dumbfounded for a while.
There had been many Autumn Hunts over the years, but none quite like this. This son of his was simply outstanding.
If not for Leon’s disfigured face, he might have been the most brilliant prince imaginable.
The King was conflicted. On one hand, he felt that even with his ruined face, Leon’s capability spoke for itself.
But on the other hand, he couldn’t help imagining a masked emperor receiving foreign emissaries and how they would react to his disfigurement. The
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Chapter 203
image left him deeply troubled.
Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner of the field, Waldo’s fingers tightened around his cup.
But he wasn’t watching Leon, he was watching Jessica. She had been gazing at Leon the entire time.
Although he didn’t see the same admiration or infatuation that others showed in her eyes, he did see genuine awe.
She, too, had been shaken by Leon’s incredible archery.
For the first time, Waldo saw Jessica show even the slightest bit of amazement toward another man. He had never imagined that the day she would look at someone else this way would be so painful.
He had always believed that Jessica would love him forever. Even if they were no longer together, her heart should still belong to him.
But now, in this very moment, he truly felt that her heart was no longer his.
Behind him, Yuna said softly, “Your Highness, it’s time for our team to demonstrate.”
