|Ch.21

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Every teenage trainee knight stood in line infront of the battle arena. The battle arena was a forest completely covered by a giant circular wall. The gates were huge and larger than a giant beast.

A lot of kingdom people have arrived to watch the spring competition between the young trainee Knights. Behind the teenagers,there was a big stage with a magic screen which was created by Taehyung's magic abilities to show the inside of the forest. So,when the children are competing, adults will watch it live. On the stage,the top 5 dukes were sitting as they left the grand chair to the King.

Hazel stretched her arms as she looked around. This is like Olympic. Her gaze went to Kalisto who was watching her from the stage. Her brothers were standing a little bit far from the stage. She waved at Kalisto with a smile making him smile in return. She mouthed , "Papa,I will win"

Kalisto nodded slightly and smiled proudly. When Hazel looked at her brothers,they had different reactions. Jungkook was still upset with what happened earlier so he didn't have a big reaction but he managed to give a small smile which squeezed Hazel's heart. Jimin only stuck out his middle finger while Taehyung just gave a smug smile with his face written 'You are gonna lose'. Hoseok and Seokjin raised their fists and wished her luck while Yoongi yawned slightly before waving his hand signalling her to focus.

I miss Namjoon

Hazel shook her upset thoughts and looked at her competitors. Leo was obviously there with Eva on his side. But it looks like they are not getting along today. Leo seemed clearly upset with Eva.

Lovers' quarrel

Rolling her eyes,she looked another way.

"Do you want to die?! Go away you useless brat! I don't even know you!"

A loud rough voice took her attention. She raised her eyebrow seeing a young boy with a silver white hair and red eyes. Wait,red eyes? Isn't it the unique feature of Pendragons?

He looks so aggressive as he yelled at another competitor. His mad aggressive eyes looks murderous as he yelled at the poor guy.

"Don't give me the crap about being a friend of crown prince! I will win this competition! And I will make sure to beat the fuck out of your crown prince and that Pendragon shit babe!"

Pendragon shit....babe? Is he talking about me?

Hazel was dumbfounded since she had never come across this guy so why the hell is he so mad at her? But it looks he can't stand anyone.

"Luca! Don't yell like that", A familiar guy walk towards the silver white haired guy. Hazel racked her brain and finally remembered who he is. Kalisto's right hand man,Duke Ivan.

"Shut up old man!", The boy yelled at him.

Suddenly out of nowhere, someone smacked the boy on the head.

"Damn Luca! Shut the hell up! He is your father!", She is a woman with silvery white hair and crimson eyes.

"Old hag! Don't touch me!"

"Who are you calling an old hag you damn bastard! I'm your mother!"

Hazel looked at Ivan and smiled in cold sweat. So this is sir Ivan's infamous son and wife? Poor man,he is so innocent to be in-between these two monsters. But I don't really remember who this woman is. I didn't pay attention to tiny details about extra characters.

Hazel looked away promising herself to not get involved with that silver haired bastard. Everyone is trash.

She looked around more,a cold looking red haired boy,sweet looking black haired boy,she saw every type of participants with different personalities.

"Alright everyone! Gather around!", An announcer man called the participants.

All the teen participants gathered around him and waited for the instructions.

"First round is 'tag game'. You'll be given a head band to wrap  around your forehead. In this round,you have to collect as many as head bands from other participants. It's okay to lose your head band but it will be a minus point so try to keep your head. Even if you lost,keep collecting head bands,who knows,your collected head bands might reverse the game. The only rule you have is,you can't kill. That's all"

Hazel looked at the red head band she was given. She wrapped it around her forehead tightly. She immediately grabbed her arrow set bag and wore it before grabbing her bow. Finally she gave a look at her sword hanging by her waist hilt. Everything is checked.

"You'll be given two hours starting from now. Run!"

"Wait,there's no count down?", Someone from the competitors asked.

"No,now run!"

Hazel tsked as she made a mad dash towards the arena door. Everyone ran after she left. Hazel ran deep into the woods to hide herself.

"Not good,I need to be somehow no one can reach but at the same time I can reach others.....maybe I should climb a large tree?", Hazel looked around to find a large tree which could hide her body perfectly. Once she caught the sight of a tree,she immediately climbed up.

Removing an arrow from her arrow bag,she kept it on the bow as she hide in between the branches. She silently waited her wanted target comes to her way.

"I swear to god I will kill that Pendragon shit babe and will show to everyone who is the strongest!"

Hazel furrowed her eyebrows as she peeked from behind the branches. The silver haired Luca named boy was strolling on his way towards the deep forest.

"Maybe I should kill this bastard first?", Hazel mumbled and pointed her arrow to him but stopped. She sighed lowering her bow. "Killing animals is a crime after all"

Luca passed her tree and went into another direction swinging his sword.

"He must be a loud idiot", Hazel whispered.

She sighed and waited a bit and her luck was on her side. She heard Eva's voice getting closer. And Leo's too. They seemed to be arguing.

"Are they idiots? They are alarming the enemy", Hazel thought as she fixed her arrow and bow.

Leo,"Do you even know how lucky you were?! Jungkook is not the type to mess with! He is a blood thirsty demon! And to think you lied about him and slapped him!"

Eva,"I had no choice,your highness. I didn't want to be eliminated. You know how badly I want to be a knight "

Leo sighed in frustration, "I even defended you against lady Hazel. I can't afford to make her dislike me even more"

Hazel wanted to point her arrow to Leo but stopped herself not wanting to be a royal criminal who killed the crown prince. He still thinks about winning her heart when she said no and it pissed her off.

Eva was back facing Hazel so she aimed at her right shoulder. "I just need to not kill her,right? Jungkook, I'm taking revenge for you. I'll draw blood out of her for you. Will it be enough to satisfy you?"

When she released the arrow, Leo immediately pulled Eva to a side protecting her. He looked at the way the arrow came with wide eyes but saw no one. But he figured out that someone is hiding inside the large tree.

Hazel tsked when she missed the opportunity. She pulled out another arrow and put it on the bow and pointed at Eva who was standing with her sword out in her hands. But wait,where is Leo?

Hazel panicked and cold sweat appeared on her neck. Before she could turn around, she was pinned to the tree trunk by none other than the crown prince.

"So it's you?", Leo asked as he choked Hazel with his arm pressing her throat.

Hazel smirked,"What's wrong?"

Leo,"You were going to kill her?"

Hazel,"Of course no. I can't afford to get eliminated now,can I? But they never said I can't hurt others"

"You! Do you really have to use violence?! It's just a game! Don't use cheap tricks"

Hazel's face darkened as she glared at him with her crimson eyes,"She did it first,your highness. She used cheap tricks to accuse my brother. Do you know how much he felt humiliated? Do you know how his blood boiling inside?", It's a common fact that Pendragons have aggressive blood. When they are angry,their blood boils in a way it hurts physically. They tend to be a lot destructive in that way. Of all people,Imperial family should know this fact. "If I don't hurt her in this way,how am I going to ease my brother's pain? "

Leo stared at her for a minute,"...and that's why Pendragons should never have been existed at the first place"

Hazel's lip twitched.

Leo,"Except you", he backed away a little. "Marry me and that way you can protect your family under me"

Hazel scoffed and looked at Eva,"Your lover is down there,your highness. Wouldn't I be the other woman if I married you? Sorry,I want a man who loves me enough to kill for me"

Leo stared at Hazel with blank eyes. "...Love? I'll give you everything you need. I don't know about love but I'll pretend to love if I don't have any love for you"

Hazel tilted her head as Leo turned around. "By the way,Eva is my friend,not lover. Even if I loved her,I'll choose you first"

Hazel,"You wouldn't have killed Hazel if Eva wasn't your first choice", she whispered to herself.

Leo,"Huh?"

"Nothing. You are a hopeless royal jerk. Love can't be faked. Be nice to Eva and continue to be that self centered half baked jerk. So I can atleast try to hate you since I can't love a jerk face like you"

Before Leo could say anything, Hazel jumped off the tree and landed on the ground. She raised her hand and showed his head band.

Leo gasped and touched his forehead.

Hazel looked at her side to see Eva already looking at her. Hazel looked away and started walking away.

On another tree,Dylan was watching their drama with a smirk. He looked at Hazel with a hand on his chin. He was lazily laying on a branch with a wine bottle. "A man who will kill for her? I highly doubt Leo has a chance"

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