Read Novel Full Chapter 705: Decennial Contest
Chapter 705: Decennial Contest
"Ugh... that guy hasn’t contacted me since that happened. He’s so clueless and annoying!"
In her room, Evalyn grumbled in frustration. The moment she kissed Nolan flashed through her mind again, making her face turn as red as a tomato.
She still didn’t understand how she had managed to do something so bold.
Nolan must think she was just an annoying woman. Still, it had happened because she had been pushed to her limit.
Evalyn was certain Nolan knew she had feelings for him. Yet he always acted oblivious, as if he didn’t notice, until she couldn’t take it anymore and ended up kissing him.
"Arghh!" Evalyn screamed and kicked her legs in the air. "You idiot! You clueless fool! How could I fall in love with you?!"
She grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it. There were plenty of handsome and outstanding men in this empire.
Yet strangely, she had never been interested in any of them. Only Nolan was in her sights, which made her wonder, "Has that man put a spell on me or something?"
Just as her mind was filled with Nolan’s smile and his infuriating behavior, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
"Evalyn, it’s me. Are you in there?"
Her father’s voice rang out. Evalyn quickly tossed the pillow aside and stood up.
She was wearing a white, slightly revealing nightgown. Her pale skin and the soft curve of her chest were faintly visible.
However, since it was her father, she didn’t care and immediately opened the door.
"What is it, Father?"
Luke looked her up and down, then furrowed his brow.
"It’s already afternoon, and you’re still in your nightgown? Don’t tell me you just woke up?"
Evalyn smiled awkwardly. She had indeed woken up about an hour ago. Too lazy to take a shower, she had just been lying in bed reading a book.
After getting bored, she ended up thinking about Nolan again, silently teasing and scolding him in her mind.
Seeing her silence, Luke let out a small sigh and gently tapped her head.
"You’re the future head of the Lionheart family. Everyone—including your uncles and aunts—treats you differently from other young people. They watch every move you make. So don’t behave like this anymore. Understand?"
Evalyn didn’t have the energy to argue, especially since what her father said was completely true.
"I understand, Father. Thank you for your advice."
Luke smiled in satisfaction at her response, then changed the subject.
"By the way, it’s been ten years since the last contest. You haven’t forgotten, have you?"
The moment Luke said that, Evalyn’s expression changed instantly.
The Decennial Contest was a special event between two families—the Lionheart family and the Asbourne family.
The two families had been at odds for a thousand years. However, since prolonged conflict would only breed hatred, both sides, with the help of the imperial family, agreed to hold a contest every ten years.
The rules were simple: every ten years, the most outstanding young members of the Lionheart and Asbourne families would fight in the arena.
Of course, the goal wasn’t to kill each other but to assess the progress of both families.
And in this generation, Evalyn was the most prominent member of the Lionheart family’s younger generation.
Not to mention, she was the only one who had received recognition from the Divine Sword of Luminus—something that had not happened since the family’s first ancestor, the transcendent being who once wielded it, passed away.
On the other hand, the most outstanding young member of the Asbourne family was Nathan Asbourne.
Just like Evalyn, Nathan had also gained recognition from the Dark Sword of the Eclipse and become the Asbourne family’s new hope.
"Ahem!" Evalyn coughed shyly and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "That’s an official event. How could I have forgotten?"
Luke rolled his eyes. Her expression and obvious embarrassment made it clear that she had, in fact, forgotten.
However, he was too lazy to press the matter further and simply reminded her, "The contest will begin in a week. This is a matter of pride for both families. I hope you can win it just like you did ten years ago."
Evalyn nodded calmly. "I understand. Leave it to me."
Ten years ago—or more precisely, when she was ten—she and Nathan had already faced each other in that same contest.
Evalyn had emerged victorious, defeating Nathan with ease and leaving the Asbourne family deeply humiliated at the time.
That defeat was also the reason Nathan harbored such strong hatred toward her.
But Evalyn didn’t care at all. She was the winner, and that was acknowledged by the emperor as well as representatives of both families.
"Good that you understand." Luke smiled and turned away. "Go take a shower first. You stink."
After throwing out that remark, he walked off, leaving Evalyn standing there in shock.
She quickly sniffed herself and pouted in annoyance.
"I don’t smell! Ugh... Father is so annoying!"
...
"Decennial Contest?"
Cedric, who was reading the documents in his hands, froze in surprise. He looked up and stared at Nathan, who stood calmly in front of him.
"That’s right, Your Highness. The contest will begin in a week. The Asbourne family has contacted me and requested my return," Nathan explained calmly.
"So that’s how it is..." Cedric nodded and asked no further questions.
He was familiar with the Decennial Contest. If he recalled correctly, the winner ten years ago had been Evalyn.
Nathan’s defeat back then had caused quite a stir, sending shockwaves that even reached kingdoms and empires on other continents.
That was hardly surprising, considering the Lionheart and Asbourne families were descended from the two heroes who had once slain the Demon Emperor Zerathos.
"By the way, I’m curious about something. Are you confident you can defeat Evalyn Lionheart?"
Cedric leaned back and studied Nathan intently.
The upcoming contest was somewhat special. It was not only a rivalry between the Asbourne and Lionheart families, but also a proxy struggle between him and Elina.
After all, both families supported their respective sides in the battle for the throne.
Thus, victory or defeat would directly affect their prestige in the eyes of the public—and the noble families that remained neutral.
"One hundred percent," Nathan replied confidently, raising ten fingers. "Back then, I was still weak, so it was easy for Evalyn to defeat me. But not anymore. With the help of the Dark Sword of the Eclipse, my chances of winning are very high."
Most people didn’t know that the Divine Sword of Luminus and the Dark Sword of the Eclipse countered each other.
In the end, everything depended on mastery of the respective swords.
Nathan was confident that his understanding of the Dark Sword of the Eclipse far surpassed Evalyn’s mastery of the Divine Sword of Luminus.
Victory was clearly within his grasp.
"Good!" Cedric smiled in satisfaction. "I hope you can make that dream come true. Only then can I bring Elina’s prestige down a notch."
Nathan smiled as well. "Leave it to me."