An Unexpected Rivalry
Arkin’s cheeks burned hot as he stood facing Nefetia. Of course I want to teach you, but….
“But Zafiri….”
“Zafiri says archery is boring.”
Nefetia’s pouty reply was followed by Zafiri suddenly popping up behind her shoulder. As always, his eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Good heavens, archery? I’d die of boredom.”
The theatrical delivery nearly made Arkin burst out laughing. He had no idea what deal Nefetia had struck with him, but from Arkin’s perspective there was no reason to refuse.
“…Amalfi, is that all right with you?”
Arkin forced down the smile tugging at his lips and turned to Amalfi.
“Huh? Y-yeah….”
As Amalfi nodded in a daze, Zafiri sidled right up beside her.
“My dear Amalfi, how did you even manage to lift that heavy bow with such delicate arms? They must be aching terribly….”
“Y-yeah… it was pretty hard….”
“Shall we go for a stroll over there instead?”
Though she clearly disliked archery, Amalfi still hesitated, reluctant to give up the chance for a private lesson with Arkin. Zafiri delivered the finishing blow.
“You know, Amalfi, if you want to watch Arkin exercising, I’ll show you later. When he’s not wearing a shirt, that is….”
What the hell are you saying? Arkin’s eyes widened, but Amalfi looked thoroughly satisfied as she quickly set down her bow. Zafiri winked playfully at him, then whisked Amalfi away before she could change her mind. Arkin wasn’t sure whether to thank him or curse him—the price felt far too steep….
“All right then, Nefetia.”
After watching Zafiri’s retreating back, Arkin turned back to Nefetia. The moment their eyes met, she tilted her chin as if she had been waiting for this.
“Let’s begin.”
His heart had been racing only moments ago, but the sight of Nefetia dragging the tip of her bow along the ground with the haughtiest expression in the world nearly made him laugh out loud.
“Sure.”
Arkin bit his lip and deliberately looked away. He knew he wore his emotions plainly on his face, but he had never imagined a situation like this.
She’s so cute….
An inexplicable impatience stirred inside him. It was the kind of urge that made him want to scoop her up regardless of who was watching and run off somewhere the two of them could be alone.
“Hurry up. Stand closer.”
The more Nefetia scolded him, the more heated Arkin’s gaze became. She clearly had no idea that showing him this thoroughly sulky side only made him want to tease her even more.
“First, we need to fix your foot position.”
Arkin deliberately kept his voice as neutral as possible. As he stepped behind her, the pleasant scent that had enchanted him the night before washed over him. Suppressing the desire to bury his lips in her jet-black hair, he carefully corrected her stance.
“Spread your legs shoulder-width apart. Move that foot forward….”
The hand that had adjusted her shoulders slid down her slender back and gently wrapped around her narrow waist. As his fingers glided over her hips to correct their angle, Nefetia drew in a shallow breath.
“Now lift the bow.”
“It’s heavy. Hold it for me like you did for Amalfi.”
She really is acting like a spoiled child. Arkin pulled her waist closer and bit down hard on his lip.
“Are you a child? You have to learn properly.”
He answered curtly on purpose. If he wanted to keep from pulling her small frame fully into his arms and showering kisses on the nape of her neck, he had to keep himself in check somehow.
“You taught Amalfi so nicely, though….”
“Amalfi is Amalfi. You’re you.”
Suddenly Nefetia whirled around. Her eyes, brimming with resentment, silently glared at him.
“Fine, fine. I’ll support it for you, so just hold it properly.”
Wrapping his arms around her from behind, Arkin let out a soft chuckle. As he supported her wrist and closed his hand over hers, he could feel her delicate pulse hammering wildly beneath his fingers.
“Nefetia.”
He pressed his lips to the shell of her ear as he whispered her name. Her small shoulders stiffened.
“Were you that jealous? Jealous enough to come running to me?”
“…I don’t know. Be quiet.”
Though he couldn’t see her face, her ears and the back of her neck flushed bright red in an instant. Arkin tightened the arm around her so she couldn’t turn away and gave a short command.
“Eyes on the target. Don’t look away.”
When he completely covered her hands with his own, their bodies pressed flush together. Heat surged through him, and memories of the night they had passionately entangled flooded his mind—the slick skin drenched in bodily fluids, the sweet moans that had spilled from her lips, the way Nefetia had clung to him with hazy, unfocused eyes….
“Now pull with all your strength.”
Nefetia held her breath and drew the bowstring back with force. It clearly wasn’t enough on her own, so Arkin added his strength. A pleasant dizziness clouded his mind.
“Hold your breath.”
The bowstring creaked as it stretched taut. Veins bulged along Arkin’s arms. The arrow was ready to fly at any moment.
“Good. Count to three and release.”
One. Two. Three. Their fingertips released the string at the same time. Twang! The arrow sliced through the air and flew like lightning—only to narrowly miss the target.
Arkin didn’t let go of Nefetia right away. He lingered, slowly lowering the bow. Though all they had done was shoot an arrow, exhaustion washed over him as if he had sprinted at full speed.
“Well done, Nefetia.”
Arkin chuckled softly and brushed her shoulder lightly.
“Want to try again?”
Nefetia, who had been staring at the empty target, turned toward him. For a moment she narrowed her eyes in a sulky glare, then huffed and spun on her heel, marching away.
Arkin didn’t follow her. Instead he simply watched, imprinting the sight deeply into his memory. Seeing Nefetia sulk, get angry, and pour out her emotions sent an indescribable thrill racing through him.
He picked up the bow again and stared at the target. His hands moved slowly and deliberately as he nocked an arrow—calm and practiced—but his heart was in turmoil.
He knew he should have comforted her. So why did he feel like being so mean? What did his honest heart truly want?
His blue eyes, fixed sharply on the target, darkened. As the bowstring drew tight, the chaos in his chest gradually settled.
I… want you to be helplessly drawn to me. I want you to feel more impatient than I do, to show fiery jealousy at my every move. I wouldn’t mind if you threw tantrums like a child or even cried that you felt hurt….
With a fierce whoosh, the arrow shot forward. Though it had seemed to fly on a stable path, it missed the target completely and fell limply in the wrong direction.
“Ah….”
Arkin could only laugh in disbelief. Since he had first picked up a bow, this was the very first time he had completely failed to hit the target.
“As expected, you’re quite skilled, Arkin.”
When Arkin’s arrow, slicing through the wind, struck dead center in the target, Seneca nodded in satisfaction.
Arkin returned to his spot and glanced toward Nefetia. The moment their eyes met, she puffed out her cheeks in clear displeasure, as if protesting. Arkin simply smiled calmly and slowly returned to his place.
“Next, Kaichen.”
“Are you crazy? How am I supposed to hit that?”
Kaichen grumbled as he stepped forward. He stared at the distant target with narrowed eyes and tried to aim carefully in his own way, but his arrow fell weakly to the ground.
After the sulking Prince of the Thunder Kingdom came Petra of Stonegard.
“Why can’t you hit that? Haven’t you trained at all?”
She grinned and plucked the bowstring with a twang. Unlike Kaichen’s clumsy attempt, Petra nocked the arrow lightly, drew the string in one smooth motion, and released. The arrow flew in a graceful arc and pierced straight through the center of the target. Seneca clapped in admiration.
“Next, Draconis of Igninof.”
Draconis swaggered forward with an arrogant air that suggested this was beneath him. However, despite his impressive posture, his skill was lacking—his arrow barely lodged in the very edge of the target. Unable to control his temper, Draconis hurled the bow to the ground and stormed back to his seat.
“Princess Nefetia of Kepet.”
The moment Nefetia’s name was called, Arkin’s nerves sharpened. Watching her step forward, he felt a flicker of worry. Maybe I should have taught her properly instead of teasing her. What if her pride gets hurt…?
“Ready.”
Nefetia lifted the bow. Without any sign of hesitation, she assumed a perfectly natural stance. Arkin’s eyes narrowed as he watched.
…What?
The position of her hand on the grip, the angle of her elbow, the tension in her shoulders—every detail was flawless, the kind of form even a seasoned archer would envy. Arkin couldn’t help but let out a stunned laugh.
At Seneca’s signal, Nefetia drew the bowstring with powerful force. She held it steady for a moment, then released in one clean motion. There wasn’t a single flaw in the entire sequence.
Whoosh. Her arrow flew with tremendous power and struck dead center in the distant target.
“Whoa!”
“What the—Nefetia! That’s incredible!”
Excited murmurs erupted from every direction, and Seneca’s mouth hung open in a wide grin. He even asked her to shoot a couple more arrows as a demonstration, praising her form as the most perfect he had seen.
Nefetia gladly obliged. The second arrow also hit the exact center of the target, piercing the white heart. Then the third, fourth, fifth….
It was a sight almost impossible to believe even while watching. Every single shot was a perfect bullseye. Each time she fired, it looked as though the target itself was sucking the arrows in.
“…….”
While everyone else watched Nefetia in awe, Arkin alone was consumed by an entirely different emotion.
The moment he realized he had been thoroughly outdone, a fire roared to life in his chest. He couldn’t explain why his body was burning up like this, but an overwhelming desire surged through him—the urge to lay Nefetia down right then and there and ravish her until they were both senseless.
“I have a suggestion for everyone.”
At that moment, Seneca looked around with a pleased expression.
“Since there are quite a few skilled archers here, how about we turn this into a proper competition? We’ll move the targets farther back and have each person shoot ten arrows. Who would like to participate?”
The moment the priest finished speaking, two hands shot up as if on cue.
“Excellent. Nefetia and Arkin. Anyone else?”
When those golden eyes, brimming with playful mischief, met his, Arkin’s heart began to pound harder than it ever had before. He had a feeling this would be the most enjoyable contest of his entire life.