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the Villainess they took for granted

Chapter 265: v3 - 26: challenged · Oct 27, 2026

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Chapter List (304)

Page number / 7

251 Chapter 251: v3 - 12: training grounds I 2026-10-27
252 Chapter 252: v3 - 13: training grounds II 2026-10-27
253 Chapter 253: v3 - 14: training grounds III 2026-10-27
254 Chapter 254: v4 - 15: Training grounds IV 2026-10-27
255 Chapter 255: v3 - 16: the first duel I 2026-10-27
256 Chapter 256: v3- - 17: the first duel II 2026-10-27
257 Chapter 257: v3 - 18: the first duel III 2026-10-27
258 Chapter 258: v3 - 19: the first duel IV 2026-10-27
259 Chapter 259: v3 - 20: the first duel V 2026-10-27
260 Chapter 260: v3 - 21: the first duel VI 2026-10-27
261 Chapter 261: v3 - 22:First duel’s aftermath 2026-10-27
262 Chapter 262: v3 - 23: changing seasons 2026-10-27
263 Chapter 263: v3 - 24: unexpected guests I 2026-10-27
264 Chapter 264: v3 - 25: unexpected guests II 2026-10-27
265 Chapter 265: v3 - 26: challenged 2026-10-27
266 Chapter 266: v3 - 27: the challengers I 2026-10-27
267 Chapter 267: v3 - 28: the challengers II 2026-10-27
268 Chapter 268: v3 - 29: the challengers III 2026-10-27
269 Chapter 269: v3 - 30: the challengers IV 2026-10-27
270 Chapter 270: v3 - 31: the challengers V 2026-10-27
271 Chapter 271: v3 - 32: the challengers VI 2026-10-27
272 Chapter 272: v3 - 33: the challengers VII 2026-10-27
273 Chapter 273: v3 - 34: a gamble I 2026-10-27
274 Chapter 274: v3 - 35: a gamble II 2026-10-27
275 Chapter 275: v3 - 36: the first recruit 2026-10-27
276 Chapter 276: v3 - 37: a way forward I 2026-10-27
277 Chapter 277: v3 - 38: a way forward II 2026-10-27
278 Chapter 278: v3 - 39: a way forward III 2026-10-27
279 Chapter 279: v3 - 40: a new beginning I 2026-10-27
280 Chapter 280: v3 - 41: a new beginning II 2026-10-27
281 Chapter 281: v3 - 42: a new beginning III 2026-10-27
282 Chapter 282: v3 - 43: a new beginning IV 2026-10-27
283 Chapter 283: v3 - 44: a new beginning V 2026-10-27
284 Chapter 284: v3 - 45: a new beginning VI 2026-10-27
285 Chapter 285: v3 - 46: Count Carlo of Almery I 2026-10-27
286 Chapter 286: v3 - 47: count carlo of almery II 2026-10-27
287 Chapter 287: v3 - 48: count carlo of almery III 2026-10-27
288 Chapter 288: v3 - 49: His first appearance I 2026-10-27
289 Chapter 289: v3 - 50: His first appearance II 2026-10-27
290 Chapter 290: v3 - 51: years in passing 2026-10-27
291 Chapter 291: v3 - 52: the final six months 2026-10-27
292 Chapter 292: v3 - 53: securing the crown 2026-10-27
293 Chapter 293: v3 - 54: the rewards of victory I 2026-10-27
294 Chapter 294: v3 - 55: the rewards of victory II 2026-10-27
295 Chapter 295: v3 - 56: the truth I 2026-10-27
296 Chapter 296: v3 - 57: the truth II 2026-10-27
297 Chapter 297: v3 - 58: the truth III 2026-10-27
298 Chapter 298: v3 - 59: the road home I 2026-10-27
299 Chapter 299: v3 - 60: the road home II 2026-10-27
300 Chapter 300: v4- - 1: the life she had chosen I 2026-10-27

Chapter 265: v3 Chapter 26: challenged

The five fighters were summoned before breakfast.

Cassian arrived with Robert at the room where the Arena staff usually delivered their instructions.

Three men were already there.

Alex stood near the wall with his arms folded.

Harry sat on one of the benches.

Gary was pacing slowly across the room.

None of them spoke.

Cassian noticed the same thing in all three faces.

They were uneasy.

The Arena did not usually summon fighters together without a reason.

Robert, unusually, wasn’t smiling either.

He glanced at Cassian.

”Something’s happened.”

Cassian looked toward the closed door.

”I suppose we’ll find out.”

The door opened.

An Arena official entered.

The room went silent.

He carried five sealed notices.

He placed them on the table and looked at each of them.

”Three hundred and nineteen.”

Cassian straightened.

”Three hundred and twenty-seven.”

Robert looked up.

”Two hundred and seventy-eight.”

Alex stepped forward.

”Two hundred and fifty-two.”

Harry raised his head.

”Three hundred and fifty-six.”

Gary stopped pacing.

The official looked over them once.

”You have been selected for challenges.”

For a moment, nobody reacted.

Then Robert’s expression changed.

”Someone challenged me?”

The official looked at him.

Robert stared back.

Then a grin slowly appeared.

”Finally.”

He laughed under his breath.

”Someone noticed.”

The official gave him a dry look.

Robert immediately straightened.

”Right.”

He cleared his throat.

”Serious.”

Alex snorted.

The tension in the room eased.

Cassian had understood almost everything the official had said.

A year and eight months ago, the Arena’s language had been little more than noise to him.

Now it wasn’t.

He still missed words.

There were expressions he didn’t know, and sometimes a sentence moved too quickly for him to catch every detail.

But he understood enough.

Enough to follow conversations.

Enough to understand instructions.

Enough to know when someone was joking, threatening, or lying.

It was strange to realize how far he had come.

The official continued.

”Your regular matches are suspended for the next two weeks.”

Robert’s eyebrows rose.

”Two weeks?”

”You will not be required to fight during that period.”

A few shoulders relaxed.

Cassian understood the value immediately.

No ordinary matches.

No condemned men.

No sudden announcement that another fighter had been selected to face them.

Two weeks in which they could prepare for one opponent.

The official continued.

”You will have access to the training grounds, medical treatment, and improved meals during the preparation period.”

Robert nodded approvingly.

”Now that’s a challenge.”

The official ignored him.

”The challenger will be an outside fighter.”

Cassian listened.

Outside.

That meant the man did not belong to the Arena.

He had been brought in specifically for the challenge.

Someone had chosen them.

That alone made the coming match different from anything they usually faced.

”The match is not a death match,” the official said.

Robert’s expression brightened.

”Even better.”

The official continued.

”Neither fighter is permitted to deliberately kill the other.”

Cassian understood the distinction.

They could fight.

They could injure each other.

They could be hurt badly enough to spend weeks recovering.

But the match was not meant to end in death.

”If one fighter yields, the match ends.”

The official’s gaze moved across them.

”The Arena may also stop the match if continuing would place either fighter in serious danger.”

Robert nodded.

”Understood.”

The official placed the notices on the table.

”The challenge purse will be considerably higher than that of an ordinary match.”

Robert’s eyes immediately sharpened.

”How much?”

”You will be informed after the wagers have been finalized.”

Robert smiled.

”Now I really like challenges.”

This time even Harry laughed.

Cassian didn’t.

He was thinking about something else.

Someone had noticed him.

The thought made him uneasy.

That was the last thing he wanted.

For nearly two years, he had done everything possible to remain unremarkable. He had kept his hair untidy, his beard long, his clothes plain.

He had avoided attention whenever he could.

He had made himself Carlo.

Not Cassian Ashford.

Now someone outside the Arena had deliberately chosen him.

For a brief moment, he wondered whether they had seen something beneath the disguise.

Whether someone had recognized him.

Then the official placed the notices in front of them.

Cassian noticed the seal.

The same seal appeared on every notice.

He looked at Robert’s.

The same.

Then Alex’s.

The same.

Harry’s.

The same.

Gary’s.

The same.

The official continued.

”All five challenges were requested by the same patron.”

The thought left Cassian as quickly as it had come.

The same patron.

All five of them.

Robert.

Alex.

Harry.

Gary.

Himself.

It wasn’t personal.

The patron had simply been watching the Arena and selected several fighters at once.

Cassian could accept that.

Robert looked at the official.

”The same patron?”

”Yes.”

Robert glanced at the others.

”That’s a lot of money.”

The official gave no answer.

”Who is it?”

”The Arena does not disclose the patron’s identity.”

Robert nodded.

”Of course.”

No one pressed further.

There was little point.

The official gathered the remaining papers.

”The identity of each challenger will be known when he arrives.”

He looked at them.

”Until then, you will prepare.”

That was all.

The official left.

The door closed behind him.

For several seconds, none of them moved.

Then Robert looked at his notice again.

”Well.”

He leaned back against the table.

”I’ve been waiting for this.”

Alex smiled.

”You sound happier than when we won.”

”Because this is different.”

Robert looked at them.

”We’ve been fighting whoever the Arena puts in front of us. This time, someone actually picked us.”

Harry nodded.

”And put down enough money to make it worthwhile.”

”Exactly.”

Robert glanced at Cassian.

”You understand all of that now, don’t you?”

Cassian looked at him.

”Most of it.”

Robert grinned.

”Look at you.”

Cassian ignored him.

They left the room together.

The corridors were already busy.

Workers moved between the training grounds and the living quarters.

Fighters were being escorted toward their morning sessions.

The Arena continued as though nothing had happened.

But for the five of them, the next two weeks would be different.

Their ordinary matches were suspended.

They had been given time.

And someone outside had decided they were worth spending money on.

By the time Cassian and Robert reached their quarters, Robert was still talking.

”I wonder who the challenger is.”

”Someone capable.”

”Obviously.”

Robert dropped onto his bed.

”That’s the point.”

Cassian sat across from him.

Robert looked at the notice in his hand.

”Still.”

He smiled.

”It’s good.”

Cassian understood.

A challenge meant recognition.

Money.

And, most importantly, a break from the death matches.

He couldn’t say he was happy to have been chosen.

He didn’t want attention.

But two weeks without killing—or being expected to kill—was something he could appreciate.

Robert looked toward him.

”What did yours say?”

Cassian handed him the notice.

Robert read it.

Then looked up.

”Only a number.”

”Yes.”

”No name.”

”No.”

Robert turned the paper over.

”Mine’s the same.”

Cassian nodded.

”The challenger will be revealed when he arrives.”

Robert frowned slightly.

”Wonder what kind of fighter they picked.”

Cassian took the notice back.

”Someone they believe is worth the wager.”

Robert smiled.

”Probably.”

He leaned back against the wall.

”Two weeks, though.”

Cassian looked at him.

”Yes.”

”Two whole weeks.”

Robert laughed softly.

”I could get used to this.”

Cassian almost smiled.

He couldn’t.

The Arena had never given them time without demanding something in return.

But this time, at least, the price would not be paid in blood.

He looked down at the notice again.

Two weeks.

He had spent one year and eight months fighting in the Arena.

He had learned its rules.

Its rhythms.

Its language.

He had learned how to survive its matches.

Now someone outside the Arena had chosen him.

He didn’t know who.

He didn’t know what they wanted.

But he no longer thought it had anything to do with who he really was.

Five fighters had been chosen by the same patron.

Cassian folded the notice and set it aside.

Two weeks away from the death matches.

He would take them.

Tbc

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