Tressa's expression turned utterly bewildered.
She couldn't understand what had just happened.
Not only had every one of her attacks been intercepted flawlessly, but she hadn't even been able to keep up with what should have been nothing more than beginner-level techniques.
How was that even possible?
She had practiced swordsmanship for years.
She had competed in —and won —numerous tournaments. Her reputation had been built through countless battles and relentless training.
Yet today ...
She had lost to a mere actress who had supposedly trained for less than a month.
She stared at Adelyn, unable to comprehend what she had just experienced.
Part of her wanted to blame Adelyn —to accuse her of deception, of deliberately misleading everyone.
But the more she replayed the duel in her mind, the more confused she became.
Every movement Adelyn had used ...
Every strike.
Every defense.
Every transition.
None of them belonged to advanced swordsmanship.
