The Obsessive Male Lead Is Actually Scary-Chapter 40: A Day That Felt Like Peace

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The sound of bolts hitting their mark echoed crisply through the training yard. One after another, the crossbow bolts struck dead center, right in the yellow ring of the three side-by-side butt targets. Even at fifty meters, the grouping was sharp and consistent.

I lowered the crossbow, releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Cheers burst out from the side, and I turned to see Emir and Amira rushing over, beaming.

"Wow, my lady! You hit all of them! That was so cool!" Emir said, his eyes practically glowing with admiration.

"My lady, I brought you a towel and water!" Amira added, jogging toward me with a little skip in her step.

It had been nearly two weeks since that incident, and Amira’s health had improved significantly. She still looked a little pale, but her eyes had regained their light. Over the past few days, she and Emir had made it a habit to watch my training every morning like it was the best show in town.

"Thank you." I smiled as I took the towel from Amira and patted her head affectionately.

She leaned into it with a soft smile, cheeks flushed from the morning sun.

’She used to act so grown-up, like she had to hold everything together. But looking at her now... she’s still just a little girl. So cute.’

A small laugh slipped from my lips as I wiped away the sweat trickling down my face and took a long drink from the bottle. Just as I set it down, footsteps approached behind me.

"That was impressive," Alessio said as he came into view, arms crossed. "Looks like you’re more than ready for the next part."

I raised a brow. "Already?"

Before he could answer, Caleb and Mateo appeared behind him, dragging long, wooden frames shaped vaguely like human silhouettes. They looked like giant stick puppets, with makeshift arms and legs dangling from pivot joints.

"Ta-da." Caleb smirked, dusting off his hands. "Moving targets. Handmade by yours truly."

"You made those?" I blinked in surprise.

"Well, the base was Mateo’s idea. I just improved it with a pulley system and weights. They’ll move across the track once we release them. Good for reaction and aim training."

Mateo nodded. "You’ll need to focus on more than just distance. Anyone can hit a still target with enough practice. The real challenge is hitting something that moves... especially if it’s charging at you."

"Wait, they’re gonna move?" Emir asked, eyes wide. "Like, really move?"

"As real as it gets." Alessio walked over and grabbed a rope tied to one of the wooden figures. "Once I let go of this rope, the target slides forward on a wheeled track. Your job is to hit the center before it reaches the red line over there."

He pointed to a red stripe painted about halfway across the field.

"How fast does it go?" I asked, already stepping toward the crossbow again.

"Depends on the target’s weight. We’ve got different ones. Some light, some heavy. The light ones will move faster." Mateo crouched down and adjusted a knob at the side of one of the frames. "You’ll want to calculate the trajectory fast. Factor in the speed, distance, wind... then fire. The goal is to hit the kill zone, usually the chest or head."

"Kill zone, huh..." I narrowed my eyes at the wooden dummy.

"Don’t overthink it." Alessio smiled. "Just like the still targets, except now they’re not waiting around to be hit."

"Okay." I rolled my shoulders and set the crossbow back into position. "Let’s try."

* * *

Amira and Emir sat cross-legged at the edge of the yard, watching with sparkling eyes as the wooden dummy was released and started gliding smoothly across the track.

"Whoa, look! It’s moving!" Emir bounced.

I narrowed my eyes, tracing the dummy’s movement. I counted the seconds silently. One... two...

Click. Thunk!

The bolt flew and hit the wooden figure right in the chest, just before it crossed the red line.

"She did it!" Amira clapped excitedly.

I lowered the crossbow and let out a small breath of relief.

"Again," I said.

"Yes, ma’am." Caleb chuckled, already resetting the target.

Over the next several rounds, Alessio occasionally stepped in to correct my stance or adjust the crossbow angle. Mateo explained the way crosswinds could affect the bolt trajectory. Caleb teased me for missing a fast target once, but I caught him off guard on the next round by hitting a smaller dummy square in the head.

"You’re a natural," Alessio muttered beside me as I wiped my brow again.

I glanced at him. "You’re not going to say something cheesy like, ’It’s in your blood,’ are you?"

He looked away. "...Maybe."

I grinned.

"Lady Sonia is amazing..." Amira whispered, hugging her knees.

"Yeah. She’s like a knight!" Emir added.

Their words floated softly on the breeze. My chest felt oddly warm at their praise.

’Alessio...’

I stole a quick glance at him. He was adjusting the bolts on the next dummy, focused, serious, but there was something softer in his eyes now. Something almost... fond.

Just as I looked away, he suddenly spoke.

"Next time," he said, "we’ll try double targets."

"Double?"

"Two dummies. Releasing at different speeds, from different directions."

"...You really want me to cry, don’t you?"

He smirked. "Not cry. Adapt."

I groaned dramatically and slumped forward, earning a laugh from all three men and a giggle from the kids.

Despite the sweat, the heat, and the aching arms... I smiled.

This was fun.

* * *

After the training session wrapped up, we all headed back into the inn, my clothes sticking with sweat and my muscles pleasantly sore.

"Can we really go to the market with you?" Emir asked excitedly, nearly bouncing as he walked beside me.

"Of course. It’s been almost a week since you and Amira have been cooped up inside," I replied with a smile. "You’ve only ever seen the courtyard and the hallway. Time to get some fresh air and stretch your legs properly."

Amira nodded with wide eyes. "Really? We can go too?"

"Yeah," Alessio said, stepping in with a nod. "We’ll buy you anything you need. So take your time and think about what you want. Lunch should arrive soon. After you’ve eaten, we’ll all head out together."

"Then we’ll knock on your door later, kiddos," Caleb added, giving them a lazy salute and a grin.

"I’ll be back after lunch. See you then!" I waved, and the kids waved back with gleaming eyes.

Alessio and Mateo offered warm smiles before heading to their rooms. Mateo and Caleb had been staying here for a while now, sharing a room just down the hall from ours.

Caleb and I exchanged a quick glance, and the kids watched us until we reached our door. Then we gave each other one last wave.

After lunch, we all headed out to the market as promised. Emir and Amira could barely contain their excitement, skipping beside me as the sunlight poured down over the bustling streets of Kalvena.

I made sure to buy them each a skewer from the same stall where I’d gotten mine before. The moment Emir bit into his, his eyes lit up.

"Mmm! This is amazing!"

"I told you so," I laughed, handing one to Amira. "Careful, it’s still hot."

We strolled along the street, stopping here and there at stalls filled with spices, embroidered fabrics, colorful jewelry, and wood-carved toys.

The children had never seen so many things in one place before. Emir’s nose was pressed to nearly every stall, while Amira clung to the small pouch Alessio had given her, her eyes constantly flitting toward the handmade dolls on display.

Mateo made sure to keep an eye on the perimeter, his expression calm but sharp. Alessio, as always, walked near me in silence, occasionally watching the kids with a softness in his gaze he probably wasn’t even aware of.

Caleb bargained loudly with a vendor over a wooden puzzle box, somehow turning the whole process into a performance that earned laughs from surrounding shopkeepers.

For a while, everything felt light.

But not far from the crowd, just at the edge of the marketplace, someone stood frozen.

A man, wrapped in a dusty cloak, his hood shadowing most of his features, stared ahead in silence. Half of his face was burned, the skin scarred and rough. His eyes, bloodshot and seething, locked onto us with fury.

"Those bastards..." he hissed under his breath.

It was Kareem. The thug leader.

The man who had once worked under Count Belmont. And the only one who survived the warehouse’s destruction.

’So it was them... They’re the ones who ruined everything that night.’

His breathing grew shallow, almost ragged. The memory of fire, the sound of the explosion, and the screams of his men echoed in his mind like a fever dream.

His fingers twitched.

He clenched his teeth so hard the muscle in his jaw throbbed. Veins stood out along his temple and neck, flushed red from the pressure. His entire frame trembled, not from pain, but rage.

His hands balled into fists.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss