Maria's POV

After the rigorous training session, Frank became eerily silent, almost to the point of being deafening. His sudden silence left me uneasy.

I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with myself. The idea of beginner’s luck seemed absurd, as my stance, knowledge, and aim were all at an advanced level, possibly surpassing that of at least half of the trainees present.

Although I was still a mere child when I last trained, one skill in which I consistently excelled was marksmanship, the sole aspect that my father took pride in.

Supposedly, I was meant to be the clueless, innocent, poor slave, but I couldn’t resist my inclination toward archery....