The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 298

Citrine forced herself to keep singing, doing her best not to falter.

Meanwhile, Sebastian stood in the crowd, watching with a faint frown etched on his face.

Just as Citrine finished her song, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

Now came the entertainment segment—anyone could take the stage and show off a talent.

Maybe because everyone had just laughed at Citrine, Hastings, for once, seemed to take pity on her. He didn’t try to make things harder.

But then, to everyone’s shock, Citrine stepped forward on her own.

She looked straight at Hastings and said, “Mr. Cooper, I heard you’re part of the Vermillion Vanguard. Rumor has it your squad’s faced down real criminals from Magnolia, and you’re all top-notch fighters. I’ve picked up a bit of sparring myself—would you do me the honor of a match?”

Hastings froze. So did the students and upperclassmen gathered to watch—their eyes widened in disbelief.

“A freshman challenging a member of the Vermillion Vanguard? She’s got a death wish.”

“Look at her—she looks like a stiff breeze would knock her over. Mr. Cooper will flatten her in seconds.”

“Whatever pretty moves she learned out there are nothing compared to real combat training. This girl’s dreaming.”

“Mr. Cooper isn’t actually going to agree, is he?”

...

“You… really want to spar with me?” Hastings couldn’t help but laugh as he spoke, his tone half-amused, half-incredulous. This girl had some nerve, but clearly didn’t know her place.

Citrine had no idea what he was thinking. She kept her gaze respectful and earnest. “Mr. Cooper, I’m genuinely asking to learn. Even if I lose, I won’t complain.”

From start to finish, she looked every bit the humble student.

Hastings snorted. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you—we don’t pull our punches when we train with each other. If you get hurt, don’t come crying.”