Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Shawn was undeniably handsome. He had perfectly shaped lips and a strong, prominent nose—every inch of his face looked as if it had been meticulously sculpted by God.
From a distance, his striking features and commanding physique made it impossible to look away.
Even without a military uniform, the bronze tone of his skin and his piercing, hawk-like eyes radiated a cold, formidable aura unique to seasoned soldiers. He was powerful, enigmatic—aloof and untouchable.
Zoe maintained a calm, indifferent expression on the outside. But inside, her heart was already burning with excitement.
Shawn Ludwig—known internationally as "the most formidable man on the battlefield"—had just made his appearance. And he was also Zoe's assassination target.
A faint smile curled at her lips, her eyes burning with a fierce, almost mad desire to win. She wanted to kill him—and reclaim the glory that was rightfully hers.
No one noticed Zoe. All anyone could hear was the steady rhythm of Shawn's footsteps echoing across the silent shooting range, like the beat of a war drum, tightening the nerves of every student present.
In the next instant, the girls let out an earth-shattering scream.
"Wow!"
"It really is the legendary Mr. Ludwig!"
"He's so handsome. I can't believe he looks this good even in casual clothes. If he showed up in uniform with white gloves on, I think I'd faint."
"I used to think Philip Chapman was the most attractive man on Earth, but now... sorry, all I see is our instructor."
Good thing Philip was once again absent from class today—or he'd have been driven mad by these fangirls.
Shawn raised a hand to silence the commotion. His sharp gaze swept across the entire room, inspecting each student with an intense focus.
Eunice, who had once admired Philip, instantly forgot all about him under Shawn's piercing glance. She instinctively lowered her head, blushing fiercely.
"Mr. Ludwig, don't look at me like that... It's embarrassing," she murmured to herself.
She thought he had picked her out of the crowd with just one look. She even imagined herself as his one true love.
Eunice was confident—after all, in Jelonsburg's high society, she was a rare combination of beauty and talent, excelling in piano, embroidery, wine tasting, combat, marksmanship, and so on.
She truly believed no other girl could possibly catch Shawn's attention like she could.
But just as she shyly looked up, hoping to return his intense gaze with a tender one of her own—she realized he had already looked away.
He hadn't been staring at her. It was just a glance. And that realization made her expression falter. She felt that she might have been misconstruing his feelings.
But then, Eunice saw something that filled her with rage. When Shawn scanned the crowd again, his gaze—sharp and predatory like a hunting eagle—landed directly on Zoe, whom Eunice thought was the last person he would look at.
It was the kind of look that said, "Target acquired."
The moment she felt that gaze, Zoe's heart skipped a beat. She worried he might have recognized her from their unexpected encounter at Jelonsburg's black market.
But soon enough, her suspicion faded. Both she and Eunice watched as Shawn nonchalantly looked away again.
With a tone as cold and commanding as if he were addressing his own troops, Shawn said simply, "Class begins."
He didn't sound like an instructor. He sounded like a commanding officer leading his soldiers into training.
Without another word, Shawn walked to the front of the range and gave the students a brief demonstration. He reached out and picked up the handgun resting on the shooting platform.
In one smooth motion, he pulled back the slide, raised the weapon, and took aim. His movements were as swift as the wind. The next moment, a rapid string of gunshots rang through the air, sharp and rhythmic, echoing in the ears of everyone present.
By the time they processed what had happened, the demonstration was already over.
On the large screen, the results lit up clearly: Ten shots. Ten bullseyes. Each bullet had struck dead center—every single one in the exact same spot. There wasn't the slightest deviation.
That kind of zero-error accuracy wasn't something just anyone could achieve. Even among tens of thousands of soldiers, perhaps only one or two could manage it.
The entire room fell into a stunned silence. Only Shawn could deliver such a flawless display as if it were nothing at all.
Not until he set the pistol down and turned around on the spot did the students finally snap out of their daze. They heard his icy voice once again. "Attention. Now begins rotation training. One by one."
Just then, Eunice suddenly raised her hand. "Mr. Ludwig, I have something to say."
As she spoke, she stared unblinkingly at the sharp profile of Shawn's face with her beautiful eyes—so intensely that she couldn't help but swallow nervously.
"While I do have decent marksmanship," she said sweetly, "you probably don't know that my sister Zoe just returned from a poor village. She's never even held a gun before.
"I'm worried she won't even be able to grip the pistol properly, so I'd like to ask if we could let the more experienced students go first—so Zoe can stand aside and observe for a while."