Ascension Of The Villain

As soon as Vyan and Iyana manifested in her tent, she pulled her hand back from him like she'd touched a hot coal, turning away with a cold, "Leave."

Vyan knew exactly why she was upset. He could read the guilt on her face—the weight she carried for bringing danger to him through Sienna. All he wanted was to free her from that burden, but in his clumsy way, he ended up saying something painfully insensitive.

But the truth often is. There was no way their feelings could be mutual. He wasn't in a position to fall in love with anyone, and she... well, she was already engaged to someone else, even if her heart wasn't in it.

Still, hurting her was never his intention. He only wanted her to feel less guilty, to understand that Sienna's actions weren't her responsibility. Sienna chose her path, and no matter what her motivations were, the blame didn't lie with Iyana.

Yeah, he really should have taken that approach. But, no, he had to go and let his brain-to-mouth filter take a day off. Genius move, really.

"Iyana," Vyan called softly, his tone filled with regret.

She didn't even twitch, arms crossed, her back stubbornly facing him..

"So, about what I said before—"

"You were right," she interrupted, her voice sharp. "If I were in love with you, it wouldn't be mutual. But you should also know that my feelings right now," she stressed, "are mutual to yours."

Vyan arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. Because I also feel nothing for you."

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He chuckled, unable to help himself. "I wouldn't say I feel nothing for you. I mean, I still care about you. A great deal, in fact."

"Whatever! If you care for me, I do too. If you don't, I don't either. The point is, our feelings are mutual right now," she huffed, clearly trying to drive the point home with a hammer.

"Yes, yes, I understand, but what I was trying to say was—"

"Lady Iyana?" came an unfamiliar male voice from outside the tent. "Are you inside?"

"Yes, what is it?" Iyana replied, glancing over her shoulder in worry—only to find Vyan had pulled his classic vanishing act.

"Greetings, my lady. Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Jade, requests your presence urgently," said the voice, which she quickly recognized as Calvin's. "Can you come right now?"

With a sigh, Iyana opened the tent flap and greeted Calvin. "Yes, let's go."

As she was about to close the door, Calvin leaned in, his curiosity clearly piqued. "My lady, was there someone inside with you?"

"No, why?" Iyana asked, keeping her tone light, though internally, her heart was doing a gymnastic routine. She knew better than to underestimate Calvin's instincts—after all, he was an Aura Knight too.

"It's just that I sensed another presence inside," Calvin murmured, then shook his head with a chuckle. "But I guess I must have been mistaken."

"Oh," was Iyana's only response, her calm exterior betraying none of the nerves underneath.

As they started walking, Calvin offered a small smile. "By the way, congratulations on gaining Aura."

"Thanks," Iyana mumbled, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"It's a shame you wouldn't have the opportunity to join the Order of Aura Knights," Calvin continued with a hint of regret, "but I suppose it's our fate to serve you rather than fight alongside you as a comrade."

"Maybe," Iyana replied with a wry smile.

Soon, they reached Jade's tent, and Calvin asked for permission before bringing Iyana inside.

As she stepped in, Iyana's sharp eyes took in the scene—Jade was perched on a throne-like chair that screamed opulence. The tent's interior was decked out like a luxury suite, dripping with extravagance. Clearly, Vyan had gone all out to cater to Jade's love for the finer things in life. The guy really knew how to butter up those who couldn't resist a shiny trinket or two.

"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty. How can I be of service to you?" Iyana greeted, her tone polite, though she had a pretty good hunch about what was coming.

Jade didn't waste time. "Lady Iyana, I would like you to investigate the perpetrator behind the person who had my son attacked."

Iyana nodded, though inwardly she was rolling her eyes. "I understand, Your Imperial Majesty. While I wish His Imperial Highness a speedy recovery, I am afraid it wouldn't be possible for me to conduct this investigation. You see, I am supposed to hand in my resignation as the Vice-Commander at the end of this week, so technically, I don't have the authority—"

Jade cut her off with the efficiency of a guillotine. "I am giving you the authority," she ordered, her voice brooking no argument. "I am extending the date of your resignation. I will speak to Easton myself. The most important thing is finding the person responsible for my son's condition."

"Of course, Your Imperial Majesty. I will do as you ask," Iyana replied with a respectful nod. "Shall I head to the central medical facility to question Prince Izac now?"

"No, not yet." Jade's posture stiffened, a slight tension in her shoulders betraying her concern. She clearly knew that Edgar and Easton would blow a fuse if Iyana skipped out on the rest of the festival. "For now, investigate the location where Izac was found. You can continue the investigation when we return to the capital in three days.

By then, Izac should be in a better condition to speak with you by that time."

"Understood, Your Imperial Majesty."

After a few more curt instructions, Iyana was finally free to leave. She stepped out of Jade's tent and let out an exasperated sigh, her shoulders sagging.

She already knew exactly who the culprit was, but the only reason she had accepted this royal wild goose chase was to hang on to her post for a few more days. Not that she would ever give Vyan's name up—not a chance.

But hey, at least she had a reason to grin now. Retaining her post for a little while longer? That was a win in her book. Hopefully, she would get to keep it for a much longer time if Vyan managed to keep his promise of making sure this wedding doesn't happen.

"Ugh," Iyana groaned, the mere thought of Vyan souring her mood faster than spoiled milk.

But when she reached her tent, the last person she expected was already lounging inside, looking entirely too comfortable. "What are you still doing here?" she snapped, eyes narrowing.

Vyan glanced up with that infuriatingly calm expression of his. "We didn't finish talking," he said, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

She folded her arms, the irritation bubbling up like a pot on the verge of boiling over. "Don't you have a hunt to get back to? Or did you just give up on the idea of winning entirely?"

He waved off his hand in dismissal. "Oh, I have already waved goodbye to victory. Day one was a spectacular disaster, all thanks to my pettiness." He flashed a wry smile. "So, anyway, what did Empress Jade want from you?"

"She wanted me to capture you for daring to mess with Prince Izac," Iyana replied, her tone dripping with mock severity.

"Figured as much," he chuckled, completely unfazed. "So, where were we before I was so rudely interrupted by the empress' knight?"

"What is there to finish?" Iyana shot back, her voice sharp as a dagger. "You already drew the line, didn't you?"

He blinked, clearly taken aback. "Hey, come on, you know that's not what I was trying to—"

"You know what?" she cut him off, her gaze steady as she took a step closer. "Even if you don't want to, I will."

Vyan stared at her, utterly bewildered. "Huh?"

"I am drawing a line between us, Vyan."