Ascension Of The Villain

"Oh, my, if this happens, Easton is done for," Althea exclaimed, eyes wide with awe. "But you have to admit, this plan is a bit of a double-edged sword."

"Eh, we just need to be extra careful. Worst-case scenario? We bring ruin upon our entire nation," Vyan shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not a big deal."

"It will be a big deal if I am to become the new crown princess," she pointed out, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I shall do my best, Your Imperial Highness," he said, his voice laced with insincerity. Despite that, Althea sighed, knowing he would actually try. "By the way, you are attending the Monster Hunt Festival, are you not?"

"Of course!" she chimed. "How could I miss this golden opportunity to blow off some steam? Especially after you maneuvered through so many obstacles to secure a separate hunting ground for women?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Have you ever attended the festival before?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes, but I was very young. I don't remember much, save for a pleasant tour of a few places in Ashstone," she murmured.

"If you enjoyed it then, you will adore it now. And I am not merely saying that because it's my grand duchy—Ashstone truly is a masterpiece."

She smiled. "A tour would be wonderful."

"Then it is settled! Arrive a few days early, and I shall have Clyde give you a marvelous tour—"

Althea's eyes hardened like tempered steel. "Stop, Vyan. Stop doing that."

Vyan's brows furrowed in mock confusion. "Stop doing what? Being my charming self?"

"This—scheming to set me up with Clyde," she clarified, her tone like ice.

Vyan froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming carriage. "Who was the obvious one? Clyde or I?" he asked, knowing there was no use trying to pick up spilled milk.

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"Both of you," she replied, her face as impassive as a marble statue. "I would have to be blind not to notice how hard both of you were trying."

"I was not trying that hard," he protested, his voice tinged with faux indignation.

"Well, Clyde did your portion as well," she shot back, rolling her eyes.

Vyan contemplated for a moment before facing Althea with an uncharacteristically sincere look.  "Look, Thea, I apologize if we made you feel uncomfortable."

Althea shook her head lightly, her expression softening just a touch. "There is no need to apologize, Vyan. Clyde's efforts to win me over were flattering, and all you did was help your friend. How can I be mad about that?"

"I am glad you see it that way," Vyan said, relief creeping into his voice. "But, as Clyde's loyal wingman, I have to ask one last time: why can you not consider Clyde? He really likes you, and he is a good guy, even if he is as graceful as a drunken ox. But I can assure you that he will cherish you more than anyone else."

"I am sure he would." Her smile was serene, but Vyan could sense the emptiness behind it. "But it's just, Vyan, I am not ready to get involved in a relationship again."

"Ah," that's when it hit Vyan, "You had a bad case of love, didn't you?"

Althea's lips tightened into a thin line as she nodded. "I want to tell you about it, but I don't want to ruin my image in front of you."

"Who cares about who you were before we met? What matters is who you are now. So don't worry, my image of you is not going to change because of this," he assured, his tone unusually gentle, warming her heart with a sense of familial affection.

"Thank you, Vyan." She gave him a sad smile, feeling a bit lighter. "But it truly is a tale steeped in shame."

"Then by all means, regale me with your folly. My judgment has been left at the palace gates." He flashed her an encouraging smile.

"Long story short: my vulnerable sixteen-year old self fell in love with a man twice my age and eloped with him from the palace."

"Okay, wow. I did not see that coming" Vyan remarked, bewildered. "I know I told you I would not judge, but Thea," he seriously looked her square into the eye, "were you, like, monumentally dumb?"

She burst out laughing at that, as if recalling her stupidity. "You are right. I absolutely was back then."

Vyan shook his head in disbelief. "How could you even fall in love with such an old-timer?" Experience adventures on m _v _lempy _r.

"Well, he used to be one of my night guards and he often comforted me in my hard times, so…"

"Unbelievable. Were you aiming for scandal or simply swept away by his silver-tongued charm?"" he exhaled a sigh of disappointment, acting truly like a brother.

"Perhaps a bit of both. Looking back, I was young and disastrously naive." Althea laughed softly, a hint of ruefulness in her eyes. "Moving on now. After eloping, he whisked me away to a rustic cottage in the countryside, where he tried to snatch all my belongings and force himself on me—"

"He tried to do what?" Vyan's eyes flashed with sharp rage.

"Don't worry," Althea replied coolly, waving a dismissive hand. "I managed to fend him off."

"Thank the heavens," Vyan breathed a sigh of relief, his features softening. "Had he succeeded, I would have been compelled to take matters into my own hands."

Althea smiled faintly. "I appreciate the sentiment, but in the end, I took care of him myself."

Vyan chuckled lightly as he joked, "What, you dispatched him yourself?"

A heavy silence settled between them as Althea met Vyan's gaze with a cold-blooded look. "Yes. It was a necessity."

Vyan blinked slowly, trying to assess if she were attempting to play along with his joke, but the serious look in her eye was enough to make his gut wrench.

"Although it was not my intent," she added.

"Now, don't tell me you pushed him off too hard and he went tumbling into the glass window and died," he again made a joke, only to have her wide eyes confirm he had once again hit the bullseye.

"How did you guess that?" she asked, astonished.

"Wow, what a useless talent I have," he murmured, unenthusiastic. "So anyway, is this why you never got married? Were the rumors that terrible?"

"Not quite," she smiled mischievously. "It didn't even get out. Since my disappearance was only brief, no one even noticed I was gone. Therefore, no damage done," she elaborated. "And as for never getting married, it was a choice of mine, and it still is. I don't think I can ever trust a man ever again."

Vyan nodded sympathetically and asked, "So, I am your trusted confidant, thanks to our Sacred Oath, I suppose?"

"Essentially," she admitted. "Which brings me to my confession."

"And here I thought it was because we were actually close now," Vyan teased, and she chortled. "So, what's the strategy with Clyde?"

"Well, could you pass on the message from me?" she reluctantly requested.

Vyan firmly shook his head. "I would say that is one of the most insincere ways to turn someone down."

"But I can't turn him down myself, either, as long as he does not confess. Imagine how arrogant I would come off as, especially if he denies his feelings at that moment," Althea shrieked, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Oh, how embarrassing for you. I would be interested in watching that," he drawled, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Ugh, tell me what I should do," she grumbled, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Simple. Draw a clear line between you and him—make him understand you are not interested."

"I have already been doing that," she interjected, her voice rising in exasperation.

"You have to try harder," he added.

She pursed her lips, nodding begrudgingly. "By the way, are you sure you should be telling all this to me when you are closer to Clyde? Do you not consider him a friend anymore?"

"Hey, I do consider him my friend, and not to mention, you are like a sister to me as well. It's just that I don't want to see either of you too hurt in the end. That's it," he confessed, his voice softening for a moment.

Althea got up from her seat and ruffled Vyan's hair lightly. "Wow, my brother is so sensible."

"Don't go ruining my hair like this," he complained, swatting her hand away.

"When you say it like that, I want to do it more," she said with a mischievous grin.

"Please don't," he pleaded, his tone half-joking, half-serious.

Their playful sibling-like banter filled the room with warmth and laughter, even as they both knew they were about to embark on yet another perilous mission—one that could even endanger their entire nation.