Ascension Of The Villain

Althea entered her office, her mind full of the events from the imperial court. She had to discuss strategies with Vyan about when—

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes immediately landed on Clyde and she forgot all about her worries. He was lounging comfortably on the couch, and as soon as he saw her, his entire face lit up.

The sight warmed her heart in a way she was still getting used to.

"Althea!" Clyde practically leaped to his feet, crossing the room in a few quick strides to pull her into a warm hug. "How did everything go? Tell me you dazzled them."

As she melted into his embrace, Althea couldn't help but smile, feeling a surge of contentment wash over her. She loved that she could have Clyde so close now—so effortlessly, without the invisible barrier that had once existed between them. Those days when he kept his distance, hesitant and uncertain, seemed like a distant memory now.

Ever since both of them poured out their feelings, things had shifted. She hadn't expected her feelings to grow so quickly, but here she was, more drawn to him with each passing day.

Everything about Clyde, from his boundless energy to his infectious bubbliness, captivated her in ways she hadn't anticipated. His presence alone was enough to erase the exhaustion that clung to her after a long court session.

"It went perfectly, just as planned," Althea chirped, her voice bubbling with satisfaction as she pulled back slightly to look into his eyes.

The pride in his gaze made her heart flutter—a feeling she was slowly growing addicted to.

"Father was impressed, the nobles seemed to be leaning more and more in my support, and Easton... well, let's just say he is feeling the pressure."

Clyde's face lit up even more, if that was possible. "That's amazing, Althea! I knew you would handle everything perfectly."

Before Althea could respond, a familiar dry voice cut through their moment. "Hello? I am still here, you know."

Both Althea and Clyde turned to see Vyan leaning casually against the doorway, an exaggerated look of exasperation on his face.

"I swear, ever since you two became a couple, it's like I have become invisible," Vyan groaned dramatically.

Clyde grinned, casually sliding an arm around Althea's waist, and she leaned into him slightly, feeling that familiar rush of warmth. "Oh, come on, my lord, don't be dramatic. You know we still value your presence—even if you are a bit of a third wheel now."

Althea laughed lightly, playing along, "Don't worry, Vyan, you will be our favorite third wheel in the world, though."

"How generous of you, Your Imperial Highness. Truly, I am touched." Vyan rolled his eyes, though there was a glint of amusement in them. "But next time, could you two at least try not to act like I am the forgotten sock in a laundry basket?"

"My, how dare someone compare My Lord to a measly sock?" Clyde exclaimed in mock offense. "If anything, he is the reason Althea and I get to meet each other without it being suspicious."

"Exactly. See how grateful we are to you?" Althea added.

"Good to know I am still appreciated," Vyan replied with a mock bow. "Anyway, how about we get to business and then I can leave you two lovebirds the hell alone?"

After that, the three of them sat down on the couches, and Althea asked Vyan, "So, on which day would it be safe to bring back Princess Maria without it being suspicious?"

"I would say the fourth or fifth day," Vyan said. "But the location she is at right now is a place where neither Easton or you can reach. So I will have to relocate Maria to a place that Easton's team will not have visited, otherwise, it might make it too obvious to him that you were involved."

Althea nodded. "So that means we have to keep a constant eye on each and every member of Easton's team?"

"I have already shortlisted a few places, and I will have some of my men planted there. So, they will know if any imperial guards visited that place or not. If not, we can use that hideout," Vyan elaborated.

"Sounds like a good plan," Althea agreed. "Uh, but Vyan, where is Princess Maria hiding at the moment?" She furrowed her brows. "You said some place where neither Easton or I can reach? What sort of place is that?"

"Well, it's…"

———

Maria reached for a green art book from the shelf and flipped through the pages, a giggle escaping her lips as she inspected the abstract illustrations.

"You find them funny?" Vyan's voice cut through the air, carrying a hint of amusement.

"Yeah," Maria said, her eyes still glued to the quirky sketches. "They are so... unique. Are they yours?"

Vyan chuckled, recalling how Iyana had outright called his drawing skills horrendous while standing in that exact same place as Maria. "Yes, they are mine. It turns out I wasn't exactly the best artist as a kid, and if I am honest, the jury is still out on whether I have improved much."

As usual, Maria's enthusiasm was a bit too exuberant and… a hella lot of clumsy.

As she laughed and leaned back, her shoulder nudged the shelf behind her. The shelf wobbled, teetered, and then, in a slow-motion cascade of books and trinkets, it toppled over with a dramatic crash.

Vyan instinctively lunged forward and pushed the shelf back with his arms. Once he had it steadied, he let out a sigh, "How could I have forgotten to tell Benedict to have this shelf fixed?"

After that, as he looked down at Maria, caged in between his arms, a sense of déjà vu hit him.

This was the same place where Iyana was standing about more than a month ago—in his childhood hideout made by Aster. Ever after growing up, it still remained one of the safest places that Vyan knew of. After all, this room had a magic door that remained invisible at all times unless activated through certain tricks, and obviously, Vyan made it more complex now.

Plus, he only brought Maria here after he got the wall fixed (which Iyana had broken down previously) and had the room renovated with the addition of a bed to sleep in.

Vyan backed away, noticing the red hues on Maria's cheeks and instantly recalling how she confessed to his disguised self about having feelings for him. He awkwardly turned around and asked, "Are you okay?"

Maria nodded quietly, her heart still pounding from the closeness with Vyan.

"I will soon send someone over to fix this shelf," Vyan said and quickly tried to leave.

It wasn't safe to be in the same room as Maria for too long. What if she confessed to him directly this time? Things would get so awkward if he had to turn her down—

"Um, Your Grace, could you stay back for a bit?" she called out, her face red and her tone hesitant but determined. "There is something I need to tell you."