I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

The heavy air in the Grand Salon felt thick enough to choke on. Dozens of eyes remained glued to the doorway, tracking Cherion and Zarius with an uneasy mixture of suspicion, curiosity, and outright fear. The whispered rumors fluttered back and forth across the velvet couches and polished marble floors, but no one actually dared to approach them.

Lord Fance had already managed to melt into the background, slipping off toward a cluster of nervous countesses near the window to avoid being guilt-associated with the Solaric representatives.

Cherion didn’t mind. He stood near the edge of the room, keeping his posture relaxed and his face pleasantly neutral, though his sharp eyes took in every twitch of a curtain and every hurried whisper.

”Look at them,” Cherion murmured under his breath, barely moving his lips. ”You’d think we brought the poison in our coat pockets.”

Zarius didn’t answer right away. He stood slightly behind Cherion, his jaw tight. ”They’re terrified,” he said softly, his voice lower than usual. ”Fear makes people stupid.”

Before Cherion could reply, a tall, broad-shouldered young nobleman separated himself from a group near the refreshment tables and began walking straight toward them with a bright, easy smile.

It was Derrick.

While the rest of the room practically shrank away from the two foreigners, Derrick strode over like he was greeting old friends at an inn.

”Lord Cherion!” Derrick called out, his booming voice cutting right through the hushed tension of the room. He reached them in a few quick strides and clapped a hand heavily onto Cherion’s shoulder. ”I was wondering when you two would finally show your faces today. I half-expected you to lock yourselves in your quarters until next week.”

”And miss out on all this wonderful hospitality?” Cherion teased back smoothly, offering a brief nod. ”We thought it best to come down and see how everyone was faring.”

Derrick chuckled, though his expression sobered up quickly as he leaned in a bit closer, dropping his tone. ”Honestly? It’s a disaster in here. Look around. Half these people haven’t touched a drop of water since yesterday morning. The kitchen staff is practically undergoing a full military interrogation every time they bring out a fresh tray of pastries.”

”It’s a horrifying thing that happened,” Cherion said, letting a touch of sympathy show in his voice. ”A maid losing her life like that... it puts everyone on edge.”

”A maid dying is terrible, yes, but what really has everyone trembling in their boots is how close it came to Princess Iryna,” Derrick admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. ”If someone can slip poison to the drink right inside the inner palace, then none of us are safe. People are losing their minds over it. Nobody knows who to trust.”

Cherion nodded thoughtfully, taking the opening to probe a little deeper. ”Has they found anything concrete yet? The court seems to be running on wild rumors at the moment.”

”Nothing solid,” Derrick replied, shaking his head. ”Just endless finger-pointing. Some think it was an inside job by someone higher up, others think foreign agents managed to bypass the outer gates. But so far, no one has actual proof.”

”How convenient,” a cold, sharp voice interrupted from behind Derrick.

A slender nobleman with slicked-backed hair and a high embroidered collar stepped into their circle. It was Lord Cassian, one of the more outspoken members of the king’s conservative faction. He held a silver goblet in his hand, though Cherion noticed it was completely empty.

”Lord Cassian,” Derrick said, turning around with a slight frown. ”I didn’t see you standing there.”

”Evidently,” Cassian sneered, his eyes locking onto Cherion with obvious disdain. ”I couldn’t help but overhear your pleasant little chat. You speak of rumors and lack of proof, Lord Derrick, yet some things are staring us right in the face.”

Cherion raised an eyebrow, keeping his tone light. ”Is there something on your mind, Lord Cassian?”

”As a matter of fact, there is,” Cassian said, stepping closer, ignoring the subtle warning glance Derrick gave him. ”The palace is in lock-down, security protocols are being scrutinized, and yet I hear that certain guests seem to enjoy free reign over the private wing. Word around the hall is that you, Lord Cherion, have been seen walking in and out of the Princess’s private chambers quite frequently over the past few days. Isn’t that a rather blatant breach of protocol during an active investigation?”

A few nearby nobles quieted down, eavesdropping on the exchange with sharp interest.

Derrick immediately stepped between them, his friendly demeanor vanishing in an instant. ”Oh, pull yourself together, Cassian. Lord Cherion was visiting her because they are long-time acquaintances from home, and she was recovering from a bloody poisoning! What are you trying to imply?”

”I am merely pointing out the obvious,” Cassian said smoothly, crossing his arms. ”In times like these, unusual behavior ought to be questioned. Rules exist for a reason, especially within the royal palace.”

”Rules?” Derrick scoffed, letting out a loud, dramatic laugh that drew even more attention. ”The princess almost died, and you’re standing here complaining about hallway etiquette? He was checking on a sick friend! If anyone here is acting suspicious, it’s the people standing around pointing fingers at the guests instead of letting His Highness do his job.”

”It is not about etiquette, Derrick, it is about security!” Cassian snapped, his composure slipping slightly as Derrick openly mocked him. ”A foreign presence hovering near high-profile rooms while the guards are distracted is a legitimate concern!”

Cherion stood quietly, watching the debate unfold before him. Part of him wanted to step in with a sharp retort that would shut Cassian down completely, but another part knew it was far better to let the Auzelian nobles argue amongst themselves. A divided court was much easier to read than a unified one, and seeing who took whose side gave him valuable mental notes to take back to Gillian.

Should I defuse this now, or let Cassian make a bigger fool of himself? Cherion thought, weighing his options carefully as Derrick and Cassian’s voices rose in heated debate.

Before Cherion could make up his mind, a heavy, sharp gasp echoed from right beside him.

Cherion turned his head quickly.

Zarius froze where he stood, his eyes wide but seeing nothing, his breath coming in quick, broken gasps. His hand shot up to his head, his fingers clawing violently into his own hair as if trying to tear something out from beneath his skull.

”Zarius?” Cherion said, instantly dropping all pretense of the courtly debate as he reached out to grab Zarius’s arm.

Zarius let out a low, agonizing groan that cut right through the middle of Derrick and Cassian’s argument. His knees buckled slightly, his whole body trembling as a sudden, intense wave of pressure seemed to hit him out of nowhere. He doubled over, clutching his temples with both hands, his face pale as ash.

”Zarius, what’s wrong!” Cherion demanded, catching him by the shoulder before he could hit the floor.

Derrick stopped mid-sentence, staring at Zarius in shock. The surrounding nobles gasped, instantly backing away in a wave of sudden panic, assuming the absolute worst.

”My head... it hurts so much...”