I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

The heavy thump of the hall’s double doors closing echoed through the silent space, signaling that no one else was entering, and no one was leaving.

King Alderon stood at the center of the raised dais, his golden crown catching the sharp light of the chandelier overhead. His expression was a smooth, practiced mask of royal composure, completely immune to the heavy dread filling the room.

"My lords, ladies, and honored guests," Alderon’s voice boomed across the marble floor, carrying effortlessly into every corner of the hall. "I thank you all for gathering on such short notice. I trust your stay within these walls has been as pleasant as the circumstances allow, despite the sudden lockdown."

A faint, uneasy shift passed through the crowd of capital nobles and envoys alike. Pleasant wasn’t exactly the word anyone would use to describe being trapped inside a guarded estate under constant surveillance.

"I am well aware that many of you have grown restless," Alderon continued, resting a hand lightly on the pommel of his sword. "And you have waited patiently for answers regarding the foul attempt made against Princess Iryna in front of us all."

A heavy quiet settled across the hall. Everyone here had already watched the Princess collapse, heard the heavy iron gates slam shut, and spent hours wilting under the stares of the royal guard. They knew what had happened. Now, they just needed to know who paid for it.

"Rest assured, the threat has been thoroughly neutralized," the King said, his tone turning cold. "We have identified the culprit responsible. However... the perpetrator took her own life before she could be brought to the gallows to face public judgment. The full details of the investigation will be delivered by my son."

With a slow nod, King Alderon stepped back, yielding the front of the dais to Yerel.

Yerel stepped forward, his white royal mantle trailing behind him. His face stayed dead calm. A single, sharp look across the hall quieted the remaining hushed voices.

"Around yesterday morning," Yerel began, his voice clear and measured, "palace guards recovered a body in the forest. It was identified as a palace maid, a woman named Wina, one of the palace handmaidens."

Yerel paused, letting the information sink in before continuing. "She died by suicide, ingesting a lethal dose of poison. Driven by guilt, she left a full confession in her quarters. Upon searching her belongings, my guards uncovered correspondence and personal entries detailing a deep, bitter hatred toward Solaric."

A quiet ripple of motion passed through the crowd as lords began leaning toward one another, whispering behind raised hands.

"It appears her immediate family perished during the late border wars," Yerel said, his tone remaining strictly factual. "A tragedy that twisted her mind into seeking vengeance against the Solaric delegation."

"A maid?" a capital baron near the front muttered loudly enough for those nearby to hear. "A lowly maid managed to slip past royal tasters and security?"

"Suicide out of guilt?" an older northern lord sneered softly under his breath, crossing his arms. "Sounds far too clean. Convenience wrapped in a neat little bow."

"Is it really possible she acted entirely alone?" another noble whispered back, glancing nervously toward the Solaric envoys. "Or is someone hiding behind a dead servant’s shadow?"

Further back in the hall, near where Elios and Flio stood, the whispers took on a completely different direction.

"Well, at least that clears things up," a young marchioness whispered to her companion, letting out a small, relieved breath. "Some of them were trying to say Lord Cherion was involved. As if he’d ever do something so foolish."

"Of course he wouldn’t," her companion replied quietly, throwing a quick glance toward Cherion.

"Oh, but what if they are shielding him? Who can say for certain?"

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Zarius, Cherion kept his chin raised, listening to the tide of voices rising like dry leaves in the wind. He could feel the weight of dozens of eyes flitting toward him, searching his face for any crack, any sign of relief or panic. He gave them nothing. Beside him, Zarius’s jaw remained set like iron, his dark gaze fixed squarely on the Crown Prince.

Yerel raised one hand, a sharp gesture that instantly brought the hall back to a hushed stillness.

"I am well aware of the skepticism floating around this room," Yerel said, his sharp voice cutting through the silence. "A maid acting out of personal malice may seem simplistic to those who prefer grand court conspiracies. However, I assure you that my guards are continuing to trace everything, every merchant entry, and every contact she made prior to her death to ensure no accomplice remains in the shadows."

Yerel stepped down to the very edge of the dais, placing himself right above the hall. His gaze tracked calmly across the faces of the crowd, ignoring the nervous shifts and hushed breathing, until his eyes simply stopped. There was no hesitation, no sudden jump, just a cold, heavy focus landing straight on Cherion.

The air around Cherion seemed to drop several degrees in an instant. Beside him, Zarius’s posture shifted, his shoulders broadening as a subtle, suffocating pressure began to bleed off the Duke, sensing the direct target.

Yerel didn’t flinch from Zarius’s glare. Instead, he kept his eyes pinned squarely on Cherion, his voice dropping into a low, authoritative register that echoed off the high stone arches.

"Furthermore," Yerel said smoothly, the corner of his lip twitching, "I am issuing a firm warning to everyone present in this hall. In the wake of this incident, I have heard certain names tossed around without a shred of evidence. Specific individuals have been targeted by vile, baseless rumors meant only to create division between our houses during a time of fragile peace."

Yerel’s gaze remained glued to Cherion, intense and unwavering, making the entire room turn their heads to follow the Prince’s line of sight.

"Lord Cherion’s name, in particular, has been dragged through far too many whispers since the incident," Yerel stated clearly, making several nobles flinch at the direct mention. "I expect those rumors to cease immediately. The crown will not tolerate anyone throwing wild accusations to slander our guests or disturb the stability of this alliance."

Yerel held Cherion’s gaze for three long, agonizing seconds, a silence so heavy that no one in the Banquet Hall dared to breathe, before he finally broke the eye contact, turning his head back to the broader assembly.

As the Prince turned to continue his speech, Cherion stood frozen, feeling the lingering sting of that intense stare. He didn’t feel protected. He felt like a pawn that had just been publicly placed on the front lines of a chessboard.

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