Ascension Of The Villain

The royal court had begun to empty, heels clicking and murmurs fading down the marble corridor as nobles and ministers filed out after the court session was over.

Althea waited until the last of them were gone before stepping briskly out of the hall, her eyes scanning the corridor until they landed on a familiar figure walking ahead—rigid like he was made of stone.

"Easton," she called out.

He didn't stop. She had to catch up to him.

"What are you thinking?" she hissed, grabbing his arm. "Even if you're desperate, pulling a stunt like that in front of the entire court—what were you trying to prove?" Her voice was sharp with disbelief. "You should've stayed quiet. Let the ceremony end in peace. There is just one week left for it. It's not like I am going to banish you if I become Crown Princess—"

But her words faltered as he turned to face her.

His green eyes—once intense, proud, unmistakably alive—now stared through her. Blank. Flat. As if someone had hollowed him out and left only a shell.

"I only did what I believed was true," he said, voice low, devoid of warmth. "Everyone should know your true face, Althea."

And just like that, he walked away.

Althea stood frozen in place. Her breath caught in her throat. That wasn't the Easton she knew—the cold, aloof younger brother who had ignored her cries for help, the man who held himself above her, always. No, this was colder. Emptier. His eyes had looked almost... black. Like something had swallowed the green whole.

He even called her by her name, not Thea. No matter how rough things were between them, he would still call her by the nickname.

Is it his way of cutting me off completely? Is he renouncing—

A hand gently landed on her shoulder. She flinched.

"It's just me, Your Imperial Highness," came Clyde's voice, soft and familiar.

She turned to him, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her shoulders dropped slightly.

They walked back together toward her palace in silence, the clack of their boots echoing off the stone floor. When they reached her office, Clyde closed the door behind them.

"Athy, you look pale," he said, watching her closely. "What's wrong?"

Althea sank into her chair. "Did you notice anything strange about Easton?"

Clyde shrugged. "I've never been close enough to him to tell when he's being 'stranger than usual,' so… no, I can't really help you there."

She hummed, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I'll ask his servants. Maybe that vile woman he married has been doing something to him. Stirring trouble from the shadows, as always."

"That's totally possible," Clyde agreed, but then gave her a curious look. "Why do you care, though? I thought you hated Prince Easton."

Her face hardened like a door slamming shut.

"I do."

The words left her lips like ice.

She looked past Clyde, her gaze distant now, fixed somewhere in the memories she had tried so hard to bury. Years of being dismissed, belittled, overshadowed by him. Every time she had asked—begged—for his guidance in learning purification magic, and every time he turned away, too proud or too cruel to care. She had faced ridicule, pain, and humiliation that could have been avoided... if only he had helped.

If only he hadn't left her to struggle alone.

With their mother being dead and their father always putting Easton above her as if she was disposable and he was irreplaceable… and Easton let that happen, accepted that he was the more important one, that his duties and the reputation of the imperial family were more important than his sister's life.

"I'll never forget how he ignored me when I needed him the most," she muttered. "Never forget how he let me fall, again and again, while he stood on his pedestal, watching."

Her gaze sharpened, lips tightening. "I'm only concerned because I have to be. You know I stay alert when it comes to our enemies—and make no mistake, Clyde, Easton is one of our biggest hurdles. Whether he's crumbling from within or not, I need to know."

Clyde nodded slowly, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "My love is always the strategist, huh?"

"Always," she replied, but her eyes drifted off somewhere again.

And for just a fleeting moment, behind all her resolve, there was a flicker of something else. Something that looked almost like sorrow.

That's when there was a knock. Recognizing the familiar knock, she called out, "Come in, Vyan."

Vyan stepped inside, his usual expressionless mask on.

Clyde immediately perked up and stood. "Oh? Is it time to go back home already?"

Vyan waved a hand lazily. "Don't worry about it. I've still got some work left to do here."

Clyde arched a brow, his tone playful. "Here? At the imperial palace?"

"Uh-huh," Vyan replied, casually brushing a lock of hair away from his eyes.

He turned to Althea. "Thea, mind giving me access to the imperial library? I want to check out a few books."

Without hesitation, Althea reached into her desk and tossed him her access card as if it were a routine errand. "Sure. Just don't forget to return it this time."

Clyde's eyes narrowed in mock suspicion as he leaned against the edge of the desk. "Why, my lord? Are the books at the estate not good enough anymore? Should I inform Benedict to restock the library shelves?"

Vyan rolled his eyes. "Already did that. But there are things you can only find in the imperial archives—things older, deeper. The library at home has a solid collection, but it's mostly about the kind of magic we Ashstones excel at. They don't cover purification or dark magic in much depth."

Althea's expression shifted with interest. "Speaking of dark magic, any progress with your latest invention?"

Vyan scratched the back of his neck, a faint sigh escaping. "Not really. It's... not going great. And the worst part? I can't even test it. I just can't seem to get my hands on a real dark mage."

"You'll figure it out," she said quietly, offering a small nod. "You always do." Then, after a pause, "You know, with the way you build magical artifacts, maybe you should consider joining the Tower of Magic."

Before Vyan could respond, Clyde shuddered and clutched Vyan's arm, startling both Vyan and Althea. "No way! I forbid it!"