Ascension Of The Villain

"...lady… my lady!"

Iyana's eyes jolted op, her body jerking in alarm as warm water splashed a her.

"My lady, you should really get out of the water before you start getting rashes," the maid suggested timidly, her hands nervously wringing the edge of her apron. It showed how she was scared to ev be in Iyana's presce.

"Oh, right," Iyana mumbled, flustered at having dozed off in Vyan's private bath.

She rose from the water, dripping and slightly disorited, as the maid hurriedly fetched towels.

"How long have I be soaking in here?" she asked, her voice still thick in a warm daze.

"I am not sure, my lady. Master just mtioned you hadn't come out in a while and was worried you might have slipped and hurt yourself," the maid replied.

"Did he think I would get impaled by something again?" Iyana chuckled in amusemt, a hint of mischief in her eyes as the maid wrapped her in a fluffy bathrobe. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Mia," she answered, grabbing another towel to help Iyana with her hair.

"Alright, Mia, you can take a break now. I will handle my hair myself," Iyana said, glancing at her clothes on the marble counter. "And thanks for bringing my clothes."

"Are you sure you don't need any more help, my lady?" Mia asked, hesitating slightly.

"No, I will be fine, thanks," Iyana reassured her with a smile.

As Mia started to leave, she briefly thought, Lady Iyana isn't as terrible as everyone else made her out to be. I was scared for no reason.

On the other hand, feeling refreshed and invigorated after her soak in the healing waters, Iyana felt as though all her worries had be washed away along with her fatigue.

Still, she mused, "How does His Grace's dark heart remain unchanged despite bathing in this water every day? It's truly a mystery."

She slipped into her nightgown, casually drying her hair, and left the bath, her mind buzzing with thoughts as lively as the bathwater she had just left behind.

She was already expecting Vyan to be in the room, but she hadn't anticipated his unexpected greeting, "Since you have tak your sweet time soaking in the water, do you finally want to go have some dinner?"

"Oh, my deepest apologies for overstaying in your luxurious bathroom," she quipped, mimicking his usual sarcastic tone, "And yes, I will get some dinner now."

Vyan, who was in the middle of removing his earring, caught her eye in the mirror and said, sounding like his mood was off, "Coincidtally, I had some urgt work to td to, so I hav't had dinner yet."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Wer't you on your way there—"

"Like I said, urgt work came up," he cut her off smoothly.

"Someone seems to be in a bad mood," she remarked in a sing-song tone.

"And someone seems to have too much ergy," he retorted.

"Actually I do. Shall we head downstairs now th?" She decided not to poke the already annoyed bear further. She was in a good mood and didn't want to ruin it by indulging him.

He nodded, draping a coat over his shoulders. As she was about to walk past him, he hissed, "Look at you, always wiping your hair like a toddler. Some things never change."

"Huh?"

Before Iyana could understand what he meant, he grabbed a dry fluffy towel and drowned her in it. She braced for a rough towel assault but was surprised wh his hands moved gtly.

The way his warm fingers brushed her cold skin occasionally made her feel warm inside.

"There, done," he said, looking satisfied.

"Thank you," she mumbled, suddly feeling embarrassed. "Let's go now," she said and dashed out of his room.

Once they reached the dining table, warm food was served, and as they started eating, a quiet ambiance settled over them.

The only sound was the gtle clinking of cutlery because Iyana couldn't muster the courage to speak as Vyan seemed like he was mad at her about something.

But little did she know that Vyan was actually just frustrated with himself. He was confused about his sudd change of heart, and he didn't want to accept it.

Wh Vyan got up after finishing his meal, Iyana finally broke the silce, "Hey, you never got a to telling me, well, you-know-what."

Vyan paused, giving her a look before averting his gaze as if he were in deep thought.

Since he decided to believe that she really lost her memories, she should know about their past. But…

He glanced at Bedict and the servants a and suggested, "Okay, how about a stroll in the gard? Let's talk there."

"A stroll sounds lovely," she said, excitemt seeping into her voice.

Iyana wasn't sure if she had always loved strolling, but since coming here, eving walks in the gard had become her favorite ritual, helping her feel at ease.

As they stepped out of the manor, Vyan draped his coat over her shoulders.

She gave him a questioning look, and he murmured, "Your hair is still a little damp. You might catch a cold."

She chuckled, nudging him playfully. "You always act like such an obnoxious person, but admit it, you are a gtleman at heart, ar't you?"

He scoffed in disbelief. "If you want to live in that fantasy, be my guest."

She giggled and looked a the beautiful gard, the vibrant colors and fragrant blooms doing little to calm her racing thoughts.

Taking in a deep breath of the fresh, cold air, she tried to steady herself.

"So, you want me to start?" Vyan asked after a long pause, his voice slicing through the tranquility.

She steeled herself and nodded, her heart pounding like a war drum.

As he started speaking and she couldn't avert her eyes from the raw pain in his eyes, the words cut deeper and deeper.

How could I have betrayed him like this for such a superficial reason? What is so great about becoming the empress, anyway?

Her sse of self-worth started to crumble like dried leaves underfoot.

Until one thing he said struck her.

"But wait, I can't do black magic," she interjected, her voice shaky, eyes widing with confusion.

"You can," he disagreed, rolling his eyes. "Maybe you just forgot, or maybe you are lying. Who knows?"

She shot him a glare. "I think I would remember if I could do black magic."

"Oh, really?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Th, explain how I got possessed and have no memories of attacking Prince Izac. Because, last time I checked, mind-control falls under the black magic umbrella."

"Are you sure it was me you saw?" she asked, the gard suddly feeling colder.

"Yes, Iyana," he said, his tone firm. "I saw you with my own eyes, and you ev confessed to me in the cell."

Iyana absorbed his words, staring at her hands as if they held the answers. The gard seemed to close in a her, the once-beautiful blooms now casting eerie shadows.

"Can I really do black magic th?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Did I just forget? Is that why I hav't achieved my aura yet, despite being qualified?"

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