Ascension Of The Villain

Vyan swiftly positioned himself betwe Clyde and Ava, shielding them from the reltless Iyana. His innoct smile looked more like a pained grimace as he thought, why did I have to bump into her now of all times?

"Well, you see, I have this effect on people. My presce is so overwhelming it's be known to cause double vision. Clearly, you are just another victim," he quipped, trying to deflect.

Iyana, clearly unimpressed, crossed her arms. "I thought it felt more like a headache-inducing presce, to be honest."

"That headache must be playing tricks on your mind," Vyan chuckled awkwardly, trying to buy time.

"Nice try, but I distinctly saw a duplicate of you over there," she countered, effortlessly nudging him aside to scan the gard. "So, where did the two of them vanish off to?"

Vyan feigned deep thought, mtally applauding Clyde for whisking Ava away so smoothly. "Hmm, let me think. Oh, right, they must have be ghost spirits. This gard is known for its haunted reputation, after all."

Iyana raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously suggesting I saw a ghost?"

"I am just saying, it's a plausible explanation," Vyan shrugged. "Anyway, what brings you here at this time of day?" he queried, well aware that her usual eving strolls wer't meant to be interrupted by morning rdezvous.

"Oh, I lost something here yesterday, so I came back to search for it—"

"Are you looking for this?" Vyan interrupted, pulling out a purple earring like a magician revealing a trick.

Her eyes wided in surprise. "How did you find it?"

Well, truth be told, it poked him wh he was hiding behind the bush, but that wasn't the story to tell. "Oh, it practically tripped me during my morning constitutional."

"I see, thank you," she said, giving him a small grateful smile.

"Since you have successfully retrieved your treasure, shall we retreat indoors?" Vyan suggested, eager to clear the stage for Clyde's next insane act with Ava.

She nodded and followed Vyan back toward the manor's trance, but th her thoughts wandered.

I wonder how that injured mother bird in the nest is faring...

"By the way, the hunting gs are set. We are ready to start monster-catching. So tomorrow, we will be visiting the Forest of Beasts—" Vyan stopped speaking, only to notice Iyana's lack of response.

Turning to investigate, Vyan found Iyana wide-eyed, staring at Clyde (disguised as Vyan) and Ava.

"Iyana, that's—" he began to caution, but before he could finish, he saw Ava about to glance their way.

With ninja-like reflexes, he grabbed Iyana's elbow and discreetly snatched her behind a nearby wall.

Peeking out cautiously, Vyan watched Ava, seemingly oblivious and grossed in Clyde's banter.

"That's Clyde back there, right?" Iyana whispered, breaking the tse silce.

Vyan sighed in resignation. "Yep, the one and only mage in my arsal."

She arched an eyebrow skeptically and asked, "Is that so?"

"What do you mean?" he feigned innocce.

"I mean, you know that I know, right?" she challged, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Oh, I know, alright. But good luck finding any concrete evidce," he retorted, maintaining eye contact confidtly.

Iyana couldn't help but smirk, deciding to steer the conversation away from its tse edge. "Alright, spill it. What's the deal with Clyde masquerading as you?"

He didn't want to let her know from the beginning because the more people knew, the more trouble. But what to do? He had already suggested something lame like ghosts. He couldn't embarrass himself further.

"Alright, here's the abridged version..." Vyan began recounting the bizarre sequce of evts, and by the d, Iyana was amusedly chuckling.

"Why not just sd her a polite rejection letter? Ever heard of taking the path of least resistance?" she teased.

"Yeah, I considered it. But you know how fast gossip spreads. If I reject her outright, suddly everyone's whispering about what must be wrong with her that ev the Grand Duke turned her down. Why should she have to dure that for Clyde's mistake?"

Iyana was guinely impressed. "Well, you have got a considerate and thoughtful side as well."

He would rather take a hit to his reputation than see a woman unfairly criticized by the cruel society, she thought, feeling a twinge of warmth. There was something unexpectedly honorable about that.

"Are you prepared for the inevitable onslaught of rumors?" she pointed out.

"I am not too concerned," he shrugged nonchalantly. "What can mere rumors do to someone of my stature?" he added, a self-assured smirk spreading across his face.

Well, forget it. This guy is practically a poster child for confidce. Appartly, he is convinced that rumors can't lay a finger on him.

"Anyway, I know the monster hunt festival is also a gossip gala," Vyan started, "But can I trust you to keep quiet about Clyde taking my place during this date? It might—"

"Seem disrespectful," she interjected, her voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial whisper. "Yes, I understand. You can trust me with this secret," she assured.

Vyan's amicable expressions vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating stare that seemed to pierce through her.

He leaned in closer, his voice barely above a sinister murmur, "Iyana, I am choosing to trust you, but you understand the gravity if you were to betray me, don't you?"

"I understand, Your Grace," she replied, her words laced with a hint of defiance. "My family and I have dured the consequces of crossing you already."

"Yes, keep that in mind," Vyan's tone dropped further, a chilling edge creeping into his voice.

He straighted up, but the intsity in his eyes remained, sding a shiver down her spine. "Crossing me again will bring consequces far darker than you can fathom."

———

In the dead of the night, Vyan was hunched over his spellbook in his magic chamber, muttering incantations.

The air crackled with mystical ergy, and the candles flickered.

Suddly, Clyde burst in, his trance accompanied by the spectacular crash of several potion bottles meeting their untimely demise on the floor.

Vyan jumped, flailing his arms, and in the process, managed to summon a swarm of brightly colored butterflies that flitted a the room, adding an uninttional flourish to his botched spell.

"Clyde!" Vyan exclaimed, trying to swat away the butterflies and inadverttly turning one of them into a small, bewildered frog. "God, this isn't what the spell is supposed to do at all!"

"I told you not to disturb me during—" He paused mid-rant, noticing the grim expression on Clyde's face, which was as out of place as a salad at a dragon's feast.

The playful butterflies faded into darkness, the candles dimmed, and the air grew heavy with foreboding.

"Vyan, it's an emergcy."

His annoyance evaporated, replaced by a growing sse of dread. His chest tighted, and with a certainty that chilled him to the bone, he knew that he was about to welcome a terrible disaster.

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