I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

Chapter 241: A Dangerous Morning Courtesy

"I must offer my deepest apologies. Because of my poor health, I have been unable to properly fulfill my duties as your royal escort over the past few days. It is a grave lapse in hospitality on my part."

Philia kept his hands folded elegantly in front of him, standing with perfect, rigid posture. His porcelain skin looked even paler than usual under the bright morning light filtering through the pavilion’s high windows, but he forced himself to maintain the impeccable stance required of a royal host, despite the faint tremor of exhaustion in his limbs.

Seated across from one another at the table, enjoying the spread of breakfast, were the Solaric siblings. They looked up from their plates, their relaxed, seated positions contrasting sharply with Philia’s formal, standing presence.

Gillian immediately smiled. He waved his hand dismissively in the air, radiating the easy charm of a visiting royal who knew exactly how to play his cards.

"Please, think nothing of it, Lord Philia," Gillian replied smoothly, his tone dripping with gracious consideration. "Your health is, of course, far more important than acting as an escort for us. In fact, I was rather afraid that Prince Yerel might blame us if his esteemed fiancé overexerted on our account. We would hate to be the cause of your distress."

"Brother is right," Iryna chimed in, breaking the stiff tension with a reassuring smile as she reached for a pastry. "You really shouldn’t worry, Lord Philia. It’s not like I’ve been sitting around all alone the whole time. Some people have been helping me stay busy anyway, so I haven’t been lonely at all."

Philia nodded a little upon hearing that, his sharp mind instantly latching onto the vague phrasing. Some people? The fact that she was being intentionally ambiguous set off a quiet alarm in his chest.

Gillian, however, merely tilted his head, leaning back in his chair as he looked at his sister. "Is that so? And what exactly do you intend to do with your time today, Sister? I hope you aren’t planning to wander again."

Iryna paused, setting her pastry down on her plate before looking directly at Philia. A subtle, masked look of anxiety flickered across her features, though she covered it quickly with a bright smile.

"Today my schedule is a tea party with the other noble daughters of the capital, right, Philia?" she asked, her eyes searching his face for confirmation.

"That is correct, Your Highness," Philia answered. "The gathering is scheduled for early this afternoon in the eastern rose gardens. Several young noble ladies from the capital will be attending to welcome you."

Gillian hummed, taking a slow sip of his tea. His gaze remained locked on his sister, a faint, knowing smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "A tea party. How traditional. Though... you must be rather sad that you can’t go to Valtrane instead today."

The conversation seemed to freeze for a second.

Philia froze for a fraction of a second. Valtrane? The Duke of Valtrane’s estate?

His internal alarm went from a quiet buzz to a deafening roar. Philia’s gaze flicked toward Iryna, his thoughts racing at breakneck speed. She went to Valtrane? For what possible reason? Is there no other, better entertainment left in the imperial palace that a visiting foreign princess must seek out the threshold of the Duke’s doorstep for entertainment?

Iryna’s cheeks flushed a faint pink, whether from anger or embarrassment, Philia couldn’t quite tell. She pointedly ignored her brother’s bait, turning her attention to the spread of food before her.

Gillian let out a heavy, dramatic sigh, shifting his gaze away from his sister to look at the empty space ahead. His arrogant posture deflated just enough to mimic a man carrying a heavy burden. "Ah, I suppose I shouldn’t tease you. I am merely envious. My own day will be entirely consumed by tedious, endless discussions about the treaty." He looked back at Iryna, his eyes softening into a beautifully fabricated, sad expression. "It seems I will have no time for leisure at all."

Iryna looked up from her plate, staring at her brother’s miserable face for a long beat. She let out an exasperated huff, rolling her eyes with the familiar irritation of a younger sibling.

"What did I say before, Brother?" Iryna lectured playfully, pointing her fork at him. "No sad faces when we are eating! It ruins the flavor of the food. If you are going to complain about your state affairs, do it after breakfast."

Gillian blinked, utterly startled by her bluntness, before throwing his head back and letting out a genuine, booming laugh. "Ah, you really have no mercy for your brother, do you?"

The rest of the breakfast passed in a blur of polite trivialities. Once the meal concluded, Gillian excused himself to attend his scheduled meetings with the imperial ministers, leaving Philia to fulfill his duties by escorting the princess back to her chambers to prepare for the tea party.

The walk through the grand corridors of the palace was silent at first. The heavy footsteps of the royal guards echoed a disciplined distance behind them. Philia walked half a step behind Iryna, his mind whirring as he analyzed the information he had just dropped into his lap.

He needed to know how deep this connection went.

"Your Highness," Philia began softly, his tone perfectly balancing polite curiosity with a gentle, comforting demeanor. "I must admit, Prince Gillian’s comment earlier caught me somewhat by surprise. I had no idea you possessed an interest in the Valtrane estate."

He kept his eyes trained on her profile, watching for any telltale sign of tension. "The capital has many beautiful sights, but the Duke’s secondary manor is notoriously private. If you are fond of historical architecture or rare artifacts, I would be more than happy to arrange a private tour of the imperial archives instead. It would certainly be a more... hospitable environment."

He was digging. He was trying to uncover exactly what, or who, she had gone to see at the Valtrane manor. Had she gone to see the Duke? Or perhaps that worthless parasite who crawled his way into the Duke’s bed, Cherion?

Iryna slowed her pace slightly, her fingers curling over the fine fabric of her dress. She didn’t look at him, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the path ahead.

"It was nothing so grand, Lord Philia," Iryna replied, her voice dropping its playful breakfast tone and becoming carefully guarded. "I was simply curious about the capital’s layout, and my carriage happened to pass by the area. There is no need for you to trouble yourself with extra arrangements."

Her response was clean, concise, and utterly devoid of any real details. She was shutting the door on the conversation before he could even plant his foot inside.

Philia smiled gently, bowing his head. "I understand. I merely wished to ensure your time in Auzelian is as fulfilling as possible."

When they reached the heavy double doors of her quarters, Philia formally took his leave, bowing low as the maids escorted the princess inside. The moment the doors clicked shut, locking him out, the gentle, sickly smile completely vanished from Philia’s face.

His expression darkened, the fragile mask he wore around falling away effortlessly.