I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

Chapter 245: A Rather Awkward Suggestion

"I must admit, Your Majesty, I am genuinely pleased that you agreed to the preliminary terms of the betrothal so smoothly.

The afternoon sun poured through the towering arched windows of King Alderon’s private study, bathing the sprawling table in warm gold. Maps, border reports, and official state seals lay scattered across its surface in carefully controlled chaos. It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon.

In fact, he had considered going to check on her, but quickly decided against it. He had no desire to disturb her delicate social gathering, or worse, accidentally get cornered and invited to join a circle of gossiping noble young ladies.

The sheer irony, however, was currently staring him right in the face.

The moment he had turned away to make a quiet escape down the corridor, King Alderon had spotted him and immediately summoned him into the his study for a private chat. Now, here he was, sitting directly across from the monarch, holding a matching porcelain teacup. He had successfully avoided one tea party only to be dragged into an entirely separate, vastly more politically heavy tea party with the ruler of the kingdom.

King Alderon took a slow sip of his brew, letting out a satisfied breath before setting the cup down on its saucer with a gentle click. "The diplomatic wheels must keep turning, Prince Gillian. Especially now that the ink on our peace treaty is dry. Our borders are stable, the trade routes are reopening, and the people are finally breathing a sigh of relief. But a quiet border means the court immediately turns its frantic attention toward finalizing these marriage alliances."

"Particularly from our side," Gillian nodded in agreement, leaning back into the plush leather of his chair. "We want a permanent anchor here to ensure this peace lasts."

"Indeed you do," King Alderon murmured, reaching for a neatly bound parchment folder containing the profiles of Auzelian’s most prominent eligible bachelors. "Which is why we must carefully weigh the options for your sister. Princess Iryna deserves nothing less than our absolute best, and I know your delegates are expecting a list of truly formidable candidates soon."

The King started naming a few prominent figures, giving a short explanation about each of them as he went.

Throughout the entire briefing, Gillian nodded respectfully, offering genuine praise for each candidate along the way. "They are all exceptional men, Your Majesty. Formidable, well-educated, and entirely capable of bringing immense value to the royal family."

Yet, as the last profile was read, Gillian couldn’t help but let out a soft, thoughtful sigh. He set his cup down, a look of faint, lingering wistfulness crossing his handsome features. "Still... it really is a bit of a shame about Duke Valtrane."

King Alderon paused, a knowing, amused glint entering his weathered eyes. "There are many capable, powerful men in this kingdom just like him, Prince Gillian. You needn’t fixate on just one."

"I know, Your Majesty," Gillian said, a self-deprecating chuckle escaping him. "I know. But looking at the sheer military weight and stability of the empire, I still can’t help but feel it’s a bit of a shame that he is already completely bound and mated to Lord Cherion."

The King raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly as he rested his forearms on the oak table. "Tell me... if the situation were different, and Duke Valtrane were not currently with Cherion, would you truly have no problem having the Duke of the North as your brother-in-law? A man you were literally trading lethal blows with on the battlefield?"

Gillian just chuckled, the sound rich and entirely unbothered. He shook his head easily, dismissing any hint of lingering tension. "Not at all. Our past animosity on the field was entirely forced. We were both just soldiers executing the duties our respective lands demanded of us. We had a war to fight, and we fought it with everything we had. But outside of that duty? I have nothing but absolute respect for him."

Gillian paused, a fond, slightly mischievous grin spreading across his face as he thought of his sister. "He is remarkably strong, and I can see absolutely nothing wrong with a man of his caliber standing right beside Iryna. He’s honorable and steady. Besides, it isn’t as if he could ever get away with bullying her anyway, not that I think he would ever try. But if he ever even thought about stepping out of line, Iryna could just freeze him solid right then and there."

King Alderon burst into a spontaneous, hearty chuckle at the mental image, and Gillian joined him. The two men shared a lighthearted moment, collectively visualizing the legendary, terrifyingly stoic Great Duke of the North completely encased in a block of ice by a displeased princess. Of course, both of them knew it wouldn’t actually happen that easily, Zarius was more than capable on his own, but given Iryna’s notoriously fierce demeanor and formidable elemental capabilities, the thought wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Once their private "tea party" concluded and the state matters were temporarily laid to rest, Gillian excused himself. He wandered casually down the expansive, sunlit halls of the royal palace as he enjoyed a moment of quiet reflection.

As he turned into a wide corridor lined with enormous woven wall hangings depicting scenes from the kingdom’s history, he spotted the unmistakable figures of Yerel and Karson walking in his direction.

"Ah, Prince Gillian," Yerel greeted smoothly, bowing with perfect, practiced aristocratic grace as they came to a halt. Karson followed suit, offering a respectful nod. "A pleasure to run into you today."

"Prince Yerel, Sir Karson," Gillian responded politely, keeping his demeanor effortlessly courtly.

Yerel smiled warmly, his eyes sweeping the hallway before casually asking, "If I may inquire, Your Highness, where is the princess?"

"Iryna is currently occupied," Gillian replied with an easy, casual wave of his hand. "She is having her own little tea party in the rose garden with a few guests."

"Ah, I see," Yerel nodded understandingly, his expression shifting into something a bit more calculated. He took a half-step forward. "Speaking of the princess, Your Highness... have you managed to secure a definitive marriage candidate for Princess Iryna just yet?"

Gillian maintained his relaxed posture, though his eyes sharpened by a fraction. "Not yet. We are still reviewing the options. It is a matter that requires careful deliberation."

Yerel hummed softly, a subtle, highly intentional look crossing his face. "In that case, Your Highness, why not take another look at the suggestion I brought up the other day?"

The corridor suddenly fell quiet. Gillian’s lips twitched upward into a bright, seemingly amused smile. He let out a soft laugh, as if Yerel had just told an entertaining joke, but his eyes turned completely ice-cold.

"Ah, Prince Yerel, your sense of humor truly never ceases to amaze me," Gillian said, his tone coated in a smooth, pleasant layer of conversational warmth. "For a brief moment, if I were to misunderstand your intentions, I almost thought you were suggesting my sister become a second wife to an already deeply mated Alpha. But surely, a brilliant crown prince such as yourself wouldn’t insult our royal bloodline with such a proposition?"

Yerel’s polite smile stiffened by a fraction, his posture locking up slightly. "You jest, Prince Gillian. I only meant that a fierce, powerful princess like Lady Iryna deserves a legendary warrior who matches her strength. I simply thought the Duke was the only man capable of standing beside her."

Gillian took a slow step forward, the bright smile on his face fading into something far colder.

"To suggest she belongs beside a man who is already deeply bound to another... I expected better calculations from you, Prince Yerel. This is rather careless."

Yerel blinked, completely caught off guard as his composure cracked. He opened his mouth to reply, but Gillian stepped just an inch closer.

"Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to turn my fierce sister into a third person in someone else’s relationship. And trust me... I have no intention of letting Iryna look like some desperate woman trying to ruin another person’s relationship."

Yerel narrowed his eyes, struggling for a brief second to keep his calm. "A third person... like who, exactly?"

Gillian merely offered a cheerful, completely unbothered wink, giving Yerel a passing pat on the shoulder that carried just a bit too much physical strength.

"Oh, just anyone out there," Gillian replied cheerfully, waving a hand as he strolled off.