I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

Chapter 277: A Surprisingly Loud Secret

"Don’t move too much!"

"I want to see it more clearly!"

The velvet drapes of the grand ballroom balcony were doing a truly heroic job of not hiding two grown men who were very obviously trespassing and not subtle about it in the slightest.

Cherion was pressed so hard against a cold marble pillar he was pretty sure he was going to permanently merge with it. He held his breath, staring with wide, furious eyes at the guy squished into the narrow space right next to him.

Elios, meanwhile, looked like he was having the time of his life. Completely relaxed, chilling like this was a normal Saturday night, and somehow, no one knew how, he had smuggled a fresh glass of sparkling wine behind the curtains. He took a slow, silent sip and leaned back just enough to peek through the tiny crack where fabric met doorframe.

Elios just blinked at him, then gave a completely unbothered, cheeky grin. He tilted his glass toward the balcony like, relax, we’re fine, silently telling Cherion to shut up and keep watching.

Cherion let out a silent, exhausted groan and turned back to the tiny gap between the curtains. He couldn’t actually hear what they were saying, the orchestra inside was too loud, and the night wind outside turned everything into muffled, dramatic noise, but the vibe on that terrace was screaming emotional damage.

Flio stood stiff under the moonlight, looking like feelings were optional software he had permanently uninstalled.

And beside him stood Karson, wearing a smile that was too soft, too bitter, and too painfully real for someone who somehow survived court politics every day.

Damn it, author. What kind of star-crossed romance is this?! Why was none of this in the story?!

Flio and Karson were both the dependable, get-it-done type of aides their respective masters couldn’t function without. Not a single line. Not even a hint. And yet here they were, Flio actively avoiding eye contact, Karson staring like he’d been personally wronged by the concept of distance.

Yeah, no. They were definitely into each other.

Too bad they’re also on opposite sides of a political war, Cherion thought, feeling a wave of secondhand emotional suffering hit him.

Suddenly, Flio moved slightly, like he was about to step forward. Inside, Elios’s eyes widened. He instantly dropped his glass into a nearby potted plant and grabbed Cherion’s sleeve.

"Hide, hide!" Elios hissed in a frantic whisper.

Cherion didn’t even think. Panic fully took over. He slapped himself against the wall so fast he nearly became wallpaper, pressing flat like that would somehow make him invisible. Next to him, Elios abandoned subtlety entirely, dropping into a full crouch behind the marble pillar like he was dodging arrows in a battlefield tutorial, hands over his head and everything.

Cherion stared up at the ceiling, heart hammering like it was trying to escape through his throat.

"You two are not particularly good at hiding," Flio’s voice said flatly.

Cherion gave a nervous, high-pitched laugh and peeled his cheek off the wall like it was stuck on glue. He gave a tiny, guilty wave. Elios slowly popped up from his crouch, cleared his throat like he hadn’t just been hiding like a cartoon character, and brushed off his clothes, failing miserably to look dignified.

Flio stood there with his arms crossed, eyes locked directly on Elios.

"I distinctly remember asking you to keep Lord Cherion out of trouble," Flio said, deadpan. "Not drag him into your nonsense and act like a bad influence."

"Hey! I’m not a bad influence!" Elios shot back immediately, crossing his arms to match Flio’s energy, though the slight redness on his face completely ruined the act. "We were just... checking the perimeter. Together."

"Listening in on private conversations is not exactly noble behavior," Flio said, tone dropping even colder as he stared him down.

"It’s not like we actually heard anything!" Elios argued, waving his hands defensively. "The music was too loud, and the curtains are thick, so it’s not really..."

"Oh, here they are! I’ve been looking all over for you!"

A bright voice cut him off.

The velvet curtains were thrown aside and Marielle stepped in, looking way too amused for someone walking into this chaos. Right behind her was Iryna, her hair glowing under the chandelier light, wearing that calm, knowing smile like she already understood everything.

"Having fun without me?" Marielle asked, hands on her hips, immediately clocking Cherion’s mess of emotions and Elios’s guilty posture.

Elios recovered instantly, bowing smoothly. "My lady, I assure you, you were having plenty of fun on your own out there. And Your Highness," he added, pivoting to offer a flawless, respectful bow to the Solaric princess.

Flio followed suit, his rigid posture bowing perfectly. "Your Highness."

Princess Iryna merely chuckled, waving her hand gracefully to dismiss the rigid formalities. "Please, stand at ease. It seems I interrupted a rather serious council meeting... behind these curtains."

Marielle didn’t care about any of that. She walked straight past everyone and tapped Cherion’s shoulder with way too much enthusiasm. Her eyes were practically sparkling with joy.

"Never mind that," Marielle beamed, leaning in closer. "Cherion, I am so incredibly proud of you for what happened earlier! It is just a massive tragedy that I wasn’t there. If I were standing beside you, we could’ve done it together... and probably made it worse together too!"

Cherion groaned, rubbing his temple as the memory returned. "Please, Marielle, let’s just hope that never happens again. I’ve had enough spraying, enough public incidents, and definitely enough unhinged request from ex-fiancé."

Iryna laughed softly, eyes lingering on him with amusement. "Well, the night is still young, Cherion, and it would be a shame to waste all this music standing in a corner arguing about ex-fiancé." She stepped forward and extended a hand. "Let’s dance."

Before Cherion could even process the request, Elios turned toward Marielle with dramatic speed, bowed like he was in a stage performance, and offered his hand.

"In that case, Lady Marielle, may I have this dance?" Elios asked.

Marielle stared at his open palm, letting out a loud, highly dramatic groan that made no effort to hide her reluctance. "Ugh. I suppose. But only until my brother comes back." She reluctantly placed her hand in his, shooting a glare at him. "Don’t you dare step on my feet, Elios."

"Hey, don’t look that disappointed to dance with me!" Elios whined, feigning a wounded heart as he led her out toward the sweeping crowds of the ballroom floor. "I am an excellent dancer!"

Cherion watched them leave, completely abandoned, before slowly turning back to face the foreign princess standing before him. Iryna’s hand was still extended, waiting patiently, her smile warm and encouraging.

Cherion stepped forward, offering his most polite, aristocratic smile as he gently clasped her hand.

"It would be my absolute honor, Your Highness."