I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

Chapter 271: A Not So Peaceful Room

"Nice tea," Zarius said smoothly after taking a slow sip from the delicate porcelain cup.

He set the cup back down onto its saucer with a faint click. He was sitting comfortably in a plush leather armchair inside the heavily guarded royal study, maintaining the fragile, trembling posture that high society had already decided belonged to him. Across the table sat King Alderon, a man wearing the heavy weight of an empire on his aging shoulders, who was currently enjoying his own cup of tea with quiet contemplation.

The room was peaceful, smelling faintly of old parchment, rich tobacco, and expensive dried tea leaves, a stark contrast to the suffocating noise happening just a few corridors away.

King Alderon set his cup down, leaning back slightly as his sharp eyes evaluated the young Duke of the North. "Do you enjoy the party, Duke?"

Zarius kept his face perfectly composed, but behind it, a sudden memory flickered across his mind, clear and unsettlingly vivid. He remembered the hilarious, chaotic spectacle from earlier, specifically, the exact moment Cherion had raised his glass and thoroughly sprayed his drink directly into the Crown Prince’s face, leaving Yerel standing there dripping and utterly humiliated in front of the entire high society.

A brief spark of amusement passed through Zarius’s eyes, so small it could’ve been imagined.

"So far, it’s pretty enjoyable," Zarius replied, his voice smooth and entirely relaxed.

The King hummed, a low sound of approval, before shifting the topic slightly. "And how is Cherion? I must admit, his return to the Capital alongside the Northern delegation has set many tongues wagging tonight."

"Like you see, he was all fine," Zarius said shortly, his tone leaving absolutely no room for anyone to question his mate’s well-being or status.

Alderon let out a soft, heavy sigh, a genuine look of regret washing over his weathered features for a brief moment. He held Zarius’s gaze a moment too long, his eyes steady, weighing every detail, as if measuring angles no one else could see, still, his eyes didn’t lie, open in a way that felt unexpectedly real. "I know you can treat him better than Yerel ever did. To be quite honest, Cherion looks much happier now than he ever did during his time here."

Zarius didn’t blink. He lifted the teacup again, the porcelain barely touching his lips, his dark gaze never leaving the monarch above the rim. "Of course. It is a good thing that Your Majesty finally realized about that."

The subtle, biting jab hung heavily in the air, but King Alderon chose to let it pass. He knew the history, and he knew the blatant disrespect Cherion had suffered under the Crown Prince’s arrogance. Clearing his throat softly to dispel the sudden tension, the King adjusted his posture, his expression turning strict and formal as the standard court pleasantries came to a natural end. The relaxed atmosphere vanished, replaced by the heavy, suffocating weight of imperial politics.

"Let us speak of the true reason for this audience," Alderon began, his voice tightening with a mixture of authority and genuine curiosity. "The subjugation. I must praise you, Zarius. Despite the grave, concerning reports regarding your failing health, you still managed to personally lead everyone on the frontlines. To even finish the entire subjugation faster than it used to be done in previous years... it is a remarkable, unprecedented feat. The entire empire owes the North a great debt."

"Yes," Zarius murmured, the word falling flat, carefully controlled, almost devoid of emotion. He stared directly into the King’s eyes, his gaze piercing. "Though we almost didn’t get back safely."

King Alderon’s eyebrows knitted together, a sharp frown pulling at his lips. He leaned forward. "What do you mean by that? The official reports stated the casualty margins were well within the expected limits for a winter horde defense."

Zarius didn’t bother answering with words. Instead, his hand smoothly traveled inside his dark, heavy coat. From an inner pocket, he retrieved a solid object wrapped tightly in a thick piece of velvet cloth. Without a single shred of hesitation, he placed it firmly onto the center of the table and slid it across the polished wood, right next to the King’s porcelain cup.

Zarius pulled the cloth away, revealing the item hidden beneath.

Alderon looked down at the object, his eyes widening in immediate recognition. "Hearth Stone?"

"As much as the North was initially grateful for the King who sent this precious stone to help with the freezing temperatures during the subjugation," Zarius said, there was no change in his tone as he spoke, yet it felt like standing too close to a blade that hadn’t been drawn... yet., "that gratitude quickly turned into disdain and disappointment. Do you know why, Your Majesty?"

Alderon kept his face strict, though a sudden spike of anxiety hit his chest. "Speak plainly, Duke."

"Once it is lit, it can provide warmth, as it is supposed to. You know this," Zarius continued, gesturing casually to the stone. "A beautiful gesture of imperial benevolence. Too bad the Hearth Stone been tampered."

The King looked genuinely confused, his lips parting in surprise. "Tampered? What are you implying?"

"Those Hearth Stones been tampered to the point that it make all those beasts more frenzy and ferocious," Zarius explained, his voice slicing through the quiet room like a frozen blade. "They didn’t act like normal monsters defending territory. The moment those stones were activated in our camps, the hordes went completely mad. They actively threw themselves into roaring fires, ignored their own survival instincts, and tore their own flesh apart just to reach our lines."

Zarius paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the stunned monarch.

"Once we realized the stones were the source of the madness, we stopped using them immediately, of course," Zarius told the rest of the story, his dark eyes never leaving the King’s face. "But by then, the damage was done. My men were terrified and exhausted because how could the palace send something like this to them?Everyone has been on edge ever since we crossed the border."

King Alderon stared at the stone, the color slowly draining from his regal face. He reached out a hand, his fingers hovering just inches away from the stone. It was an absolute nightmare, clear enough to suggest the betrayal came from deep within the Capital’s own high command.

"Unbelievable..." Alderon whispered, his hands trembling slightly against his desk. He snapped his head up, looking at the stone and then back at the stoic, unbothered man sitting across from him. "Is this... is this all true, Zarius?"

Zarius let out a low, humorless hum, setting his cup down onto the saucer with a final, hollow sound. He rose to his full, imposing height, looking down at the ruler of the empire like a predator that had just cornered its prey.

"I have got nothing to gain by inventing this story, Your Majesty," Zarius commanded softly, his tone dead serious and dripping with absolute certainty. He adjusted his coat, turning his back slightly toward the desk as he prepared to leave. "And to be quite frank, I also wish this isn’t true. Because this isn’t the first time the North has received a shipment of Hearth Stones from the Capital. We know how they are supposed to work. And we know exactly what it means when they are turned into weapons against us."

"I give you my word, Duke," the King stated firmly, his voice echoing with absolute gravity. "I will investigate this thoroughly. Every single hand that touched these stones will be uncovered, and I will give a heavy punishment to the one responsible. No one is above the law of the empire."

Zarius didn’t move toward the door. Instead, he just stood there across from the desk, a low, dry chuckle rumbling deep in his throat. It was a dark, humorless sound that made the air in the room freeze.

"Really, Your Majesty?" Zarius asked. "Even if it is the person you trusted the most?"