Ascension Of The Villain

"First of all, I would like to admit how I tried to screw you over on multiple occasions. Remember how everyone thought it was Haberland's spy who poisoned Former Commander Pembrooke? Yeah, about that—it wasn't him. It was me. I did it."

Vyan already knew that Leila had this information slip, but nevertheless, it was still hard to admit the awful things he did against Iyana.

"I figured you would take charge and I would twist the knife a little deeper by making you lose the war in such a spectacular fashion that the blame would land squarely on your shoulders. For that reason, I disguised myself and helped Haberland—our nation's biggest enemy. But it just so happened that you are a better war tactic than I am. So, you won the war either way."

He paused, allowing the memory to replay in his mind, and a flicker of something—was it amusement?—passed through him. How naïve he had been, convinced he could break someone like Iyana so easily.

"But I am glad you did." He wasn't lying—he now truly was grateful she had won. The alternative had been far too disastrous, even for someone like him. Still, it didn't erase the guilt that gnawed at him, a guilt that had only surfaced recently, when he had tasted a bit of loss himself.

"I am sorry about the soldiers you must have lost in that war... because of me," he swallowed hard, the acknowledgment settling in his chest. "Back then, I didn't know what it was like to lose someone in my own team. But now I do. I lost five knights at the Monster Hunt Festival." His throat tightened. "And it wasn't easy to not blame myself for it."

For the first time, the mask of confidence cracked. He hesitated, the rawness of the moment starting to catch up with him. "So I am pretty sure you blamed yourself back then too, even though it was me you should have blamed."
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Vyan buried his face into her shoulder, pressing against her as though she could somehow absolve his sins. He didn't dare look up at her. The thought of seeing disappointment—or worse, disgust—on her face made his stomach churn. He could handle anything but that. Anything but knowing she regretted him.

"Secondly…" Vyan shifted slightly, his fingers tracing tensed circles around Iyana's waist, and she continued to play the piano, helping him ease.

"I only ever intended to exact revenge on them—your family. Simple, clean revenge, right? But I got sloppy, overlooked a few casualties I could have avoided if I had bothered paying more attention." He paused, not for effect, but because even he realized how absurd it sounded.

"Like when I bankrupted your family's businesses. I didn't think about the employees—Clyde did, of course, the voice of reason as usual." He smiled slightly. "He convinced me to at least make sure they would find jobs at Ashstone, but your father... well, being the delight that he was, he had them locked into contracts for five years.

So yeah, they were still tied to those empty factories, no pay, and too poor to speak up about it. Real mess, right? And all my fault," he admitted, chuckling bitterly and full of self-loathing.

If he was the same Vyan from a few months ago, he would not have felt a single shred of regret for his actions. Back then, he was too engrossed in his thirst for revenge to see things clearly.

"And then there was the mine crash," he continued, his tone a little more solemn now. "I am sure you remember that earthquake that leveled the mines. It was nighttime, and there were no lights nearby, so I assumed it was all clear. Thought I was being strategic. Turns out, I was wrong. Two people were still down there."

Vyan could feel Iyana tense against him, but she didn't move. Not yet. He wondered what she was thinking. Was she picturing the wreckage he left in his wake, the lives ruined by the whims of a vengeful duke who didn't know when to quit?

"So, yeah, I killed two people. Not intentionally, but I did," he sighed.

At that moment, a part of him told him to skip a few details, maybe he could save some of his dignity, but what would be the point of that? He had called her here today to confess everything. Hoped that the burden on his chest would be lifted.

So, gathering his courage once again, he continued, "And then, the whole ship thing. I sank your father's shipments from Redsance Kingdom. It was a storm I conjured, but not everyone aboard made it out. A few of the boat residents... well, they went missing. Probably at the bottom of the ocean, thanks to me."

"Also, like you initially suspected, it was me who kidnapped Count Marlo's daughter. You were right on the mark. I framed Lyon and made your father indebted to me. Obviously, I did everything for revenge, but I believe that does not excuse the things I have done." His voice dropped to a softer, more reflective tone.

"And as for the other bad stuff I have done that isn't related to revenge, I… well, I threatened Lord Natrin's entire family and kept his son in lockup until he agreed to give back Ashstone's seaport. Although, of course, I wouldn't have had to go through the trouble if Lord Natrin hadn't forcefully seized control of it in its owner's absence."

He was almost impressed with how quiet she had been so far—her silence was unnerving like she was absorbing everything he said without breaking. Yet.

"Ah, also, there was this one time, I politely requested Lord Magnus, Clyde's father, to name Clyde the heir, which obviously is Clyde's birthright, and also his step-mother and step-brother to treat Clyde with more respect. But apparently, my friend wasn't a fan of that approach.

He got so mad that he didn't talk to me for three whole days, and trust me, that's a lot in Clyde's blabbermouth's dictionary," he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

He swallowed, the humor slipping as his expression darkened. "And as for the imperial family… Well, I have been busy. Floodgates in the villages? That was me. I wanted Easton too preoccupied with the disaster to even think about the Walver Epidemic. Helping Princess Maria escape?

Me again. The goal was to get Easton dethroned, make way for Althea. She promised to help me take down her father in return."

There was a brief silence after his confession, like the moment right before a storm breaks. His heart was pounding in his chest. He finally raised his head from her shoulder to look at her face. But it was completely unreadable with a touch of eeriness.

Was she picturing all those lives tangled in his web of revenge? Could she feel the guilt he refused to admit to anyone but her?

And it was just now he was realizing that she had stopped playing the piano. Did that mean she was done? Her love for him all faded? Or was it now colored with disgust? Was she regretting ever falling in love with the kind of man that was?

"You…" At last, Iyana opened her mouth. "You truly are an evil man, aren't you?"

With that, his blood turned cold.