[BL]Hunted by the God of Destruction-Chapter 284: The toast

The ceremony dissolved into applause and warm light, and as the orchestra swelled once more, the guests began to move toward the grand reception hall. It was an adjoining space, just as impossibly lavish as the main chamber, but brighter, with chandeliers lowered for intimacy, the floral arrangements taller and pale gold candles filling every corner with soft fire.

The marble stairs glowed under hidden lighting, turning the steps into a slow cascade of reflected brilliance. Servers glided past with trays of champagne that cost more than most houses. Every politician, magnate, and dynasty heir had traded their solemn expressions for carefully curated smiles. There were entire treaties being negotiated in whispers before the first toast was poured.

Victor and Elias entered as the orchestra transitioned into something elegant and discreet. The room reacted like a tide, guests shifting toward them with the hungry politeness of people who wanted a piece of proximity to power.

Victor’s hand rested lightly on Elias’s back, steering him just enough to shield him from the first wave of admirers.

The Minister of Trade approached with a too-wide smile. "Magnificent ceremony. Simply unforgettable. My warmest congratulations."

Victor’s expression didn’t change. "Thank you," he said, his voice steady and cool. "We appreciate your attendance."

Elias offered a polite nod. The man’s gaze flicked toward Aria’s carrier. Adam had taken her to the private nursery moments earlier, and his smile stretched with calculation.

"A beautiful family," the minister said. "I’m sure the new heir can be very stabilizing for the two joined families."

"That’s not her job," Elias replied calmly.

The man blinked, faltered, and excused himself with the grace of someone tripping in a crowded room.

Victor looked entirely too amused.

One by one, guests approached: industrialists with oiled voices, foreign representatives with rehearsed charm, CEOs who had already sent congratulatory gifts for the next ten years in advance. They offered compliments on the wedding, flattery thinly wrapped in diplomacy, and practical inquiries masquerading as heartfelt wishes.

Victor navigated them like a man crossing a battlefield he knew by heart.

Elias remained perfectly polite, perfectly composed, and so quietly incisive that half the politicians didn’t realize they’d been deflected until long after they walked away, their plans evaporating mid-sentence.

Through it all, Ego watched from the balcony above with the satisfaction of a general surveying a winning army. He sipped something golden from a crystal flute, occasionally whispering commentary to Ruo, who looked half entertained, half exasperated.

Connor stood beside them, leaning over the railing in a way that made the security teams sweat.

Uno was unbothered.

Eventually, the orchestra shifted into a new melody, something slow, sweeping, and unmistakably intended for a first dance and the lights warmed as the crowd subtly parted. A single gold spotlight gathered in the center of the room.

Victor turned to Elias, something soft settling in his expression. "Dance with me."

Elias arched a brow. "We’re being watched by half the world."

"All the more reason."

Victor offered his hand.

Elias took it.

They stepped into the center, and the room stilled in a way that felt reverent. Victor’s hand settled at Elias’s waist, gently guiding him into motion as the violin section rose in a silk-soft crest.

Elias fit against him like they’d been carved to match. Victor drew him in just close enough that the gold of his tie brushed Elias’s collar. People watched, but they weren’t what mattered. In the vast expanse of marble and chandeliers, the world narrowed to the sound of strings and the warmth of a hand pressed to the small of his back.

"You’re staring," Elias murmured.

"Of course," Victor said quietly. "I married you."

The orchestra softened, the music slowing, then swelling again. Elias allowed himself to lean in, his forehead brushing Victor’s temple. Victor exhaled like something inside him finally settled.

Around them, guests murmured, some softened, some calculating, some startled that Victor Numen looked... happy.

Then the music faded, the applause rose, and before either of them could retreat, Ego’s voice boomed through the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "it is now time for the toast."

The room tensed.

Victor immediately mouthed, Oh god.

Elias breathed out slowly. "Let him have this."

"I regret granting him life," Victor whispered.

Ego descended the stairs with the pomp of someone accepting an award he absolutely deserved. He took his place in the center, raising his champagne flute, looking far too pleased with himself.

"Today," Ego began, "we celebrate not only the union of two extraordinary individuals but also the merging of brilliance, stubbornness, and unfathomable patience."

A few guests laughed nervously.

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ego gestured dramatically to Elias. "This man, this ingenious, terrifyingly competent young man, managed the impossible. He married Victor."

The hall burst into laughter. Victor looked personally betrayed.

Elias smothered a smile.

"And Victor," Ego continued, "did something equally astonishing. He found someone willing to tolerate him."

More laughter. Victor mouthed, ’I will challenge him to a duel.’

Ego’s tone softened. "In seriousness... watching these two together has been a lesson in what strength looks like in its quietest form. Elias, who came into our world with grace sharp enough to carve through pretense. Victor, who has discovered that family is not inherited; it is chosen, protected, and fought for."

Victor’s gaze dropped briefly, emotion flickering in his eyes.

"And Aria," Ego finished, clearing his throat, "who is, without question, the only Numen capable of silencing us all."

The room erupted. Glasses lifted. Applause swelled.

Victor exhaled, leaning slightly toward Elias. "It wasn’t terrible."

"It was almost sentimental," Elias murmured.

"Unacceptable," Victor replied.

Before Elias could tease him, a new wave of guests swept toward them, half congratulatory, half political jockeying. The reception surged into motion again, the crowd alive with strategic smiles and sparkling drinkware.

Victor slipped an arm around Elias’s waist, leaning down so only he could hear.

"We will disappear soon," he promised. "Very soon."

Elias let the corner of his mouth lift. "After the next diplomatic ambush?"

"If necessary," Victor said, brushing his thumb against Elias’s hip, "I will start a scandal to escape this room." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"You already married me," Elias replied. "You’ve scandalized enough for one day."

Victor’s laugh was quiet, warm, and dangerously fond.

But the look he gave Elias made it abundantly clear: the moment they were free of this hall, the real wedding night would begin.