I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)-Chapter 144: The Wall of Devotion

The North’s stonework always felt like it was trying to crush you. For Philia, sitting in the guest wing of the Duke’s fortress, the air was particularly suffocating today. It wasn’t just the cold in the room, it was how ridiculously stupid the information he’d been given was. He’d arrived expecting a certain game, a chess match of status and proximity, only to be told by that walking slab of muscle, Flio, that Cherion wasn’t even within the castle walls.

Subjugation.

The word tasted like ash. Philia paced back and forth across the rug, his steps soft but steady. Cherion? On a subjugation? It was a laughable premise. The man was a Southern socialite at best, a glorified decorative piece. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

What could he possibly contribute to a bloody march through the frost-bitten wastes? To Philia, the answer was glaringly obvious: Cherion must have played some incredibly dirty, backhanded trick to worm his way into the Duke’s caravan. Perhaps a tearful performance, or a calculated display of "fragility" that made the Duke feel some primitive need to protect him.

"Subjugation," Philia muttered to the empty room, his voice a sharp blade in the quiet. "He probably went to make a mess. Or to ensure the Duke doesn’t forget his face." He wasn’t happy about it. Not one bit.

A sharp, polite knock interrupted his spiraling thoughts.

A maid entered, balancing a silver tray with the practiced ease of someone used to serving demanding men. She was young, her eyes lowered, steam from the teapot curling softly around her face. Philia stopped his pacing, his face shifting instantly. His annoyance faded, and that familiar, well-rehearsed smile slipped into place.

"Ah, just what I needed," he said, his voice dropping into a melodic, comforting register. "Thank you...?"

"Brie, my Lord," the girl replied, curtsying as she set the tray on the low table.

"Thank you, Brie. Truly." Philia watched her, his mind already spinning the first threads of a web. He sat down, the leather of the chair creaking under him. "You’ve a very efficient way about you. It’s a relief. Everything in this castle feels so... stern."

Brie offered a shy, small smile. "You’re very welcome, my Lord. Is there anything else you might be needing? A snack? Extra blankets?"

"No, no. I’m quite alright," Philia said, waving a hand dismissively before pausing, as if struck by a sudden, casual thought. "Actually... I was just thinking about Lord Cherion. Flio mentioned he’s away on the subjugation. It’s so brave of him, isn’t it? Though I must admit, I was surprised. He always seemed so... delicate back home."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Brie’s face, searching for that flicker of annoyance or the roll of an eye that usually came when servants talked about "difficult" masters. He was looking for the dirt, the inconsistencies, the hidden tantrums, the evidence of a manipulative actor who treated the help like furniture.

"Oh, Lord Cherion!" Brie’s eyes brightened instantly, a reaction so genuine it made Philia’s heart skip a beat for all the wrong reasons. "He is brave, sir. But he’s more than that. He’s the kindest soul we’ve ever had in these halls. Why, just last week, when the flu hit the lower kitchens, he didn’t just send medicine, he came down himself. He didn’t mind the smell or the heat. He sat with us."

Philia took a sip of the tea, nearly scalding his tongue. He swallowed hard, his smile twitching. "Is that so? How... unexpected. I suppose he’s found a way to be a ’better person’ here than he was in the Capital. A fresh start for a fresh face, perhaps?"

"He’s been nothing but a blessing," Brie insisted, her voice full of a soft, stubborn adoration.

"I see," Philia murmured, dismissing her with a sharp nod. Once the door clicked shut, he stared at the tea. He’s good, Philia thought, a cold shiver running down his spine. Cherion is actually playing them all. To manipulate the staff to this degree...

The room felt stuffy now, the heat from the fire almost too much. Philia stood up, leaving the tea to grow cold. He needed air. He needed to find the crack in the armor.

He wandered. The castle was a labyrinth of dark stone and drafty corridors, but Philia had a predator’s sense for where people gathered. He found himself near the bustling heat of the kitchen area, where the scent of roasting meat and flour hung heavy. He drifted among the workers, playing the part of the bored guest, weaving his way into conversations with a smile that never quite reached his eyes.

But the further he went, the more the metaphorical slaps came.

He spoke to a grizzled cook. He spoke to a stable hand who happened to be passing through. He spoke to a young helper. And each time, he waited for the gossip. He waited for the "dirt."

"Saved the boy’s leg, he did," the cook grunted, not even looking up from his chopping block. "He sat in the dirt with the boy for hours. Treated us like we were made of the same blood."

"He listens," a guard added, leaning against the doorframe. "Doesn’t just give orders. He asks about your family. He knows the names of my kids, for gods’ sake."

Philia felt his "kind" smile beginning to ache. It was twitching with a raw irritation. The adoration was absolute. It was a wall. Every story was a testament to a man who didn’t exist in Philia’s world, a noble who cared. Lies, he thought. All calculated lies to build a base of power.

"You seem to be having a very productive stroll, Lord Philia."

The voice was like a bucket of ice water. Philia turned, his silk robes swishing against the floors. Flio stood there, his massive frame blocking the light from the corridor. He wasn’t smiling. He didn’t move, just stood there, and something about him made Philia uneasy.

"Sir Flio," Philia said, his voice smooth as glass. "I was just looking around. The air in the guest wing felt a bit... stuffy."

"Is that why you’re in the kitchens?" Flio asked, his eyes narrowing. There was a lethal clarity in his gaze, a look that saw right through the porcelain mask. "Interrogating the staff about a man who isn’t here to defend himself?"

"Interrogating? What a harsh word," Philia chuckled, though it sounded thin. "I’m merely a guest interested in the local... legends."

"The ’legends’ are busy working," Flio stepped forward, his boots thudding with a finality that brooked no argument. "It would be a shame if our guest grew so tired from his wandering that he couldn’t enjoy the hospitality we’ve prepared. Perhaps you should return to your quarters and rest. It’s safer for everyone if you aren’t wandering around with no one to... accompany you."

Philia’s eyes flickered, a momentary flash of the viper beneath the skin. "Then perhaps you should accompany me now? I’d love a guided tour from someone so... knowledgeable."

"I’d be happy to arrange that for you tomorrow," Flio said, his tone measured. He made no move to follow. "For now, I’m needed elsewhere. The guest wing should have everything you require."

The silence between them stretched, taut and vibrating like a bowstring ready to snap. Philia realized he’d pushed as far as he could for one evening. He gave a small smile and turned around.

"Until tomorrow then, Sir Flio."

Philia retreated down the hall, his footsteps echoing with a frantic, hollow sound. He didn’t look back.

Flio stayed exactly where he was. He watched the nobleman’s retreating back, his hand resting instinctively on the hilt of his blade. He didn’t trust Philia as far as he could throw him, which, admittedly, was quite far. He stood in the shadows for a long moment after Philia vanished.

Slowly, Flio turned to the small window set high in the stone wall. Outside, a small, dark shape took flight, a messenger bird he’d released only a short while ago, its wings beating silently against the cold air.