THE PERFECT VILLAIN: Another chance with a system
Chapter 4: Surprise!

Chapter 4: Surprise!

Vael woke the next morning to crimson moonlight pouring into the room, and he climbed out of bed, dragging the towel along behind him.

Down at the spring, he stepped in and let himself sink — this was the best part of the Demon Realm, the part he never got tired of. When he rose and walked out, Langer was already waiting with a new set of clothes.

Vael dressed and headed out with nowhere particular to be, just a slow walk through the castle, looking for something worth his attention.

He’d barely reached Erna’s chamber when whispers stopped him at the corner, and he leaned into the wall to listen.

"You mean a hero?" Erna’s voice, barely more than breath.

"Yes, my lady. One of them was a hero, and we couldn’t capture them — we weren’t strong enough to face a hero." Cole’s voice, the one he recognized from the day before.

A hero. One of the heroes is in contact with the demons — is that why I was framed, to cover their tracks?

Vael’s lips stretched slightly as the thought settled in. They knew all along. I was just a disposable pawn. Which leaves the question — which of them?

He paused as Amira’s face rose in his mind before he could stop it.

"Amira." The word came out barely a whisper, tasting like ash on the way out.

"My lady, you seem bothered by something?" Cole asked.

Silence stretched before she answered. "Something is off. I feel like I’ve missed a very obvious fact, especially about Nevis. Something isn’t right."

"I thought so too," Cole said, almost too fast. "You confirmed seeing him, but it feels like a setup, and I can’t connect it yet. We’re missing something."

Vael’s jaw tightened once and eased just as quickly.

So they’re suspicious. How sad — I was starting to like you, Erna. I was going to save you for last. At least you’re smart.

The corner of his mouth pulled up as he leaned in closer, waiting.

"Who do you think is behind this?" Cole asked.

"My best guess is a member of my council."

His fingers curled against his thigh before he thought to uncurl them again. Her intuition was sharp, sharp enough to become a problem later — and with that, he turned and headed for his chambers without waiting to hear the rest. If the suspect was a council member, then he’d make sure it was.

---

He ran into Valin on the way. Valin bowed at once, assuming he’d been sought out.

"My lord, have you been looking for me?"

"No, not at all," Vael said. He let the moment sit a beat longer than it needed to, turning the question over before he answered it. "Though I’d like to see you in an hour or two. Where will you be?"

"The eastward archives — paperwork, it may take a while. I’m headed there now."

"Very well. I’ll come find you when I need you.

"

Vael walked past him, unhurried, and didn’t look back. Valin bowed a second time and carried on toward the archive wing, his footsteps fading down the corridor until there was nothing left but the sound of Vael’s own.

Vael slowed his pace until Valin dropped out of sight, then quickened it the moment he was gone.

His chambers came into view sooner than he expected. Inside, Langer stood at the table, still arranging the last of a meal — a plate straightened, a cup set an inch to the left.

"Lord Vael, your meal is ready."

"There’ll be no need for that." Vael crossed to the table and picked up a book resting near the edge, turning it once in his hands before he held it out. "Deliver this to the council in thirty minutes."

Langer took it without question, tucking it against his chest the way he handled anything he’d been trusted with. "Of course, Lord Vael. It won’t be an issue."

He left, and the door clicked shut behind him. For a moment Vael stood alone in the quiet of the room, listening to Langer’s footsteps recede the same way Valin’s had.

Then he crossed to the closet, swapping his clothes for something matching Valin’s style. Then, He stepped out, straightened his collar, and walked toward the council hall.

---

The hall was empty when he arrived, so he took a seat and waited until Erna and Cole returned shortly after.

"Valin, you’re early." Erna settled into her chair.

"I needed to report something. I don’t know if you’ll believe me — it’s hard to prove." Vael, wearing Valin’s face, let the words sit between them.

Cole took his seat beside him, silent.

"Prove what?" Erna leaned forward, her eyes fixed on him.

"This may be hard to believe, but I think Lord Nevis was innocent," he said, his gaze drifting to the table as though the words cost him something.

"What do you mean?" Cole cut in.

"I think it was a setup, and the real culprit is—" He looked up at Erna, and nobody spoke into the silence that followed. "—Lord Vael."

Erna sat back, and the quiet that settled over the room felt thick with pieces falling into place.

"Lady Erna," Cole said, breaking it, "didn’t you say he brought Lord Nevis’s body to you himself?"

She said nothing, but the look on her face was answer enough.

"I think I found something in his chambers today," Valin added. "It may be a clue. I’m not fully certain."

Erna was already on her feet. "If there’s a clue, we don’t wait — catch him before he covers his tracks, it’ll be a pain if someone else falls for it too."

She was moving before she finished speaking, and Cole and Valin fell in behind her.

---

The hallway leading to his chambers was empty, not a single soul in sight. Vael quickly calculated the timing—whatever plan he had in mind required witnesses, and this silence wouldn’t do. As he and Cole trailed behind Erna, his focus shifted back toward his system.

Claire, I still have one unused copied ability, right?

Notice: Affirmative. Devil’s Chains is still available.

His breath went shallow and even, the stillness of a man holding something he didn’t want to drop, and he kept pace behind her.

They were nearly there when Langer stepped out with a book in hand — far enough that no one thought twice, close enough that both parties clocked each other all the same.

Valin slowed just enough to let Cole and Erna pass ahead of him, then pointed a finger at Cole, and the chains snapped taut, pinning him to the floor before he could react.

Erna spun around, but she didn’t get a word out before his hand was through her chest, her heart resting in his palm.

He smiled, still wearing Valin’s face, and murmured:

"Surprise... surprise."