A Dangerous Change

Kyrstal’s breath hitched as he watched him. Diago’s gaze was laced with a smile which neither felt warm or friendly but rather sent chills crawling beneath his skin.

The entire hall halted in stunned silence. Even the nobles seated nearby looked visibly shocked by what their eyes beheld. The Diago Veydrake they knew never smiled, not in public nor anywhere, and certainly not at Caspian Vale.

Krystal looked alarmed, immediately sensing the danger.

“Young Master Caspian seems different from the rumors,” Diago calmly pointed with his crimson eyes glued at him, never leaving his space.

The moment those eyes locked onto him again, Krystal instinctively stiffened. He instantly felt the attention and pressure. It was as though a predator had suddenly found something interesting enough to watch.

“This child had been unusually quiet today. Perhaps he finally learned proper manners.” Caspian’s father quickly said, clearing his throat with an awkward laugh. Krystal nearly rolled his eyes with a scoff.

“What a wonderful father.” He scarcastically mumbled inaudibly.

Diago said nothing in response. Instead, he slowly leaned back against his chair as he kept observing him with unreadable eyes. Krystal wasn’t okay but forced himself to stay calm.

In the original manhwa, Diago hated Caspian from this very moment onward. Their engagement became nothing more than a political arrangement built on resentment and humiliation.

But now it felt different. The story seemed to have shifted and he had no idea whether that was for the good or not.

“Please, take your seat.” Duke Veydrake’s deep voice broke the tension. He quietly obeyed, taking the empty seat directly across from Diago. But regretted it instantly, an omega that close to an alpha was just a recipe for disaster.

His scent and aura felt suffocating due to the smell of the cedarwood and smoke which lingered faintly around Diago. It was so rich and overwhelming enough to make Krystal’s omega instincts restless.

He panicked internally, with no idea how to suppress his instincts. It’s an ABO world and he almost forgot the most important thing. Caspian was an omega and Diago, a dominant alpha. So definitely, he should have expected something like that and come up with a plan B but too late now.

He immediately lowered his gaze toward the teacup placed before him, hoping to calm himself before anyone noticed his discomfort. But then, his voice invaded.

“Are you nervous, Young Master Caspian?” He asked out of the blue to which Krystal’s fingers nearly slipped against the porcelain cup. He carefully looked up only to find his gaze still on him.

Curiosity slowly devoured his terrifyingly calm expression, Krystal noticed.  “No,” he quickly answered. “I’m simply not feeling well today.”

“That’s unfortunate.” The words sounded polite enough, yet, Krystal felt like he was testing him.

The conversation between the nobles had long resumed with discussions of the trade routes, military affairs, and the upcoming imperial banquet ongoing but Krystal barely listened. His mind was clearly elsewhere.

Specifically on his survival. He needed to end this engagement before things spiraled out of control. And if he stayed tied to Diago, then eventually the original plot would still happen. Maybe differently or slower but it surely would and Krystal absolutely refused to die like Caspian did.

“Caspian.” His father suddenly called. He immediately looked up towards his father.

Master Vale’s sharp eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you accompany Young Master Diago to the garden? It would be good for the two of you to speak privately.”

His soul nearly left his body. “Privately?” His thoughts pressed. “Absolutely not.” His inner voice quickly rejected but before he could even think of an excuse, Duke Veydrake nodded in agreement.

“That’s a good idea.” He silently cursed everyone in the room. Diago on the other hand found it as an opportunity to get more closer and know him better.

Without hesitation, he rose to his full length. The movement alone commanded attention. Tall, terrifying and elegant, his face glowed with a soft, charming smile.

His military uniform emphasized his broad shoulders and sharp figure, making his already intimidating presence even worse. His eyes briefly drifted toward Krystal again.

“Shall we?” He wanted to say no but then, the words left his mouth before he could stop them.

“Of course.” The words landed which he immediately regretted but couldn’t reverse.

A servant quickly opened the garden doors for them.

The cold evening breeze brushed against Krystal’s face as they stepped outside. The moonlight gorgeously illuminated the enormous garden paths which was lined with white roses and silver lanterns.

For a while, neither of them spoke and Krystal honestly preferred it that way. Because every second around him made him nervous.

“You seem afraid of me.” Krystal froze mid-step; his head slowly turned towards the alpha beside him. Diago’s expression remained calm as ever yet, his eyes seemed to know him much better than himself.

“I’m not afraid,” he delivered a lie.

Diago abruptly stopped mid-way at his words. “So, you’re brave enough to look directly at me now?” Krystal instinctively looked away.

“Damn it.” A low chuckle escaped Diago’s lips which made him stare back at him in disbelief. The future tyrant laughed? The thought refused to die off.

“Something is seriously wrong with this storyline.” His gaze thoughtfully remained fixed.

“You’re interesting today,” Diago admitted quietly.

Krystal’s heartbeat became even more uneven again. Interesting was a bad thing in his current state. It meant attention and attention from the future monster was the last thing he needed.

“I think Young Master Diago misunderstands me,” Krystal said carefully. “I’m actually quite boring.” Diago stepped closer, not enough to touch but close enough for Krystal to feel overwhelmed by the alpha’s presence.

“I disagree.” He swallowed hard as his eyes intuitively remained locked against Diago’s crimson eyes which reflected the moonlight as the alpha silently stared down at him.

“For the first time,” Diago murmured, “I’m looking forward to this engagement.”

Krystal’s mind went completely blank. That was definitely new, he thought. Because in the original story, Diago Veydrake never wanted the engagement at all.