I Became a Side character in a BL novel

The hunter and the prey

TW: EXPLICIT S*X SCENES, 18+ CONTENT

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By the time we returned to the villa, the day's heat had worn everyone. The Countess excused herself almost immediately, claiming she needed to rest before supper.

Arron paused beside me, removing his gloves with measured movements. "I have some urgent business to see to," he said, almost too casually.

I glanced up. "Urgent business?"

He met my eyes only for a moment before smoothing the cuff of his sleeve. "Yes. The church. It's Sunday - time for prayers."

The words caught me off guard. For as long as I had known him, Arron only went to church because the original Rosetta had pressed him to it. It was an attempt to reform his image from his past life of brothels and crimes. But now, without prompting he is...

Lady Isabel, standing nearby, offered an approving smile. "How admirable, my lord."

It wasn't only him. The Princess, walked out with her knight Steve, already dressed for the evening service, inclined her head toward Arron with polite warmth.

She was known for her piety, her visits to the church as regular as the turning of the clock. It seemed natural, then, when Arron fell into step beside her. A knight joined them, and the three departed together, their silhouettes vanishing into the gold light of late afternoon.

That left Christopher and me alone. For a heartbeat, we were the only two left standing.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting with something unreadable. "Not joining your husband?"

I kept my voice cool, my expression smooth. "No. I'm tired."

Lassells who was watching us, commented.

"Pardon my intrusion," he began, eyes narrow "but you both seem to be very... close friends."

Every muscle in my body went rigid.

"Yes," I said too quickly. "We are very good friends. Childhood friends." I stressed on the word friends hoping the repetition could carve away any suspicion.

Lassells brow lifted in mild acknowledgment, but he didn't push further. The rest of the company, drained from the day, barely seemed to register the exchange. They knew, as all in our circles did, the boundaries of curiosity.

Within minutes, the corridor emptied. One by one, they all withdrew to their chambers, leaving only the quiet sigh of the villa settling into evening. I was also about ti leave when...

"Friends, huh?" Christopher said

I stopped mid-step.

"I don't think that's an appropriate word for us."

Slowly, I turned. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes... they were sharp, stripped bare of warmth, fixed on me.

"Then what, would you call us, Your Highness?" I asked trying to keep my tone calm.

The corner of his mouth lift into a smile. "Something you wouldn't dare speak aloud here. You know I could..." His gaze drifted, slow and deliberate, over the empty expanse of the hall before returning to mine. "...change everything for you, if I wished if I were to reveal what we are. "

The meaning hit me. I couldn't speak.

"Do you, perhaps...want me to show you that? Show you what I can do?"

He didn't need to show me. I already knew it. He was the heir to the empire. He had enough power that he could easily ruin my life and my reputation.

It wasn't a wise decision to provoke him.