SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant Chapter 492: Vivienne and Xavier

Xavier continued fixating on Vivienne, fearing that diverting his eyes for just an instant could cause the memory to vanish anew.

"It really was you," he murmured, his words drawn out slower now, laced with greater certainty. "During the Council, I sensed something off right away, yet I couldn't pinpoint it. Each time you uttered a word, my thoughts seemed eager to embrace your every claim before I had a chance to question them. Statements that ought to have rung false simply... meshed. Afterward, my head began to throb, and the harder I strained to recall your features, the more intense the pain grew."

Vivienne dropped her gaze briefly.

Xavier exhaled sharply through his nostrils and flicked a quick look at Trafalgar before locking eyes with her once more. "I pondered it endlessly later on. I possess just one deceased brother. I'm adopted. No sister ever existed." His eyebrows furrowed tightly. "So precisely who were you?"

Trafalgar remained rooted in place, allowing the talk to unfold while ensuring it steered clear of folly.

After a short hesitation, Vivienne replied. "My name is Vivienne. That much rang true. But I'm no Roquefort, nor your sibling." She met Xavier's stare directly then. "I borrowed your persona to approach Trafalgar."

Xavier held her gaze a beat longer. "You picked me for that purpose?"

"I required a credible cover," Vivienne explained. "Someone linked closely enough to draw his notice, yet subtle enough to evade early meddling from others."

"And posing as my sister struck you as wise."

"Back then, it did."

A faint, incredulous chuckle escaped Xavier, tension still simmering beneath.

Vivienne released a soft sigh, then continued, "I truly apologize. I had to find a path to Trafalgar, one unlike the approaches of the nobles, merchants, or those influential figures swarming him that evening. Had I tried their methods, he'd have dismissed me mid-introduction."

Trafalgar eyed her sidelong. "I would have."

"I know," Vivienne admitted, a subtle edge of annoyance creeping in. "If Trafalgar hadn't acted so brusquely that day, I wouldn't have resorted to it."

Trafalgar fully turned toward her. "How is that my doing?"

Vivienne parted her lips.

Then snapped them shut.

Xavier burst into laughter at that, shattering the lingering rigidity among them.

"Fair enough," he conceded, a slight grin lingering. "That does match his style."

Vivienne regarded him uncertainly, debating if he teased or aided her. "You don't appear as furious as before."

"I was caught off guard," Xavier clarified. "Surprise isn't anger." He observed her calmly now. "Besides, true fury from me would be unmistakable."

"That offers little reassurance."

"It's not supposed to."

For the first instance since it began, Vivienne nearly cracked a smile, only to rein it in midway.

Xavier spotted it regardless.

"Admittedly," he noted, "this marks an odd introduction, yet you're far from what I imagined."

Vivienne blinked. "What had you pictured?"

"Not sure. Colder, perhaps. More smug." His eyes traced her features curiously, without malice. "You deceived convincingly, but now you seem to rue every choice that brought you here."

Vivienne averted her eyes momentarily. "Certain ones, indeed."

Trafalgar held his silence, permitting the dialogue to progress naturally.

"Now you've piqued my interest," Xavier pressed on.

"That hardly improves matters."

"Nor is it terrible."

Vivienne met his look again. "Interested in what?"

"You," Xavier stated bluntly, startling even her. "You crafted an image fitting seamlessly into my world, almost bending my own beliefs to accept it, yet upon confrontation, you don't play enigmatic or arrogant—you stand there anxious." A subtle smile curved his lips. "That proves far more intriguing than anticipated."

Vivienne gaped at him briefly, at a loss under such scrutiny. Manipulation was one skill; facing this gaze post-deception was another entirely.

"I never aimed to embody those traits," she murmured.

Xavier shrugged lightly. "Perhaps that's precisely why it succeeds."

She lacked a retort. Her fingers clenched subtly at her side; she glanced aside fleetingly before turning back. Xavier noted it instantly, his heterochromatic eyes gentling.

By entry into the building, the sharpest tension had dissipated.

Trafalgar perceived the change first. Xavier no longer dissected Vivienne's facade with piercing intent. Vivienne, though more self-conscious, ceased appearing desperate to melt into obscurity.

That sufficed.

The restaurant's cozy ambiance enveloped them upon crossing the threshold. Gentle illumination, subdued chatter, faint clinks of glassware and silverware—all evoked the relaxed sophistication Aubrelle had envisioned. Refined yet unpretentious, cozy without crowding, spacious enough for comfortable mingling among the assembly.

Aubrelle detected the alteration instantly upon their return. She inquired not, merely grasping that the outdoor issue had resolved.

Mayla, however, scanned Xavier and Vivienne with evident intrigue, sensing the shift without grasping its nature.

Rhosyn observed it as well.

Her gaze swept Vivienne's expression once before she remarked dryly, "You appear more uneasy now than with Trafalgar's blade at your neck."

Vivienne eyed her momentarily. "That lacks comfort."

"It wasn't intended to provide any."

Xavier averted his face, a poorly concealed faint smile playing there.

The group inside had assembled. Bartholomew offered a shy wave from behind his round spectacles. Next to him, Cynthia sat poised, her white locks cascading neatly to her waist, golden eyes gleaming. Zafira joined them, her fair complexion, ebony horns, flowing violet tresses, and steely gaze lending her an air of serene vigilance despite her reticence. Scattered around were Aubrelle's acquaintances and a handful of known faces—not overcrowded. Under twenty altogether.

Perfect.

It resembled a genuine festivity.

As the party eased into chairs, Xavier's attention strayed to Vivienne repeatedly, and she registered each instance, pretense notwithstanding.