I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Gallery.

"Dad! Look quickly!"

Rebecca exclaimed.

She pulled her father, Viscount Pompey, over to a painting.

"I said keep your voice down, Rebecca. Don't make such a fuss. Where are your manners?"

Viscount Pompey looked helpless.

"I know, Dad… Just look at this painting!"

Urged by Rebecca, Viscount Pompey looked up, and the next second, his expression froze.

This large-sized painting was elaborately framed and hung at the end of the corridor.

The battlefield depicted was strikingly realistic, the gloomy sky lit by continuous artillery fire, dust billowing. But in the center of the painting, a young soldier was deserting his comrades, turning to flee.

The face of this young deserter was very familiar to Viscount Pompey; it was his adopted son, Vigrey.

"Vigrey… 'Deserter'…"

Upon seeing the painting, Viscount Pompey instantly understood the cause and effect.

"So he has been deceiving me for a long time."

He muttered to himself, yet there was no hatred, only a sense of desolation and disappointment.

"Oh Sun, this is... Vigrey!"

Lady Pompey also came over and exclaimed upon seeing the painting.

The viscount no longer had the heart to remind his wife to keep her voice down. He composed himself and frowned slightly.

"Who painted this work? And how did he come to know these truths…?"

"Dad, the artist's name is 'Beckman,' apparently the owner of this gallery,"

Rebecca noticed the signature in the lower-right corner of the painting and spoke up to remind him.

Viscount Pompey nodded.

"I want to ask Mr. Beckman a few questions. Wait here for me,"

"Oh Pompey, let me come with you."

Lady Pompey said.

"I want to go too!"

Rebecca clung to her father's arm.

Viscount Pompey nodded and led his wife and daughter back the way they had come.

As they passed some of the guests admiring the paintings, he suddenly heard a sudden outburst.

"Oh my Sun! This is...this is my dead husband White! He had an affair with a maid in our house behind my back?!"

A noblewoman covered her face, greatly agitated.

In front of her, the oil painting depicted two naked men and women frolicking in bed. The painting was titled 'White and the Maid.'

But she wasn't an exception.

There were similar situations among other guests. They saw familiar faces in the paintings, whether relatives, lovers, or Besties. However, these familiar faces appeared strange in the paintings, as the content depicted secrets they had never known.

At the other end of the gallery, the large, burly Noah stood in front of a painting.

Others were reluctant to approach him, only Floey stood quietly to one side. She faintly heard Noah's soft sobs and those two heart-stirring words:

"Brother..."

In front of Noah, the painting depicted him as a child, asleep, a boy of normal, even slender build. A beautiful girl sat by his bed, silently watching him, with a slight smile and an indulgent gaze.

But the corner of the painting was titled 'Brother.'

If Chen Lun were here, he would recognize the girl in the painting as the "Silver Witch" Rosa.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Beckman! I need you to give us an explanation!"

An angry male voice sounded.

The crowd turned to look, seeing a middle-aged man holding an oil painting, striding towards the entrance.

"It's Baron Pickett, he just discovered a painting of his wife cheating."

"Oh no wonder he's so furious..."

The situation began to brew, many distinguished guests had already noticed something was amiss, and this art exhibition might not be as simple as imagined... it even had some eerie aspects.

Bang!!

The Great Gate of the gallery suddenly closed.

The crowd was startled by the loud noise.

Holding the oil painting and about to find Beckman for an explanation, Baron Pickett suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face filled with fear.

Clap, clap, clap…

In the silence, sudden applause erupted abruptly.

All eyes turned to see a middle-aged man in a tailcoat emerging from behind a column near the entrance.

"Well done, Oil Paint Viscount, you truly are a great asset to the organization."

He walked slowly to where Beckman was standing, who had a smile on his face but did not respond.

The two stood face to face with Viscount Picot, who warily took two steps back.

"Who are you?"

He demanded, then turned his head to look at Beckman.

"Mr. Beckman! What is the meaning of this?!"

"What does it mean...? Haha!"

The mysterious man in the tailcoat laughed a few times, then his expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice:

"I am here to inform you all solemnly—you have been kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped?!"

"Oh! Praise the Sun!"

"You bastard! Do you know what you are doing?!"

Immediately, the guests buzzed with discussions and exclamations of surprise.

The ladies huddled together in fear, the gentlemen showed angry faces, and a few even stood up and shouted insults. They prided themselves on their status; it was unthinkable for anyone in the Inner City District to dare to kidnap them, nor was there such a daring bandit.

"Damned scum! I warn you to open The Great Gate now, immediately!"

Baron Matthew's face turned red as he walked forward, berating.

The man in the tailcoat looked at him expressionlessly.

The next moment—

A flash of cold light streaked by!

The voice of Baron Matthew came to an abrupt halt; he widened his eyes, took two steps forward, then split into two and fell to the ground.

At some point, an old man in a costume appeared behind him, holding a blood-stained dagger. He turned around, surveyed the surroundings with cold eyes, and instantly, panic erupted among the people.

"Aaah!!"

"No! This can't be real!!"

"Oh Sun! Sun, save us!"

Whoosh, whoosh!

Several other men and women in costumes darted out from hiding. They charged into the crowd, each holding a dagger, threatening and controlling the guests.

"Quiet down, it's too noisy."

The man in the tailcoat said.

The next second, all sounds as if muted, fell into dead silence.

The people, horrified, discovered that no matter how they screamed, they could not make any sound.

The man in the tailcoat walked gently towards the crowd, spreading his hands with a smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now let me state our demands... Those who meet our demands will live, those who cannot, will die."

He paused for a moment, glanced at the guests.

"Simple, isn't it?"

As the crowd digested his words, the man in the tailcoat continued:

"People are distinguished by nobility and lowliness, all of you are noble, so the price should match your nobility... Of course, I will set the price for each one of you, hmm, just like buying cheese.

But what you need to buy, is your own life."

The crowd was both shocked and angry, yet dared not rise in revolt. The costumed men and women standing around were pointing cold daggers at them.

In the crowd, Countess Bradley and Legislator Lawson glared at Beckman standing behind the man in the tailcoat, unable to believe they had been deceived by this man.

He had actually collaborated with these extremists to orchestrate such a massive scheme.

Many prominent figures from the Inner City District being kidnapped and subjected to such unfair treatment made the situation extremely terrible and severe.

The Pompey family was also deeply embroiled, though they were tense, they did not panic... After all, they had just gone through a life-and-death ordeal not long ago, which made them calm down faster.

In a corner, Noah clenched his fists tightly; the scene made him recall memories from his childhood. The same persecution, the same helplessness to resist, the only difference was, this time no one stood in front of him.

Floey stood behind Noah; his large frame almost like a high wall, completely shielding her.

"Where is he...? I hope he doesn't come back now."

Floey thought to herself.

Out of everyone's sight, Beckman, standing at the entrance with a smile, stood silently.

Beneath his feet, fresh blood quietly seeped out.