CHAPTER 20: DID MY BELOVED VILLAIN JUST CALL ME STINKY?

Rosalia — POV

Ah... my shoulder.

My shoulder almost popped out of its socket from Cassel’s weight.

I’m not saying his head is huge, but he really did throw his entire body on me.

Does he think I have some strength-enhancing superpower?

I’m just a girl who hasn’t even turned twenty-four yet, alright?

My legs barely managed to keep me upright. Every breath I took burned against the tightness in my chest. The world still spun a little, the scent of dust and blood thick around us, mixing with the faint trace of his cologne — sharp, dark, dangerous.

Thankfully, he pulled away after a few minutes.

I stood there, staring at that handsome face.

And suddenly, all my fatigue and weakness seemed to vanish — like the exhaustion had never existed.

Who said physical labor doesn’t heal people?

Just one look at my beautiful villain was enough to recharge me for the entire day and ease all my exhaustion.

He looked like a man carved from shadow and steel — every movement deliberate, every glance heavy with purpose. Even breathing near him felt like trespassing into something sacred... or cursed.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

Cassel’s gaze was sharp and probing, as if he were examining every inch of me, searching for wounds or injuries.

That gaze — heavy, consuming — made my pulse trip over itself.

When I felt the genuine concern in his eyes, I couldn’t help but blurt out quickly,

"Ah—yes, yes, I’m fine! Henry protected us, we’re okay, see?"

I jumped in place, spinning a few times to show him that my body was perfectly fine.

But when I met those dark, penetrating eyes staring straight at my face, the heat rose inside me again. My throat went dry. The air between us felt heavier than it should have.

Maybe I really was sick.

How else could I explain this burning feeling spreading through me?

I stopped moving, still gazing at the man before me.

Once again, I couldn’t believe it — my favorite villain was standing right here, alive and unharmed.

Nothing had happened yet.

This time, I could save him.

I could protect him — and everyone he loved.

Protect him from betrayal, sorrow, and the agony of loss...

My emotions almost spilled from my eyes. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding painfully in my chest.

And just as a haze began to blur my vision, Cassel’s deep voice cut through it like a blade:

"Tsk. You look messy."

...Excuse me?

What did you just say?

Did my beloved villain just call me stinky?

I glanced down at myself.

"..."

I went silent for a whole minute.

Alright, to be fair, I didn’t exactly look... clean.

The red skirt and suspenders I’d worn for Cassel were now covered in bloodstains, mud, and who-knows-what else.

And the new white blouse...

It was a disaster.

Its original color was almost unrecognizable — dyed with bright red blood that had dried into an unpleasant brownish shade.

I didn’t have a mirror, but I was willing to bet my hair and face weren’t looking too great either.

Had I really been standing like this in front of Cassel the whole time?

I’d been so tense, so distracted by everything that had happened, that I hadn’t even noticed my appearance.

Only now did I realize my thick glasses were no longer on my face.

Oh, for—

I felt a wave of shame so deep I wished the ground would just swallow me whole.

The silence between us stretched, awkward and suffocating.

When I looked back at Cassel, who was still focused entirely on me, I had no idea what to say.

Desperate to change the subject — his attention, or mine — I blurted out quickly,

"Cae—the zombie! There was a zombie controlling Liz! We have to find it first or we’ll be in trouble!"

"Cassel?"

His full lips parted slightly, and a low voice escaped, "It’s Cae."

My mind flashed back to that moment when Cassel had pinned me against the wall, demanding I say his name like that...

His breath against my ear, his voice — deep and rough — echoing through my bones.

"I’m telling you, there’s a zombie here! This isn’t the time—"

"I already killed it."

"What?" My eyes widened in disbelief.

They said that zombie had a second-level mental ability — an evolved one, especially dangerous for newly awakened espers whose powers weren’t stable yet.

How? When? Where?

I hadn’t seen a single zombie corpse around here.

Cassel took a slow step closer to me.

Then I felt his hand lift a stray strand of my hair and tuck it gently behind my ear.

It happened so naturally, without warning or explanation, that I froze completely.

Every nerve in my body screamed to move, to speak, to breathe — but I couldn’t.

"Hmm." Cassel hummed softly, then lifted his chin. His eyes drifted upward toward a spot on the ceiling, silently urging me to look too.

I turned my head in that direction—

—and froze.

Shock jolted through me, and I stumbled back two steps, landing right against Cassel’s chest.

His chest was warm, steady... it dulled my fear a little.

But being surrounded by his presence felt like being prey caught between a predator’s jaws.

Was I afraid?

Not a chance.

Because I’d walked into the trap willingly.

Because I’d chosen this predator myself.

I chose to fall for him, to live and die for him.

With that thought, I kept my eyes fixed ahead.

There—on the roof of the multi-storey car park, half-hidden in dim light—

Was a body.

The body of a child.

Even in the dark, the shape was unmistakable.

And the horrifying thing — the thing that turned my blood cold — was that the small body looked burned. Charred.

Pinned upright there... like some grotesque offering to the night.

A soft gasp escaped me before I could stop it. My heart began to race, pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

I turned to Cassel quickly but didn’t say a word.

A thousand questions rushed through my mind, but...

I didn’t dare to ask.

Maybe because of that unreadable look in his eyes.

Or maybe because of those unspoken emotions that felt like they could swallow my soul.

I didn’t know.

But I did know that I should follow my heart—so I raised my hand, reaching to touch Cassel’s cheek.

Before I could—

"Boss! Are you alright?" Frederick’s voice shattered the moment, cutting through the thick tension like a whip. He hurried over to Cassel.

Like a guilty thief, I pulled my hand back and took a step away, leaving Cassel with his subordinate.

After giving me one last heated look — one that lingered too long, too heavy — Cassel turned and walked with Frederick toward Henry and Liz.

I stood there, frozen, his warmth still clinging to me like smoke.

My heart wouldn’t slow down. My fingers trembled.

Oh my God... Rosalia Ashbourne, what the hell were you just about to do?

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Cassel has something to say:

Hey author-sam what’s the matter with that title? I never said that...hey.

Erato-san: Sorry, you go ask your beloved Rose about that. ⁦◝(⁰▿⁰)◜

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