Into the Apocalypse: Saving My Favorite Villain-Chapter 122: Rosalina Got Kidnapped

Rosalia — POV

I stared at the smiling man in front of me with pure rage and hatred.

His smile was nothing like Henry’s sly, fox-like grin. For the first time, the thought crossed my mind that the deceitful fox’s smile was actually beautiful—at least compared to this one.

"Miss, you really shouldn’t stare at men with such a tempting look," he said lightly. "Didn’t that man teach you any manners...?"

Teach me?

What did he mean by teach me? And where, exactly, was I looking at him seductively? Wasn’t it obvious that I wished I could tear his body apart and throw it to the zombies to feast on?

"Boss, are we really just running away like this?" another voice cut in. "We should’ve beaten that arrogant bastard and taught him a lesson."

The speaker was a man who appeared to be a little older—perhaps in his forties.

His face was rough and cruel, scars running across it in a way that would’ve been terrifying under normal circumstances. But after wandering through cities filled with zombies of every shape and kind, his scars seemed almost gentle compared to the horrors I’d seen.

"Tsk."

The man I wanted nothing more than to kill clicked his tongue and shot the speaker a sharp look.

"Are you an idiot?" he barked. "If we’d stayed one more minute, we’d be dead by now."

"It was a mistake to let our greed drag us after that reward," he continued coldly. "That thing is a monster. A terrifying monster you should never approach with hostile intent. And now that we’re on his enemy list, we’re already halfway to death."

Silence fell over the place.

We were standing in a narrow, filthy alley, dimly lit.

All of that man’s subordinates were there as well.

Yes—I realized far too late that we had been teleported.

Which meant someone among them possessed a teleportation ability.

There were five or six men—maybe more. I hadn’t paid attention. I didn’t care.

All I cared about was the fact that I had been separated from Cassel.

My heart twisted painfully with unease.

Fear and anxiety sank their claws deep into my chest.

How was Cassel now?

What was he doing?

How would he find me?

While I was drowning in my thoughts and emotions, a man stepped toward me.

"Oh my," he chuckled. "Look at this pretty little girl."

He wiped his disgusting lips with his finger. For some reason, I imagined rancid saliva dripping down his face and hand.

"This one’s definitely still a virgin," he said with a grin. "I’d bet my life on it."

The moment I understood his intentions, my entire body shuddered.

This time, my enemies weren’t mindless zombies that couldn’t even see me—but savage men in a world without laws or accountability.

And I was alone, facing a grown, powerful man.

I was no better than a chicken waiting to be roasted over a slow fire.

For the first time since arriving in this world, I truly understood—

I was weak.

Painfully, pathetically weak.

From the very beginning, I had lived under Cassel’s protection. For months, I had been safe. No one had dared harm me.

I wore clean, lovely clothes.

I ate warm, filling meals.

I moved freely, without fear.

All of that was because there was a terrifying power standing behind me, guarding me at all times.

I always said I wanted to protect my villain—

Yet I was the one being protected.

Without Cassel at my back, I wouldn’t be able to survive properly in a zombie-filled world.

But in a world with humans?

I wouldn’t last more than a few hours.

That realization struck me like lightning, shattering my confidence and every illusion I had clung to, until my mind went completely blank.

The only thought left was:

What do I do now?

The man approached me slowly.

I retreated step by step, backing away every time he moved closer.

What should I do?

I couldn’t bear the thought of this monster touching me. I would rather die than be defiled like this.

Death... was easy.

I had died before.

...But what about my villain?

What would Cassel do in this world without me?

Even if I wasn’t strong enough to protect him, I knew the story. At the very least, I could warn him, pull him back when he walked toward danger.

I could stop him from walking straight into his death.

And besides—

I was his lover now.

I wasn’t being arrogant, but it was obvious that Cassel’s feelings for me ran deep.

So what would happen if I died here?

My thoughts raced, desperately searching for a way out.

But when my back finally hit the wall behind me, I still had no answer.

The moment the man reached out toward my face, I squeezed my eyes shut.

I bit down hard on my tongue until blood filled my mouth.

For a fleeting second, scenes from old dramas flashed through my mind—women ending their lives by biting off their tongues.

When I used to watch those shows, I never believed it was possible.

But now... 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

A thin red line slowly trickled from my lips.

Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind.

I didn’t even think about how a hand could reach me while I was pressed against the wall. I struggled fiercely, trying to shake it off.

...Obviously, I was no match for a grown man.

Then I heard a hurried voice curse, "Damn it. Open your mouth."

A hand forced its way between my lips, trying to pry them open.

I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was that face.

Again.

Damn it—why was this person always the one I saw whenever I opened my eyes?

I must have owed you something in my past life, right?

"I told you to open your mouth," he snapped. "Don’t make me knock you unconscious."

Only then did I finally register my situation.

I was half-lying on the ground, held tightly in this man’s arms, still unconsciously biting down on my tongue.

God knew I hadn’t been trying to kill myself.

How could I leave a world where the one person I loved and wanted—across both my lives—still existed?

But perhaps the shock and fear had made me lose control.

As soon as I realized I didn’t want to die, I stopped biting down and opened my mouth.

Pain exploded instantly.

Sharp, piercing pain.

My mouth, my tongue, my teeth—everything hurt.

It hurt so badly that tears streamed down my face.

The man holding me looked at me mockingly.

"So now you realize it hurts?"

He muttered a single word under his breath.

"Idiot."

You bastard—if it weren’t for your man trying to do that to me, would I have acted so recklessly?

My chest burned with anger, but the pain in my mouth kept me from shouting back.

I turned my gaze away and struggled to stand, trying to put distance between us.

After blocking me twice, he finally let go, allowing me to stand on my own two feet.

I retreated to a safe distance.

I still hated being touched by anyone other than my beloved villain.

I felt disgusted and deeply uncomfortable when any man touched me.

Even if I sensed that this leader didn’t harbor bad intentions toward me, I still hated it.

"Boss, why the hell did you hit me?" one of the men protested angrily. "Isn’t this girl a gain for us? What’s wrong with me having her first? Or did you take a liking to her? You can have her first—but you can’t have her all to yourself."

When I looked at the speaker, I realized it was the same man who had approached me earlier.

But—

Why did he look like that?

His face was covered in bruises and fresh blood, and the hand he had tried to touch me with was twisted at an unnatural angle—

Clearly broken.

A faint smile curved my lips.

I hadn’t noticed when my smile had started to resemble my villain’s.

Cold.

Mocking.

Provocative.

Though I was pleased by the man’s condition, I tried my best to make myself invisible so no one would focus on me again.

Or perhaps... I was looking for a chance to escape.

I glanced around cautiously, searching for a way out.

That was when the leader roared in fury, "Who told you to touch her? Do you want us all dead, you damn idiot? Know your place—or I’ll throw you straight into a zombie horde."

It was obvious he was furious—and I wasn’t naïve enough to think that anger was for my sake.

Just as I expected, he turned to his men and said coldly, "None of you touches her. She’s our lifeline. Didn’t you see how that man cared for her more than his own life? Look at her clean clothes, her bright face. Do girls like this even exist in this world anymore? Use your damn brains."

He was furious.

Honestly, dealing with useless, brainless subordinates would anger anyone with half a mind.

But I felt no sympathy for him—especially after realizing he planned to use me as a shield and a hostage to threaten Cassel.

That bastard.

For a moment, I forgot about the pain in my mouth and the drying blood on my lips and genuinely wanted to curse him out loud.

Before I could speak, he continued, "My teleportation ability is weak. We didn’t move more than a few miles from our previous location. Instead of chasing your filthy desires, think of a way for us to escape with our miserable lives before those people find us."

Oh.

Did that mean...

Were we close to Cassel?

For the first time since being separated from him, I felt like I could breathe again.

I’m not far from you.

Wait for me, Cassel.

I’ll come to you—even if it’s the last thing I do in my life.