Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!-Chapter 39 -: 38 Julius’s obsession!

After watching a few duels, Julius and Rosalina left the arena together.

Rosalina had been quiet the whole time, thinking deeply about Julius’s plan.

Every now and then she asked him small questions about it.

"I hate to admit it," she said with a frown, "but your plan is really good. How did you even think of it?"

Julius walked beside her calmly.

"If you get caught," she continued, "the Hayes clan will be in big trouble."

She was very worried about him, but she hid it well and kept her face serious.

Julius just shrugged.

"It doesn’t matter. Our families already control half the continent. There might be some small problems with the other branches, but Father can handle it if I get caught."

He smiled a little.

"Besides, I won’t get caught. Only you know about ’that’ part. No one else."

Rosalina didn’t answer right away. She just looked at him for a few seconds.

Inside her heart she felt warm tears.

’He really trusts me... even though I’m always so cold to him. Thank you, Julius. Don’t worry. Even if I die, I will never tell anyone.’

She sighed quietly in her mind.

’When will I stop hiding how I really feel?’

She took a deep breath, then asked,

"Anyway... when will you start the plan?"

"Hmm?" Julius thought for a second. "It already started, didn’t it? Once I finish that other side, it will take one or two months, then we begin the main part."

Suddenly he stopped walking, like he remembered something important.

"Rose."

"Yes?" she answered.

Julius looked at her carefully.

"Will you be okay? There might be some... deaths when we—"

Before he could finish, Rosalina gave a small laugh and cut him off.

"What do you think I am? Some kind heroine in distress?"

Her face became soft.

"I don’t care if there are deaths. As long as I get what I want, that’s all that matters."

She looked straight at him.

’I can do anything for it. Not just these common people... one day I will even kill my own family to make them pay for keeping us apart like this.’

These warm thoughts stayed quietly in Rosalina’s heart as she looked at Julius with soft, fond eyes.

After that, they kept talking and planning their next steps.

They walked slowly across the academy grounds until they found an empty bench.

Both of them sat down side by side.

The sun was high in the sky, it was already noon. White clouds moved lazily overhead.

They both stared up at the sky in comfortable silence for a while.

Then Julius cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Ahem."

Rosalina frowned. Only her eyebrows showed how annoyed she felt.

"What?"

Julius turned toward her a little.

"I was wondering... do you remember our promise?"

A few days earlier, they had made a small deal. They promised to go on a date, but Julius had cleverly said it like this:

"If I lose the duel, we go on a date. If you win the duel, I take you out."

He thought she hadn’t noticed his trick.

Rosalina looked straight ahead for a moment. She thought quietly, then spoke.

"Only on one condition."

Julius’s eyes lit up right away.

"What condition?"

Rosalina turned her head and looked at him.

"I know exactly what you did back then. Don’t treat me like an idiot."

"You said: ’If I win, we go on a date. If you lose, you will take me out.’ So tell me—what’s in it for me?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Julius smiled innocently.

"Didn’t you ask me to carry your books for you?"

Inside, he was very happy. Carrying her books meant he could stay close to her all the time.

And Rosalina had made that condition on purpose too, she knew either way would end in a date.

Truthfully, both of them wanted it. Neither had any real problem with going out together.

But Rosalina’s brows tightened as she thought deeper.

’That bastard is definitely watching me. He won’t dare remove me from the succession race, but if I can’t explain why I went on a date with Julius, I’ll lose support."

"My rotten siblings will jump at the chance to use it against me."

She looked at Julius again. His eyes were full of hope and excitement.

’So I have to change the conditions,’ she decided silently.

Rosalina took a deep breath. She locked eyes with Julius, her gaze sharp and deep.

"The condition is simple," she said. "In our duel today... you fight me with everything you’ve got. No holding back."

Julius’s face fell instantly. His usual bright grin disappeared.

But Rosalina didn’t stop. She lifted her chin proudly, like she was waiting for someone to praise her genius idea.

"If you lose," she continued, "you carry my books, not just for one month, but for a whole year."

She smirked, clearly expecting him to laugh or tease her back.

Julius gave a short, quiet nod.

"And if you win..." Rosalina leaned in a little, eyes sparkling with mischief, "...we go on that date. How’s that sound?"

It was perfect for her. Win or lose, she got what she wanted.

If she won → he’d be stuck by her side every day for a year, no excuses needed.

If he won → they’d finally go on the date they both secretly wanted.

Total victory either way.

She sat there looking smug, arms crossed, waiting for him to agree like the lovesick fool he always was.

But Julius didn’t smile.

For the first time, real conflict showed on his face. He stared at the ground, brows tight, thinking hard.

Rosalina’s proud expression slowly cracked. Her heart dropped.

’What’s wrong?’ she thought, suddenly anxious. ’Was I too mean today?’

She quickly replayed everything in her head.

’No... we actually got closer today. He even patted my head. So why does he look like that?’

A cold fear crept in. ’Is he... losing interest in me?’

Her stomach twisted.

’No, no, no. The devil me warned me earlier, if he listens to my cold words too much, someone else might snatch him away...’

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Julius finally spoke.

"I have a condition too," he said.

His voice was low. Serious. No trace of his usual playful simp energy.

Rosalina froze.

"Whatever you say...dar..." She was about to say ’whatever you say, darling’ but stopped herself midway as she ket out a snort "...whatever."

Julius turned to her. His eyes softened the moment they met hers.

Very gently, he reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

His touch was light, careful, like she was made of glass.

"The condition is this," he said quietly.

"We fight seriously. Full strength. No mercy."

He paused, then looked straight into her eyes.

"But the second you get even a tiny scratch... one single drop of blood... I give up. Right then and there."

Rosalina blinked. Then blinked again.

For a second she just stared at him, mouth slightly open.

Then—she burst out laughing.

"You—pfft—seriously?!"

Rosalina slapped her knee, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"You big idiot! You’ll throw the whole duel over a paper cut? That’s the most ridiculous—"

She was about to tease him more, words already bubbling up, when Julius suddenly leaned in closer.

Much closer.

His face was only inches from hers now.

His eyes locked onto her, deep, unblinking, almost too intense to meet.

The playful spark in them was gone. Replaced by something darker. Something possessive.

Rosalina’s laughter died in her throat.

She froze. Her heart gave a hard thud.

"And," Julius continued, voice low and steady, "with each drop of your blood... I will cut off one of my fingers."

Rosalina’s eyes widened.

He didn’t blink.

An obsessive glint shone in his gaze, like he was staring at the only thing that mattered in the entire world.

"How can I dare to hurt you, my Rose?" he whispered.

"No one is allowed to hurt you. Not even me."

He reached out slowly and traced one finger along the edge of her jaw, gentle, reverent, but trembling just a little with the weight of his own words.

"If anyone does... they pay. Even if it’s me."

His voice dropped lower.

"Even the smallest scratch on your skin... and I’ll take one finger."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes never leaving hers.

"I’d rather bleed myself dry than let even a whisper of pain touch you."

For a long second, the bench, the academy grounds, the drifting clouds, all of it disappeared.

There was only him.

Only that burning, unshakable devotion staring back at her.

Rosalina’s breath caught. Her cheeks burned hot.

She tried to laugh it off, tried to roll her eyes, call him dramatic, anything, but the words wouldn’t come.

Her usual sharp comeback felt small against the raw intensity in his face.

She swallowed hard.

"...You’re insane," she finally managed, voice barely above a whisper.

But she didn’t pull away.

She didn’t push his hand from her face.

Julius’s lips curved, just the tiniest, softest smile.

Still obsessive. Still deadly serious.

"Only for you."