Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 232 -: 231 Fearless couple union.[1]

Creak.

The wooden door slowly swung inward with a long, groaning protest as an elderly man stepped out onto the porch.

He was tall, though age had stolen some of the height he must once have possessed.

Even with his slightly hunched back and bent shoulders, he still stood close to six feet tall.

His skin carried the characteristic golden-brown complexion of the Zlycons, appearing almost as though sunlight itself had settled beneath it.

Despite the wrinkles gathered around his eyes and mouth, his skin remained remarkably smooth, reflecting the afternoon light with a faint radiance.

Two long pointed ears extended from the sides of his head, while a crown of gray hair rested upon it. His appearance would have seemed dignified under normal circumstances.

At the moment, however, dignity was the last thing visible on his face.

His legs trembled as he walked forward. His eyebrows shook uncontrollably, and his eyes darted repeatedly between the two hooded figures standing before his home.

Every movement carried the unease of a man who feared that a single mistake might cost him his life.

The hooded man gave a small nod.

"There was a message from Timberwood Village reporting certain problems," he said in the same strange accent he had used moments earlier while calling for the village chief. "We arrived to deal with the situation."

The old man’s expression stiffened.

"We welcome you, my lords..." he began cautiously.

His gaze moved over the pair once more. The long black robes concealed their bodies completely, while the deep shadows beneath their hoods hid their faces. The sight only made him more nervous.

"B-but may I ask..." he continued hesitantly, his voice trembling. "How were you able to arrive here so quickly?"

Fear lingered plainly within his eyes. The question itself was harmless, yet the old man seemed terrified of even asking it.

The woman answered before her companion could speak.

"We encountered the messenger while returning from our mission, so we sent him toward headquarters and came here ourselves."

Her words sounded slightly unnatural, as though she were carefully choosing each syllable before allowing it to leave her mouth. She paused briefly before continuing.

"We were not planning to come here originally, but the messenger begged..."

"Alice."

The man’s voice cut through her explanation.

The woman immediately fell silent.

"We do not have time for this. The matter at hand is more important."

As he spoke, he turned his attention fully toward the elderly man.

"Village Chief John Free?"

The old man quickly nodded.

The hooded man continued. "You see, we have been away from home for several weeks. It would be best if you cooperate."

His tone remained calm, yet there was an undeniable authority hidden beneath the words. It was not a request. It was a statement that left little room for refusal.

John swallowed nervously. The situation before him felt increasingly wrong.

He was merely the chief of a small farming village, not an investigator or noble official. Yet even he could identify several problems.

The accents...that was the first thing.

Every Zlycon possessed certain similarities in speech regardless of where they came from.

Regional differences existed, but these two spoke differently. Their words occasionally sounded strained, as though they were forcing themselves to use a language that did not come naturally to them..... especially the woman, some of her words were pronounced wrong.

Then there was the messenger. John himself had sent him. The young man had departed only a week ago.

Even if he traveled day and night without rest, reaching the nearest administrative city would take considerable time.

For help to return this quickly was nearly impossible. And then there were the hoods. Neither individual had shown any form of identification.

John had attempted to ask earlier, but the question had been quietly brushed aside. Since then, neither of them had made any effort to prove their identities.

Every instinct in his body screamed that something was wrong. An uncomfortable thought had taken root inside his mind.

Bandits.

The same bandits that had been tormenting the village for months. Could these people be connected to them?

The possibility terrified him. Unfortunately, the thought of directly accusing them terrified him even more.

"You... see... my lord..." John began carefully, his voice barely above a whisper.

The hooded man interrupted him immediately.

"Listen."

The single word carried enough force to make John freeze.

"We do not have much time. We are here to kill the bandits mentioned by the messenger. Now cooperate."

As he finished speaking, a trace of bloodlust leaked from his body.

It was only a tiny fraction. Yet for John Free, it felt as though an invisible mountain had suddenly crashed onto his shoulders.

The old man’s eyes widened. His heart nearly stopped.

An overwhelming pressure descended upon him from every direction, crushing the air from his lungs.

The courtyard vanished from his awareness. The village vanished. Even the world itself seemed to disappear beneath that suffocating sensation.

His knees struck the ground heavily. The impact sent pain shooting through his aging joints, but he barely noticed.

"Ghk—!"

A strangled gasp escaped his throat.

His face turned deathly pale. John clawed desperately at the air as his chest rose and fell in frantic motions.

Every breath felt impossibly difficult, as though someone had wrapped iron chains around his ribs and was slowly tightening them.

Cold sweat poured down his forehead.

His entire body trembled violently.

In that brief moment, he felt as though he were standing before a monstrous beast capable of devouring the entire village with a single step.

The pressure lingered only for a second.

To John, it felt like an eternity.

"I will cooperate, my lord!" he blurted out between ragged breaths. "Please... please don’t harm anyone!"

The words tumbled from his mouth in panic.

Almost immediately, the pressure vanished.

John collapsed forward onto his hands, sucking in air greedily. His chest heaved as though he had just escaped drowning, while sweat continued dripping from his face onto the wooden boards beneath him.

Only then did he realize that his entire body was shaking uncontrollably.