Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

"Bam! Bam! Bam!"

Heavy pieces of stone and wood kept crashing down on Julius’s back, one after another.

He groaned in pain as he curled tightly around Rosalina, using his body and golden armor like a shield.

He kept his head low to protect his neck and made sure every inch of her was safe underneath him.

Rosalina lay squeezed beneath his heavy armor.

Even though she couldn’t see anything, she could feel every violent shake and thud as the debris slammed into him.

’Why does it hurt so much...?’ Julius thought, biting back another groan.

Finally, the falling stones stopped. Everything became quiet.

"Julius...?" Rosalina called softly.

She was still trapped under him, unable to see or move properly because of the thick armor.

No answer.

"Hey..." Her voice started to shake with worry. "Are you okay?"

Still nothing.

"Oi! Julius, answer me!" she cried, her voice growing more anxious.

She tried to push his body off, but her new body felt weak without mana.

No matter how hard she pushed, she couldn’t move his heavy frame even an inch.

"Tap... Tap..."

She tapped nervously on his armor with her fingers.

"Ugh..." Julius let out a small groan and finally shifted. The moment his body moved, Rosalina breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

She had been so scared he might be badly hurt... or worse.

"Get up!" she said, her voice still a little shaky.

"Ah... right," Julius muttered.

He slowly pushed himself up, shaking off the dust and broken stones from his golden armor.

A thin line of blood trickled from the corner of his lips.

"I didn’t think I would actually feel pain here," he said quietly, wiping his mouth.

He reached out his hand to her. Rosalina quickly grabbed it and stood up. She looked at him with big, worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Julius gave her a small nod and a weak smile. "Yeah... I’m okay. But be careful...this attack...."

Before he could finish, a loud roar echoed through the ruined hall.

"Capture her! Capture the queen alive!!"

The voice came from the hallway that was now wide open after the ceiling had collapsed.

At least a hundred armed men were rushing toward them, swords drawn and faces full of anger.

"Oh shit!" Julius cursed under his breath.

His sharp black eyes locked onto the charging soldiers.

He didn’t waste another second.

In one smooth motion, he scooped Rosalina up and threw her gently over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey! I can...." Rosalina started to protest.

But Julius cut her off quickly. "Can you run in those heels?"

Rosalina looked down at her feet. She was still wearing the queen’s fancy, long high heels.

Running in them would be almost impossible.

"Ah..." She let out a tired sigh. "Fine."

Being carried over his armored shoulder felt a bit uncomfortable, the hard steel pressed against her stomach, but she knew there was no time to argue.

She held on tightly as Julius broke into a fast run toward the open area where the exit used to be.

The sound of heavy boots and angry shouts grew louder behind them.

After running for a while, Julius and Rosalina finally burst out of the ruined building into the open air.

"Your Majesty!"

An old man with a long gray beard hurried toward them, his face full of worry.

He was holding the reins of a powerful war horse covered in full body armor.

The horse looked strong and ready for battle.

He quickly handed the reins to Julius. "Sir Vatican, everything depends on you now. Please... get her to safety!"

His voice was grateful and desperate at the same time.

Julius gave a quick nod. He lifted Rosalina onto the horse first, then jumped up behind her in one smooth motion.

"Neigh!!!"

The horse let out a loud neigh and shot forward like lightning, kicking up clouds of dust and debris behind them.

"Take care, Your Majesty!" the old man shouted from behind, but Julius had no time to reply.

His only focus was reaching North Grave Castle as fast as possible. He urged the horse to gallop hard toward the north.

Rosalina sat in front of him, her long blonde hair fluttering wildly in the cold wind. She turned her head to look at him.

"Hey babe... do you think the real queen had something going on with this Sir Vatican guy?" she asked curiously.

"How would I know?" Julius replied, glancing over his shoulder.

The moment he looked back, he saw them, a large group of riders on horseback chasing after them.

"Cover your whole body," he said quickly.

"My armor can’t be pierced, and neither can the horse’s. They’re going to shoot arrows."

He reached behind him, grabbed his helmet, and pulled it on with a firm click.

"Whoa!" Rosalina’s eyes widened as she looked at him. A bright, impressed smile spread across her face. "You look so cool!"

"You think so?" Julius let out a soft chuckle, even as he guided the horse through the growing cold.

"Should I start working out for a body like this?" He asked.

"Hmm..." Rosalina thought for a moment, then shook her head with a small smile.

"No, I prefer you just the way you are. No need for any other body."

She turned her gaze forward again.

Soon, tall pine trees covered in thick white snow came into view, making the whole landscape look beautiful and wild.

But the peaceful moment didn’t last.

"Kill them! Don’t let them get away!!"

"We must capture her and hand her over to the prince!!"

The chasing soldiers shouted mean and hateful words as they rode closer.

Julius’s grip on the reins tightened. His black eyes narrowed dangerously behind the helmet.

’What did you just say...?’

He could feel hot anger rising inside his chest.

These men weren’t just chasing them, they were talking about taking his Rose away.

"You want my Rose?!" Julius muttered through clenched teeth.

His jaw tightened so hard his molars ground together.

The anger in his voice was low and dark, like a storm about to break.

Rosalina stared at him. Even through the small gaps in the helmet, she could see the burning fury in his eyes.

It made her feel protected... and a little thrilled. Her own expression turned proud and haughty.

"That’s right!" she shouted back at the chasers, her voice full of fire. "How dare they look at me in front of my husband! Kill them all, babe!!"

Julius didn’t say anything more.

He just focused on guiding the horse, but his whole body was tense with rage.

"You guys are dead."

The cold northern wind howled around them as the chase grew more dangerous.

The soldiers were getting closer, and Julius’s anger was only growing stronger with every hateful shout they threw.