Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 250: Chapter: 249 Saddened parents.[3]

"Oho?"

Magnus tilted his head slightly, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked down at the two youngsters standing before him.

"So let me get this straight. You want to fight me, and if you win, I hand over the fourth and fifth rankings to the two of you?"

"Yes."

Kavin nodded as though the matter was completely reasonable, not only reasonable...it was the obvious.

Magnus stared at him for several seconds, then he turned toward Salena.

"Did you hear that, Princess?" His grin widened further. "He wants to defeat me."

The giant jabbed a thumb into his own chest.

"Me?"

Then he pointed toward Kavin. "And after that, he wants the fourth and fifth rankings."

Salena couldn’t help it, a soft giggle escaped her lips.

The image of Kavin saying it with such confidence was simply too ridiculous.

Realizing she had laughed aloud, she quickly cleared her throat and fixed her expression, returning to the graceful and elegant demeanor expected of a Sun Family heir.

She turned toward Kavin.

"Excuse me, sir."

Her voice was gentle enough to make even angry people hesitate before speaking.

"We are responsible for managing this city. In order to run it properly, we cannot compromise on the rules."

As she spoke, Kavin and Jasmine listened attentively, far too attentively.

Neither interrupted, nor argued. Instead, they stared at her with strangely gentle expressions.

The contrast was so extreme that Salena almost forgot what she was saying. Moments ago these two had been insulting half the arena.

Now they were looking at her like proud parents watching their daughter receive an academic award.

Her voice faltered slightly.

"B-but..."

She awkwardly brushed a strand of white hair behind her ear.

"Looking at how formidable the two of you are, we also can’t let you participate against weaker opponents..."

"Hmm." Kavin nodded immediately. "Reasonable."

....Jasmine nodded as well.

The sudden agreement left Salena blinking. For some reason she felt as though she had just received approval from two elders.

Around them, several spectators nearly choked. The atmosphere had changed so abruptly that it gave everyone emotional whiplash.

Even Magnus looked mildly stunned.

A few moments ago these two had been acting like bandits who had broken into the arena to demand tribute.

Now they were behaving like polite citizens attending a town meeting. Magnus scratched his beard.

Something was clearly wrong here. His curiosity immediately won against his common sense.

"Hey."

His rough voice instantly drew their attention. Kavin and Jasmine turned toward him.

The moment they did, their expressions changed. Both faces twisted into identical scowls.

The transformation was so fast it was almost artistic. One second they looked at Salena like loving parents.

The next they looked at Magnus as though someone had dumped rotten vegetables onto their dining table.

Magnus blinked.

"What the fuck?" The giant genuinely looked confused. Several spectators nodded internally.

For once, they agreed with him. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Magnus pointed toward Salena.

"Why are you looking at her like she’s your long-lost daughter?"

The words hit the couple like an invisible arrows. At least, that was how it appeared to everyone watching.

Their scowls instantly vanished. A trace of melancholy appeared on their faces.

Kavin’s shoulders slumped slightly while Jasmine lowered her gaze. The entire mood shifted so suddenly that several people immediately regretted laughing.

"Haa..."

Kavin let out a long sigh. He slowly turned toward Salena, for a moment, his eyes seemed distant.

"She reminds us of our daughter."

Jasmine nodded heavily beside him. She didn’t say a word wearing a solemn expression. She continued to act like that but inside her mind, she was fighting for her life.

If she opened her mouth right now, there was a very real possibility she would accidentally congratulate someone for dying or offer condolences for winning a tournament.

Remaining silent was simply safer for everyone involved.

"Is she... missing?"

Salena asked softly. The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted asking.

A bitter smile appeared on Kavin’s face.

"No."

His voice became quieter. "She’s dead."

The words seemed to drain all color from the hall. Silence descended instantly, not the ordinary kind of silence, it was the uncomfortable kind.

The kind where nobody knew what to say.

Even the spectators who had been glaring at Kavin moments ago now looked awkward.

Magnus rubbed the back of his neck. His earlier question suddenly felt like the worst decision he had made all week.

Beside Kavin, Jasmine bit down on her lower lip. From the outside, she appeared to be struggling with grief. In reality, she was struggling not to burst out laughing.

Her entire body trembled slightly. The spectators interpreted it as sorrow.

’Damn.’ She almost admired Kavin’s performance.

’How come every time he acts he gets better at it?’

Even Magnus looked guilty.

The giant who had been threatening them earlier now resembled a man who had accidentally stepped on someone’s beloved pet.

Meanwhile, Kavin continued his performance flawlessly. In truth, this entire situation was proceeding exactly as planned.

Neither he nor Jasmine had entered the arena blindly.

If they intended to stay in the city, gather resources, establish influence, and eventually participate in the Grand Tournament, they would need powerful allies.

And among all possible choices, Salena Sunborn was practically perfect.

She possessed status, influence, resources and most importantly, she possessed a kind heart.

Kavin had already known this from the novel. Salena had always longed for familial affection.

Her relationship with her father had never been particularly warm, leaving her vulnerable to genuine displays of care.

Or carefully manufactured ones. Which was precisely why she had become their target.

"I’m sorry." Salena lowered her head slightly. "I shouldn’t have asked."

"Haha..." Kavin laughed softly. This time, genuine warmth seemed to appear in his eyes.

"There is no need to apologize." He shook his head. "You merely reminded me of her."

His gaze lingered on Salena. "She passed away a long time ago after falling ill."

Jasmine immediately nodded. The nod carried enough sadness to fool an entire army.

Salena’s heart softened further. Even Magnus felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The giant cleared his throat. Wanting to lighten the mood, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha!"

Unfortunately, the laughter sounded forced enough that nobody believed it. Even Magnus seemed aware of it.

Still, he stubbornly continued. "No worries." He waved a massive hand.

"We Zlycons are lucky in this regard." The giant puffed out his chest proudly.

"We usually have two children at the same time." Several nearby Zlycons nodded with visible pride.

Magnus continued. "So even if one dies, another remains."

He smiled."Which reminds me..." His eyes landed on Kavin. "Where’s your son?"

The moment the question left his mouth, the entire hall froze again. Magnus himself slowly blinked.

A horrible realization appeared on his face.

"Oh..." The giant looked upward.

"...I did it again, didn’t I?"