Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 266: Chapter: 265 Dinner and sad story.[2]

The next day, Jasmine invited them over.

The task itself took far longer than she had expected.

Ever since losing her voice, even the simplest conversations had become exhausting.

Inviting someone to dinner should have taken a few seconds, yet she found herself repeatedly gesturing, stopping, correcting herself, and trying again whenever Magnus and Salena misunderstood what she meant.

At one point, Magnus became convinced she was inviting them to inspect a house. A few moments later, Salena thought Jasmine was asking for help moving furniture.

Jasmine nearly gave up.

Patiently suppressing her frustration, she repeated the gestures once more, her hands moving carefully through the air while she pointed toward herself, then toward Kavin, before making a roof-like shape above her head.

Meanwhile, Kavin was busy preparing for the evening. Unfortunately, Jasmine knew absolutely nothing about cooking.

As a result, there was very little she could help with.

She followed him around occasionally, carrying ingredients when asked, but beyond that she mostly watched.

Fortunately, the ingredients commonly used by the Zlycons were surprisingly similar to those found on Earth.

The dishes themselves were completely different, but many vegetables, spices, and meats shared enough similarities that Kavin could at least recognize them.

That made things much easier.

He had purchased several cooking books beforehand and spent the morning studying them while preparing ingredients.

Although some recipes were unfamiliar, many techniques resembled methods he already knew.

The differences were manageable.

By the time evening arrived, the preparations were finally complete.

The dinner was arranged on the rooftop beside the swimming pool.

A large table stood near the water while soft lanterns illuminated the surroundings.

Above them, the crimson moon hung unusually large in the night sky. Its scarlet light reflected across the surface of the pool, causing gentle ripples of red to dance upon the water.

The atmosphere felt calm and peaceful.

Magnus and Salena sat together on one side of the table while Jasmine occupied the opposite side.

The conversation was progressing slowly.

Jasmine was desperately trying to communicate through hand gestures.

Every sentence required multiple attempts.

Sometimes she would gesture for nearly a minute only for Magnus to stare blankly in confusion.

Salena was slightly better at understanding her, but even then most conversations felt like solving a complicated puzzle.

Salena watched Jasmine’s hands move through the air with intense concentration.

Her brows slowly furrowed, then her eyes widened.

"Oh?" A soft gasp escaped her lips.

"So your son Jake wanted a house like this?"

Jasmine immediately nodded, a bright smile appeared on her face.

Finally.

Someone understood, Salena pointed around the rooftop.

"That’s why you bought something like this?"

Jasmine nodded again, looking visibly pleased with herself. Magnus couldn’t help chuckling.

"He would’ve been proud of you two."

His voice carried warmth. At the same time, he carefully chose his words.

Both he and Salena knew the tragedy surrounding Jake.

It was impossible not to notice how much pain still lingered beneath the surface whenever the boy was mentioned.

Magnus had no intention of reopening old wounds.

Jasmine’s smile softened. For a moment, her gaze drifted toward the crimson moon above. Then the sound of footsteps drew everyone’s attention.

Kavin emerged carrying a large serving tray. The moment he stepped onto the rooftop, an enticing aroma followed him.

The smell spread through the air almost instantly. Magnus’s eyes widened.

Salena unconsciously straightened in her chair.

Even Jasmine found herself swallowing.

One after another, Kavin began placing dishes across the table. Many of them were difficult for Jasmine to identify.

The first was a chicken dish coated with a rich layer of melted butter. Golden seasoning covered the surface while fragrant herbs released a savory aroma that made her mouth water.

Beside it sat a soup-like dish prepared from curd and vegetables. The surface shimmered beneath the lantern light while steam rose gently into the cool night air.

Next came finely barbecued pork belly.

The meat glistened beautifully. Thin layers of fat had melted during cooking, leaving behind a rich aroma that immediately attracted Magnus’s attention.

Several fish dishes followed, these were even more unfamiliar.

Mustard seeds had been finely crushed into a thick gravy before the fish was cooked within it.

The resulting sauce carried a sharp, fragrant scent unlike anything Jasmine had encountered in this world before.

By the time Kavin finished, the table looked completely packed.

Only then did he take his seat beside Jasmine.

A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"My son wanted a large house."

His voice remained calm. "He wanted to invite all of his friends to a welcoming party."

For a brief moment, something painful flashed through his eyes.

The expression appeared and disappeared so quickly that it was almost impossible to notice.

"But things didn’t quite go our way."

Before the atmosphere could become heavy, Kavin immediately smiled again.

"Please dig in."

He gestured toward the dishes.

"We didn’t know many people in the city, so we decided to invite you two. I hope you don’t mind."

"Ah, no. Not at all." Salena shook her head quickly, "It’s our honor to be invited here."

Beside her, Magnus was staring at the food with poorly concealed greed.

Salena nudged him beneath the table.

The large man immediately coughed and straightened his posture.

"Of course." He nodded seriously.

"You don’t need to be so polite. We’re very happy that you invited us."

Just like before, he carefully weighed every word before speaking.

"I’m glad." Kavin smiled.

"Then please help yourselves."

"Don’t mind if we do."

"Thank you."

After expressing their gratitude, both Magnus and Salena began filling their plates. Soon the rooftop became filled with the sounds of utensils moving against dishes.

Jasmine tried her best to maintain proper manners. She lasted approximately twenty seconds.

Then she joined the battle.

****

Quite some time later, the meal finally came to an end. The amount of food consumed during dinner was frankly terrifying.

Magnus was understandable, the man was enormous after all.

Built like a giant and possessing the appetite of a Zlycon, nobody expected moderation from him.

Jasmine, however, was a completely different story. Kavin glanced at the empty dishes before looking at her.

Then he looked back at the empty dishes, then at her again.

He was genuinely impressed.

She was a human. More importantly, she wasn’t particularly large. Yet the amount she had eaten rivaled Magnus.

Kavin had always known she loved food, but seeing it firsthand was another experience entirely.

"Hahahaha!" Magnus burst into laughter.

"You really are an incredible cook, do you know that?"

Kavin smiled modestly. "I’m flattered."

As he spoke, he picked up a wine bottle from the serving tray and began filling four glasses. The dark red liquid flowed smoothly into each cup.

When he reached Salena’s glass, however, he noticed something.

She seemed hesitant.

Her expression suggested she wanted to say something but wasn’t certain whether it would be appropriate.

Kavin paused.

"Lady Salena."

His sudden voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up immediately.

"Yes?"

"It seems you’re thinking about something."

A knowing smile appeared on his face."Do you have something to say?"

"Oh..."

Salena blinked. Only then did she realize her curiosity had become visible.

For a moment she looked embarrassed.

Still, the question had been bothering her throughout the evening.

"Please don’t misunderstand." A trace of hesitation remained in her voice, I don’t mean any offense."

Kavin shook his head. The fondness he usually showed toward her remained present in his eyes.

"Please do ask." His smile widened slightly. "You could never offend me."

Salena relaxed a little.

"Thank you." After gathering her thoughts, she finally spoke.

"Are you sure you two are bandits?"

For a brief moment, both Jasmine and Kavin froze. Before either could respond, Salena hurriedly continued.

"Please don’t misunderstand. During our first meeting I genuinely believed you were bandits."

Her cheeks grew slightly red. "But after spending time with you, something feels strange." She searched for the right words.

"The way you speak... your mannerisms... the way you carry yourselves." Her gaze shifted between them.

"It’s all very restrained."

She looked increasingly uncertain as she tried to explain. "I don’t really know how to describe it."

A small laugh escaped her. "I suppose I always imagined bandits constantly cursing and shouting."

Kavin chuckled. "So you’ve noticed."

Inside, however, his thoughts wandered elsewhere. Neither of them were bandits.

They belonged to the very peak of noble society.

Their fathers stood among the most powerful figures across the Three Floating Continents.

His own father controlled half an entire continent. Jasmine’s father ruled ruled the remaining half. By any standard, they had been born at the highest level of nobility imaginable.

His gaze shifted toward Jasmine. Then his expression became slightly complicated.

Technically speaking, Salena’s observation wasn’t entirely accurate.

Jasmine possessed one of the most terrifying tongues he had ever encountered. Of course, she usually reserved that side of herself exclusively for him.

If Salena had heard some of Jasmine’s insults during their previous conversations, she probably wouldn’t be comparing her to nobility.

Suppressing a laugh, Kavin looked back toward Salena.A knowing smile appeared on his face.

"It’s because we come from noble families."