Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System-Chapter 33: The Fox Who Stayed

The Fox Who Stayed

Should she choose to hunt, he’d let himself be chased.

Lina felt his gaze before he spoke. Julian tilted his head, sunlight catching the strange gold of his eyes. His words came slow, like honey poured in summer. Beauty, he said, was something she clearly owned. Then came the question - soft, but pointed - about who else might claim her time. The air between them thickened without warning

Under the club’s glow, sound throbbed slow and close, steady as breath. Light slid across Lina Ashford’s face - cool blue, deep purple - painting her stillness in quiet fire. Her hair, long and green, caught the shine, not like fabric but like mist holding color too bright to name.

A slow curve touched her violet eyes when she moved in - nearer than needed. Heat from her breathing reached his jawline, almost brushing it. The air between them thinned without warning.

"No, Young Master Julian," she replied with disarming sweetness. "Are you planning to fix that for me?"

Something gentle lived in her smile. Not so in the way she looked at you.

Almost by accident, she let her shoulder touch his chest - gentle but meant to be felt. The scent of her perfume unfurled between blooming them slow: roses maybe, then a hint of spice that stung just right. Every part of it was planned.

Julian’s lips tilted slightly. "I wouldn’t dare assume you need help finding someone."

"Hmm?" She turned her head slightly, strands of hair slipping over one shoulder. "Yet it was you who posed the question"

He let a slow pause stretch between them, just enough to make it feel intentional.

"Curiosity," he murmured. "A dangerous habit of mine."

"Curious about me?" she asked lightly.

"About what you want," he corrected.

The music swelled. Somewhere behind them, glasses clinked and laughter burst too loudly. But neither of them looked away.

Want me to leave?

The unspoken challenge hung between them.

No way.

She wasn’t here for flirtation alone. Beneath the playful glances and lingering touches, her mind was sharp, focused.

She needed answers.

She needed to know how much this man actually understood about Obsidian Wing.

Julian let his arm settle lazily around her waist, fingers brushing the thin fabric of her blouse—barely there, almost absentminded. But the placement was deliberate. Close enough to suggest intimacy. Distant enough to deny it.

[Damn, this isn’t following the usual pattern. If your target is Mike Valquin, shouldn’t you be glancing at him right now?]

[Could it be she knows Mike likes being a cuckold and is deliberately acting for his benefit?]

[Fine, act all you want. Life is a stage, and it’s all about acting skills. I’ll use you to deal with that foolish Selene Aurevale later.]

His smile deepened as calculations flickered behind his eyes.

"So," he murmured, fingers lightly tracing the curve of her waist in an almost absent-minded way, "Miss Lina, do you have any hobbies? Maybe I know someone who shares your interests."

Lina tilted her head slightly, letting her hair spill over one shoulder.

"Hobbies?" she echoed, thoughtful. "I like dancing. Music. Places like this." She tapped the table lightly in rhythm with the bass. "What about you, Young Master Julian?"

Julian leaned back, expression turning serious in an exaggerated way.

"Pretty much the same," he replied solemnly. "I like listening to music and watching adult movies."

"Pfft—"

Mike Valquin, mid-sip, sprayed wine across the table and coughed violently.

"Bro!" he choked, wiping his mouth. "Your flirting skills are prehistoric."

Lina covered her lips, pretending to blush. "Young Master Julian," she said softly, eyes glinting, "you’re so naughty."

Julian burst into laughter.

"Just kidding," he waved it off casually. "Don’t take it seriously."

"I knew it," Lina replied smoothly, playing along. "How could Young Master Julian be that kind of person?"

"Exactly," Julian nodded gravely. "How could someone like me enjoy listening to music."

A beat of silence.

Mike blinked.

Lina stared.

Then both of them looked at him as if he’d just committed a social crime.

"...Young Master Julian," Lina finally said, smiling helplessly, "you’re very humorous."

She leaned into him again, pressing closer, letting her thigh brush against his.

Julian stiffened internally.

[Ha, don’t try that on me. I’ve had enough of sugar-coated bombs.]

[Women only interfere with my enjoyment of life! Especially Evan’s women!]

[But Evan is really despicable. Not sparing any woman in his organization.]

[He deliberately assigns them near-impossible missions. Then when they fail, he swoops in and plays the hero. Tsk. Takes all the glory.]

Julian’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

Lina’s heart skipped.

What?

Her smile didn’t falter—but something inside her shifted.

In the past two years, she had failed twice. Both times, the Obsidian King had appeared like salvation itself. Both times, he had been injured protecting her.

She had been grateful.

Devoted.

But now...

Those missions had indeed been far more dangerous than originally described.

She had assumed it was bad luck. Miscalculation.

Was it?

"How much do you really know?" Lina wondered, her fingers tightening subtly on Julian’s sleeve.

She couldn’t ask directly. That would reveal too much.

So she smiled instead. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Young Master Julian," she said softly, letting her voice drop just slightly lower than before, "you seem very experienced. You must understand women quite well."

Julian smirked.

"Experienced?" He leaned in, lowering his voice to match hers. "Miss Lina, experience is relative. Some people learn from books. Some from life. And some..." His gaze lingered on her lips for a fraction longer than appropriate. "Prefer field research."

Lina let out a quiet laugh, fingers sliding up his arm deliberately.

"And what conclusions has your research reached?"

"That beautiful women," he said smoothly, brushing a strand of her green hair back behind her ear, "are usually trouble."

"And am I trouble?"

He held her gaze.

"Definitely."

The tension between them tightened—not loud, not dramatic. Just a thin wire pulled taut.

For a moment, even Mike sensed something strange.

Julian leaned back again, grin returning.

"But I enjoy a challenge."

Lina’s pulse quickened despite herself.

This man was acting like a fool. But beneath that foolishness was calculation. Awareness. Knowledge he should not possess.

She had come here to control Mike Valquin.

Now she found herself studying Julian instead.

Fortunately—

The heavy doors of MoonDrift Club swung open.

The air shifted.

Selene Aurevale had arrived.