[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-villainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each":3,"chapter-villainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each-villainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1873804,2480,"Chapter 22 -: 21 Orin Belebright.","villainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>The meeting chamber of Royal Arcane Academy stood completely empty, except for one large discussion table in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professors sat along both sides of the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some remained silent, staring ahead. Others quietly read thick papers on infinite theorems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of each professor stood a nameplate showing their title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost everyone was a senior professor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the head of the table was an empty chair. The nameplate in front of it read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dean: Orin Belebright\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk! Where is this old man stuck again?\" A sharp voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Professor Lucian Duskwood sat in the third seat on the right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His short black hair was neatly combed, but his brown eyes were narrow with annoyance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was tight with a deep frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman directly across from him looked up. She wore a crisp formal uniform, and her expression was hard as stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Watch your words, Lucian,\" she said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her nameplate read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Professor: Jaya Balan\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian Duskwood leaned back in his chair and gave a loud, mocking snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crossed his arms, brown eyes glinting with irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That old man deserves every bit of that tone,\" he muttered, loud enough for half the table to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Calls us all here like it’s urgent, then can’t even show up on time. Typical.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya Balan didn’t flinch. Her face stayed calm and stern, like carved stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still,\" she said evenly, \"he is a respected figure. You shouldn’t speak of the Dean like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian barked a short, bitter laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, Jaya. How are you still defending him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His frown deepened, twisting his features. \"You know exactly what he’s doing right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya’s eyes narrowed just a fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even so, he is the Dean. A little respect wouldn’t kill you. And maybe he’s late because something important came up. Work. Responsibilities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian leaned forward, elbows slamming lightly on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What work?\" he sneered, voice dripping with sarcasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gambling again? Or did he finally find a card game that accepts enchanted dice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few professors at the far end hid small smiles behind their papers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem...\" Someone coughed to cover a chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t rise to the bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian leaned back even further, arms crossed, that smirk growing wider like he’d just won a private bet with the entire room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you’re too polite for your own good, Jaya. I’ve told that fool a hundred times, stop gambling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He loses every single hand, every single night. The man has vaults full of gold, yet he lives like a beggar the morning after.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And don’t even get me started on how he leaves those dens.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused for effect, voice dropping to a mock-whisper that still carried to every corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every. Single. Time. He walks out wearing nothing but his dignity, and half the time even that’s gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just underwear, bare feet, and that stupid grin like he’s proud of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya’s mouth opened. \"You—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the word died on her tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stern mask cracked for half a second. Just last month she’d seen it herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden rings on every finger, jeweled brooch gleaming at his throat, fine velvet cloak billowing behind him as Dean Orin Belebright strode into the Silver Dice Den like royalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hours later the same man shuffled out the back door, stark naked except for threadbare smallclothes, arms wrapped around himself, still humming cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d ducked behind a barrel so fast her knee banged the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pretended she saw nothing. Felt her face burn for a full week afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian caught the flicker in her eyes and pounced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ohhh, that face,\" he said, pointing lazily. \"You’ve seen it too, haven’t you? Don’t lie. I can tell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya pressed her lips together so tight they almost vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian gave a theatrical sigh and glanced toward the empty chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m telling you right now, that old fox is late because he lost his clothes again. Probably haggling with some alley tailor for a second-hand robe so he doesn’t have to walk in here looking like a plucked chicken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give it ten more minutes. He’ll stroll through those doors with nothing but rags.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ripple of stifled laughter ran down one side of the table. Someone quickly turned it into a cough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya glared at Lucian, but there was no heat left in it, just tired resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up,\" she muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian only grinned wider. \"Make me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will kill you if you say another word,\" Jaya snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shot to her feet so fast her chair scraped the stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oho, getting violent now, are we?\" Lucian rose too, slow and mocking, rolling his shoulders like he was warming up for a brawl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on then. This time I’ll make you eat dirt and—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took one step out from his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Ahem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dry, deliberate cough floated in from the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian and Jaya whipped around at the same instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s eyes lit up like twin lanterns. He spun back to Jaya, flashing a triumphant grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See? Told you. Gambling. Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya’s fists clenched so hard her knuckles bleached white. She stared at the floor, defeated, cheeks burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem.\" The cough came again, louder this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You do realize I’m standing right here, yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man shuffled through the doorway, one hand scratching at his wrinkled cheek, the other clutching a gnarled walking cane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore the embarrassed grin of someone caught with his hand in the cookie jar, except the cookie jar was apparently a high-stakes gambling den.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His long, wild hair and beard looked like they’d lost a fight with a windstorm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His once-fine robes were now tattered rags hanging off his straight, wiry frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No golden rings. No jeweled brooch. Just threadbare cloth and bare dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took awkward, shuffling steps toward the head of the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya, still standing, couldn’t hold it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dean, I gave you silver, actual coin, to shave that ridiculous beard. So why is it still there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh heh...\" Orin Belebright gave a sheepish chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah!\" Lucian dropped back into his chair with a snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sure he gambled that money away too. Probably lost it to a street urchin playing three-card monte.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other professors exchanged glances, some amused, some long-suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dean Orin finally reached his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered himself into it with the careful grace of a man whose pride was more bruised than his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... apologize for being late, everyone,\" he said, voice scratchy but warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spread his hands in a helpless little shrug. \"Unforeseen circumstances.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian leaned forward, elbows on the table, grin razor-sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unforeseen circumstances named ’dice’ and ’bad bluffs,’ I presume?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Orin’s eyes twinkled despite the embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps we should begin the meeting before certain individuals start taking bets on my next misfortune.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaya sank back into her seat, arms crossed, still glaring daggers, but the fight had leaked out of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a long moment, the chamber stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The professors exchanged quick glances, still half-expecting another gambling joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Dean Orin Belebright straightened in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The embarrassed grin vanished. His voice dropped low, steady, and suddenly carried real weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So. Today I’ve gathered you all to discuss the class-deciding competition that begins in a few hours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, letting the words settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know it’s late notice. Most of the decisions were already made weeks ago. But there is one important matter we must address right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every professor leaned forward slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The playful tension from before evaporated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Dean they rarely saw, the one who could command a room without raising his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around the table, meeting each pair of eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This meeting is about a special student.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Special student?\" Professor Eldric from the far end raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it second-year Rosalina Valentina?\" someone asked quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or perhaps Julius Augustus Hayes?\" another added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A murmur rippled through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, they are called the greatest talents of the continent, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Both of them could wipe the floor with anyone in the competition.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rosalina’s spell casting flawless. Julius’s understanding is also unmatched\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The professors slipped easily into discussion, names and achievements bouncing back and forth like sparks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap. Tap. Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dean’s cane tapped the table three times, sharp, deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voices died instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve misunderstood,\" Orin said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The special student is not one of the talented prodigies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned forward, hands folded on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This one isn’t gifted. Not by blood, not by mana, not by any natural blessing. What he has is something far rarer in our world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let the silence stretch just long enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hard work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few professors frowned, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You might know him,\" the Dean continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He was once called the talentless trash of the Thorne clan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thorne?\" someone whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trash of the Thorne clan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait... is it who I think it is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Orin gave a small nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke the name clearly, without flourish, but it landed like a stone in still water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The special student is Cyprian Thorne.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1520,"2026-06-10T05:56:21.839Z",1,"novelbin.me","1a916c4451853c1382637108130636ee26d4d54bdff4a57e3147ad2d89af7494","villainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each-chapter-23","villainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each-chapter-220",220,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fvillainess-x-villain-they-are-obsessed-with-each-cover.jpg"]