Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!-Chapter 15 -: 14 The unusual hobby.

"Alfred, you can stop here," Julius said as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of a restaurant.

Before Alfred could step down to open the door, Julius pushed it open himself and stepped out.

The place wasn’t big. Although the sign outside said "Restaurant," it looked more like a bar.

Julius walked straight toward the entrance. Just as he was about to step inside, a large man blocked the doorway.

"You can’t go in, kid," the man said in a deep, rough voice.

Julius stared at him for a moment, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tsk."

He turned his head slightly and looked back at Alfred.

Alfred was already standing right behind him. Without a word, he took a small pouch from his belt and handed it to Julius.

Julius took the pouch, opened it, and pulled out a few gold coins. He was about to toss them at the guard.

"You really think that’s enough to get in?" The man sneered.

"Hmph!" Julius let out a cold snort.

"It’s annoying when you have no name or reputation," he muttered to himself.

He was already in a hurry, and this guy was wasting his time.

"Alfred," Julius called.

"Yes, Young Master," Alfred answered right away.

"Make him understand who I am," Julius said. Then he walked forward without waiting.

The man stayed in place, still sneering.

"What’s this old man going to—"

Before he could finish, Alfred was suddenly standing right in front of him.

"If you value your life, step aside," Alfred said in a calm voice.

But the quiet tone sent a cold shiver down the man’s back.

Julius didn’t slow down.

He walked straight ahead and pushed the guard to the side with one hand.

The man didn’t fight back. He stepped aside on his own.

Cold sweat appeared on his forehead as he watched Julius walk in, with Alfred following right behind.

Inside the bar, Julius narrowed his eyes.

The room was almost empty.

Only one person was there, the bartender, standing behind the counter.

The bartender was wiping a bottle of wine. He looked up at Julius.

"What would you like to order, sir?"

"Widow’s Kiss with lemon," Julius said without pause.

The bartender gave a small nod. His face stayed blank. He reached for a bottle.

Julius stepped closer. Alfred followed silently behind him.

Both of them looked calm on the outside, but they had already noticed the hidden eyes watching them from the shadows.

Shake, shake.

The bartender shook the mixer hard, then poured a bright red liquid into a glass.

He added a slice of lemon on the rim and slid the drink toward Julius.

"Here is your Widow’s Kiss with lemon, sir."

Creak!

Right after he spoke, a low creaking sound came from the side.

The tall wine shelf slowly slid open, revealing a hidden passage behind it.

Julius picked up the glass and drank the Widow’s Kiss in one smooth gulp.

"Not bad," he said calmly.

He placed a few gold coins on the counter and walked straight toward the open passage without another word.

The passage was dark and narrow. It led downward.

Julius stepped onto the stairs and walked down without any hesitation.

Alfred followed close behind, silent as always.

Julius knew this place well from the novel TST.

To normal people, it was just a bar.

But to the rich and powerful, it could be anything, a secret gambling den, a meeting spot for assassins, or even a slave market hidden from the law.

In the original story, a minor villain had come here after getting badly beaten by the "trash" hero.

The villain hired killers to take revenge and assassinate the hero.

Of course, the plan failed completely.

Later, the hero himself came to this very place to settle the score.

But instead of just fighting, he discovered something inside, a rare opportunity that helped him grow stronger all the way to the end of the story. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Julius had come here today for one reason only:

to steal that same opportunity before the hero ever found it.

He reached the bottom of the stairs.

A faint orange glow came from ahead. The air smelled of smoke, wine, and something metallic.

Julius narrowed his eyes and kept walking forward.

A young girl stepped out from the side and walked toward him.

She was very beautiful and wore a neat maid outfit. She gave a small, polite bow.

"What would you like to do, sir?" she asked gently.

"Where is the manager of this place?" Julius asked, voice calm and steady.

The girl bowed a little deeper.

"May I ask the reason for your visit, sir?"

Julius answered without hesitation.

"Slaves. Do you have any good ones?"

The girl paused for a moment, thinking.

"What kind of slaves are you looking for, sir?"

Julius stayed quiet for a few seconds, as if considering.

"Children. From age one to five."

The girl’s polite smile didn’t change, but her eyes flickered for the shortest moment.

She nodded slowly.

"Please follow me, sir. I will take you to someone who can help."

She turned gracefully and started walking toward a side corridor.

Julius followed without a word. Alfred stayed two steps behind him, silent and watchful.

The corridor was dimly lit with red lanterns.

The air grew heavier the deeper they went, a mix of incense, old wood, and something sour.

After walking a short distance down the dim corridor, the girl stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

She knocked three times.

"What is it?" a deep, rough voice came from inside. It sounded old and rotten.

"Sir, this gentleman is interested in buying slaves. Children from age one to five," the girl said politely and waited.

"Come inside," the voice answered.

The door creaked open on its own.

Julius stepped in first.

The moment he crossed the threshold, a thick smell of weed and strong alcohol hit him hard.

Alfred moved quickly.

He pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Julius without a word.

Julius pressed it lightly over his nose.

"Ohho... quite an unusual hobby for someone so young," the voice said with a mocking chuckle.

In front of them sat a large man behind a low table.

He had dark skin, a big round belly, and a short goatee.

A thin trail of smoke rose from the pipe in his hand as he looked Julius up and down.

Julius stared straight at him without blinking.

"Don’t worry about the price. Just show me the goods."

He reached into his coat, pulled out a heavy pouch, and tossed it toward the man.

The man caught it with both hands.

He opened the pouch.

Golden light from the coins reflected on his face. He leaned in and sniffed the air near the gold, then grinned.

"Good stuff... but this won’t be enough," he said, still smiling.

Julius gave a small nod.

"Lead the way. You’ll get whatever you want."

The man’s grin widened.

He stood up slowly, belly jiggling, and gestured toward a narrow door at the back of the room.

"Follow me then, young sir. Let’s see if your purse is as deep as your taste."