Villain's Odyssey: Enslaving heroines, Conquering Villainesses-Chapter 79: Maria’s Perspective

"He... got away," Maria muttered breathlessly, her chest still rising and falling from the rush of what had just transpired. She swept her gaze across the empty kitchen, confirming that Asher had indeed vanished. A sharp click of her tongue echoed through the silence. "I was just SO close... tsk."

Another frustrated click before she placed both palms flat against the edge of the wooden table she’d been leaning against. With fluid grace, she pushed herself up to sit on its surface, her legs dangling as she surveyed the room. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, but it quickly transformed into something far more dangerous—a slow, predatory grin that spread across her features.

"It’s too late though..." she whispered to the empty air, her voice carrying a honeyed threat. "You can’t escape even if you want to." Her teeth caught her lower lip, worrying it gently as anticipation coursed through her veins.

She slid down from the table with purposeful movements, gathering the abandoned plates and carrying them to the sink. The ceramic clinked as she dumped them without ceremony, her mind clearly elsewhere. Moving back to the table, she began wiping down its surface with methodical strokes, each motion deliberate and unhurried.

"Since he’s already ingested it, he won’t be able to resist me..." The words fell from her lips like a secret confession. She brought a finger to rest between her teeth, pressing gently against the smooth enamel. "I can’t wait..."

The sound that emerged from her throat was purely feline—a low purr of satisfaction as she began plotting. She could already envision it: watching him struggle against the growing need, driving him to the very edge of his control until he couldn’t fight anymore and fell willingly into her carefully woven web. Oh, how thoroughly she would claim him then, savoring every moment after months of patient waiting. There was even a chance it might help him remember everything.

"Hm?" The soft questioning sound escaped her as something white caught her peripheral vision.

"OH!" She rushed forward, snatching up the sleeveless undershirt that had been left behind. Without hesitation, she pressed the fabric to her face, inhaling deeply. "You smell just the same," she breathed, her voice thick with sudden heat.

The familiar scent triggered a flood of memories—taking her back to that pivotal moment when Asher, in his previous identity as Azalea, had done this exact same thing to her. The very act that had sparked this all-consuming obsession. His plan had been just as calculated as hers, though more indirect in its execution. He had used it on her, and she had begun craving him with an intensity that bordered on madness.

She had despised the bastard initially, which was why she had resisted for so long. But eventually, when the need became unbearable, combined with how unexpectedly gentle he could be, she had surrendered completely. And he had claimed her so thoroughly that night...

Wasn’t this karma? She was using his own weapon against him, and given that he’d already consumed her little gift and had no knowledge of how to counteract it, his resistance would only last so long. The thought of watching him burn for her, seeing his own body betray his stubborn will, sent electricity through her nerves.

At this moment, the fear of other women stealing him away seemed laughable. With her presence alone, he would only be able to focus on her—the same torment she had endured. He would try everything to suppress those feelings, but they would be the only thing occupying his thoughts. Each day would bring intensified longing, growing worse with every calculated move she made, until he could no longer bear it and became as obsessed with her as she was with him. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Mmm!" She pressed the shirt to her lips, biting the soft cotton as her thoughts drifted to those days when he had seized every opportunity to torment her. The stolen kisses, the roughness, the way he would grab her and force her to meet his knowing gaze with that infuriating grin. He had always known exactly when and how to slip past her defenses, making the maddening sensations even more unbearable.

And then came that day—the day she finally broke. During that mission when he made his usual provocative advances, she had completely lost control and taken him with desperate hunger right there in their tent. Even more reckless was how she had forgotten that Isabelle was also on the mission and could have discovered them at any moment. She had simply released all that pent-up frustration, and from that day forward, everything changed.

Of course, she couldn’t always indulge since he had revealed everything about his reincarnation, his knowledge of future events, her destined fate, and the goddess who was supposed to control him. So he had done to her what he’d done to himself—hidden her memories. Only when he permitted it could she remember, and then they would steal away together for their secret encounters.

Initially, she had simply enjoyed the freedom, but with time she found she couldn’t function without him. She had truly fallen in love with the infuriating man, and as the days passed, she became utterly obsessed. A future without that rascal seemed colorless and empty. She didn’t want the bland destiny he had described for her—she wanted him, and only him.

That was why, when she noticed something had happened to his memories and he couldn’t remember her, terror had gripped her heart. If he couldn’t remember her, then she had lost him completely. Because if his memories remained as they should be, he was supposed to be obsessed with Isabelle and no one else. In fact, he was supposed to hate Maria entirely, and that brought the very real possibility of losing him forever—a possibility that chilled her to the bone.

That’s why she had acted so swiftly when the opportunity presented itself. She had managed to approach him, but what she discovered made her blood run cold—he did hate her. The fear that realization brought was almost paralyzing, which was why she had seized the chance he’d unknowingly handed her on a silver platter. She had also noticed Jenny’s increasingly bold behavior, which left her no choice but to take drastic action.

She had invited him over, used the very same method he had once employed on her, but this time she had made it even more potent. Unlike her, who had taken weeks before surrendering, he was already barely able to resist her from the very beginning. Just one kiss and he had nearly claimed her right then and there.

Her reflection in the window showed her own flushed face, dark eyes bright with anticipation and full lips curved in wicked satisfaction. Her long hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and she absently tucked a strand behind her ear as she contemplated her next move.

"Maybe I should... play hard to get," she murmured, her grin turning absolutely diabolical.

Oh, how exquisitely Asher was going to suffer until he had no choice but to pound her like his life depended on it.