Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 311: Chapter: 310 Am I forgetting something?[4]

Julius frowned slightly as he absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck.

’Am I... forgetting something?’

The strange thought surfaced without warning, carrying with it an inexplicable sense of loss that lingered for only a fleeting moment before quietly fading away.

Whatever it had been, he couldn’t grasp it, nor could he remember why it felt so important.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Julius simply shook his head and pushed the distracting thought aside. Today was far too important to waste dwelling on something he couldn’t even remember.

A wide smile slowly spread across his face. Today, inside this very workshop, he was going to create something legendary.

Not another ordinary statue commissioned by a wealthy noble. Not another monument honoring some forgotten hero or celebrated king.

No... today would be different. Today, he would sculpt a masterpiece unlike anything the world had ever witnessed before.

The mere thought of it caused excitement to bubble inside his chest.

Before he could even begin, however, he needed to recall the image that had refused to leave his mind for days.

It wasn’t someone he knew.

At least... he didn’t think so.

She had simply appeared within his dreams one night.

No.

Dream wasn’t the right word. It had felt far too real.

Even now, with his eyes open, her appearance remained astonishingly vivid, as though she had only stepped out of the room moments ago.

Every detail of her figure lingered clearly within his memory, yet despite that, Julius couldn’t help feeling uncertain.

”Can I truly recreate her...?”

The words escaped him quietly. For the first time in years, doubt crept into the heart of the kingdom’s greatest sculptor.

Still, uncertainty alone wasn’t enough to stop him.

If anyone in the world could transform such an impossible image into reality, then it was him.

Taking a slow, steady breath, Julius walked toward the center of his spacious workshop.

The familiar scent of stone dust drifted through the air, while finished sculptures stood silently around the room like countless spectators waiting to witness his next creation.

At the center rested an enormous block of flawless white stone.

It towered over him, beginning just below his waist before rising well above his head. Its smooth surface reflected the afternoon sunlight spilling through the workshop windows, almost appearing untouched by the world itself.

Julius stepped forward before wrapping both arms around the massive stone.

His muscles immediately tensed.

Veins bulged across his forearms as he tightened his grip.

With a strained grunt, he pulled, but the enormous block refused to move.

”...Come on...”

Grinding his teeth, Julius planted both feet firmly against the wooden floor before throwing the full weight of his body into the effort.

The stone shifted ever so slightly before finally sliding across the workshop with a heavy scraping sound.

Every movement demanded tremendous effort, forcing his entire body to tremble beneath the overwhelming weight.

Sweat quickly gathered across his forehead before rolling down his face, soaking the collar of his clothes as he slowly dragged the gigantic block toward his working platform.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed to push the stone into position.

The moment it settled into place, Julius staggered backward before placing both hands upon his knees.

Heavy breaths escaped one after another.

His chest rose and fell violently while every muscle in his body cried out in exhaustion.

Yet despite the fatigue threatening to overwhelm him, satisfaction shone brightly within his tired eyes.

A broad smile slowly appeared across his face.

Today...he would create the most beautiful sculpture the world had ever seen.

His masterpiece.

His greatest achievement.

His...

Last...

The smile slowly disappeared.

”...Last?”

Julius blinked. The unfamiliar word echoed quietly inside his mind.

Why had he thought that? He wasn’t planning to retire.

He wasn’t dying. There was no reason whatsoever for that strange thought to appear.

A faint frown formed across his face, yet before he could dwell upon it any further, his gaze naturally drifted back toward the untouched block of white stone waiting before him.

The strange feeling vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Excitement replaced it almost immediately.

Letting out an eager chuckle, Julius reached toward the nearby table before picking up his trusted hammer and chisel.

The worn wooden handle rested comfortably within his palm, carrying the familiar weight that had accompanied him throughout countless years of sculpting.

”Let’s see...”

Closing his eyes, Julius slowly calmed his breathing. The noisy workshop seemed to disappear.

Only darkness remained...then...she appeared. Her image bloomed within his consciousness with astonishing clarity.

It wasn’t vague or incomplete, instead, it was so vivid that it almost felt as though she stood directly before him.

She simply smiled.

A gentle, indescribably beautiful smile directed toward him alone.

Julius felt his heartbeat quicken. For a brief moment, he completely forgot to breathe.

An unfamiliar warmth spread quietly through his chest, causing his ears to burn ever so slightly.

”...What am I thinking?”

He immediately shook his head before lightly slapping his own forehead.

”I’m married... damn it.”

A helpless laugh escaped his lips.

Five years. It had already been five years since his marriage.

During that time, he had been blessed with a loving wife who had remained beside him through every hardship imaginable.

Together, they had built a warm home filled with laughter, and before he had even realized it, they had become the proud parents of two wonderful children.

His family meant everything to him.

Yet here he was...feeling captivated by the smile of a woman who existed only inside a dream.

No matter how breathtaking she was...no matter how vividly she lingered within his memory...

He couldn’t help feeling ashamed of himself.

”...Get yourself together.”

Taking another deep breath, Julius forcefully pushed those unnecessary thoughts aside.

Work.

That was exactly what he needed. Whenever he immersed himself completely within sculpting, every distracting thought naturally disappeared.

Without wasting another moment, Julius raised his hammer. The first strike echoed throughout the workshop.

Stone fragments scattered across the floor.

Again. Again. Again.

Large chunks of white stone gradually broke away beneath his practiced hands. Every movement carried decades of experience, allowing his tools to dance effortlessly across the enormous block.

Before long, the once featureless stone had begun transforming into the rough outline of a human figure. Julius stepped back before carefully observing his progress.

A vague feminine silhouette now stood before him.

He slowly nodded.

”The difficult part begins now.”

Unlike shaping the body, every detail from this point onward demanded absolute precision.

One mistake, just one tiny mistake was all it would take to ruin the entire sculpture. His breathing naturally slowed as complete concentration overtook his expression.

The hammer rose once more.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Gentle sounds replaced the earlier thunderous blows. His chisel carefully carved away the excess stone little by little.

The woman’s slender figure gradually emerged from within the marble as though she had always been hidden inside it, patiently waiting for someone to set her free.

Once satisfied with the proportions, Julius shifted his attention toward her hair.

Without the slightest hesitation, his hands began moving.

Long strands slowly flowed down from the crown of her head.

Each careful stroke shaped another lock.

Her hair stretched elegantly behind her like an endless waterfall frozen in time, cascading gracefully across her back with a beauty that almost defied belief.

Black...the endless blackness of an abyss that swallowed all light. The image remained so vivid inside his mind that Julius barely needed to think.

His hands simply moved on their own.

Completely absorbed in his work, he gradually lost all awareness of time.

The outside world no longer existed, hours passed unnoticed, the sunlight shifted, dust floated lazily through the quiet workshop.

Still, Julius continued carving. When the final strands of her flowing hair were complete, he slowly lowered his tools before exhaling a satisfied breath.

Only one feature remained—her eyes.

Julius quietly stared at the unfinished face.

”What were they like again...?” He slowly closed his eyes.

Almost instantly, the answer surfaced.

They resembled the deepest part of the endless ocean. Dark enough to swallow every secret hidden beneath the heavens.

Yet despite that unfathomable darkness, they possessed a beauty beyond anything he had ever witnessed.

They reminded him of fresh ink gently spreading across untouched parchment.

At the same time, they resembled the finest masterpiece ever painted by the hands of a divine artist.

They were impossible to describe, yet impossible to forget. Taking one final steady breath, Julius carefully lifted his chisel toward the statue’s face.

Every movement became incomparably slower than before.

His entire focus narrowed to a single point.

The first delicate cut had barely begun...

When a gentle voice suddenly drifted into the workshop from behind.

”Dear?”