A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

This evening, the Hydral Manor was enveloped in an extraordinary tranquility.

The lord of the manor, accompanied by his lady, had planned a brief sojourn to the Lost Sea.

The servants, too, conducted themselves with impeccable decorum, remaining within their quarters. Mr. Flamelle, ever considerate, had ensured his son was afforded ample space for solitude.

Ansel lay on the sofa, engrossed in a tome whose ancient, gold-embossed script testified to the preciousness of the knowledge it contained.

"The Flamefeast, divine beings marked by 'fire,' symbolize not merely the power of the [essence]. "

"The [Fire], owned by the Flamefeast, constitutes the [Source Flame],which they alone can wield and control, representing the [Foundation of All]."

"Therefore, the Flamefeast, nourished by the Source Flame, possess the power to dismantle anything, even the abyssal essence of Hydral itself, turning it into their sustenance."

"Among the four divine species, only the Flamefeast have the capability to forge the nonexistent seventh stage of divine beings, a feat accomplished by their progenitor."

"By consuming the concept essence of Hydral, the most vast and complex, closest to the abyss, they decipher the path… that may lead to the ultimate transcendence, the eternal sublimation."

Gently caressing the pages, Ansel whispered, "To be the last born of the divine species, yet to possess such a capability is truly a marvel... dear fate."

As Ansel concluded his soliloquy, the door to the room was suddenly knocked upon. The young Hydral closed the book, a gentle smile playing upon his lips.

"Enter."

"Ansel!"

At his invitation, the door burst open, and Seraphina, having spent a delightful afternoon with family and friends, locked her gaze upon Ansel on the sofa and joyously leaped towards him, landing squarely on his lap.

"It's only been an afternoon, yet you look as if months have passed."

Ansel chuckled, tenderly stroking Seraphina's silky white hair.

"Hehe… nothing much, just seeing you makes me so happy!"

She cooed, comfortably squinting her eyes, her tall frame sprawled across Ansel's legs like a lively large dog, "I've had such a wonderful day!"

"What did you do this afternoon?"

"The villagers prepared many delicious dishes and took me around; the village has changed so much! Well…it's not a village now, it might now be better called, as a 'town? Mr. village chef said it would continue to grow… Ah, right, they asked me whether we should build the village bigger, and I told them as long as everyone is happier, there's no need to be so cautious..."

She then looked up at Ansel somewhat apprehensively, adding in a lower tone, "But Marli advised me not to let everyone do as they please, saying it wasn't right."

Ansel caressed her delicate cheek, whispering, "Marilina's 'not right' is not about causing me troubles, Seraphina."

"Eh, really?" Miss Wolf appeared surprised, "I had presumed that was precisely Marli's meaning... She often tells me that I mustn't exploit Ansel's affection to…em… act, uh, recklessly."

"You are at liberty to act recklessly," Ansel chuckled heartily.

"If my affection doesn't grant you that freedom, then these sixteen years have been a resounding failure on my part."

He gently pinched the soft flesh of her cheek, "I've told you countless times, Seraphina, you need only to act on your own convictions. In my eyes, and before you, there are no obstacles. Marlina is well aware of this; she no longer seeks to dissuade you."

"Moreover, I understand you better than anyone, Seraphina."

The young Hydral gazed at the girl, whose cheeks were now flushed, and sighed softly, a complexity in his tone that the innocent Seraphina could not detect.

"You are inherently kind-hearted, and even with the power to act without restraint, you constantly govern yourself."

Seraphina, untouched by the myriad of scheduled futures and unacquainted with the world's cruel coldness or the depths of vengeful hatred, still possessed the most genuine and unadulterated goodness.

This goodness, intertwined with her character, remains unshaken by external influences, to some extent, much like Ravenna would never abandon her ideals.

"I'm… hehehe… I'm not that good," Seraphina giggled, nuzzling Ansel's stomach, her laughter brimming with irrepressible joy and sweetness.

"I'm rather clumsy... always making mistakes. Without Ansel and Marli, I dread to think of the mistakes I'd make."

At this, her spirits dipped slightly, evidently still burdened by guilt for her past missteps in the Red Frost Territory.

However, eager not to dampen Ansel's spirits, Seraphina quickly adjusted her mood and asked curiously, "Why then did Marli tell me that improving everyone's lives is… wrong?"

"Because not everyone is like you, Seraphina," Ansel replied, his voice gentle and patient.

"To be precise, individuals such as yourself are exceedingly rare."

"Your family and friends, who have endured a lifetime of hardship, now revel in prosperity beyond their wildest dreams, a prosperity that is growing wildly and without restraint. The vast majority of them... in my view, indeed all of them, are unlikely to resist their burgeoning desires."

"They will gradually become unrecognizable to you. Did you not feel this alienation when you last visited your village alone?"

Seraphina fell silent, her gaze distant as she reminisced about her loved ones celebrating her birthday, never having considered this perspective.

"Everyone... they are all good people," she whispered softly, "I think, they wouldn't..."

"They are kind to you, Seraphina," Ansel shook his head. "To maintain such sincere affection for you amidst such a dramatic ascent, rather than resorting to flattery and ingratiation, is commendable. But they are still ordinary folk, peasants struggling in poverty and hardship."

"This profound change will, due to their limited perspectives and understanding, shatter their existing beliefs and transform them into something else. In the worst-case scenario, they might become… the very oppressors you abhor."

"That cannot be!" Seraphina instinctively protested, her voice tinged with urgency, "How could they possibly become such... they are all so kind!"

"That is why I said, it is the worst-case scenario," Ansel consoled Seraphina, but of course... it was merely consolation.

Endowed with abundant wealth and resources, they could never confine their lives to the village. The burgeoning desires would compel the once-kind-hearted individuals, in Seraphina's eyes, to depart from the barren and harsh land towards a prosperous yet distorted society.

With Seraphina as their backdrop, the challenges they face would diminish, and what they evolve into remains uncertain — Ansel regards this not with optimism, unless —

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